As I write this, I am half-watching coverage of the New Hampshire primary. I served a congregation in New Hampshire for five years, beginning in August 2016…so politics quickly impacted my brand new ministry there.

As we move into this presidential election year, I know it will be part of our shared ministry to journey together through this time. I know many of us are experiencing rising anxiety. I want to say a few things to you today, probably not for the last time this year:

• I encourage you to manage your media consumption in a way that supports your mental and spiritual health. For me, this means I get most of my news in print form or public radio, which I find less stressful than a lot of television news. It means that even on primary nights like tonight, I limit how much coverage I watch. Your ideal situation may be different—but please consider how your news consumption impacts you.
• We are in this together. There will undoubtedly be lots of ups and downs in our national politics (and other national and world news) all year long, and we will continue to be here through it all, loving each other and living our values with each other and in the wider world.
• I want you to know that it will be, as it always is, my goal to balance what ministers call prophetic ministry and pastoral ministry—to balance challenge (calling us to move ever further into action grounded in our values) and comfort (nourishing our spirits so we can remain as healthy, grounded, and centered as possible). While I know that the balance will not be perfect for every person on every Sunday, I always welcome hearing how the balance feels to you.
• As always, if you are struggling, please reach out to me, or to other sources of support in your life, whether family, friends, or mental health care providers. (If you need that kind of care and do not have it, I can help connect you to resources.)

With love and gratitude for this community,

Rev. Diana