Date: September 8, 2026
ALEXANDRIA, Va., September 4, 2026 – Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) this week dedicated a sculpture and launched a book inspired by the 2025 sermon preached by the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the ninth bishop of Washington.
The bronze and granite sculpture, entitled Bow of Burning Gold, a reference to William Blake’s poem Jerusalem, was donated to VTS by internationally renowned sculptor Murray “Mac” Dewart.
Dewart, whose father graduated from VTS in 1941, contacted the Seminary after Bishop Budde preached her sermon at the Service of Prayer for the Nation at Washington National Cathedral, during which she called on President Donald Trump to “have mercy” on people who were scared. Bishop Budde is an alumna of VTS, and in the immediate aftermath of her sermon, the Seminary issued a public statement in support of her, which went viral on social media.
The sculpture, which was created more than a decade ago and has previously been exhibited at Harvard University and the Christian Science Plaza, is now installed behind the 1881 Chapel. It was officially dedicated by the Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D., Dean and President of VTS, on September 1, 2026, during an Evening Prayer service attended by Bishop Budde and Dewart.
The dedication was followed by the launch of Have Mercy: Following Jesus in Politically Perilous Times, a collection of essays by faculty from VTS and The General Theological Seminary inspired by Bishop Budde’s sermon. Each essay considers a Christian commitment, such as “Love Thy Neighbor” or “Judge not, lest you be judged,” in light of the current political moment, exploring what it means to follow Jesus and embody mercy and compassion in public life.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D., Dean and President of VTS and President of GTS, said: “For a sermon to inspire both the gift of a sculpture and a book is remarkable. But the sermon remains a deeply biblical response to power delivered with dignity, restraint, and graciousness. A model of Christian engagement.”
You can order a copy of Have Mercy: Following Jesus in Politically Perilous Times, here: https://churchpublishing.org/products/9781640659957-have-mercy
Notes to editors:
For media inquiries, For media inquiries, please contact Nicky Burridge, Senior Vice President for Communications and Institutional Advancement at Virginia Theological Seminary and The General Theological Seminary.
Tel: (703) 461-1782
Mobile: (703) 300-2876
Email: [email protected]
Photo caption: The book’s editors and contributors with Bishop Budde at the launch event; Bishop Budde and Murray “Mac” Dewart; Bow of Burning Gold sculpture.
About Virginia Theological Seminary:
Virginia Theological Seminary was founded in 1823 and has a long tradition of shaping faithful women and men, lay and ordained, for leadership in The Episcopal Church and beyond. It is the strongest seminary in the Anglican Communion and provides more than 25 percent of the clergy of The Episcopal Church.