The Presbyterian Outlook article: Three churches, one focus: Uniting to confront Christian nationalism
Seattle Presbytery
From The Presbyterian Outlook:
Three PC(USA) churches in the Seattle-area grapple with Christian nationalism using the Book of Confessions as a guide. — Haley Ballast
by Haley Ballast
Published: August 16, 2024 |Updated: August 19, 2024
What do we do when our faith is co-opted by White nationalists?
Can our history and theology help us or is it part of the problem?
How do we keep our sanity amid a chaotic political climate?
How do we claim our voice and agency without adding to the noise?
In the run-up to the 2024 election season, these have become my 2 a.m. questions: the ones I can stifle by day with the busyness of solo pastor work, only to have them rouse me at night with the persistence of a hungry infant. I hear versions of these questions echoed at church and on social media. Christians see the unholy union of American exceptionalism, White supremacy and Christian identity parading across stages at rallies and worship services alike, and we are left wringing our hands. What is a faithful and reasonable response?
I probably would have settled for inserting a few veiled references to politics in my sermons and praying for the Holy Spirit to do the rest if my friend Jeny Carlson hadn’t reached out a couple of months ago with an idea: a joint summer sermon series on Christian nationalism. It turns out, Jeny, who pastors a neighboring Presbyterian church, has been chewing on questions about Christian nationalism too. In her search for answers, she realized that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Book of Confessions includes wisdom from communities who have dealt with parallel challenges.