Sudanese woman with her son (Photo Credit: ELCA Washington Office)

Sudan has been plagued by internal conflict for nearly 40 years. A variety of complex factors, including race, ethnicity, religion and economic disparities fueled a 22-year conflict between the north and south and are also largely at the heart of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur that began in 2003.

Now South Sudan will be embarking on a new era. After a Comprehensive Peace Agreement ended this year, the people of Southern Sudan voted for independence from the rest of Sudan. On July 9, South Sudan will become an independent nation.

Recently, there have been reports of renewed violence in the contested area of Abyei. Abyei was to have its referendum to determine whether to be part of the North or South. However, the people in Abyei were not able to vote.

“Given the ongoing insecurity in Abyei, the Security Council believes that the security and prosperity of both parties would benefit from a continuing UN-mandated presence in Abyei after July 9, as well as from UN assistance for the parties’ management of their border after the independence of South Sudan. In this context, the Council urges the parties to reach agreement on a continuing UN-mandated presence.” (UN Security Council statement, June 3, 2011)

We invite you to pray with us as this ongoing violence continues to threaten humanitarian efforts and as the people of Sudan prepare for a new shift in political leadership. On every Friday from now until July 9, let’s give thanks to God and hope to the people of Sudan as they prepare for this significant step in securing peace for their country. These dates are June 10, June 17, June 24, July 1, and July 8. In the United States, we are called to pray at 11 a.m. (EDT), 10 a.m. (CDT), 9 a.m. (MDT), and 8 a.m. (PDT).

Here is a prayer from the Presbyterian Church (USA):

Our loving Heavenly Father,

We come before you to ask your forgiveness and seek your direction and guidance for South Sudan.

Lord, we know that bitterness and resentment are like toxic thorns in our soul, sapping our mental process, thought-life, will, motivation, and joy of our life.

Remind us that we will be the prisoners of our strongholds if we cannot forgive our brothers and sisters.

Help us to remember that forgiveness is the deliberate act of the will to pardon another individual or self whether we like it
or not.

Thank you for your word that we receive forgiveness in the same manner that we forgive others.

Help us to work out the torments of forgiveness with you alone our God and the other person, we are making the list of persons and situation causing troubles in South Sudan.

Intervene with the formation of the new Government and give us peace in South Sudan.

In Jesus Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.

Aliamma George
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Mission Co-Worker
Malakal

Guest Blog by Marissa Harris Krey, Advocacy Developer of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in PA (LAMPa)

Lutheran advocates participate in a workshop sponsored by Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (Photo Credit: LAMPa)

Last week, close to 140 Lutherans gathered in Harrisburg for LAMPa’s (Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in PA) annual Lutheran Day at the Capitol.  Torrential rain could not stop our advocates from gathering together to learn about issues facing Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable.

Why didn’t the rain stop them?  Why did so many travel so far? 

One advocate said, “Lutheran Day reminded me that I am not alone in my advocacy efforts on behalf of the poor and hungry”… together  1 + 1 + 1 can make a powerful difference.

Rev. David Beckmann, President of Bread for the World, was our keynote speaker and perhaps the biggest reason our advocates braved the storms. Several in attendance were amazed by his reminder that we have made progress on hunger in the past (in the U.S.) and that we are making progress RIGHT NOW all across the world. 

Matt, a resident of Lancaster, said, “I was struck by Beckmann’s comment that Americans have trouble seeing the dramatic progress.”  For many, Lutheran Day is about the opening of eyes:  to see the good, and to see the bad — but to see the bad together, and all the love and hope in the room that wishes it were not so, and believes in a God with transformative powers.

David Beckmann, keynote speaker and President of Bread for the World, shared inspiring advocacy stories with the group. (Photo Credit: LAMPa)

This year’s keynote also reminded our advocates of the power in story telling.  Beckmann shared two stories, one of which I will tell again here.  Helpfully, Beckmann was open and honest about the feedback he gets from people who don’t believe in the power of faith-based advocacy. “I just don’t know who I’m really helping,” some say.  “You’re helping people like my son,” Beckmann said as he transitioned into his story.  The birthmother of Beckmann’s adopted son was on WIC (Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, & Children) when she was pregnant. 

Stories such as this carry significant weight with lawmakers.  As faith-based advocates, one of our primary responsibilities is to help our elected officials see the faces behind the numbers on their spreadsheets; to help remind them who will really be affected by the policies they propose.

The value of coming together from many different places for a day like Lutheran Day may seem hard to measure, but it always shines through our evaluations.  This year was no exception: 

“Through networking, there seemed to be a proactive attitude emerging and a belief that we have an opportunity to be one strong voice in advocacy”.  Amen.

The proper role of government—how big it should be, and what, exactly, it should be doing—is a hot topic in our country.  Some say too many government regulations are slowing economic growth and preventing companies from creating new jobs.  Others say government has a critical role to play in revitalizing our economy and protecting our families and our communities from harm.

So what if a regulation will cost businesses money and time in the short term, but will protect us from toxic pollution for years to come?

On May 3, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new rule under the federal Clean Air Act to limit emissions of toxic chemicals, including mercury, arsenic, lead and dioxin, from power plants.  The rules will also limit emissions of fine particles into the air. The public now has 60 days to comment on the proposed rule. Click here to provide your feedback.

Why is this rule needed now?  Power companies have fought these regulations for 20 years, arguing that they will have to raise rates in order to install the new equipment necessary to reduce emissions of mercury and other toxics. 

However, the pollutants the rule will reduce are extremely hazardous. Mercury, for example, affects brain development, making even small exposures dangerous for children and women who are pregnant or could become pregnant.  The EPA estimates that as many as one in every six women in the U.S. has blood mercury levels high enough to put a developing baby at risk.  All 50 states have mercury advisories for consumption of at least some of the fish found in their lakes, rivers and streams. 

According to the EPA, nearly fifty percent of the mercury in our air and water (and fish!) comes from emissions from coal-burning power plants. This new rule will ultimately reduce those emissions by 91 percent. More than half of U.S. power plants already have pollution control equipment that meets the new standards—these new requirements will level the playing field by requiring that all power plants protect the public’s health from harmful emissions.

Mercury is only one of the toxic pollutants that will be reduced by this new rule. Other pollutants affected by the rule are linked to cancer, heart disease, chronic asthma and other significant health problems.  These health problems cost all of us—in higher insurance rates, in loss of productivity, and especially in loss of lives.  Among other benefits, the EPA estimates that by 2016 the new rules will help to prevent more than 12,000 emergency visits annually and 850,000 days of lost work.  The agency estimates that the rule’s restriction on fine particle emissions alone could save between $59 and $140 billion in health care costs annually in 2016.

Martin Luther wrote that government is the means “by which most of all God preserves to us our daily bread and all the comforts of this life.”  It seems to me that reducing highly toxic pollution and thereby improving public health fits his definition of good government.  What do you think?

Kevin O’Hara is an intern with the Lutheran Office for World Community

I just returned from two gatherings that focused on how ministry is changing, especially in the 21^st century church, which may look a lot more like the church in the 1^st and 2^nd century than that of the 21st. This is a radical change, knowing that the church has come so far to embrace the 21st century, but it does not mean the church will abandon the good practices that have led it to today.

 What are some of these developing practices?  First, the church is becoming more relational within the community.  The apostles of the 1^st century were sent out to new communities to preach God’s love. For advocacy, this might mean that models relying on people coming to the church/institution will integrate with churches living out their institutional beliefs through their work in the community as they may define it.  In addition, while internet and technology are the primary means of communication in much of today’s “developed” world, this is only a first line of communication for many people—nothing beats face-to-face encounters.

In this age, issues around social justice, racism, political, gender, sexual orientation, and disability are being reshaped in light of recent advancements. However, the biggest concern in the church for the 21^st century will be over socio-economic barriers.  Lutherans are one of the most educated denominations and at times emphasizes an intellectual faith.  How might this impact how we do church and advocacy?

Lastly, church life could take on a diverse mystical experience.  Young adults long for connection to something greater than themselves (but claim spirituality over religiosity).  If there is a deep call to be connected to something greater than oneself, how might this shape advocacy?  One possibility is raising awareness through additional public events at the United Nations and in Washington D.C., where many people come together for a common cause.

Dennis Frado directs the Lutheran Office for World Community based in New York City. The advocacy office monitors the work of the United Nations.

Dennis Frado speaks at an event in conjunction with the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

Among the current staff of the ELCA engaged in advocacy I definitely qualify as a “gray hair”.  Yes, the hair still left on my head is increasingly gray, but I’m really talking about having done this kind of work off and on for the past thirty-five or so years.

But the fact of the matter is Lutherans in the United States have been formally engaged in public policy advocacy since shortly after the Second World War II when the National Lutheran Council decided to establish an office in Washington, DC.  The Rev. Dr. Robert E. van Deusen oversaw that work for more than 25 years before he retired in the mid-1970s. 

Over the years the “Office for Public Relations” evolved from a stance of “eyes and ears” for the national Lutheran leadership to one of a more comprehensive public witness of the church to society as it carries out God’s mission and ministry in this nation and the world.  

Through this work, Lutheran leaders then, as today, have affirmed that “The witness of this church in society flows from its identity as a community that lives from and for the gospel. Faith is active in love; love calls for justice in the relationships and structures of society. It is in grateful response to God’s grace in Jesus Christ that this church carries out its responsibility for the well-being of society and the environment.” (The Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective).

That’s why we are engaged in advocacy in Washington D.C., in state capitols, with corporations, and here with the United Nations.  I am grateful for the privilege of serving our church in this way.

Do you feel like you're paying an arm and a leg when you fill up?

I don’t know about you, but the price at the gas pump is certainly hurting my pocketbook. I am sick and tired of paying over $50 each time I have to fill up. Quite frankly, I could use a break. In fact, I wouldn’t mind getting one of those tax breaks that the oil and gas companies get every year.

Our current tax law provides the oil and gas industry with more than $4 billion (yes billion) per year in subsidies. Why are they getting such high subsidies when oil prices are high and the industry is projected to report huge profits this quarter?

House Speaker John Boehner said on Monday that Congress should consider looking at the oil subsidies. President Obama, in a letter to Congressional leaders, wrote he was “heartened” to hear such openness. But shortly afterward, Boehner seemed to backtrack his statements.

Both political parties have talked about the need to make difficult cuts in the federal budget. We look at cutting non-defense discretionary spending, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, military spending. Why would we not look at subsidies to oil companies? What makes them exempt from cuts?

But I also wonder if instead of cutting the subsidies, we should take those dollars and invest them in clean energy to reduce our dependence on our planet’s dwindling stores of oil. We need to look at protecting our environment for future generations as well as finding a way to reduce our dependence.

And, to be honest, I wouldn’t mind lower gas prices.

In Wisconsin, legislators are considering cutting state funding for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a proven anti-poverty initiative. The Colorado legislature is poised to cut health care funding for low-income children. In California, another round of funding cuts to K-12 education is being debated. And in New Mexico, funding for a state nutrition program for low-income seniors was just eliminated.

Similar state budget cuts are taking place all across the United States.

Minnesota's State Capitol Building and Christ Lutheran Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Photo Credit: Mark Peters, director, Lutheran Coalition for Public Policy in Minnesota

In state capitols around the country, elected officials are required by law to balance their budgets. Unfortunately states are choosing to cut funding for key human needs’ programs due to decreased state tax revenues from the recession.

This current round of cuts for state-funded social programs comes on top of deep cuts already made over the last few years. Alarmingly, at the exact time states have been cutting funding for essential services, the need for these programs has risen as more and more families seek assistance due to unemployment and stagnant wages.

The ELCA has long recognized the importance of decisions made by state legislatures. Our State Public Policy Office (SPPO) network works to ensure that the needs of the country’s most vulnerable people are given high priority in state capitols.

The State Public Policy Offices speak to the biblical values of hospitality to strangers, care for creation, and concern for people living in poverty and struggling with hunger and disease. We encourage you to connect with your State Public Policy Office and advocate for just state policies for people in need. To see a list of our SPPOs and to learn more, click here.

Oiled Brown Pelican upon intake May 20, 2010 at Fort Jackson, Louisiana Oiled Wildlife Center. (Photo: International Bird Rescue Research Center)

This week, as we pause to remember Christ’s death on the cross and the redemption and hope of the risen Christ on Easter Sunday, we also mark another anniversary. 

On April 20, 2010 an oil explosion killed 11 people in the Gulf of Mexico and erupted into one of the worst man-made disasters our nation has ever faced.  By the time British Petroleum (BP) managed to cap the oil well located below the Deepwater Horizon rig, more than four million barrels of oil had gushed into the Gulf of Mexico. 

This week we remember our horror at the lives lost, our grief as the oil continuously poured from the broken well to devastate beaches, wetlands and wildlife. We remember the months of waiting—for the well to be capped, for the oil to disperse, for the fisheries to reopen, for damages to be figured and repaid to the suffering people, businesses and communities in the Gulf.

And now, at the one year anniversary, we look for signs of hope: 

• The tourist industry is anticipating a “modest” increase this summer in the number of vacationers returning to Gulf Coast beaches. 
• The oil on the surface dissipated more quickly than anticipated and the Gulf has shown greater resilience in the wake of the disaster than was expected.  However, scientists believe much of the oil remains below the surface, and long term impacts on sea life and Gulf fisheries will not be known for years.
• Following the disaster, the Department of Interior reorganized the Minerals Management Service and divided the responsibility for issuing and monitoring offshore drilling permits and for collecting revenues, which had previously been housed in a single department. 
• The National Commission on the BP Horizon Oil Spill finished its work and issued a final report with recommendations in January 2011. 
• The Gulf Coast Claims Facility funded by BP has paid out nearly $4 billion in damages and compensation to more than 175,000 people and businesses, although complaints about the amount of compensation paid and the rate at which claims are processed persist among those applying for funds.

What’s missing from this list?  The United States Congress.

Congress has yet to pass any legislation to deal with the flawed system that allowed this disaster to occur or to deal with the likelihood that many years of funding will be needed to fully deal with the impacts on the Gulf ecosystem and its fisheries. Bills proposed by Gulf State legislators and others to make both small and large changes in response to the Gulf oil disaster have failed to move, victims of the gridlock that more often than not derails legislative action in Washington.

We encourage you to remind your Congressperson to support legislation to fix flaws in our oil leasing and oil spill response systems and to provide a means to fund long term restoration of the Gulf ecosystem and fisheries.

If your congregation would like to mark the anniversary of the Gulf oil disaster, either during this week or in the weeks to come, the National Council of Churches has prayers and stories from the Gulf that can help. Click here to access the NCC resource.

Click on the links below to view two short YouTube videos from policy directors in the ELCA Advocacy Ministry.

Jennifer De Leon, Advocacy Director for Lutheran Advocacy in Illinois, on YouTube

Andrew Genszler, ELCA Advocacy Director, on YouTube

Recently, ELCA Bishop John Schleicher of the North/West Lower Michigan Synod wrote to the Saginaw (MI) News explaining why, as a person of faith, he supports the Clean Air Act and why, as a church, the ELCA cares about environmental issues. 

He writes, “[t]he ELCA has long lifted up the care of God’s creation as an important component of our reverence and gratitude toward God, and our love and service to those in need. We see this as a moral and justice-laden responsibility, undertaken with humility and hope.” Read the rest of Bishop Schleicher’s letter here.

This week some members of Congress are trying to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing new rules for industrial sources under the Clean Air Act.  These rules are designed to deal with emissions that are contributing to climate change and poor air quality in our communities. 

The Clean Air Act has made our communities cleaner and safer and has protected our health for more than 40 years. But today we face new challenges such as climate change and rising rates of asthma in our children.

As we face these new challenges, laws like the Clean Air Act are there to help us meet them and develop new technologies for protecting the health of our communities. 

Critics argue the new regulations will harm the bottom line of companies and cost jobs.   This argument is based on the premise that we must choose between economic growth and the health of our communities, a premise that has proven false many times over the 40 year history of the Clean Air Act. 

From scrubbers on power plant smokestacks to catalytic converters on cars, innovations spurred by Clean Air Act regulations have created new business opportunities while allowing industry throughout our nation to thrive.  But even more importantly, our air is cleaner and our people are healthier because of the Clean Air Act.