A Holy Week message from Bishop Carrie Schofield-Broadbent

“Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.” – Joel 2:13

Dear Siblings in Christ,

As we walk through Holy Week, I seek to offer a word to those of you who will preach the Gospel either through formal sermons or by living your lives as Christians in this time. Jesus preached the Kingdom of God, and we call that Good News – the Gospel. Jesus’ message is most likely to sound like good news to the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized, and the downtrodden. To those in power – especially those who wield it unjustly – Jesus’ message of love and liberation may not sound like good news at all. We are bound to run headlong into that tension in our liturgies this week – and ultimately it will take the form of the cross.

It is not always easy to know what is considered “too political” in a sermon. Opinions on that differ as widely as the people sitting in our pews. Still, I encourage us all to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ with courage and honesty: to speak the truth, to draw connections between our scriptural stories and our present moment, and to preach love. May our faith communities be places where differences of opinion can be held with integrity, compassion, and kindness.

Let us talk openly about our fears, our concerns, and our despair. But let us also name the hope we see. We all need reminders of where the Reign of God is taking shape and where we long for it to grow.

I pray our worshiping communities will be places of deep, meaningful conversation – not just surface-level talk. I hope we can embrace practices of play and rest that remind us that God is in charge, and that we make space for the Holy Spirit to move among us.

May we always point to God’s faithfulness – through the stories of scripture, the lives of the saints, and our own lived experiences of God’s unshakable love and presence.

Even in the midst of sweeping change, I wish you all a blessed Holy Week. May God grant us strength and grace to follow Jesus with courage, humility, and love.

Peace be with you,