Tuhina Rasche, San Carlos, CA

 

Warm-up Question

• Who are the people that connect you to community?
• What are the feelings and emotions that keep you connected to people within a community?

Grow Up and Grow Out

I’ve moved around the United States a few times, but the hardest move of all was the first one. I grew up in the same house and went to elementary, middle, and most of high school with a lot of the same people, many of them my bffs (best friends forever). Then the move happened. It came between my junior and senior years of high school. I moved from a suburb just outside of Denver, Colorado to a place that was completely different: rural South Carolina. I moved to a town called Walhalla, which was covered in a vine called kudzu (Learn more about kudzu in the United States at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudzu_in_the_United_States). I was the new kid in school my senior year of high school. I repeatedly thought to myself, “My senior year wasn’t supposed to happen this way! I should be with my friends in Denver enjoying all the things we’re supposed to do together: run for student council, go to football games, go to our last dances, talk about what colleges we’re planning to attend, and graduate.”

That last year of high school in rural South Carolina wasn’t a total bust, though. I made new friends who supported me during a really weird and awkward transition. Sure, a lot of the people I met that senior year of high school in South Carolina grew up in the local town. They had their own bffs and cliques they were a part of from elementary school to middle school to high school. They were also looking forward to their last year of high school with similar activities and milestones. I became a part of an unexpected community. It also took risk; I was terrified of being the new kid and making new friends, and those at my new school had to take a chance on getting to know and maybe even befriend the new kid.

I was also grateful for my friends back in Denver. In an age before social media and mobile phones, we did some really ancient practices: we mailed each other letters and we called one another on the phone. Just because I moved across the country didn’t mean my friends back home forgot about me; we reached out to one another across a few thousand miles to support one another in student council elections, writing for the school paper, trying to figure out who would be our dates to the next dance, where we were planning to attend college, and our plans between high school graduation and the beginning of a new adventure.

I’m years out of high school and a lot has changed. So many of my friends have moved away from their childhood homes, and at the same time, I also have friends who don’t have plans to move. I also don’t have the exact same friend group from my last year of high school. While I still have some of the same friends, there have been the realities of time, distance, and broken relationships that have concluded some friendships. With growth comes some change; it’s a lot like pruning a vine.

As I think about my communities of friends, both in Denver, Colorado and rural South Carolina, I’m reminded that even though moving away from home was hard, my friends from home and I were able to support one another. I also made new friends in South Carolina. This reminded me of the nature of vines; they don’t stay in the same place. Vines grow up, but then they grow out. Branches then grow off of the vine. Even though branches grow out into different areas, they are still connected to one another through the vine. This is also the nature of being followers of Christ; we are in community with one another, reminding one another of not just who we are, but whose we are. We are in community to love one another, care for one another, and support one another. In this love, care, and support for one another we are tied together by who we are in our baptisms. The vine is Jesus Christ, who loves us, cares for us, and supports us wherever we go and in whatever we do.

Discussion Questions

• Who has been your friend for the longest amount of time? What keeps you connected to the person you’ve known the longest? Who is your most recent friend? What brought you into a friendship with this person?
• Read the link about kudzu in the United States. Why do you think kudzu grew so well in a place that wasn’t its original home?
• What is the hardest thing about moving from one place to another? What are ways that you can maintain connections from one place and also build connections in a new location?

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 8:26-40

1 John 4:7-21

John 15:1-8

(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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

Images of plant life show up in each of the Gospels.  From seeds to trees to weeds, the imagery of plants in the Gospels is a way to talk about abundant life (or lack thereof). Today’s Gospel talks about not just vines, but also vine growers and branches. We are called into new and abundant life, being in relationship with God and one another, which is illustrated in the intertwined relationship between the vine grower, the vine, the branches, and the fruits of the vine.

Christians are called to be in many relationships, the primary one being with God. That relationship is made known in our baptisms, where we are claimed by God who loves us, marked with the cross of Christ, and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Even in times of doubt, God always wants to be in relationship with us. We are also called to be in relationship with one another. Baptisms usually happen in Christian community; we aren’t expected to go alone on our faith journeys. When we’re baptized, the community around us makes promises before God and one another to support us and pray for us. Being Christian means that our lives are tied together with everyone throughout the church, be it our friend, the new kid, or that person that we do not like so much.

The word “abide” appears multiple times in today’s Gospel reading, to the point that it’s confusing. “Abiding” is all about  the importance of  relationships.  God’s desire to be in relationship with us is shown in the person of Jesus walking and talking in the world, and also in God’s presence with each of us in Holy Communion and in our baptisms.

The vine grower is God, the vine is Jesus, and the branches represent how we can be in a relationship with God, Jesus, and fellow siblings in the faith. Some branches directly interact with others, while some branches, connected to the vine, are physically separated from one another. Just like plants, communities and relationships need care to grow and flourish. Sometimes branches need to be pruned for the vine to grow and bear more fruit; sometimes relationships with our siblings in Christ also have life cycles. Some can last for a lifetime, and some can last for just a season. What remains constant is Christ the vine and God the vine grower,  reaching out to us through Holy Communion, Baptism, and the relationships we have with one another.

Discussion Questions

• Abiding appears multiple times in today’s Gospel lesson. What does the word “abiding” mean to you? How do you see abiding lived out in your faith community? Where could you see more abiding taking place in your faith community?
• Being in community is an important part of Christian identity. Being a follower of Christ is dependent upon multiple relationships: God’s relationship with Jesus, God’s relationship with you, your relationship with God, and relationships between siblings in the faith. That is a lot of relationships. Who are the people that keep you connected to your faith community, and what are they ways they keep you connected? How do you connect with others in your community?

Activity Suggestions

• Plant a small garden together, either in an open area of land or in small containers. Consider then how to care for the plants within the garden. Who will water the seedlings? Will you need plant food or fertilizer? If so, who will take on that task? If the plants need a trim, who will do that? Talk about how the plants change and grow. Also talk about how the community is (or isn’t) working together to make sure the garden flourishes.
• How is your faith community connected to the outside world? Is there participation in local, state, national, and international connections? Take an opportunity to reflect on the connectedness of your faith community. Are there gaps where your faith community can participate? If so, how could your faith community further participate in being connected to the greater world?
• Find a pad of green sticky notes. Have each person write a prayer on the sticky note (but no names), and stick the note to the wall. After everyone has written one prayer on one sticky note, look at each note on the wall and pray for one another. Take home a sticky note that is not your own and continue to pray for that person throughout the week.

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, thank you for being the vine to our branches. Thank you for connecting us to one another through your Son, Jesus Christ. In these connections, remind us to reach out to one another as you always reach out to us. Amen.

Today’s post is by Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Director of Advocacy for the ELCA.

The Feast of Pentecost starts with a blast of fast rushing wind. The season itself can seem to go on forever. Entering my first parish call, a colleague warned me about “the dog days of Pentecost.” They theorized that the kind of lethargy that can accompany the heat of summer would affect our worship and ministry, too.

By mid-season, I understood. At the time I was preaching through several weeks of Gospel texts about Jesus as the bread of life. I was running out of things to say about what seemed to be a lectionary stuck on repeat. The organist left for an extended vacation without a substitute, leaving a cassette tape on which she had recorded the service music. Nobody sang along when I pushed the button. On Sundays the church was too hot, worshippers too few, energy was low and the season ahead seemed to stretch on forever.

The long distance run of the Sundays after Pentecost means we may gather to worship even when we don’t always feel like it. We persevere even when enthusiasm is running low and grace may not seem so amazing. It is ordinary time, far from the mountaintop experience of festival days, bringing us down to encounter God in the flow of daily life.

Engaging in advocacy can also require the same, long haul persistence. An advocacy colleague once shared the good news that her organization had helped pass the Dream Act in her state, offering educational opportunities to undocumented students. We were just starting to work on a similar bill and I wanted to know how they had done it, hoping for a magic solution. “It took ten years, you know,” she said. “You have to be committed to keep going, even when there is no end in sight.” Advocacy is slow work. There are more defeats and repetitious labor than wins. It means showing up and persevering during a long season, even when you feel stuck and like you are not going anywhere.

Advocacy’s scriptural foundations tend to rely on Jesus’ concern for the poor, the call of the prophets to justice or the actions of the early church. I think we are missing a vital connection by not looking more to the Festival of Pentecost, too. The Acts of the Apostles account begins with the Holy Spirit descending to loosen tongues of people from all corners of the earth. The presence of the Spirit unleashes testimony to the risen Christ. It reminds us, in our day, that there are many ways to let loose with our own witness to Jesus, including in unexpected ways and places.

Advocacy, too, is an untying of tongues. It is spirit-inspired testimony to the God who justifies, who in turn sets us free to do justice. We advocate with and for our neighbors and the rest of Creation to preserve their dignity and protect their integrity. Faith-rooted advocacy is witness to our faith by proclaiming solidarity with the suffering of Christ’s body in the world and witnessing to God’s resurrection hope for a world transformed. This is evangelism and proclamation of the good news, just as surely as knocking on doors. Only this advocacy may take place at a town council meeting, a school board session or in the halls of the U.S. Capitol.

We don’t often connect advocacy with the worship during these Sundays after Pentecost. But this ordinary time is chock full of texts in which Jesus upends social customs and the social order to eat with outcasts, touch lepers, heal the sick and show compassion to those who are poor.  Ordinary time reveals ordinary ways we can show solidarity with the people with whom Jesus spent most of his earthly ministry. And it brings fresh opportunities to heed God’s call for responding to hunger and injustice with witness to the God of justice. With the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, of course.

How might you practice advocacy as persistence, presence and proclamation in service to the One who sends the Paraclete, the Advocate, to be present with us?

 

 

 

 

 

By Laura Heller, Minister of Word and Service and Creation Care Ministry Coordinator for the Delaware-Maryland Synod.

“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:9-11, NRSV).

Reflecting on our history, we see how water was created to cleanse and give life. In the very beginning of creation, the Spirit of God breathed on the waters of the earth (Gen 1:2). The waters of the great flood marked a cleansing of sin and the possibility of a new beginning (Gen 6:13). The Israelites passed through the Red Sea and were delivered from slavery into freedom (Exo 14:22). Jesus was baptized by John in the waters of the Jordan and was anointed with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:9-10).

In baptism, we “pass through water.” This movement is a sign of our participation in the death of Christ and his emergence into new life: new life freed from the power of evil; new life in which the power of God’s life and love prevail.

It is very fitting that water is the element used in baptism because it is the STUFF of LIFE. It is vital to our existence just as our relationship with God is vital to our existence. The human body is more than 60 percent water. We need water to exist: we can live for 3 weeks without food, but only 3 days without water.

Earth is known as the watery planet: over 70% of  the largest habitat for life. This seeming abundance of water can make it easy to think that it will always be plentiful. However, freshwater—the stuff we drink, bathe in, irrigate our farm fields with—is incredibly scarce. Only 3% of the world’s water is fresh water, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use. That leaves only 1% of the world’s water available for human consumptive uses.

Many of the water systems that keep ecosystems thriving and feed the growing human population have become stressed. Rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up or becoming too polluted to use. More than half the world’s wetlands have disappeared. Agriculture – particularly the industry of raising animals for food – consumes more water than any other source and wastes much of that through inefficiencies. Climate change is altering patterns of weather and water around the world, causing shortages and droughts in some areas and floods in others.

At the current consumption rate, this situation will only get worse. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. And ecosystems around the world will suffer even more.

As the church, we need to demonstrate leadership in sharing the message about caring for the sacred gift of water. As ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton points out in her Earth Day Statement:

“In grateful response to God’s grace in Jesus Christ, this church carries out its responsibility for the well-being of society and the environment. Our ‘concern for the environment’ is shaped by the Word of God spoken in creation, the Love of God hanging on a cross, the Breath of God daily renewing the face of the earth. Our concern is, then, propelled by hope and guided by principles of justice. We find our hope in the promise of God’s own faithfulness to everything God has made. We seek justice for all of creation in concert with God’s creative and renewing power.”

 

 

When I was a kid I thought of Jesus as my personal superhero.  My maternal grandmother Emogene gave me a children’s bible—filled with colorful pictures depicting the works of Jesus. I loved that book and the promise that it held.   I likened its gospel message to a comic book filled with villains, action, and Jesus as the Saviour with the mysterious powers. He walked on water, fed the masses, healed the sick, and stood up to the bullies. And the most exciting part of the Good News message was that I too could grow up to be just like Him.  for Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these,… .” (John 14:12 NRSV).

It was Jesus, along with the Super Friends, Davey and Goliath that were all part of part of my imaginative childhood faith formation that good and God could conquer evil. This was the 1970s and unfortunately, Saturday morning cartoons didn’t feature many examples of racial diversity.  However, I enjoyed Davey and Goliath because 1)  he was Lutheran and 2) he had friendships with Jonathan Reed and Cisco both people of color. The mission of the all-white main cast of Super Friends ( Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Robin and Aquaman), each with their unique powers, was to fight injustice, to right that which was wrong and to serve all humankind. Who wouldn’t want friends like these?

This week, Starbucks the American coffee company chain was pulled into the national spotlight, when a store manager in the Center City section of Philadelphia, refused restroom access to a black man because he hadn’t made a purchase.  Starbucks store guests, Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson both 23-year-old black males arrived at the Starbucks for a professional business meeting with a local real estate developer Andrew Yaffe.   After denying access to the restroom, the store manager called 911. Police officers responded by arresting the two men for trespassing and escorting them away in handcuffs. The treatment of the two men ignited protests and a sit-in at the establishment. Subsequently, the charges against the men were dropped; the manager was removed as an employee from the location; an apology was issued from the Philadelphia Police Commissioner and a personal apology from Starbuck’s CEO Kevin Johnson; followed by a commitment to educate its employees on implicit racial-bias across 8,000 stores. Implicit racial bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner.  The goal of the training is to promote conscious inclusion and prevent discrimination within and across the organization.

At the heart of this story for me is Melissa DePino—a 50 years old white female that videoed and posted the incident on Twitter. Although the story isn’t about Melissa DePino –it is about what she did in the moment. DePino wasn’t just a bystander while two people of color were handcuffed and humiliated –she used her very human powers to be an upstander. To view the video click pic.twitter.com/0U4Pzs55Ci.

@Starbucks The police were called because these men hadn’t ordered anything. They were waiting for a friend to show up, who did as they were taken out in handcuffs for doing nothing. All the other white ppl are wondering why it’s never happened to us when we do the same thing. pic.twitter.com/0U4Pzs55Ci

— Melissa DePino (@missydepino) April 12, 2018

Melissa DePino is my shero (female hero) of the week — because more than likely by this time next week another story of racism will make headline news. DePino used her white privilege to expose the unfair discriminatory treatment people of color face on a regular basis; she held Starbucks accountable for their actions  by exposing the situation and she named her own experience of white privilege.   Her post revealed the pervasive reality of racism and white culture. In the curriculum, Transforming White Privilege: A 21^st Century Leadership Capacity (an online resource developed by a grant from the Kellogg Foundation) white culture is defined as the dominant, unquestioned standards of behavior and ways of functioning embodied by the vast majority of institutions in the United States. White culture defines who looks professional, who is a threat to society and to whom the rules apply.

What if people of color had more white super friends like Melissa DePino?  White leaders that activate their powers whenever they see a person of color in distress because of the evil actions of racism. White leaders willing to put their whole bodies on the line for racial justice. No one can say for sure what could have happened to Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson if there wasn’t a video of this incident.  However, the historical and daily realities of black and brown people that find themselves accused, abused and  dehumanized by a society that devalues them is real.  The problem of racism in America will not go away with a day of training of 175,000 employees of Starbucks but it is a start.  Melissa DePino’s actions should serve as a reminder to all of us that believe in justice that we too are superheroes. Every day we can show up as transformers for racial justice following the example of Jesus the “Holy Disruptor” by speaking up when we see or hear something; informing our networks through social media; showing up in support with others at public actions, rallies and marches, holding institutions accountable and by voting for elected officials that work for equity and inclusion for all of us.

 

 

Judith Roberts serves as the ELCA Program Director for Racial Justice. She is mom to Julian Barlow. Lover of good vegan eats, Zumba and documentary films.

The Transforming White Privilege: A 21st Century Leadership Capacity curriculum  is available for purchase for $250 for the ELCA visit: https://www.racialequitytools.org/module/overview/transforming-white-privilege.

 

 

Erin Haligowski, Dayton, OH

 

Warm-up Question

Who are the people in your life who have had the most tremendous influence on who you are as a person and how you live your life and faith? What is it that makes/made those people influential?

With Joy and Freedom

Pastors, teachers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and coaches: so many people significantly influence our life and faith as we are “becoming” and growing into who God created us to be. It takes a special kind of love, engagement, and patience to shapepeople over a long period of time.

For fans of college basketball, this year’s March Madness tournament was truly madness. Upsets and underdogs, buzzer-beaters and overtime – and underneath all the chaos, some truly inspiring stories – especially if you’re willing to dig a little. Take, for example, NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball, and the undefeated Eagles of Ashland University (Ashland, Ohio). The 2017 National Champions had built for themselves a 73-game winning streak under the leadership of head coach Robin Fralick – the fifth longest win streak in NCAA basketball history, any division, men’s or women’s.

As they went into their Final Four matchup, Coach Robin Fralick told the girls to “play with joy and freedom,” and in that game, that is exactly what those girls did. They played an incredible game that led them to back-to-back National Championship games. And then, in a heartbreaking loss to Central Missouri, the historic winning streak and second-in-a-row perfect season came to an end.

In the post-game press conference, Coach Robin Fralick had these words to say:  “We talked in the locker room after the game; one game doesn’t define us. Our purpose is bigger than winning and losing. Being good at basketball doesn’t make you a role model. Being good at basketball gives you a platform to impact. I’m proud of them.” These words are so characteristic of Coach Fralick, who focuses as much on character as she does on basketball fundamentals and winning.

Read More about the Ashland University Women’s Basketball team here:

• https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-women/article/2018-03-20/5-remarkable-numbers-ashlands-record-setting-run
• http://www.richlandsource.com/sports/ashland_university/ashland-s-streak-ends-in-stunning-national-title-loss-to/article_09786ef2-2f09-11e8-b5c1-0f55b5bae6af.html

Discussion Questions

• Have you had a teacher or coach that truly inspired you?
• How did that person inspire you to grow as a person beyond skills or knowledge?
• In what ways do you see Jesus as a selfless teacher or coach, inspiring you to grow in faith?

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 4:5-12

1 John 3:16-24

John 10:11-18

(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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

In today’s gospel lesson, Jesus claims to be the “good shepherd,” who sacrificially leads his sheep and lays down his life for them. He cares for the sheep, and contrasts himself against the hired hand, who runs away because he doesn’t care for the sheep. The love of the “good shepherd” is the love of one who knows his sheep intimately beyond their “perceived” value of providing a livelihood. Jesus says, “I know my own [sheep] and my own [sheep] know me.”

If you know anything about sheep, you know they are actually pretty dumb animals. They have small brains, and need to be “kept” by a shepherd or penned up so that they don’t wander away into dangerous situations. That said, the one thing sheep can do is recognize the voice of their shepherd and follow it. As sheep in Jesus’ flock, we may not always make the right choices, but we can rest assured that we will recognize Jesus’ voice and follow it.

And, better yet – there is some really good news in here! Jesus refers to us as sheep – and he knows sheep. He doesn’t love us or save us based on our intelligence or usefulness or skill set. He loves and saves us because he knows us, and the ones he knows are the ones he loves.

In this Easter season, we see Jesus’ sacrificial love lived out through his death and resurrection, and also through this promise: “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (vs. 14-15)

Discussion Questions

• How does viewing Jesus as the Good Shepherd help you to understand Jesus’ sacrificial love?
• What stands out to you in this passage?
• What connections can you make between the people you named earlier and Jesus, as our good shepherd? How are those people living as God’s image through their inspiration in your life?

Activity Suggestions

• Have students write letters of affirmation and thanks to the people they named earlier in the lesson who have inspired them. Encourage them to deliver them in person or mail them (if the person is still living).
• Sing the silly camp song “I Just Wanna Be a Sheep” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpYgYoNGM38) and talk about what it means to be a sheep in Jesus’ flock.
• Use a concordance to find other references in the bible to “sheep” or “shepherd” and talk about what connections you see in the use of that imagery throughout scripture.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, thank you for being our Good Shepherd and for guiding us with your loving voice. Please continue to guide us, and help us to follow you together. Watch over us. Protect us. Lead us. Help us to show your sacrificial love and care to those around us, so that everyone may come to know you as their Good Shepherd. In your holy name, amen.

Chris Heavner, Clemson, SC

 Warm-up Questions

• Have you ever (thought) you saw a ghost?
• Why might we be fearful of ghosts?
• Is a resurrected Jesus the same thing as a ghost?
• If you saw a resurrected Jesus would it be just as frightening as if you were seeing a ghost?

No Fear Here!

The students in the campus ministry group like to play a game called “Murder in the dark.”  They find a totally dark room, designate one person whose aim is to draw a finger across the throats of others before being discovered.  Bodies begin to pile up.  Silence is required.  Fear permeates the room.

There seems to be something “enjoyable” about being frightened.  We go to scary movies and we stand in long lines for thrill rides.  Jumping into the view of unsuspected persons with a shout is a perennial past-time of the adolescent-at-heart.

YouTube evan has a category for “ghost” videos.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkHJPOFFvN4.  Don’t watch alone!

But being frightened is not healthy for us and it surely aggravates the deep seated fears which plague the lives of too many of our friends.  Maybe we like to play childhood games which frighten us as a way of affirming that most of that which scares us is fleeting and not really scary at all.

Discussion Questions

• Have you experienced a scary trick being pulled on you? How frightening was it? Were you able to laugh when it was all over?
• When we choose to place ourselves in a frightening situation, we know it will end. Have you ever been in a situation when you were not sure the fright would come to an end?
• Too many of us have friends for whom fear is is a constant reality. Would it be helpful to name such persons, among your Church family, and offer prayers for them?
• Jesus often says “Do not be afraid.” Why do you think he says this so often?

Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 3:12-19

1 John 3:1-7

Luke 24:36b-48

(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 B at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

The official name for the kinds of encounters described in Luke 24 is “post-resurrection appearances.”  There are a half dozen of these, recorded in Matthew, Luke, and John.  (Mark has two alternative endings, added later in Church history.  But the oldest versions of Mark have no sightings of the resurrected Jesus.)

In Luke 24, Jesus isn’t seen at the tomb on Easter morning, but later that day he does join two of the disciples who are walking to Emmaus.  They do not recognize him until they are seated at the table, and Jesus takes bread and breaks it for them.  Immediately they return to Jerusalem and tell the others.  It is as they are still discussing this that “Jesus himself stood among them.”

When Jesus appears, they are frightened.  They ask whether it is really him, or a ghost.

While tradition encourages us to think Jesus shows his hands and feet so they may see the nail marks, it is more likely that Jesus knew the tests in the ancient near east for proving one is not a ghost.  You would examine the extremities of the body where bones were easily detected.  Another test was having teeth, and the ability to eat food.

Jesus does not want them to be afraid.  Those in fear cannot hear the good news of God’s love and compassion.  Those scared of the resurrected Jesus cannot ease into his comforting embrace.

Do not be afraid.  Know that God loves us and that God cares for us and that God will act in order to save us.  Fear is the emotion which stands opposite faith; not doubt.  We will forever have questions as to how a dead body is reanimated and/or how a resurrected Jesus could eat food.  Doubt does not rob us of faith.  But fear can.  And often does.

Jesus tells the disciples (those with him in Jerusalem and those reading this reflection) “Do not be afraid.”  He is no ghost.  He is the risen Messiah.  His eternal presence means we need not ever fear again.

Discussion Questions

• In what ways has the resurrected Jesus taken fear out of your life?
• Expressing doubt is the only way we can probe the thoughts which follow our convictions of faith. Name one thing of which you are unsure or find difficult to comprehend.
• Jesus speaks words to the disciples which he had spoken many times before, but this time they seem to be ready to hear these words. How might your teachers identify the times and places when you are best prepared to hear the good news?
• We should never be naive regarding the very real fears in the lives of too many of our friends and family. What might we do to be of aid to those so overwhelmed that suicide or bodily harm seem viable options? (Never shy away from telling your trusted youth leaders of comments made by persons who cannot sense God’s love for them.)
• Jesus says that those who hear his words are to be “witnesses of these things.” When can you be such a witness; and how?

Activity Suggestions

Watch a scary movie together.  Practically every scary movie follows a predictable pattern.  While it may break the mood, when you see an attempt to frighten you coming, begin to shout “Here it comes!”  Explore how ridiculous it is for us to be frightened by something we watch on a screen.  Ask how we might also put other fears into perspective; knowing that the very real presence of Jesus continually calms our fears.

As a group (and with someone holding your hand) go to a scary place.  Maybe a graveyard.  Maybe a dark room.  Perhaps a room full of strangers.  In this scary place, repeat the Easter proclamation:  “Christ is risen!  Christ is risen indeed!”  Allow this announcement to push back your fears and replace such emotions with the peace of Christ, that peace which passes all understanding.

Closing Prayer

O God of comfort, O God of Peace; allow us to experience your gifts.  Set aside our fears and assure us that in you all things are made right.  Amen.

Today’s post is by Omaldo Perez, Director of Music at Zoar Lutheran Church in Perrysburg, Ohio.

Grafting, as a horticultural technique, is defined as the joining of different plant tissues in a manner that makes possible their future growth together. As far as we know, grafting has been used from the times of the Fertile Crescent in Mesopotamia, and it is still widely used in our day. There are always two components in a graft: the rootstock which provides the nourishment, and the scion which bears the fruit.

In many aspects, but especially regarding my professional development, I have become a small scion grafted into the great rootstock of Lutheran worship thanks to the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM). I joined ALCM at the behest of my pastor, George Yoder, who in 2002 correctly intuited that I needed mentoring. Fast-forward sixteen years and I can only marvel at the blessings of a journey punctuated with many face-to-face encounters with living practitioners of the craft, people who passionately care about the role of the cantor in the church. On more occasions than I can count, I have been inspired by their gracious examples as teachers and as friends.

Many, if not all the ideas that I hold dear regarding music ministry have had their genesis at an ALCM conference, either from a workshop, a plenary presentation, a choral reading session, or a book recommendation. Sometimes it was an insightful speaker that lit up my imagination. Other times, it was an imaginative and eloquent musical offering that gladdened my spirits. Very often, during our liturgies, it was the brief brush with what the poet Wallace Stevens once called “the holy hush of ancient sacrifice.”

Thanks to these ALCM experiences, I have been blessed to be a blessing to my community. At Zoar Lutheran Church we are in the process of introducing a teaching bulletin for our congregation, something we have been wanting to do for a long time. Our teaching bulletin is just the latest in a series of tweaks and small improvements. In that sense, we consider the newly designed publication the fruit of our most recent harvest.

This summer, ALCM will offer numerous Hearts, Hands, Voices local workshops for church musicians. I hope by now you have heard of the almost fifty locations nationwide where these one-day events will take place. Hopefully, there will be several workshops within driving distance of where you live and worship. Here in my little corner of Northwest Ohio, church musicians will be able to attend three different events, each offering a variety of resources and presenters. And that is only in the Cleveland-Toledo-Columbus corridor! Therefore, allow me to enthusiastically encourage you to attend and to identify others, who, like me, can benefit from these continuing education events. If a larger event appeals to you, check out the three-day Hearts, Hands and Voices conference at Valparaiso University, July 23-26, 2018.

We cannot overestimate how life-changing a mentorship can be; I am living proof of it. I am reminded of the expression, “passing it on down,” which jazz musicians use to speak of the oral tradition they embody in their playing. We have heard the apostle Paul speaking of running the good race. I would add that ours is a relay race where we learn and “pass it on down” to the next person. Learning is no small part of our vocational journey as church musicians. Fortunately for us, this education happens best not as solitary individuals, but in a community of caring and passionate people, such as the ones you will encounter at any ALCM conference. If you decide to join us for one of these special events, and we hope you do, we trust you will discover new insights into ministry, draw strength from collegial exchanges, and find yourselves, as it has been my experience, refreshed in the bonds of new friendships.

 

ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.

 

The Rev. Amy Reumann, director                                                             ELCA.org/advocacy

APRIL 21, PRAY. FAST. ACT: The April day to #PrayFastAct with The Episcopal Church is Saturday, April 21. This month, our focus is on economic opportunity initiatives, education workforce development and programs that help low-income families break out of poverty.

Cyclical poverty is a problem faced by millions of Americans. Many in our communities cannot access education and training because they need a pay-check to feed their family, and often there are too few affordable educational opportunities accessible to them. While some in Congress have proposed adding requirements that the entitlement program recipients must be working to receive assistance, this has historically proven to serve as an additional barrier to achieving self-sufficiency. Look forward to resources around the day of fasting from The Episcopal Church and ELCA Advocacy later this month!

RALLY-2-END RACISM: The national A.C.T. to End Racism rally, organized by the National Council of Churches, took place in Washington, D.C., on April 4. The event brought together faith leaders from dozens of denominations across the country and coincided with the 50^th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s assassination on April 4, 1968. The rally, aimed at raising awareness of racial disparities, came as new reports indicate that higher-income youth of color are more likely to become poor than their white counterparts, and African American homeownership rates have remained virtually unchanged since the 1960s.

Churches and houses of worship have a special call to tackle the barriers of racism. The ELCA social statement “Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture” (1993) affirms the church’s commitment to proactively engage on just policies that curb inequity in society. Faith leaders across the religious community continue to be advocates on civil rights issues, criminal justice and safe policing communities. Read more about some of the goals and future initiatives of the march here.

CONGRESS PASSES BUDGET: In March, Congress passed a spending bill to fund the government through Oct. 1, the end of the 2018 fiscal year. While the recently approved budget carried record funding for housing programs, addressing opioid abuse and sufficient funds for environmental conservation, many faith leaders remain deeply disappointed by some federal policies that fail to live up to our values by adequately funding programs that support the most vulnerable members of our society.

Read more about the spending bill and how it affects some faith community priorities at the ELCA Advocacy Blog.

INTERNATIONAL FOOD-AID REFORM: Senators Bob Corker and Chris Coons have once again introduced food-aid reform legislation. The Food for Peace Modernization Act of 2018 seeks to build efficiencies in the U.S. international food-aid programs so that the same amount of funding can serve millions more. The bill is timely given discussions around the farm bill reauthorization. Representatives Ed Royce and Earl Blumenauer have introduced a companion bill in the House.

 

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

Dennis Frado, Director

LUTHERANS ATTEND 62^ND SESSION OF THE U.N. COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN: The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) took place at the United Nations in New York March 12-23. The theme was “Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls.” Delegates also reviewed the 47th session agreed conclusions on the theme “Participation in and access of women to the media, and information and communications technologies and their impact on and use as an instrument for the advancement and empowerment of women.” At the end of the session, the Agreed Conclusions, the principal outcome document of the CSW, were adopted.

The Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) welcomed 20 delegates to the Commission on the Status of Women this year. These delegates joined us from the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India, Centro Bartolomé de las Casas in El Salvador (a  Lutheran World Federation World Service partner in Central America), ELCA Global Mission Diakonia and International Leaders Program, Justice for Women Program, Washington Advocacy office and United Lutheran Seminary (ULS).

Their participation was made possible by the LWF Women in Church and Society desk, ELCA Global Mission and the ELCA World Hunger and ULS’ Nolde Human Rights Fund. Lutherans came together on Saturday, March 11, for Ecumenical Women at the U.N. orientation day, and on Sunday, March 11, for a day of learning about global Lutheran programs on gender justice, as well as an opportunity to learn more about each other. They also worshiped at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.

During their time at the commission, the Lutheran delegates were able to attend official and unofficial U.N. events and meet with government representatives from their home countries. On the fourth day, they hosted a parallel event, “Do you have Faith in the SDGs?.”  The event highlighted faith-based organization’s efforts to protect and promote women’s rights as well as urge the United Nations and governments to acknowledge faith-based organizations’ contributions to gender justice and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Read more about the commission from delegate’s blog reflections:

“Proud to tell people LWF has a gender justice policy”

“Half of humanity activating its rights”

“Reflection on the United Nations’ 62nd Commission on the Status of Women”

 

California

Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy                                                     loppca.org

HUNGER AND POVERTY: We were blessed to have John Johnson, ELCA program director for domestic policy and shepherd of state advocacy offices, join us for two days of site visits, sandwiched around a LOPP-CA Policy Council meeting. We visited Holy Trinity, Inglewood, whose early childhood program utilizes the federal Child Care Food Program. Fees for about half their children are subsidized through the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant. Other visits included Iglesia Luterana Fey y Esperanza, Southgate, which houses a Head Start program; the Orange County Food Bank, whose director, Mark Lowry, is Lutheran; The Giving Farm at Westminster High School FFA program; worship at Ascension Lutheran, Thousand Oaks (with a school garden); and an early World Water Day hike along the Ventura River with Farm Church–The Abundant Table near Ojai, surrounded by burned vegetation from the Thomas Fire.

CARE FOR CREATION: We expressed our support for a bill to promote recreation for disadvantaged communities, sponsored by Latino Outdoors, and for budget proposals to fund urban forestry.

RACIAL JUSTICE, GUN VIOLENCE: Following the tragic shooting of Stephon Clark, LOPP-CA Director Mark Carlson participated in the weekly Friday evening Oak Park Peace Walk and was able to share with Police Chief Dan Hahn and the head of the Urban League how three car thieves (white), who had jumped Mark’s home fence and entered a neighbor’s backyard at 3 a.m., were apprehended by a K-9. As a child, Hahn attended Sunday School at the former First English Lutheran in Oak Park. Mark and a handful of Lutherans were among 10,000 or so at the Sacramento March for Our Lives.

Colorado

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

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: The Colorado General Assembly has just passed the halfway mark for this year’s session. Highlights thus far include:

• HB 1001, Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act. This bill will soon head to the House floor. We support the creation of a paid family leave opportunity for Colorado workers.
• HB 1067, Right to Rest Act. We supported this effort to affirm the equal dignity of our homeless neighbors, but it was defeated in the House Local Government Committee.
• SB 13, Expand School Lunch Protection Act. This bill is in Appropriations, and we are optimistic that bipartisan support will continue to expand this reduced-price lunch subsidy to middle school children.
• SB 214, Request Medicaid Self-Sufficiency Waiver. We oppose this bill to impose work requirements on adult Medicaid recipients, of whom 75 percent already have at least one job. Many others have disabilities and other barriers to steady employment.

We continue to work on these and other bills related to housing, employment and community resilience. Just six weeks remain until the end of the session on May 9.

MARCH FOR OUR LIVES: The Rocky Mountain Synod joined with the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado in a joint prayer service at St. John’s Cathedral on March 24. Young leaders and allies offered lamentations for the gun violence that has plagued our communities, including several high-profile shootings in Colorado. Nearly 500 congregants then headed out to the march in Denver, one of 13 events in Colorado for March for Our Lives.

 

Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy–Minnesota                                     tammy@lcppm.org

LEGISLATIVE SESSION: The session is well under way with much activity on issues important to Lutheran Advocacy-MN. Kendrick Hall, Hunger Advocacy Fellow, and Director Tammy Walhof have been attending hearings on housing/low-income and energy concerns.

Tammy prepared testimony twice for the Senate Energy & Utilities Committee on a bill that would give the state’s main energy company undue power to set costs outside regular oversight processes, one of many attempts to weaken oversight. One hearing was cancelled when leaders realized the considerable opposition from conservative, liberal, business, faith and environmental organizations. An amendment deleting the original bill to make it “less bad” was adopted in a second hearing, but only 20 minutes was allowed for opposition testimony to the bill!

CHURCH MEETINGS AND PRESENTATIONS: Kendrick has been busy meeting with pastors, hunger leaders, and hunger grant recipients, both to learn more about their work and situations and to make the links to the state lack of affordable housing. Both he and Tammy have been doing meetings, presentations and sermons across various parts of the state.

HELP BUILD LEGISLATIVE CHAMPIONS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR CLEAN ENERGY: We have several target districts on both issues and need your help and action! We need letters to legislators, letters to the editor, visits with legislators and more. We also need people to be multipliers in their congregations to turn more people into citizen advocates! Give us a call; we’ll put you to work!

Willing to help build champions? Want us to come to your church?

Call us at 651-224-5499.

 

New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–New Mexico                     lutheranadvocacynm.org

2018 LEGISLATIVE ACTION FINALIZED: Gov. Susan Martinez has completed action on the bills that reached her desk during the 2018 legislative session. There was good news and some bad news. The good news: There was an unexpected increase in the funding for the Food Bank Association’s produce initiative, which acquires and transports fresh produce to food banks and agencies through New Mexico (121,697 square miles). The state SNAP Supplement program, which serves about 16,000 seniors and people with disabilities, received additional monies. Several memorials were passed to explore ways to address hunger, and that work will begin during the interim between June and December. $25 million in additional funds was appropriated for state child-care assistance. Medicaid was fully funded for the next state fiscal year, and more money for services to human trafficking victims was approved. Legislation to reinstate the death penalty was defeated.

The bad news: New funding for the state housing trust fund was vetoed, and a constitutional amendment to substantially increase funding for the quality early childhood program passed the House but not the Senate.

 

 

Ohio

Nick Bates, Hunger Network Ohio                  Nick@HungerNetOhio.org

 

VOTE ON ISSUE 1: On May 8, Ohioans will have the opportunity to vote on Issue 1 to pass redistricting reform. The League of Women Voters and other community leaders pushed for this reform, and state legislative leaders finally got on board. The measure is designed to reduce partisan gerrymandering in Ohio’s congressional races.

Why do we care about the process as the faith community? Legislators elected from non-competitive districts are more loyal to their party activists and ideological stances than the needs of the community. As people of faith, we want legislators to bring people together to solve problems. When elected officials serve more realistic districts, they will be able to listen to community leaders and act on the issues that will improve our communities – like hunger and infant mortality.

This ballot initiative will:

• Require bipartisan support for new congressional district maps: Currently, districts are drawn by whichever party is in power to benefit their party. In Ohio, this had led to non-competitive congressional races. The new process will require additional buy-in from the minority party.
• Keep communities together: The proposal will prevent counties from needlessly being divided. Currently, many counties are divided three or four times, and other districts needlessly incorporate many partial counties, hurting a representative’s ability to know the district and relate to the needs of the community. Districts will still contain the same number of people but will be more compact.

For more information, visit our new action page on redistricting that contains sample bulletin inserts, emails and other steps to take.

 

Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy – Pennsylvania                             lutheranadvocacypa.org

ANTI-HUNGER LETTER: Thank you to Lutherans from across the state, especially synod hunger team leaders, who signed their ministries on in support of the state’s budget for major anti-hunger programs – the State Food Purchase Program and the Agricultural Surplus Program, which is a model now included in the proposed federal farm bill. The organizational sign-on campaign was undertaken by the statewide hunger coalition, of which LAMPa is a part. Lutherans garnered signatures for every lawmaker! This is something our church can do because of our statewide reach that nobody else in the coalition can.

NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA SYNOD WOMEN OF THE ELCA GATHERING: LAMPa staff provided the keynote address and breakout sessions at the annual synod Women of the ELCA Gathering at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Auburn, March 10.  The program’s theme was justice.

LUTHERAN DAY: Staff continues preparations for Lutheran Day at the Capitol Monday, May 21. Click here to learn more. In the evening, LAMPA will partner with Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light to hear from Dr. Richard B. Alley, Evan Pugh Professor of Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University, who was a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

FARM BILL ROUNDTABLE:  Tracey DePasquale attended a roundtable discussion, hosted by the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, on the importance of a strong farm bill and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Attendees met with Rep. Glenn Thompson, chair of the congressional subcommittee on nutrition, and  Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding.

 

Southeastern Synod

Hilton Austin, director              

March was an exciting month. I can’t begin to thank all of the people who took action this month building a better tomorrow. We have been busy working alongside our partners at the Capitol, marching and visiting legislators to talk about crminal justice reform, human trafficking and immigration. We had the opportunity to meet with two conferences to talk about the importance of our work. March 28 was the close of the Mississippi legislative session, and March 29  will mark the close of the Georgia General Assembly, but it was still in session for this update. So far, we have had a fairly successful season; we are still waiting to see the outcome of a couple of important bills in Georgia. We had a great turnout for the New Americans Celebration where we joined with CRSA and LSG to defeat Georgia SB 452, relating to criminal procedure and penal institutions, respectively, so as to require a peace officer to take certain actions upon verification that a suspect is an undocumented immigrant; to clarify and require certain actions by the Department of Corrections, sheriffs, municipal custodial officers, the state Board of Pardons and Paroles, and the Department of Community Service regarding people not lawfully present in the United States; to prohibit release from confinement people who are undocumented immigrants; to require the Board of Pardons and Paroles to consider certain factors; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. It passed the Senate; we are hoping to stop it in the House on this last day.               

Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Action Network                                                                                             fanwa.org

Breakfast After the Bell will make breakfast part of the school day for high-need schools, helping students focus on learning.

The Washington Voting Rights Act enfranchises under-represented communities by removing the restriction under state law that prevents local governments from improving their election system.

An ombuds office bill creates an independent corrections ombuds office in Washington that is available to people in prison, as well as to their family members.

A police accountability bill enacts into law most of the provisions of Initiative 940, which requires law enforcement       to undergo de-escalation training, administer first aid after an incident, and notify tribes when incidents involve tribal members. It also amends the use of deadly force statute by defining “good faith.”

A legal financial obligations bill deals with the debt accrued due to legal fines and court fees when someone is in prison. It eliminates the 12 percent interest rate on non-restitution Legal Financial Obligations, prioritizes restitution payments, and prevents the courts from imposing these costs on those who are too poor to pay.

A bill addressing missing and murdered indigenous women requires the Washington State Patrol to work with tribal law enforcement and the governor’s Office of Indian Affairs to conduct a study to increase state resources for reporting and identifying missing American Indian women throughout Washington State.

A bill concerning the document recording fee increases and makes permanent the fee to file real estate documents, helping to fund the effort to combat homelessness.

 

Wisconsin

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

PUBLIC BENEFITS BILLS:  The Legislature suddenly introduced 10 bills, a few of which had come up earlier, as part of a proposed packet for welfare reform. LOPPW registered against seven of the bills. Six of those seven passed. We were pleased that the bill that would have required a photo ID for FoodShare recipients, the main one LOPPW advocated against, did not pass.  LOPPW met twice with a public-benefits coalition to strategize how to work with the organizations that are tasked with implementing the changes mandated in the six bills that passed. We are concerned that changes will not adequately be made known to recipients, and there will not be sufficient assistance for people to navigate the changes, causing many to fall through the cracks

LOPPW connected with volunteers to create a new project to build awareness about the toll-free number for victims of trafficking and those who suspect trafficking to call.  control to our legislative efforts. The legislative session ended with a school-safety bill and small change in background checks, but there is still a lot of work to do.

LOPPW Care for God’s Creation team  leads a workshop on climate change at a synod-wide event in Janesville

LOPPW volunteer co-leading a workshop

An Anti-sex trafficking workshop at Midvale Lutheran Church in Madison

 

In March, Congress passed a spending bill to fund the government through October 1st, the end of the 2018 fiscal year. While the recently approved budget carried record funding for housing programs and sufficient funds for environmental conservation, many faith leaders remain deeply disappointed by some federal policies that fail to live up to our values in adequately supporting the most vulnerable members of our society.

The federal budget is more than dollars and cents. It reflects our national priorities and promotes the collective common good.  In this last year, Lutherans took action on critical issues in the federal budget through the “For Such a Time as This” campaign, petitions and phone calls to their lawmakers, and other action alerts through the ELCA Action center. The Presiding Bishops of the ELCA and the Episcopal Church asked you to lift your voice in support of programs that bring us closer to a just world where all are fed. The consistent impact from people of faith made a major difference in shaping public discussion around our federal budget priorities this year. Thank you for your faithful advocacy.

As Congress and the Administration prepare to move on to the next budget cycle, here are some important outcomes of the top ELCA priorities in the FY18 budget bill:

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HUNGER:  The omnibus included increases for essential nutrition programs for low-income children and adults. It includes $28 million for the Summer EBT, which is $5 million more than FY17. It also includes $6.175 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, sufficient to meet expected need based on current estimates. The Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which distributes food boxes to low-income home-bound seniors, received $238.1 million, an increase of $2 million over FY17; this program was proposed for elimination in President Trump’s budget. Mandatory spending for SNAP/food stamps is included at $74 billion to cover all eligible participants. Child Nutrition Programs received $24.2 billion in mandatory funding to fully fund the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program, an increase of $1.5 billion over FY17 levels.

HOUSING:  The spending bill included positive news for many federal housing programs, with some of the highest funding levels most programs have seen in years. Nearly every faith tradition in the U.S. shares a common aim to end homelessness, and investments in proven programs greatly help communities striving to meet those ends. The bill offers increases in housing construction and restoration for low income seniors, incentives for private partners to further affordable housing, and maintains existing vouchers for those of us in the greatest need. High housing costs are still a critical challenge in every state of the U.S., with far too many extremely low income households paying well over half their income on their home. While more must be done, continuing funding for effective housing programs are critical in addressing poverty. Read more about some of the programs that help curb homelessness and housing poverty by clicking here.

ENVIRONMENT:  The omnibus bill provides better than anticipated funding for environmental and energy matters when compared to the Administration’s proposed budget. Congress appropriated $35.25 billion for the Departments of Interior, Environment and Related Agencies; and $43.2 billion for DOE. This goes to provide some protection of the environment and addresses some key energy matters.  The omnibus also provides support for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) which addresses such matters as biodiversity and desertification; and the Montreal Protocol Multilateral Fund which helps developing countries phase out ozone depleting substances. While there was no mention of funding for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), these two entities could still receive funding from discretionary funds. You can read more by clicking here.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE:  The final text of the spending bill did not include language to repeal the “Johnson Amendment,” which would have allowed religious institutions and nonprofits to endorse political candidates running in an election. Weakening the Johnson Amendment would only have exacerbated the role of money in politics and threatened to politicize houses of worship that are not divided by partisan lines. Over 100 faith organizations, philanthropic charities, and religious denominations (including Lutheran pastors and champions through ELCA Advocacy) have mobilized against it. Interested faith leaders and congregations can still join the petition to help keep churches independent at Faith-Voices.org.

MIGRATION:  Congress failed to pass legislation that provides protection to DACA recipients alongside a budget, the likeliest timing to have reached a compromise. The budget for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) included funds for border repairs and fencing as well as an increase in mandated detention beds for immigrants (now over 40,000 beds, read more here). While there were no funds for a border wall or more Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents, there was a $6.3 billion increase in DHS funds from last year. Additionally, some U.S. funds to Central America to help address the issues driving people to flee continue to have important human rights conditions. However, this budget also provides funds for military training of forces known to have committed human rights violations. Most concerning this budget provides funds for training to the Honduran military, linked to the oppression of demonstrators after fraudulent elections.

INTERNATIONAL: The International Affairs budget was funded at a topline amount of $54.02 billion, a reduction of $3.3 billion (6%) from FY17 budget. Some programs that focus on poverty reduction received significant reductions, while a few others were maintained at same levels as last year’s.

Read more about some of the specific programs that we advocate for in the international affairs budget here.

 

Robert Moore is a rostered pastor in the ELCA serving Global Missions in Leipzig and Wittenberg where he is director of the ELCA Wittenberg Center.

In the summer of 2017 the Protestant Church of Germany (EKD) reached out to the ELCA to collaborate on worship materials in German and English to assist congregations who wish to observe the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. continues to be an important figure in Germany. In 1964 he preached in both West Berlin and East Berlin (Marienkirche) to enthusiastic crowds. His stance against oppression and his commitment to non-violent resistance deeply impressed the German leaders, especially in East Germany. King had been invited to preach by the famous Nazi resistance leader Heinrich Grüber who was Provost (superintendent) of the church district in East Berlin.

Germany also played a role in the name of Martin Luther King, Jr. who has born and named Michael King. During a visit to Germany the father, Michael King, had become deeply impressed by Martin Luther, the inspired and inspiring leader of the 16^th Century Reformation. It was Luther’s understanding of freedom that motivated the father to change his name from Michael King, Sr. to Martin Luther King, Sr. At the same time he announced to his son that he also had a new name, Martin Luther King, Jr.

As director of the ELCA Wittenberg Center I set out to work with the Office of Worship (Kevin Strickland), and two theologians, Prof. Craig Nessan (Wartburg Seminary) and Dean Kathryn “Kit” Kleinhans (Trinity Seminary) to gather materials that could be posted on ELCA synodical and congregational websites. The Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations (Kathryn Lohre) has also worked with us in this project.

The materials are available at

https://www.ekd.de/ekd_de/ds_doc/Martin-Luther-King-2018.pdf

A service is scheduled for April 23 in the Sophienkirche in Berlin. I will participate in that service.