My Lord, what a morning, My Lord what a morning, 
O my Lord, what a morning, When the stars begin to fall.
You’ll hear the sinner mourn, To wake the nations underground,
Looking to my God’s right hand, When the stars begin to fall.
– My Lord, What A Morning, LEVAS 13

Dear Friends,

What a morning, indeed. How relevant is our song before the Gospel for this coming Sunday’s worship service! Many of us have hoped and prayed that there would be a conclusion to the recent political uncertainty by now, even though we have been warned that it will take time and we must be patient. By all accounts, this year’s election will be one for the history books for many reasons, positive or negative – depending on your political perspective. I will contend that a positive side-effect of this election cycle is the realization of possibly the largest turnout of American voters in US history. We have used our voice, through our vote, as is our civic duty. 

But as Christians, why is this important? According to Micah Watson’s analysis of Romans 13:1-7, Paul exhorts that it is the “Christian duty to love our neighbors even in our temporary roles as citizens of an earthly polis.” [i] In this letter to the Romans, Paul acknowledges that we are subject to the governing authorities, but then goes on to state that the proper role of government is to promote good and punish evil. Paul then concludes by calling on Christians to: “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (Romans 13:7).

So, where does this leave us today, in this state of limbo we find ourselves in? The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Brooke-Davidson, of the Diocese of Virginia, looked no further than the vows made at baptism and offers these rules to follow as an extension of those vows as described in the Book of Common Prayer:

  • Respect each human individual as made in the image of God. No exceptions.
  • Devote our time and resources to work for justice for all.
  • Act as a peacemaker in a world of anger and violence.
  • Consider people from every race, nation, culture, gender, and religion our equal.
  • Look behind the masks and distortions of this world to find the divine spark in each person.
  • Live in a way that shows the world how everybody can live into God’s dream.
  • Talk about how God’s love for the world is concretely revealed in the life, death, resurrection, and teachings of Jesus.
  • Continue to admit the ways we have failed in following Christ, and try again each time.
  • Resist the forces and impulses that seek to harm, destroy, or denigrate people or God’s creation.
  • Remain connected to our community of faith, learn from authoritative spiritual teachers, and maintain deep conversation with God.[ii][iii]

Reminding ourselves of who we are as Christians and following the teachings of Jesus Christ will always be the correct path to take.

In news closer to our life in Epiphany, I am sad to announce that, due to the health metrics in Fairfax County, we have had to cease in-person worship for the time-being. Our worship and production teams will still be live-streaming our services every Sunday at 10 AM, so please join us for worship via YouTube.

I would also like to take a moment to thank the following volunteers that were on-site yesterday, as Epiphany opened its doors as an election polling location: Susan Forbes, Richard Durkin, Heather Modzelewski, Dick Jackson, Marty Brady, Bill Forbes, and Patrick Walsh. Your dedication to Epiphany being the church on the corner to all is very much appreciated, because God Loves You. No Exceptions.

Peace to you all,

Susan Buckner

Senior Warden

[i] Watson, Micah. 2014 Nov 3. Why Christians Should Vote. The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved from https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-christians-should-vote/

[ii] Brooke-Davidson, Jennifer. 2020 Nov. 2. Bishop Brooke-Davidson’s Meditation for the 22nd Week After Pentecost. The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. Retrieved from http://www.thediocese.net/news/bishop-brooke-davidsons-meditation-for-the-22nd-week-after-pentecost/

[iii] Book of Common Prayer pp.304-305 (read from the bottom up).

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* Come online to our Stronger Together Reconnection Chat tomorrow night(Thursday, Nov 5) anytime between 8:30 – 9:30 PM. ALL are welcome!

* Join us online this Sunday at 10 AM for worship! Rev. Matthew Dumont-Machowski will preside over worship for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost.

* As always, Epiphany’s vestry and staff are here to support you in any way we can. Please contact Susan Buckner, Senior Warden at: srwarden@epiphanyec.org