Last week, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry led Morning Prayers in the U.S. Capitol for Members of Congress. They came together to worship in the Episcopal tradition, to reflect on Scripture, and to give thanks to God. This service was one of many opportunities Members of Congress have had for corporate worship: the Office of Government Relations regularly hosts Morning Prayers on Capitol Hill, creating space for Episcopalians from different political parties to worship and pray.

^{Photo: Lynette Wilson/Episcopal News Service}

Following the service, Bishop Curry met with key Republican and Democratic Members of Congress to share who we are as a Church, to highlight the values we believe should underpin our laws, and to advocate for policies that will help the least of these.

You can see Bishop Curry speaking in this video about his time in Washington.

Following a full day of meetings on Capitol Hill, Bishop Curry participated in a Reclaiming Jesus event, where a group of Church elders led people of faith in prayer and song at a local church and at the White House. Episcopal News Service covered the event and quoted Bishop Curry, saying, “’We are not a partisan group, we are not a left-wing group, we are not a right-wing group, we are a Jesus Movement.’”

Bishop Curry’s advocacy in Washington mirrors the advocacy members of the Episcopal Public Policy Network are engaged in. We are grateful to the thousands of you who respond each week by calling or writing your Members of Congress on an issue of critical national importance.

The actions you take in response to these alerts help us to protect benefits like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program), and other programs that help the most vulnerable Americans. You help us to speak up for our values on issues of foreign policy, immigration and refugee resettlement, and environmental policies. Your participation and commitment help us to have a visible public witness, and to ensure that our voices as Episcopalians are heard in Washington, D.C., and in your communities. We also commend the many ways we know Episcopalians participate in our civic life. Bishop Curry shared a powerful statement of love when he preached at the Royal Wedding. We invite you to take on that message – to realize that if the love of Jesus Christ animates and sustains us, children will not go hungry. Commit to your parishes, stay connected to ministries of outreach, advocate to your elected officials, and recognize that we must also bridge the divides that separate us.

As we all continue to engage in advocacy with Episcopalians across the country, we hope we will all push ourselves to do more, act with greater faith, and engage with deeper compassion.

As we head towards General Convention in a few short weeks, take some time to explore our Civil Discourse Curriculum, which applies equally to how we connect as Episcopalians as it does to national politics. We look forward to staying connected during Convention – in person and online. Please consider us a resource now, during Convention, and afterwards.