History was never my strong suit
No one who conceals transgressions will prosper, but one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. - Proverbs 28:13
I’ve been a preacher for nearly twenty years, and have never before needed to issue a retraction. I guess there’s a first time for everything.
Yesterday I preached on Christ the King Sunday. The theological and spiritual gist of my sermon stands:
Jesus is above all; whatever else our passports say, as Christians our primary citizenship is held in the Kingdom of God.
Jesus is above all; wherever our partisan affiliations lie, as Christians our primary work in the world is to be the church, the Body of Christ.
Jesus is above all. A King whose first crown was made of thorns. A Lord whose political platform was to feed the hungry, heal the sick, and bring good news to the oppressed.
Where I went wrong was with the history. In preparation to preach, I read a couple of articles that cast Pope Pius XI as a sort of anti-fascist hero, establishing the Feast of Christ the King as a direct protest against the rise of Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler. (This was one of my primary resources.)
It turns out that the truth was far more complicated than that simplistic interpretation.
A church member who is a student and teacher of history sent me a very kind note last night, expressing gratitude for the message and sharing context and perspective that was woefully absent from my sermon. I set about learning more this morning (nothing like researching the rise of fascism before one’s first cup of coffee). I found this helpful NPR interview with David Kertzer, the author of a Pulitzer-prize winning book, The Pope And Mussolini: The Secret History Of Pius XI And The Rise Of Fascism In Europe. Kertzer’s book “challenges the commonly accepted narrative that the Catholic Church fought heroically against the Italian fascists in the 1920s and '30s.” A commonly accepted narrative I perpetuated from the pulpit yesterday morning.
I am genuinely sorry for not doing due diligence, and not thoroughly checking the facts before preaching the sermon.
Again, I do stand by the heart of my message. More than ever, we need to properly order our allegiances. Jesus is above all, and thank God for that.
Thanks for reading.
Peace,
Pastor Katherine
Sorry to have missed your message and yesterday’s worship. In my days as preacher, I had made a gaffe about where a story came from. I should have researched more thoroughly. After explaining this, I began assiduously verbalizing where stories came from, to the point that listeners complained that the thrust of the message was blunted by my verbal ‘footnotes.’ I recalled thinking that as a preacher, “you just can’t win!”
But we give our level best and “let God do the rest!” I still very much appreciate the messages you, Rich, and Meredith share!
They have a focus, sincerity, and brevity that make them so well-suited for worship today! God bless each of you and your ‘exasperating and heady calling’ that leads you boldly into the pulpit!