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Racism–a Mix of Power, Privilege and Prejudice by Bishop Bill Gafkjen

Bishop Bill Gafkjen serves as Chair of the ELCA Conference of Bishops and Bishop of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod of the ELCA.

 

Racism—a mix of power, privilege, and prejudice—is sin, a violation of God’s intention for humanity. The resulting racial, ethnic, or cultural barriers deny the truth that all people are God’s creatures and, therefore, persons of dignity. Racism fractures and fragments both church and society. [The ELCA’s social statement, Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity and Culture][i]

 

In late July, I was honored and blessed to participate in a joint gathering of the African-Descent Lutheran Association (ELCA) and the Union of Black Episcopalians in Philadelphia. Over meals, in the hallways, and in plenary sessions I was able to listen deeply to the concerns of people of color, especially people of African descent, who are part of the church. I was honored to sit for part of an afternoon with ELCA rostered ministers of African descent and heard stories of painful experiences of marginalization, disrespect, and discrimination in our life together as the ELCA. During the opening worship service, I was invited to bring a greeting on behalf of the I-K Synod and, as its chair, the ELCA Conference of Bishops. In that greeting I thanked these dear sisters and brothers for their partnership in the gospel and for their persistent prophetic witness to the kind of beloved community Christ has made us to be and to how very far we still have to go in realizing that community.

On the flight home, I committed to three things: (1) engage the difficult process of facing and repenting of the ways in which I am complicit in, even a perpetrator of, racism; (2) do what I can in my various leadership roles in the church and as a citizen of this country to surface, challenge, and do something about systemic/institutional racism; and (3) share this with you, the good people of the I-K Synod, in this newsletter and invite you to join me on this journey.

And then Charlottesville happened. There, again, tragically, starkly, we saw the truth of what we said together in a social statement almost 25 years ago: Racism is sin and it fractures and fragments both church and society. Racism robs people of their God-given dignity. It privileges some at the expense of many. Racism kills. And, as a church and for so many of us as individuals, including me, we have done very little to challenge and change this great evil.

Did you know that the Southern Poverty Law Center – a well-respected group committed to identifying hate, combating intolerance, and dismantling racism – has identified 26 hate groups in Indiana and 23 in Kentucky? Most of them are white supremacist/nationalist groups of the ilk that were part of the troubles in Charlottesville.[ii] Somehow, we need to present a counter-witness to these groups, many of whom try to claim the name of Jesus. We need to step up our presence in the public arena – much like those from the ELCA and others who went to Charlottesville – to work toward a community that honors all, welcomes all, receives the gifts of all, and makes space for all, for every single one, to walk alongside others toward a beautiful future where we actually embody the community Christ has made us to be.

Of course, hate groups are the obvious ones to combat. As individuals, as local congregations, as a synod, as a church, we have a great deal of perhaps less immediately obvious need for self-reflection, confession, repentance, and change to engage ourselves…even and especially for things that are just so much part of the dominant local or broader culture or way of doing things that we don’t even see how they hurt, exclude, and denigrate people of races, ethnicities, and self-identities different from our own. This may be the most challenging and difficult work of all. But, for the sake of our sisters and brothers, for Jesus’ sake, we just have to do it. The love of Christ compels us. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” [2 Corinthians 5:18].

We will be working on these things synodically this fall. I hope that as the fall school year/program year begins, you will join me in finding ways to face and resist racism and its shadowy siblings. Together, we seek to not be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds, our inmost beings, in the power of the Spirit (Romans 12:1), in families, in congregations, and in our communities.

This will not be easy, sisters and brothers. But, thanks be to God, this hard and necessary work is bathed in promise, for “those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it” [Jesus, Matthew 16:25].

 

Peace be with you,

 

Bishop Bill Gafkjen

 

[i] Download a PDF here: http://ow.ly/YEEn30ep7r5

[ii] https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map

A prayer written by Bishop Gafkjen the weekend of the events in Charlottesville can be found here: http://livingcommunion.blogspot.com/

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Engaging Children in Worship

 

Today’s post is from Shelly Satran, a pastor at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Vero Beach, FL.

 

How can we engage children in worship when we don’t know if there will even be any?

 

We regularly ask ourselves this question at the congregation I serve. We have families and children in our congregation, but spread across our three worship services, and given our demographic in a Florida coastal retirement town we never know if we might have two kids (“kids” used broadly here, one might be a toddler and one a teenager) or ten at a worship service.

This question presented itself to us eight years ago when we realized children’s sermons weren’t working in our context. We decided to drop them, but committed to involving kids in worship in any way we could. We still have work to do, but here are some things that have been successful.

The first simple way we engage kids in worship, is to ask them! This one is a no-brainer, but still worth stating. We wear ourselves out texting, calling, asking in person, instant messaging, anything we can think of to involve young people in worship. As a result, not counting the youth acolytes, there is rarely a Sunday service that we don’t have youth or children involved as ushers, greeters, readers, musicians (from talented high school instrumentalists to an eight-year-old playing the rain stick), or worship leaders. It is definitely harder work to get youth to commit versus an adult. We have more issues with no shows than we do with adults, but it is worth it. The more we ask our young people to participate in the regular roles in worship the more they feel worship is for them.

Secondly, and this falls into an important category for us of ideas we can add or omit depending on whether children are present, is to have a “kids’ question” in the sermon. This works similarly to how a children’s sermon question might work, but the kids are less on the spot, they can choose to raise their hand from their seats or not, and they are never on their own to answer because there are always adults who may whisper the answer or can’t help but blurt it out themselves. Plus we fold the questions into the sermon so that it isn’t a separate kids’ moment, but rather they are a part of what everyone else is participating in—God’s Word.

Our kids’ questions might involve an activity like: “Look through your worship folder/bulletin and count how many times the word “peace” appears.” As they are looking the sermon continues, but at some point I ask the kids for the answer and fold it into the rest of the sermon. Another kid’s question might be to circle all of the animals (or plants, or towns, or disciples, or anything that forms a small category) in the readings and show me after worship. Sometimes, not always, I have stickers or candy in my pocket as a prize.

The kids’ question might be some very basic Bible trivia that even the youngest would know or it might relate to the bulletin cover art—“Listen to the Gospel reading and see if you can name the three people depicted on the bulletin.” The great thing about the kids’ question is that it works if there are 20 kids in worship or two or zero. We have a Saturday night worship service that is usually not attended by kids, except for one not-shy boy. I will often call the kids question the “Gregory question” at that service, or if no kids are present I will make the kids’ question into an everybody question. We don’t have the kids’ question in the sermon every week. Then it would lose some of its novelty, but regularly enough that the kids know to listen up and wait for it.

Third, and also in the category of easily added or omitted, during the sending hymn we gather up any youth in worship (again they may range from toddler to teenager) invite them up front with the pastors and worship leaders. By “gather them up” I mean one of us pastors walks out and gets them. Or at a service with more children, we send older kids out to do the gathering. Once the young people are all up front, two or twelve of them, we all recess out of worship together and then the children lead the final “Go in Peace. Serve the Lord.” sending from the baptismal font. We’ve never had any trouble recruiting kids for this role probably because being first to the back of the sanctuary positions them to be first in line for cookies after worship.

So if you are like us and you may only have a smattering of children in worship, don’t be discouraged. Wear yourself out to include them. It will be worth the effort. To them and the congregation, their presence will feel larger than the actual numbers. Hear it in the voices of children: “Go in Peace. Serve the Lord!”

 

 

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A Ministry of Free Prayer

 

Today’s post is from Marie Sager, Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Hays KS.

 

Have you ever been to a coffee shop and seen people working on their computers? How about reading a book? You probably answered yes to both of these questions, but have you seen someone praying? A ministry that is starting to take off is Free Prayer.

I first heard about the ministry of Free Prayer via Facebook in a post that featured an article about The Rev. Thomas Rusert, a pastor in Pennsylvania. The article talked about why he offers “Free Prayer” at different places. The idea sounded interesting to me, so I decided to try it. I requested a Free Prayer sign, and I was off to the local coffee shop near me.

I have been doing Free Prayer, at a local coffee shop, since April 2016. It has been such an amazing ministry. I have received lots of inquisitive smiles, and those who do venture over to pull up a chair have had many different prayers. I have had a request from a kid eating lunch with their family about safety in an upcoming storm, to requests for family members in the hospital, to safe travel on road trips. There are no “small prayers” prayers.

Besides praying for people, one of the reasons I do Free Prayer, is to offer a ministry to the community. I sit in my clerical collar most Thursdays with my sign offering Free Prayer. In a predominantly Catholic and non-denominational community, I am one of the only female pastors. Therefore I also view my Free Prayer ministry as an evangelism tool, to let people know that women can and have been Lutheran pastors for around 45 years.

Lastly, I post on Facebook about this ministry as well. I have a pinned post on my PastorMarie Sager page with dates of upcoming Free Prayer times. I also post in real time as I am doing Free Prayer asking what I may pray for.

 

 

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August Advocacy Update

Lutherans are taking action across the country! Below you will find our monthly State Advocacy Newsletter. Share with your friends!


ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.

The Rev. Amy Reumann, director

ELCA.org/advocacy

FOR SUCH A TIME (AUGUST):

This month’s day of fasting and action is Monday, Aug. 21. In August, we focus on programs that provide relief from the effects of environmental degradation on the livelihoods of the poorest among us. As Lutherans, we are called to “seek sufficient, sustainable livelihood for all” and to ensure that all of God’s children are cared for, no matter where they live.

The U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) “Healthy Environment, Healthy People” 2016 report showed that “in 2012, an estimated 12.6 million deaths globally were attributable to the environment. The air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, and the ecosystems that sustain us are estimated to be responsible for 23 per cent of all deaths worldwide.” To prepare for the day of fasting and action, read the joint ELCA Advocacy and Episcopal Church prayer resources and look for action alerts in the coming weeks!

HEALTH CARE: On Friday, July 28, in the early morning hours, the Senate defeated legislation that would have ended health care coverage for millions of seniors, veterans, children and low-income working families. Lutherans sent more than 3,000 emails and calls to their senators, and the impact is now clear.

Our elected leaders must find bi-partisan solutions to the challenges that face our nation. Bi-partisan proposals to address health care are now being offered in both chambers. ELCA Advocacy will continue to track these developments and encourage August recess activities.

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE: On July 19, ecumenical and interfaith leaders from around the country, including ELCA pastors, came to Washington, D.C., to meet with their members of Congress in support of robust funding for foreign assistance. They shared their stories and faith-inspired convictions for why it is important for the U.S. government to maintain its funding support for humanitarian relief and development assistance. The event was organized by the Interfaith Working Group on Foreign Assistance, of which ELCA Advocacy Office is a member.

IMMIGRATION:  At the end of July, the House of Representatives passed a spending package that includes funds to build a southern border wall. This bill is not likely to move forward in the Senate. ELCA Advocacy, alongside other Interfaith Immigration Coalition members, has been advocating against funding the radical expansion of detention and deportations of migrants. This is especially important because the Department of Homeland Security has begun targeting unaccompanied children who have turned 18 and the sponsors of the children for detention for deportation.

AUGUST RECESS ACTION: Lawmakers will soon depart Washington, D.C., and return to their home districts for the August recess. This is a great time to meet with your members of Congress face-to-face, ask questions and engage on critical issues happening at the national level. Read more about how you can plan for advocacy this summer at the ELCA Advocacy Resource Center.


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

Dennis Frado, director

KEY PRIORTIES ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 5 and 16:  

On July 14, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom held a panel discussion during the forum titled “From Shrinking Spaces to Feminist Movement Building: Key Priorities on SDG 5 and 16 for Sustaining Peace.” The panel focused on the role of women’s rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide in the achievement of the sustainable development goals. Lopa Banerjee Bianco, from U.N. Women, spoke about conservatism and fundamentalism undermining social justice and solidarity and about the current resistance to key aspects of women’s rights.

Panelists included representatives from WILPF (Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom) Sweden, Women for Women International, Women Deliver, and Estudio e Investigation de la Mujer. All panelists spoke of shrinking NGO space in national capacities and the threats of violence toward feminist activists. An emphasis was made on the importance of creating flexible funding towards local NGOs to ensure effective implementation of existing commitments and ensuring the voices of rural and local women are heard.

Mabel Bianco, from the Fundación para Estudio e Investigation de la Mujer in Argentina, discussed NGO involvement with several national review processes, declaring that many countries do not allow for meaningful participation of women’s groups.


California

Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy

loppca.org

RENEWABLE ENERGY: California Senate President Kevin de León has introduced a plan, SB 100, to reach 100 percent carbon-free electrical energy for the state within 30 years, aiming toward 50 percent by 2030 and 100 percent 2045. There are debates over what constitutes “carbon-free” and over the economics of reaching the last few percentage points, but LOPP-CA and California Interfaith Power & Light support the “aspirational goal” of 100 percent as a means of sending market signals, driving technological innovation, and continuing to grow a green economy.

CARBON EMISSIONS: On July 25, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a cap-and-trade carbon emissions reduction policy that modifies and extends the 2006 landmark climate change law, originally supported by LOPP-CA. AB 398 sets a target to make a 40 percent cut from 1990 levels by 2030. LOPP-CA was intensely focused on this issue for several weeks, that included a 2½-hour Sunday afternoon meeting (Saturday invitation) of about 20 nongovernmental organization representatives with Brown, legislative leadership staff, and California Air Resources Board staff. LOPP-CA was the leading faith voice in the Legislature in the days leading up to its final passage. The compromise, which required two-thirds of the Legislature to pass, gathered support of several GOP lawmakers – but also came in the face of opposition from several groups on both sides of the aisle. The Washington Post has the full story.

AIR POLLUTION: Policy Council Chair Sharon Heck (pictured (right) with California Assembly member Christina Garcia (left)) represented LOPP-CA at the Bell Gardens bill-signing of a companion air pollution measure, AB 617, which was an essential part of the compromise package, and addresses direct threats to human health from “criteria air pollutants” and “toxic air contaminants.”

 


Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Colorado

Lam-co.org

ADVOCACY VISIT: LAM-CO Director Peter Severson visited Lord of the Hills Lutheran Church in Centennial, Colo., to preach and share about our church’s work in advocacy on July 8-9. Thanks to all those in attendance for the warm welcome!

HUNGER AND THE FEDERAL BUDGET: LAM-CO is partnering with Hunger Free Colorado to advocate against cuts to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) in the 2018 federal budget. The version released by the House Budget Committee on July 19 contains many worrisome proposals, all of which will impact the ability of Colorado counties to effectively address hunger. These include cuts to SNAP, TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), low-income tax credits, and the School Meal Community Eligibility Provision.


Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy–Minnesota

lutheranadvocacymn.org

NEW POSITION AT LA-MN: Lutheran Advocacy-MN is one of three state offices adding a new one-year Hunger Advocacy Fellow soon, funded by ELCA World Hunger.

WOMEN OF THE ELCA TRIENNIAL: Representing ELCA Advocacy, LA-MN Director Tammy Walhof had the opportunity to meet people from around the country, sign them up with ELCA Advocacy, and get them to call U.S. senators about health care (600 alerts were distributed). She also helped AMMPARO lead several “groups of migrants” (Women of the ELCA ladies) on a “dangerous migration” so they could better understand the situation of Central American migrants. (AMMPARO simulation).

LEFTOVER SESSION ISSUES: Gov. Mark Dayton’s line-item veto of the Legislature’s funding to force re-negotiations was deemed unconstitutional (balance of power issues). The governor’s office has appealed. Indications suggest the Legislature’s 11th-hour insertion of Revenue Department funding elimination if the bill was vetoed would likely be unconstitutional but didn’t go to court because it wasn’t tested with a veto. Many legislators of both parties were angered by the insertion, especially since there was no opportunity to read final bills. House Speaker Daudt dropped a lawsuit to prevent legislative salary increases as it would likely be ruled unconstitutional given the constitutional amendment establishing the nonpartisan salary commission.

FEDERAL ISSUES: Oh, my!! Watch for coming action alerts!!

Like and follow us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (@LuthAdvocacyMN), and check for updates regularly on our website


New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–New Mexico

lutheranadvocacynm.org/

BUDGET CUTS TO HOUSING PROGRAMS: Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-NM joined with other advocates for people experiencing homelessness and for housing for all at a news conference last week. Advocates brought pillows to symbolize the need for more funding for affordable housing and to oppose the proposed federal House budget, which could result in very harsh cuts to federal housing programs.

 

 

OPPOSING MEDICAID COPAYS: As a member of the state Medicaid Advisory Committee, LAM-NM Director Ruth Hoffman recently spoke against the state Human Services Department proposal to impose new copays on many Medicaid recipients. A number of studies have shown that copays drive low-income people away from health care and suppress enrollment.


Ohio

Nick Bates, The Faith Coalition for the Common Good

Nick@HungerNetOhio.org

FAITH AND ADVOCACY SUMMIT: The Hunger Network will host its annual summit on Sept. 24 and feature a discussion with ecumenical judicatory leaders on justice ministries followed by a training and discussion on how faith leaders around Ohio can do advocacy and justice in their communities. Each attendee will receive a copy of our new Advocacy Guidebook for Faith Leaders that will be released at the event! Register to attend here: hungernetohio.com/register.

STATE BUDGET UPDATE: Gov. John Kasich signed the budget in the last half hour of June and issued 47 vetoes. Thankfully, Kasich vetoed many dangerous proposals to Medicaid, and the House and Senate, as of this writing, have been unable to override these vetoes. We are thankful for all of those who attended a rally on July 5 calling on House leaders to not override the veto. The rally was emceed by the Rev. Tim Ahrens of First Congregational Church. While the vetoes are good news, we are disappointed that the Legislature was unable to consider new revenue to address poverty in Ohio, expand the Ohio Housing Trust Fund or resources for food banks You can read a full recap of our budget issues here.


Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy–Pennsylvania

Lutheranadvocacypa.org

STATE BUDGET DEAL: In the waning days of July, with the House already in recess until September, the Senate passed a revenue package that for the first time includes a severance tax on gas drilling but trades it for seriously weakened regulations on the industry and attacks on Medicaid. HB 542 borrows $1.2 billion to fill in a hole left in the 2016-2017 budget. A severance tax on natural gas drillers would generate about $80 million in new revenue in addition to the current impact fee.

LAMPa opposes the environmental protection rollbacks in this budget deal, which effectively strips the Department of Environmental Protection of its ability to regulate the oil and gas industry by requiring it to use third-party contractors to speed up the permitting process, with permits automatically approved if not resolved in a short time frame. It also eases regulations for coal-related manganese discharges within 5 miles of drinking water supplies. The plan also allows oil and gas wastewater treatment facilities to operate under expired permits until 2019, putting drinking-water sources at risk.

As part of budget negotiations, the Senate passed HB59 with provisions imposing work requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries. The provisions open the door to cuts in “nonessential” benefits, including things such as dental, vision and prescription drugs.

LAMPa applauds proposed changes to the School Code that prohibit lunch shaming – in which students who cannot afford to pay or whose account balances are low are denied meals or singled out for embarrassment.


Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Acton Network

fanwa.org

STATE ISSUES: Our Legislature has finally adjourned after three 30-day special sessions. Late on the last day of the fiscal year, the Legislature made a bipartisan agreement on the $43.8 billion biennial budget. It was funded by increases in property tax, repealing three tax exemptions, and borrowing from our “rainy day” fund. Much of the revenue increase went to fund public education to fulfill a state Supreme Court ruling. No cuts were made to human service programs, but only minimal increases were funded. Our $4.2 billion capital budget was not passed, which contains critical investments for school construction and affordable housing.

Fanwa8.2
FAN was part of a meeting with Sen. Patty Murray that was convened
by our interfaith partners at the Council on American Islamic Relations
on the important topic of Islamophobia.

CONGRESSIONAL ISSUES: FAN continues to work with our Health Care as a Human Right coalition, and we are now working on August recess meetings particularly asking for support and co-sponsors of HR 676, the Medicare For All bill. FAN is also monitoring and signing on to the faithful budget letter coming from the interfaith advocacy groups in Washington, D.C.

FAN PROGRAMING AND STAFF UPDATES: We are in the midst of holding annual gatherings for the 200 liaisons to our growing statewide Network of Advocating Faith Communities; our legislative district coordinators; and our 19 geographic clusters of advocating faith communities. These gatherings let us hear about local advocacy efforts, share FAN updates, and talk about how we can be more effective together.

 


Wisconsin

Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin                                    

Loppw.org

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION: RE-AMP is a group of environmental advocates that focuses on eight Midwestern states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In July, LOPPW was part of RE-AMP’s annual gathering in Chicago. Interesting meeting tidbits: Kenote Keya Chatterje (U.S. Climate Network) said, “We are the first generation to see the effects of climate change and the last to be able to do anything about it.” Study in Toledo – 10 focus groups were held to discuss political candidates and jobs. All participants said they trusted steel and other factory jobs returning more than green jobs. Not enough is known about green jobs. Find them in your state, get specific about describing them, and make them known.

EAST-CENTRAL SYNOD OF WISCONSIN ADVOCACY:  The synod just set dates in the winter to hold an advocacy gathering in two locations. The focus will be on refugees, immigration and advocacy, led by Bishop Gerald Mansholt and LOPPW. LOPPW is assisting with the organizing.

ADVOCACY RETREAT FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS: LOPPW’s director met with a campus pastor and volunteer to continue to organize a fall overnight retreat. The director had contacted several campus pastors during synod assemblies in the spring and early summer.

HEALTH CARE AND OUR VALUES: In the context of lifting up Washington, D.C., action alerts and using Facebook, we have tried to make our devotionals on the social statements better known to remind people that we have a voice as a church rooted in our values.

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A Time for Everything: Putting Your Garden to Bed

There is a Time for Everything, and a Season for Every Activity Under Heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Ruszczyc, Autumn Landscape at Sunset, 1907

Pointing Forward:

So let’s consider the 5 P’s of gardening:

Planning

Planting

Perspiring

Picking, and

Putting to bed.

In previous posts, we’ve planned, we’ve planted, we’ve perspired, and we’ve picked. Now it’s time to look ahead to next season by putting our gardens to bed. I think of the time between growing seasons as a time of Sabbath for our gardens and, in many ways, for us as the caretakers of the gardens. As Leviticus 23:3 reminds us:

“Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.” (ESV)

A Theology of Eating

As we contemplate putting our gardens to rest for the winter, one way to approach this down-time after harvest is by remembering that all of creation rested on the Sabbath.  I am reading a book by Norman Wirzba, Food and Faith: A Theology of Eating (Cambridge University Press, 2011), who reminds us that we have often lost the wonder and amazement that belongs to the miracle of plant growth and harvest. We have been lulled to sleep and fatigued by the prevalence and proliferation of nearly 40,000 different food items when we step into a grocery store. We can overcome food fatigue if we approach eating as a spiritual exercise. Wirzba states,

“Gardens are the practical sites in terms of which people begin to see, smell, hear, touch, and taste the breadth and depth of human membership and responsibility…that makes possible a spiritually deep appreciation for food.”

As we approach putting our gardens to bed, there are a few steps to contemplate. First, some plants can continue to produce into the Fall and, in some cases, the winter months. For example, Swiss Chard can often be harvested long into the late Fall if you take a few precautions, such as covering it at night to guard against hard frosts. The same is true of tomatoes. Some people even pick the green tomatoes when a hard frost is on the horizon. They may then let the tomatoes ripen indoors. We have had tomatoes of this variety until after Thanksgiving some years. We just position them in a cool place and see what happens.

Composting Possibilities

An important part of readying your garden for winter is to remove all the dead annual plants from the garden site. These dead annuals make great brown material for your compost pile to mix with “green” kitchen wastes. The general rule of thumb is to include two parts brown to one part green material. By removing the dead annuals, you reduce the risk of insect infestations and diseases that may be harmful to your future gardens.

If you don’t have enough room in your compost for all the dead plants, you can bury the dead plants in your garden area to allow them to decompose and fertilize the garden in the process. You might form rows of decaying material in order distribute it evenly and to insure it decays well before the next growing season.

Depending on the severity of your winter, your garden space may also act as a place to store vegetables until you use them later in the Fall or Winter. For example, many root vegetables, such as carrots, may be left in the ground until deep in the winter and harvested when needed. This allows you to have fresh carrots without the need to take up premium storage space indoors.

Mother Earth News is a great resource for other key topics related to getting your garden ready for the winter: http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/preparing-your-vegetable-garden-for-winter.

Linking Back

Planting in Late Summer and Fall?        

Linking back to our blog on planting, late Summer and early Fall can also be a time to plant some hardy varieties, such as kale. If you plant kale in August, it will be ready to pick and consume after most of the garden has died and gone to compost heaven. Carrots may also be planted late, in August or September, and then harvested after frost has put an end to most growth. Covering the carrots with straw will prolong their growing season. And carrots seem sweeter after they have experienced a frost or two.

Producing a Meal With the Entire Harvest

Late Summer and early Fall are when many gardens are at their height of harvest, so we have our entire repertoire of vegetables at our disposal for cooking a feast. Especially when the weather is starting to produce some cool evenings, we like to prepare a vegetarian chili using many of the vegetables that may be harvested from the garden. I have provided one version of a recipe that may be modified to include the fruits and vegetable of your labors from your garden.

If you have kids helping with your garden, you might want to consider using songs or games to engage them in the activity. Our family played songs performed by Raffi a lot when our children were growing up. The song “Oats and Beans and Barley Grow,” on his Baby Beluga album, is a catchy tune that will stay with you, so beware.

Until next time, remember,

There is a Time for Everything, and a Season for Every Activity Under Heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Blessings to you!

Vegetarian Chili Recipe

You could serve this over a baked potato or by itself.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2-15 oz. cans black beans, drained, or you may use black beans from your garden. These would need to be prepared by boiling in a pan of water so that they are the same consistency as canned beans. Drain before you add to the recipe.
1 pinch cayenne pepper, chili powder, or chili seasoning mix
1 tablespoon parsley, freshly chopped

Directions

Sauté the onions and garlic in oil in a large sauce pan. Add carrots, tomatoes, herbs, spices, and beans.
Cover (to retain moisture) and cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

This recipe is vegan and gluten-free as it is written above. You could add hamburger or sausage of your choice if desired.

Nutritional Info (per serving)

Calories: 141.3
Total Fat: 2.9 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 12.7 mg
Total Carbs: 23.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 7.6 g
Protein: 7.2 g

In this series by guest writer Ethan Bergman, we will consider the 5 P’s of gardening – planning, planting, perspiring, picking, and putting to bed – over the course of the next few months. Ethan is a Master of Divinity student in the Distributive Learning program at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. Bergman is also the associate dean in the College of Education and Professional Studies and professor of food science and nutrition at Central Washington University, Ellensburg. He was named CWU Distinguished University Professor in 2001-2002 and was named by the Washington State Dietetic Association as Outstanding Registered Dietitian of the Year in 2000. He is a past delegate and past President of the American Dietetic Association as well as speaker of the Academy’s House of Delegates. Bergman also has served on the Academy’s Educator’s Task Force on Education Reform in Dietetics Education and on the Evidence-Based Practice Committee. He earned his doctorate from Washington State University.

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Do Black Churches Matter in the ELCA? by Lenny Duncan

 

Do Black Churches Matter in the ELCA?

A documentary film by Lenny Duncan, ANKOS films and Tangled Blue.

Teaser Trailer

Director’s Note

So, I’m doing a film. It’s really that simple, asking a simple question. Do Black Churches Matter in the ELCA? What does that even mean? The only answer I can give is to ask another question. What is the answer that immediately comes to mind when I ask, do black churches matter in the ELCA?

It might be a yes. Possibly with a caveat. Or a resounding no. Well, that will affect how you see this film.

So, this idea started as an independent study here at United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia. Like my exorcism work last year, it evolved. I was going to write a very sterile paper where I matched up the ELCA’s social statements, resolutions, and constitution with what we did with our money that year. The theological thinking behind it was going to be simple. Are we doing what we say we want to do? This was a simple task accomplished by looking at the history of what we have done. I would seek publication in some academic journal. It would have been powerful in its intent.

Follow the money.

It wasn’t until I started chasing the story down (in the undercroft of the seminary, in arguably the most complete Lutheran Archive in North America) that I started to realize what it needed was impact. It also was too important of a story to be stuck in the echo chamber, which is theological academia. Edit: White Academia. Edit: White cis het Academia.

This would be the death of this story. Why is that? Because the systems that are in place, that are being analyzed in this work, would unconsciously fall into the same demonic patterns it always does. This work would be outright rejected, picked apart by some academic desperate to prove the church bears no responsibility, or it would land with a feather fall and not a seismic boom.

So, as I scrambled to get camera equipment, to record some interviews for ease of later access for my research, it hit me like a thunderbolt. A Movie. A documentary. This would be an easy media format to access for churches, synod assemblies and people just interested. I could put it in several pieces on YouTube for ease of consumption.

I contacted the incomparable Jason Chesnut at Ankos Films, for help. I bought a starter DSLR camera. I reached out to the composers in residence at United Seminary in Philadelphia, Tangle Blue, for some royalty free tunes and beats. It came together so easily the indwelling of the Holy Spirit had to be all over it.

But what is the story? What is the story this film will tell you?

I’m about almost through shooting so I can share with you the story so far.

It is about a church, and white Protestantism and its seeming collapsing in on itself. It is about a system that got so use to being at the very center of a democracy and society, and is no longer in that privileged position. It is about the way it has treated its Black pastors and churches. It is going to point to the fact that while we scream for diversity in the ELCA we have some systemic inequities in the way we launch, nurture, and treat these ministries. Its focus will be Philadelphia and its history (mostly). How at one point baptized membership here was 58% Black Lutheran.

It is about a seminarian who spent 2 years studying the confessions, our social statements, and this church before joining. It is about what I found when I arrived. It is about being a Black Lutheran from one person’s limited perspective. I am not in the film directly but I am there. We will look through my eyes.

It is not a complete history of the prophetic witness of my elders who have labored long and wearily in this field. However, it will point to the fields of littered bodies I found when I arrived, and it will honor the efforts of those who came before me. This will also be limited by my “newness” to this church.

I recently visited the African American History Museum with Judith Roberts our Director of Racial Justice Ministries in the ELCA. As we moved through the history of the subjection of black bodies in this country. As we waded through rivers of spilt blood, and marveled at torrential downpours of black resistance the importance of the work I am doing became clearer. I already was getting a sense that I was doing holy work. However, the prophetic witness of Black Lutheranism over all that I saw that day rang out like a song I could hear just around the bend of every corner there. We stood together under the flag of my great-great grandfather’s regiment in the civil war.

We waited in the long line to see Emmet Till’s coffin. The four of us who were gathered together that day stopped and prayed silently that day in front of the coffin as Mama Till’s words came out of a nearby speaker. We drew a direct line from Emmet to Trayvon Martin in our hearts.

I hope that in some way this movie can contribute to and not take away from, the beautiful mosaic that is Black Lutheran History.

My hope is to gain access to a deep sense of lament and well of ancestral power I am accessing.

It is about a church that has fewer resources. Less relevance. An uncertain future. Death nipping at its heels as it races towards resurrection.

It is about a church whose only chance for survival is to turn to the prophetic witness of Black Lutheranism, and the leaders and peoples it has treated as second-class citizens in the kingdom of God.

It is about suffering servants, elders of the diaspora, and communities squeezed by empire being the literal incarnation of Jesus.

It’s about whether or not a church can actually listen to the cries and wisdom of the historically oppressed.

It’s about, “Do Black Churches Matter in the ELCA?”

 

BIO

Lenny Duncan is a Vicar at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and Candidate for ordination to the office of Word and Sacrament in the ELCA. Formerly incarcerated. Formerly homeless. Formerly “Unchurched”. He is also the Evangelist for the #decolonizelutheranism movement, as well as a frequent voice on the intersection of the Church and the cries of the oppressed. He pays special attention to the #blacklives movement in his work, but also lifts the frequent intersection with other marginalized peoples.  He believes that the reason the ELCA has remained so white is a theological problem not sociological. He is currently an Mdiv Coop student at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and holds a Bachelors of Biblical Studies from Lancaster Bible College, with an emphasis in New Testament theology.

 

 

 

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Index of the July 2017 Issue

Issue 53 of Administration Matters

Congregational Ethics Policy

The highest degree of stewardship and fiduciary responsibility is expected of all employees, including the receiving, reporting, and use of funds, property, and time. Employees are responsible for complying with laws, regulations, and congregation’s policies and procedures. >More

Independent Contractor or Employee?

Correctly classifying employees and independent contractors is crucial for each congregation and church entity. Here is a checklist that could help you review employment classification. >More

Legal resources

A reminder that the ELCA has legal resources available on its website at http://elca.org/en/Resources/Legal. The resources include information on some of the most common legal issues faced by congregations, such as employees and volunteers, tax, sexual misconduct, property, and financial issues. While not a substitute for legal advice, these resources can help point you in the right direction. >More

Church Mutual Insurance free sensors program

Don’t let your church services be disrupted. When it comes to peace of mind concerning church building safety and property damage due to cold weather-related incidents and power outages causing sump pump shut-off, there is an answer. Church Mutual has introduced a free temperature and water sensor program that alerts eligible Church Mutual insureds before damage can occur. >More

Financial best practices for congregations

Creating an environment with financial controls and best practices ensures that the resources entrusted to the church are handled in the best possible ways. It also ensures compliance with accountings rules and regulations. The Financial Best Practices for Congregations presentation highlights key aspects of separating financial duties, safeguarding offerings, handling expenditures, among other items, to ensure proper controls and compliance and assist in reducing the risk of misconduct and audit findings. >More

ELCA Federal Credit Union

As we celebrate our one-year anniversary today, we are excited about the positive financial impact the ELCA Federal Credit Union is having on our members’ lives. We invite you to watch our new video that explains how credit unions operate—and how we are helping our members do more with their money. Please feel free to share this video with members or employees of our congregations, synods and ministries; they are also eligible to enjoy the many great benefits of belonging to our credit union.

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The Reformation 500 in Worship

 

During this year marking the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, many Lutheran congregations will plan, or have already planned, worship that focuses on this remarkable milestone. Congregational worship commemorating the Reformation often takes either the direction of a celebration of Luther’s accomplishments, or a joint commemoration with Catholics which uses the anniversary to spur ecumenical dialogue. Below are specific worship planning recommendations for each type of service as offered by Dr. Gail Ramshaw in Commemorating 1517 without dressing up as Luther with a hammer.

 

Celebrating Luther

To those who are considering using 2017 to celebrate Luther’s accomplishments, I suggest the standard order for Holy Communion as presented in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW), filled to the brim with Luther and Reformation-era hymns. The volume The Sunday Assembly (pages 59, 180-87) gives help here. For an opening confession and absolution, the assembly can sing “Out of the Depths I Cry to You” (ELW #600), Luther’s hymn praying for forgiveness. The Kyrie will be “Kyrie! God, Father” (#409); the hymn of praise “All Glory Be to God on High” (#410); the creed will be Luther’s version of the Nicene Creed, “We All Believe in One True God” (#411); the “Holy Holy Holy” be will Luther’s Sanctus, “Isaiah, in a Vision Did of Old” (#868); a full eucharistic prayer and the Lord’s Prayer will be followed by “Lamb of God, Pure and Sinless” (357).

For the hymn of the day, you might choose #505, a reformed translation of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” For the eucharistic prayer – please remember that Luther’s colleague Philipp Melanchthon praised the eucharistic prayer of the Eastern Orthodox Church – you might select either the prayer from the third or fourth century designated in the ELW as Form XI (ELW p. 69) or the prayer that the Lutheran scholar Luther Reed first published in 1947, designated as Form I. For the final blessing, Luther preferred the use of the Aaronic benediction (ELW p. 114).

 

2017 as Joint Commemoration

Let me now describe now my preferred option – that Lutherans use 2017 not primarily to celebrate Luther, but rather to commemorate, with Lutherans and Roman Catholics together, our common understanding of past, our collaboration in the present, and our hopes for the future. I hope we Lutherans can worship throughout 2017 as the time that it is: a time of international ecumenical conversation between Lutherans and Roman Catholics, a time of joint resolve to erase errors and to design collaborative projects. Recall that in 1999, the dialogue between Lutherans and Roman Catholics released the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, which stated that the differing denominational emphases did not invalidate the commonalities between the churches on this central theological issue. This Declaration is available as a PDF file on-line. It is a time to forgive each other for past offenses, to rejoice in our common baptism, and to walk together into God’s future.

Those of you who are eager to design your own worship service can be inspired by the three-fold content of the booklet From Conflict to Communion: (1) we celebrate the shared joy we have in the gospel; (2) we acknowledge the pain over failures and sins and our need for repentance; and (3) we pray for the ongoing challenge to bear common witness to Christ throughout the world. That is: joy, repentance, and common witness. Be sure to balance each Lutheran quote or hymn with one written by a Roman Catholic. If you sing “A Mighty Fortress,” you might also appoint the splendid hymn written in 1983 by the Benedictine sister Delores Dufner, “The Word of God is Source and Seed” (ELW 506). “What Is This Place” (ELW 524) by the twentieth-century Roman Catholic Jesuit priest Huub Oosterhuis can be sung next to “Beloved, God’s Chosen” (ELW 648) by Lutheran laywoman Susan Palo Cherwien. The ninth- century chant “Ubi Caritas et Amor,” “Where True Charity and Love Abide” (ELW 642 or 653), would be a welcome addition, grounding our separate voices in their common past.

You might also pray the beloved seventeenth-century prayer for the church (ELW pages 58 and 73): “We pray for your holy catholic church. Fill it with all truth and peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in need, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior.”

God bless your commemoration of 1517.

 

You can find the entire text of  Commemorating 1517 without dressing up as Luther with a hammer, a workshop presented by Dr. Ramshaw in July 2015 at the ELCA Worship Jubilee, along with many other resources for Reformation commemorations at https://elca500.org.  In addition, the Reformation 500 Sourcebook, available from Augsburg Fortress, is an extensive guide for 500th Anniversary Planning.

 

 

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A Time for Everything: Picking Your Garden

There is a Time for Everything, and a Season for Every Activity Under Heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Pointing Forward:

So let’s consider the 5 P’s of gardening:

Planning

Planting

Perspiring

Picking, and

Putting to bed.

In previous posts, we’ve planned, we’ve planted and perspired. Now it’s time to reap some rewards by picking our gardens.

Whenever I think of harvesting, I am in awe that God has provided us with the miracle of vegetable and fruit growth.  What is even more remarkable is that the growing and developing plants only need a few simple things to make it all work. These include sunlight, soil and water. Here is a prayer from Evangelical Lutheran Worship Pastoral Care Occasional Services, Readings and Prayers (published by Augsburg Press) that helps express the thanksgiving we feel during the harvest season. Praying this prayer may be a fitting way to begin our harvest.

Most Glorious God, according to your wisdom the deep waters are opened up and clouds drop gentle moisture. We praise you for the return of planting and harvest seasons, for the fertility of the soil, for the harvesting of the crops and for all other blessings that you in your generosity pour out on all people. Give us a full understanding of your mercy, that our lives may show respect and care for your creation; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Picking is the time when all your hard work starts yielding benefits you can savor! Or, if you have chosen to provide food for your local food bank, this is the time when your perspiration leads to inspired giving! Harvesting may also be a good time to meditate on the simple yet profound words of Psalm 67:6: “The land yields its harvest; God, our God blesses us.” God has blessed us with the opportunity to grow food for ourselves and for our neighbors.

As we contemplate Psalm 67:6 – that God blesses us with the harvest and the miracle of growth of food to pick, share, and eat –  we may also consider when it is best to harvest so that we get the most out of what we have planned, planted, and now are planning to pick. There are some simple guidelines for choosing the right time. Generally, for the best flavor and texture, most vegetables are best harvested just before they are fully mature.  If we let our vegetables become over-mature in the ground, they often lose their best flavor, texture and nutrition.

So, let’s consider a couple of examples of when to harvest:

Tomatoes: You should harvest tomatoes individually when they reach the right color. If these are red tomatoes, they should be close to fully red. They should also be pretty soft, but not mushy when you lightly squeeze them. The tomato would have the distinctive tomato aroma and should separate from the vine easily when you grasp the tomato and give it a slight twist.

Eggplant: Eggplant is best when it is picked a little bit short of total ripeness. The eggplant should have a definite firmness rather than be soft or too hard. The outer skin should shine. It is better to cut the eggplant from that plant to preserve the flesh of the fruit, rather than to pluck it by hand.

Radishes: Radishes tend to mature quickly, so they should be monitored often. When their shoulders start showing above the soil level, they are ready to pull. If you let them grow too big, they may become tough. Radishes are crops that you may select to grow in succession; that means you may want to plant several times in the season so they can be harvested throughout the summer.

For more harvesting suggestions, you might consider accessing the following website: https://www.thespruce.com/when-to-harvest-vegetables-1403402.

Of course, if vegetables do get over-ripe, they are still usable for a number of things. If nothing else, you can turn your over-ripe vegetables and fruits into compost for use as a soil enhancer or fertilizer.

Thinking of the tomatoes and eggplant we are harvesting above, our family likes to make lasagna without noodles. One alternative is to use slices of eggplant to substitute for the noodles. This also provides an opportunity for those who aren’t able to tolerate gluten to enjoy lasagna. Please find an Eggplant Lasagna Recipe below if you’d like to give it a try. Eggplant and tomatoes from this year’s harvest may be incorporated into the recipe. Also, with last year’s crop, or even this year’s harvest, you could produce the tomato sauce called for in the recipe.

Linking Back

Speaking of compost, let’s link back to our “Planting” where we considered composting. This might be a good time to access the composted material you started earlier in the planning and planting season to use as a fertilizer for the plants you just harvested. As we harvest some of the early vegetables and fruits of our garden, this is a good reminder that to continue the harvest as long as possible, we need to provide adequate water and fertilize the ground every 3-4 weeks.

This is also a good time to check back to our blog on “Perspiring” to consider the steps in keeping your garden in good shape. These are:

  1. Watering;
  2. Fertilizing;
  3. Weed control; and
  4. Pest control.

As you harvest the early fruits of your labor, it is valuable to check your watering, weed control and pest control as well to see if you need to make any adjustments in the patterns you have developed to keep your garden in good shape.

Until next time, remember,

There is a Time for Everything, and a Season for Every Activity Under Heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Blessings to you!

Eggplant Lasagna

Minutes to Prepare: 45

Minutes to Cook: 45

Number of Servings: 10 (1 to 1 1/2 cup each)

Ingredients

1 lb extra lean ground turkey
1 lb Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 fresh tomatoes chopped
2 26 oz jars pasta sauce
2 eggplants, peeled and thinly sliced
1 8oz bag shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a large pan, brown ground turkey and Italian sausage with onion and garlic. Drain all of the grease from pan. Add pasta sauce and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Lower temperature and allow to simmer for 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. Preheat the oven to broil. Meanwhile, wash and peel eggplant. Slice eggplant into thin strips length wise and then in 2-inch squares. Place eggplant on an ungreased cookie sheet and allow to broil for 8 minutes (with the oven door slightly open) or until eggplant is very tender. Grease a large lasagna pan and preheat oven to 350.

In a small bowl combine mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Place a layer of eggplant in the bottom of the pan, top eggplant with a layer of meat sauce, top meat sauce with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, top cheese with another layer of eggplant and continue layering until all meat sauce has been used. Your top layer should be eggplant. Top the last layer of eggplant with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until meat sauce is bubbly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before you serve.

To make this vegan you may substitute the ground turkey with vegan ground turkey and the Italian sausage with vegan sausage.

You may also choose to replace the cheeses with non-dairy options. I suggest you visit your local natural foods store to find equivalents.

The original recipe as written is gluten-free. If you substitute the meats or the cheeses, be sure to read the label and watch for wheat flour ingredients if you wish to maintain the gluten-free status of the original recipe.

Nutritional Information (per 1 cup serving)

Calories: 155.5

Total Fat: 8.9 g

Cholesterol: 44.3 mg

Sodium: 195.5 mg

Carbohydrates: 6.3 g

Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g

Protein: 12.5 g

In this series by guest writer Ethan Bergman, we will consider the 5 P’s of gardening – planning, planting, perspiring, picking, and putting to bed – over the course of the next few months. Ethan is a Master of Divinity student in the Distributive Learning program at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. Bergman is also the associate dean in the College of Education and Professional Studies and professor of food science and nutrition at Central Washington University, Ellensburg. He was named CWU Distinguished University Professor in 2001-2002 and was named by the Washington State Dietetic Association as Outstanding Registered Dietitian of the Year in 2000. He is a past delegate and past President of the American Dietetic Association as well as speaker of the Academy’s House of Delegates. Bergman also has served on the Academy’s Educator’s Task Force on Education Reform in Dietetics Education and on the Evidence-Based Practice Committee. He earned his doctorate from Washington State University.

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July Advocacy Update

Lutherans are taking action across the country! Below you will find our monthly State Advocacy Newsletter. Share with your friends!


ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.

The Rev. Amy Reumann, director

ELCA.org/advocacy

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS: PRAYER, FASTING AND ACTION (#PrayFastAct): The next “For Such a Time” day of prayer, fasting and action with the Episcopal Church is Friday, July 21. This month, the presiding bishops of both churches urge action to protect funding for the U.S. International Affairs budget. Our country has a rich history of fighting extreme poverty and responding to humanitarian crises around the world. Although it’s less than 1 percent of the federal budget, foreign assistance has saved millions of lives and continues to do so today. With more than 20 million people at risk of starvation globally, and millions more displaced, the need for foreign assistance is as great as it has ever been.

As a church together, we ask our members of Congress to protect funding for international programs that provide relief and support livelihood for the poorest among us. Visit elca.org/PrayFastAct for resources and to learn how to take action.

HEALTH CARE IN CONGRESS: Senate leaders released their draft reform of the Affordable Care Act in late June. The Congressional Budget Office reported that under the current Senate proposal, 22 million people would lose their health coverage over 10 years – many from families who would choose to opt-out of health care after massive deductible increases. Like the House bill, the Senate version would also reduce Medicaid spending for low-income households, increase costs for people with pre-existing conditions in certain states, and roll back important improvements made for women, veterans and seniors.

Following announced opposition from other GOP senators, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pushed back the voting timeline until after the Fourth of July recess. Lawmakers will likely discuss the best way to proceed on health care as they go back to their home districts. ELCA Advocacy posted an action alert after the Senate bill was released, with over 1,000 Lutherans responding. With the members of Congress back in their districts, now is a critical time to contact them on health care.

IMMIGRATION: On June 16, Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly took back the Deferred Action for Parental Arrivals (DAPA) policy. DAPA, which was signed by President Obama and was never implemented, would have provided deportation relief for undocumented parents of U.S. citizens children. DAPA, signed by the Obama administration, was never implemented. Kelly also signaled that the original Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides relief from deportation to thousands of young people who grew up in the U.S., will remain for the foreseeable future. At the end of June, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review rulings from lower courts that blocked the implementation of President Trump’s executive order on refugees. In addition, the court granted the Trump administration’s request to allow a part of the travel ban that prevents citizens from six countries without ties to the U.S. to be denied entry into the U.S. ELCA Advocacy is coordinating with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) to ensure our full support for the refugee resettlement program. You can read the full LIRS statement and action alert on the issue here.

WOMEN AND PEACE: On June 20, the House of Representatives passed the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (H.R. 2484), a bill requiring the U.S. government to promote meaningful participation of women in mediation and negotiation processes that seek to prevent, mitigate or resolve violent conflict. The bill will now go to the Senate for consideration. ELCA Advocacy is monitoring the bill and continues to support women’s inclusion in peace processes worldwide.

For more on critical international issues, from the ongoing UN Climate Action Plan to the debate on why Foreign Assistance matters, visit the ELCA Advocacy Blog.


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

Dennis Frado, director

PLAN OF ACTION FOR RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND ACTORS TO PREVENT AND COUNTER INCITEMENT TO VIOLENCE THAT COULD LEAD TO ATROCITY CRIMES: On June 12, the World Council of Churches held a formal briefing with the U.N. Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect on the Global Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors to Prevent and Counter Incitement to Violence that Could Lead to Atrocity Crimes.

The briefing focused on the role of faith-based organizations, religious entities, and religious actors in anticipation of the July 14 release of the Global Plan of Action, the first of its kind that addresses the role of religious leaders on prevention.

Simona Cruciani, the political affairs officer at the U.N. Office on Genocide Prevention, previewed and outlined the five regional consultations that have occurred since 2015 in which over 250 religious leaders in 80 countries participated in the creation of regional plans of actions.

There will be a half-session on implementation strategies for faith-based organizations on July 17  following the launch of Global Plan of Action on July 14.


California

Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy

loppca.org

WESTERN STATES YOUTH GATHERING, Dream Big, was held at California Lutheran University at the end of June. LOPP-CA’s director, Mark Carlson, partnered for a couple of care for creation and climate-change workshops with a Ventura County-based AmeriCorps volunteer serving with CivicSpark, an initiative of Gov. Jerry Brown and the Local Government Commission, which places energy and water fellows with local governments, working on a diverse array of projects.  Carlson also initiated invitations to presenters to do other workshops on youth and climate change (California Interfaith Power & Light), immigration and refugees (the Rev. Alexia Salvatierra), and gun violence (Joint Episcopal-Lutheran Gun Violence Prevention Task Force of Southern California), each offered twice. Several sessions drew standing and sitting-on-the- classroom-floor crowds of interested youth and adults.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: SB 54, the California Values Act, which seeks to separate state and local law enforcement from immigration enforcement in most circumstances, passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee and continues a path to the Assembly floor, where the outcome is uncertain. Over 15 faith leaders and advocates (see photo right), including Carlson, the Rev. Jason Bense, and Sierra Pacific Synod Bishop Mark Holmerud and his wife, Debbi, (a retired high school principal), met with two of Gov. Brown’s policy staff. The values of due process, hospitality and the safety and dignity of all were shared. A few shared their stories, including a couple accompanied by the Holmeruds. Gov. Brown has not yet indicated a position on SB 54.


Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Colorado

Lam-co.org

SENATE HEALTH CARE BILL: Lutherans were out in force to respond to the released draft of the Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act. Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner was one of the lawmakers who worked on the bill behind closed doors, and Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado helped facilitate visits to the senator’s offices around the state to respond to the proposed deep cuts in Medicaid and other critical health care services.

In Denver, Director Peter Severson joined Rocky Mountain Synod intern Kaari von Bernuth (photo below) to speak to staffers about the people who benefit from Medicaid and to advocate against lifetime per capita caps.

In Gardner’s home town of Yuma, Col., staff from Eben Ezer Lutheran Care Center in Brush (50 miles to the west) drove to visit the senator’s office, including CEO. Shelly Griffith, Deacon Ro Fesser, and the Rev. Dan Hays. They shared stories of the nearly 130 people living at Eben Ezer who benefit from Medicaid, people who would be severely hurt by the proposed cuts and lifetime caps. Eben Ezer also serves an additional 130 Medicaid clients through home-health services in a seven-county region.

We will continue to join our Colorado-based and national partners in advocating for health care reform that doesn’t cut off services for poor and vulnerable people in order to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. Stay tuned!

For more on this story and others like it, visit the Rocky Mountain Synod blog, RMS in the Neighborhood.


Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy–Minnesota

lutheranadvocacymn.org

CONTINUING CHAOS: The session is over – everything is settled. Right? Wrong! The tax bill included a provision to defund the Department of Revenue if the bill was vetoed. Even some key negotiators seemed blindsided that it ended up in the final bill. So, seeking leverage to bring the Legislature back to the negotiating table on a few items, Gov. Mark Dayton line-item vetoed Legislature funding. Was that unconstitutional? Some say it violates the balance of power, but the statute doesn’t prohibit it. Was it unconstitutional for the Legislature to defund the Revenue Department if the tax bill was vetoed? Now the courts are involved. Let’s see what happens!

THANKS FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR/WORK AND PRAY FOR BETTER: Despite new lows for extreme partisanship and sneaky deals in the dark, some legislators maintained respect and civility throughout. Thank Majority Leader Paul Gazelka for his respect of everyone and for negotiating in good faith (regardless of policy positions). Encourage him to help limit incivility and posturing, and to take a lead facilitator role in future negotiations. Thank Gov. Dayton and his commissioners for negotiations that prevented some of the worst cuts and excesses, even if some provisions still hurt vulnerable people and God’s creation. Urge House Speaker Kurt Daudt to work for better civility, to let legislative action be more transparent, and to consider de-escalation training for the House and its leaders. Confrontation and posturing aren’t helpful; neither is adding provisions that weren’t part of negotiations.

FEDERAL ISSUES: The president’s budget proposal would cut and change many programs in very harmful ways for vulnerable people and God’s creation! Watch for coming action alerts!

Like and follow us on Facebook; follow us on Twitter, and check for updates regularly on our website.


New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–New Mexico

lutheranadvocacynm.org/

INTERIM LEGISLATIVE WORK BEGINS: Delayed by a special session and by legal challenges coming out of the special session, the important work of legislative interim committees has now begun. Interim committees meet from June until December and are committees that include members of both the state Senate and state House of Representatives. The committees, which usually meet monthly, study and hear testimony about various subjects and issues of concern to the state. LAM-NM monitors, attends and provides comment or testimony for several of these committees that relate to issues included on our advocacy agenda. Of primary interest are the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee, the Revenue Stabilization and Tax Policy Committee, the Mortgage Finance Authority Oversight Committee, the Legislative Finance Committee, and the Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee. LAM-NM has already encouraged the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee to consider agenda items that pertain to the many people living in poverty and experiencing hunger in our state.


Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy–Pennsylvania

Lutheranadvocacypa.org

The 2017-2018 spending plan adopted by Pennsylvania lawmakers by the June 30 deadline includes some good news for Pennsylvania children, including increases in basic education, special education and early childhood funding, plus $2 million to incentivize improvements in school breakfast delivery, for which LAMPa advocated. (Photo below: Lancaster County Lutherans rally in the Capitol for a budget that puts people first.)

After last year’s long-awaited increase, the state Food Purchase Program, which supports community food pantries, including many run by congregations, will remain funded at the same level. The final bill avoided or reduced some of the cuts to human services in the earlier House version. However, environmental protections did not fare as well. The Department of Environmental Protection’s operational budget, which supports water programs, was cut another 3.85 percent from last year, down 34 percent since 2002-2003. Funding for the Susquehanna and Delaware river basins commissions was slashed by 50 percent. (Photo below left: LAMPa interns Ron Costen and Travis Woodfield deliver letters urging lawmakers to support funding for anti-hunger programs.)

The $32 billion spending plan was passed with bipartisan support. Gov. Tom Wolf has voiced support but will likely not sign until after a revenue agreement is reached.  To balance the budget, lawmakers must find revenues to cover a $2 billion-plus projected shortfall.

In addition to engaging Lutherans around budget issues in June, Director Tracey DePasquale led advocacy workshops at the Upper Susquehanna Synod Assembly, and intern Ron Costen led poverty and advocacy workshops at the Southwestern Synod Assembly.  They also attended the first statewide food alliance convening with other hunger leaders. Intern Travis Woodfield continued developing an advocacy team around mental health and addictions as well as delivering letters to lawmakers. Read his blog here. (Photo right: LAMPa Director Tracey DePasquale speaks at a Capitol news conference for fair education funding.)


Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Acton Network

fanwa.org

STATE POLICY: Our Legislature is in its third special session, and budget negotiators from both parties are trying to avoid the June 30 fiscal cliff. FAN has joined the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and key faith leaders in Washington to sign a letter asking for funding for safety-net programs. There are three bills we are still fighting for this session: Breakfast after the Bell, Paid Family and Medical Leave, and a solar incentive program for businesses and households.

FEDERAL POLICY: FAN is working with our D.C. allies to resurrect and advance the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act in Congress. FAN’s main congressional issue is monitoring and advocating for a less egregious federal budget, e.g. securing more support for SNAP funding (HB 1276).

LOCAL POLICY: FAN testified in favor of an income tax ordinance in Seattle. Washington has the most regressive tax structure in the country, but the ordinance passed unanimously out of the City Council committee. Many efforts at tax reform have failed in our Legislature because of a 1930s state Supreme Court case that essentially disallows tax on income, so this ordinance will become a new test case.

STAFFING: FAN’s Governing Board has decided to raise additional money to fund a full-time organizer position to begin sometime in September. Click here to view the job description and posting.

(Photo right: Over 185 advocates attended FAN’s four regional summits in Yakima, Spokane, Seattle and Vancouver to discuss the critical issues facing our state and local areas.)


Wisconsin

Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin                                    

Loppw.org

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION: LOPPW’s director helped organize the annual Wisconsin Climate Table all-day annual retreat. Although we focus on climate change, we have decided to add water issues to our efforts. Recently a bill to deregulate some of the protections of water affected by high capacity wells in Wisconsin was passed.

LOPPW supports a bill to facilitate utilities to help low-income residents get lead out of their pipes, but it was put on hold. A coalition of secular and faith-based groups is meeting over the summer to discuss a compromise made on the bill and possible next steps.

LOPPW created a Vimeo video of one of meteorologist and ELCA member Bob Lindmeier’s presentations on climate change. More than 120 people attended his presentation at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Madison.

GOVERNANCE: The director visited four senators about the resolution to call a constitutional convention to amend the constitution. The Rev. Matt Kruse of Wauwatosa wrote a blog for LOPPW, “Convening a Constitutional Convention – Who and what would be at risk?” 

FEDERAL: LOPPW continues to support our D.C. office’s efforts on health care and immigration. In June, we led one presentation on the farm bill.

SYNOD ASSEMBLIES: Bishop Paul Erickson was with Bishop Elias Kitoi Nasari of Tanzania at the Greater Milwaukee Synod Assembly. (Photo below, left) (Photo below, right: LOPPW’s display at the La Crosse Area Synod Assembly.)

Before being elected bishop, Nasari was part of the hunger team LOPPW’s director assisted organizing in the synod.

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