Excellent post!!! When something is deemed prophetic, it doesn't mean that it is in keeping with the biblical line of prophets. What I heard was more like virtue signalling more than anything else. The way you can tell how the spirit of the sermon was created in an echo chamber is to listen to the voices of those LGBT and immigrants who have grown tired of being used as tokens for the elite classes. 'They clean our offices so don't touch them' is hardly a humanising approach.
Yes, go after the excesses of Trump's policies...but why stop there?
So, why didnt she use her prophetic voice to ALSO go after the violent immigrant gangs, the abortions, hollywood immorality, same sex marriages, pre-emptive pardons, in her sermon.
She didnt go after any of these societal sins for reasons only known to her.
It was a prayer for God’s mercy regarding *public* decisions from Trump and also disparaging comments by Trump. For the latter, he has publicly disregarded the imago dei in his words about immigrants. This type of rhetoric should be addressed publicly and she did it with gentleness not fiery condemnation. Jesus used far less gentleness when he addressed the Pharisees…publicly.
Yes...I know the feeling. He is gruff...but my point is that he needs people of prayer and ministers around him now more than ever. Jesus never confronted people directly without first establishing a relationship with them. He only made two exceptions: the Pharisee and the demons. But for everyone else, he was first a hand of friendship, then the hard news to repent.
Every person Jesus “established relationship with” all knew, on some level, that they were broken. Trump, on several occasions, has proclaimed that he doesn’t need forgiveness. He and the Pharisees have this in common. Moreover, the worst atrocities occur when the image dei in each person is not honored. Those atrocities almost always begin with harsh, “gruff” words that deny human dignity and worth.
Trump parading himself as a Christian is the height of Phariseeism. Jesus had nothing to do with Herod or Ananias or Pilate. Why would He have anything to do with Trump? He came for sinners, not for those who say they have no sin. And He warned that any that offend the young face the worst penalties and are lost.
A country can't survive unchecked immigration. These people aren’t even trying. They come over knowing full well they are breaking the law.
Everyone is focused on the poor immigrants, but what about American the poor citizens? Where is the compassion for America? The immigrants chose to come here. But for citizens, this is our country, and we voted to protect it. It’s not racist or fascist to defend your land.
If you don’t, you’ll end up like the Native Americans—living on reservations. That might sound cold, but it’s a fact. Strong men and tough decisions are needed to keep a nation intact, regardless of the opinions of those who let their compassion turn toxic to their own demise.
Jesus told us to protect the innocent. It’s not always pretty, but it’s necessary. You and the good Bishop can thank us later.
I can thank you now! I genuinely believe what you are saying and feel it myself. We must take action to move people back to their homes. Over the last four years (and before), the government has invited people--coaxed them?-- to come here. And what a mess! And a cruel mess. And it must be remedied.
My point with the Bishop is that she foreclosed any conversation she might have had by lecturing the President. He needed a sermon. We all do. But he got an earful from her--
And as it turns out, if reports are accurate, she has a vested and financial interest in keeping the immigration ministry going...Did I read 35 Million dollars??
Well said. Kinder than she was in the moment. She not only misread the room, but her tirade against President Trump alone also set back the Episcopal Church as well as put a huge black mark on female clerics as being the shrill, hysterical types.
She should have approached her moment as she would a Christmas or Easter sermon: what do I say to encourage the Christmas-and-Easter-Christians in the sanctuary that might cause them to come again next Sunday? Except the President and Vice-President have close ties and devotion to their home churches, the President to the Presbyterian Church, and the Vice-President to the Catholic Church.
They appreciate and understand the need for prayer. They came expecting words of prayer to cover them and uplift them through their days in office leading the United States of America. They received the dirty water of a strident fishmonger at the end of the day.
As an Episcopalian I agree wholeheartedly with you. I am ashamed that she represents our denomination. She didn't pray she lectured to our President. She owes him , his family and the citizen an apology because it was all one sided.
I actually support the bishop, however, I loved this article. It gave me much to think about. I have many concerns about the next 4 years (and maybe beyond). I know I need to stop and take a deep breath. Articles like this help me do that. Thank you.
THIS. This is exactly the questioning, the discomfort, the persistent gnawing I've been feeling in my heart all week. You put it into words beautifully. May people read it, reflect, pray, read it again and absorb it. My favorite line in a treasure trove of insightful lines is: "The subject of every sermon should always be Jesus Christ and no one else."
I don't think you did actually listen to this sermon. Of the almost 15 minutes she spoke, Bishop Budde did address the gospel as you define it. Her topic was unity, and she called out the faithful, including me. Less than a minute of her time was devoted to Trump and his unbiblical stance toward immigrants and children.
Trump doesn't pray -- private worship isn't something he does (by his own admission), and he won't start because Budde suggests it or you wish for it. Trump is affected by public perception, however, and he might be merciful if reminded publicly.
Tone is complicated. But if Trump had been climbing up in a tree, ignoring his dignity, just to see a preacher as a representative of the Lord, I think a lecture would probably have been the wrong response.
On the other hand, when Jesus was invited by another powerful man into his home, his response was so aggressive, so targeted, so patronizing that even the Scribe--not the Pharisee--stood up and said "you have insulted us, too, in what you've said!"
Politics is hard. Especially our current poisoned politics. I don't know what sermon I would have given, were I some clergy speaking before Trump. I imagine I would have been more moderate, like Russell Moore, whom Trump called "a nasty guy with no heart." But I have no confidence that that would be the right choice--certainly none based on the way Jesus, Paul, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and so on spoke to people in power!
I truly appreciate your careful thought on this. And I suppose that many preachers have wondered what they would do in a similar situation.
Two things I am left with, the more I think about it.
1. Sadly, I believe that the door has been firmly shut by the bishop. Trump now realizes that he cannot look to her as a Billy Graham or a presidential counselor. Why? Because she made him the focal point of her message.
When I reflect on the confrontations Jesus had with others in the New Testament, I see they were always rooted in relationship. He never approached people with "turn or burn" language—though I'm not suggesting the bishop did that. Instead, he told parables that caused people to see themselves in the story. Or he extended a hand, asked for a favor, or formed friendships.
The only group he confronted relentlessly was the Pharisees and demons. Let us not assume that Trump is neither of those.
2. And then I think about how I might have made an appeal to the president for the gift of mercy toward others. I can see her making a plea that since he was shown mercy in the attempts on his life, would he please show mercy to those whose lives are being impacted...
And this last part, I would have addressed him publicly, but I think I would have NOT done it in the context of a sermon, but as a special statement and certainly not from the pulpit. Nor as a surprise either.
I’m not sure why her admonition must be read as closing a door. The audience of a message decides whether they will receive it or reject it (aka closing the door). In that sense, he violently slammed the door shut.
He already has Paula White as his “spiritual advisor” or pastor, but she flatters him and tells him what he wants to hear: that he alone is chosen, prophesied, anointed, etc. What could be a better example of “gathering teachers to say what [his] itching ears want to hear”? (2 Tim 4:3). A spiritual leader should be expected to tell their flock, or their advisee, hard truths they don’t want to hear. Samuel comes to mind in his relationship to Saul in that respect.
I appreciate your observations and the thoughtful comments you have offered in response. I have followed the good bishop, her predecessors, and the Episcopal Church for quite a while. My considered opinion is that her homily, delivered before President Trump, his family, and many others was largely political theater.
When one looks at the history of her denomination over the past years of its decline, its characteristic shift in emphasis away from expounding a message focused on Gospel-centered salvation toward one focused on the so-called Social Gospel is very evident. Leadership of the Episcopal Church has often deviated very far Left. Consider the late Bishop John Spong, for only one example.
As a student of Political Theology, I get it. Religious opinion and involvement in the public square is both real and needed. But let's not be confused on what Bishop Budde was about in her homily - it was less about mercy than it was about her using her time on the National Stage to provocatively expound on her specific political agenda.
Excellent post!!! When something is deemed prophetic, it doesn't mean that it is in keeping with the biblical line of prophets. What I heard was more like virtue signalling more than anything else. The way you can tell how the spirit of the sermon was created in an echo chamber is to listen to the voices of those LGBT and immigrants who have grown tired of being used as tokens for the elite classes. 'They clean our offices so don't touch them' is hardly a humanising approach.
I agree, it was very condescending
Yes, go after the excesses of Trump's policies...but why stop there?
So, why didnt she use her prophetic voice to ALSO go after the violent immigrant gangs, the abortions, hollywood immorality, same sex marriages, pre-emptive pardons, in her sermon.
She didnt go after any of these societal sins for reasons only known to her.
It was a prayer for God’s mercy regarding *public* decisions from Trump and also disparaging comments by Trump. For the latter, he has publicly disregarded the imago dei in his words about immigrants. This type of rhetoric should be addressed publicly and she did it with gentleness not fiery condemnation. Jesus used far less gentleness when he addressed the Pharisees…publicly.
Yes...I know the feeling. He is gruff...but my point is that he needs people of prayer and ministers around him now more than ever. Jesus never confronted people directly without first establishing a relationship with them. He only made two exceptions: the Pharisee and the demons. But for everyone else, he was first a hand of friendship, then the hard news to repent.
Every person Jesus “established relationship with” all knew, on some level, that they were broken. Trump, on several occasions, has proclaimed that he doesn’t need forgiveness. He and the Pharisees have this in common. Moreover, the worst atrocities occur when the image dei in each person is not honored. Those atrocities almost always begin with harsh, “gruff” words that deny human dignity and worth.
Trump parading himself as a Christian is the height of Phariseeism. Jesus had nothing to do with Herod or Ananias or Pilate. Why would He have anything to do with Trump? He came for sinners, not for those who say they have no sin. And He warned that any that offend the young face the worst penalties and are lost.
A country can't survive unchecked immigration. These people aren’t even trying. They come over knowing full well they are breaking the law.
Everyone is focused on the poor immigrants, but what about American the poor citizens? Where is the compassion for America? The immigrants chose to come here. But for citizens, this is our country, and we voted to protect it. It’s not racist or fascist to defend your land.
If you don’t, you’ll end up like the Native Americans—living on reservations. That might sound cold, but it’s a fact. Strong men and tough decisions are needed to keep a nation intact, regardless of the opinions of those who let their compassion turn toxic to their own demise.
Jesus told us to protect the innocent. It’s not always pretty, but it’s necessary. You and the good Bishop can thank us later.
I can thank you now! I genuinely believe what you are saying and feel it myself. We must take action to move people back to their homes. Over the last four years (and before), the government has invited people--coaxed them?-- to come here. And what a mess! And a cruel mess. And it must be remedied.
My point with the Bishop is that she foreclosed any conversation she might have had by lecturing the President. He needed a sermon. We all do. But he got an earful from her--
And as it turns out, if reports are accurate, she has a vested and financial interest in keeping the immigration ministry going...Did I read 35 Million dollars??
Thanks for your comment1
Well said. Kinder than she was in the moment. She not only misread the room, but her tirade against President Trump alone also set back the Episcopal Church as well as put a huge black mark on female clerics as being the shrill, hysterical types.
She should have approached her moment as she would a Christmas or Easter sermon: what do I say to encourage the Christmas-and-Easter-Christians in the sanctuary that might cause them to come again next Sunday? Except the President and Vice-President have close ties and devotion to their home churches, the President to the Presbyterian Church, and the Vice-President to the Catholic Church.
They appreciate and understand the need for prayer. They came expecting words of prayer to cover them and uplift them through their days in office leading the United States of America. They received the dirty water of a strident fishmonger at the end of the day.
Shame, shame on the Right Rev. Mariann Budde.
What a sentence! "They received the dirty water of a strident fishmonger at the end of the day."
Thanks for reading!
I surprise myself sometimes!
As an Episcopalian I agree wholeheartedly with you. I am ashamed that she represents our denomination. She didn't pray she lectured to our President. She owes him , his family and the citizen an apology because it was all one sided.
I actually support the bishop, however, I loved this article. It gave me much to think about. I have many concerns about the next 4 years (and maybe beyond). I know I need to stop and take a deep breath. Articles like this help me do that. Thank you.
Perhaps a different preacher will be selected for the funeral service of wokeism and a return to sanity.
THIS. This is exactly the questioning, the discomfort, the persistent gnawing I've been feeling in my heart all week. You put it into words beautifully. May people read it, reflect, pray, read it again and absorb it. My favorite line in a treasure trove of insightful lines is: "The subject of every sermon should always be Jesus Christ and no one else."
Bless you!
I don’t agree at all about what she did, said, or the fact that she is considered to be anything other than a woman using the bully pulpit.
However, I appreciate your essay on the opportunity that was missed by her. You nailed it.
Blessing to you!
I don't think you did actually listen to this sermon. Of the almost 15 minutes she spoke, Bishop Budde did address the gospel as you define it. Her topic was unity, and she called out the faithful, including me. Less than a minute of her time was devoted to Trump and his unbiblical stance toward immigrants and children.
Trump doesn't pray -- private worship isn't something he does (by his own admission), and he won't start because Budde suggests it or you wish for it. Trump is affected by public perception, however, and he might be merciful if reminded publicly.
Preach Jesus
Tone is complicated. But if Trump had been climbing up in a tree, ignoring his dignity, just to see a preacher as a representative of the Lord, I think a lecture would probably have been the wrong response.
On the other hand, when Jesus was invited by another powerful man into his home, his response was so aggressive, so targeted, so patronizing that even the Scribe--not the Pharisee--stood up and said "you have insulted us, too, in what you've said!"
Politics is hard. Especially our current poisoned politics. I don't know what sermon I would have given, were I some clergy speaking before Trump. I imagine I would have been more moderate, like Russell Moore, whom Trump called "a nasty guy with no heart." But I have no confidence that that would be the right choice--certainly none based on the way Jesus, Paul, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and so on spoke to people in power!
I truly appreciate your careful thought on this. And I suppose that many preachers have wondered what they would do in a similar situation.
Two things I am left with, the more I think about it.
1. Sadly, I believe that the door has been firmly shut by the bishop. Trump now realizes that he cannot look to her as a Billy Graham or a presidential counselor. Why? Because she made him the focal point of her message.
When I reflect on the confrontations Jesus had with others in the New Testament, I see they were always rooted in relationship. He never approached people with "turn or burn" language—though I'm not suggesting the bishop did that. Instead, he told parables that caused people to see themselves in the story. Or he extended a hand, asked for a favor, or formed friendships.
The only group he confronted relentlessly was the Pharisees and demons. Let us not assume that Trump is neither of those.
2. And then I think about how I might have made an appeal to the president for the gift of mercy toward others. I can see her making a plea that since he was shown mercy in the attempts on his life, would he please show mercy to those whose lives are being impacted...
And this last part, I would have addressed him publicly, but I think I would have NOT done it in the context of a sermon, but as a special statement and certainly not from the pulpit. Nor as a surprise either.
I’m not sure why her admonition must be read as closing a door. The audience of a message decides whether they will receive it or reject it (aka closing the door). In that sense, he violently slammed the door shut.
He already has Paula White as his “spiritual advisor” or pastor, but she flatters him and tells him what he wants to hear: that he alone is chosen, prophesied, anointed, etc. What could be a better example of “gathering teachers to say what [his] itching ears want to hear”? (2 Tim 4:3). A spiritual leader should be expected to tell their flock, or their advisee, hard truths they don’t want to hear. Samuel comes to mind in his relationship to Saul in that respect.
Or maybe a better analogy instead of Zaccheus would be John the Baptist and his words to Herod…also done publicly.
I appreciate your observations and the thoughtful comments you have offered in response. I have followed the good bishop, her predecessors, and the Episcopal Church for quite a while. My considered opinion is that her homily, delivered before President Trump, his family, and many others was largely political theater.
When one looks at the history of her denomination over the past years of its decline, its characteristic shift in emphasis away from expounding a message focused on Gospel-centered salvation toward one focused on the so-called Social Gospel is very evident. Leadership of the Episcopal Church has often deviated very far Left. Consider the late Bishop John Spong, for only one example.
As a student of Political Theology, I get it. Religious opinion and involvement in the public square is both real and needed. But let's not be confused on what Bishop Budde was about in her homily - it was less about mercy than it was about her using her time on the National Stage to provocatively expound on her specific political agenda.
I was in TEC for decades. In total agreement.
She ignores misconduct in her own diocese. And attendance is down 42% during her tenure. Needs to get her own house in order.