Rebuilding Hope in Georgia: Walking with Communities After Hurricane Helene

A home damaged by Hurricane Helene | Photo Credit the Southeastern Synod

Almost two years following Hurricane Helene, communities across Georgia are still navigating the long and difficult road to recovery. From Augusta to the coastal counties, the Southeastern Synod’s Disaster Ministry Team continues to walk alongside survivors as they rebuild homes, restore stability, and reclaim hope.

A Wide-Reaching Response

While North and South Carolina have been the focus of much of the nationwide reporting about Hurricane Helen, the scale of devastation across Georgia has been immense. Sixty-two counties were declared disaster areas, with severe damage stretching from inland communities like Augusta to coastal regions including Savannah, Brunswick, and Bryan County.

In the face of such widespread need, response efforts have focused on building strong partnerships and coordinating long-term recovery. While forming local long-term recovery groups (LTRGs) has been challenging in some areas, collaboration across organizations has proven essential.

Among the most promising developments has been the Augusta Response Coalition, where faith-based and community organizations are working together to meet survivor needs and rebuild homes.

Augusta: A Hub of Recovery and Renewal

In Augusta, recovery efforts are moving forward with momentum and purpose.

Advent Lutheran Church has become a central hub for the response, housing volunteer teams, coordinating case management, and supporting construction efforts. Since early 2025, the team has built a strong foundation for long-term recovery, hiring key staff including a construction coordinator, volunteer coordinator, and disaster case managers.

The numbers tell part of the story:

Over 2,000 survivor households identified for outreach and screening
110 total cases, with dozens actively being managed and new cases added regularly
A steady flow of volunteer teams providing repairs and rebuilding support

Outreach efforts have extended deep into the community through local events, radio interviews, and partnerships with community leaders, to ensure survivors know where to turn for help.

This work is made possible through strong partnerships, including collaboration with UMCOR, Family Promise, and local coalitions, all working together to meet urgent needs and lay the groundwork for long-term recovery.

Coastal Georgia: Challenges and Persistence

In coastal communities, recovery has unfolded differently.

Efforts in Savannah, Bryan County, Brunswick, and Glynn County have included early response support, case management, and financial assistance for survivors. Partnerships, such as those with Family Promise, have been critical in connecting people to resources.

At the same time, challenges remain. Establishing coordinated long-term recovery structures has proven difficult, and progress in organizing unmet needs tables and funding distribution has been slower.

Even so, leaders across the region continue to show persistence and commitment, building the relationships and systems needed to sustain recovery over the long term.

One Story Among Many

Behind every statistic is a story.

One survivor, a veteran living in Thomson County, embodies both the loss and resilience seen across Georgia.

Before the storm, his home represented a fresh start after a difficult season in life. “That was my home,” he said.

Hurricane Helene took it all. A massive tree crushed the house beyond repair, and his insurance company declared it a total loss, canceling his policy the same day. His property was later identified as one of the most heavily damaged in the county.

Today, he lives in a FEMA camper parked in front of the wreckage. From his window, he can see the remains of what he lost, a daily reminder of the storm’s impact. And yet, he chooses to stay.

His next step is clearing the fallen tree so the home can be demolished. Then, he hopes to rebuild, placing a modest modular home on the same land.

“I just want a place to call home again,” he says.

His story is just one of many. Across Georgia, families are navigating similar challenges, each facing difficult decisions, limited resources, and the long wait for recovery.

Moving Forward Together

The work across Georgia is far from finished.

As funding is distributed, partnerships strengthen, and long-term recovery groups take shape, more survivors will gain access to the resources they need to rebuild. Volunteer teams continue to arrive, case managers continue their outreach, and faith communities remain at the center of this work—offering presence, compassion, and hope.

Through it all, the Southeastern Synod’s response reflects a shared commitment: to walk with survivors not just in the immediate aftermath, but throughout the long journey of recovery.

Because rebuilding homes is only part of the work.

Rebuilding lives—and restoring the possibility of “home”—is what truly matters.

Supporting Communities Through Lutheran Disaster Response

In the face of these compounding emergencies, Lutheran Disaster Response continues to walk alongside communities as they respond to immediate needs and rebuild with dignity and hope. Through trusted international partners, LDR supports emergency relief, recovery, and long-term resilience efforts, addressing food security, shelter, livelihoods, psychosocial support, and disaster preparedness.

Supporting Lutheran Disaster Response enables timely, locally led responses that prioritize the most vulnerable and strengthen communities against future crises. As climate impacts intensify and conflicts persist, sustained solidarity and partnership are essential. Together, we can help ensure affected communities are not only supported in times of crisis, but also empowered to recover, rebuild, and thrive. Learn more about how to support the work of LDR here.

May 10, 2026 – Ordinary, Household Acts of Love

Prepare:

The Gospel of John has a very different character than the other three Gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke, which are called “the Synoptic Gospels”). Whereas the Synoptic Gospels tell many similar stories about the life and ministry of Jesus, John emphasizes the mystic spirituality of Jesus’ life and mission. Together all four Gospels combine into a wonderful overlapping kaleidoscopic vision of Christ. The author of John especially wants their audience to understand that Jesus is God, and (for better or worse) they go about it with very circuitous, and sometimes confusing, language. Remember that this text is from an ancient spiritual document; it’s okay that it’s confusing to us sometimes!

In today’s text, Jesus is speaking to his disciples in the upper room on the night before his crucifixion. This is part of what’s called his “farewell discourses”. Think of it as Jesus saying goodbye to his friends, and they’re saying, “no, don’t go!” He’s comforting, preparing, and instructing them for what happens next. In this passage, Jesus promises that the Spirit of God will be with them. He reassures them with ways to know that even after he’s gone, they are still part of what God is doing in the world.

Opening Exercise:

Think about people that you love, people who you are in regular, close relationships with. It might be family, roommates, friends, etc. List three of them specifically.
What things do you do for them that you wouldn’t normally do for a stranger?
Do you have to do those things, or do you choose to?
What changes about your relationship when you do these things (or don’t do them)?

Text Read Aloud:

John 14:15-21

Ordinary, Household Acts of Love

I don’t think anyone really likes being told what to do, do you? (seriously, do you?)

Even worse is when someone tries to leverage you by saying things like “if you really loved me, you’d [fill in the blank]” It’s bad enough they’re telling you to do something you maybe didn’t want to do, without them adding an extra layer of manipulation to it. I hope that this is a scenario you’ve only seen play out in movies and you’re not actually having to navigate your own Mean Girls/Regina George situation.

Without context, this text from John 14 might sound like Jesus is being manipulative. But when Jesus says “if you love me…”, he means it in a very different way. God’s love isn’t needy or insecure, it’s the opposite! The love of God is secure and giving; it builds us up, supports us, encourages us, and is absolutely steadfast. God’s love is the foundation of all creation; it is our source, our origin, our road, and our destination.

Knowing that, it’s better to read the start of this passage basically as the inverse of how Regina George says it: Jesus is saying “if YOU want to be sure that you love me, you’ll know it because you’ll be keeping my commandments.” How do we know we love people around us? We feel it, and we help out – around the house, we take care of our responsibilities, we pick them up from the airport, we help them move, we share meals, we make them food, we look after them when they’re sick, etc. That’s the stuff of loving relationships that we can look to and be confident that we’re doing our part.

Ordinary, Household Acts of Love

Jesus is comforting his disciples here who are terrified because they know that he’s about to be taken away from them. They’ve been with him for years, and they’re scared about life without him. Jesus is saying: “it’s going to be ok, and you’ll know that it’s ok because when you follow my commandments, you’ll experience the love and presence of God.”

Do you remember the story about the lawyer who asked Jesus what the greatest commandment is? Jesus said: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matt. 22:34-40) That story doesn’t appear in John’s Gospel, but Jesus says something similar just before today’s passage; in chapter 13, he says “34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

When we love someone, it’s so much easier to let our lives be interrupted by them. It’s like we don’t even need to be told what to do; acts of love just flow out of us. Jesus calls us to extend that to not just our friends, but to all our neighbors, and even our enemies. That’s how we’ll experience the presence of God.

Reflective Questions:

The presence of God can be hard to “get” if you’re not sure what to pay attention to. It’s like recognising an ingredient in a recipe: once it’s pointed out to you, you’ll taste it. You’ll probably start to notice it everywhere, actually. Jesus says that when we obey his commandments (i.e. love), we’ll experience the presence of God. Do you have a story about that?
You might have heard about some US legislators wanting to put the 10 Commandments up in schools. Without getting into the weeds of whether that’s a good idea or not, how do you think the conversation around this idea might be different if it were these “greatest commandments” instead?
“Everybody wants a revolution, but nobody wants to do the dishes.” This quote is varyingly attributed to Dorothy Day and/or Tish Harrison Warren. What does it mean to you?

Closing Activity:

The greatest commandment from Matthew 22 has three parts: Love God, Love your neighbor, Love yourself. In John 14:15-21, Jesus says that when we do this, we’ll experience the presence of God.
1. Make a dot point list of three things you can do to obey each part of this commandment. Think about things you can do today, and things that have a longer-term scope.
2. What stands out to you on these lists?
3. What parts are easy? Which parts are difficult?
4. Which one will you start with immediately?
Listen to or sing a hymn together, “They Will Know We are Christians By Our Love”

Final Prayer:

(take a deep breath and exhale)

Holy One, we trust that you tell us the truth. Loving people can be really hard; loving ourselves can be even harder sometimes. You know this; and we trust that you will help us. We want to know you better and follow you more closely. We trust that when you say you’ll fill us with your Spirit, you’ll do it. So, help us love one another, help us love ourselves, and help us love you; help us recognize you in the midst of it all.

Thank you for loving us, and thank you for making your home with us.

In Christ’s name, Amen.

Bio:

Rev. Rory Chambers is the Pastor for Youth and Young Adults at The First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck, NJ. Rory is Australian, and looks for any excuse to share a meal with people. If he’s not at home with his family, you’ll find him leading karaoke at a pub with his neighbors.

Worship Resources for the US Semiquincentennial July 2026

On July 4, 2026, the US will mark the semiquincentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Worship resources are now available for this specific occasion that both celebrate and lament this nation’s history, affirm the reality of the current moment, and seek to unite the diverse body of Christ for the life of the world. These resources may be used at a special service or on Sunday, July 5, and are available as a PDF or DOC. The resources are also available on SundaysandSeasons.com.

These resources include liturgical texts: confession and forgiveness, prayers of the day, prayers of intercession, offering prayer, thanksgiving at the table, invitation to communion, prayer after communion, blessing, and dismissal. An Affirmation of Christian Vocation in Civic Life included in the sending rite could be used in other contexts beyond this semiquincentennial observance.

This set of liturgical texts was developed in the context of the readings appointed in the Revised Common Lectionary for Lectionary 14, year A, complementary series (Zechariah 9:9-12; Psalm 145:8-14; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30), and within the broader national context of the US Semiquincentennial. If your worshiping assembly uses the semicontinuous series of first readings and psalms, you are encouraged on this occasion to use the complementary series so that the connections among the scriptural and liturgical texts are most evident.

In addition to the liturgical texts, a preaching help will guide preachers navigating the juxtaposition of the Lectionary 14 texts with the national observance. Rev. Angela Denker poses important questions about how to meet the moment, with the important reminder to attend to the needs of your particular context alongside scripture study.

A resource for church musicians by Wayne Wold presents suggestions for assembly song, choirs, piano, and organ. But just as helpfully, it assists musicians and other worship planners to frame the choices that need to be made, asking the “why” and “how” questions. Pastors and musicians would benefit by reading Wold’s commentary together as part of their planning process.

If you access these as a Sundays and Seasons subscriber on SundaysandSeasons.com, you will see that the day texts, preaching help, and portions of the music resource are accessible in the Day Texts, Music, and Preaching tabs. Select “Lectionary 14: US Semiquincentennial” in the Planner. The full resource is also available in the Library/Other Resources.

We hope you find these new resources helpful as you consider how you might mark this occasion in your congregation. As you do so, it is good to be reminded that we are grounded in the central things: “We gather around word, water, and meal by Christ’s invitation: ‘Come to me, all you that are weary.’ Here we find rest for our souls and hope for life in the beloved community” (Introduction to the Day).

For what shall we pray?

“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.

Prayer prompts:
For peace and reconciliation among the nations, especially in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Mali, South Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela…
For all immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers…
For justice for all missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, for healing for those who mourn them, and for persistence to those who raise awareness and work to dismantle racism and misogyny…
For those injured and affected by gun violence this week, especially those in Edmond, Oklahoma…
For elections and political transitions, locally and around the world…
For cruise passengers exposed to hantavirus and for all public health efforts…
For all affected by severe weather, especially tornadoes in Mississippi…
For all who celebrate Mother’s Day with great joy, and for all who observe it with complication or pain…
For synods of the ELCA as they gather in their assemblies, that the Spirit would enliven and guide them…

Events and observances:
April observances: National Alcohol Awareness Month, Arab American Heritage Month, Autism Awareness Month, National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Sexual Assualt Awareness Month
May observances: Mental Health Awareness Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, National Military Appreciation Month, National Foster Care Month

National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (May 5)
National Day of Prayer (May 7)
Julian of Norwich, renewer of the church, died around 1416 (May 8)
Victor the Moor, martyr, died 303 (May 8)
Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, renewer of the church, hymnwriter, died 1760 (May 9)
Matthais, apostle (May 14)

Prayers from ELCA resources:
A prayer of Julian of Norwich (ELW p.87)
In you, Father all-mighty, we have our preservation and our bliss. In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving. You are our mother, brother, and savior. In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvelous and plenteous grace. You are our clothing; for love you wrap us and embrace us. You are our maker, our lover, our keeper. Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well. Amen.

A prayer for the well-being of creation (ACS p.47)
Creator God, who lifted up the mountains and formed the dry land; whose hands shaped us out of the dust of the earth; who formed the soils and made this earth a place of beauty and abundance: We give you thanks for the gift of the land. Create in us such a sense of wonder and delight in this and all your gifts that we receive them with gratitude, care for them with love, and generously share them with all your creatures, to the honor and glory of your holy name. Amen.

—

The following topical resources are available from resources.elca.org for use in public worship and personal devotion:
Worship resources in a time of war
Worship resources for the crisis in the Holy Land
Worship resources for the Eastern Europe Crisis

—

ELW = Evangelical Lutheran Worship
ACS = All Creation Sings: Evangelical Lutheran Worship Supplement

Additional topical prayers are found in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (pp. 72–87) and All Creation Sings (pp. 46–55), as well as in other resources provided in print and online at sundaysandseasons.com.

Crafted intercessions for every Sunday and festival are provided in the Sundays and Seasons worship planning guide published in-print and online by Augsburg Fortress. Further assistance for composing prayers of intercession can be found here: Resources for Crafting Prayers of Intercession

Prayer Ventures, a daily prayer resource, is a guide to prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world.

Worship Resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers – May 2026

Augsburg Fortress is the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers that support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church. ELCA Worship also features resources from other partners in a monthly blog post.

Sundays and Seasons Year B 2027

Sundays and Seasons is your indispensable companion for planning worship with comprehensive content and ideas for liturgy, music, preaching, and visuals. A diverse group of more than 70 contributors from across the church has provided an expansive resource of daily and seasonal helps. Use Sundays and Seasons print edition together with sundaysandseasons.com for effective and efficient planning, preparation, and production of all your worship needs. Year B 2027 available now!

Sundays and Seasons: Guide to Worship Planning, Year B 2027

Sundays and Seasons supports comprehensive week-by-week worship planning with content and ideas for liturgy, music, preaching, and visuals. Shaped by the Revised Common Lectionary, the church year, and the assembly gathered around word and sacrament, it offers clarity, inspiration, and aid for worship planners. Worship planners and leaders, preachers, presiding ministers, worship committees, musicians, visual artists, sacristans and altar guilds, and those who create congregational worship folders will find an indispensable companion in Sundays and Seasons as they prepare for worship each week.

Sundays and Seasons: Preaching

Sundays and Seasons: Preaching is an annual resource in the Sundays and Seasons family that considers the sermon in the context of the day and seasons of the church year. This resource features new commentary and ideas for proclamation of word and sacrament contributed by a diverse group of contributors from across the church. This resource encourages and provides helps for lectionary preaching, taking into account all the readings for the day, in addition to the rest of the worship service and the day itself in the lectionary year, provides interpretation and helps, giving many points of connection for a diversity of worshipers and spiritual needs, and situates preaching within the larger task of worship planning.

Worship Planning Calendar: Sundays and Seasons, Year B 2027

Worship Planning Calendar serves as a planning guide, workbook, appointment calendar, and guide to daily prayer and is an important part of the Sundays and Seasons worship planning suite. Each weekly spread presents Monday through Saturday on the left-hand side and Sunday on the right-hand side, allowing space for notes about the music, liturgy, intercessions, and sermon. Includes prayer of the day, gospel acclamation, psalm refrain, preface, seasonal colors, principal festivals, lesser festivals, commemorations, observances, occasions, and more! 5⅜” x 8⅜” spiral bound.

Sundays and Seasons Print Subscription

Feeling too busy to remember to order your new Sundays and Seasons every year? Sign up for the Sundays and Seasons Print Subscription! You will receive each subsequent release of the Sundays and Seasons resources you have selected when the next volume is released. Your subscription begins with the next annual edition released in the spring.

Augsburg Fortress Music Clinics – 70th Anniversary Celebration!

Locations
Columbia, S.C. — July 24-25
Twin Cities, Minn. — July 27-28
Columbus, Ohio — August 3-4
Philadelphia, Pa. — August 6-7
Chicago, Ill. — August 10-11

More information about the event and registration for a FREE music clinic near you is available here.

Truth, Honor and Remembrance: National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) in the ELCA

In honor of National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Relatives (MMIWGR), which is observed on May 5 each year, ELCA Racial Justice Ministries invited Isabell Retamoza to write on this topic.

Source: MMIWGR Toolkit Socials

Truth, Honor and Remembrance: MMIW Awareness Day in the ELCA

By Isabell Retamoza

On May 5, communities across the United States will gather in remembrance and solidarity to honor missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW), girls and Two-Spirit people[1].

The alarming rates of abduction, disappearance and murder of Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people represent one of the most devastating and ongoing injustices facing tribal nations and Indigenous communities. On some reservations, Native women experience murder rates more than 10 times the national average.^[2] Two-Spirit individuals face exceptionally high levels of violence, with studies indicating that between 78% and 85% have experienced gender-based violence, sexual assault or physical violence.^[3] These disappearances and deaths are frequently connected to domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, sex trafficking and other longstanding harms impacting Indigenous communities. Nearly 96% per of the time the perpetrators of this violence are non-Native men.[4]

To honor and remember those lost, many people wear red or paint red handprints across their faces as symbols of visibility for those who have been made invisible. But MMIW Awareness Day is not only about remembrance; it is also a call to truth-telling and advocacy.

MMIW Day of Awareness calls us to:

Honor the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people.
Raise awareness of the disproportionate levels of violence experienced by Indigenous families and communities.
Support community efforts of grassroots advocacy and organizing to change laws, policies, protocols and resource allocation at the tribal, federal and state levels.
Share and discuss the history of state-sanctioned violence perpetrated by the U.S. government against Indigenous people and communities to better understand the roots of this crisis and drive meaningful legal reform.

This crisis is neither isolated nor random. It is the result of centuries of state-sanctioned and structural violence. Rooted in colonization and genocide, U.S. policies forcibly removed Indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands, fractured families and kinship systems, and devalued Indigenous culture. These harms continue today through jurisdictional failures, underfunded services, extractive industries built near tribal lands, and systems that repeatedly fail to protect Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people or that hold perpetrators accountable.

For the church, MMIW Awareness Day is also a moment of moral reflection. Christian institutions were often complicit in the systems that enabled this violence, including forced assimilation and boarding schools. Honoring this day meaningfully requires more than acknowledgment; it calls us to recognize the truth expressed through action, solidarity and sustained commitment to justice.

Honoring MMIW Awareness Day in Your Congregation

ELCA congregations can mark May 5 in meaningful and respectful ways, including:

Wearing red (T-shirts available from the ELCA) and taking pictures.
Using social media to raise awareness. Use the hashtags #MMIW, #NoMoreStolenSisters, #TruthandHealing and #ELCA 2.
Organizing a prayer vigil (with this resource).
Including MMIW in your congregation’s prayers for the day.
Saying the names of MMIW (especially meaningful if you research and identify MMIW specific to your region or locality) and lighting candles for them during worship.
Inviting (and compensating) a local Indigenous expert to share on this topic as part of your educational time.
Inviting (and compensating) local Indigenous musicians to play or sing during worship.

As members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we are called to bear public witness to truth, even when that truth challenges us. On May 5, may we commit ourselves not only to remembrance but to action that honors Indigenous lives.

For more information on how your congregation can get involved and honor MMIW Day of Awareness on May 5, please visit the ELCA website and download the MMIW Toolkit.

Isabell Retamoza is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, a law student at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law and is a member of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in San Diego.

[1] “Two-Spirit is a term used by some Indigenous people to describe roles, responsibilities, and identities that exist outside colonial understandings of gender and sexuality. For many, Two-Spirit is interrelated to expression, language, tradition, and/or ceremony, often carrying inherent responsibilities to the well-being of the land and community.” Understanding The Term ‘Two-Spirit’ — Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance, https://w2sa.ca/two-spirit-library/understanding-the-term-two-spirit.

^[2] National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, www.niwrc.org/mmir-awareness.

^[3] Balsam, Kimberly F., et al., “Culture, Trauma, and Wellness: A Comparison of Heterosexual and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Two-Spirit Native Americans, Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 2026, vol. 32, issue 2 (April), doi.org/10.1037/1099-9809.10.3.287.

[4] The National Congress of American Indians Policy Research Center, Key Statistics | NCAI, https://www.ncai.org/section/vawa/overview/key-statistics.

Lutherans Engaging in the Electoral Process

What is at stake in the electoral process? For Lutherans, our response is not exclusively individualistic.

FOUNDATIONS OF OUR CONSIDERATION

The electoral process is one way in the United States that we steward our life together as a nation, care for our neighbor and promote the common good. The topic may get additional attention during an election cycle, but the foundations of its consideration are shaped by a Lutheran understanding of God’s intent to work through human activity to order and provide earthly justice and enough for all. These foundations are expressed in Bible studies and sermon reflections and lived experiences.

“This church teaches that civic engagement is a vital aspect of discipleship for baptized Christians. We have a responsibility not only to fulfill our private roles and functions in life, and to pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2), but also to be civically engaged. We do so to act against destructive consequences but also for fair and compassionate governance.” – From the ELCA social message “Government and Civic Engagement in the United States: Discipleship in a Democracy” (p. 13)

Government is conveyed as God’s gift in the social message because “it is intended to do what churches, families, individuals, and businesses cannot do on their own: protect and coordinate the well-being of individuals, communities, and creation” (p. 2). Elections are a moment when faithful civic engagement becomes especially visible as the nation grapples with decisions that will have generational impact for years to come. Elections provide a structured way for people to help shape policies, elect candidates of choice, enact accountability for the well-being of all and ensure that every voice, especially voices from the margins, are heard.

BARRIERS TO ACCESS AND EQUITY

Voter suppression is real. Voting in our nation was first enshrined only for educated white men who owned property. It took more than a century for access to the ballot to meaningfully expand to people of color, women, people with disabilities, people who are low-income, and American Indians and Alaska Natives. From a history of voter suppression in the Jim Crow era to the current climate of restrictive voter laws, many people, particularly people of color, face barriers to their right to vote. “The political health of our nation still suffers from the stain of antidemocratic exclusion. Efforts to restrict access to voting should be condemned and resisted,” notes the social message (p. 9). The need to advocate for just access to the vote continues.

The ELCA social policy resolution “Voting Rights to All Citizens” affirms that “members, congregations, and synods of this church be encouraged to ‘promote public life worthy of the name’ by speaking out as an advocate and engaging in local efforts such as voter registration and supporting legislation to guarantee the right to vote to all citizens.” Many congregations and leaders answer this nonpartisan call through holding registration drives and Get Out The Vote campaigns, among other ways.

DEVELOPMENTS AND TRENDS

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, for example, has had historical value and current relevance in preventing discrimination, improving outcomes for disadvantaged groups, recognizing and addressing historical injustices as they relate to advancing voting rights and fair representation in the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais on Apr. 29, 2026, that the creation of a second majority-Black district in the state of Louisiana was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The historic decision ultimately weakens key provisions of the Voting Rights Act that have historically protected minority demographics by the banning of discriminatory voting practices on the basis of race and the providing of accountability on the outcomes of congressional maps.

“Wider implications of the decision include weakened effectiveness of equal protection challenges and the use of disparate impact analysis as legal tools for accountability on issues related to access in employment, housing and education policy. ELCA individual members, and the ministries and organizations serving those impacted, will begin to see impacts this year, in states racing against primary filing deadlines and widespread longer-term changes to federal policy and election administration in anticipation of the 2028 presidential election,” said Antoine Cummins, ELCA Program Director for Civil Rights. “The faith community has played a pivotal role in the multi-generational struggle to realize the vision of a more equitable multi-racial democracy -and will continue to do so.”

NONPARTISAN WITNESS

A prayer that God’s creative power may be present in our witness concludes the ELCA social statement Faith and Civic Life: Seeking the Well-being of All (p. 71). This prayer includes the petition:

“May we, as your people, join all others of goodwill in the work of government as gift, aspiration, and responsibility to serve the common good of ‘we the people.’”

We are thankful for public servants, election officials, the judiciary and all who strive towards this common goal.

In and out of an election cycle, the ELCA will continue to advance a nonpartisan public witness which encourages participation in the electoral process and advocates for just and equitable access to voting, shaped by our faith convictions. The ELCA does not endorse any particular candidate, party or form of government or strive for a Christian one. Yet in love there is much we can do.

Sign up for updates from the ELCA Advocacy team at elca.org/advocacy/signup, and monitor @socials and this blog for the latest ELCA resources to equip faithful civic engagement.

For what shall we pray?

Prayer prompts:
For peace and reconciliation among the nations, especially in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Mali, South Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela…
For all immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers…
For those exposed to gun violence at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, and for an end to political violence…
For stabbing victims in north London, and for an end to antisemitism…
For flotilla personnel detained by Israeli forces…
For communities in Oklahoma and Texas in the wake of tornado damage…
For all who live with mental illness, and for all those who support them…
For those who work or live in our prisons, jails, and courts, and for an end to capital punishment…
For synods of the ELCA as they gather in their assemblies, that the Spirit would enliven and guide them…

Ridván, Bahá’í, (April 20–May 2)
Catherine of Siena, theologian, died 1380 (Apr 29)
Philip and James, Apostles (May 1)
Vesak, Buddhism (May 1)
Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, died 373 (May 2)
Monica, mother of Augustine, died 387 (May 4)
Julian of Norwich, renewer of the church, died around 1416 (May 8)
Victor the Moor, martyr, died 303 (May 8)
Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, renewer of the church, hymnwriter, died 1760 (May 9)

Prayers from ELCA resources:
A prayer for those who are incarcerated (ACS p.52)
Mighty God, merciful and just: we pray for our jails, prisons, and detention centers, that they be places of fair and humane treatment for all. Lead us to end solitary confinement and other cruel and demeaning practices. Guide police and corrections officers, attorneys and judges to use wisely the power entrusted to them. Inspire prison worshiping communities and chaplains. Rouse us to eradicate racism, corruption, and greed in the criminal justice system. By your Spirit, transform our society, that the dignity and worth of every incarcerated person be honored. We ask this through your resurrected Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

A prayer for congregational ministries (ELW p.76)
Almighty God, your Holy Spirit equips the church with a rich variety of gifts. Grant that we may use them to bear witness to Christ in lives that are built on faith and love. Make us ready to live the gospel and eager to do your will, so that we may share with all your church in the joys of eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

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ELW = Evangelical Lutheran Worship
ACS = All Creation Sings: Evangelical Lutheran Worship Supplement