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The Church I See

When was the last time you were proud to be Christian?  When was the last time you felt good about calling yourself a Lutheran?

Articles, blogs, surveys, statements, and so on keep telling us that the Church is in crisis, that mainstream denominations are bleeding members and funds, that churches are trading vitality for gimmicks to stem the flow out the doors.  Too often, the public face of Christianity in the U.S. seems to be a culture of “no” – no to diverse sexualities, no to religious diversity, no to science, no, no, no.  Flocks of young people, with worldviews distant from generations past, are hastening away from a religion whose presence in the news is often a portrait of stodginess, of anachronisms, or – at its worst – of simply hate in action.  The pseudo-Christianity that holds sway in media portrayals of faith communities makes it difficult for many of us to identify as Christians – and as Evangelical Lutherans – with pride in our church.

But there are times when that vision of the church wafts away like the thin, untenable shell that it is.  This happens a lot in the work that I am blessed to do.  If I may, let me tell you about the church that I see.

Last year, I was at a summit hosted by the Alliance to End Hunger in Washington, DC.  For the opening panel, I sat at a random table, a nobody among leaders and representatives of some of the most prominent anti-hunger organizations in the country.  Across from me was a man representing a food bank out west.  He shook my hand and thanked me.  His food bank was supported by a Domestic Hunger Grant from ELCA World Hunger.  Next to him was a woman representing a meal delivery program in the South.  She likewise extended her gratitude; her program, too, was supported by ELCA World Hunger.  To my immediate left?  The father of a young woman who co-wrote a resource on food drives for us, herself “raised and retained” ELCA.  Where was his daughter?  On the stage, about to present to this diverse group and, unbeknownst to her, about to receive a scholarship for her anti-hunger work.

The ELCA is a member of the Alliance, but far beyond that, we are THERE in many profound ways.

I have had the chance to travel to many states and to Latin America in my work with ELCA World Hunger.  And the overwhelming impression I have taken from the conversations I have had and the things I have heard has been how well-respected our Church is among ecumenical partners, local communities, and companion churches.  Our commitment to accompanying our partners and companions opens up vital spaces in which we can learn and share with one another and engage in vibrant ministries in communities around the world.

While in Colombia with colleagues from the Global Mission unit of the ELCA and representatives of our companion church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Colombia (IELCO), we had the unique opportunity to meet with three men from Caminando Juntos (“Walking Together”), an advocacy, activism, and support group for people infected with HIV/AIDS that is part of IELCO’s ministry in Colombia.  We heard stories of the group’s successes in accompanying newly diagnosed members, in helping to secure medication, and in raising awareness of HIV/AIDS throughout the church.  This was the first time members of the group had met with people outside the group.

This is a ministry supported by grants from ELCA World Hunger to IELCO’s Diakonia ministry.  We have been invited to be part of this work with our support, and our Church has said “YES.”  And we have been enriched as Church because of it.

On that same trip, w2014-05-04 11.36.57e climbed up a mountain in northern Colombia to visit with the Christian Kogui Community, an indigenous community facing significant challenges in defending their rights to education, health care, and religious freedom.  When they converted to Christianity years ago, they lost their protected status as “indigenous peoples,” which led to eviction from their traditional lands, lack of access to subsidized health care, and reduced opportunities for education.  Through IELCO, ELCA World Hunger helped some of the families in this community purchase land, including farms that provide food to Kogui families.

Our support for IELCO, in part, helps to provide the Kogui community with partners in their struggle to advocate for themselves.  We have been invited to be part of this work with our support and to learn from it by our presence, and our Church has said “YES.”  And we have been enriched as Church because of it.

Backpack programs in Iowa, shelters for homeless youth in New York and Texas, re-entry programs for men released from prison in California, community gardens and nutritional education in Wisconsin, hospitals in the Holy Land, refugee camps in Jordan and Kenya, improved sanitation programs in Myanmar – we have been invited to be part of this work with our support and our presence, and our Church has said “YES.”  And we have been enriched as Church because of it.

Our colleagues in ELCA Advocacy in Washington, DC, New York, and a variety of state public policy offices are prominent voices for justice, leading the charge on issues ranging from minimum wage and protections for workers, to care for creation, to federal safety net programs for people who fall on hard times.  Whether on the international, national, or state level, Lutherans have said “YES” to being part of – and leading – conversations about justice, peace, and fairness.

We are there.  It may not get written about in the papers.  It may not end up on the “Today” show.  It may not go viral like a hate-filled protest at a military funeral, but it does not go unnoticed.  With faith in God who ordains that government should be just, that every person’s rights should be protected, the ELCA joins its voice to the symphony of cries for justice and peace. When the world says, “No” to human beings and to the environment – “No, there isn’t enough money to support people in need during an economic crisis,” “No, protecting the environment would risk too many jobs” – the Church says, “YES” – “Yes, we can support people in need,” “Yes, we can practice sustainability in ways that benefit both humans and non-human creation,” “Yes, we can and must protect the rights of children, workers, immigrants, refugees, and all those who are vulnerable.”

This is what I see…

  • In a small town on Long Island, a visually impaired man whose home was ravaged by Hurricane Sandy stood with us and watched as members of ecumenical group helped rebuild his home.  Lutheran Disaster Response was there, and remains there.
  • In Port Ludlow, Washington, a young girl receives a backpack full of food to help ensure she will eat during the weekend, when she doesn’t have access to breakfast or lunch at school.  Peace Lutheran Fellowship and ELCA World Hunger are there, and remain there.
  • In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a man who is a refugee from Liberia participates in a program to help him learn skills to get a job and acclimate to American culture, ensuring he can use his gifts to support himself and his family.  Daily Work and ELCA World Hunger are there, and remain there.
  • In Texas, a young boy fleeing violence in Central America crosses a border after a perilous journey through Mexico and finds a safe place where he is welcomed and cared for.  Lutheran Social Services of the South and the ELCA are there, and remain there, even after the boy is placed in a home and given the support he needs to grow up in a place where his gifts and talents can be nurtured.
  • In Detroit, Michigan, young children learn the skills necessary to make healthy eating choices and gain skills to help improve their ability to read.  Revelation Evangelical Lutheran Church and ELCA World Hunger are there, and remain there.
  • In Los Angeles, California, a mother and daughter serve food to their neighbors at a community meal, while during the week they receive food themselves, to help them make it through the month.  They are there, My Friend’s House is there, and ELCA World Hunger is there, and remain there.
  • In River Forest, Illinois, young children learn about hunger while collecting gifts to purchase a family farm to support agricultural projects halfway around the world that will help hundreds of families feed themselves for years to come.  Grace Lutheran Church (River Forest) and ELCA World Hunger are there, and remain there, even as their hearts and gifts extend to our companions continents away.

There are hundreds of these ministries supported by ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response, and thousands more that are supported directly by gifts from church members, community partners, and others.  Any question about the power of faith to inspire people to respond to God’s invitation to be part of God’s work in the world is answered unequivocally, every day in the nearly 10,000 congregations of the ELCA and the hundreds of places around the world where people of faith work together to end hunger, walk together, and be fed – physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, socially.

As people of faith, we have to take seriously the criticisms levied against organized religion by its critics.  We certainly have not gotten everything right, and there have been times in history when the Church has been an agent of injustice, rather than a presence of justice and hope.  We move toward a future promised by God knowing that still, we will not get everything right.  We are saints and sinners, after all.

But the critics of organized religion  – and we ourselves – also must take seriously the multitude of ministries made possible by God’s invitation to authentic relationships and mutual ministry.  These stories may not get told on the mountain – they may be whispered about in the valley – but they are there, and they are part of who we are as Church together.  We have the opportunity to change the picture, to cast a vision of the ELCA and of Christianity as the community of justice and love that it is called to be.  And in so many ways, our Church and the churches of our partners and companions have said “YES.”

Everyday, the ELCA, its partners, its companions, and other people of goodwill are painting a picture of a faith that is vibrant, active, authentic, meaningful, life-giving, and justice-seeking.  To God’s invitation to be part of the work the Holy Spirit is doing in communities around the world, our Church has sounded a mighty “YES!”  As individual people of faith, what will we say?  Will we be part of the transformation of the public face of Christianity as a religion of “no” to a religion of “yes” – yes to our neighbors, yes to God’s work in the world, yes to a world in which all are fed, yes to communities of justice and equity?

“Listen, Listen God is calling,

through the Word inviting…”

 Ryan P. Cumming, Ph.D., is Program Director for Hunger Education for ELCA World Hunger.  He can be reached at Ryan.Cumming@ELCA.org.

 

 

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ELCA presiding bishop visits companion church in the Holy Land

Peace Not Walls

Text from ELCA News Service

CHICAGO (ELCA) – In her first visit to the Middle East as presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton led a delegation Jan. 11-17 to meet with leaders and members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land – a companion church of the ELCA. The delegation also met with political and religious leaders, including a meeting with the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land.

The ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) are member churches of The Lutheran World Federation, a global communion of 144 churches representing more than 70 million Christians in 79 countries. The ELCA is the communion’s only member church from the United States.

During their visit, the delegation met with students of the Evangelical Lutheran School in Beit Sahour and Dar Al-Kalima Lutheran School in Bethlehem. The school and educational programs of the ELCJHL employ nearly 200 educators, administrators, social workers and others, and nearly all faculty and staff are Palestinians from Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jerusalem and elsewhere. The delegation visited Dar al-Kalima University College of Arts and Culture in Bethlehem, and they toured the Environmental Education Center in Beit Jala, a ministry of the ELCJHL, to learn more about the denomination’s special ecological projects.

“The impact of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land upon the lives of all people in the region is out of proportion to its size. This relatively small church does enormous work in education, humanitarian aid, environmental study, advocacy, ecumenical and inter- religious relations and peacemaking all while dealing with the difficult and ever present reality of the Israeli occupation,” said Eaton.

“This land has a unique beauty: green and gentle in Galilee, severe and barren in the mountains and hills around Jerusalem and the West Bank. It wasn’t what I expected the first time I saw it. It made me aware of all of the preconceptions I bring with me to this place. That is a dangerous thing to do,” she said. This trip marks Eaton’s third visit to the Middle East, first as ELCA presiding bishop.

The delegation visited the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem and also toured Augusta Victoria Hospital, a ministry of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The hospital offers the only cancer facility for residents of the West Bank and Gaza, and it employs more than 300 people. The hospital was founded in 1950. Dr. Tawfiq Nasser, the hospital’s chief executive officer, and the Rev. Mark Brown, LWF regional representative in Jerusalem, accompanied Eaton on the hospital tour.

“Augusta Victoria Hospital is a vital ministry” said Eaton. “It is something that The Lutheran World Federation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are committed to supporting, have been, are now and always will be.”

“We were very honored by the visit of Bishop Eaton and her delegation,” said the Rev. Munib Younan, bishop of the ELCJHL and president of The Lutheran World Federation.

“We arranged a program where she could meet all concerned parties, all ecumenical parties, representatives from all of the Abrahamic faiths, and the work of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and The Lutheran World Federation in Jerusalem. Through her visit, this accompaniment relationship that started in 1988 was strengthened even more. It has helped us to see that we both in the ELCJHL and ELCA have been called together for a common mission for the love of God in the Middle East and the United States,” said Younan.

The ELCA delegation met with representatives of the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land – established in 2005 to ensure the ongoing engagement of the leadership and representation of the official religious institutions of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith communities in the Holy Land.

In addition to the council, the delegation met with Patriarch Theophilos III, the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem; Patriarch Fouad Twal, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem; and Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, Patriarch of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Eaton and others from her delegation met with Palestinian Authority officials, the mayor of Bethlehem, the Israeli Ministry of the Interior, Israeli deputy foreign minister officials, the U.S. Consul General and others.

Eaton addressed a gathering of ELCJHL pastors and the denomination’s Church Council. The relationship between the ELCJHL and ELCA “is deeply important to us,” she said, adding that she sees hope for the land through the ministries of ELCJHL. “When I think of people, Christian brothers and sisters, who are in situations that seem hopeless and they have hope, they give me hope. This church is a source of hope for me when I think there can be no hope,” she said.

Images of the ELCA delegation’s visit are available at http://www.elca.org/Living-Lutheran/Photos.

Renewing efforts for a two-state peace agreement

In a Jan. 21 letter to President Obama, members of the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East urged the president – in coordination with the Quartet (the United Nations, United States, the European Union and Russia) – to work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to renew efforts and achieve a negotiated two-state peace agreement “before it is too late.” Eaton is among the Christian, Jewish and Muslim endorsers of the letter.

In their letter, the religious leaders wrote that “the Gaza war demonstrated once again that there is no military solution to the conflict” and “given developments on the ground, including dangerous new violent clashes in Jerusalem, simply urging the parties to return to negotiations is no longer sufficient.”

The leaders said that “the outline for a two-state peace agreement is widely known and would likely be accepted by majorities of Israelis and Palestinians if presented by their leaders as the only viable alternative to more violence and war.”

The leaders urged the president to authorize U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry – coordinating with the Quartet and “drawing on internationally accepted principles and practical ideas from previous official and informal negotiations” – to offer a balanced and fair framework to the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority as the basis for negotiating a two-state peace agreement to end conflict. Religious leaders also offered to meet with Kerry to discuss ways they can be helpful.

Text from ELCA News Release

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Religious Leaders Urge the United States, in Coordination with the Quartet, To Present a Framework for Negotiating a Two-State Peace Agreement

Peace Not Walls

​Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders of twenty-five national religious organizations delivered a letter to President Obama on January 21, 2015 urging “a renewed, determined U.S. effort, in coordination with the Quartet, to work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to achieve a negotiated two-state peace agreement before it is too late.” The complete text of the letter follows.     

Dear Mr. President,

Appreciating the several current conflicts and different challenges each presents for U.S. leadership in the global arena, as members of the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East (NILI), we write to urge a renewed, determined U.S. effort, in coordination with the Quartet, to work with Israel and Palestinian Authority to achieve a negotiated two-state peace agreement before it is too late.

The extended ceasefire following the most recent Gaza war presents an opportunity for a new international initiative for peace. This war demonstrated once again that there is no military solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If there is no peace agreement, there is a risk of more unilateral actions and more violence that may lead at some point to another war, and, tragically, to more casualties on both sides.  With the region currently in greater turmoil than in the recent past, renewed violence would contribute to more acute instability.

Political leaders on both sides are exploring or already engaging in unilateral diplomatic initiatives that they think could advance their cause.  The problem is that the starting points for each side are almost certainly unacceptable to the other side.  After nine months of direct negotiations, Israeli and Palestinian leaders were unable to reach agreement on a framework for peace. Given current developments on the ground, including dangerous new violent clashes in Jerusalem, simply urging the parties to return to negotiations is no longer sufficient.

We believe the outline for a two-state peace agreement is widely known and would likely be accepted by majorities of Israelis and Palestinians if presented by their leaders as the only viable alternative to more violence and war. UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338 and 1397, the Taba Agreement (2001), the Arab Peace Initiative (2002), People’s Voice Initiative (2003), the Geneva Initiative (2003), and the (unofficial) Israeli Peace Initiative (2011), taken together, provide practical and reasonable ideas for resolving all the issues, including borders and security, settlements, refugees, and the future of Jerusalem.

While time is running out for a workable two-state solution, it remains the most realistic resolution of the conflict in which both peoples can live in peace, security, and mutual recognition.  With people on both sides looking for a positive political horizon after last summer’s war, we believe now is the time for the United States and the international community to work with the parties to launch a new, even more determined initiative for Israeli-Palestinian peace. We are united in urging you to authorize Secretary of State Kerry, coordinating with the Quartet and drawing on internationally accepted principles and practical ideas from previous official and informal negotiations, to offer a balanced and fair framework to the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority as the basis for negotiating a two-state peace agreement to end the conflict.

Active, fair and firm U.S. leadership in such a bold peace initiative will require strong, public support, especially from religious communities. We pledge to mobilize support from our members in synagogues, churches and mosques across the country, and we would appreciate an early opportunity to meet with Secretary Kerry to discuss specific ways that we as religious leaders can help.

CC: Secretary of State John Kerry

List of Endorsers follows

Christian Leaders:

Bishop Oscar Cantú, Chairman, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Committee on International Justice and Peace

Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington

Archbishop Vicken Aykasian, Director, Ecumenical Affairs, Armenian Orthodox Church in America

Jim Winkler, President/General Secretary, National Council of Churches of Christ USA

Bishop Warner H. Brown Jr., President, Council of Bishops, United Methodist Church

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Episcopal Church

Reverend Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Church (USA)

Reverend Geoffrey Black, General Minister & President, United Church of Christ

Reverend Dr. Sharon Watkins, General Minister, President, Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ)

Reverend Leighton Ford, President, Leighton Ford Ministries, Board Member, World Vision US

David Neff, Editorial Vice-President (Retired), Christianity Today

John M. Buchanan, Editor and Publisher, Christian Century​

Jewish Leaders:

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President, Union of Reform Judaism

Rabbi Rick Block, President, Central Conference of American Rabbis

Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Rabbi Elliot Dorff, Ph.D. Rector and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, American Jewish University

Rabbi Burt Visotzky, Jewish Theological Seminary

Rabbi Jason Klein, President, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

Rabbi Deborah Waxman, President, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

Rabbi Amy Small, Past President, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

Rabbi Peter Knobel, Past President, Central Conference of American Rabbis

Rabbi Paul Menitoff, Executive Vice President Emeritus, Central Conference of American Rabbis

Rabbi Alvin M. Sugarman, Rabbi Emeritus, The Temple, Atlanta Georgia

 

Muslim Leaders:

Imam Mohammed Magid, President, Islamic Society of North America

Dr. Sayyid Muhammad Syeed, National Director, Islamic Society of North America

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Founder of the ASMA Society and Chairman of the Cordoba Initiative

Dawud Assad, President Emeritus, Council of Mosques, USA

Imam Yahya Hendi, Founder and President, Clergy Beyond Borders

Eide Alawan, Interfaith Office for Outreach, Islamic Center of America

Iftekhar A. Hai, Founding Director, United Muslims of America Interfaith Alliance

 

*Organizations for Identification Only

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February 1, 2015–Selma and “Bloody Sunday”

Warm-up Question

If you see someone doing something wicked – hurting another person or themselves, for example – do you feel the responsibility to say or do something? Why does it take so much courage to do something in the face of wickedness, injustice, or evil?

Selma and “Bloody Sunday”

The movie Selma depicts events in the struggle for civil rights and voting rights in this country. To protest the lack of voting rights of African Americans and the violent intransigence of the white power structure towards voter registration efforts, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. and other local and national civil rights leaders, including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which King helped organize and served as president, organized a series of marches from Selma, Alabama to the state capital in Montgomery in early 1965.

handsThe first of these marches took place on Sunday, March 7, 1965. In the process of crossing the Edmund Pettis Bridge, the peaceful protestors were brutally attacked by state troopers, leaving many bloody and severely injured. Images of  gruesome events of “Bloody Sunday” shocked those watching the evening news or reading about the events in newspapers and magazines, and helped the turn popular support in favor of the protestors and the voting rights protections for which
they were marching.

After Bloody Sunday, Martin Luther King organized and led two more marches from Selma to Montgomery. After the second march, there was more violence, as three white ministers were harshly beaten; one of these ministers, James Reeb, died as a result of this beating. The bravery of the protestors in the face of this violence and evil cruelty spurred President Lyndon Johnson to finally introduce the Voting Rights Act to Congress and send troops to protect the protestors for the third march.

This brief summary does not do justice to those momentous events. But one aspect about these events that I hope you notice is that many of the leaders in the movement for civil rights were people of faith, including Dr. King, the SCLC, and James Reeb. Their faith moved them to action against injustice, as it did for hundreds and thousands of ordinary people whose names are not as famous. Though there have been several hard-won victories in the movement for civil rights, there are still injustices in our country and people of faith are still joining together to confront and overcome them.

 

Discussion Questions

  • If any of you has seen the movie Selma, what did you think of it, especially the “Bloody Sunday” scene? What have you learned in school about Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement?
  • Has your faith inspired you to stand up against cruelty or injustice? Perhaps this has meant joining a protest or a march, or perhaps this has meant standing up for someone who was being teased or bullied.
  • Are there any injustices in the world that you see that you think people of faith should join together to confront?

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Mark 1:21-28

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

 

Gospel Reflection

In the Gospel reading, Jesus casts out the unclean spirit. The spirit recognizes him for who he is, the holy one of God. Others do not know who exactly this Jesus is, but in the Gospel of Mark, all the spirits know exactly who Jesus is and the power he has. The question the spirit asks, “What have you to do with us?” In other words, the unclean spirit is saying “You have special power. You can see I’m pretty powerful, too. Who are you going to side with, powerful beings or with these lowly humans? Have you come to destroy us?”

Jesus sides with us lowly humans, and shows the power he has over unclean spirits. In the ancient world, unclean spirits were thought to be the cause of disease, mental illness, and all sorts of tragedy and misfortune. They were a part of the chaos and disorder that afflicted humanity; as we see later in Mark, Jesus has the power to calm the chaos of stormy seas. Jesus frees the man from the unclean spirit, and a major part of Jesus’ ministry in Mark, chapter 1, is driving out unclean spirits, along with healing those who were ill.

As Martin Luther writes, Jesus has freed us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Working together, we as Christians can confront the evil we see in this world in the name of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Whether the injustice and evil we see is across the street or across the world, we can do this work, confident not in our own abilities or courage, but in the promise we have in the cross and resurrection of Christ – as powerful as evil is, Jesus is more powerful, and in him, we shall overcome.

Discussion Questions

  • Where do you see the church confronting “unclean spirits” in the name of Jesus?
  • Most people do not believe in “unclean spirits” in the same way that people in Jesus day did.  Is this an antiquated way of speaking?  What do these exorcisms by Jesus tell us about him?

Activity Suggestions

Search newspapers, or Internet news sites. Where do you see evil? What do you think the Christian witness of Jesus and people of faith can bring to these situations? During your time together, pray for those places where you see evil in the world.

Visit the ELCA Advocacy, ELCA World Hunger, and Stories from the Global Church blogs on the ELCA website to look for ways we are working together against injustice today. Other useful websites might be Sojourners (sojo.net) and Bread for the World (bread.org).

Go to Selma together, or watch a documentary about Martin Luther King or the Civil Rights Movement and discuss the ways people’s faith led to their involvement in the movement.

Closing Prayer

Holy God, our protector and defender, drive out those unclean spirits which cause so much harm and evil in this world. Remove the unclean spirits from our own hearts, and give us the courage and confidence to confront the evil we see in the world in Jesus’ name. It is in his name we pray. Amen.

 

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Living Earth Reflections: Resolved

And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.”

(Revelation 21:5)

Nearly every Sunday, my suburban Virginia congregation prays for our government and its leaders. Maybe your congregation does something similar? This commonplace prayer for leadership has taken on new meaning for me recently because this year the United Nations will adopt a new set of Sustainable Development Goals. These goals will encourage member countries to make economic decisions that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In addition, this December parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will meet to adopt a new global agreement to reduce climate change emissions, again in the belief that present generations can meet our needs without compromising the well-being of future generations.

Both the Sustainable Development Goals and the new climate change agreement are about long-term planning; something that government leaders rarely have the space or time to do. These global discussions have the potential to change economic development paradigms by turning the world toward new sources of energy and to the task of building communities and nations that are more resilient to the growing impacts of our changing climate. But changes will only be possible if leaders act with wisdom and care for God’s creation and for our most vulnerable neighbors.

So these prayers for leadership I join each week have taken on a new urgency for me as 2015 begins. But even as I, and others, pray for global leaders to begin the hard and visionary work to shape our shared future along more sustainable lines, I also wonder if we are putting too much of the burden of planning for the future on our leaders and institutions. Are we forgetting that each of us has our own responsibility to consider the needs of our children and future generations?

As Christians we believe we are called to build Christ’s kingdom here on earth by living our lives as Christ taught us and caring for each other and for the earth. Strong leaders and institutions are necessary to build that new world but so is individual and community action. Each of us has a part to play – in our daily lives, in our congregations and in our communities –  to make sure that the world we leave behind allows people and creation to live and thrive well into the future.

So this year, instead of my usual New Year’s resolution to save more or exercise more often or eat more vegetables, I’m thinking about resolutions that will help in our transformation to a more sustainable world. I’m looking at the things I already do, like using cloth grocery bags and drying my clothes on a clothesline in the warmer months, and vowing to do more. Will you join me?

Pledge to take action here (and you can also sign a petition asking our leaders to support global action on climate change).

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Ukraine: Humanitarian assistance to refugees and IDPs in areas of conflict

The armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine has created a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of homes, factories and mines have been destroyed, and the fertile land of the region has been torn apart, which has damaged the farming legacy in Ukraine.  According to a Jan. 9, 2015, report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 5.2 million people are living in conflict-affected areas, more than 633,500 people are internally displaced, and more than 593,600 people have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries. People are homeless with no social or health infrastructures to help them meet their daily needs. This situation is exacerbated by the current winter weather conditions.

Working with ACT Alliance members Hungarian Interchurch Aid and the Russian Orthodox Church, Lutheran Disaster Response is providing food, water, blankets, diapers and hygiene kits to approximately 20,000 refugees and IDPs who are from conflict-affected areas in Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine, with particular attention given to women and children. Psychosocial assistance will also be provided to the refugees and IDPs receiving materials.

Please join us as we pray for our brothers and sisters who are running from conflict in Ukraine. We will continue to accompany them and
work with our partners to provide assistance in the midst of this crisis. If you would like to support Lutheran Disaster Response’s work to provide humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, please visit the giving page.

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Food Insecurity is Real – Even in Iowa

This week, we are happy to welcome Alison Northrop as a guest writer.  Her post below originally appeared in the January newsletter of Zion St. John Lutheran Church in Sheffield, Iowa, and on the Northeastern Iowa Synod’s blog, “God’s Work, Our Blog.”  If you haven’t had a chance to see the synod’s blog, check it out for some great posts at www.northeasterniowasynodelca.blogspot.com.

When I was younger, I was a picky eater. To be fair, the incident I’m about to describe involved eating lamb brains at an age when I still enjoyed the show “Lamb Chop’s Play-Along.” I was at a Greek restaurant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with my father and his mother.

Absolutely nothing on the menu was appealing to me. The restaurant smelled funny, I was tired, and quite frankly, I was stubborn. I remember settling on a salad which was far from filling, but at least I knew what was in it. Then my grandmother declared that I would try her dinner, and I would like it. Folks, it’s a terrible idea to tell an 8 year-old that you just made her eat brains – while she’s still chewing.

As I spat out my food and frantically tried to rinse my mouth out, my grandmother gave me THE line. “There are starving children in Ethiopia. You should be grateful to have food!” At the time, I mumbled that I would be more grateful to have normal food, but like most picky eaters, I heard this line frequently through childhood.

Over 800 million people in the world are chronically hungry. That’s 1 in 8. Chronically hungry means undernourished to the point of not being able to lead a normal, active life. Notice I said world, not just Ethiopia. When American people think of hungry children, many typically think of African children whose bones stick out. Those children do exist and do need our help, but there’s another face of hunger that we don’t like to think about. You see these faces all the time, in person.

If you think there are no hungry children in small-town Iowa, you are so very mistaken. Food insecure children often rely on their schools for regular meals. These children can depend on their schools for breakfast and lunch but often don’t know if they will eat dinner when they go home, or if they will have much or anything to eat over the weekend and school holidays. These children may be irritable or hyperactive, show vitamin deficiencies, and have difficulties in school. Chronic hunger affects brain development; necessary development for our future leaders.

One out of every two children will rely on food assistance at some point in their lives.[1] That assistance isn’t always enough. In fact, it rarely is. The price of food steadily climbs, and parents often have to choose between healthy food for a week or two and junk food that they can stretch through the month. A twelve-pack of Ramen noodles is less than half the price of a gallon of milk. What would you do in that situation? Empty calories get you through the day, but it’s incredibly unhealthy in the long term.

The problem is not with food production. This planet produces enough food to feed its entire population. The problem is with distribution. It could be a corrupt government that withholds foreign aid from its people.

Or it could be a food desert or “food swamp” in large metropolitan cities and small towns. A rural food desert is classified as a county where residents have to drive 10 or more miles to the nearest supermarket or grocery store. The classification of an urban food desert is one mile to the nearest supermarket or grocery store.

So how do people get to this point? Laziness? Drugs? Sometimes, yes. But when more than half (and as much as 85%) of families on food assistance have at least one working adult in the home, I find it hard to believe that the majority of those who are hungry are lazy. Often, it’s a matter of circumstance.

Those who are born into poverty are more likely to stay in poverty. Sometimes the main provider of a family loses their job and cannot find another. Some families go from a two-parent home to a one-parent home, often due to divorce or death. Have you ever wondered what a single parent with multiple children goes through when the other parent doesn’t pay child support?

Why should any of us help people facing food insecurity? Some of us have fallen on tough times ourselves and pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps.

Maybe we should do it because the children in these situations didn’t make the choices that got them there. Whether it’s the parent’s bad choices, lost jobs, or divorce, it is NOT the fault of the child.

Maybe we should help these families because it’s what Jesus expects of us.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…

 Matthew 25:35 

In December, our congregation (Zion St. John Lutheran) displayed what kind of Christians we wish to be. The amount of food we sent to the Franklin County food pantry was overwhelming. The Spirit of West Fork is a program that assists families in providing for their children at Christmas.

With the school’s winter break lasting two full weeks and three weekends, there are a lot of meals that the school will not be providing to the children that rely on them. Our congregation sent over 300 items to the school to be distributed through that program. The Spirit of West Fork served 26 families this year, with a total of 70 children.

I don’t know what the situations of those families are, and I don’t need to. I am just thankful that as a congregation, we did not let these children go hungry through our own inaction.

God’s peace,

Alison Northrop

Director of Youth & Family Ministries
Zion St. John Lutheran, Sheffield, Iowa

 

**Thanks to Alison and Pastor Joelle Colville-Hanson for permission to re-post.

[1] “Estimating the Risk of Food Stamp Use and Impoverishment During Childhood,” Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 163(11), November 2009.

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January 25, 2015–Call to Action

Warm-up Question

What makes you want to buy something? Do you currently purchase more online or at stores?

Call to Action

The social media site Facebook now boasts some 1 billion plus users worldwide. It is the most used social media site in existence. By comparison, 100 million users log into Twitter at least once a month.

Internet marketers discovered years ago that Facebook could be used to sell products. Although Facebook is and has always been free, advertisements appear in the sidebars, and increasingly, in the “suggested” or “promoted” posts that show up in users’ news feeds of recent posts. Options to create a page have allowed businesses to share content with anyone who “likes” the page. Large companies and famous celebrities might have over a million likes, but even small businesses and local musicians can use Facebook pages to communicate with followers and fans.

Do-it-editA few weeks ago in December, Facebook introduced “call to action” buttons on their pages. Companies can use these buttons to ask their followers to take some sort of action—anything from signing up for a newsletter to purchasing a product. It is well-known among internet copy writers that people are more likely to take action if they are asked to do so directly. When internet advertisers and bloggers write, a call to action is an important part of the attempt to market products and services.

Facebook was not created to sell products; its original purpose was to give people a way to communicate with friends and people they know online. At this point, however, there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight to the ways people use Facebook as a sales tool. For better or worse, selling on Facebook is here to stay.

 

Discussion Questions

  • Do Facebook ads bother you? If so, which ones? If not, why not?
  • Have you ever bought something through Facebook or because of a Facebook ad? Share your experience.
  • Do calls to action (when someone specifically asks you to do something) get more people to do it, in your opinion? Why are they so
    effective?

Third Sunday after Epiphany

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

Mark 1:14-20

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

 

Gospel Reflection

It seems that calls to action have been around for a very long time. Jesus asks those following him to do two specific things in these verses. He asks everyone to repent and to believe the good news that the kingdom of God is near. Jesus’ call to action is not intended to sell anything. Instead, he invites all he meets to become a part of the kingdom of God.

Neither of the two things Jesus asks of his followers is an easy thing to do. “Repent” means to turn back. Specifically in this context, it means to turn away from sin and back toward God. In order to repent, a change in behavior is necessary. If you’ve ever tried to change your  behavior in any way, you know how difficult this can be.  Our habits grow over time. We get very accustomed to doing things in a certain way. Changing long-held habits requires learning a whole new set of behaviors.

As Jesus continues in his ministry, he teaches his followers a lot about these new behaviors. Forgive people again and again, he says. Love your enemies instead of hating them. Give to the needy. Be humble. Serve instead of expecting to be served. It’s no wonder some people turned away and stopped following him. These are not easy things to do.

The other call to action Jesus gives in these verses is for certain individuals to leave everything and follow him. Again, this request is incredibly difficult. Leaving your entire life behind—family, friends, job, possessions—to follow a teacher is not something most people would be willing to do. Jesus knew that these men he called would be willing to follow him to a different way of living. The disciples may not have understood everything about what they were doing, but something attracted them to this plain, ordinary man and led them to change their lives forever.

Discussion Questions

  • What are some differences between an internet call to action and Jesus’ calling for people to repent, believe, and follow him?
  • What are some similarities?
  • Why do you think the disciples were willing to follow Jesus?
  • What might Jesus be calling his church to do now? What might he be calling you specifically to do?

Activity Suggestions

  • We don’t want to try to “sell” Christianity like a product on the internet. Spend a few minutes role-playing how you would invite someone you know to come to church, Sunday School or Bible study with you without making it sound like a sales pitch. Pair up with another person and get constructive feedback on how your invitation comes across.
  • If available, take a look at your church’s marketing materials (brochure, business cards, newspaper advertisements, etc.) Share your insights with the group about how your church may be perceived based on these materials.

Closing Prayer​

Dear God, we pray for those people who are waiting for a call to action to follow you. Help us to be someone who can invite them to become a part of your kingdom. We pray for strength to follow you daily. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Index of the January 2015 Issue

Five things to remember about clergy housing allowance
Clergy housing allowance has been in the news and guidance for proper handling of the allowance is unique. Here are five items to help congregations and clergy administer the allowance in compliance with IRS regulations. >more

2015 Clergy Tax Guide and Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches
Filing taxes can be complicated, especially for clergy. Consider the Clergy Tax Return Preparation Guide offered by Portico Benefit Services. Download the guide for free on myPortico. Also consider the Federal reporting Requirements for Churches resource to help your congregation comply with federal tax reporting requirements. You can find this resource on EmployerLink. >more

Parochial reports 
There are good reasons to complete your congregation’s Annual Report, but here’s one. The Office of the Presiding Bishop is working with ELCA seminaries to implement ways in reducing debt pastors accumulate in seminary. This work has been supported by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, in part because this church could show trends in congregational membership and giving that can impact a pastor’s salary. How did we obtain this data? From the dedicated people who complete their annual reports. Thank you! Please complete congregational reports by Feb. 15, 2015.

Discounted software for religious organizations
TechSoup offers discounted computer software and services to non-profits by brokering donations from vendors. Religious organizations are not eligible for some of the offers, but a subset of the TechSoup catalog is available to faith-based organizations. For example, Intuit has extended their eligibility requirements for their QuickBooks software to include religious groups (e.g., congregations and synods).> more

Winter checklist
While you can’t change the weather, you can minimize some of winter’s biggest threats to your facilities by taking several basic steps now to prevent damage. >more

IRS mileage allowance
The Internal Revenue Service has issued the 2015 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. >more

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January 18, 2015–Divine Intervention?

Warm-up Question

  • Who are some of the people in your life who have had a positive impact on your faith?  What did they do that was so meaningful to you?
  •  Has God ever helped you through a difficult time or situation? What was your experience like?

Divine Intervention?

On the night of January 2, 2015, Larry Wilkins opened his front door to discover a teary-eyed child standing on his front porch.  Sailor Gutzler, 7, had just walked away as the sole survivor of a horrific accident. Her parents, a sister, and a cousin had all perished when their small plane went down in a wooded area of western Kentucky. Nearly as miraculous as her survival was Sailor’s journey to Wilkins’ door and her ability to relate to those who responded what had happened.  Still dressed in shorts from their Florida vacation, Sailor walked barefoot through the dark Kentucky woods in 38-degree weather.

shutterstock_170643116editAt a televised news conference on Sunday one of those who responded, Kentucky State Police Lt. Brent White, said of his conversations with other rescuers, “We were talking about that being some divine intervention there, because she absolutely went to probably the nearest house that she could have,” also noting that the path was nonetheless a hard one.  Sailor was treated for minor injuries and released into the care of other family members.  An investigation into the cause of the crash is pending.

Discussion Questions

  • What do you think Lt. White and the other rescuers meant by, “Divine Intervention?”  Where do you see God in this situation?
  • Many people expressed support for Sailor in online comments related to this article.  Others expressed skepticism that God had anything to do with the situation.  What do you think? Do you believe God intervenes or acts in our world?  If so, in what ways?  If not, why not?
  • In Matthew’s gospel, when the angel Gabriel comes to Joseph he calls Jesus, “Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.”  John begins his gospel talking about how God’s Word became flesh in Jesus and lived among us. You may have heard these, and other promises, recently during Advent and Christmas. What do Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection suggest to you of how God acts and/or intervenes in our world?

Second Sunday after Epiphany

1 Samuel 3:1-10 [11-20]

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

John 1:43-51

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

The way in which we read or hear something can make all of the difference. One way to read these verses, for example, is simply as John’s account of how Jesus called his first disciples. And in this case, the first three words of this passage, “The next day,” clue us in to the fact that we need to go back a bit to understand what’s going on.

As it turns out, this is actually the third “next day” section in the opening chapter of John’s gospel.  In the first section, verses 29 – 34, “the next day” after John the Baptist explains his role to those sent from Jerusalem, he bears witness to Jesus as both the Lamb of God and Son of God.  Whereas the other gospel accounts describe Jesus’ actual baptism, John, the gospel writer, has John the Baptist relate his experience of seeing the Spirit descend upon Jesus in the moment, testifying to his true identity. The “next day” after this (verses 35 – 43), John the Baptist’s further testimony about Jesus leads two of his own disciples to follow after Jesus.  Jesus, seeing them, asks, “What are you looking for?” When they stammer out, “Rabbi, where are you staying,” Jesus invites them to “Come and see.” What, or rather who, they are really looking for is the Messiah, and in their encounter with Jesus the two experience something that leaves them convinced. For his part, Jesus’ invitation initiates an ever-widening circle of discipleship as one of the two, Andrew, goes on to his own brother, Simon Peter, with the news, “We have found the Messiah.”

So it is that we come to the “next day” of this week’s gospel where the circle of followers continues to grow. Deciding to go to Galilee, Jesus first calls Philip.  Philip, in turn, invites Nathanael saying, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.”  Here, “the law and the prophets” means the whole of the Scriptures for these Jewish believers.  Brushing aside Nathanael’s remark about the insignificance of Nazareth, Philip offers once again the invitation, “Come and see.”  Nathanael does, and his own encounter with Jesus, and Jesus’ ability to “know” and “see” him from afar, not only leads Nathanael to believe in Jesus, it also draws forth a confession of faith: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

While Nathanael cannot, at this point in the story at least, fully understand the true meanings behind the titles he gives to Jesus, we have pointers here to what John’s gospel will be about.  Indeed, Jesus assures all who are present (both instances of “you” here are plural) that greater things are yet to come: ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’ By the way, the reference here seems to be to the story of Jacob’s ladder (Genesis 28:10-22) where God comes to Jacob in a dream, promising to be with him.  What will be experienced in and through Jesus is the reality to which Jacob’s dream points, that is, what John means when he writes, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

So, as the first chapter of his gospel ends, John leaves us with Jesus heading towards Galilee with a growing group of followers.  Yet, there is a deeper way to hear this passage than simply an account of Jesus gathering a group of disciples.  Jesus’ very first words in John’s gospel, “What are you looking for?” are not simply words for those in the story; they are a question to us, as well.  When it comes to life…when it comes to faith, what are we looking for?  Deep down in our bones, what is it that we really need?

In these three “next days,” we hear Jesus being called many things.  John the Baptist calls him “the Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sin” and “Son of God.”  Andrew calls him, “Rabbi” and “Messiah.”  Philip says Jesus is the one, “about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote.” Nathanael adds that Jesus is, “the King of Israel.”  Is Jesus what we are looking for?  Is he the one that we really need?  The invitation that John offers to us through the rest of his gospel account, and indeed through our own experience of living as followers of Jesus, is simply to “Come and see.”

Discussion Questions

  • When it comes to the titles and names given to Jesus in John 1:29-51, (Lamb of God, Messiah, Son of God, Rabbi, King of Israel, Son of Man) which one is most important or most meaningful to you?  Why?  Would any of these titles be meaningful or helpful to friends of yours who may not yet believe in Jesus?  If not, are there other titles or ways of describing Jesus that would be?
  • If you had been Philip and Jesus had just walked up to you and said, “Follow me,” would you have gone?  If so, why?  If not, then what further information would you have needed?  What else would you have wanted to know before making such a commitment?  Do you think we have this information now?
  • What does it look like to you to follow Jesus?  Can a person believe in Jesus without following him?  Can we follow him without believing in him?   Why or why not?
  • Nathanael first responds as a skeptic: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”  What are some of the reasons that people today might have in being skeptical about Jesus or about the Christian faith?  How would you answer their skepticism?
  • Nathanael came to Jesus because Philip invited him to “come and see.”  What do you think would be the best way to invite a friend of yours to “come and see” Jesus today?  What are some approaches that might not work so well with your friends or in your setting?

Activity Suggestions

  • Video: For further discussion on the sheer grace of being called to follow Jesus, watch Rob Bell’s short video, Dust (Nooma series).  Though not specifically about this passage, he presents a great take on what being called to “Follow me,” by a rabbi meant in Jesus’ day, and how Jesus’ invitation to Andrew, Peter, James, John, Philip, Nathanael and the rest would have been most unusual.  Talk together about what it means that Jesus calls us to be his followers.  What does it mean to you that Jesus believes in you?  Does this change the way you see yourself as a disciple?
  • Reaching Out: Consider taking a discussion on the invitation to “Come and see,” even further.  As a group, explore ways to invite your friends or others in your community to “come and see” Jesus.  How would you go about it?  Would you hold an event of some sort?  Would you invite them to a service project? A retreat?  A play or music festival?   A specially designed worship service?  What activities are you already doing that are, or could be, great places for friends to experience God’s love and grace? How might you use social media or other modern means to invite folks?  What “barriers” might need to be overcome? Brainstorm the possibilities – can you make a plan to try one or more of these possibilities out?

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, before we ever could think to seek you, you have come seeking us, inviting us to know abundant and eternal life.  When we doubt your goodness and love, help us to see the many ways that you act in our lives and the grace that you give to us day by day.  Empower us by your Spirit to follow, lead us to be living signs of your grace, and give us the courage to invite others to “Come and see.”  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

 

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