In March 2023, countries in southeastern Africa were hit by one of the most powerful cyclones in memory. Tropical Cyclone Freddy moved across Madagascar, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, bringing torrential rain and powerful winds. Freddy was one of the longest-lasting tropical cyclones and most intense cyclones on record, generating accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) that the World Meteorological Organization has said was equivalent to a full North Atlantic hurricane season.

The storm created new challenges and worsened existing challenges in the country of Malawi, where over 70 percent of the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.90 per day.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to join colleagues from the ELCA in visiting the Blantyre region in southern Malawi to learn more about the impact of the cyclone and to hear about the ways the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi (ELCM) and its development arm, the Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS), are accompanying communities impacted by hunger, poverty and disaster, with support from ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response.

The stories we heard of the cyclone were devastating. The people who spoke with us told of homes destroyed by winds and rock slides, livestock and fields of crops washed away, and family members lost in the floodwaters. The pain was palpable as they shared their stories and showed us piles of bricks that used to be their homes. Many of the people we met spoke of trauma and a need for both material goods, such as food and clothing, and spiritual and emotional care as they discern a path forward.

Yet, we also heard a bold commitment to continue moving forward, to replant and to rebuild, and to continue making progress against hunger and poverty. “We cannot remain idle,” one woman said. A man from a community near Chimvu echoed her: “We have to keep going.”

ELCM and ELDS are accompanying the communities as they forge a new path ahead. With support from Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCM and ELDS are distributing food in areas hit by Tropical Cyclone Freddy. The bags of meal and soya will not meet every need, but they will provide critical food for the hardest-hit communities. And, as we heard, the food is an important symbol of the ongoing presence of ELCM and ELDS within the communities. It is a sign that they are not alone.

Despite the challenges of recovery, the communities accompanied by ELDS and ELCM are also continuing the important long-term work of reducing food insecurity and poverty. With support from ELCA World Hunger, ELDS is working with communities to expand food production, support small businesses and strive for gender justice. Our group had the chance to visit newly planted fields of sweet potatoes and cassava, to learn about women-owned businesses and even to meet some young piglets.

There is much need in the communities we visited, but there are also so many assets and strengths to witness. The leaders in each community inspired us with their hope, determination, creativity and resilience that make it possible for this work to continue.

Below, you have the chance to virtually witness some of this for yourself through a virtual tour of the communities in Zomba and Phalombe. In this virtual tour, you will be able to meet some of the people we visited, to watch as one leader describes her fuel-efficient wood-burning cookstove, to hear the exuberant singing and dancing of the communities and to learn more about how ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCM and ELDS are partnering together to accompany our neighbors in Malawi.

The virtual tour is accessible on computer or mobile device. Each text box also has an icon for a screen reader. Click on the picture or link below to get started.  Once the tour opens, scroll down just a bit to find a button allowing you to view it full-screen. To navigate, simply click any of the pulsing icons on the pictures. Each icon will pull up a video, picture or text box. You can use the back arrow and the home icon at the top left of the screen to go back or to re-start.

May the people and the stories you encounter in the tour inspire your ongoing prayers for continued recovery from Tropical Cyclone Freddy and inspire your hope and active support through the strength and courage of our neighbors in Malawi.

Hunger and Hope in Malawi: Virtual Tour

Ryan P. Cumming, Ph.D., is the director of education and networks for the Building Resilient Communities team in the ELCA.

“In the Scriptures, God assigns a sacred responsibility to human beings: we are to care for and keep God’s creation for future generations,” opens the ELCA’s most recent social message, “Earth’s Climate Crisis.” It continues, “With God’s help humanity can turn from the present course, take loving and just action, and live more harmoniously within God’s beautiful and verdant creation.”

Creation Care Ambassadors (Ambassadors), trained through a certification program of Lutherans Restoring Creation (LRC) with ELCA collaborator Blessed Tomorrow, empower themselves to make a difference with tools, resources and networking to act and advocate for climate solutions. Reach out to an Ambassador to help support local congregational and synod creation care activities using the 🗺️ LRC locator map, and consider taking the free training.

“[This network] helps us engage with all the ways we care about our environment as people of faith, and makes us able to talk about climate change – not as a political issue, but as something that affects how we love our neighbor,” says Phoebe Morad, LRC Executive Director and ELCA Creation Care Network Associate. “We’re saying to the Creator we worship – thank you for this creation,” she describes, and Ambassadors can prompt informed and faithful response. “And then we are acting, together.”

Stephanie Coble Lower attended the Susquehanna Summit in Oct. 2022, an interfaith environmental gathering, after her Ambassador training. “One thing I have discerned is that I love connecting organizations in our work. There is so much more we can do together as opposed to individually,” she said. Great times to invite an Ambassador to facilitate presentations and conversations on faith and climate include conferences, small-group forums and retreats, and important days like Earth Day and holy seasons. “I pray daily for opportunities and guidance [about] how my expertise and passion can be used to benefit God’s creation,” Lower adds.

Many of us find ourselves enjoying and centering the natural world in our daily activities anew this spring. “As Lutheran Christians, we confess that both our witness to God’s goodness in creation and our acceptance of caregiving responsibility have often been weak and uncertain,” is a confession in Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice, the third-ever ELCA social statement passed nearly three decades ago. As climate change presents humanity with a kairos moment, let’s center and enjoy anew actions together of creation care.

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in the ELCA Advocacy Network this month. Full list and map of sppos available.

 

U.N. | CALIFORNIA  | MINNESOTA | OHIO | PENNSYLVANIA | WASHINGTON | WISCONSIN

 

Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC), United Nations, New York, N.Y. – ELCA.org/lowc

Christine Mangale, Director

• LOWC engaged and monitored the “International Dialogue Migration 2023- Leveraging Human Mobility in Support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) March 30-31. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) marks the first-time migration has been fully recognized as a core development consideration by the international community. This dialogue will feed into the September SDG summit, which marks the halfway point of this 15-year mandated agenda. More information can be found here. A report has been prepared and can be shared upon request. 
• LOWC hosted a small delegation of three individuals from the ELCA’s Indigenous ministries team and partners for the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples 17-28 April. . LOWC co-sponsored and participated in a side-event, “Between Neglect and Exploitation: The case of Indigenous Communities in the Peruvian Amazon,” that focused on indigenous people from Peru and contained statements of solidarity and common struggle from indigenous people from Africa.  Additionally, the ELCA co-hosted a second side-event with Anglicans looking at “The Church and Indigenous Boarding Schools: A Time of Reckoning and Looking to the Future.”  
• LOWC also monitored the Finance for Development meetings at the UN from 17-20 April, which is the “ways and means” conversation for the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), We are in a discernment process with LWF to add depth to this area of advocacy especially as the SDGs approach their halfway point in September. 

 

California

Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California (LOPP-CA) – lutheranpublicpolicyca.org

Regina Banks, Director

It was great to connect with so many strong advocates at Pacifica Synod Assembly in Palm Desert, California on May 5-6. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and engaged with ELCA advocacy there.  

 

The Lutheran Office of Public Policy, California’s (LOPPCA) annual Lutheran Lobby Day took place on Wednesday, May 17th! Lutherans from across the state gathered to advocate for the following bills: 

• SB 4 (Wiener)- Affordable housing development & zoning reform. This bill would streamline the process for religious organizations & nonprofit colleges to develop affordable housing on their property.  
• AB 249 (Holden)- Clean drinking water in schools. This bill would increase testing & disclosure requirements of school drinking water lead levels. It would additionally allocate funding for testing filters & infrastructure improvements to reduce/eliminate lead in water.  

• AB 660 (Irwin)- Food waste, food date labeling reform. This bill would require the use of uniform terms for food product date labels, i.e. removing ‘sell by’ dates and making ‘best by’ or ‘use by’ dates clearer for consumers. The goal is to help reduce food waste, which is a large problem not only for addressing hunger but also for methane emissions and climate change. 
• AB 1534 (Irwin)- Methane emissions monitoring requirements. This bill would use remote sensing technology to better identify and then regulate methane emissions from landfills. 

 

Currently, all of these bills are in their respective house’s Appropriations Committees. LOPPCA is hopeful that they will advance to floor votes and proceed through the policy bill process in this legislative session. 

 

Minnesota

Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota (LA-MN) – lutheranadvocacymn.org

Tammy Walhof, Director

Affordable Housing: The final negotiated Housing Omnibus bill passed with $1.07 billion/FY24-35 biennium. Included were programs addressing homelessness, rental assistance, rental-home preservation, manufactured-home coop purchase, first-time & workforce homeownership, lead-safe homes, and more. The Senate accepted the House’s seven-county metro area sales tax for ongoing housing funding (causing the loss of bipartisan Senate support), in exchange for lowering spending levels.

Lutheran Advocacy-MN focused on big-picture funding/investments, as the Homes for All 2023 Agenda was long and complicated. We are pleased so many Homes for All details were addressed, and that our big-picture advocacy helped secure bipartisan support for the original Senate bill! 

We’re also glad many (though not all) rental reforms we’ve supported over several years passed separately.

Sacred Tiny Home Communities: Sacred Tiny Home bipartisan language remains in the final Labor Omnibus Bill. We anticipate passage soon by a close margin since other aspects of the Omnibus are controversial.  

We are delighted that some of our Minnesota ELCA synods passed resolutions in support of these Sacred Settlements, and committed to encouraging congregational engagement beyond solely legislative support/action.

 

Negotiations Continue: Other areas for which we’ve had action alerts continue to be in play in various negotiations. Among those are… 

• Homeless Shelter and Homeless Youth Funding in Health & Human Services bill negotiations.
• Inclusion of Next Generation Climate Act updates to reflect current science and emphasize the need for lowering harmful emissions across the spectrum in Energy & Climate negotiations.
• Funding for the Minnesota Climate Innovation Finance Authority (MnCIFA) to smooth the clean energy transition from both the Energy & Climate and Jobs/Economic Development negotiations. 

 

Ohio

Hunger Network Ohio (HNO) – hungernetwork.org

Deacon Nick Bates, Director

On May 11th, 2023, Hunger Network in Ohio in partnership with the Ohio Council of Churches and Dominican Sisters of Peace, held a Budget Advocacy Luncheon – Praying for Our Daily Bread. There were over 100 attendees present, representing over 28 organizations. Additionally, 20 legislators and their staff were present at the event. Speakers included Representative Jay Edwards (Ohio House Finance Chair), Representative Bride Rose Sweeney (Ranking Member of the Ohio Finance Committee), and Bishop Gregory V. Palmer of the West Ohio Conference, UMC. We’re grateful to have had the opportunity to co-host this impactful event, and to have made an impact to ensure that one day, everyone in Ohio will receive their daily bread. 

   

 

Pennsylvania

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

Tracey DePasquale, Director

Lutherans turned out in record numbers for the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) annual day of advocacy on April 27. More than 150 attendees participated in workshops on hunger, climate, clean water, housing insecurity,  LGBTQ+ policy and resources for the new study guide on civic life and faith, before traveling to the Capitol to advocate on hunger and housing priorities in the upcoming budget.

“The day was full of energy,” said LAMPa Director Tracey DePasquale. “It was wonderful to be gathered again after four years!”

The Rev. Dr.  Roger Willer, ELCA director of theological ethics in the Office of the Presiding Bishop, offered the keynote on Discipleship in a Democracy. “The response to the keynote and workshop on progress toward the new social statement gives us hope that these resources will spark good conversations and that our congregations will find the resulting statement useful in their witness and in their daily discipleship,” DePasquale said. 

Even the day’s worship was based on materials used in the study guide, making it a great sending for our work in the Capitol. Watch a recording here. 

Advocates from each synod were recognized as a way of lifting up their work and inspiring others. Read their stories. 

DePasquale has also been busy with legislative visits on environmental justice, participating in SEPA Synod Assembly, a consult with Lutheran Disaster Response, and a conference on science-based targets for faith-based organizations sponsored by World Resources Institute and Georgetown University.   

 

Washington

Faith Action Network (FAN) – fanwa.org

Elise DeGooyer, Director

We have good news to share as the 2023 Washington State Legislative Session adjourned on April 23. We are celebrating some victories and historic milestones for the people of our state: 

• Our hunger and safety net bills were among the first to pass and be signed by the Governor this session—adding $28M for emergency food and nutrition services, school meals for 90,000 more K-12 students, and basic needs supports for college students. Investments were made to expand affordable housing. 
• We especially celebrate the removal of the death penalty from state law, following decades of work and after it was deemed unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court. 

• In a year where we have grieved multiple mass shootings, our state took steps to limit assault weapons, add comprehensive background checks, and hold the gun manufacturers accountable for controls. 
• The legislature also protected reproductive choice and gender-affirming care in Washington with several bills this session. You can find our full listing of wins and analysis on our website under Legislative Agenda. 

And there is more work to do! The governor called a special session to begin on May 16 to address an impasse over an expiring law about drug possession penalties. Our coalitions’ economic justice bills to fix the state’s regressive tax system—the Wealth Tax, Guaranteed Basic Income, and Future Fund—did not move this session, but important conversations were begun. Renter protection bills to prevent homelessness also did not pass. 

 

Wisconsin

Lutheran Office for Public Policy – Wisconsin (LOPPW) loppw.org

The Rev. Cindy Crane, Director

Youth Advocacy Retreat 

Thirty youth from all six synods and several adults showed up for a weekend in April to be part of our first Youth Advocacy Retreat.   

Our organizers included Deacon Laura Ramlow Synod Minister – Communication, Faith Formation, Malawi (Northwest Wisconsin Synod);, Rev. Jenn Pockat, Associate to the Bishop, Director for Communications and Community (East Central Synod of Wisconsin); Rev. Marie Leafblad, Associate to the Bishop for Leadership Support (South-Central Synod of Wisconsin);, Rev. Cindy Crane (LOPPW director);, Ms. Stefanie Ehle, Synod Youth Ministries Coordinator (Northern Great Lakes Synod);, and Ms. Gretchen Haugse, Youth and Sunday School Ministries, St. Matthew’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Milwaukee (Greater Milwaukee Synod). 

 

Additional Recent Events 

Women of the ELCA: The Lutheran Office of Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW) had a presence and spoke briefly at the La Crosse Area Synod Women of the ELCA Convention, which focused on faith and citizenship. Rev. Joanne Richmond of Our Savior’s Lutheran, La Crosse, Wisc., gave an excellent presentation.   

East Central Synod of Wisconsin Lay School: LOPPW’s director led a class on the ELCA social statements for the East Central Synod of Wisconsin Lay School of Ministry, coordinated by Rev. Mark Ziemer. LOPPW will lead one more class on Luther and social justice in May. 

 

State Budget 

LOPPW submitted these comments to the Joint Finance Committee:  2023 Joint Finance Committee Requests   

Bill King, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Question

Make a mental playlist of your five favorite pieces of music?  How many musical genres are represented?  Is it all K-pop, metal, classical, rap, jazz, indie?  Do you have a mix?  What do your choices say about you?

Crossing Boundaries

Taylor Swift and The National have both been very influential musical artists.  But they have typically appealed to very different audiences.  Swift is the epitome of a pop star, mining her personal struggles for inspiration and pairing them with catchy tunes which have stadiums of adoring fans singing along.  

In contrast, The National has been the poster child for an indie-rock band, more at home in a grungy after hours club than an arena.  If Swift’s lyrics often sound like a teen’s diary, The National’s are brooding and obscure to the the point of incomprehensible.

So, according to a recent article The Atlantic, it is mildly surprising that Swift and The National have collaborated.  According to the review, both benefited from the interaction.  Swift’s new albums, Folklore and Evermore, feature moodier arrangements and show her “availing herself of the freedoms and imperatives, that men in rock and roll have long enjoyed—and projecting more ambiguity rather than wholesomeness and virtue.”

From Swift, The National seems to have learned to be less morose and abstract.  “In First Two Pages of Frankenstein the songwriting is tighter and often brighter, and Beringer’s [The National’s lead singer] meanings are remarkably direct.”  

Music fans are the big winners when stars push their comfort zones and learn from one another.

Discussion Questions

• How do you react when your favorite musical artist tries something new?
• In previous generations radio stations would play a “Top 40” format, which included many different styles of music.  You might hear country, rock, soul, and a show tune in the same half hour.  Today most people create a play list of their favorites or listen to a curated list on a streaming service.  What are the benefits and costs of each experience?
• Think about a time you have collaborated with someone else?  How were you changed?  How was the product on which you collaborated better or worse?

Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21

1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

John 20:19-23

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year A at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

It’s hard to say exactly what happened that first Pentecost.  A sound from heaven like a rushing wind, tongues of fire resting on the disciples—this is clearly figurative language which Luke uses to communicate an experience he can not really explain.  Yet, somehow God comes to the disciples in a way they can not deny, transforming them from a scared cadre of confused believers into people compelled to tell what Jesus taught and did.

Nor is it clear how Galileans are suddenly able to speak languages they have never studied.  Some scholars suggest that Luke (the writer of Acts) misunderstood what happened, that this is an example of glossolalia, the “speaking in tongues” we usually associate with Pentecostal worship.  But that is not what the text describes.  This is not people speaking gibberish, which others interpret.  Rather, people from across the empire hear their own languages spoken.  It is like a person born and bred in rural Iowa or Virginia suddenly preaching in flawless Mandarin or Kiswahili. 

Through we can not say exactly what happened, it is easier to see what it means.  There was no way the gospel message was going to stay confined within a tightly cloistered community around Jerusalem.  The rest of Acts shows the expansion of the Church’s ministry.  Peter goes to a Gentile centurion, Cornelius.  Paul travels through Greece, Asia Minor, and ultimately to Rome.  Pentecost serves notices that God intends for the way of Jesus to transcend the boundaries of culture, language, and religion.  This is a message for all people.

During the Church’s history that intention has often been frustrated.  Unfortunately, Christians easily misidentify their own culture as the one true expression of the gospel.  When that happens the Church’s confession is neither good nor news; it becomes just another defense of the status quo.

The Church is most faithful when it reaches beyond its comfort zone and hears and welcomes challenging voices.  It is most effective when it finds new ways to address the hurts and struggles which we all share.  Just as a lake needs a regular infusion of fresh water, so the church needs new voices.  Both grow stagnant without a renewing flow.  Unfamiliar, even disconcerting, voices are the lifeblood of the Church, keeping it in touch with the world for which Christ died.  They are God’s gift, pushing us to see how Pentecost was not a one-and-done phenomenon, but the template for how a Spirit led community looks when Christ is alive in it.

Discussion Questions

• What new voice has challenged you in the last week to think or act in a different way?
• What are your favorite hymns; do any of them come out of a culture different from your own?
• The Church is often accused of being out of touch with the world.  Do you think that is true?  What could it do to more effectively speak to your questions and concerns?
• A hallmark of the Pentecost narrative is that “each heard in his own native language.”  What new “languages” does the church need to master in order to proclaim Christ more effectively?  For example, how well do we speak “science?”

Activity Suggestions

Evangelical Lutheran Worship and many other hymnals  contain music from a variety of  nations and cultures.  Still, most of the hymns in ELW come out of Europe or North American.  Get an ELW or other hymnal and seek out hymns from Africa, Latin America, and Asia.  

• How are they different, both musically and in their theological emphasis, from those written in Europe or the United States?  How are they similar?
• How do they enrich the worship life of congregations which use them?  What would be lost if they were not part of the worship resource Lutherans share?

Closing Prayer

Surprising God, just as you came to the disciples in an unexpected way at Pentecost, come also to us.  Shake us out of complacency.  Makes us alive to the gifts which those who seem very different from us may offer to enrich our lives.  Give us wisdom to hold on to what is timeless, your unfailing love.  But also make us eager to embrace bold, creative ways to speak and live that love in our hurting world. 

 

Situation:

On April 15, violence broke out between opposing military groups in Sudan. Most of the fighting has been in the capital city of Khartoum, but some has now spread outside the city. Because of the conflict, many civilians cannot leave their homes, while others are managing to flee to other areas of the country, or into neighboring countries like Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan. Nearly 1 million people have been displaced since the beginning of the violence.

 

 

Response:

In Chad, Lutheran Disaster Response is supporting the Lutheran World Federation-World Service. It is addressing shelter, food, and hygiene needs in refugee camps and informal settlements. Lutheran Disaster Response is also supporting the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Upper Nile Internal Province, as it provides food and other essential supplies to refugees in South Sudan.

 

 

 

 

 

Be part of the response:

Pray
Please pray for all people impacted by the violence in Sudan. May God’s healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need.

Give
Thanks to generous donations, Lutheran Disaster Response is able to respond quickly and effectively to disasters around the globe. Your gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response will be used to assist Sudanese refugees and other crises in the U.S. and around the world.

To learn more about the situation and the ELCA’s response:

• Sign up to receive Lutheran Disaster Response alerts.
• Check the Lutheran Disaster Response blog.
• Like Lutheran Disaster Response on Facebook, follow @ELCALDR on Twitter, and follow @ELCA_LDR on Instagram.

from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: May 2023

DEBT CEILING  |  ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE EXECUTIVE ORDER  |  HUMAN TRAFFICKING  |  PROPOSED ASYUM RULE NOW IN EFFECT  |  YOUNG ADULT BORDER TRIP

 

DEBT CEILING:  The debt ceiling debate in Congress is reaching fever pitch following announcement by the Department of Treasury that the United States could hit its debt limit close to June 1. There are significant implications should the nation default on its debt including funds for Social Security, veterans benefits and more. Though we encourage lawmakers to spend within our means, spending cuts should not fall hardest on those of us who rely on public programs for daily subsistence. A call-in Action Alert invites us to call our lawmakers to encourage them to protect the integrity of antipoverty programs in any final debt ceiling deal.

House Republican leadership in late April passed a debt ceiling bill by a narrow margin (217-215) that would flatten non-defense discretionary funding to fiscal year 2022 levels – a cut that would essentially lead to a 22% decline in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) housing programs according to HUD Sec. Marcia Fudge, among other impacts. Some form of a debt-ceiling raising bill will be needed before treasury runs out of emergency measures to pay U.S. obligations, and unified House leadership indicate determination to come to some compromise measure. Encouraging lawmakers to pass a clean proposal will be a top priority in the coming weeks. The process remains entrenched.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE EXECUTIVE ORDER: President Biden signed an executive order directing every single federal agency to work toward “environmental justice for all” and improve the lives of communities hit hardest by toxic pollution and climate change. Among other things, the order will establish a new Office of Environmental Justice within the White House to coordinate efforts across the government and requires federal agencies to notify communities if toxic substances are released from a federal facility. This rule is especially poignant as a response to the February train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

 

HUMAN TRAFFICKING:  A bipartisan bill, the International Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (S. 920), has been reintroduced with proposed reforms to expand U.S. efforts. Senators Menendez (D-N.J.), Risch (R-Idaho), Kaine (D-VA.) and Rubio (R-Fla.) led the reintroduction. The proposed legislation reauthorizes and enhances anti-trafficking programs, policy and funding; and proposes reforms to expand U.S. efforts relating to combating human trafficking, including forced labor, as well as new requirements for the United States Agency for International Development to integrate prevention efforts into the agency’s global programming. Among other provisions, the bipartisan bill also amends the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act to ensure that the nations’ commitment and progress toward implementing effective counter-trafficking measures are factors in determining recipients of U.S. development assistance. No companion bill in the House has yet surfaced.

 

PROPOSED ASYUM RULE NOW IN EFFECT:  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) finalized the new “Circumvention of Lawful Pathways” rule on May 10, which went into effect following termination of the Title 42 public health order. Our related Action Alert opposing the rule during the proposed rule’s comment period had incredible engagement from our network! The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said the rule goes against international law and should be rescinded altogether. DHS and the State Department released a fact sheet on April 27 outlining the measures the Biden Administration planned after Title 42 ceased on May 11. It remains to be seen if the alternative legal pathways will serve people and families in the most immediate need. The situation will continue to be closely monitored in the next weeks and months, particularly in Central and South America. NGOs and faith organizations have been building towards this day in order to faithfully provide humanitarian assistance without disruption.

 

YOUNG ADULT BORDER TRIP:  Fourteen young adults were selected for an immersion trip in collaboration with ELCA AMMPARO, ELCA Young Adult Ministries, LIRS and Border Servant Corps. The trip took place between April 26-30. Participants stayed in New Mexico and had the opportunity to visit hospitality centers for asylum seeking families in Las Cruces and El Paso, Tex. After the trip, young adults will serve as LIRS ambassadors for a year and have been invited to reunite in September for an advocacy day with ELCA Witness in Society. Their congregations have been invited to learn more about AMMPARO. It was a truly unforgettable experience! Pictures can be found on the @ELCAammparo Facebook page.

 

---

Receive monthly Advocacy Connections directly by becoming part of the ELCA Advocacy network – http://elca.org/advocacy/signup , and learn more from elca.org/advocacy .

 

Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources and events from other organizations and institutions. These Lutheran and ecumenical partner organizations work alongside the ELCA to support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church.

---

Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival

Lutheran Summer Music is pleased to announce the creation of The Eugene and Mary Sukup Church Music Program through a grant from the Sukup Family Foundation of Sheffield, Iowa. The Church Music Program will expand LSM’s curriculum and educational offerings, including the creation of a new Liturgical Composer-in-Residence position, with Anne Krentz Organ serving during this inaugural year, and funding a guest artist residency from nationally known church musician Paul Vasile. The Church Music Program will also respond to enrollment growth (LSM 2023 saw a 300% growth in applications from organ students compared to LSM 2022) by supporting scholarships for organ students, helping LSM further invest in preparing the next – and current – generation of church musicians and organists.

---

Music that Makes Community

Music that Makes Community practices communal song-sharing that inspires deep spiritual connection, brave shared leadership, and sparks the possibility of transformation in our world.

MMC continues our focus on intergenerational worship with a One-Day Workshop in Nashville on June 11, followed by worship and workshops at the Intergenerate Conference. And, we just added another One-Day Workshop at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh on June 24! You can view the MMC calendar to find more, including upcoming in-person and virtual learning opportunities.

---

Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

ALCM nurtures and equips musicians to serve and lead the church’s song.

Register at alcm.org/2023-webinar-series/

---

Augsburg Fortress Events and Resources

Augsburg Fortress is an imprint of 1517 Media, the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

 

 

 

Kris Litman-Koon, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Warm-up Question

Have you ever been to a concert for a touring artist or band? If you’ve been to several, what was your first concert?

Peace Out

After forming in Boston more than 50 years ago, Aerosmith recently announced their farewell tour will begin later in 2023. Aerosmith is heralded as the best-selling American rock band of all time. They have more sales certifications — multi platinum, platinum, gold — than any other American group. Over the decades, Aerosmith has released numerous songs that received heavy radio airplay — including Dream On, Walk this Way, and Sweet Emotion.  The band frequently makes the short list in rankings of the best bands ever. Aerosmith even has a roller coaster dedicated to them at Disney World. 

Citing a desire to focus on his health and family, drummer Joey Kramer will not be joining Aerosmith’s other founding members — Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, and Brad Whitford — for this finale tour. In their statement announcing the tour, the band said, “It’s not goodbye it’s PEACE OUT!” 

Discussion Questions

• Have you heard of Aerosmith previously? If so, do you enjoy their music?
• What activities, if any, could you see yourself enjoying for 50+ years?
• If you were saying farewell to your fans, friends,  or family, would you do something special for the occasion?  What would it be?

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Acts 1:6-14

1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

John 17:1-11

(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 A at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

Chapter 17 of John’s gospel takes place at the end of what scholars call “Jesus’ farewell discourse.” This discourse occurs during his final meal with his disciples before his arrest, and what he says during this discourse covers multiple chapters of John’s gospel. Chapter 17 marks a shift, however, because Jesus is no longer speaking to the disciples. Rather, he is now praying to God, and the listener/reader hears his prayer. 

In this prayer, Jesus sounds confident that God will see him through this hour. The way that Jesus uses the term “my hour” in John’s gospel has special meaning. His death, resurrection, and ascension are, though three specific events, understood as one single, cataclysmic event for both heaven and earth. To put it simply, all of existence and all of time — and beyond! — find their meaning and culmination in his hour. 

As Jesus begins his prayer in Chapter 17, he states that his hour reveals glory (quickly count how many times variations of “glory” are used in verses 1-5), though it is hard to peg down only one definition of this glory. Likewise, this hour reveals giving (quickly count how many times expressions of “giving” are used in verses 6-11), though it is hard to coherently chart what/who exactly is possessed by what/whom.

That incoherence might be the point. It’s as if he wants us to respond to his hour by saying, “Okay, we understand we can never fully wrap our minds around all this.” Yet, Jesus doesn’t want to leave us with only a sense of bewilderment, so in verse 11 he finally reaches the petition (i.e. “the ask”) portion of the prayer. Jesus asks that the Holy Father protect the ones who listen to his words so that they may be one.

Jesus wants us to know that as he leaves us in his hour, he hands us back to God. He hands us back because Jesus loves us, and in this petition we hear Jesus holding God accountable to the promises that God has made to us. Jesus assures us that our life together rests in and depends on God’s care. Discord within the community will take place, yet the assurance is that God’s protection (and the concord found within it) is always available to us by following Jesus’ teaching to love one another. Ultimately, this farewell prayer is not a mere goodbye to the community; this prayer leaves us with peace. 

Discussion Questions

• Do you think the petition for the community’s protection is a suitable farewell prayer? Would you have asked for something different?
• With Jesus’ ascension being an aspect of his hour, how might it be that God is glorified by Jesus handing over his mission to his followers?   

Activity Suggestions

This is the Sunday after the Ascension of Jesus, yet before the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. So our activity is attempting to keep a balloon in the air without it touching anything but our bodies. You can only tap the balloon, not hold onto it. No one can tap the balloon twice in a row. Depending on the space and the number of people, you may consider having additional balloons at play, or consider having a rule that everyone must touch the balloon before anyone can tap it a second time, or consider whether a one-on-one competition is suitable.

Closing Prayer

Loving God, you are the everlasting protection of those who listen to Jesus. Guide us in our ongoing mission of continuing his work: bearing witness to you through our embodiment of love, compassion, and dignity for every person. Amen.

 

Dave Delaney, Salem, VA

Warm-up Question

In a real pinch or in a moment of real difficulty, who do you know who is absolutely on your side, who 100% has your back no matter what? Do you know anyone who has nobody they can depend on?

What is Truth?

“Teens who trust the news they read on social media feel less stress” It’s not what you know, it’s who you know, or – rather – who you trust.  Researchers at Cornell University recently published results of a study showing that trust in the news on social media can make a big difference in a teenager’s well-being. 

In the current age of misinformation and conspiracy theories, adolescents and young adults felt more empowered if they knew the information they read online was reliable. Those who were less trusting and more skeptical were more stressed out. Cornell Professor Adam Hoffman points out, “It’s not just the sheer volume of social media use that’s going to have this positive or negative effect. It’s how you engage with social media news that will be more influential in determining how it impacts you.”

With COVID also came the rise of new types of behavior called “doom-scrolling,” which is obsessively looking for negative and depressing news. For people trying to get away from the 24-hour stream of information, some practiced “news avoidance.” All in all, the COVID pandemic sparked an “infodemic” of misinformation, according to the World Health Organization.

Trusting the news seemed to help teens’ well-being, as they felt less left in the dark. However, the researchers warn that blindly trusting everything you read on social media can be just as bad. Creating news literacy programs to help students identify “fake news” and less credible sources will enable them to better distinguish fact from fiction.

“It’s not just that we need to trust, but that we need to trust credible sources of news that are factually based and have been vetted,” Hoffman explains. “That’s how youth can be informed and have a positive sense of well-being and sense of self, and that’s the best of both worlds.”

Discussion Questions

• How do you determine whether what you are reading represents “truth”?  Is something you read more credible if  it matches your experience or is being reported by a person or an organization you know.   Are you more likely to believe something is true if it confirms what you already believed?
• Why does “Doomscrolling” exist? What causes harebrained conspiracy theories to take hold? Are people (especially teens) more interested in true facts  or in the thrill of a spectacular claim that might not be true?
• Have you noticed a difference in your own sense of well-being or mental health depending on your online habits?

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Acts 17:22-31

1 Peter 3:13-22

John 14:15-21

(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 A at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

Variations on the word “truth” (true, truly, etc.) appear in John’s gospel more than 30 times. It is a major theme in chapters 3, 4, 7, 8, and 15 until, in chapter 18, Pilate at last asks Jesus, “What is truth?”  Jesus does not answer Pilate.  Instead he goes to the cross, demonstrating a kind of truth that is very much at odds with the kind of answer that Pilate and Jesus’ disciples were expecting. 

In John 15, Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” In living completely for others, even to joining us in our experiences of unfairness and death, Jesus shows  what it means to “truly” live. It is this truth that the “Advocate” (or “companion” or “advisor” or “helper”), another name for the Holy Spirit, brings to our minds every day. We continue Jesus’ work by bringing God’s love to those who need it most – the rejected, victims of injustice, those who have trouble knowing they are loved. We are the ones who can help others know that they too are God’s beloved. 

Discussion Questions

• Go through the gospel passage and note all the words or phrases that are related to relationships: “love,” “be with you,” etc. What does this tell us about what Jesus means by the phrase “the Spirit of truth”? For Jesus, is truth more fact-based or relationship-based?
• In this passage, Jesus refers twice to his disciples keeping his commandments. To which of his commandments is Jesus referring, especially in this gospel? (There are very few in John’s gospel prior to John 14-17.  But in those chapters there are several very important things which he directs his disciples to do. Look in those chapters for some of them).
• Jesus promises to reveal himself to those who love him and follow his teachings. Where do you see Jesus in your own life and world? Do you sense the presence of Jesus’ Spirit of truth in your daily challenges?

Activity Suggestions

• The Spirit (Advocate) comes to us not just for our own sakes, but the for the sake of everyone around us who needs a loving relationship. Give each member of your group a card on which to list people they know who are in need of the kind of love that only God and God’s people can give. Pledge to carry this card around all week, as a reminder that we are bearers of God’s love.
• Listening for the Holy Spirit in the midst of so many other voices can be extremely hard! Get a volunteer to be blindfolded in the middle of your group and have one person read from John 14 while all others just talk constantly and try to throw the blindfolded person off. Can the blindfolded person pick out the words of John 14? How do you make that distinction in daily life?
• As a group offer to compose the congregation’s prayers for an upcoming Sunday, as we approach Pentecost Day.  Emphasize our hope that God will send the Spirit into our hearts to give courage and wisdom for our daily lives and for the life of the world.
• If the group is ambitious, check out other titles for the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Some examples: Job 33:4; Hebrews 9:14; Psalm 51:12; Acts 5:3-4; Ephesians 1:13; Romans 8:9-15; Zechariah 12:10; Isaiah 11:2-3.

Closing Prayer

God, your Son Jesus brought us good news that you are close to those who love him and walk in his ways. Bless each of us in the sometimes hard and confusing work of following him. Send your Spirit to remind us every day of the truth of your love for us and the whole world. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

 

Angie Larson, Alexandria, MN

Warm-up Question

What is one area that you think humans could work better together at?

Even Greater Things

On Thursday, April 13th, 16 year old Ralph Yarl went to pick up his twin younger brothers from a friend’s house, but accidentally went to the wrong house. When the homeowner came to the door he shot Ralph twice. Once through the door and then when he was already on the ground. Ralph made his way to a neighbor’s house where he got help for his injuries. His story shocked and outraged our nation. Ralph survived but not without difficulty. 

Three days later, Ralph’s aunt set up a GoFundMe page to support the family through this difficult time. Nearly 100,000 people have donated to Ralph, with nearly 4 million dollars raised. While there is absolutely no justification for the senseless and unnecessary trauma this family has endured, the outpouring of care shows what happens when humanity comes together. Ralph’s aunt mentions that extra funds beyond his medical needs will help with Ralph’s college tuition and his dream trip to West Africa. 

Discussion Questions

• What problems in our world do you believe people find it easy to come together for common support?
• Which problems in our world do you think people find it difficult to come together to solve?
• Why are some problems easier to solve than others?
• How can we work together to stop gun violence in our country?

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 7:55-60

1 Peter 2:2-10

John 14:1-14

(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 A at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

Jesus starts this part of John with the words “Do not let your heart be troubled.”  In the original Greek, the pronoun is plural (like “y’all”) and the heart is singular.  Jesus assumes that the disciples, though many,  share one heart. They’re a unified community. Whatever may come they’re in it together. 

Jesus tells them they don’t need to worry; God has space for all of them. There is no separation or scarcity. Then Jesus says something crazy. He says, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these.” Jesus tells the disciples that together, with one heart, they will do even greater things than they have seen Jesus do. Can you imagine? The disciples thinking, “Even greater than feeding 5000+ people? Even greater than healing people from illnesses? Even greater than walking on water?” Yet, that’s what Jesus says, “Even greater things.” When we’re one-hearted, we can make the changes our world needs. So communities can have access to safety, health care, food needs, and security. So no one will ever need to worry about ringing the wrong doorbell again. 

Discussion Questions

• Around what issue do the members of your group have “one-heartedness?”  What is a problem that everyone cares about?
• Why do you think Jesus says that together we will do even greater things?

Activity Suggestions

Grab one sticky note per kid and ask them to write their name on it.  Then have each person jump up as high as they can to put their stickie on the wall. Next, ask them to work together, to see if they can get each of theirs even higher.  Discuss what this activity might say about our life together as a community in Christ.

Closing Prayer

Blessed Savior, You give us the opportunity to work together, choosing collaboration over competition, compassion over contention, and care over conflict. Bring us together, so that through you we can do even greater things, creating the changes in our communities which allow all people to thrive. In your name we pray, amen.