Well, we made it – election day is here! Many of us are anxious and fearful while some of us are hopeful and expectant. Most of us are probably a blend of the four.
Here are some resources to help you throughout the next several days. Take your time and click on what interests you.
Updates:
11/4/2020 – Added link to Quick to Listen podcast, added link to New York Times news organization tracker
START IN PRAYER
If you don’t know where to start Kaitlyn Schiess, author of The Liturgy of Politics, has provided a PDF of prayers for election season. On pages 3 and 4 she has prayers for election day – pick one or two and pray them as you go throughout your day.
Lord, be with me in this day, a day with great significance and possibility, a day with ordinary struggles and delights, a day that is one precious opportunity to serve my neighbor among many others.
A prayer from The Liturgy of Politics, Kaitlyn Schiness
BE INTENTIONAL WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
Read pages 4 and 5 from the Practices for Election Season PDF provided by Schiness. It provides practical suggestions on how one should engage with social media.
BONUS: Here is an intriguing website where you can play around with how the news is curated towards different social media bubbles. Hint, you are in one of your own and it takes work to get out.
BE DISTINCT
Please do not get caught up in the hype – as a Christian we should be distinct and different in our interactions online and in person and the media we choose to consume.
Read chapter 5 (Messaging and Rhetoric) and chapter 8 (Civility and Political Culture) from Compassion (&) Conviction for a reminder on how our leaders, and us, should be engaging with each other and the public.
READ THESE ARTICLES
- ARTICLE: 5 Expert Tips for Following Election Stats – Five practical tips – from not trusting the exit polls to being patient to which demographics to focus on – to separate the facts from the hype during election day.
- ARTICLE: The Day After – Empathy is the key to healing America. It needs to be learned as it provides the path to loving our neighbor and the solution to real-world problems.
- ARTICLE: Why Evangelicals Disagree on the President – A well thought out article on how the church is split between visions of the kingdom of Heaven. Whichever vision you agree with it is your duty to “reach out to those who disagree with you and demonstrate the love of Christ.”
- ARTICLE: Electoral college explained – An explanation of how the electoral college works and a short history along with key dates. Also, take a look at the video below for an explanation.
CHOOSE YOUR RESOURCES WISELY
Here are several resources, including some of our own, that we have found useful.
- Curated List: Politics – Our own curated list of articles, books, movies, shows, podcasts and sermons on ways Christians can approach politics. Most of the media are geared towards before election day, but the principles to be learned are still relevant.
- New York Times Outlet tracker – Tracks which news organizations have called winners.
- Reclaiming Hope Newsletter – Hosted by Michael and Melissa Wear on Substack.com the Wears provide commentary, context and information on the latest political news. During election day he will host political scientists and strategists as they breakdown the news – the newsletter also has a useful graphic showing when states will begin counting mail-in ballots. Here is his election day post.
Wear is one of the top Christian leaders engaged with politics and provides a safe, respectful place to exchange ideas and ask questions. His newsletter costs $5 a month or $50 a year, but it is well worth the cost. - The Dispatch – Commentary, news, podcasts and much more — we highly recommend subscribing to their free Monday-Friday The Morning Dispatch newsletter. Here is newsletter for election day – lots of solid information there along with an electoral map.
On Nov. 3 they will be hosting a Dispatch Live that is available to subscribers. On Nov. 9 and 10 they will be hosting a two day What’s Next conference. Cost is $100 for a two day pass and includes a year of The Dispatch. - The Exchange with Ed Stetzer has a plethora of discussions with pastors, authors and thought leaders on this election season. Lots to dig into here.
- Christianity Today election headlines – Balanced and well written without being sensational.
The Case for Hope in a Year of Despair – Quick to Listen
Define Woke – The Church Politics Podcast
The Final Episode: Election Recap – Faith 2020
Pre Election Special! – Prophetic Politics
Sunday to Saturday 