By Annie Turner
Sermon delivered at Haydenville Congregational Church Feb. 23, 2025

How many of you remember the hilarious movie, “Airplane”? Where Lloyd Bridges, with his hair standing on end and looking crazed, said, “I sure picked the wrong week to give up glue-sniffing!” Or “I sure picked the wrong week to give up drinking!” 

So the title of my sermon comes from a dear one who had started on an antidepressant only to find it upset his stomach. But then he declared with a grin, “This is no time to give up your antidepressant!” Because God knows, we are living in truly scary times, unbelievable times, a time when we are seeing our carefully crafted Federal Government not only attacked but shredded by power-hungry men and Elon Musk.

Who could have possibly imagined that we would be in this place? It is like when I was a parent and failed to imagine something bad that my kid would do, such as trying to poke a stick up our poodle’s rear out of curiosity. I did not forsee such a thing! So, even though Heather Cox Richardson warned us, after reading bits from Project 2025, I knew Trump 2 would be bad, but I seriously did not imagine how bad this would be!

And for those of us who are really thinking there must be a Hell and that many of these white powerful men will go there after death, one statement I found useful is this: “Evil is the absence of empathy.” Repeat that to yourself. Shakespeare said, “The devils are all here in our world and not in hell.” This could be true.

But I am not here to share a discourse on Hell, fascinating as that might be. I am here to share a sermon on HOPE, and how we can keep hope alive in our souls, minds, and hearts. Because, my dearly beloved peeps, if we give in to despair, we are no use to anyone, not least ourselves.So let me repeat the Scripture reading for today from Romans 5: 2-4, because it has particular significance for me. I have repeated this passage in the past, but will do so again.

You may remember this true story that a few decades ago, a dearly beloved was so ill that I feared he would not survive. One night as I lay sobbing in bed, I asked God, “How are we going to get through this? I feel like I am sliding down the black throat of Hell.” The answer was immediate. “Read Romans 5.” Ok, I thought, blowing my nose and wiping my tears. I reached out, took up my old blue New Testament from Sunday School when I was a kid, and turned to Romans 5.

For we rejoice in our. Sufferings, for suffering produces endurance, and character, and hope, which does not disappoint us for Hope has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom God has given us.

Well, it is not often that I get such a direct answer from God, although this has happened several times in my blessed life. We all need to find ways of searching for Hope, holding on and not giving into despair, because that is what this new administration wants—helpless cynical, putting our heads in the sand people.

But we are people of FAITH, my peeps. What exactly does that look like for you and for me? What actions will Keep Hope Alive?

1/  Stay close to community. Whatever that means for you. We need to feel we are not alone. Keep our butts planted firmly in these pews. Come to church in person if you can, and on FB if you cannot. There is something profoundly moving and heartening when we look around and see our community. Oh, there is Mindy! I smile. There are Chris, Gloria, and Bob! I wave. There’s Dariel, Darien, Greta, Cindy, Mardi, Holland, Ann, Alice, Bonnie, Paula, and more, as I sit beside dear Carolyn. Reach out and touch someone. Do it now if you feel safe doing it. Naming someone and feeling the warmth of their shoulders puts ground under our feet. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

2/ Read Scripture, especially the Gospels and the Psalms. Make a morning practice of reading Daily Scripture readings and then jotting down insights and thoughts in a journal. I realize I have said this before, BUT HOW ARE WE TO GROW IN FAITH WITHOUT CLUTCHING THE BIBLE TO OUR CHESTS? Do it. Commit to 4 weeks of a daily practice and feel your heart expand and your faith become deeper. This is no time to shilly-shally, dear ones, this is time to put on the breastplate of faith, the helmet of scripture, the gauntlets of peace. We are at war, literally, with the forces of darkness, and if you think they do not exist, just look at this administration and what they are doing to our country and the world. Taking away needed HIV medications, vaccines, and help to poor children. Removing Federal funds from rural health care centers. You have to ask yourselves: Do they want us all to die?

3 / Join groups that are planning on action and pushback against this evil administration. 

A man called Paul Spector from NoHo organizes postcard writing sessions, mostly on Zoom. Find places on FB which are organizing protests. You may not know this but two days ago there were massive protests against this administration in ALL 50 states. Our corporate media did not cover it, but other outlets did. Subscribe to free sites like Heathe Cox Rchardson’s  “Letters To An American”; The Borowitz Report; Dan Rather’s Substack; and to plump up your soul, Diana Butler Bass’s site, “The Cottage.”

Greta Thurnburg once said, “Take action and hope will follow.” I love this. Even very small actions can help you to feel hope. Over a week back I donated money to Gay Valmont’s run for the Florida House seat vacated by Marco Rubio. It is a special election April 1. She is a progressive Democrat, and would help shift the balance in the House. Remember: all we need are 3 more Dem seats and Hakeem Jeffries would be our Speaker!

4/ Let go of fear. As the Bible says, “Perfect love casteth out fear.” I do not think I have perfect love, more like wobbly and unwieldy love, but what I do know is this: Fear vitiates action. It stops us in our tracks. Some years back when I was still on the Children’s Book lecture circuit, I was flying back from some event when we hit serious turbulence. Of course I was just coming out of the bathroom, and staggered to a near seat in the back, fastening my seatbelt. I was so terrified I could barely think except to wonder; will my kids get the last letter I wrote to them? Did I remember to say, “I love you” to my honey before I left? Who will do my funeral?

I find small steps work for me in building hope. Remember, hope is a muscle which must be used often.  Donate to a charity working in Africa, esp. important now. They have killed USAID. Bake GF cookies for our church. Volunteer at the Food Pantry. Knit beanies for newborns at the hospital. 

I also have started a small indoor garden on a table inside because gardening outside is another 2-3 months away on our high hill. Watering them tenderly, washing their leaves, and making sure they have enough sun helps my heart and puts ground under my feet. Find things that give you joy and do them. Y’all know that cooking is a major source of joy for me, as is reading, talking to my peeps, and watching birds outside.

I shall end on a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke which I found in The Cottage, Diana Butler Bass’s site, recently:

LET THIS DARKNESS BE A BELL TOWER

Quiet friend who has come so far,

Feel how your breathing makes more space around you.
Let this darkness be a bell tower
And you the bell. As you ring,
What batters you becomes your strength.
Move back and forth into the change.
What is it like, such intensity of pain?
If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine.
In this uncontainable night,
Be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses,
The meaning discovered there.
And if the world has ceased to hear you,
Say to the silent earth: I flow.
To the rushing water, speak: I am.

So, dear ones, we are not only called to be light and salt to the world, we are called to be bells whose tones will ring out across the world, strengthening and heartening others. We will not give up, and we will not give up HOPE!

Annie Turner is an author who lives in Williamsburg and worships at Haydenville Congregational Church. Her blog “Faith is My Operating System” can be found at https://faithismyos.blogspot.com