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

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In this January Advocacy Update we are focusing on the advocacy priorities of our state public policy offices. In future updates, we will return to the previous order of having the ELCA Advocacy Office in Washington, D.C., first followed by the state offices. Blessings!  

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California

Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy

loppca.org

LOPP-CA 2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES:

Health care: protection of gains made under the Affordable Care Act, more than 5 million more people with health insurance; disclosure and regulation of drug prices. LOPP-CA has been part of organizing and advocacy efforts focused on district work with California’s congressional delegation to protect progress made under the Affordable Care Act (covered California insurance exchange and Medicaid expansion). The pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran and six members joined a large group for a rally outside the Bakersfield office of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (photo).

LOPP-CA was one of hundreds of organizations signing a letter to the delegation supporting health insurance for children and signed another coalition letter with a broader health focus. There was great energy when Health Access celebrated 30 years with a December symposium (LOPP-CA was an original founding group).

Immigration: support for California’s state laws providing services and supports for immigrants and new efforts such as provision of due process and legal resources in immigration proceedings, including for unaccompanied minors.

Care for creation/climate change:  Implementing and strengthening California’s climate-change laws, with attention to environmental justice; water-justice issues including safety, access, affordability and tribal concerns. With the conviction that science matters, LOPP-CA Director Mark Carlson will participate in the state-sponsored California Climate Change Symposium 2017 and is pitching to faith leaders opportunities to engage with the World Congress of Science Journalists in Oct. in San Francisco, “Bridging Science & Societies.”  On Jan. 10, LOPP-CA was the site host for a Drought and Equity Summit to release a report developed by the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water and the Pacific Institute.

Housing: addressing a critical need for permanent housing and services for homeless people, including advocacy for funding mechanisms, and addressing “not in my backyard” attitudes.

In anticipation of congressional and presidential challenges to California’s healthcare, climate-change, immigration and firearms regulation policies (most supported by LOPP-CA), among others, Gov. Jerry Brown has nominated former U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra to replace now U.S. Sen.Kamala Harris as state attorney general, and the Legislature has retained former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s law firm as outside adviser on federal policy.

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Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Colorado

Lam-co.org

LEGISLATURE CONVENES: The Colorado General Assembly will convene on Wednesday, Jan. 11, to begin the legislative work of the people for 2017. The Assembly will be in session until Wednesday, May 10, for a total of 120 working days.

FAITH ADVOCACY DAY: Colorado Faith Advocacy Day will be Saturday, Feb. 11. Join other advocates for an illuminating day of learning and action!

“Luther at 500: Reclaiming Protest For Today’s Public Church” We’ll focus on the future of the church’s public witness and reclaiming Martin Luther’s legacy of activism and protest on the cusp of the Reformation’s 500th anniversary. What does it mean for us to be a “Protest”-ant church today?

Click here to register

Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Bethany Lutheran Church, 4500 E Hampden Ave, Denver, CO

$25 regular, $10 student/reduced rate

Breakfast, lunch, and all materials included!

2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES:

Ensure that assistance is available for people living in poverty, including anti-hunger programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, low-income housing, and job and skills training

Address systemic issues that prevent people in poverty from earning a family-sustaining income, including low wages, lack of housing and lack of infrastructure (particularly in rural areas)

Undergird our work with love and concern for our neighbors, especially the outcast and the marginalized, through the lens of anti-racism.

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Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota

lutheranadvocacymn.org

Minnesota’s legislative session: Jan. 3-May 22

PLEASE JOIN SOME UPCOMING IMPORTANT EVENTS!

Lutheran Leadership Day at the Capitol: Thursday Feb. 2, 12:30-5 p.m. (reception with legislators 4-5 p.m.)

Christ Lutheran on Capitol Hill and Minnesota Capitol: Bishops, pastors and other church leaders are invited to a day of learning and advocacy.

Breakout sessions include: Creation Care and Clean Energy; Sex Trafficking and Safe Harbor; Race, Refugees and Immigration; and Disability Policy. Plenaries will be focused on affordable housing in Minnesota, through various lenses including racial equity and workforce concerns (RSVP to JKeen@lssmn.org)

Region 3 ELCA Hunger Retreat (for Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota): Friday, Feb. 3, to Saturday, Feb. 4; Friday noon lunch through Saturday after lunch. Luther Crest Bible Camp, 8231 County Rd. 11 NE, Alexandria, MN 56308; Cost is $50.

It will be focused on care of creation, especially climate change and its impact on global poverty and hunger. You don’t need to be a hunger leader to attend! Great opportunity for youth and youth pastors! (Speakers include Dr. Ryan Cumming, program director for hunger education, ELCA World Hunger; and Tammy Walhof, director, Lutheran Advocacy-Minnesota, among others). Scholarship information – the Rev. Erika Lehmann, elehmann@santel.net; registration – Kari Bostrom, ; general questions – Ed Payne, edpayne01@gmail.com

JRLC Day on the Hill is Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017. This interfaith gathering and advocacy event brings together Lutherans and many other people of faith as we jointly work to address issues affecting low-income people!

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New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – New Mexico

Lutheranadvocacynm.org

The LAM-NM Policy Committee gathered in person and via Skype in December for its fall meeting. The committee reviewed our recent Advocacy Conference and looked forward to our 2017 Bishop’s Legislative Luncheon and Issues Briefing on Jan. 31. The program budget for 2017 was adopted. The primary item on the meeting agenda was the review, discussion and adoption of the LAM-NM 2017 Advocacy Agenda.

2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES:

Affordable housing and homelessness.

Family-sustaining income.

Hunger.

Health care.

Tax policy.

Criminal justice.

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Ohio

Nick Bates, The Faith Coalition for the Common Good

hungernetohio.org

THE END OF 2016 SHOWS THAT OUR ADVOCACY DOES MATTER!

It is easy to see the impact of our charity work compared to advocacy work as a church. With our charity work, we can measure the number of volunteers, meals fed or homes built. Advocacy work often takes more time to see the impact.

In 2014, the Ohio Legislature passed a freeze of Ohio’s renewable energy standards. This was a major setback for clean energy job growth, congregations receiving assistance with energy audits, and Ohio’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

The faith community fought this energy freeze. Retired Bishop Marcus Lohrmann and Trinity Seminary President Rick Barger wrote Legislature leadership, speeches were given, and rallies were held. Even after these efforts, the two-year energy freeze still passed. The Legislature attempted to extend the freeze by three more years, but Ohio Gov. John Kasich vetoed that legislation in the final hours of 2016! The advocacy work in 2014 – and continued since – laid the foundation for that veto. We rejoice! (Photo: Marcus Lohrmann)

2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES:

The Ohio budget (including housing and emergency food assistance).

Payday lending (We won in 2008, but a loophole in the law was discovered in 2009)

Protect Medicaid expansion (700,000 Ohioans are benefiting from this one portion of Obamacare.)

And much more!

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Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy – Pennsylvania

lutheranadvocacypa.org

The Pennsylvania General Assembly began its 2017-2018 term on Jan. 3 with ceremonial swearing-in of newly elected lawmakers and election of leadership.

Allegheny County state Rep. Mike Turzai was elected to a second term as speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, while the Pennsylvania Senate re-elected Sen. Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, to serve as the chamber’s president pro tempore. There was no action on legislation.

The resignation of one Democratic representative on Tuesday gave Republicans the largest majority held by either party since the 1950s. The current House makeup is 121 Republicans, 81 Democrats.

In the Senate, the Republican caucus also grew to 34 of the 50 members – a veto-proof majority. That’s the largest majority held by either party since the GOP held 35 seats in 1949.

LAMPa 2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES:

As adopted by our Policy Council in December: (Click here for detailed agenda.)

HUNGER: Improved access to healthy, affordable food.

EDUCATION: Equity and adequacy in public education funding, access to high-quality pre-K.

POVERTY: Sustainable development, opposing payday lending, increasing minimum wage, safeguarding benefits, preventing homelessness.

HEALTH CARE: Expand and safeguard access to affordable health care, particularly mental health treatment to combat the opioid epidemic

CIVIL RIGHTS: Racial justice and prohibiting LGBT discrimination.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM: Justice re-investment, safe harbor for child victims of sex trafficking

CREATION JUSTICE: Watershed protection, climate change mitigation

IMMIGRATION: Creating a welcoming commonwealth, combating anti-sanctuary legislation.

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Texas

Samuel Brannon, Texas Impact

Texasimpact.org

Texas Impact will kick off the 85^th Legislative Biennium by hosting a Service of Public Witness on Jan. 10 at 10 a.m. on the south side of the state Capitol in Austin. The service will feature prayers and wisdom from leaders of diverse religious traditions about our shared responsibility to work together for the common good. (Parking)

The 2017 legislative session promises to be a time of high stakes and hard choices. It’s never been more important for people of faith to be informed and engaged. Starting Monday Jan. 16, and on each succeeding Monday at noon throughout the 140 days of the 85^th legislative session, Texas Impact will host a Weekly Witness event.

At these events, Texas Impact will hold a short, focused advocacy training in Murchison Chapel at First United Methodist Church, Austin. We – and often colleagues from our partner organizations – will present timely, insider information on a “focus issue of the day,” as well as updates and next steps on other issues that are on our legislative agenda.

Following the training, participants will make scheduled or unscheduled legislative visits with their legislators and other key members and sometimes attend committee meetings or take advantage of other timely opportunities.

On Jan. 16, April 17 and May 29, we will convene Weekly Witness in an alternate location in the Capitol Extension, E2.020 (Capitol reference map).

Sign up for Weekly Witness today!

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Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Acton Network

fanwa.org

2017 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: Washington’s Legislative Session begins on Jan. 9; the primary responsibility is to form the 2017-2019 Biennial State Budget, and to resolve a five-year  State Supreme Court case holding the Legislature responsible for sufficiently funding our K-12 school system. The governor’s proposed budget fully funds the K-12 system and a response to our mental health crisis with new revenue from a 1 percent increase in our business and occupation tax system, a tax on carbon emissions, and a tax on capital gains. Many predict that this proposed budget is dead-on-arrival, as our Legislature is almost evenly divided by party. There could be two to three special sessions after April’s constitutional adjournment to find a bipartisan solution to fund the K-12 and mental health systems.

During the session, FAN will have three part-time lobbyists working in our State Capital four days a week to push for the issues on our legislative agenda.

2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES INCLUDE:

A humane and sustainable biennial budget.

Policies that reduce wealth inequality and support human services.

Dismantling the culture of violence through criminal justice reform and gun safety bills.

Protecting affordable housing and preventing homelessness.

Sustaining Washington’s environment.

INTERFAITH ADVOCACY DAY: FAN staff is busily preparing for FAN’s Interfaith Advocacy Day in Olympia. We hope to bring 300 to 400 advocates from at least 40 of our 49 legislative districts to engage with speakers, workshops and caucuses by legislative district. Advocates will meet with their legislators and/or their staff and hear key legislators speak about current, critical issues in the Legislature. (Photo:  A caucus meeting at Interfaith Advocacy Day 2016)

INAUGURATION DAY EVENTS: FAN is supporting many gatherings and events on Jan. 20, but we will be prioritizing a gathering at Seattle’s largest synagogue that Friday evening, where the congregation is transforming their regular Shabbat service into a large, faith-based community rally and “rededication to values.”

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Wisconsin

Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin

Loppw.org

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION – WISCONSIN CLIMATE TABLE: Several Wisconsin groups that work on environmental issues held their first overnight retreat.

We began with a walk along the Ice Age Trail in Baraboo with a guided discussion about the noticeable changes in local wildlife over the last 100 years (See photos).

Dr. Curt Meine, an Aldo Leopold scholar and professor at UW-Madison talked about the importance of framing discussions about climate change within our history of Wisconsin conservationists and in a manner that doesn’t threaten to take away anyone’s pickup truck.  Along with Aldo Leopold, we can claim several other conservationists, such as Thomas Chamberlain, UW-Madison president (1887 to 1892), who was one of the first scientists to emphasize the role of carbon dioxide in regulating the earth’s temperature (See photo on the right column).

Meine shared the first time he heard climate change framed as a partisan issue.  In 1988 he heard Rush Limbaugh present “the other side” of the issue of climate change on “Nightline.”  Since then we have gotten stuck in that narrative.  But climate change isn’t something you believe or disbelieve in.  You accept data or have alternative data.

At the Aldo Leopold Center, we strategized. Most of us do statewide work but within our current political climate, we will also focus on local efforts. LOPPW recently signed on to a joint letter about renewable energy to a county executive, who has now asked his staff to create an initial solar plan.  LOPPW also integrates ideas for local grassroots efforts in our workshops.

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

Dennis Frado, Director

ANTÓNIO GUTERRES IS THE NEW UN SECRETARY-GENERAL: On Jan. 1, António Guterres began serving as the ninth secretary-general of the United Nations. Guterres is a Portuguese politician and diplomat. He was the prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002. From 1999 to 2005 he was president of Socialist International.

Between 2005 and 2015 he was the U.N. high commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).  During his tenure, he gave specific attention to the suffering of vulnerable people, particularly women and children in conflict zones. He is a strong supporter of the empowerment of women and named three women as his first appointments to senior posts in the Secretariat upon becoming secretary-general. While at UNHCR, he developed particularly good relationships and partnerships with civil society and NGOs. One example was working together with The Lutheran World Federation and other faith communities on the high commissioner’s dialogue on faith and protection, which culminated in “Welcoming the Stranger: Affirmations for Faith Leaders,” a declaration that draws upon principles and values of welcome that are deeply rooted in all major religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism.

FRANCE TO CONVENE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE JAN. 15 TO RELAUNCH THE (ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN) PEACE PROCESS: Following the Dec. 23 adoption of a U.N. Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories, French Ambassador François Delattre commented on his government’s plans to hold an international conference this month to relaunch the (Israeli-Palestinian) peace process.

“Like the Palestinians, the Israelis have a vital interest in peace, which can be based only on a two-state solution. That is the aim of the French initiative to try to relaunch the peace process. In that respect, following the important ministerial meeting of 3 June, France decided to organize an international conference on 15 January 2017 in Paris, whose goal will be to introduce the contributions of the international community to relaunch the negotiation process and conclude and implement a peace agreement. …The resolution that we have adopted today and the Paris international conference represent two sides of the same coin, both aimed at reiterating our shared attachment to the two-state solution and creating conditions conducive to that end. We hope that the resolution and the French initiative will be the first important steps towards relaunching a credible political process that we will need to pursue collectively in the weeks and months ahead.”  More than 70 governments are expected to attend. Israel has declined the invitation.

GLOBAL TERRORISM INDEX FINDS DEATHS FROM TERRORISM DECREASING: The Institute for Economics and Peace is an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit think tank with offices in Sydney, New York and Mexico City. Based on data from the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence led by the University of Maryland, the institute recently published “Global Terrorism Index 2016.”

Some selected key findings include:

Deaths from terrorism decreased by 10 pecent in 2015 to 29,376. This is the first decrease in the number of deaths recorded since 2010.  Of the last 16 years, the worst year for terrorism was 2014 with 93 countries experiencing an attack and 32,765 people killed.  Iraq and Nigeria had the biggest decreases with 5,556 fewer deaths (than 2014).

In countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, deaths from terrorism dramatically increased in 2015, rising by 650 percent when compared to 2014.  Since 2006, 98 percent of all deaths from terrorism in the US have resulted from attacks carried out by lone actors, resulting in 156 deaths.

In 2015 four groups were responsible for 74 per cent of all deaths from terrorism: the Islamic State group, Boko Haram, the Taliban and al-Qa’ida.  The Islamic State group surpassed Boko Haram as the deadliest terrorist group in 2015. It undertook attacks in 252 different cities in 2015 and was responsible for 6,141 deaths in the year.  Boko Haram had an 18 percent reduction in the number of people it killed in 2015, responsible for 5,478 deaths during the year.

LOWC 2017 ADVOCACY PRIORITIES:

Negotiations toward a global compact on migration.

Gender justice.

Supporting humanitarian action.

Sustainable development goals.

Peace in the Middle East.

Indigenous issues.

HIV and AIDS.

Children and youth.

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ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.

The Rev. Amy Reumann, Director

ELCA.org/advocacy

TRAFFICKING PREVENTION MONTH: January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. One of the ways you can help prevent human trafficking is by raising awareness. Share graphics and messages this month on Facebook and Twitter via #ELCAadvocacy, and share the Interfaith Toolkit on Human Trafficking. For further prayer and discernment, find out what the ELCA has to say about Human Trafficking by clicking here.

HOUSING AND ADVOCACY BLOG: Housing and homelessness issues didn’t garner much attention during the last presidential campaign, but rising housing costs stacked against leveled wages continue to put pressure on families across the country. Support through shelter ministries from congregations is becoming even more essential for those struggling in the community – and advocacy in 2017 can make a real difference in public dialogue. Read more on the ELCA Advocacy Blog.

MIGRATION AND AMMPARO: While it is still unclear how the new Congress and administration plan to tackle migration issues, many advocates are concerned about rumored policies that could harm children and families seeking safety outside of their countries of origin. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which ensures that most unaccompanied children are screened by a child-welfare expert for trafficking, will be up for reauthorization this year. This means that some of the protections it provides to vulnerable communities may be stripped. ELCA Advocacy will continue to be vigilant in following additional policies that may make it difficult for children and families seeking safety to be granted international protection in the U.S, such as changes to the asylum system or tougher border policies.

CHILD NUTRITION AND HUNGER UPDATE: 114th Congress did not reauthorize and update Child Nutrition programs last year, despite hard-fought legislation passed in the Senate Agriculture Committee. Lacking reauthorization, most of the old nutrition policies that fund school lunches and child-hunger programs will continue to run on autopilot, even though the law expired in 2015. As voiced by thousands of Lutheran advocates last year, these programs have much-needed room for expansion and improvement – and should be updated with common-sense improvements in 2017. Continue to follow the ELCA Advocacy updates and alerts as the new Congress prepares the critical legislative timetables.

 

Today’s blog post is from Laura Ferree, current seminarian and Leadership in Context student at Jacob’s Porch, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Laura shares her experience following the car and knife attack that took place on the OSU campus on Nov. 28, 2016.

 

On Monday November 28^th I was driving to the Columbus airport to pick up a friend when a NPR news broadcaster stated, “There is an active shooter being reported on Ohio State University’s campus”. My heart sank. My mind instantly raced to all the students I have come to know during my time as the Leadership in Context student at Jacob’s Porch, Ohio State’s Lutheran Campus Ministry. Through social media, we quickly determined that all of our students were safe but some were in buildings very close to the violent incident. As I went through my morning at Trinity Lutheran Seminary I knew that I needed to be at the Porch that night. My mind was racing about what kind of space we needed to create at the Porch when Grant Eckhart, the pastor at Jacob’s Porch, called. He told me that he was out of town but we agreed the Porch needed to be open. My heart sank once again.  I am only a seminary student. How did I have the qualifications to do this? With Grant’s trust and guidance, I felt prepared to enter ministry that day with students at the Porch knowing that the Holy Spirit would intercede when our sighs were too deep for words.

As soon as possible I went to the Porch and was greeted by students, but also by news crews and cameras. As the media buzzed around there was a deep sense of palpable anguish. Amid the distress and uncertainties, we created a sacred space of prayer and lament as we reflected on the events of that morning. The Porch is a place of vulnerability where people can simply be, and on this day of tragedy many people needed to just be.

On this day we turned to something we often do: light candles and place them in a sandbox cross remembering that Christ is the light of the world. We sit on cushions around this cross and turn to prayer remembering the promise that is in the cross, the promise of eternal life and forgiveness of our sins. Coming back to the cross in this way centers us on the promise of an everlasting light that extinguishes darkness which can be easily forgotten in times of tragedy.

The Porch is a place of refuge and rest, for our Christian family but also for the Muslim and Somali community. Due to the identity of the attacker our Muslim and Somali siblings were experiencing a threat to their safety. We are called to come together in love not hate and therefore we strive to make the Porch a safe space for all regardless of religion or nationality. On that chaotic afternoon, we found rest in each other and cried out to God to be our refuge and strength.

 

Jesus, compassionate Savior, send your Holy Spirit upon us to open our eyes and hearts to you and your love and grace.  May we see God the creator through you and serve you with joy.  By your power let us be lights to the nations inviting all we meet to come and see you and there to find acceptance, forgiveness and hope.  We ask this in your most holy name.  Amen.

Dennis Sepper, Burnsville, MN

 

Warm-up Question

Who do you see when you look at Jesus?  What words or titles do you use to describe Jesus?

Come and See…an Extremist?

April 16, 1963—Today is the Commemoration day of Martin Luther King, Jr on the Lutheran calendar (for the entire calendar see pages 15-17 in the Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal).  Tomorrow is a national holiday and our country pauses to remember the life, work and words of Dr. King who fought against race segregation and for civil rights and the dignity of African Americans and all people.  Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.

However, in 1963 Martin Luther King was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama for leading a non-violent protest against the direct order of city officials.  While in jail, King learned that many people, including pastors, had labeled him an “extremist” for defying the authority of government representatives.  In response to that label, on April 16, 1963, King wrote a letter to those pastors and the quote below (edited a bit for space) became famous.  Dr. King wrote:

But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Was not Amos an extremist for justice: “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like am ever-flowing stream.” Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Was not Martin Luther an extremist: “Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God.” So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?

Labels and titles matter.  They reveal what others see in us and how we see ourselves in the world.  They also reveal what we see in others.  There are a number of labels and titles for Jesus in today’s Scripture readings.

Discussion Questions

• Do you agree with Martin Luther King, Jr. that Jesus, Amos, Paul and Martin Luther were extremists?  Why or why not?
• What are some of the labels or titles you have?  Are you happy about them or not?  Why?

Second Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 49:1-7

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

John 1:29-42

(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

Last week we entered the season of the church year when our Gospel scriptures reveal more and more about who Jesus is and what Jesus’ mission and ministry will be going forward.  Today John the Baptist and Andrew share who they see Jesus to be, revealing more about Jesus’ identity.  John tells his followers and us that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away to sin of the world and that Jesus is the Son of God.  Andrew’s encounter with Jesus and with his brother Simon reveals that Jesus is a rabbi (teacher) and then the confession that Jesus is the Messiah.

John and Andrew arrive at these titles as they come into a relationship with Jesus.  John sees Jesus walking toward him and recognizes Jesus to be the one revealed to him by God.  Andrew is willing to follow Jesus and moves from calling him a teacher to realizing he is God’s Messiah.  Andrew invites his brother Simon to come and see Jesus and in Simon’s encounter with Jesus Simon’s name is changed to Peter (the rock).

It is the willingness to “come and see” Jesus, to follow Jesus and discover, by the Holy Spirit, who Jesus is and what Jesus is about in the world that assists us in saying who Jesus is and what titles we give Jesus.  Earlier in his Gospel the evangelist John writes “No one has ever seen God.  It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (John 1:18).  Then later in John’s Gospel Jesus says to the disciple Phillip, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).  To “see” Jesus in the Gospels and in the other books of the New Testament is to see God, to see God’s character and characteristics.

However our mission doesn’t end there for we are to be like Andrew, willing to invite others to come and see this Jesus, to invite them to come and follow Jesus.  This mission isn’t a burden but a joyful, exciting opportunity.  Like Andrew we can’t wait to share the fact that we see Jesus the Messiah, the Savior, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Martin Luther King, Jr. saw Jesus as a prophet of justice and a loving, non-violent reflection of God.  King shared that vision with others and invited them to come and see Jesus and the power of his servanthood to all humanity.  How Martin Luther King saw Jesus was reflected in his life and we remember him for the example he gives to us of God working through us for justice and racial equality along with compassionate service to others.

So get ready for the weeks ahead where Jesus will be revealed in the gospel texts.  Be willing to come and see as the story of Jesus unfolds and be ready to be inspired to invite others to come and see Jesus.

Discussion Questions

• Put yourself among the crowd on the banks of the river Jordan with John the Baptist.  What do you think the people made of John’s declaration that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and is the very Son of God?  Did they accept his testimony or do you think they had to see Jesus with their own eyes to believe what John was saying?  Why or why not?
• Think about who invited you to come and see Jesus.  Was it your parents?   A friend?  Your Pastor?  How did they put out that invitation?  What happened when you heard the call to come and see?
• In the warm up question we asked you to think about your titles for Jesus.  How have those titles guided your life and your service to others?

Activity Suggestions

Invite some people with titles (official titles or unofficial ones given them) and have them share how they came to have those titles and how those titles shaped how they see themselves.  Take time to prepare some questions and interview your guests.  (Author’s note:  my thanks to the Augsburg Fortress resource Sundays and Seasons for suggesting this type of activity.)

Closing Prayer

Jesus, compassionate Savior, send your Holy Spirit upon us to open our eyes and hearts to you and your love and grace.  May we see God the creator through you and serve you with joy.  By your power let us be lights to the nations inviting all we meet to come and see you and there to find acceptance, forgiveness and hope.  We ask this in your most holy name.  Amen.

 

 

 

Today’s blog post is from Jill Henning, Pastor of Faith Development at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lilburn, Georgia.

 

The day of Epiphany has become a special celebration within my congregation, Trinity Lutheran Church in Lilburn, Georgia.  In an area where most of the Christmas decorations are put away before the New Year and the world has grown a little darker without Christmas lights, we gather under a lit star to carry that light out into the world.  Several years ago we were able to find a battery operated star that we place on a long pole, then one of our youth is chosen to bear that light into the world.  We gather around the baptismal font with the star and pray that God might bless our homes and that we might be the light shining in our world. We hear again the passage from Matthew of the Magi’s journey to find the Christ child and then sing as we process to the front door of the church.  This door is marked with chalk, “20+CBM+17,” the year with the initials of “Christus Mansionem Benedicat” – May Christ Bless the House.

From the front door everyone is given a branch of evergreen and we sing “We Three Kings” as we process to our labyrinth to celebrate.  While traditionally the three gifts brought to the Christ Child were gold, frankincense and myrrh, at Trinity we bring our evergreen to be burned in a fire pit and everyone enjoys our own three gifts of Epiphany: graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate.  The night ends with the greens burned, the reading of John 1:1-4, 14, 16 and the making of s’mores.  In bleak, cold winter’s night light shines in the darkness and laughter fills the sky.  As pastor I get to enjoy my own tradition of seeing which of our youth can roast the perfect marshmallow, with me as the judge and official Epiphany taste tester.  For those unable to attend we also provide a home devotion so their homes can be blessed and marked for the New Year.

May your home be blessed this Epiphany and may your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

Brian Hiortdahl, Overland Park, KS

 

Warm-up Question

Whom do you trust?

Real or Fake

The news is in the news.  The president-elect has been critical of some established media, while the current president has been critical of so-called “fake news,” a phenomenon that has received a lot of recent attention, including this article (which may or may not be real):

A recent article in the Los Angeles Times  suggests that fake news is not new.  Andrew Tucher, a historian and journalism professor at Columbia University, notes that “Newspapers were very political in the early years of the republic,” Tucher said. “There was no understanding and no expectation that news should be impartial. News was the thing that expressed opinion.”

In our own day the problems seems to be that people have a hard time distinguishing fake news, partly because we are more likely to believe a lie if reinforces what we already believe.  “If a lie is telling you something you want to hear, you’re more likely to think it is true,”says Sharon Kaye, philosophy professor at John Carroll University.

Discussion Questions

• How do you determine what news sources are reliable?  What are your criteria for believing a story, or for sniffing out something made up?
• Is this the same or different with people who are speaking to you?
• What makes someone trustworthy?

Baptism of Our Lord

Isaiah 42:1-9

Acts 10:34-43

Matthew 3:13-17

(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

Matthew wants his readers to know that Jesus is the real deal.  Jewish history is full of what might be called “fake Messiahs,” and many in Matthew’s time (and since) would list Jesus in that category, because he did not match expectations.  Like a determined lawyer, Matthew is intent on proving that Jesus really is the Messiah, frequently citing the Jewish Scriptures (our Old Testament) to build his case.

One major piece of Matthew’s presentation is establishing Jesus’ authority as a rabbi, or teacher (and also fulfiller) of God’s law.  What makes a rabbi credible?  In his book Velvet Elvis:  Repainting the Christian Faith, Rob Bell explains:

Different rabbis had different sets of rules, which were really different lists of what they forbade and what they permitted.  A rabbi’s sets of rules and lists, which was really what that rabbi’s interpretation of how to live the Torah, was called that rabbi’s yoke….

Most rabbis taught the yoke of a well respected rabbi who had come before them….

Every once in a while, a rabbi would come along who was teaching a new yoke, a new way of interpreting the Torah.  This was rare and extraordinary.

Imagine:  A rabbi was claiming that he had a new way to understand the Scriptures that was closer to what God intended than the way of the rabbis who had come before him.  A new take on the Scriptures.

The questions would immediately be raised:  “How do we know this is truth?  How do we know this rabbi isn’t crazy?  One of the protections for the rabbi in this case was that two other rabbis with authority would lay hands on the rabbi and essentially validate him.  They would be saying, “We believe this rabbi has authority to make new interpretations.”  That’s why Jesus’ baptism was so important.  John the Baptist was a powerful teacher and prophet who was saying publicly that he wasn’t worthy to carry Jesus’ sandals.

“And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’”  A second voice affirmed Jesus’ unique calling.  The voice of God.  Amazing.  A Jewish audience reading Matthew’s account of Jesus’ baptism would pick up right away on Jesus’ getting the affirmation of two powerful voices.

If God says you’re legit, then you’re legit.  Jesus is the real deal.  The good news is not fake news.  God doesn’t say it because it’s true; it’s true because God says it.

This is also the good news of our own baptisms, where God affirms what some pastor who can’t carry Jesus’ sandals either has said:  that we also are God’s beloved children, connected to Jesus and given the same Spirit.  It must be true and trustworthy.  We are loved, because God says so.

Discussion Questions

• Why is it hard for some people to accept that Jesus is the Messiah?
• Who vouches for you?  Have you ever vouched for someone else?
• What authority and responsibility does your baptism give you?

Activity Suggestions

• Write a letter to your godparents.
• As a group, create a fake news story.  Go around the circle, with each person adding one new sentence to the last.  Edit and refine.  Is your story believable?  Why or why not?  Was the process fun?  In what ways can you see this possibility being abused?
• As a group, gather around a baptismal font or a bowl of water.  Dip in your fingers and mark one another’s forehead with the sign of the cross.  Speak a blessing:  “This is God’s son/daughter, the beloved, with whom God is well pleased!”

Closing Prayer

Voice of heaven, speak your love into our lives.  Teach us to trust you.  Help us to discern true from fake, in ourselves and in others.  Renew us in the covenant and calling of baptism, that we may please and serve you in all we do, in the name of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

John Hougen, Elkins Park, PA

 

Warm-up Question

Have you ever changed your opinion of someone after you got to know them? If so, was it because you found out the person had more or less in common with you?

Compassion For Our Own Kind

Recently, I was on a retreat where the leader combined two different meanings of “kind” to make the point that compassionate attitudes and actions can be motivated by a recognition of what we have in common with someone who, at first, seems “different” from us.

Kind (as an adjective) is defined as: “The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.” But, kind (as a noun) means: “A group of people or things having similar characteristics.” When we recognize that we “have similar characteristics” with someone who appears different, we are more likely to become “friendly, generous, and considerate” of them.

Today’s reading from Hebrews teaches us that as members of the human family, we all are brothers and sisters. We are “of the same kind,” and Jesus shares our “human-kindness.”

Hebrews 2: 14 -18 – “¹⁴ Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he (Jesus, the “pioneer of their salvation” vs 10) himself likewise shared the same things…. ¹⁶ For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. ¹⁷ Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters^[f] in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.”

Jesus’ compassion, according to this passage, was due in part to his becoming human, becoming one of us, able to identify with those who needed his healing, his teaching, his saving grace. In Matthew 25: 31 – 46, Jesus teaches us that when we feed, clothe, or visit someone in need, we are feeding, clothing, and visiting him—further emphasizing his identity as one of us: one who loves, suffers, finds courage, feels pain. He is part of the human family. Both today’s reading from Hebrews and verses 8 – 9 from the first reading (Isaiah 63) make God’s ability to identify with and relate to humanity the basis for God’s compassion and mercy towards us. Perhaps it is our ability to empathize, to identify with other people, that enables us to act compassionately toward them.

Discussion Questions

Do you believe that all members of the human family (all of humankind) are sufficiently alike that you can have compassion for them when they are in need? Or, are some people just too different to understand, too different to be treated with compassion?  What differences, if any, disqualify someone from receiving your compassion?

First Sunday of Christmas

Isaiah 63:7-9

Hebrews 2:10-18

Matthew 2:13-23

(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

Baby Jesus was a refugee.

Jesus was born into a part of the world plagued by terrorism: it still is. Matthew 2: 16 – 18 (from today’s Gospel reading) reports events that are paralleled in the same region of the world today.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a small town in Israel. The king of Israel, Herod, heard that a newborn was being called the “King of Israel.” Herod was afraid this child would grow up to be a threat to him and his royal family. When the Wise Men refused to identify this infant destined to be king (see Matthew 2: 1 – 15), King Herod ordered all the infants in and around Bethlehem to be killed. For the king, no atrocity was out of the question if it would save his throne, his power and his privilege.

Aleppo, Syria is only 330 miles north of Bethlehem, less than the distance from New York to Richmond or from San Francisco to Los Angeles.   Children in Aleppo are being slaughtered by bombs and troops sent by infuriated despots eager to stamp out threats to their power. The Bible story and today’s news are horribly similar.

Just as millions of Syrians have fled the civil war which has taken the lives of so many in their country, so too, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled the “Massacre of the Infants” ordered by King Herod. Matthew 2: 13 – 15 tells how the infant Jesus escaped King Herod’s slaughter: Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, was warned in a dream to flee to Egypt. He did, taking Mary and the Christ child to safety. In the first months of Jesus’ life, he became a refugee, finding safety in a foreign country. In our times, this scenario is echoed in the news day after day, year after year: refugees from one conflict after another seek safety in foreign lands.

Discussion Questions

• Do you know anyone who has been or is a refugee? From their experience or the experience of others you have heard about, share what you know of the challenges refugees face: in the homeland they left, during the journey to their new homes, and as they adjust to living in a strange land.
• Do you think welcoming refugees into your community is risky? Discuss; then go online to find: Infographic: The Screening Process for Refugee Entry into the United States. This website outlines what is done to reduce the risk to your community. Is this information surprising to you?

Activity Suggestions

Find out about an effort to resettle refugees in your area, and ask how you can help.

Closing Prayer

God – the Compassionate and Merciful: Give us the mind of Jesus, who did not count equality with You a thing to be exploited, but left his heavenly throne to become one of us.* As we, like Jesus, recognize our common humanity with those who seem different, turn our compassionate thoughts and feelings into actions. Give us a Jesus-like capacity to identify with those in need. Give us Jesus-like motivation and courage to reach out to them as we would like to be helped if we were in their shoes. In the name of Jesus, who became Someone like us … and like them. Amen.

*See Philippians 2: 4 – 11

Diciembre de 2016

Por la Revda. Elizabeth Eaton

Recuerdo mi hogar cuando era niña. Estaba en el lado oeste de Cleveland. Todavía sueño con él. Era un lugar donde me sentía a salvo, donde estaba mi familia. Y guardaba maravillosos recuerdos navideños. Después, cuando cursaba mi último año de universidad, mis padres se mudaron. El sueño de todos los residentes del lado oeste de Cleveland era vivir junto al lago. Y al fin lograron llegar a la orilla del Lago Erie. Pero mi hogar ya no estaba. De hecho, tuve que preguntar cómo dar con la casa de mis padres para visitarlos en las vacaciones de Navidad.

Todavía sueño con aquel hogar. Aún lo echo de menos. Todavía puedo ver exactamente cómo era. Y me doy cuenta que todos añoramos profundamente el hogar. En Navidad, creo que a la gente le resulta especialmente emotivo y profundo ese sentimiento. Muchos de nuestros villancicos y canciones hablan de estar en casa en Navidad y de lo difícil que es no poder hacerlo.

Luego recordé que María y José no estaban en su hogar para Navidad ese primer año. Estaban lejos de su casa, lejos de su gente. Se hallaban en Belén, lejos de Nazaret. Se debieron haber sentido muy desorientados.

Pero la verdad es que María y José estaban justamente en casa en Navidad porque el niño Dios estaba con ellos. Jesús es nuestro verdadero hogar. Esa es nuestra esperanza en Navidad y durante todo el año. Nunca estamos lejos de casa porque Cristo está a nuestro lado, tan cerca como nuestro propio aliento o nuestros propios latidos. Así que, donde quiera que se encuentren este año, querida iglesia, recuerden que Jesús está con ustedes y que están en casa esta Navidad.

¡Feliz Navidad!

Reverenda Elizabeth A. Eaton
Obispa presidente
Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en América

There is no Faith Lens this week.

 

The Nativity story is challenging to wrestle with at times. Often we describe a peaceful birth scene, in a manger, in the little town of Bethlehem. The promised savior is born and greeted by an awesome host of angels, shepherds and wise men. Yet, this story neglects some of the historical realities of Jesus’s birth. His parents, Joseph and Mary, weren’t visiting Bethlehem for fun; instead by decree of the Roman occupying force they were forced to return to Bethlehem to be counted in a census. A near-term Mary probably wasn’t enthusiastic about her multi-day journey. And while the biblical narrative suggests that Joseph and Mary could have afforded to have stayed at the inn there was no room and they were compelled to rest in a humble stable. Jesus enters the world not with plush amenities, but to a stable, away from his parents’ home. Shortly after his birth, he and his parents are forced to flee to evade his killing. The Nativity tells the story of a Jesus, who comes to us marginalized by circumstances and under the domination of an occupying power.

Our church has affirmed that working for justice with people on the margins is doing God’s will. As a Christian, I view this as a moral issue—one that often hits the most vulnerable hardest. People with and without housing alike are a part of our church.  We know that congregations and shelter ministries perform amazing work in direct service and support in our calling to love our neighbor. Using our voices for advocacy and calling for public change is another way to serve that calling.

Housing and homelessness didn’t garner a lot of attention during the last presidential campaign. After such a rancorous and polarizing election, many of the issues brought to the fore of the debates now seem to be charged by partisan grudges and political gridlock. Over the next several years, homelessness and unaffordable housing will inevitably draw our attention because housing costs continue to rise sharply and many of us will be forced to struggle even more to keep a roof over our heads.

There is a good chance that you’ve noticed the rising costs of housing already. If you’re feeling really burdened by a sharp mortgage or rent increase, you’re not alone. The stability of our housing infrastructure is starting to fall apart around us. While the U.S. economy is still growing, spiking housing costs and leveled wages across the country are increasing instability for many hard-working families. This should concern us.

Affordable housing programs are often the best tools local governments can use to help people get off the street and back into a supportive community. They work remarkably well, and offer people with limited opportunity a chance to rise out of poverty. But housing programs are often the very last to see any increases in federal investment;   because of this, the cycle of poverty continues.

The support of shelter ministries by congregations is becoming even more essential for those struggling in the community. People of faith can also be instrumental in bringing leaders together. The people in our pews are Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. In a time when polarization raises barriers and reduces bipartisan communication, religious communities are uniquely equipped to be a bridge between two sides. Lawmakers care deeply about the work and needs of centers of worship in their districts, and must hear from their constituents that poverty is a critical issue.

So what should we do right NOW? We can begin by committing to public engagement and bringing more people into public life in the new year. It is never too soon to get involved.  Here’s how:

• Write emails to your lawmakers and urge them to get ready for work on housing. There are several was the new White House Administration and Congress could make a difference by addressing housing issues in 2017—This can start by passing a national budget that supports the most vulnerable.
• Find friends in your congregation and encourage them to connect with their lawmakers. The more people who express to their lawmakers the importance of working to improve homelessness the more likely the impact.
• Stay up-to-date on housing and poverty issues as they come through Congress by joining the ELCA Advocacy Network.

At the start of the Christmas story, Jesus began his life without a place to call home. He was not only our Savior, but also a teacher and an advocate. Jesus comes this Christmas not just for the healthy, but for the sick and those who need his embrace most. As we renew ourselves this Advent in the message about the amazing power of God’s redeeming love, I hope together we can rediscover that strong Biblical tradition and reflect on what we are freed through Christ to do in the coming year. If you are interested in engaging further on this issue and connect with other advocates, contact us on social media, or at washingtonoffice@elca.org. In the meantime, I wish you a very blessed Christmas, and start of the new year.