Once upon a time, New England ministers turned their attention to public affairs with election day sermons. Michael Paulson has compiled an archive of Massachusetts sermons given to mark the inauguration of the nation’s first black president. Story here. And here’s an excerpt from one given by Rev. Vicki Kemper of Amherst UCC:

Do you feel it? Can you sense a shifting in the tides of time, a long-overdue opening of hearts to what is possible? Did you catch a whiff of hope in the air when you went out into the bracing cold this morning? Do things suddenly look brighter, sharper, more beautiful—the contrast of a white birch tree against deep blue sky above blindingly white snow highlighted by brilliant sunshine? Does it seem as if the spirits are attuned, the stars are aligned, and we have entered an unexpected state of grace where even a jet plane can float—landing in a river and becoming a boat, delivering all of its passengers safe on that shore again? Do you find yourself uttering that overused, under-appreciated word ‘miracle’—and feeling the wonder of it? Are you tempted to dream again?