This Advent season is an opportunity to reflect on what faithful advocacy means. Join the ELCA Advocacy in our Advent Devotions Series. Please share with friends and family.
This weeks devotional is given by Tammy Walhof. She works at Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota.
The lectionary readings for this Sunday are:
Blessings
Scott A. Moore, Erfurt, Germany
Warm-up Question
What do you need to do in order to get ready for school (or a trip)?
Change is Coming
Once again we are in the weeks leading up to a transition of administrations. There are many situations a new, inexperienced White House staff will encounter in the weeks and months to come. Press releases, motorcades, and the State of the Union address are some of the easier ones. The President, Vice-President, and others in the White House need to be prepared for any and everything. The two last presidents had to deal with crises in their respective first years of office that no one could have known would happen. For President Bush, it was 9/11 just nine months after taking office and for President Obama, there was a Swine flu outbreak and Somali pirates.
Preparing for pirates was not on anyone’s agenda, but the Obama administration was able to respond to the flu outbreak because President Bush’s team had prepared them with their experiences learned from dealing with the Avian flu a few years earlier. Aside from such catastrophes and all the various natural disasters that can happen, each administration needs to be adequately prepared for major cataclysmic events such as nuclear war. This is also something the White House teams will practice in the coming months so that should anything happen, the President and his team will be able to continue to provide the necessary leadership.
Discussion Questions
First Sunday of Advent
(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
Happy New Church Year! The first Sunday in Advent (from Adventus=coming). It is a time of getting ready for the joy of Christmas. Longer and cooler nights for us in the Northern hemisphere mean a chance to get cozy and start thinking about the beautiful decorations, the sharing of good food and gifts, and what in the heck is this text doing here? Why on earth would we want spoil the mood before it really gets going with this? Jesus talking about all the destruction of the Great Flood is a serious downer. And, if Jesus thinks he will lift our spirits by sharing with us that the Son of Man coming again will take some and leave others standing, he is sorely mistaken. Okay, the hearers of this text have an advantage over those in the time of Noah. Whoosh, rain and floods and destruction were sent without any real warning. This time around there is a warning: be ready! The Son of Man is coming—like a thief in the night. Advent is a big yay for Jesus coming as a cute little baby, the big Word of God in a tiny bit of flesh; and it’s a big uh oh for Jesus coming again at some point in the future. We are on pins and needles if we think on it and sit with it.
So if we take Jesus’ promise in this text seriously, we need to be prepared. How do we do that? What does it mean for us to be awake and aware and ready for when Jesus comes? It has been about 2,000 years since these words of Jesus were shared. If it hasn’t happened now, should we really worry that it’s going to happen in our lifetimes? This text calls us to vigilance. It is exactly that kind of “it’s not going to happen anyway” thinking that this text wants to prevent. We can’t sleep—in the spiritual awareness kind of way. At the same time, we can’t get caught up in trying to predict the signs because this text (and others like it) tell us: like a thief in the night. We just don’t know. The angels in heaven don’t know. The Son doesn’t even know. We will never be able to predict it so we shouldn’t bother with that. Our energy is not to be spent on figuring out when Jesus is coming but figuring out how to be ready.
Discussion Questions
Activity Suggestions
Fire Drill:
Walk through the fire drill plan for your location. Maybe even walk through to the other classrooms and ask them if they know their fire escape routes. Learning to be ready in every day situations can help raise awareness for the spiritual kind of readiness talked about in the Gospel reading for the day.
Closing Prayer
Reflect on the following poem and then join in the responsive prayer. How does this poem change how you see God coming and our preparation for that coming?
Making the House Ready for the Lord
Dear Lord, I have swept and I have washed but
Still nothing is as shining as it should be
for you. Under the sink, for example, is an
uproar of mice—it is the season of their
many children. What shall I do? And under the eaves
and through the walls the squirrels
have gnawed their ragged entrances—but it is the season
when they need shelter, so what shall I do? And
the raccoon limps into the kitchen and opens the cupboard
while the dog snores, the cat hugs the pillow;
what shall I do? Beautiful is the new snow falling
in the yard and the fox who is staring boldly
up the path, to the door. And still I believe you will
come, Lord: you will, when I speak to the fox
the sparrow, the lost dog, the shivering sea-goose, know
that really I am speaking to you whenever I say,
as I do all morning and afternoon: Come in, Come in.
–Mary Oliver–
Closing Prayer (from ELW Evening Prayer)
Leader: The Spirit and the church cry out:
All: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Leader: All those who await his appearance pray:
All: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Leader: The whole creation pleads:
All: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
As Advent approaches, Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has co-authored a devotional resource for your congregation with three other Lutheran and Anglican leaders.
Along with Bishop Eaton, the weekly devotions were contributed by the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, presiding bishop and primate, The Episcopal Church; the Most Rev. Fred Hiltz, primate, Anglican Church of Canada; and the Rev. Susan C. Johnson, national bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. The resource is, in part, a way to celebrate the full communion partnership between the contributing churches.
As the bishops write in a joint cover letter, “May our prayers united be a modest but hopeful sign of what our churches can do together as we bear witness to the One who first reconciled himself to us.”
The themes of each week’s reflections are: “Liberated by God’s Grace,” “Creation-Not for Sale,” “Salvation-Not for Sale,” and finally, “Human Beings-Not for Sale.”
The Advent devotions, formatted for easy printing with your congregation’s bulletin, are available in PDF here:
Community gardens are a great way to build community and provide nutritious food for your congregation and your neighbors. This week, ELCA World Hunger is grateful to welcome Ed Merrell as a guest blogger to offer his expert tips for community gardeners as we move into the fall and winter. Ed is an Independent Seeds Professional. He engages with seed-centric charity organizations and other agricultural groups. In this capacity, he applies his extensive seed industry skills and experience to provide relevant information and solutions.
His 35+ year career in the vegetable and flower seed industry included plant breeding to develop new and improved varieties, domestic and international seed production, quality assurance and seed testing, seed processing plant operation, and quality information systems. Ed is a member of Advent Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Morgan Hill, Calif.
If you are planning a new garden or growing an existing garden, ELCA World Hunger’s Community Gardens How-To Guide is a great resource to help! It has practical advice and suggestions from community gardeners across the ELCA, along with resources for tying your congregation’s garden to your worship life through prayer and education.
Download ELCA World Hunger’s Community Gardens How-To Guide: goo.gl/Q2G3Yb;
Order a free printed copy: goo.gl/tsdr1q
For community gardens, autumn is a productive time. If your congregation already has a community garden, activities could include finishing the harvest and assessing the gardening year. Or, if your congregation is thinking about creating a community garden, it could be a good time to start planning.
Congregations with established community gardens can consider updating their garden map showing what crop was grown where and how productive each crop was. If you sowed seed, did it germinate well? Were pest problems observed such as soil-borne organisms like cutworms, flying insects, or animals? Were preventative actions taken and what were the results? Did any plant diseases occur? All the information you gather can be added to your previous community garden experience in that location and will help you plan for next year.
If you have not already connected to a source of local gardening expertise, consider contacting the County Cooperative Extension office or the Master Gardener organization. These experts share firsthand knowledge of local growing conditions, vegetable varieties adapted to your area, fertilization and watering recommendations, and pests and how to control them.
Use your garden maps from previous seasons to plan crop rotation and avoid planting the same vegetable in the same space. A 3-year rotation plan is often recommended. Crop rotation reduces the likelihood of diseases on next year’s plants and promotes healthy soil. If you have remnant seed of a variety that germinated well and yielded tasty produce, you may want to sow that same seed again next season. By storing the seed packets in a cool, dry place, you preserve the seed viability and improve the chances that the seed will germinate well next year.
Successful community gardens start with a vision. As you plan for next season, ask these questions. Is the community garden fulfilling the vision statement that you wrote? Does it meet a community need? Is the congregation support sufficient in terms of volunteers and financial resources? The next few months are a good time to consider these questions and assess what worked well, what needs to be improve, and make plans for next year.
If your congregation is discerning whether to create a community garden, the ELCA World Hunger Community Gardens How-To Guide (download: goo.gl/Q2G3Yb; order printed copy: goo.gl/tsdr1q) is a great place to begin. In autumn, planting time seems far away. But it’s never too early to start creating a community garden. As the guide describes, understanding your community’s needs and assets and the capacity of your congregation to create a vision for your garden will take time. Are there some experienced gardeners willing to share their expertise? Can you make this an intergenerational activity? There are tasks for everyone from young children sowing bean seeds to adults building raised beds to seniors sharing their recipes for fresh produce. In addition, you will need some funding and some land for your garden.
Raised beds, an irrigation system, garden tools, etc. for your new community garden can cost money. To keep expenses under control, look for websites like Freecyle.org, Trashnothing.com, or other sites where people offer for free what they don’t need or ask for what they want. Craigslist.org has free offers too. Reduce, reuse, and recycle helps everyone and preserves God’s creation.
Selecting good quality seeds and young plants is critical to success. Seeds labeled “Packed for year 20__” or “Sell by mm/yy” should be sown during that year or before the sell-by date. Store seeds in cool, dry conditions to preserve viability. Young plants should be free of disease (discolored leaves or stems) and free of insects (worms, aphids, etc.)
Consider reaching out to other faith communities and ask if they would like to help your congregation start a community garden. The opportunity for people of faith to work side-by-side planning, growing and nurturing, and harvesting a community garden can build lasting relationships.
Gardening is enjoyable in every season! Get started today!
By Christine Mangale, Lutheran Office for World Community, New York.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been sounding the alarm bells on the plight of refugees and migrants for some time to call attention to the urgent concerns on populations on the move. There are approximately 65 million forcibly displaced persons, including over 21 million refugees, 3 million asylum seekers and over 40 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). In 2015, the number of migrants passed 244 million[1]. There are many reasons for migration, but in recent years, forced displacement of people is being driven by root causes such as conflicts, persecution, violence, loss of livelihoods and natural disasters. Even so, all countries are somehow affected by migration.
A refugee, according to the United Nations Refugee Convention, is “someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion”[2]. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) defines a migrant as “any person who is moving or has moved across an international border or within a State away from his/her habitual place of residence…”[3]
The world keeps witnessing hundreds of people drowning at sea, exploitation and abuse of refugees and migrants and refusal of some countries to protect and assist them with the most basic services, such as food, shelter, health care, education, and safety.
The international community was jolted to action in 2015 and for the first time ever, the United Nations General Assembly called for a high level plenary meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants. The summit’s aim was to galvanize Member States to collaborate, coordinate and offer lasting solutions to protect and assist the millions of refugees and migrants. Civil society organizations (CSOs), including faith-based organizations (FBOs), many of whom provide aid and services to refugees and migrants joined in to call for political will, solidarity and responsibility sharing to protect refugees and migrants on the move, upon arrival and during resettlement.
The Ambassadors of the Permanent of Missions of Ireland and Jordan were appointed to facilitate the Summit process. Informal meetings and negotiations took place from February to July 2016. The negotiation resulted into an outcome document titled the “New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants” which was formally adopted by the General Assembly on September 9, 2016, and Heads of State and Governments endorsed it at the High-Level Summit on September 19,2016. The Declaration commences a two multi-year process to prepare a Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework 
and a Global Compact for safe, orderly and regular migration.
CSOs responded to the outcome of the Summit saying “There is progress in this, but nowhere near enough. Some governments are ready with energy, practical solutions and political will to work together and with civil society, but too many governments continue to hold back”[4].
The Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) collaborated closely with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in advance of the summit as part of a civil society action committee. LWF endorsed the committee’s call for “A New Deal for refugees, migrants and societies” and a subsequent Act Now statement and scorecard. LOWC staff attended the Summit and is planning to be engaged with LWF in post-Summit follow-up activities in New York and Geneva. LOWC is also coordinating post-Summit follow-up with the Assistant Director for Migration Policy and Advocacy in the ELCA Advocacy office in Washington, DC.
Looking ahead, CSOs including FBOs are playing significant role to urge the implementation of the commitments that the governments made. The following are advocacy and action asks to Member States that you can use to urge them:
Let us remind governments that “Refugees and migrants may lose many things when they cross international borders, but never their human rights and dignity”[6]
Check out the following documents for more information:
[1] United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/71/L.1
[2] 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Adopted in 1951, and entered into force on 22 April 1954. (Art. 1(A)(2).
[3] International Organization for Migration – Key Migration Terms https://www.iom.int/key-migration-terms.
[4] ACT NOW: Civil Society response and scorecard for the UN High-level Summit “New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants”.
[5] Act NOW: Civil Society advocacy and action in and beyond the summit.www.refugees-migrants-civilsociety.org
[6] The Lutheran World Federation
(Photo credit: United Nations)
Danny Stone, Marion, IA
Warm-up Questions
What are some of the items that have been passed down in your family? Were there any hard feelings that followed the inheritance?
Inheritance
Rock legend Prince (Prince Rogers Nelson) died from a fentanyl overdose on April 21, 2016 at his Minnesota home, Paisley Park. Fans were stunned that this star with a reputation for clean living was another victim of the opioid epidemic.
Prince had a near messianic following with his fans. Your parents grew up listening to “Purple Rain,” and the world celebrated the new millennium with “1999.” His performance during the 2007 Super Bowl was legendary. Prince even made the news the winter of 2016 when his new passport photo went viral. His gaze was past Blue Steel – it was epic. His cool expression, pouty lips, flawless makeup, and amazing hair were the quintessential Prince. No one can doubt he was rock royalty. (Have one of the kids look up this passport photo on their phone.)
Soon after his funeral and the investigation that uncovered the drug addiction, 35 people filed claims with the Minnesota probate court hoping to get a piece of Prince’s $300,000,000 estate. Prince was married and divorced twice and had an infant child who died soon after birth. Unfortunately, Prince did not have a will which could have illuminated his wishes. In July, nineteen claims were dismissed. One spurred claimant purported that she and Prince were married in a secret CIA ceremony. Remaining heirs include four paternal half-siblings, two maternal half-siblings, a niece and grandniece.
Prince’s family has turned Paisley Park into a Graceland-style attraction. Fans can pay to see the inner sanctum where he recorded, held invitation only concerts and kept his collections of outfits and instruments. As with Michael Jackson, Tupac, and Elvis, his heirs can make money for generations from unreleased studio recordings and selling memorabilia.
Discussion Questions
Christ the King Sunday
(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
We know this story well – it’s the crucifixion of Jesus — one of the corner stones of our Christian faith. “Christ has died, Christ is risen. Christ will come again.” Jesus was proclaimed “King of the Jews” by the snarky Roman soldiers as they gambled over his meager possessions. However, we understand the rich irony. Jesus is truly the King. He is the king of love, forgiveness, hope, and the true Son of God.
Crucified between two criminals is far from a regal end. Jesus owned only the clothes on his back. He was not rich and had seen his trusted disciples scatter in fear. In his final minutes, one of the criminals dying next to him uttered mocking taunts. When you think of the death of a king, many imagine a gray-bearded monarch peacefully passing in bed. Family and trusted aids would gather to hear the final words and the king would pass. As children of the Christmas story, we should not be surprised that the king born in a manger would be the king dying on the cross. Jesus life was focused on this moment. He was born to live as us, to walk as us, and to die as the most cursed of us. He was born to die on the cross to save us from sin and death.
The “other” criminal defends Jesus. The promise of Verse 8, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” is not just for the criminal. It is a promise – a gift – for all of us. Jesus is the king of love, forgiveness, hope and the true Son of God. We are all welcomed into paradise.
Discussion Questions
Activity Suggestions
Closing Prayer
Dear God, our blessed parent, you sent your son to be our King of love, forgiveness, and hope. Through Jesus, we are freed from sin and death. Please, help your children who struggle with the loss of loved ones and crippling power of addiction. Hold us in your merciful hands and help us the reach out those in need. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.
The ministry of the ELCA is present around the corner and the globe. Financial resources shared from congregations, synods and churchwide, called Mission Support, are deployed across this church and work to transform God’s people and God’s world. Three new Mission Support interpretation resources are now available for use in ministries across the ELCA:
Congregations have already chosen a health benefit option, and the window for plan members to complete their benefit selections closes Nov. 16. If you sponsor people through Portico Benefit Services, it’s time to review their choices on EmployerLink. Then, in December, return to see how much to withhold from paychecks in January. >More.
The hiring process can be daunting, but knowing how to conduct a successful interview can help you land the best employee. A job interview provides a valuable opportunity for you and the candidate to learn about each other and make an informed decision. >More.
Church Management Software (ChMS) can help with a range of administrative tasks in your congregation: member database, donation tracking, visitation logs, congregation finances, etc. If you are shopping for a new or replacement ChMS, the Congregational Resource Guide has an index of at least 11 articles, organizations or websites that can help in that selection process. >More.
If you have independent contractors working in your congregation this year, it is important to ensure, before you make payment, that you have a completed IRS Form W-9 in your files for each of them. As the end of the fiscal year approaches, you want to confirm that all your documentation is in compliance with IRS rules which will also be helpful when completing and distributing IRS 1099 Forms for FY2016. >More.
Frozen pipes are a major wintertime problem. Contrary to what one might think, losses due to frozen pipes occur more frequently in climates that are not normally associated with cold weather, especially when unexpected cold fronts sweep through a region. >More.
CHICAGO (14 de noviembre de 2016) – La reverenda Elizabeth A. Eaton, obispa presidente de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en América (ELCA), emitió la siguiente declaración sobre Standing Rock.
Declaración de la obispa presidente de la ELCA sobre Standing Rock
Al congregarnos para la adoración, solemos comenzar con la confesión y el perdón utilizando estas palabras: “Confesamos que estamos esclavizados por el pecado y no podemos liberarnos nosotros mismos”. La comunidad luterana reconoce que este es un mundo quebrantado y, como parte del mismo, hasta nuestra mejor sabiduría y nuestros mejores esfuerzos se quedan cortos. Con mucha frecuencia, enfrentamos cuestiones extraordinariamente complejas en las que todos los bandos ofrecen argumentos razonados en defensa de su realidad. La situación actual en Standing Rock, en Dakota del Norte, es precisamente uno de esos casos.
La ruta del oleoducto Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) atraviesa terrenos en disputa, que la tribu sioux de Standing Rock ve como su patria y su suelo sagrado, incluyendo cementerios. Los defensores del DAPL lo ven como una combinación de propiedad pública y privada. El oleoducto pasará por debajo del Lago Oahe, la principal fuente de agua de la tribu sioux de Standing Rock. Lo que nosotros vemos es la tensión entre dos pueblos que intentan compartir unas mismas tierras. También podemos ver la tensión entre nuestra dependencia de combustibles fósiles y el compromiso que esta iglesia ha asumido de cuidar de la creación.
En agosto, la Asamblea General de la ELCA de 2016 aprobó una resolución en la que se repudiaba la doctrina del descubrimiento. En la misma, prometíamos “practicar el acompañamiento con los pueblos nativos”. La doctrina declaraba que las tierras indígenas estaban “desocupadas” siempre y cuando no hubiera cristianos presentes. Por lo tanto, las tierras consideradas “desocupadas” eran “descubiertas”, como si anteriormente fueran desconocidas para la humanidad. Esta doctrina fue utilizada como justificación por monarquías europeas, y después por el gobierno de Estados Unidos, para despojar a pueblos indígenas de sus tierras. Muchos de nosotros en esta iglesia, y que somos inmigrantes, nos hemos beneficiado de las injusticias cometidas contra los habitantes originales de esta tierra donde ahora vivimos y adoramos. Nuestra iglesia también incluye a indígenas estadounidenses y nativos de Alaska que han sido perjudicados por las injusticias cometidas. Cuando repudiamos la doctrina del descubrimiento, los luteranos prometimos hacer mejor las cosas en el futuro de lo que las hemos hecho en el pasado.
Al reconocer la complejidad de esta cuestión y las limitantes que el pecado impone a las decisiones humanas, creo que estamos llamados como iglesia a apoyar a la tribu sioux de Standing Rock: a solidarizarnos con la tribu en su búsqueda de justicia; a alentar a nuestras congregaciones a orar por ellos y ofrecer apoyo material y a analizar el racismo inherente en nuestro sistema que contribuye a la crisis actual.
Como se prometió en nuestra resolución que repudia la doctrina del descubrimiento, escucharemos a los líderes tribales y respetaremos su sabiduría.
Ofreceremos nuestra presencia cuando seamos invitados; nuestros esfuerzos de defensa de los derechos cuando sean solicitados; los recursos de nuestra gente cuando sean requeridos, y nuestras oraciones, amistad y arrepentimiento en todo momento.
Su hermana en Cristo:
Elizabeth A. Eaton
Obispa Presidente
Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en América
—
Sobre la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en América:
La ELCA es una de las mayores denominaciones cristianas en los Estados Unidos, con más de 3.7 millones de miembros en más de 9,300 congregaciones en los 50 estados y la región del Caribe. Conocida como la iglesia de “La obra de Dios. Nuestras manos”, la ELCA enfatiza la gracia salvadora de Dios por medio de la fe en Jesucristo, la unidad entre los cristianos y el servicio en el mundo. Las raíces de la ELCA se encuentran en los escritos del alemán Martín Lutero, reformador de la iglesia.
In September the ELCA released a new marriage resource intended to supplement the existing ELW marriage service with language suitable for all couples.
“These supplemental resources have been created to offer more inclusivity in language, pastoral care, and openness for all persons who seek to be married within this church,” said the Rev. Kevin Strickland, ELCA executive for worship. Strickland emphasized that the resources are supplemental to the marriage service included in both the Evangelical Lutheran Worship and the Evangelical Lutheran Worship Occasional Services for the Assembly.
The new resources offer materials for each section of the service, which include the gathering, word, marriage, prayer, meal and sending.
“It has been said that marriage is a gift of God, intended for the joy and strength of those who enter it and for the well-being of the whole human family,” said Strickland. “It is my hope that these supplemental resources help point us as a church, in offering this gift for the whole human family.”
See for yourself! A downloadable pdf of the new resource is available online here: http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Supplemental_Marriage_Resources.pdf
Ruth Ivory-Moore, Program Director Environment and Energy, traveled to COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco in November as world leaders meet to discuss implementation of the Paris Agreement that went into effect on November 4, 2016. The first week she is supporting ACT Alliance of which ELCA is a member by participating in Side Events that allow for everyone to be directly engaged in discussions addressing the diverse issues surrounding climate change. The second week she is serving as part of an ACT Alliance delegation as an observer. Below are some reflections and photos of her first week of experiences at this amazing conference where people project to be on one accord to protect and steward all of creation.
11/15/2016
“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb.
This proverb is particularly instructive in describing the events at COP22. There is a strong sense of diversity and inclusiveness. Senior level governmental officials negotiate Paris Agreement implementation provisions; civil society observes and seeks to influence; and those most likely to be impacted now and in the future, sought to be heard. The latter included indigenous people and our children. These voices were heard in various ways during this session of COP22.
The indigenous people have contributed least to climate change, but are significantly impacted. They need the rest of the world’s assistance, but those providing the help must first understand their community dynamics. Those offering assistance must do so in an accompaniment manner. We must walk and stand with them in partnership – bridging gaps, while laying the foundation for sustainability and resilience. A diverse group of people including the indigenous staged a march to express the need to hear their voices; and to recognize that they must be included in the conversations. (See picture left)
While the indigenous people are likely to be impacted as part of the world’s vulnerable population today, we should not forget that we must leave a vibrant, clean world for our children. 
The COP presented opportunities for some amazing young people to show the world that they have voices, and deserve better than what we are on course to leave them today. Whether it was the young girl from Senegal speaking about biodiversity. (See picture left)
The students quizzing a panel of experts with questions that challenged the brightest. (See picture left)
Or those students capturing the moments as camera and production personnel for the hour and half, each presented themselves not only professionally, but passionately and 
credibly. (See picture left)
This COP22 cleverly demonstrated the importance of all and the need for complete inclusiveness. This all-inclusiveness extends to religion.
Sessions incorporated diverse religious personnel. An Islamic cleric spoke of the importance of ecology, emphasizing that the Islam mandates that people must protect all. The universe is to show gratitude to God, who is beauty. God loves beauty, not war. A Buddhist leader spoke of how all life is interdependent and that we were born on this earth not to be part of the destruction. COP demonstrates that caring for 
creation is a stewardship requirement that is shared by the faith-based community in general.
We are commanded by God; and have a duty to our children.
Prayer: Oh God of Heaven and Earth, you desire a reconciliation of the whole creation. We confess that we too often make choices that separate and destroy. Forgive us our selfish ways. Help us to seek justice, oh God, and to walk humbly beside you as we seek life that is centered on you and as we protect your creation. Help and guide us to joyfully seek your wisdom and guidance. Amen.
(Prayer adopted from Creation Justice Ministries, https://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50750/images/Gods%20World-1.pdf?key=85797681.)
——
11/10/16
“There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28, NRSV)
It is unfortunate that being “one in Christ” is not recognized universally in the world as we live our lives today. The Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW) a Malaysian based organization sponsored an interactive discussion session at COP22 entitled “Paris Agreement and Women – Locating Health in Climate Change Discourse”. The reality is that women are disparately impacted by the effects of climate change. The time has come to acknowledge and integrate the gender rights issue into the discussions addressing climate change.
The Paris Agreement in the preamble states: “ Acknowledging that climate change is a common concern of humankind, Parties should, when taking action to address climate change, respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights, the right to health, the rights of indigenous peoples local communities, migrants, children, persons with disabilities and people in vulnerable situations and the right to development, as well as gender equality, empowerment of women and intergenerational equity…” At the COP22 where the representatives from the many nations are beginning to hammer out the implementation rules and guidelines of the Paris Agreement, the hope is that key linkages between women’s health and climate change will be considered and incorporated in the implementation discussions.
ARROW has captured the stories of women on post cards. Here are the stories of two of them.
Supl’s story is:
Gladys’ story is:
These women’s stories are unfortunately not atypical particularly in developing countries. ARROW representatives gave the example of Bangladesh which is a densely populated country with a poverty level that is very high. Bangladesh is experiencing more severe weather in the form of increased frequency of floods and cyclones where women are impacted the most. The women do not want to leave their homes for fear of property losses, but are often forced to leave and migrate internally walking through high flood waters that results in gynecological illnesses that can impact the reproductive system. These women can also be the targets of sexual violence. Living through situations such as these can cause depression which impacts mental health.
This ARROW presentation at COP22 was unique in that the end of the session was all about hearing what the audience had to say. The session facilitators engaged the audience in a robust conversation. Questions raised included: (1) How will women’s health issues be incorporated in the Paris Agreement implementation; and (2) What can be done to make this happen? The consensus of the group was that the time has come where gender issues needed to be integrated into the talks and be given the same weight/status as other issues.
Women in a marginalized society, are the most vulnerable among us.
