Who we are

The Congregational Vitality team, Domestic Mission, is moving forward with an exciting emphasis on creating a churchwide learning community. We are applying adaptive strategies to accompany synods and congregations in their fruitful work for God’s Reign by training and equipping leaders across the Church.

Contextual description of Congregational Vitality

Communities of Jesus that nurture life-changing relationships with God, one another and the world.

 

Values and Guiding Principles

• Insistent in Collaboration
• Supportive of Innovation and Creativity
• Intentionally Inclusive and Anti-racist
• Radically Relational
• Committed to Learning Multiplication
• Ardent about Leadership Development

 

What we do

Cultivate vitality. Accompany mission partners. Connect communities of Jesus.

 

How we do it

We are committed to:

• Creating and leading a national learning community with the goals of informing, teaching, sharing, collaborating and inspiring vitality across the ELCA.
• Capturing, measuring and evaluating the impact of vitality efforts both in local communities, at the synod level and across the entire ELCA.
• Engaging in effective and strategic communication that shares both the data and the stories of lessons learned; i.e., the fruitful and effective strategies for growth and vitality and the personal and/or local impacts of vital ministries.
• Creating networks of support as we partner in discipleship, stewardship, leadership, young adults, multicultural, and poverty and justice initiatives in the ELCA to make a measurable, truly impactful difference as we mobilize and equip people across the ELCA to be the Church together for the sake of the world.

Mary Ellen Helms, Loveland, OH

Warm-up Question

If you could relive one of your past days over and over again, which day would it be and why?

Best Day Ever

Many of us have had a day or two in our lives that we look back on and think, “Wow! That was the best day ever!”  Maybe it was the perfect summer day where you spent it with friends from early in the day until late in the evening.  Perhaps the “best day ever” included a lot of your favorites: foods, music, people, and more. There’s a chance your best day ever included an amazing accomplishment: passing a difficult test, achieving an athletic accomplishment, producing a school play that received rave reviews, or something equally exciting. Of course,  we can’t easily recall the “best day ever.  Many awesome things happen to us, but part of what makes them special is how rare they are. 

 A quick Google search about “Best Day Ever” provided a variety of results without much substance. There were some academic articles about happiness, some news articles about lottery wins turned bad, and a few ‘feel good’ stories.  There is no one definition of “the best day ever.”

I did learn there is a Spongebob Squarepants episode of the same name.   Wikipedia describes the show in detail!  In the episode, our protagonist (Spongebob) sets off with plans for the BEST DAY EVER but instead, his friends keep needing big favors from him.  In his kind and compassionate way, Spongebob puts his own plans on hold and comes to the aid of Sandy, Patrick, and Squidward.  Feeling sorry for himself at the end of the episode, Spongebob prepares to give a speech about how his friends had taken his BEST DAY EVER and turned it on its head.  Instead, his friends remind him that the perfect day may not exist, instead he spent the day helping others.  Spongebob wraps up the episode singing his song, “The Best Day Ever” over and over again.  When Squidward asks Mr. Krabs how long they have to keep up the performance, Mr. Krabs replies, “Just ’til his little heart gives out, Squidward. Just ’til his little heart gives out.”

Discussion Questions

• How does SpongeBob Squarepants’ Best Day Ever compare with your own best day?
• Have you ever had a terrible day turned good?  Has there ever been a day where your expectations were turned completely in another direction? 
• Through serving others, we often find joy.  Can you describe a time when serving others provided you with a great day?

Transfiguration of our Lord

Exodus 34:29-35

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

Luke 9:28-36 [37-43a]

(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

I get Peter.  He just says it like it is and really seems like a normal guy.  In verse 33, he says to Jesus “‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”. Peter is having the BEST DAY EVER.  At this point, the disciples have seen Jesus perform miracles, serve the poor, listen to the marginalized, and fulfill prophecy.  Peter is wanting to capture this moment and just stay there as he is having his best day ever.  After a special retreat with Jesus’ closest disciples, Peter wants to keep the miracles happening.  He wants to preserve this moment forever.  Of course, you may know the rest of the story – God speaks, Jesus becomes a little less “shiny”, and they eventually go down the mountain together the next day.

I am sure that many of us who have been on retreats, mission trips, discipleship tours, or to the ELCA Youth Gathering can remember wanting to hold onto the Holy Spirit moments.  I remember coming back from my first Youth Gathering begging my pastor to turn every service into wild, raucous Gathering-style worship with Conga lines, hip hop, and more. My pastor was patient and reminded me, even Jesus came down the mountain.  Real life is waiting for us on the other side of mountaintop experiences.

Jesus, too, had more real life work to do.  In fact, the story immediately following the transfiguration is a healing of a boy who is struggling with a demon.  Jesus still has lots more teaching to do before his death and resurrection.  

Something that does change from this moment on is the understanding and revelation of Jesus’ power to those three disciples. Without a doubt, they remember this moment and I’m sure spent much time pondering the experience in their hearts. I imagine they had trouble talking about what an amazing experience they had shared. My own holiest moments have sometimes left me without words, too. 

Discussion Questions

• How do you think the disciples felt when Jesus’ appearance changed in front of their very eyes?  How would you have felt?
• Have you ever had a “mountaintop experience”?  What was it like to experience God in fresh ways?
• How can you keep experiences like retreats, mission trips, exciting once-in-a-lifetime moments alive after they happen?

Activity Suggestions

• Plan an amazing mountaintop adventure with your friends (even if it’s just pretend!).  Talk about everything you can do to prepare (the who, what, when, where questions).  How can you build in space for encountering God?  How can you bring your experience home to those who will not join you?
• Write thank you letters to someone who joined you on a mountaintop experience.  Maybe it was another member of the youth group that left a mark on your heart or an adult guide or service partner.  Give them thanks for their investment in your life and let them know what a difference that opportunity has made for you.

Closing Prayer

Most Holy God, thank you for meeting us on the mountaintops of our lives.  Thank you for showing us your power and majesty in the middle of special experiences that we hold onto tightly.  We ask that you would give us the chance to continue living into these opportunities. Give us memories that last and strength for when life seems like it is more valley than mountain. Help us remember that we are called to come down from the mountain and continue our lives even with renewed purpose.  Amen.

Black historian, Carter G. Woodson, established the celebration of black history in 1926. Originally observed as a week-long event uplifting the contributions of Black Americans, for Black Americans–it was the hope of Dr. Woodson that one day all Americans would recognize the contributions of black people as an integral part of U.S. history.

As a kid I didn’t celebrate Black history month in my predominantly white elementary school. Nor did I learn an awful lot about the accomplishments of Black Americans. My earliest recollection of the mention of black people in history, came from my 2^nd grade teacher. She was a young, white educator that I really liked.  I remember sitting up in my seat as she opened a book about Abraham Lincoln. As she began to tell the children’s version of honest Abe’s legacy, she looked directly at me with a smile saying,  “Lincoln freed the slaves.”  The end.   Mind you, I was the only black child in the class and one of the few black children in the entire school. I, along with all my white schoolmates were reminded of my black skin difference. As all eyes turned towards me, I felt ashamed to have been singled out for my blackness.  This version of the story of slavery minimized, devalued and dehumanized my black identity and the truth of slavery– while centering whiteness as powerful and the norm.  That is what racism does—it sustains a racial hierarchy that privileges those with white skin, while simultaneously denying the inherent worth, power and dignity of people of color.

Today, the adult version of me does not blame the lack of knowledge of a young, white educator so many years ago, but the damage caused in that moment plagued me for years. In my spirit, I knew she was wrong, but I did not know how to respond it hat moment.   I had no rebuttal to her nonexistent narrative of the civilizations, history, and gifts of people from the continent of Africa; or the true horrors of the transatlantic slave trade; or the courage of  freedom fighter Harriett Tubman that sought freedom from bondage for her people.  Slavery was just a footnote in history.

To counter what I didn’t learn at school, my parents and grandparents taught me my history around the dinner table, at family gatherings and in the black church. Raised under Jim Crow segregation, my parents were not ashamed of who they were; nor where they came from. Works of black artist were proudly displayed in our home. We listened to the soulful sounds of WKND AM radio station that  provided a platform for black artists, musicians and producers—when white radio would not. We traveled south each summer from Connecticut to Mississippi and Alabama visiting the childhood homes of our parents.  We learned the National Negro anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and sang the lyrics to “We Shall Overcome” at my grandparents’ church.   Black publications, Ebony, Jet  and Black Enterprise magazine littered our coffee table with images of black athletes, beauty queens of the Historic Black Colleges and Universities, celebrities, scientist, political figures and entrepreneurs. We attended theater performances of all black play productions.  Dolls of every shade and hue filled my bedroom bookcase.  We watched Alex Haley’s Roots as a family and purchased the album soundtrack produced by composer Quincy Jones. For me, Black history wasn’t only an event during the shortest month of the year—it was our way of life.  The power of celebrating Black history (and all history of People of Color) contradicts the racial stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination imposed on People of Color by a white dominant culture.  Valuing one’s own racial identity, ancestry and history is part of the necessary healing work of ending racism.

 

Reclaiming history…

On August 23-25, 2019 people around the world will remember the arrival of the first enslaved Africans  in North America. This  event will mark the Quad-Centennial of the forced transatlantic voyage of enslaved African peoples to Virginia.   On August 25, 1619,  a pirated ship carrying stolen human cargo from Africa arrived in the English colony in North America.  Taken from the Angola region of Africa, these men and women were known for their agricultural, metal working and farming skills. These skills would prove to be invaluable and profitable for the survival of English colonist.  The arrival of this first slave ship set in motion the transatlantic slave trade. From the 16th to the 19th century between 10 million and 12 million African people were kidnapped, enslaved and scattered throughout the Americas.   Slavery and the Middle Passage was an event of monumental proportion that not just affected North America but changed Africa forever.  The legacy of racism and fear of people of African descent are rooted in the policies, practices, beliefs and actions that legalized slavery, legitimized the slave trade and colonialism.  Four hundred years later, the descendants of the transatlantic slave trade still face racial  barriers in affordable housing, voting, employment, education and health care. “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”– Maya Angelou Connecting the dots of the transatlantic slave trade, the forced removal and assimilation of Native American Indians; the denial of citizenship of Chinese workers and the exploitation of migrant Mexican farm workers are all crimes against humanity in American history. We cannot change history or its impact on past generations, but it is important to know and teach the truth of this history.

 

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is partner of the organization Bread for the World’s  “Lament and Hope”: A Pan-African Devotional Guide Commemorating the 2019 Quad-Centennial of the Forced Transatlantic Voyage of Enslaved African Peoples to Jamestown, Virginia (USA). The devotional makes the connections between Bread for the World’s mission to end hunger and the history of the enslavement of African descent people; the creation of racialized policies within the U.S and the colonization on the continent of Africa. As a collective Christian voice, Bread for the World further recognizes and acknowledges the role many churches have played in supporting and perpetuating these horrific practices and policies. In 2019 at the Churchwide Assembly, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will issue an apology for slavery to People of African Descent.

The downloadable devotional resource is available at bread.org

 

 

Judith E.B. Roberts, serves as Program Director for Racial Justice.

 

 

 

This post comes from ELCA World Hunger’s weekly email list, “Sermon Starters.” For this week, Rev. Angela Khabeb of Holy Trinity Church in Minneapolis, shares with us her reflections on forgiveness and how we are called to make this gift more than an act, but a lifestyle as followers in Christ.

If you’d like to receive posts like these ahead of the liturgical calendar, please subscribe to ELCA World Hunger Sermon Starters by clicking on the link, or email us at hunger@elca.org.

Here is a recent review of the resource from Vernita Kennan of the Saint Paul Area Synod:

“I receive the ELCA World Hunger Sermon Starters each week from the ELCA and find it is a helpful way for me to look ahead and “preach my own sermon” in preparation of what I will hear next Sunday at my home church, Incarnation Lutheran…You needn’t be a rostered person in the ELCA to find them inspirational.”

 

February 24, 2019 – Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

Luke 6:27-38

We continue this week with the Sermon on the Plain. We hear Jesus proclaiming a new way. “Turn the other cheek, go the second mile, love your enemies.” Unfortunately, this passage has been misused in some religious circles.

Please allow me this commercial break…

If someone is in an abusive situation, they are not required to stay and risk their life and/or the lives of their children. There are times when it is best to forgive from a distance. We can continue to love the person but if the relationship is physically, verbally, emotionally, or economically abusive, the most loving and faith-filled response we can have is to practice self-care. When we try to enforce forgiveness like it is a law and not an act of God’s love and grace, all of humanity is in jeopardy.

We’ve heard these passages many times before. But for the original hearers, these words were earth-shattering. Jesus’ words were radical. More to the point, his life was radical. After all, Jesus constantly challenged the status quo. He repeatedly broadened the center so that those on the margins of society would be included.  He challenged the religious leaders of the day and caused so much political upheaval that he received the death penalty.

Jesus was revolutionary in ways that people never expected. Even today, Jesus enters our lives in unexpected ways and I love it. After all, Christianity should not be comfortable for us. The Gospel should not be like our favorite pair of jeans or a pair of old shoes or a worn-out sweater that we drag out this time of year. Certainly, we find comfort in God’s word. But we don’t need to have a hold on the Gospel because Jesus does not belong to us. Rather, the Gospel needs to have a hold on us because we belong to Jesus. Otherwise we are just nominal Christians playing church. We create our own brand of Jesus that suits our needs and pets our egos. We manipulate Jesus into whatever makes us feel safe, or superior, or righteous. So, what is the earth-shattering news we need to hear?

You see, the life changing power of the Gospel message has the greatest impact on our lives when it is destabilizing. Whenever we are challenged to redefine or examine who we understand Jesus to be, we grow. Whenever we challenge what it means to be a Christian in our world today, we grow.

In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus is encouraging his followers to abandon business as usual. Through his sermon, Jesus turns the accepted societal norms inside-out. This is Good News because even when we dishonor God by our actions or inactions, God still seeks after us. Now, for the life of me I cannot figure out why. But Jesus chooses to use us as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Jesus chooses us even though we are broken, selfish, and woefully imperfect. Jesus chooses us to broaden the center in our own communities so that all God’s people have a seat at the table. Jesus uses us to increase God’s healing and hope in the world. Is this the earth-shattering news for us?

Genesis 45:3-11, 15

It’s hard to ignore the theme of forgiveness in this week’s lessons—and believe me, I tried. Yes, the story of Joseph is a powerful illustration of love and forgiveness overcoming hatred and bitterness. But even as I encounter this undeniable witness to the hidden hand of God, I find myself distracted by many questions.

Firstly, what does true forgiveness look like for us? What happens to trust? Is it wise for me to trust this person again if they had deliberately betrayed me? What if the best I can do is just be cordial to them? Isn’t that enough? Isn’t it enough for me to simply not hate the sight of them? Let’s face it, forgiveness is hard. There’s no “forgiveness switch” on our hearts that we can simply click on or off when we need more or less of it. I’ve been wondering if forgiveness is like love. You know, when you give away love it multiplies and comes back to you.

Sometimes it seems, in our country, we are more concerned with punishment than we are with peace. We seem more concerned with revenge than reconciliation. We find it easier to fight than to forgive. No wonder some of us find it difficult to accept God’s extravagant gift of love. Even when we are receptive to God’s mercy and forgiveness, we may yet be reluctant to give mercy and forgiveness to others. Maybe we feel that we are giving away our power when we forgive. Maybe we are simply afraid of being hurt again and use our grudges to keep us safe. But, at the end of the day, ministry involves risk.

It can feel like a risk to forgive. But what exactly are we risking? Our power, position, politics, morals, self-constructed ideas of who we are and how others should perceive us seem to be potential risk-factors to forgiveness. But on the other side of forgiveness, on the other side of the tension and resistance we often experience when confronted with someone who has “wronged” us, we find relationship. We find a leveling and sharing of power, we find mutual respect and dignity, and we find the Holy ground that lives between us all. If hunger and poverty are symptoms of deeply broken relationships around the world, forgiveness could be our first-step on the path to living lives of abundance and sharing.

Forgiveness is not necessarily an event, but rather a lifestyle. God doesn’t expect us to forgive perfectly every time. But God is encouraging us to live our lives with forgiveness as our North Star. In doing so, we honor God and we help heal the body of Christ. C.S. Lewis illustrates forgiveness as part of our baptismal identity as Christians:

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”

This is both gift and challenge.

To be clear, forgiveness cannot erase pain or eliminate the need for justice. But forgiveness is God’s gift to us. The Holy Spirit empowers us to share that gift with others. Fortunately, forgiveness, like most things, gets easier with practice. The more we remain open to the Spirit, the more able we are to forgive. Forgiveness can be extremely difficult, but it is possible. In fact, God makes all things possible for us. This is good news.

Children Sermon

Forgiveness seems to be an overarching theme in this week’s lessons. Forgiveness is an important concept that might be difficult for children to grasp. We learn to say we’re sorry but that does not always lead to forgiveness. Have you ever heard a child offer an angry “sorry!” because her mother told her she had to apologize?  It happens with my kids on occasion.

So, it might be a good idea to ask the children to help you describe forgiveness. This way you can gauge the understanding of the group. Invite the children to share examples of times when they needed to receive forgiveness or times when they needed to forgive someone (be prepared to share your own examples if need be).

For an object lesson, bring two items–something rather heavy and something rather light. A brick and a feather would work well and pretty easy to get. Grudges are heavy like this brick (or rock or concrete paver–probably less than $1 at your local hardware store). Forgiveness is light like this feather (or cotton ball or stuffing from a pillow). You could get a sturdy backpack and put several heavy objects in it and invite a child or two to try and carry it. Ask who would rather carry the heavy bag or the cotton ball all day.

Remind them of the words about forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer. Say it out loud, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Encourage the children (and adults) to listen for those words later in worship. Remind them that Jesus helps us forgive and forgiveness brings joy.

Ellen Rothweiler, Des Moines, IA

Warm-up Question

What does it look like when you love your enemies? What words would you use to describe this kind of love? 

Beyond Enemies

The 61^st Annual Grammy’s were held on Sunday, February 10 and Alicia Keys hosted the event. She opened the evening with a message of love and connection through music. She described music as “what we all love” and a “shared global language” and a way to “celebrate the greatness in each other”. On a night of competition, in a tough business, Keys reminded the room and all those watching of our shared humanity and that most of all we should share love. She invited other women on the stage with her, sharing the spotlight, to share what music has meant in their lives.

When the world tells us that a person or group of people are our competition, threatening our success and way of life, it is hard to love them. The nature of self-preservation is to defend what you have. In an industry of self-promotion it is essential to put oneself first to get ahead and employ others to help you do so. So, how bold and daring it is in room full of competitors for the priority set to be one of love and connection. 

Discussion Questions

• What dreams do you have for the future? Share two with the group.
• Who or what have you been told is in the way of your success?
• Who or what can help you achieve these dreams?

Seventh Sunday after Epiphany 

Genesis 45:3-11, 15

1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50

Luke 6:27-38

(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

This text includes what we often call the “golden rule,” “do to others as you would have them do to you”.  It also holds another nugget of morality at the beginning of verse 29, “turn the other cheek”. I don’t know about you but I have never fully understood what this means. Let people abuse you? Don’t fight back, don’t defend yourself? This may sound weak, but, in fact, it takes great strength and self-control not to respond to violence with violence. 

All of the directives given by Jesus in this passage can stand alone as a way of being in the world.  Each alone is difficult to follow and they are even more so when taken as a group. So, let’s just look at verses 27-28; “…love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” These two verses sum up the following verses. If you do these things, the others will follow. This is a bold and daring way of being in the world. It means seeing our “enemies” in a new way. The Message puts it this way; “To you who are ready for truth, I say this; Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.”

Discussion Questions

• Where have you heard the golden rule- “ treat others how you want to be treated’  and “turn the other cheek” other than church?
• How are these sayings helpful? How are they harmful? 
• Who is an enemy that you can pray for and how can they bring out the best in you? 

Activity Suggestion

Look through your social media feeds and identify “enemies”. See them through the lens of love as described in Luke and as modeled by Alicia Keys. Pray for them and pray for the courage to love them. 

Closing Prayer

Source of  all love, it is so easy to demonize those who see the world differently from me, who hurt me, and who seem intent on harming those for whom I care.  Help me to see the fear and pain behind the acts of those I am tempted to dismiss as my enemies.  Give me the wisdom and the heart of Jesus to respond to them as he would, seeking to heal injury, bridge gaps, and transform foes into friends.  Amen.

National policies can and should both reflect our Christian value of welcome and protect U.S. citizens. These two principles are not mutually exclusive. Our leaders do us all a disservice when they fail to acknowledge and honor this truth.

This week, the Administration signaled it would expand its policy to return some asylum seekers to Mexico while they await a decision on their case, known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy. Additionally, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the border to fund a physical barrier.

Children and families continue to flee their communities, and many are stuck at the northern border of Mexico due to changes in U.S. policy. Both the emergency declaration and expansion of Remain in Mexico policy will further traumatize them by increasing animosity and backlogs to the asylum system.

The national emergency declaration seeks to obtain $8 billion dollars for a wall by transferring funds from a Treasury Department drug forfeiture fund, Defense Department drug interdiction program, and the military construction fund, among other sources. At a time when apprehensions at the southern border are at a historic low, the transfer of funds from other programs to the southern border is unnecessary.

A wall is not the solution to fixing immigration or addressing border security. We urge the President and Congress to work together for immigration reform that protects the rights and well-being of those who seek asylum here.

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To learn more about a Lutheran understanding of immigration issues, read the ELCA social message on “Immigration.”

To learn more about the policy to send asylum seekers to Mexico while awaiting their case, also known as Remain in Mexico, read this Catholic Legal Immigration Network analysis.

To review a letter in which ELCA Advocacy joined over 50 other organizations outlining our specific concerns and asking Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen of the Department of Homeland Security to terminate the Remain in Mexico policy, see post from the Latin America Working Group.

Tim Jacobsen, West Des Moines, IA

Warm-up Question

Have you ever tried to make yourself above others? Have you ever felt like you were forced below others?If Everyone Had That…If Everyone Had That…

If Everyone Had That…

Riley loved to spend the night at friends’ houses! When he and his friends were together, they would stay up late playing games, talking about life and relationships, eating food, and just having fun. This group of friends just loved these nights and would look forward to them as they would happen quite often.

There was one friend’s house that Riley loved in particular, Jordan had a great house for sleepovers. Jordan’s parents had many big TVs with sound systems, a pool, hot tub, game room, a huge selection of movies, and games to play. One night over some really good food, Jordan asked Riley when their parents were going to host a party.

Riley’s heart sank and tried to get their mom to say no. But Riley’s mom was so excited to host! In the weeks leading up to when the friend group was going to be over Riley was trying to get their parents to buy a bigger TV and have more things to make a night over even better, like at Jordan’s. Riley’s parents were ok with some additions, but not all of them. As Riley was arguing, Riley’s mom had the most mom comment, “If everyone had the same things and lived the same, we would live in a boring world, wouldn’t we?”. Ugh…not the answer that Riley was hoping for…

Discussion Questions

• Are there ways you can relate to Riley’s story? Jordan’s?
• Have you heard the phrase, if everyone had ____ or was the same, the world would be boring? What are your thoughts/feelings?
• What are some things that need to be more equal in our world? What do you think that would that look like? Do you see any problems?

Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

Jeremiah 17:5-10

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Luke 6:17-26

(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

“That’s not fair!”, I would say, and my dad would respond with, “well the fair is in August.”. What a comeback that is, I plan to use that comeback with my own children. It’s just so perfect in so many ways. First off, how many things in our life do we say aren’t fair? Yes, there is the unfairness of a sibling getting the bigger piece of cake or friend getting something better than you. But zoom out and look at the bigger things in our world that don’t seem fair. Yes, these occurrences seem too big for us to fix on our own or do anything about. So, what are we to do?

The task may seem daunting, and in many cases it is. When something seems unfair, we need to remember that there are two sides. One side may feel the situation is fair because they benefit, so why level the playing field so that fairness would prevail? It’s so easy to want all or none, but the real work comes in the task of compromise.

Jesus is talking about just this in a really long (his longest, in fact) sermon. This sermon is called the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, but in Luke this sermon occurs on a level place. We aren’t completely sure where the sermon occurred, but the message still prevails. This is not just a sermon to the haves and have nots which is full of shame for the ones who have.

This is a sermon that addresses emotional and physical realties. Those who are poor, lack food, or weep, will inherit the Kingdom of God, be given food, and have joy. Yet, those who have money, fed, and like, will be poor, hungry, and hated. This seems backwards, and it kind of is. The issue is not having money, food, or being liked. The issue Luke is addressing is a heart issue. Those who have money, food, and joy shouldn’t just keep that to themselves. We are called to share our blessings and gifts with others. 

If we were all the same and had the same way of living, I don’t think the world would be boring. Even with a leveled playing field, we still would live in a broken world. In this world people would still long to hold power over others or have more than others. I encourage you to do as Jesus is saying in Luke:  Look at your heart and ask how you can use what you have (money, time, strength, knowledge) to serve your neighbor.

Discussion Questions

• How do the “blessed be’s” make you feel? What about the “woe’s”?
• Can you relate to who Jesus is talking about?
• This sermon seems so upside down, why is that?
• Does Jesus’ message still apply today?
• Upon reflection what needs to change in your heart, or intentions about how you use what you are blessed with?

Activity Suggestions

• Write Your Own Story: We have our own lens and see different things in our world/community. If you were to write your own sermon on the mount type sermon, what would you say? 
• Bridge Building: What are some ways that your group can reach out to other communities? As you reach out to these communities, look for what you can learn from them as you build relationships. As you are building relationships, be looking for ways that your group may be able to meet this groups needs. 

Closing Prayer

Good and Gracious God, we thank you for your presence with us and love that you have for us. We ask that you open our eyes to those around us who need to feel your love. Work through us as we go out to be your hands and feet. We have been blessed with much and long for much, help us to be content and willing to share our blessings with others.  Amen

Today’s post is by Miriam Schmidt, pastor/priest of All Saints in Big Sky, a shared ministry of the Episcopal and Lutheran (ELCA) Churches in Big Sky, Montana. 

Children know about death. More than we give them credit for. Many kids by the age of 5 or 7 have experienced at least the death of a beloved pet, or even a family member or friend. They know what it is like one day to be able to burrow their face in a cat’s fur, hold their grandfather’s hand, hear the voice of an auntie calling their name, smell the vanilla scent of Nana; then the next day, to feel the sudden wretched absence that comes with death. There is no longer any way to touch or smell or hear or see the physical body of the one who has died.

Children know about death, the aching hole it leaves behind; and if they do not know about it yet, they will soon enough.

So it is important for us, as adults, to find ways to include our children in Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is a gift of the church to us all. The day’s simple and stark ritual of ashes speaks honestly of death. We take dirt, ashes of palms, and press them onto each other’s foreheads. We say the old words: Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

This act might be straight-up depressing, did we not mark the ashes in the shape of a cross. The same cross is marked on the foreheads of the newly baptized. The same cross is inscribed on every Christian forever. With Ash Wednesday’s cross of ashes, we are saying that even in the face of death, our loving God is as close as our skin. Jesus is smudged on us, rubbed into our flesh, so that when we weep with all our hearts for those who have died, we are not alone. God is this close – a cross on our foreheads. So we can live in hope that a God so close will carry us through every death, even our own.

How does your congregation do at involving children in Ash Wednesday? Many children – not to mention their parents – will benefit from some preparation. Perhaps the children can help burn last year’s palms into Ash Wednesday’s ashes after worship on Transfiguration Sunday. On the day itself, maybe children can be invited forward before the Imposition of Ashes to see and touch the ashes for themselves? Can they be allowed to mark their own cross? Or cross another child? Afterwards, on the first Sunday in Lent, can Ash Wednesday’s leftover ashes be brought out again and shown to those who forgot it even was Ash Wednesday, so they can see for themselves.

 This is what we did a few days ago: We traced ashes on foreheads in the shape of the cross. God is as close as the skin on our foreheads. Even in the face of death.

 

U.N. | California | Colorado | Minnesota | North Carolina | New Mexico | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Southeastern Synod | Virginia | Washington | Wisconsin

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Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Dennis Frado, director

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF COMMEMORATION OF THE VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST: On January 28^th, the United Nations commemorated the Holocaust in the General Assembly Hall.  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces addressed the international community, especially the Holocaust survivors and veterans of World War II, who attended the ceremony.

Inge Auerbacher shares her account of being a child survivor of the Teresienstadt concentration camp and ghetto during the Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony on the theme “Demand and Defend Your Human Rights”. (UN Photo/Loey Felipe)

They each stressed the necessity to speak out against antisemitism and to stand together with all nations. The victims of the recent Pittsburgh massacre at the synagogue “Tree of Life” were also commemorated.

Chargé d’affaires of the US mission to the UN, Jonathan R. Cohen, reminded the audience of the other genocides which happened and still happen around the world. He called people to action and to defend human rights around the world.

The Youth choir “P22 Chorus” performed the piece “Who am I?” with lyrics written by Inge Auerbacher. As a Holocaust survivor, Ms. Auerbacher stressed in the lyrics and in her testimony that all people are part of the human family. Marian Turski, also a Holocaust survivor, emphasized in his speech that the most important thing in life is compassion and empathy. These values have to come with a willingness to understand other people who differ from us.

During the ceremony Cantor Benny Rogosnitzky recited memorial prayers for those killed during Holocaust.

Sara J. Bloomfield, Director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, was the keynote speaker at the event and warned of the politicization of the Holocaust. “The unthinkable is always possible”, she said and asked the audience to think about their role in society.

Sandro de Bernhardin, Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, described the work of that intergovernmental body, which is formally committed to Holocaust remembrance.

Find more information about the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme here

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California

Regina Banks, Lutheran Office of Public Policy (LOPP-CA)                                                                                      loppca.org

LOPP-CA HAS A NEW DIRECTOR: The Policy Council of the Lutheran Office of Public Policy – CA is pleased to announce that Regina Q. Banks, JD has begun as LOPP-CA Director! She succeeds Mark Carlson whose successful tenure as Director sunsets January 31^st.

ADVOCATING FOR IMPOVERISHED CHILDREN: LOPP-CA acted with its partners in the Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty Task Force in participating in the End Child Poverty in California Advocacy Day at the state capitol January 22nd. The event was very well received with over 90 legislator visits and a standing-room-only press conference with democratic state lawmakers.  Over 40 organizations came together for the event to support the final report and recommendations of the task force. Among the recommendations are a welfare grant increase beyond the governor’s budget proposal and targeted child tax credit that would also function as a rental subsidy.

LUTHERAN LOBBY DAY PLANNED: LOPP-CA held its first policy council meeting of 2019 on February 2 at the Southwest California Synod offices in Glendale. Many new and exciting initiatives were planned and will be announced soon. But please mark your calendars now for Lutheran Lobby Day: Wednesday, May 29, 2019 in Sacramento. Issues discussed will include policy council issue priorities for 2019: Deep Childhood Poverty, Immigration and Water Justice.

 

 

 

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Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Colorado                                                                                             lam-co.org

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: We have been active on legislation introduced since the start of the session on January 4. Bills we support include:

• House Bill 1013, Low Income Child Care Expenses Tax Credit, seeks to make permanent a state tax credit for
  

  Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser speaks at a press conference on January 31, 2019, to mark the implementation date for Proposition 111, which will cap payday loan interest rates at 36%. In November, Colorado voters approved Prop 111 by a 77-23% margin.

  families who make less than $25,000 in annual income. Although the committee inserted an 8-year sunset, we continue to support the bill. It passed Finance 10-1.

• House Bill 1025, Limits on Job Applicant Criminal History, would prevent employers from asking if an applicant has a criminal record on an initial job application. Formerly incarcerated persons and advocates shared stories during testimony, and the bill passed Judiciary 8-3.

In addition, we are monitoring bills related to investigating a state health insurance option, exemptions from wage garnishment for medical debt, and rental application fees. Many other bills on which we expect to take positions are yet to be introduced. This year’s legislative session will continue through May 3.

DAY AT THE CAPITOL: We invite all Coloradans and people of faith to join us at the State Capitol for Lutheran Day on February 21! Meet your legislators and get the inside scoop on what’s going on under the gold dome. Register now at lam-co.org.

CONGREGATIONAL VISITS: Thanks to the good people of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Boulder, and Nativity Lutheran Church, Commerce City, for hosting visits from LAM-CO Director Peter Severson in January!

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Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy–Minnesota                                                                    www.lutheranadvocacymn.org

HOMES FOR ALL: Lutheran Advocacy-MN (LA-MN) continues to be deeply engaged in the Homes for All

Tammy speaking with Rep. Hausman at H4A Legislative Kickoff

Coalition (H4A), since high housing costs and lack of affordable housing are primary causes of hunger. The coalition includes 215+ endorsing organizations. We are part of smaller group that work on the nuts and bolts of the legislative agenda. Tammy Walhof (LA-MN Director) meets 1-3x/week with the H4A Policy Team to discuss strategy, while Amy Shebeck (our Communication/Administration Coordinator) meets regularly with the H4A Communications Team and manages coalition social media.

On January 17, H4A held a Legislative Kickoff which included awards for House and Senate Housing Champions. H4A presented our ambitious agenda to the Housing Finance & Policy Division, chaired by Rep. Alice Hausman, and held a press conference with Rep. Hausmann (DFL) and Sen. Carla Nelson (R). Check our website for links to the H4A agenda, 1-pagers, & updates, as well as our LA-MN sample letter to legislators.

 CREATION CARE: Check out Green Tips on our Facebook page every Friday! (Thanks for providing that great information Laura Raedeke, Nisswa). At the legislature, the Energy & Climate Division (committee) have been holding hearings 2x/week to lay the groundwork and educate for upcoming legislation. We’re working closely with partners and legislators on various clean energy ideas – Your action will be needed soon!

Upcoming events that LA-MN helps sponsor:

• Feb. 7 – Day on the Hill with JRLC (Joint Religious Legislative Coalition)
• March 13 – Clean Energy & Climate Action Day at the Capitol

Please watch Facebook & our website for action & updates!

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North Carolina

GeoRene Jones, North Carolina Synod Social Justice & Advocacy Ministries (SJAM)

 

Lutherans will gather on March 26 to at the NC Legislative Building in Raleigh to advocate with elected officials for affordable housing.

LUTHERANS AT THE LEGISLATURE, MARCH 26, 2019: Beginning with a Prayer Breakfast hosted by Rev. Dr. Timothy M. Smith, Bishop of the NC Synod, ELCA Lutherans will spend a day engaged in advocacy efforts with legislators. The event will focus on affordable housing, an issue magnified by the recent hurricanes along North Carolina’s coast last fall. After Hurricane Florence, FEMA identified this state’s absence of affordable housing as a major impediment to long-term recovery after disaster.

Members of our Social Justice & Advocacy Team are engaged with several agencies to develop education and talking points for attendees at the education session at Holy Trinity (Raleigh) during the morning. Good Shepherd (Raleigh) will provide multi-passenger vehicle transport from Holy Trinity to the Legislative Building for afternoon visits with legislators and their staffers. Educational partners include the North Carolina Housing Coalition, the North Carolina Coalition for Homelessness.

Participants will return to Holy Trinity for debriefing and collaboration about what’s next.  Plans include participation in North Carolina’s annual conference for providers of services to the homeless, May 21-22.  This year’s theme is, Bringing It Home: Ending Homelessness in 2019.

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New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry- New Mexico (LAM-NM)                                        lutheranadvocacynm.org

2019 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: The 2019 session of the New Mexico legislature convened on January 15 at noon

LAM-NM Director, Ruth Hoffman, with Rep. Abbas Akhil

in Santa Fe.  LAM-NM is hard at work in support of the issues on our 2019 Advocacy Agenda. Legislation enacting an increase in the state minimum wage to $12, improving the state TANF program, and providing significant funding increases for early childhood education have already passed their first committees. LAM-NM continues to focus its work on issues related to poverty and hunger.

The NM House of Representatives membership of seventy includes twenty freshman, including the first ever Muslim-American representative, Abbas Akhil, from Albuquerque. Currently, the majority of the New Mexico House are people of color.

 

Bill sponsors listen to advocates’ testimony, including LAM-NM Director Ruth Hoffman, in support of significant funding increases for early childhood education.

Workers from Somos un Pueblo Unido and El Centro appear with HB31 sponsors, Rep. Joanne Ferrary and Rep. Miguel Garcia, in support of increasing the state minimum wage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Southeastern Synod

Hilton Austin, Director

4TH ANNUAL SOUTHEASTERN SYNOD ADVOCACY GATHERING: While watching three legislatures during the month and communicating to our advocates, we have been preparing for our Annual Advocacy Gathering at St John’s Atlanta on Fegruary 2, Super Bowl weekend; and it is in Atlanta; and there is no room at the inn. We have managed to find host families for the people traveling from other states.

Our theme this year is ‘Walking Wet’

Walking Wet is all about whom God has called us to be as He claims us in the waters of baptism. Walking Wet means we know where we belong and to whom we belong.

Walking Wet is to know without a doubt that through the waters of baptism, God promises to always love us, to forgive us, to support us, and to always be by our side.

Walking Wet is about confidence and trust.

Walking Wet implies we are part of a large group, brothers and sisters in Christ.

Walking Wet gives us a new perspective from which to love and serve our neighbor.

Four years ago, five of us, including Bishop Gordy, met to talk about creating a Georgia Public Policy Office in Atlanta. We had a call; and we had a vision.

Looking back, I guess you might say, we had a small vision.

God was doing a new thing and His Vision was much grander than we could perceive.

Over the past four years, thanks to you, our advocacy partners, and God’s ever present guidance, we have changed the lives of many people in Georgia by advocating for value-based Public Policies in Criminal Justice Reform, Human Trafficking laws. We successfully opposed anti-refugee legislation. We’ve marched to protest Stewart County Detention Center and we’ve marched at the Nation’s Capital. We have been present numerous times at the Tennessee Capital. Some have even been arrested. We’ve called more attention to Care for Creation. Last year, we had the most success with 9 out of 10 bills passed and 1 successfully opposed. At the same time, we began to organize our advocacy in Alabama and Mississippi.

God is good!

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Ohio

Nick Bates, The Hunger Network  Ohio (HNO)                                                                                 www.hungernetohio.com

WE ARE NOT BARGAINING CHIPS:  The Hunger Network was pleased to join with our friends at the United Methodist Church for all People in Columbus to participate in a ‘Shutdown Townhall’. With coverage by local media, members of the community share stories about the role SNAP, housing assistance, treatment programs, and other public services play in their lives. Director Nick Bates framed the stories for legislators and the media with an overview of the policy details of what is going on. SNAP benefits were released early, and local food pantries remain concerned that the changes will disrupt household budgets and increase the strain on pantries.

TRI-SYNOD LEADERS RETREAT: HNO was excited to attend the tri-Synod Professional Leaders retreat at Sawmill Resort in Huron, Ohio. We appreciate the number of people who stopped by our table to say hi, take an advocacy guidebook, or sign a postcard! If you didn’t get a chance to stop by our table or connect with YOUR state public policy office, send us an email at Nick@hungernetohio.com .

THE BUDGET IS COMING! THE BUDGET IS COMING!: Be on the lookout for opportunities to learn and engage on Ohio’s next budget, because our state budget is a moral document. From school funding, investments in children, drug treatment and much more will be topics of conversation. Our legislators will have an opportunity to invest in Ohio’s future and strengthen our state. As people of faith, we have an opportunity to support smart investments that will build a stronger Ohio for families.

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Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy – Pennsylvania (LAMPa)                                               lutheranadvocacypa.org

LAMPA HELPS LAUNCH ANTI-TRAFFFICKING BILLS: LAMPa staff  joined Rep. Seth Grove, R-York, and Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-York, as they announced their intent to introduce legislation to increase fines and prison sentences for criminals convicted of human trafficking. Read more.

LEGISLATORS LEARN ABOUT HUNGER: Alongside PA Hunger Free Coalition colleagues, LAMPa staff participated in a Legislative Lunch and Learn at the State Capitol on February 4. More than 100 legislators and staff participated in the interactive educational hunger stations and enjoyed a lunch as is served in the child nutrition summer feeding program.

LIVING LUTHERAN FEATURES ANTI-TRAFFICKING ARTICLE:  The work of Pennsylvania Lutheran advocates to secure legislation to protect child sex trafficking victims was featured in the February issue of Living Lutheran.  The passage of “Safe Harbor” in the fall of 2018 was a huge victory for victims and advocates who worked on this bill for many years.

STAFF MEETS WITH INTERIM SEMINARY PRESIDENT: Tracey and Lynn recently met with United Lutheran Seminary Interim President Dr. Richard Green. They discussed additional ways LAMPa and the seminary community can continue to grow in relationship.

LUTHERAN DAYS IN THE CAPITAL FEATURE INTERFAITH ACTIVITIES: On May 20, LAMPa’s Lutheran Day of Advocacy focuses on the theme “Set A Welcome Table.” Featured speaker is ELCA Executive for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations Kathryn Lohre. LAMPa joins interfaith partners, May 19 for service and learning, including a blessing of waters, service projects, arts performances and a community meal, concluding with teaching and preparation for advocacy on climate change.

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Virginia

Kim Bobo, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP)                                              virginiainterfaithcenter.org

January was a busy month for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy because Virginia’s state General Assembly began on January 9th!  VICPP is working on over 30 pieces of legislation this year.  These bills include:

• removing the Jim Crow language from Virginia’s Minimum Wage Act
  

  Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax addresses VICPP advocates during the Day for All People

• removing the exemption for piece work from the minimum wage
• cover all workers under the minimum wage, regardless of the size of the business
• providing paystubs to all workers
• protecting workers against retaliation for filing a wage complaint
• let workers take their wage complaints to court
• create a driver’s privilege card for immigrants
• establish in-state tuition for all Virginian students, regardless of immigration status
• codifying the Governor’s Advisory Council on Environmental Justice
• safe closure of coal ash ponds
• increase access to clean solar energy for homes, congregations, and communities
• end the suspension of driver’s licenses for nonpayment of fines and fees
• raise the minimum wage
  

  constituents meeting with Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R- Richmond City) at VICPP’s Day for All People

• decriminalize disorderly conduct in schools
• reducing evictions
• making Virginia’s Earned Income Credit refundable, like it is at the federal level

Hopefully, when the session ends on February 23, 2019, at least a handful of those bills will pass the legislature and will be sent to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.

VICPP also hosted our annual Day for All People Lobby Day on January 22nd.  Over 250 people came to Richmond to learn about VICPP’s priority issues, meet with their legislators, and hear from Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax.  You can see more pictures here.

 

 

 

 

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Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Action Network (FAN)                                                                                                                      fanwa.org

LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS: Our 2019 Washington State Legislative Session officially began on January 14! Close to 30 new legislators were sworn in. They represent the greatest diversity we’ve had at the state level, including two new firsts: Rep. Debra Lekanoff, the first Native American woman in the House; and Rep. My-Linh Thai, the first refugee state legislator. After just the first week, the legislature introduced 408 bills in the House and 461 bills in the Senate! This has kept us very busy keeping up with bills. If you are interested in where the bills on our legislative agenda are in the legislature, check out the bill tracker on our website that we update regularly.

INTERFAITH ADVOCACY DAYS: We are in the midst of our three yearly Interfaith Advocacy Days. These opportunities allow us to share with our elected leaders our voices of compassion and justice. These events include workshops on FAN’s 2019 Legislative Agenda, advocacy tools, and planning meetings with legislative districts. In Olympia, at our State Capitol Campus, attendees also meet with legislators. We are looking forward to our Advocacy Day in Yakima on February 9, and our Olympia Advocacy Day on February 14.

On January 26 we held our Eastern Washington Legislative Advocacy Day in Spokane. Over 120 advocates joined us from the eastern side of the state to learn and work together. There were times of worship and prayer, sharing meals together, learning about ways to get involved, and workshops on legislative priorities. Paul led a workshop on Health Care and Nutrition priorities, and other workshops included bills on tax reform, the environment, affordable housing, gun safety, and immigration. Pictured is a panel of faith leaders and Paul discussing FAN’s legislative priorities.

As we are busy preparing for our other advocacy days, Paul also attended the Statewide Ecumenical Executives Annual Meeting in Houston in early January.

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Wisconsin

Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW)                                                                  loppw.org

ANTI-SEX TRAFFICKING RALLY: We held a rally on a freezing cold day in between a major snowstorm and polar vortex.  We are thankful to Bishop Jim Arends of the La Crosse Area Synod; Jan Miyazaki, JD, of Project Respect in Madison, Morgan Meadows, M.Ed., survivor and educator of Door County, Representative Jodi Emerson of Eau Claire, and Bishop Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld of the South-Central Synod for their words of wisdom and inspiration.  The Safe Harbor bill has gone from being on the back burner to being passed out of committee in both houses.  We want to make a final push to pass it this legislative session.  We were covered in an article in the Cap Times.   

Video of the event.

Hunger Fellow Kelsey Johnson took major leadership in co-organizing the rally and arranged all of the legislative visits.  As a result of her contacts, she was invited to meet with a legislative staff on a separate day.  One of the several highlights was that a participant from the Green Bay area influenced her representative, the Republican majority leader, to co-sponsor the bill.

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION: LOPPW staff participated in a day long Wisconsin Climate Table meeting, where we heard from the new Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes about the governor’s agenda related to climate change.  LOPPW staff suggested forming a committee to explore actions the new governor can take with executive orders to protect the environment.

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God is calling us into the world to serve together. Shaped by the ELCA’s social teaching documents and experiences of its congregations, ministries and partners, the ELCA advocates to end world hunger and stands up for policies that create opportunities to overcome poverty, promote peace and dignity, and preserve God’s creation. Introduced by the ELCA Advocacy director, the following policy priorities focus ELCA Advocacy activity on current central issues.

On Tuesday, February 5, President Donald Trump addressed our nation and introduced this administration’s major priorities for 2019. The annual State of the Union speech provides an opportunity for citizens of the United States to learn about the policies our elected leaders hope to focus on in the upcoming legislative year.

In this important moment, ELCA Advocacy presents our public policy priorities for 2019. This policy action agenda focuses the work of the ELCA in Washington, D.C. on actions that will reduce poverty and hunger, promote safe and healthy communities and care for our environment. ELCA Advocacy invites you to live out your baptismal identity by serving your neighbor through participation in the ELCA Advocacy network.

~ The Rev. Amy E. Reumann, director, Advocacy

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Formative ELCA social teaching documents impacting domestic policy include the social statements Economic Life: Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All and Church and Criminal Justice: Hearing the Cries, and the social message “Homelessness: A Renewal of Commitment.”

AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS

Secure shelter is a critical component of the foundation of the human person, the absence of which can contribute to hunger and challenges in healthcare, education, job prospects and more.

• In 2019, we will work with state, national and interfaith partners to strengthen policies that reinforce housing affordability for low-income households. We will accomplish this through: • Strengthening funding levels and access to housing programs in the federal budget; • Advocating for structural housing reform through vital investments in infrastructure and programs such as the National Housing Trust; • Opposing efforts to increase rent or work eligibility requirements on low-income households, which could significantly impact seniors and people with disabilities.

CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS

God richly provides for daily bread — the earth can produce enough food for everyone. Yet, many of our sisters and brothers still go hungry.

• In 2019, we will • Advocate to fund, improve and strengthen child nutrition programs through measures that adequately fund and promote access to School Breakfast Programs; National School Lunch Programs and after school snack programs; Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and other vital nutrition assistance programs; • Support keeping these programs in the federal safety net rather than state block grants to prevent long-term erosion of access.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

The ELCA is prompted to speak and to act because so many cries of suffering and despair emerge from the criminal justice system — from victims, the incarcerated, their families, communities, those wrongly convicted, they who work in the system — and have not been heard.

• Building on the momentum of recent improvements in criminal justice and sentencing reform, in 2019 we will: • Advocate to restore judges’ discretion in sentencing decisions and decriminalize addiction; • Promote greater economic and racial justice by allowing thousands of federal prisoners to seek fairer punishments than those they are currently serving; • Support criminal justice funding that focuses on crime prevention and recidivism reduction which will better serve all our communities; • Promote programs that improve the dignity of women in prison populations.

HEALTHCARE

Health is central to our well-being, vital to relationships, and helps us live out our vocations in family, work and community. Each person bears some responsibility for his or her own health, but health and healthcare also depend upon other people and conditions in society and our communities.

• Our commitment to ensuring the availability of quality and affordable health insurance remains a priority for many across our country. In 2019, we will: • Advocate to improve and strengthen the Affordable Care Act and expand where possible access to vulnerable populations at the edges of poverty who lack access to affordable health care insurance; • Protect and strengthen Medicaid, Medicare and disability programs to ensure the health of persons with low-incomes, seniors and those living with disabilities.

 

Formative ELCA social teaching documents impacting environment policy include the social statement Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice.

ENVIRONMENT AND CARING FOR ALL CREATION

As stewards of this world, we are called to care for the earth and examine our behaviors toward creation. While we need to take from the land for food and sustainability, we also need to be careful that we maintain good stewardship and do not exploit the wonderful things the earth provides.

• In 2019 we will: • Advocate with Congress and the Administration for strong environmental protection regulation to protect all of creation; • Support climate finance measures that reduce emissions and enhance resilience to negative climate change impacts; • Prepare educational materials making connections between the common thread of the environment with hunger, poverty, health concerns, migration, disaster response and national security concerns; • Support Lutheran Disaster Response with climate change and disaster connections as well as stewarship of the land; • Work with Lutheran Restoring Creation and ELCA Stewardship on starting Creation Care Coaches Training; • Work with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on federal lead policy, starting with urban areas; • Work with EPA on promoting public gardens; • Work with associations and faith-based entities on just transition issues in areas where renewable energy technologies are expanding.

 

Formative ELCA social teaching documents impacting international policy include the social statement For Peace in God’s World and the social messages “Human Rights” and “Gender-based Violence.”

CONFLICT PREVENTION, PEACEBUILDING, HUMAN RIGHTS

Concern for the well-being of others lies at the very heart of Christian faith. Christians have a variety of social identifications through their nation of origin, race, ethnicity or political affiliation, but all Christians have a common identity as children of a loving creator.

• In addition to promoting and advancing human rights, we will work to increase capacity and support for U.S. and multilateral initiatives/programs that aim to build peace and prevent conflicts around the world. Specifically, we will: • Advocate for passage of the Global Fragility and Violence Reduction Act; • Ensure Congress allocates funds for the Complex Crisis Fund in the FY2020 budget; • Encourage continued U.S. engagement in South Sudan, especially in the peace process as well as humanitarian and development assistance; • Monitor U.S. Cuba policy and encourage the Administration to take positive and mutually beneficial steps that will help move the two countries toward normal relations; • Work with foreign policy staff in the Administration and Congress to promote values of good governance and inclusive participation in the electoral processes.

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE

“For all” in the title of the ELCA social statement on economic life refers to the whole household of God—all people and creation throughout the world. We should assess economic activities in terms of how they affect “all,” especially people living in poverty.

• In 2019, we will work to build broad support for international development and humanitarian aid in Congress. Specifically, we will: • Advocate to bolster funding levels to international poverty-focused programs as appropriate in the International Affairs budget; • Oppose efforts by Administration or Congress to cut funds to these programs; • Work to improve ways some programs are administered or implemented to ensure programmatic efficiencies and accountability; • Monitor the Administration’s review of foreign assistance and respond accordingly; and • Advocate for passage of legislation that focuses on improving specific poverty-focused programs, such as those enhancing child and maternal health.

GENDER JUSTICE

The ELCA is committed to the continual work of prayer, learning, reflection, discernment, and action to resist patriarchy and sexism as we live together in community into the promised abundant life God intends for all.

• In 2019, we will work to ensure that prevention of gender-based violence becomes a priority in U.S. foreign policy and diplomatic engagement. In addition, we will promote gender integration throughout development and humanitarian programs. In doing so, we will: • Advocate for passage of legislation that seeks to improve the quality of life for women and girls globally, such as the International Violence Against Women Act; • Oppose efforts to dismantle the Office of Global Women’s Issues, housed in the Department of State; and • Monitor and analyze the U.S. government’s gender-focused program activities and provide feedback to appropriate entities.

 

Formative ELCA social teaching documents impacting migration policy include the social messages “Immigration” and “Human Rights.”

ADDRESSING ROOT CAUSES OF MIGRATIONS

Thousands of children and families from Central America continue to flee their communities and search for safety in the U.S. As a church, we envision a world in which children and families do not have to leave their communities in order to live a safe and sufficient life.

• In 2019, we can help address this goal with advocacy and AMMPARO measures through: • Strengthening funds from the U.S. government to anti-corruption mechanisms and development programs that are culturally appropriate for Central American communities; • Opposing US. Foreign policies that support the militarization of Central American countries or prevent people from seeking protection in a country where they feel safe.

PROTECTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WHO FLEE THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THOSE WHO ARE LONG-TERM U.S. RESIDENTS

Our faith calls Lutherans to see our neighbors as ourselves. As people flee their communities, the ELCA will continue to celebrate and stand alongside our immigrant neighbors.

• In 2019, we can help address this goal through: • Support of robust asylum and trafficking prevention laws alongside laws that provide a pathway to citizenship to long-term residents of the U.S.; • Opposition to attempts to weaken asylum laws or other laws that protect vulnerable children and families fleeing their communities.

 

Formative ELCA social teaching documents impacting this policy focus include the social statement Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity & Culture.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE VOTER PROTECTIONS

We are called to conversation and prayer around our role as U.S. residents and as people of faith in ensuring our election systems promote dignity and respect for all.

• In 2019, we will • Advocate to ensure access to voting by the broadest number of eligible voters in our nation; • Promote laws and regulations that prevent efforts to disenfranchise voters on election day or create burdens to eligible voters in voter registration process; • Support efforts to keep money out of politics and to oppose repeal of the Johnson Amendment; • Support strong funding for the Census to ensure that the whole population is adequately represented in Congress.

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