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The Sundays and Seasons worship planning guide provides comprehensive planning helps for the entire year, including weekly and seasonal content for readings, prayers, preaching, children’s participation, environment and song.

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By Ruth Ivory-Moore

Visiting the beautiful area of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic this past September brought competing emotions of extreme joy and anguish.  The Facts and Information Sheets  found on the internet tell you that “it is the most sought after tourist destination of the Caribbean and known for its beautiful and pristine beaches. The beaches are lined with an alley of dense palm trees.”  The resort advertisement describes our destination as being located on  “the luxurious Bávaro Beach, where exquisite white sand, lush vegetation and palm trees sparkle beside crystal clear waters.”

Upon reaching the resort, I visually and mentally validate the fact sheets and advertisements. The beauty is unparalleled. You walk into tranquility which is enhanced by soft, serene music as one travels about the resort.  Venturing to the beach, you hear the waves, and feel the ocean breeze as you watch families jumping waves as the tides come in; and you see parasailers soaring through sky taking advantage of the ocean breeze. One marvels at God’s creation and how we appear to be living seamlessly within it.

However, you cannot go to a place like this and not, at a minimum, explore the coastline or walk the beach.  As you pass other vacationers and other resorts you continue to be lulled into this sense of near perfection.  If you walk far enough you see, not lush palm trees, but the waves from the ocean beating against the shoreline and against palm trees with exposed roots—a picture of the impact of climate change. (Photo by Chuck Moore (Random Snaps Photography)

There are no adequate words to describe, how this visual image makes one feel.  And coastline erosion is not limited to Caribbean resorts.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency  predicts that “the impacts of climate change are likely to worsen problems that coastal areas already face along the coast of the United States which is home to approximately 25 million people. Confronting existing challenges that affect man-made infrastructure and coastal ecosystems, such as shoreline erosion, coastal flooding, and water pollution, is a concern in many areas.” Addressing the stress of climate change require a global effort incorporating new approaches to managing land, water, waste, and ecosystems.

As stewards of creation, we remain hopeful and prayerful.  2016 is likely to be remembered for its significance.  On October 26, 2016, the US State Department climate envoy, Jonathan Pershing noted in an address to the Atlantic Council that the world had made historic progress recently in combating harmful warming. (Photo: Since 1901, global sea levels have risen approximately eight inches)

First at least 85 countries have already ratified the Paris Agreement (PA), allowing it to take effect years earlier than expected.  The Paris Agreement (which will go in force on November 4, 2016) sets a long-term goal of keeping postindustrial warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius with efforts toward a 1.5 C limit.¹  To reach this goal parties to the PA must submit Nationally Determined Contributions (“NDCs”) describing how each nation will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to contribute to the global goal.     Second, at the Meeting of the Parties in Kigali, Rwanda, in early October, an amendment to the Montreal Protocol was agreed upon to phase-out hydrofluorocarbons (heat trapping chemicals used in air conditioning and refrigeration). Earlier on October 6 the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) approved the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) which is a system for offsetting carbon emissions from international aviation.  This is the first market-based measure to require a global industry to address reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Much work remains and COP22 meets in Marrakech, Morocco from November 7 – 18. During which parties to the PA will begin hammering out implementation rules/guidelines.. As a member of the larger faith-based community in Morocco, ELCA Advocacy remains vigilant and diligent in our care and protection of God’s creation.  We prayerfully and diligently seek His wisdom and guidance in all actions, and remember that all things are connected. As humans, we are woven into the delicate web of creation. We must stay focused on our responsibility as stewards of all creation. Martin Luther reminds us that “God is in all creatures, even in the smallest flowers.”

1         Jean Chemnick, ”PARIS AGREEMENT:  Climate envoy sees ‘shift’ in global response to warming, E&E News, Published: Wednesday, October 26, 2016.

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

As people of faith, we can play a unique role in this election cycle by empowering every voice in our communities and offering a hope-filled vision of the future for all people. We vote faithfully because we know the importance of lifting our voices together to further God’s work in our world.

This Election Day – November 8, 2016…

KNOW WHERE TO VOTE. Research the candidates and any ballot measures that you will be asked to vote on. Also, go prepared with a full understanding of your state’s voter ID requirements. Click here, then enter your address for more information!

EQUIP YOURSELF WITH VOTER PROTECTION TOOLS. Make sure you know where to turn for help if any problems occur when casting your ballot. Check out the United Church of Christ’s election protection resources.

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO VOTE. Share photos of your civic engagement experience using #VoteFaithfully and #ELCAvotes!

PRAY TOGETHER WITH YOUR COMMUNITY. Join people of faith across the country and around the world by praying for our local, state, and national governments.

Almighty God, we lift before you all who govern this nation. May those who hold power understand that it is a trust from you to be used, not for personal glory or for profit, but for the service of the people. Drive from us cynicism, selfishness, and corruption; grant in your mercy just and honest government; and give us grace to live together in unity and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Lutheran Book of Worship, p.77)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH & GENDER JUSTICE: In October, ELCA Advocacy encouraged advocates and partners to take the We Will Speak Out pledge to stand in solidarity with those facing gender-based violence. ELCA Advocacy is dedicated to supporting this church’s commitment to address the systems that perpetuate gender and racial inequality. To better understand how the ELCA speaks about gender justice and the ways we can address policy issues with a gender-justice lens, help share Lutheran social teachings and the work of the ELCA’s Justice for Women team as we prepare future advocacy with gender justice as a major focus. Read more here.

PARIS AGREEMENT UPDATE: The Paris Agreement will go into force on Nov. 4, years earlier than expected when it was adopted in December 2015. Ruth Ivory-Moore, the Environmental Policy Director for ELCA Advocacy, will be present at the United Nations COP 22 meeting that will discuss the next implementation steps for the agreement. Eighty-five countries already have ratified the agreement, and the United States also helped the United Nations reach agreement on other key measures addressing aviation emissions and hydrofluorocarbons coolants. The Paris Agreement sets a long-term goal of keeping post-industrial warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. The success of these negotiations means much work remains.

PRAYER ON EXPANDED WAR: The 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly issued a call for congregations to a “time of prayer and communal discernment over the next three years to promote robust examination of the expanded US war efforts since 1990.” We are invited to continue to pray for military members, veterans, chaplains and their families, and for peace in God’s world. Reach out to your elected officials and candidates to raise this important issue! Read more here.

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

Dennis Frado, director

INFORMAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS: Five elected members of the Security Council held an informal meeting of the council members on Oct. 14, titled “Illegal Israeli Settlements: Obstacles to Peace and the Two-State Solution.” Security Council members were briefed by non-governmental experts on the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories.

A representative from B’Tselem spoke of the current demolition of Palestinian homes and presented a concise history of the almost 50 years of Israeli occupation. Professor Dubuisson spoke of the importance of Israeli civil-society mobilization and advocated for economic solutions. Friedman highlighted the deteriorating state of Israeli democracy, demonstrated by an “ugly campaign against courageous Israeli human rights and civil society NGOs.” She added that the occupation is a “threat to Israel’s security and to Israel’s very existence.” In response, the U.S. representative said his government adamantly opposed Israeli settlement activity and the retroactive legalization of settlements. Spain advocated for increased humanitarian assistance and development initiatives in Palestine, while France discussed the French initiative for a dual state negotiation, proposing an end-of-year conference for dialogue. The concept note providing a background on Israeli Settlements can be found here.

WORLD FOOD DAY LOOKS AT CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE: In celebration of World Food Day, Oct. 16, LOWC program associate Charlotte Mildenberger attended a discussion titled, “Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.” Climate change poses immense challenges to the world’s 500 million smallholder farms. In that regard, empowering rural women and girls is vital.

THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT ACTIONS IN MIGRATION AND REFUGEE SITUATIONS: On Sept. 29, Charlotte Mildenberger attended an event titled, “The Transformative Power of Early Childhood Development Actions in Migration and Refugee Situations” in New York. Information was shared based on a neuroscience symposium organized by UNICEF on April 16, 2014.  Three panelists discussing the findings of 16 leading international scientists from different fields of neuroscience took part in the symposium.

LUTHERAN-CATHOLIC COMMON PRAYER: On Oct. 27, the Lutheran Office of World Community and Caritas Internationalis in New York co-hosted a service of Common Prayer. The event was in advance of the joint commemoration of the Reformation in Lund, Sweden, on Oct. 31 and reflected on the progress made in 50 years of international Catholic-Lutheran dialogue. The service was in the chapel of the Church Center for the United Nations, and many ecumenical advocacy partners attended. Staff from LOWC and Caritas Internationalis read excerpts from the Common Prayer: “From Conflict to Communion: Lutheran-Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017.” The service was accompanied by ecumenical musical worship and the lighting of candles for the five imperatives outlined in “From Conflict to Communion.”

California

Mark Carlson, Lutheran Office of Public Policy

loppca.org

NOV. 8 ELECTION: Ballot propositions dominate the attention of LOPP-CA through Election Day; Policy Council priorities and recommendations, including the death penalty, sentencing reform and a single-use plastic bag ban, are at loppca.org.

EVENTS: LOPP-CA Director Mark Carlson attended the Sierra Pacific Synod professional leadership conference with an election information table and led a small break-out group on ballot measures. He attended the installation of Pacifica Synod Bishop Andy Taylor, followed by the Theoasis conference, which also included Southwest California Synod leaders. Mark tabled and led election workshops at the Women of the ELCA convention of the Southwest California Synod and will attend the Pacifica Women of the ELCA convention. Following an LOPP-CA Policy Council meeting in Glendale, Mark and ELCA Domestic Policy Director John Johnson attended the New City Parish gala and worshiped at St. Mark’s Lutheran in Los Angeles, where Mark did an election forum.

CARE FOR CREATION: Mark helped plan and participated in a Lutherans Restoring Creation statewide retreat for about a dozen people at Luther Glen Camp and farm.  The event concluded with an environmental justice-focused visit, initiated by LOPP-CA, to Central City Lutheran Mission in San Bernardino. Mark was a panelist with an Environmental Protection Agency lawyer, and Mark Richardson, president and dean of the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, for an event that included the blessing of their solar panels. The former presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori, and theologian Cynthia Moe-Lobeda keynoted.

NOT IN OUR TOWN: On his own time while in Lindsborg, Kan., for the memorial service for his aunt at Messiah Lutheran Church, Mark showed the film “Not in Our Town – When Hate Happens Here,” the first community event in response to the racist threats to Bethany College President Will Jones, his family and Bethany students.

Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Colorado

lam-co.org

IN THE NEWS: LAM-CO Director Peter Severson recently moderated a debate about Colorado’s Amendment 69, hosted by Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Littleton. Speakers both for and against the measure spoke in a debate format and took questions from an audience of nearly 50 people. Amendment 69, also known as ColoradoCare, is a measure that proposes to establish a nearly-universal state health insurance system to cover all residents of Colorado. The debate was covered by The Lakewood Sentinel newspaper. Pictured: Peter Severson (center) moderated as Freddie Gaudet (right) spoke against Amendment 69, while Dr. Ellen Lewis (left) spoke on the pro side. [Photo: Kyle Harding, The Lakewood Sentinel]

BALLOT MEASURE VIDEOS: Students at the University of Colorado-Boulder Lutheran Campus Ministry joined LAM-CO Director Peter Severson to make a series of videos on Colorado’s ballot measures. Check them out at The Magic November 8^th Ball.

MINISTRY VISITS: The LAM-CO show has been on the road for the past several weeks, teaching and engaging voters about ballot measures. Visits include all three Lutheran campus ministries in Colorado (CSU, UNC, CU-Boulder) as well as churches in Aurora and Wheat Ridge.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SYNOD ADVOCACY TRAINING: On Oct. 8, Lutheran Advocacy staff from Colorado, New Mexico and Washington, D.C., hosted a day of advocacy training for congregational leaders from seven congregations. The purpose of the day was equipping and training leaders to develop advocacy teams in their local communities.

Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota

tammy@lcppm.org

CLEAN ENERGY: Lutheran Advocacy-MN Director Tammy Walhof became co-convener of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership’s Energy Cluster this fall. The cluster is considering more than a dozen legislative options for 2017, and Tammy is helping guide an open and participatory decision-making process. She also participated in RE-AMP Midwest area meetings for coal, clean energy and the power sector and continues to learn more about the workings of the electric grid in preparation for continued work in energy issues.

IMMIGRATION: Issues around race and immigration continue to plague parts of Minnesota. This has become more difficult to address and combat since the St. Cloud mall stabbings by a Somali immigrant. Current political rhetoric only inflames the situation further. Although immigration has been a key issue for Lutheran Advocacy-MN in 2016, new approaches to immigration, including and especially Muslim immigration, will be needed for 2017.

ORGANIZATION BUILDING: Several excellent networking and presentation opportunities have arisen for Lutheran Advocacy-MN this fall, through separate events with pastors of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod and Saint Paul Area Synod, as well as with Minnesota congregations.

WANTED FOR SPRING SEMESTER 2017: This spring, I’d like two interns to work with creation care and affordable housing. If anyone is interested, please have them contact me at tammy@lcppm.org.

New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – New Mexico

lutheranadvocacynm.org

The 2016 special session of the New Mexico Legislature concluded on Oct. 6. A special session was needed to address the severe revenue crisis facing our state. The last two fiscal years were underfunded by at least $600 million and the state constitution mandates that state budgets be balanced. Unfortunately, the governor also included several crime bills on her agenda for the session. Included among those crime bills is one to reinstate the death penalty. Several bills that partly addressed the budget were passed and signed but the regular session in January will continue to face a severe budget deficit. Meanwhile, all the crime bills failed to pass, including reinstatement of the death penalty.

LAM-NM Director Ruth Hoffman testified before a joint meeting of the interim Legislative Health and Human Services Committee and the Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee. The committees heard an extensive presentation regarding solitary confinement, and in her testimony, Ruth urged the committees to endorse legislation to prohibit the use of solitary confinement for juveniles and the severely mentally ill and to limit its use for the general population of prisons and jails.

Ohio

Nick Bates, The Faith Coalition for the Common Good

Nick@HungerNetOhio.org

Ohio continues to have the true swing-state experience with local, state and national candidates crisscrossing the state. During the push to persuade and turn out voters, the Hunger Network in Ohio continues to address the problems of those who are hungry and struggling to get by. Director Nick Bates visited two “Potlucks to End World Hunger” events on World Food Day (Oct. 16) to discuss the importance of statehouse advocacy. The following weekend, we were honored to be one of the beneficiaries of Clinton Heights Lutheran Church’s bi-annual chili and candidates night free-will offering. The other half went to support Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio.

As the campaign season ends, we have the obligation to help those elected to lead. On Nov. 17, The Hunger Network will host an advocacy day at the Ohio Statehouse. While everyone else wants to talk about the holidays, we want to “TALK TURKEY” about those who are hungry in Ohio. Please join us by registering here.

For more information about advocacy work in Ohio, visit hungernetohio.org.

Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy – Pennsylvania                             

lutheranadvocacypa.org

As the General Assembly wrapped up its voting session, the hoped-for vote on Safe Harbor stalled, but advocates can take consolation in other items that did not become law.

SAFE HARBOR: SB851 would have redirected child sex-trafficking victims away from the criminal justice system and toward the help they need.

PAYDAY LENDING: Sponsors called SB1379 a financial services credit ladder, but it was another high-cost borrowing trap. Introduced with just days left in the session, LAMPa and others responded with letters to lawmakers.

ANTI-SANCTUARY LEGISLATION: HB 1885 would have punished municipalities for refusing to honor requests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain undocumented immigrants. LAMPa advocates urged defeat.

REGULATORY REVIEW ACT AMENDMENT: SB 562, which would have amended the Regulatory Review Act to allow the General Assembly to delay any regulation promulgated by the executive branch, was vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf.

In other items, LAMPa staff presented on hunger and climate change at a SWPA Synod Hunger Gathering led by Mikka McCracken; met with Human Services Secretary Ted Dallas about detention of immigrant mothers and children at the Berks Residential Facility; met with leaders of Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries in Altoona about strengthening our ministry together; circulated a letter among ministries urging Gov. Wolf to include appropriate support for anti-hunger programs in his 2017-2018 budget; attended the Region 8 Networks for Mission Event; and attended the Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light annual conference.

Texas

Samuel D. Brannon, Texas Impact

texasimpact.org

Six years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, uninsured rates across the U.S. have dropped significantly, but Texas leads the nation in both the number of and percent of uninsured residents. Nearly a million Texans are caught in the “coverage gap” – making too little to qualify for federal subsidies or too much to qualify for Medicaid.

Like many other people of faith, Lutherans are concerned about the politicization and polarization of something as important as healthcare, which is central to our identity as Christians. After all, our Savior was a healer. We want to engage in meaningful, nonpartisan discussion about the future of healthcare in our state.

On Nov. 18-20 (Christ the King Sunday), Texas Impact is coordinating with scores of faith communities across the state to hold a Health Justice Sabbath. During the event, congregations will join in prayer, study, and action for the sake of a better conversation around health care that is above politics.

Everyone is encouraged to do what they think appropriate for their context. For instance, the Rev. Franz Schemmel of Messiah Lutheran in Weatherford plans to hold an adult forum after Sunday worship. The Rev.  Paul Bailie of Iglesia Luterana San Lucas in Eagle Pass will conduct a service of healing, after which the congregation will write letters of support to their state legislator and senator.

All Texas congregations are encouraged to take part in the Health Justice Sabbath. Please go to abovepoliticstx.org for information and resources to make your congregation’s event both meaningful and impactful.

Virginia

Kim Bobo, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy

virginiainterfaithcenter.org

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) continues to target certain legislative districts where senators or delegates currently oppose expanding healthcare coverage by meeting with constituents to discuss how the lawmaker might be persuaded. Meanwhile, several Virginia cities have passed resolutions calling on the General Assembly to accept federal dollars available for Medicaid expansion, something that is part of the VICPP toolbox.

If you want to get a great primer on healthcare issues in Virginia, particularly around the coverage gap, watch VICPP Healthcare Program Director Karen Cameron talk with Delegate Richard “Dick” Plum from Virginia’s 36th District. This will give you everything you need to know and shows how citizen action can influence positive change in Virginia’s General Assembly.

A group of citizens assembled in front of Virginia Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment’s office in Williamsburg on Oct. 17 for a prayer vigil to call on Norment and the rest of the General Assembly to hear the prayers for Virginians trapped in the healthcare coverage gap. A statement released to the media and posted on the VICPP website said the reason for the gathering was “because Norment has refused to participate in open forums or in personal conversations about affordable and accessible healthcare for all Virginians, about 30 frustrated people from diverse religious, racial and ethnic backgrounds brought the message to him with placards and offering testimony of the impact of not having health insurance.” The group prayed for Norment and the rest of the Legislature.

VICPP is also planning to have a “witness at the Capitol” team of retired clergy to monitor and meet with legislators during the General Assembly session in January.

Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Action Network

fanwa.org

ELECTION SEASON: Faith Action Network (FAN) is proud to have hosted and organized three candidate forums in politically strategic state legislative district races and two forums on the five statewide initiatives on which FAN took positions (minimum wage increase–yes; gun violence reduction–yes; overturn Citizens United–yes; campaign finance reform–yes; carbon tax with tax offset–neutral). Alongside the initiative forums, FAN produced an initiative guide as well as a civility statement from our Interfaith Leaders Council for those running for office.

CLUSTER GATHERINGS: FAN has 16 geographic clusters of faith communities across our state that convene once a year in the fall. The purpose is to build relations between the FAN faith communities in that cluster and deepen the effectiveness of FAN’s work.  The conversation has two parts: updates on FAN’s programmatic work and updates on the advocacy work that the faith communities are doing. 

ANNUAL DINNER: FAN’s big end-of-the-year fundraising dinner is Nov. 20. Our keynote speaker will be a local rabbi: Ruth Zlotnick from Temple Beth Am in Seattle. FAN’s major donor has upped his match from last year! Our attendance goal is 450. If you can’t come but would like to support the work of FAN, you can participate by donating online at fanwa.org. 

INTERIM MEETINGS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS: FAN has been busy doing its annual interim meetings with state legislators, members of Congress, and city/county council members. Advocates by district have been attending; as of this week we’ve completed 34 meetings.

Wisconsin

Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin

loppw.org

ECONOMIC JUSTICE AND ELCAVOTES:  LOPPW has developed a new presentation based largely on the book “Forgotten Luther – Reclaiming the Social-Economic Dimension of the Reformation,” edited by Carter Lindberg and Paul Wee; materials from ELCAvotes; and realities about poverty in Wisconsin. LOPPW’s director led part of the presentation when co-leading a workshop on hunger with the Rev. Ellie Russey at a Northern Great Lakes Synod event. The director led the full presentation at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in the Greater Milwaukee Synod on Reformation Sunday.

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION:   The LOPPW/South-Central Synod Care for God’s Creation team has a new presentation, the science part of which was developed by one of our team members, meteorologist Bob Lindmier. Bob led a presentation with the new PowerPoint at a congregation on Reformation Sunday.

LUTHERAN SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AT CHICAGO:  LOPPW’s director spoke on a panel about her journey as a woman and lesbian in leadership and led a workshop on anti-human trafficking at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago’s Women’s Leadership Conference.

ADVOCACY DAY:  LOPPW is working with several interfaith groups to hone priorities for Advocacy Day in 2017.

Today’s post is from Angela Storer, Pastor of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Alliance, Ohio.

Abiding Savior will still be lighting candles, but also celebrating homecoming.

For All Saints, Sunday, we are intentionally inviting anyone who has worshiped with us in the past ten years for Homecoming.  A former pastor is coming back as our preacher, and the current pastor is presiding.  With all of this in mind, we have added elements to our worship to our worship with a Homecoming theme in mind.

At the beginning of worship, we will have an extended welcome.  We give God thanks for all of the people who have been a part of our ministry.  The pastor lifts up each group of people and the congregation responds by giving thanks to God.  Our prayer of the day intentionally lifts up our ministry and all of those who have been a part of it throughout the years.  Following the Hymn of the Day, we will have the traditional lighting of candles in the remembrance of the saints who have gone before us.

John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Question

If you woke up from a 30-year coma and turned on the news, what do you think would surprise you most about the world today?

Working Together Despite Disagreement

On Tuesday, November 8, Americans will go to the polls to vote elect a new president.  Whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is elected, chances are that at least 40% of the country will be bitterly disappointed with the result.  Sadly this election season may have set a new record for mean-spirited exchanges, dirty tactics and vocalized anger.  Instead of offering solutions for how we might feed the hungry, lift up the poor, or work for peace in the world, the campaigns have focused on personal attacks, on lifting up negative news about our country, and on reinforcing partisanship.  If one estimate is correct, our country will have spent $5 billion dollars on this campaign season which has sowed seeds of division and highlighted the worst traits of our political system.

Regardless of who wins the election, there are real issues in our country which need to be addressed.

• How do we provide assistance to those who are unemployed or underemployed?
• How do we lift up those without a voice who are left out of mainstream life?
• How do we work for racial equality and erase socio-economic segregation?
• How do we create safe communities for all citizens and safe working conditions for those who serve and protect others?
• How do we prioritize governmental functions like protection, infrastructure, and social services?
• How do we care for those who are sick in mind, body, or spirit?

The answers to these questions and hundreds of others will be hard to find, but one thing is sure, they will not be found without cooperation and compromise.

The campaign we just experienced and the last 30 plus years of political discourse have created an “us verses them” mentality in the political realm, but regardless of which political party you support, you and I are each citizens of the same country, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, and brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.   We may not all agree about tax rates, military budgets, or health care, but if we commit to working together, to showing love to our enemies, to offering kindness in the face of hate, and to treating others the way we want to be treated, then despite our disagreements we can began to seek the common good and build up the whole community.

Discussion Questions

• Would you ever consider going into politics? Why or why not?
• If you could change one thing about our political system, what would it be?
• If you had 5 billion dollars to spend to make the world better, how would you invest it?

All Saints Sunday

Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18

Ephesians 1:11-23

Luke 6:20-31

(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

During his ministry, Jesus encountered plenty of opposition.  Some religious leaders saw him as a threat and disagreed with his teaching.  Some political leaders worried that he might start a rebellion.  Some neighbors were stirred to anger by his words and refused to hear him.  In his place, you or I might have given up on our mission, but not Jesus.  Jesus continues to speak God’s Word in the face of opposition – lifting up a vision of God’s kingdom and calling God’s people to faithfulness.  Jesus words may not have always made him friends, but they provided hope, inspired introspection, and offered a better way forward for the world.

For those who were struggling in life, the hope Jesus proclaimed was undeniable. “Blessed are you who are poor,” Jesus said, “for yours is the kingdom of God.”(Luke 6:20)  In that time, kingdoms weren’t for the poor.  Kingdoms were for the rich and the social elite and if you weren’t born into money or status, it was virtually impossible to change you station in life.  Jesus, however, makes it clear that God’s kingdom welcomes the poor and the outcast, not just the rich and well-connected.  God’s kingdom is a place where all are on equal footing and welcomed to God’s table of grace.  For the poor, the weeping, the reviled, and the excluded in this life Jesus is essentially reaching out with loving arms, embracing them and helping them  know they are loved by God.

For those who are rich and prosperous, Jesus’ words invite introspection and repentance.  “But woe to you who are rich,” Jesus says, “for you have received your consolation.” (Luke 6:24)  In that time if you were wealthy, it was thought to be a sign that God favored you.  Jesus, however, offers a different interpretation.  Wealth, Jesus seems to be saying, is fleeting, so if you have invested your whole heart in simply accumulating and enjoying the riches of this world, then you have invested poorly.  Instead of investing your heart in worldly wealth, invest in building a relationship with God and in sharing the gifts you have been given.  The abundance of God eternal kingdom far exceeds what you can accumulate for yourself in this world.

Interestingly, Jesus follows his words of hope and his call for repentance by offering advice for all of God’s people to help them live more effectively in relationship with one another.  Love your enemies,” Jesus says, “do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. . . . Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:27-28, 31).  Worldly kingdoms and political parties may try to eliminate their enemies, may speak out against those who disagree with them, and may strike back against those who oppose them, but God’s kingdom is different.  Whether you see yourself on the “blessed” side of the equation or the “woe” side of the equation, Jesus suggests that the way forward in life is love, not hate; generosity, not selfishness; prayer, not retribution.

The problems in our world today are complex. The division between groups is deep, but if we can commit to following Jesus’ advice and treating others the way that we want to be treated, then perhaps we can start to make progress in building both healthier, stronger relationships with one another and a healthier, better world for all God’s people.

Discussion Questions

• When you are facing problems, where do you find hope and help?
• Loving your enemy is hard. What does it look like for you to love your enemy?  What does it look like for a country to love its enemy?
• How do you want others to treat you at school, at church and at home? Give one example of how you might treat someone in the way that you want to be treated.

Activity Suggestions

• Circle of Complements:

Option 1: Have the group sit in a circle and invite each person to offer a complement to the person next to them.  If the group doesn’t know each other well, you might need to prompt that you could offer one positive statement about the other person’s appearance.

Option 2: Have the group sit in a circle and invite each person to offer one positive statement about themselves.  Encourage the group to affirm and support the statements.

• Declare Random Act of Kindness Day:

Invite the members of the group to undertake one random act of kindness per day for an entire week. Encourage the group to be prepared to talk about what they did and how it made them feel the next time the group gathers.

Closing Prayer

Loving God, we give you thanks for your presence with us in times of joy and in times of need.  Be with our country as we prepare for the presidential election.  Regardless of the results, help us all seek ways to work together to build up the whole community.  Inspire each of us, by your love and by Jesus’ teachings, to care for one another and to treat others as we would like to be treated.  Amen.

Today’s post is from Mary Shaima, Diaconal Associate at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Encinitas, California. 

In early October, I cleared the decks for two days to travel to Denver for the first of the “Strong Center, Open Door” events commemorating the 10^th anniversary of the publication of Evangelical Lutheran Worship.  The event not only celebrated the anniversary – it also reminded us of our baptismal identity and how that continues to form and re-form us for service in the world through worship.

As a candidate for the roster of Ministry of Word and Service, I’m all about baptismal identity.  My diaconal project explored the question of how worship is one of the primary places God’s Holy Spirit shapes us to be sent to love our neighbor, and that all begins with our baptism.

One of the most useful aspects of our time together was the reminder to look and listen for those things that made a deep impression on us.  What might we take back to our own synods or congregations to put into practice?  We heard not only specific ideas, but broad concepts.  Here are just a few:

*Think of baptism not only as promise, but invitation – of/to a future that is already and not yet, just as water exists for us in an already/not yet way.

*What are areas of life together that could benefit from an affirmation of baptism?  Blessing for a mission trip might be one.  Perhaps a couple could incorporate some symbol of baptism into their wedding (Luther has a lot to say about marriage as vocation!).

*Think of the ordo – the order of worship, specifically Gather-Word-Meal-Send, as a skeleton onto which are added a variety of options (muscles, ligaments, fat).  Sometimes the resulting body is full and corpulent (Easter) and other times it might seem lean (Lent).  What seasons or events might suggest different “body types” of worship?

*What do the lessons say?  What images are in the day’s scripture?  How do those relate to our contextual environment?

The plenary sessions (“Strong Center”) and the workshops (“Open Door”) both emphasized the importance (and the fun!) of a deep examination of all the elements of our worship.  They also reminded us that while Evangelical Lutheran Worship is considered the church’s core resource, there are literally countless resources available online from all over the world that can be new wineskins for us.  This is reformation in its truest sense – holding what we know to be true, but holding it in the light of our context today.  We hold together as church our Strong Center in Christ.  What does your Open Door look like?

Registration is still available for the final Strong Center, Open Door event in Lansdale, Pa. Nov. 4th and 5th. Go to http://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Congregations-and-Synods/Worship/Evangelical-Lutheran-Worship

Ever wondered, “Why the water?”

Asperges (noun, pronounced ah-SPUR-jes) is the sprinkling of baptismal water upon worshipers as a reminder of their baptism. The ministers who are performing the apserges may use a pine branch or a special sprinkler called an aspergillium (often a bound bundle of straw that resembles a small broom). Sprinkling with water is an option in worship any time the assembly participates in an affirmation of baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ and it is particularly suitable during the Easter season.

To sprinkle the water, a minister dips the branch or sprinkler in the bowl of water then flings it over the heads of the assembly. It is helpful for the minister to use a large arc-type action with the arm rather than just flicking the wrist so that large groups of people can feel the touch of the water at the same time.

Some worshippers find it helpful to trace the sign of the cross on themselves as they are sprinkled as a way of reminding themselves that they have been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection.

David Delaney, Salem, VA

Warm-up Questions

• In the United States, what day of the year do we most associate with freedom? It’s probably the Fourth of July. With election day coming up, some may also think about that.  Does anyone think of Easter Day or even Good Friday?  It’s nice to celebrate national freedom, but what about freedom from sin, or freedom from death?  And Reformation Day is all about those!
• It has been 499 years since the event that we remember as the symbolic beginning of the Reformation. What’s a good way to visualize that many years?  Compare it to the age of your house or of your town or city, or of the United States, or anything else that feels like it has been around a long time.
• On Oct. 31, 1517, Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in order to get the attention of professional theologians and start a conversation about salvation. What would you do today to get people’s attention and start a conversation about salvation?

You Will Be Free

Two different stories about freedom:

In late September, billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, announced a 3-billion dollar initiative for research aimed at eradicating chronic diseases, especially things like infectious disease, heart disease, cancer and neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and autism.  It may sound like a wildly irrational idea, but some influential scientists think that it’s not as unrealistic as it sounds at first, given how far the science of medicine has come in the last century.  The goal would be to make the human species “disease-free” by the end of the current century.

For more information:  http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/09/23/495184078/whats-the-prognosis-for-mark-zuckerbergs-3-billion-health-plan

Around the same time, the new president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duerte, announced that one of the major foreign policy goals for his administration was going to free the country from a “shackling dependency” on the United States for military aid, which some say brings with it a similar dependence on American business and political interests for southeast Asia.

For more information:  http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-10-07/rodrigo-duterte-wants-to-free-philippines-from-us-shackles-foreign-minister-says

Discussion Questions

• Freedom is a tricky idea.  What are some differences between these two kinds of freedom represented in these stories – freedom from disease and freedom from outside influence and control ?
• In yet another recent news story, Microsoft announced that its xbox360 subscribers would be getting two new games “for free” in October.  Which of all of these do you think is the most powerful version of the word “free”?

Reformation Sunday

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Romans 3:19-28

John 8:31-36

(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

Recall that in Jesus’ day, the Jewish people in Israel’s ancient homeland were living under political and military occupation by the Roman Empire, so “freedom” was a disputed concept for them.  For some, it had to mean ejecting the Romans from their country and reestablishing their own government, and for others it meant a defiant worship and religious behavior in spite of the Roman presence.  Either way, God’s people there thought often about freedom.

Here in John 8, Jesus is deep into an argument with Pharisees (a group committed to strict religious observance) and the official religious leaders (called “The Jews” in John’s gospel).  We get the impression that they are people who are really very anxious to have someone who is honestly sent from God and can lead them not only into deeper faith in God but also possibly answer this question about what makes for true freedom.  If one reads all of John 8 starting at verse 12, it becomes clear that they have difficulty understanding him.  And yet the bottom line that we have here in 8:36 is that the most important freedom one can experience is the kind of freedom from sin that only Jesus gives.

On every Reformation Sunday, we read this lesson along with a set of parallel lessons from Jeremiah 31 and Romans 3.  The readings help us recall that the ministry of Martin Luther had at its core the goal of getting the church back to its job of proclaiming God’s grace that sets us free from servitude to our sinful desires and enables us to stand against the large forces of sin that lead to the brokenness and injustice of this world.

Discussion Questions

• What is your definition of freedom?  Do you personally feel free?  Where in your life are you under some kind of unavoidable obligation or relationship?  Are there invisible or secret things in your life that have a kind of control over you so much that you don’t feel free?  What would it take for you to feel “free indeed”?
• Do you know young people who live with so few boundaries and restrictions that it seems like literally no one can tell them what to do?  Do they seem free?  What are some ways in which people who seem to have an outward freedom are still not free on the inside or whose habits and addictions are so powerful that they clearly have to obey them?
• How does Jesus grant true freedom?  One answer is to recall that his death and resurrection overcomes the first most powerful motivator in human life – fear of death.  Another is to note that his call to follow his word and orient our lives toward the will of God the Father overcomes the second most powerful motivator in human life – the fear of being meaningless and the  fear of being left out or missing out – and replaces that fear with a promise of a life filled with possibilities for serving others and inviting them to also share in the goodness of God’s will for us.

Activity Suggestions

• Illustrate how crippling the power of bondage can be with a game where students wrap a rubber band (not too tight!) around their fingers and thumbs and then try to unwrap a piece of candy.  They may eventually get to it, but it will be difficult.  To make it harder, tie plastic shopping bags over their hands.  They may *think* their hands are free, but when it comes to trying to unwrap a piece of candy again, it is very difficult with the slippery bags on their hands.  Where else in life are we fooled into thinking we are free when really we are tied up?
• Luther’s 95 theses are easily found by doing a Google search.  Many of them require explanation based on the historical context, and if your group is interested in that, there are also many easy-access internet sites that can summarize their purpose.  Have the group read through those and identify any that still seem to make sense even without needing a lot of historical explanation.
• If the group were going to write “theses” to call the church to faithfulness today, what would they say?  You will probably not have time to get to 95, but maybe 9!
• In this anniversary year prior to October 1517, there are many resources available from the ELCA, from church publishing houses, and from synods and congregations that help us to explore the ongoing significance of the Reformation for ourselves.  Help your students locate some of those and consider undertaking a year of study together on one of Luther’s important writings (like the Large Catechism).

Closing Prayer

God of freedom, we are thankful that you have sent your Son Jesus to bring us freedom and salvation.  Make us good stewards of that freedom, not using it for our own self-indulgence, but embracing the opportunity to serve and support others, even while we enjoy the freedom to look at ourselves with true and honest eyes and experience the forgiveness of sin that comes from repentance.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

Today’s post is by Scott Weidler, outgoing Program Director for Worship and Music in the ELCA. An excerpt from an article written for CrossAccent, the journal of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, it addresses the ELCA’s unification of diaconal rosters which was later approved at the 2016 Churchwide Assembly.

How, Weidler asks, does the concept of deacon as a minister of word and service fit with the vocational self-understanding of Lutheran church musicians?

Ministers of Word and Service

Clearly, the phrase “ministers of word and service” is parallel to the common descriptor of pastors as “ministers of word and sacrament.” While some musicians have had a hard time trying to understand how they fit on this roster, the benefit of positioning the ministries included on this new roster, including music, side by side with the Word and Sacrament roster in the ELCA constitution is significant.

Since “word” is also a part of the pastor’s description, our minds go immediately to preaching which is, of course, a significant part of a pastor’s call. For some deacons, preaching may also be a part of their ministry. However, I believe that Lutherans—perhaps more than any other Christian tradition—ought to easily understand musicians as among those who proclaim the word through song. Musicians proclaim God’s word regularly by leading congregational hymns and songs, directing the choir and instrumentalists, and often through teaching and perhaps, in some settings, an occasional sermon.

The “service” half of the phrase is usually further articulated as “service to the world.” Certainly, ministries of justice—like feeding the hungry and raising up the poor—are at the heart of a biblical understanding of diakonia, being a deacon. This focus on ministries in the world, beyond the walls of the church, are an important aspect of this newly emerging roster, just as it should be for all the baptized. Anyone serving in the church (including musicians, rostered or not) will, at their best, understand that their unique ministry has connections to service in the world.

This can, however, start to feel a little distant from our actual work. A document that supports this proposed change includes this statement:

it also includes service in local congregational and other gathered faith community settings through the proclamation of the Word in preaching, leading public prayer, teaching, and leading music as well as through leadership in such areas as education, administration, and youth ministry.

The connections between worship and service are clear in our Lutheran roots, especially through the German word for worship, Gottes- dienst (literally “service of God”), which connotes a multidirectional understanding of service from God to the worshippers, from the worshipers to God, and from the assembly of worshippers to the world.

The ALCM statement on the role of the cantor also affirms this broad understanding of the musician’s ministry: “The cantor’s work is a worthy service to God, God’s people, and the world.” I believe musicians can rightly understand their work as service to the church for the sake of the world.

The full article can be found on the ALCM web site.

Chris Heavner, Clemson, SC

Warm-up Questions

Do we learn anything about another person if all they do is tell us how they compare to someone else?  Why are we so tempted to rank ourselves?  Why can’t we simply, honestly say where we fit in?

Suffering by Comparison

Regardless of the candidate you prefer for President of the United States, this has been a campaign season like nothing we have ever seen.  Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination without ever having been previously elected.  He emerged from a field of seventeen, many of whom had lots of previous political experience.  Hilary Clinton finally pulled away from Bernie Sanders.  Senator Sanders ran as a Democrat even though he was an Independent in previous election cycles.

This campaign has been notable for other reasons as well.  Many voters are frustrated that the Clinton and Trump spend more time comparing themselves to the other than telling us about themselves.  Polling experts are probably advising them to do so.  Saying how much “better” you are than the other candidate seems to result in more votes.

It seems to work, even though most of us say we don’t like it.  Is there something deep within us which moves us to compare one person to another?  Do we just naturally look around in order to know whether we measure up?  Do we need to denigrate others in order to affirm our own value and feel desirable?

Let us hope this isn’t the case.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think the Presidential candidates spend so much time comparing themselves to the other?
• Would we prefer to know who or what someone “isn’t,” more than we would like to know who they are?
• To whom are you inclined to compare yourself?

Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Luke 18:9-14

(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

Who are you, a Pharisee or a tax collector?

In reading this parable, it is way too tempting to think of ourselves as the humble man who returns to his home “justified.”  And yet, if we are reading this blog or discussing the readings for Sunday we probably have more in common with the Pharisee.

Remember that the Pharisees were a group of folks who took seriously their walk with God.  They attended youth group, they went to summer camp, they took turns as acolyte and communion assistant.  They also responded well to the fall stewardship campaign.  When the Pharisee in this story speaks of his honorable actions he is not exaggerating.  Nor is he totally wrong in noting the transgressions of the tax collector.

Tax collectors in Jesus’ day were not merely employees of some Internal Revenue Service.  They oversaw no set tax rates or income brackets.  They schemed ways to collect the most that they could, taking their income from collecting more than the authorities expected.  The tax collector may have cause to think he had transgressed the 7^th commandment.  Luther’s Catechism reminds us that we break this commandment when we acquire our neighbor’s money or property using crooked deals.  We sin, according to this commandment, unless we help our neighbors improve and protect their property and income.

Neither the Pharisee nor the tax collector should be our role models.  Each is way too focused on himself.  When we enter the Temple, synagogue, or church our eyes are to be on God.  Instead of worrying about how we stand in comparison to those around us, we look to the one who justifies.  It is not our actions, nor our avoidance of particular behaviors, which makes us right in God’s eyes.  Rather, our salvation is found in the promise of Jesus.

Discussion Questions

• Can you find reasons to admire the Pharisee in today’s reading? Discuss how our congregation might look were all the members to be like this man (regular in prayer, in giving, in studying scripture).
• Acknowledging our sins is essential to forgiveness being offered. Why do we find it easy to admit, even in the silence of our own hearts, the things we have done and failed to do?
• Is there a hierarchy of wrongful deeds; are there some sins which are worse than others?  Is the difference in how they affect others?

Activity Suggestions

• Using pencil and paper, make a list of the transgressions you committed in the past week. This is your list; no one will see it.  Now ask yourself: “Does knowing no one will see it allow you add other items to the list?”  A prayer guide asks God to help me with the sins I have labored so mightily to hide from others that I have hidden them from myself.
• Even before you think “Why,” write the name of someone in your community of faith whom you admire. Now, note the why.  What is it that they do, what is it they say, or how they live their life which has led you to think highly of them?
• The denomination sponsoring this blog (the ELCA) has a set liturgy for Individual Confession and Forgiveness [Evangelical Lutheran Worship, pages 243-44]. This is a powerful experience.  Discuss with your pastor the possibility of participating in such a service.
• Engage yourself in a political discussion. Ask those around you what they know about the Presidential candidates, and observe whether they use statements which seem to compare the candidates rather than say what they think of either as individuals.

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, train our eyes to look to you rather than on the faults of our brothers and sisters.  Help us not to focus on what we have done but on what you have done on our behalf.  Amen.