The Challenge of Purple Churches
Reaching across the political aisle by way of the communion table
As the presidential election drew closer last fall, I looked back on the practice of Election Day Communion. This was a practice that started during the 2012 Presidential election to bring left and right together at the communion table after spending time at the voting booth. Back then it seemed like we could come together around a communion table, a place of common ground. Election Day Communion seems like something from another time if not another country. It feels like the common ground is gone. Democrats who wanted to work with Donald Trump in 2017 now want to fight, whatever that means. During his recent address to Congress, President Trump trolled the Democrats instead of reaching out.
Our churches are places should be places where people from different backgrounds can come together. But there are not a whole lot of churches where Republicans and Democrats can worship together. Which is why First Christian Church of North Hollywood is so interesting. Last December, the Washington Post highlighted the church and its pastor Jonathan Hall. You read about how the church handles balances keeping a diverse congregation at the table and also taking a stand on controversial issues.
On this episode, I chat with Jonathan Hall about pastoring a politically diverse congregation. A native of Huntsville, Alabama, Hall is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) serving congregations in Colorado and California. He is the co-author of Dear Son: Raising Faithful, Just and Compassionate Men. Jonathan lives with his wife Annie and their two sons in Los Angeles. This was a great conversation about coming together in a time when that seems harder than ever to do.