Pentecost Witness for a Moral Budget

Liturgy and legislation don’t often align– nor should they. But this June, they will.

Liturgy and legislation don’t often align– nor should they. But this June, they will.

Sunday, June 8th is Pentecost– marking the time when the Holy Spirit came upon the earliest followers of Jesus, turning fear into courage, and taking the disciples into the streets. During the ensuing Pentecost season, a life-or-death vote is expected in the U.S. Senate; a vote that will decide whether to make massive cuts in health care to the most needy, and food for the poor.

That’s what devastating cuts to Medicaid and SNAP will mean: cutting our support for the sick and hungry. These are budget cuts that will most impact the ones Jesus called “the least of these” whom he instructed us to protect. In a complete defiance of the teachings of Jesus, critical support for the sick, the hungry, the old, and the young will be used instead to benefit the richest among us with more tax cuts.

But many of us believe that a budget is a moral document. It is time for faith communities and leaders to stand up and speak out– overcoming fear with action, showing the country who we are and what we believe.

And so we are inviting you to join us at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, June 10th, to stand up against these harmful budget cuts. We want to show that Christians, across all of our traditions, are against these callous cuts to the most vulnerable and marginalized.

You can learn more and register to attend here. Please share this widely and bring your friends and family.

I hope to see you on June 10th!

The Call

We write to invite you to join us in a powerful act of public faith: A Pentecost Witness for Justice and a Moral Budget taking place on Tuesday, June 10th at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.

Before Pentecost, Jesus' disciples hid in fear. After Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit, they boldly stepped into the streets for public witness. Today, people of faith are called to do the same.

Amid growing fear in our nation—fueled by a political climate that threatens truth-tellers and targets the vulnerable— we are called to proclaim the truth that sets us free. Congress is debating a proposed budget that turns biblical values upside down by rewarding the wealthiest Americans with tax cuts while brutalizing the most vulnerable with massive cuts to programs that address clear social needs. The moment demands a visible, moral witness grounded in faith and justice.

Who

Clergy and people of faith from across our traditions, Christians of every denomination and others moved by moral conscience will gather in Washington on the steps of the Capitol. We will come in robes, collars, and religious garb, singing, praying, testifying, story telling, and reading Scripture verses about people experiencing poverty in the Bible. We will stand for justice and a moral budget that follows the explicit teachings of Jesus of our responsibility to the poor, the sick, the refugees and the prisoners.

What

We will engage in a public procession and vigil led by clergy and congregants, religious and lay leaders, at the U.S. Capitol before a key Senate vote on a reconciliation package that threatens to slash care for the sick in Medicaid, limit feeding the hungry in SNAP, and crippling other vital social programs that support and uplift vulnerable people among us.

When

It will take place Tuesday, June 10, just after Pentecost Sunday (June 8)—when Christians across the country will feel the spirit to find the courage to take faith into public action. Exact time TBA (likely in the morning).

Where

The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC. Exact locations TBA.

Why

Because people who are hungry, thirsty, immigrant, naked, sick, and imprisoned—the very people Jesus calls us to protect—are under real and dire threat. “As you have done it to them, you have done it to me.” This is a test both of our faith and our democracy.

How

We will:

• Preach and invite participation in our congregations on Pentecost Sunday, June 8.

• Gather in Washington at the Capitol for a procession, public vigil and witness on Tuesday, June 10.

• Meet with our Senators and urge them to protect people who are vulnerable.

• Report back to our congregations and communities the following Sunday.

• Carry the witness of Pentecost into continued local action in your community

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