Dear Members and Friends of Palmetto Presbyterian Church,

I write to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in the aftermath of a tumultuous and bitter election season. The divisions and wounds in our nation are deep and painful, many people are filled with foreboding, and the path forward will not be easy.

I invite you to join me for a prayer service tomorrow (Thursday, November 7) from 6:00-6:45 pm in the sanctuary. At this crucial moment, may we come together to seek God’s strength and wisdom and recommit ourselves to our calling as followers of Jesus. Now more than ever, our nation and our world need the church to be all that Christ has called us to be:

We are called to unity. Jesus said, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, that you love one another” (John 13:35). We in the church must set an example of overcoming our differences and living in love.

Our identity as Jesus’ followers supersedes our political allegiances. We are committed to the purposes of our Savior, who said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free” (Luke 4:18). Transcending all the dividing lines of society, our Lord’s agenda binds Christians together.

Jesus is Lord. This was the central affirmation of the very first Christians, and it is ours today. “God has put all things under his feet and has made him head over all things for the church” (Ephesians 1:22). Regardless of our political viewpoints, regardless of whether our candidate won or lost, Jesus is Lord, and he is, ultimately, our hope.

As our church moves forward under God’s guidance, may we pray in the words of the old hymn, “Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the living of these days.”

In Christ’s love,

Interim Pastor Sandy Hull