Sara Galyon, Decatur, GA

Warm-up Question

Do you feel like God is active in your life? Why, or why not?

What’s Next?

We are in the  season of graduations.  Some high schools in the country are already prepping for their graduations, and many colleges have already had their ceremonies.

Rollins College celebrated its graduation on May 8th. Located in Winter Park, Florida, Rollins had five valedictorians, all obtaining a perfect 4.0 GPA. Of those four, one is a non-speaking autistic woman named Elizabeth, who was chosen by the other valedictorians to give the graduation address. 

By typing with one finger in a “text to speech” program, she delivered her speech with the help of  a communication partner.  She was diagnosed with non-speaking autism at 15 months old. Her mother was told she would never communicate, but her mother was determined to find a solution.  She taught her daughter how to use various tools and, ultimately, how to communicate with others by typing. Elizabeth said being able to type “unlocked [her] mind from its silent cage,” allowing her to get to the point where she’d share that mind in a graduation address. 

She called the class of 500 students to lives of service to others, because that will give their lives meaning. She ended her speech saying, “God gave you a voice. Use it. And know, the irony of a nonspeaking autistic encouraging you to use your voice is not lost on me. Because if you can see the worth in me, you can see the worth in everyone you meet.”

Discussion Questions

• Graduations are often a time of saying goodbye, and sometimes come with some uncertainty about the future. Have you ever experienced a time when you said good-bye to someone or something, and then weren’t sure what would come next? What was that like?
• When have you looked back on things which have happened in your life and realized that God must have been at work in that situation?
• When have you felt called to use your voice, for the good of others, or yourself? Did you use your voice? How did you feel that call?

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Acts 16:9-15

Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

John 14:23-29

John 5:1-9

(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 C at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

This text transports us back to before Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus is preparing his followers for what is to come. 

As lectionary passages often do, this one begins in the middle of a conversation. A disciple has asks Jesus how he will reveal himself to the disciples when the world cannot see him, as Jesus describes in John 14:19. It’s a good question. They have never experienced anything like what Jesus describes. Of course, Jesus gives a very Jesus-y answer to that question. Love. Love is the way the disciples will know Jesus. The disciples love for Jesus, and God’s love for them.

Jesus goes on to reassure them that they aren’t totally alone once he returns to God. He describes the third part of what we know as the Trinity. God will send the Advocate (Holy Spirit)  after Jesus is gone, to continue to teach them and remind them of everything Jesus has said to them while the world could still see him. 

He then goes on to describe the peace that Jesus plans to leave with them. This peace belongs to Jesus, and it is not the peace that the world gives. This period in history is also known as the Pax Romana (Roman Peace) , a nearly 200 year period when there was relative peace and prosperity throughout the empire. But that peace came through bloodshed and was maintained through military strength. This is an example of how Jesus turns the worldly narrative on its head:   Jesus leaves peace through love.  The emperor keeps peace through force, which the disciples will see first hand at Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion.  

This passage is part of what scholars call the Farewell Discourse. It’s a goodbye message from Jesus to the disciples. While they may have been very confused in the moment, we get the benefit of centuries to look back on this text and think about what it means for God to send the Holy Spirit after Jesus leaves the world. 

Discussion Questions

• The Holy Spirit has many names;, in this case we have the word “Advocate.” What does Advocate mean to you?
• How do you see the difference between the peace that Jesus gives to us, and the peace the world offers today?
• As Christians, we believe the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives and in the world around us. Looking back on your life, where do you think the Holy Spirit was at work?
• The future for the disciples was very uncertain at this point. How does the future look for you? How is the Holy Spirit guiding you as you lean into whatever will be your future?

Activity Suggestions

Supplies: chart paper, sticky notes, pens (alternatively, you can use a whiteboard and markers)

• Hand out the sticky notes and pens to everyone and put the chart paper where it is in the center of the group. Have everyone write ways they think the Holy Spirit is actively at work in the world. This can be from personal experience, news stories, projects in your community etc.
• As they come up with their ideas, have them place the sticky notes on the chart paper. After everyone has come up with a few, ask if anyone wants to share theirs. Then see if you can add more as a group. See if you can fill the paper! You may be surprised at how active God is in the world through the Holy Spirit once you start really thinking about it!

Closing Prayer

Loving God, your Advocate is welcome in this place and we ask that you fill our lives with inklings, ideas, nudges, and outright shoves into the directions you call us to participate as your people in the world. Open our eyes to areas where your love is needed. Help us love Jesus and our neighbors in the way you love us. Walk with us as we work together to show your peace to a troubled world. In your name we pray. Amen. 

 

Issue 82 of Administration Matters

ELCA Churchwide Assembly

The 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly will take place Aug. 8-12 in Columbus, Ohio. Under the theme “Embody the Word,” the assembly will meet around word and water, wine and bread, to carry on its work on behalf of the entire church. A key action during the assembly will be electing a vice president. Live video of worship and plenary sessions will be accessible at Churchwide Assembly — Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (elca.org).

4 things you can do to keep your organization cyber-safe

Cybercriminals don’t just focus on “the big guys.” Whether you have 10 employees or 10,000, human error is easily exploited by cybercriminals, and in fact a large percentage of cyberattacks are caused by human error or behavior. Therefore, employees need to understand why protecting sensitive information is important and how to recognize threats. Here are four things you can do to keep your organization cyber-safe. >More

New videos on Portico’s billing process now available

New treasurers or congregation members responsible for paying their church’s monthly Portico bill should check out three new videos available on EmployerLink to illuminate our billing process. The topics are:
• Reviewing a sample bill.
• Paying your bill.
• Specific situations regarding your bill.
Transcripts of the videos will also be available. Look for these updated videos in the “What to Do” tab on the “How to Work With Us” page.

Creating a congregation mission statement

A well-written mission statement should clearly and concisely communicate the congregation’s purpose for existing and can provide the focus and motivation it needs to carry out its mission. >More

New E-book: The Four S’s That Keep Church Leaders Awake at Night

Our world is constantly changing, and the issues the church faces tomorrow will be different from those it faces today. The Four S’s That Keep Church Leaders Awake at Night, a new e-book by Kenneth Q. Tan, a partner at CapinCrouse, delves into four key topics — sustainability, succession, structure and security — that leaders must address to prepare their churches for the challenges and opportunities presented by this ever-changing landscape. This free e-book includes checklists, best practices and discussion questions for your leadership team. You’ll learn how to:
• Assess and address key sustainability factors such as differences in generational giving, strategic resource planning, and budgeting and forecasting.
• Plan for effective leadership succession.
• Be proactive with governing documents and policies that provide additional structure as you grow.
• Implement the right controls and procedures to improve security.

10 essentials of severe-weather preparedness

When disaster strikes, it’s too late to think about what you should have done to prepare; before disaster strikes, that preparation can be daunting. This guide walks you through the essentials of severe-weather preparedness. >More

 

by Rachel Wyffels, 2021-22 Hunger Advocacy Fellow [about the author]

It can be hard to feel God’s restorative presence in these times. In the midst of violence towards each other and the Earth, I often wonder how the Holy Spirit is realizing God’s promise of resurrection in our lives and in our world.

For me, one answer is with the people and relationships in my life.

“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).

An opportunity for regenerative relationship in my position as a Hunger Advocacy Fellow comes from my work with the EcoFaith Network of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod. The EcoFaith Network is a dedicated group of stewards of creation across the great geographic diversity of the synod, spanning from Princeton near Minneapolis to International Falls 244 miles north, just under the Canadian border. The EcoFaith Network connects and grows efforts to care for creation across the synod and beyond through grants that support congregational initiatives, educational opportunities, an annual EcoFaith Summit and a supportive community maintained with intentionality and joy.

I felt God at work among the members of the EcoFaith Network as we worked to prepare the 2022 EcoFaith Summit, “Holy Ground Holy Table: Regenerative Practices for the Wholeness of the Earth.” Even in the midst of despair about climate change, about dying ecosystems and shrinking biodiversity, about suffering, violence and migration that disproportionately affects black and brown bodies and communities, and about the failure and brokenness of a political system that refuses to act, God is still bringing new life. The Holy Spirit is moving through the quiet perseverance of Mary Jo, the warm encouragement of Dave, the meditative reflection of Sue, the focused tenacity of Kristin, the eager hospitality of John, and so many others.

As Lutherans, we believe that God is who God has revealed Godself to be: One who brings new life in the midst of suffering and death. We also know that we are set free in Christ to seek justice.

I am grateful to work alongside the dedicated stewards of the EcoFaith Network to advocate for all of creation. Their wholehearted communal spirit reminds me of God’s constant movement to bring new life even amidst great loss.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rachel Wyffels (she/her) is a Hunger Advocacy Fellow with Lutheran Advocacy-Minnesota, an affiliated state public policy office. Her areas of focus include affordable housing, hunger and climate justice. Wyffels is a graduate of St. Olaf College, where she served as president of the St. Olaf Student Congregation Council. She will begin studies toward an M.Div. at Luther Seminary next year.

Tuhina Rasche, San Carlos, CA

Warm-up Question

• What are some of the things you love? Food, music, movies, books? Why do you love them?
• What are your favorite songs or stories about love? Why are they your favorites? What do these songs or stories say about love?

What Do You Mean By “Love”?

I’m going to date myself, but I love power ballads from the 1980s. I really love these songs.  Not just  because of the cool electric guitars, but also because a lot of these songs explore the concept of love. Some of these songs:

• Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It?”
• Whitesnake’s “Is This Love?” 
• Foreigner’s “I Wanna Know What Love Is?”  
• Huey Lewis and the News’ “Do You Believe in Love?” 

These songs (and many current songs) talk a lot about love. They wonder about the relationships between people we call “love.” Some talk about a love that’s unrecognized and unnoticed by another person. Some talk about just how amazing love is. Throughout  human history we’ve talked about love, not just in songs, but also in stories, movies, poetry, and other mediums. But there’s something about these songs which leaves me wondering about the definition of love. Because truly, what is love?

What confuses me is how the word “love” can refer to both deep and meaningful relationships and to things I merely like. How I can use the same word to talk about my feeling for my parents and my affinity for tacos? I love my parents. I love tacos. But are these loves the same thing? I’m confused about how to use the word “love”… especially when I really mean it. 

Discussion Questions

• Why is it be so hard to define what seems like a simple term?
• If humans have talked about love for the entirety of recorded human history, why is it sometimes so hard to embody and live out?

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 11:1-18

Revelation 21:1-6

John 13:31-35

(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 C at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

In this gospel reading, Jesus tells his disciples “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another. As I have loved you, you should love one another.” This is a commandment that calls us into a relationship, with both God and one another. It calls us into a relationship of love.  This is more than extreme like; in love one person pours out themselves for another, as God has poured out love for us. If this is a new commandment, this is serious. Jesus calls us to love others as he loves us. This means that we’re called to love our neighbor in need, created in God’s image. 

Yet that short, elusive, and mysterious word “love” is complicated. Jesus sends us out, not just to be his hands and feet in the world, but also to embody the love that God shows us in the person of Jesus. What is hard about this new commandment is that we cannot pick and choose whom we love. Jesus calls us to love and serve our neighbor, to be in solidarity with the oppressed.  But we are also called to love those we don’t even like—to love everyone. 

Yipes. What seemed so simple before is now a big challenge. It takes a lot of deep breaths, faith, trust, and risk-taking. Love isn’t just a vague four letter word or a feeling. Love is action; it is a verb.  We live in relationship with one another. Christ’s commandment seems so simple,  so glaringly obvious,“Love as I have loved you.”  Yet it is one of the hardest things Jesus asks us to do. Thanks be to God that we’ve been shown that love in Jesus Christ.  In our baptism and at the communion table we remember just how much we are loved. 

Discussion Questions

• How do you define God’s love? How does that love differ from any other type of love?
• Why is it sometimes hard to love people who are not like you?
• Who are some of the people who have loved you to life? Who are some of the people you love to life?  (If that phrase, “loved you to life” is new to you, think about what it might mean; how does being loved make you more alive?)

Activity Suggestions

• Think about the loving relationships in your life and what makes these relationships rooted in love. Take time to list the relationships where love plays an important role. Share lists with one another (if you’re comfortable doing do). What are the similarities and differences?
• Take sticky notes and cut them into a heart shape. Have everyone in your group write the name of someone they love on a sticky note and place it on the wall. Study the wall of love. Take a sticky note that isn’t yours and pray for that person throughout the week. 
• Conversation hearts are a popular candy to give out on Valentine’s Day. What would God write on a conversation heart to you? Write that message on a sticky note and place it on the wall. What are God’s messages of love? 

Closing Prayer

Holy God, in the person of Jesus Christ you have shown us the enormity of your love for each of us. Help and guide us to live out this new commandment given to us by Jesus, to love one another as you love us. May those in the world know God’s love through us. Amen.

 

By Hannah Peterson, 2021-22 Hunger Advocacy Fellow [about the author]

I am not a practicing Lutheran. Although many of my relatives and ancestors are, I grew up in a secular family, attending church only for Christmas Eve services and the occasional baptism or funeral. As you might imagine, it was an unusual path that led me to this year of being an ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow, of learning to navigate through new communities, new opportunities and new insights.

“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).

Last spring, emerging from a difficult and confusing year of confinement and isolation as I completed a graduate program in a foreign country during a global pandemic, I was feeling particularly lost in the wilderness of my life. Like many, my plans had been derailed, and the way forward seemed especially unclear. I had spent the past several years buried in my books, in an academic life of writing and contemplation that no longer seemed meaningful to me in the same way.

It was during this time that my “new thing” sprung forth—that my part-time job doing editing work for a small non-profit organization became the opportunity that I have devoted my time to for the past many months. When I took the job of an Hunger Advocacy Fellow, I thought of myself as an editor only: my interest and experience were in rhetoric, language and communication, not so much in the content of what was being written. But what began as a way for me to use the academic skills I had honed through my education had been slowly changing over the months as I learned more about the organization of my placement (Lutherans Engaging in Advocacy Ministry New Jersey).

I began to learn about the intricacies of New Jersey politics and the particular struggles its residents face. I began to learn about the ELCA and the relationship between faith and advocacy. I attended Hour of Advocacy meetings, engaging with others who valued both contemplative discussion and practical action. I learned about Lutheranism and the ELCA’s approach to advocacy with the other Hunger Advocacy Fellows. I read the ELCA’s social statements and messages, and learned again how reflection on spiritual questions could inform the concrete, grounded activism that I was beginning to involve myself in.

First, we learn. I had that part down. But next, we must do.

The opportunity that sprung forth for me was not only a chance to work in advocacy or among people of faith, but an opportunity to connect my contemplative self to practical, meaningful work in the world. I feel a connection to Philippians 4:9, which begins: “As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them…” For me (and you, I hope!) advocacy is a way to take what we have learned and do.

 

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hannah Peterson is an ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow placed with Lutherans Engaging in Advocacy Ministry New Jersey (LEAMNJ), a state public policy office in the ELCA advocacy network. She recently graduated from Columbia University with a master’s degree in History and Literature, following her undergraduate degree from St. John’s College. Peterson’s internships at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the National Museum of American History inspired her passion for identifying stories that have not yet been told and lifting up the voices of those in need. She hopes to continue her work building connections between people of different faiths, traditions and backgrounds.

Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

Warm-up Question

If you could share a meal with any famous person – real or fictional / living or dead – who would it be and why?

Whose Voice Are You Listening To?

Recently, the board of Twitter agreed to an offer from Elon Musk to buy the social media company for around $44 billion.  When the deal is completed, it will put the world’s richest person in charge of an incredibly influential platform.  With nearly 400 million users, Twitter has helped to transform not only the news business but how influencers like celebrities and politicians reach their audiences.

In a statement announcing the deal, Mr. Musk said, “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.”  Yet along with the positive aspects of social media, there are aspects that are not so positive.  

In the case of Twitter, for example, some have expressed concern about the potential impact of having such a powerful social media company privately owned and controlled by a single person.  Like other platforms, Twitter’s algorithms and systems tend to amplify the most incendiary voices, hateful speech, and disinformation. And there is a growing body of evidence that overuse of social media can lead to increased levels of anxiety and depression, particularly in students.

Discussion Questions

• What social media platforms (if any) do you use?  What do you enjoy most about these platforms?
• Name are some of the positive things about social media?
• What are some of the negative aspects?
• How would you rate the impact of social media on how you feel about things? 
  • When I think about the future, social media makes me feel a) more confident  b) less confident  c) no impact.  Why?
  • When it comes to who I am – my own sense of self – social media makes me feel a) more confident  b) less confident  c) no impact.  Why?
• What limits, if any, should we place on what is posted on social media platforms?

Fourth Sunday or Easter

Acts 9:36-43

Revelation 7:9-17

John 10:22-30

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

“Hindsight is 20/20,” the old saying goes, meaning that it is easier to see the meaning of things when you are looking back.  Perhaps that is why today’s gospel reading is a flashback to John 10, a time well before Jesus’ death and resurrection.  It is as if to say, now that we have encountered the Risen Jesus, we are finally ready to make sense of what he was saying.

The setting is the Festival of the Dedication – a holiday more familiar to most of us as Hanukkah.  Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem following a successful revolt against the rule of Antiochus IV by a group of Jewish resistance fighters, led by Judas Maccabaeus.  Through this remarkable achievement the Jewish people not only enjoyed a fully independent kingdom for many decades, but Judas and his family were made kings.  

This history helps us understand the question put to Jesus as he walks near the Temple. “How long will you keep us in suspense?  If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”  Given that, in Jesus’ day, the Romans were in charge, many hoped that God’s “messiah” would do something similar to the Maccabean revolt. That is, they were looking for someone to defeat the Romans and reestablish their nation as an independent kingdom.  Adding to their anticipation were Jesus’ own words.  Earlier in John 10 he talked about being the “good shepherd.” In the scriptures  “shepherd” was frequently used as a symbol for the Davidic king.

So then, is Jesus the Messiah, Israel’s true king?  He does not come out and say it in so many words because, as the cross and resurrection show us, being “messiah” and “king” means something different to Jesus than what people are expecting.  Nevertheless, Jesus indicates that both his words and his actions should lead people to the correct conclusion about his identity. If not, then it is because they do not belong to Jesus’ sheep.  “My sheep hear my voice,” Jesus says.  “I know them, and they follow me.”  

And here, you see, is where it becomes vitally important that, of all the voices one might choose to listen to, we listen for the voice of Jesus.  For, as Jesus goes on to explain, those who hear his voice and recognize it as the voice of their Shepherd will be safe forever. Because of Jesus’ union with God, nothing will be able to separate his “sheep” from him and his love.  Indeed, nothing will ultimately be able to harm them, not even death.

Discussion Questions

• When it comes to social media, how do you decide who to follow?
• How about when it comes to how you live your life – who or what are your most important influences?
• What do you think it means to “hear Jesus’ voice”?  In what ways are we able to “listen” to Jesus?  
• Do you think Jesus ever listens to us?  Why or why not?
• How can Jesus’ resurrection help us to have confidence about his promise, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish”?  When it comes to your own life and future, how does this promise make you feel?

Activity Suggestions

• “Listening to the Shepherd”  Set up sort of a “minefield” of small obstacles.  Things like small pillows, tennis balls, bean bags, shoes, etc. all work great.  Invite participants to get into pairs, with one of them being the “shepherd” and the other one being the “sheep.” The sheep is blindfolded and stands on the opposite side of the obstacle course from the shepherd. The object is for the sheep to navigate the course without stepping on the any of the obstacles by listening to directions from the shepherd.  Variations might include having all the pairs of participants run the course at the same time (thus resulting in lots of different voices shouting different directions) or of having one pair try to successfully navigate the course while all the other participants are shouting contradictory instructions.  Reflect on the experience:  What was it like to have to rely only on the voice of the shepherd to make it safely through the obstacles?  What helped you to focus on the shepherd’s voice when all the other voices around you were telling you different things?  How do you think this activity relates to following Jesus?

• “Encouraging Words”  Invite participants to share with one another verses or passages of Scripture that they find particularly helpful or encouraging.  Perhaps collect them in a list that can be shared with everyone later.  Here are a few possibilities from John’s gospel to get you started: John 1:1- 5; 3:16 – 17; 6:35; 8:12; 10:11; 11:25 – 26; 14:1 – 3; 14:27. 

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus our shepherd, you know your sheep by name and lead us to safely, even through the valleys of death. Guide us by your voice and help us to follow you into all that makes for an abundant life.  Continue to reveal your love and grace to us this Easter season and open our eyes to your living presence among us.  Amen.

 

Bob Chell–Sioux Falls, SD

Warm-up Question

Where do your encounter Jesus in your life?

Glimpse of the Kingdom

TV stations like to run feel good stories.  Sometimes it is about neighbors who harvest the crops of a sick or disabled farmer.  It may celebrate a high school athlete with developmental or health challenges who scores a touchdown.  Maybe it highlights a basketball game when opposing coaches and players conspire to allow a student with special needs  to score.  Often  a raucous celebration follows with fans and athletes of both sides celebrating the special moment.

We cherish such stories because they remind us that kindness and compassion are precious virtues.  Too often we act as though, “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” is a philosophy worth embracing, instead of a morally bankrupt attitude which produces a combative, harsh society in which no one wants to live. These feel good stories help us  see persons who are often forgotten or regarded as unimportant.  They remind us of our better selves, what we can do when we go beyond selfishness to make our world better.  These stories emphasize what is most important in our lives together.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever been a part of one of these celebrations? How did it make you feel? Why?
• Do you have a friend or family member who is overlooked or invisible, or even bullied because they are different?
• Is there a student in your school whose name, when mentioned, brings laughter, eye rolls or scoffing?
• Have you ever befriended someone left out? Did this diminish or elevate you in the eyes of others?

Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 9:1-6 [7-20]

Revelation 5:11-14

John 21:1-19

(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 C at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

The Easter season is seven weeks long. Nearly every week the gospel lesson includes disciples encountering Jesus and failing to recognize him. This week’s gospel encounter is crammed with significance. There is a miracle and allusions to Peter’s failure to stand firm during the horrible events of Holy Week, as Jesus asks him repeatedly, “Do you love me.” Both are important and theologically significant, yet by focusing on them we may miss what is most significant. Namely, Jesus is in the world today if we have eyes to see.

Only in John’s gospel does Jesus appear to witnesses on Easter morning.  In the original ending of Mark’s gospel, Jesus doesn’t appear to the disciples. But the young man at the tomb tells the women to seek Jesus because he is going ahead of them.  From the beginning, Mark suggests, that the proper response to Easter’s good news is to seek Jesus in the world. 

In confirmation we learn that we encounter Christ in the sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion, where God’s promise is attached to an earthly sign of water, bread, or wine.  As Martin Luther says, “This is most certainly true.” 

Yet the Holy Spirit is not shackled to the font and altar but free in the world. Jesus said, “…where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matt. 18:20) Later, he speaks of a time when people will ask, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?  And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” The answer comes, “…just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

This story from Matthew has been used to scare or shame those who fail to care for others. It is, I believe, a misinterpretation. Jesus’ promise to meet us in our day to day lives is neither test nor threat, but an opportunity to share in the Kingdom of God.

Those neighbors in those feel good stories, sweaty and dirty from the harvest, cannot hide their joy. Those athletes and fans, cheer leaders and officials, all wear beaming smiles because there– for a moment—they caught a glimpse of the kingdom.

Discussion Questions

• When and where have you encountered a glimpse of the Kingdom of God?
• Do people hope they can feel good about themselves? Does this matter? Why or why not?
• Feel good  news stories are one time events yet sickness and disability often persist. Who do you know who is there for others when the cameras are off and no one is looking?

Activity Suggestions

This week watch for an opportunity to speak a kind word, offer hope or encouragement to someone who needs it.  Watch and notice those who befriend and those who belittle others. Are they hurting themselves, trying to fit in, or oblivious to the feelings of others?

Closing Prayer

I first heard this prayer prayed by theologian and bishop, Krister Stendahl, . I don’t know if he wrote it but it captures perfectly the wrestling in my heart.

O God, you call us to follow you. 

O thou eternal Wisdom, whom we partly know, and partly do not know;

O thou eternal Justice, whom we partly acknowledge, but never wholly obey;

O thou eternal Love, whom we love a little but fear to love to much:

Open our minds that we may understand;

Work in our wills, that we may obey;

Kindle our hearts, that we may love thee.

 

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

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: April 2022

CRITICAL HOUSING INCREASES IN BUDGET  |  CLIMATE AWARENESS IN BUDGET AND BEYOND  |  RESPONSE TO MYANMAR (BURMA)  |  END IN SIGHT FOR TITLE 42  |  FAIR HOUSING MONTH

 

CRITICAL HOUSING INCREASES IN BUDGET:  Since original overdue deadline of the budget passed last October, hundreds of Lutherans contacted their members to end the inaction and include increases in critical needs such as housing aid and homeless assistance. In the final version, advocates succeeded in obtaining increases in several low-income spending accounts, including a boost of more than $4 billion in housing assistance.

This comes at a critical time as inflation costs and the shortage of available housing are meeting historic highs. In the coming days and weeks, as congressional committees prepare a bill for the current fiscal cycle, ELCA advocacy will be amplifying opportunities to take action on core priorities and principles in the federal budget.

 

CLIMATE AWARENESS IN BUDGET AND BEYOND:  President Biden released his Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) budget that includes funding to address climate change domestically and internationally with substantial increase in funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.

The ELCA, working with Non-Government Organizations and other faith-based organizations, began advocacy campaigns with Congressional appropriations committee members to emphasize the importance of finalizing FY23 budget by the end of September with the monies proposed in the president’s budget. The urgency of taking climate action, especially as it relates to women’s human rights, was highlighted by over 80 Lutheran delegates who took part in the sixty-sixth Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the U.N. This CSW brought together the gender and climate justice work that Lutherans have led over many years, including youth-led climate justice action around the world, by amplifying the leadership and voices of young people. ELCA and Lutheran World Federation delegates showcased the vital role that faith actors play in promoting women’s empowerment and combating violence and discrimination to achieve greater gender equality at local, national and international levels.

 

RESPONSE TO MYANMAR (BURMA):  The U.S. government has officially declared it has determined that the Myanmar army carried out actions that amount to genocide against the Rohingya people.

While the United States has already imposed many sanctions since 2016, the Secretary of State did announce that the United States will contribute an additional $1 million to the Genocide Convention for Myanmar, which was established in 2018 by the U.N. Human Rights Council. The State Department will also share their findings to support the ongoing genocide case against Myanmar military at the International Court of Justice which was brought forward by the government of Gambia.

 

END IN SIGHT FOR TITLE 42:  On April 1, President Biden announced that Title 42, a policy that has been used to categorically deny asylum seekers the opportunity to ask for protection, will be ending on May 23. The Department of Homeland Security has made many preparations for the change, including updating how asylum will be processed.

Hours after the White House’s Title 42 announcement, multiple lawmakers signaled they would support delaying critical COVID-19 supplementing funding for domestic and international needs over Title 42. A vote on this would be devastating for people who have waited for their chance to ask for refuge on the other side of the border. ELCA advocacy staff have urged lawmakers to reconsider any potential vote to delay restoring access to asylum. The court-reinstated Migration Protection Protocols (MPP), or “Remain in Mexico,” is headed to the Supreme Court (oral argument to be held in April) with far-reaching consequences for immigrant detention and pushbacks. Through AMMPARO, the ELCA is coordinating on what the impact of Title 42 will be as migrant ministries activate for the potential arrival of newcomers.

 

FAIR HOUSING MONTH:  April is Fair Housing Month, an opportunity to highlight the critical need of housing for people and to recommit support for inclusion and justice in housing – matters many Lutherans and Lutheran ministries uphold.

Over the past few years, Lutherans have submitted public comments to proposed rules and to HUD officials. – advocating for them to enforce long neglected elements of the Fair Housing Act and to address injustices in housing disparities. This comes as homeownership rate disparities and the wealth gap in housing equity has skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic. HUD’s current series promoting Fair Housing month, including a webinar and other resources, can be found here.

 

---

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 .

 

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. | Colorado | New Mexico | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Washington | Wisconsin

---

 

U.N.

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

Dennis Frado, Director

 

The sixty-sixth session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) took place from 14 to 25 March 2022. The Priority Theme was achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programs; and the Review Theme was women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work.

Despite taking place in a hybrid format, CSW66 had high-level participation from Member States, including two Heads of State and Government, three vice-presidents, and 111 ministers. In addition, 213 virtual side events were organized by Member States and UN entities, many in collaboration with civil society. Also, more than 800 virtual non-governmental organizations (NGO) parallel events organized by civil society took place.

The Lutheran World Federation and the ELCA participated virtually in the two-week event with a delegation of over 80 members from different parts of the world, facilitated by the Lutheran Office for World Community. Delegates highlighted the urgency of taking action against the climate crisis, especially as it relates to women’s human rights and their ability to participate as equals in climate action. In addition, they showcased the vital role that faith actors play in promoting women’s empowerment, and in combating violence and discrimination to achieve greater gender equality at local, national, and international levels. This CSW66 brought together the gender and climate justice work that Lutherans have led over many years including youth-led climate justice action around the world by amplifying the leadership and voices of young people.

---

 

Colorado

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado (LAM-CO) – lam-co.org

Peter Severson, Director

 

On April 9, volunteers from Urban Servant Corps, a one-year full time Lutheran volunteer program in Denver, joined LAM-CO Director Peter Severson for a visit to the Colorado State Capitol Building. 

LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN CRUNCH TIME: As the Colorado General Assembly moves into the final quarter of its 2022 session, LAM-CO is actively working on a host of bills related to our 2022 Advocacy Agenda. Among our top priorities this session:

• HB 1259, Modifications to Colorado Works Program (Duran/Jodeh). This bill will offer badly-needed updates to our state’s Basic Cash Assistance program, which is funded through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. It will remove some key barriers to eligibility and increase baseline assistance.
• SB 087, Healthy Meals for All Public School Students (Pettersen/Fields). The bill continues a program initiated through Colorado’s federal COVID relief funds, covering the cost of school meals for all children in schools participating in the National School Lunch Program.
• SB 099, Sealing Criminal Records (Hisey/Rodriguez). Also known as “Clean Slate,” the bill automates the record-sealing process for certain non-violent offenses, for which over one million Coloradans are already eligible.

---

 

New Mexico

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry New Mexico (LAM-NM) – lutheranadvocacynm.org

Kurt Rager, Director

 

It’s like farming Redwood trees…  

Ruth Hoffman, the long-time director of LAM-NM now retired, would describe the work of legislative advocacy as, “farming redwood trees.” In other words, positive policy change can take years of cultivation and work to achieve. The 2022 New Mexico legislature passed several bills during the legislative session that would exemplify this. We at LAM-NM are particularly proud of our role in the success of HB-132.  

HB-132 cut interest rates on short-term loans, offered by nearly 900 store-front lenders across New Mexico, from 175% to 36%. (Twenty years ago, such loans were offered at well over 400%.) These loans target New Mexico’s most financially vulnerable and 65% of lenders are located within 10 miles of Indigenous lands. Even more devastating, these loans are typically rolled over several times.  What may have started as an emergency loan for a few hundred turns into several thousand dollars owed.  More than 15 years ago a concerted effort to reduce interest rates began.  

LAM-NM, working alongside partner organizations that together make up the NM Fair Lending Coalition, cultivated this effort over numerous sessions while confronting formidable opposition. n 2022, to amplify the voice of faith communities, a letter from denominational leaders of the NM Conference of Churches was initiated.  Individuals in congregations were invited to sign-on as well, and in just over two weeks almost 500 advocacy partners in 40 congregations added their names to the letter to legislators in support of the 36% interest rate cap. Indeed, the impact of the letter was clear as it was referenced during the House floor debate.

---

 

Ohio

Hunger Network Ohio (HNO) – hungernetwork.org

Deacon Nick Bates, Director

 

Ohio continues to struggle to adopt fair maps in the state. It appears that Ohio’s congressional maps will move forward for at least the 2022 election cycle while state maps remain in legal limbo. We encourage you to follow our colleagues at Common Cause Ohio to stay up-to-date.

In March, we were excited to host our second webinar on the intersection of hunger and other issues. This time we focused on the environment and discussed policy issues in Ohio related to clean water and energy production. For too long, Ohio has under-invested in clean water infrastructure including mapping and replacing lead pipes, wastewater, and stormwater management. We also spent a half hour discussing local congregational efforts including those in Southwest Ohio at Christ the King Lutheran Church with their efforts to not only move toward sustainability but toward restoration. You can watch our webinar here!

Our next webinar will focus on criminal justice but has not yet been scheduled. Follow our Facebook page to see when future events are scheduled! 

---

 

Pennsylvania

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

Tracey DePasquale, Director

 

Budget advocacy accelerated this month as LAMPa met with coalition partners to organize around priorities and sought input from our ministries. LAMPa Director Tracey DePasquale made legislative visits to seek support for increases in the State Food Purchase Program and the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System in the face of rising food prices. The state’s two major anti-hunger programs support lower purchase prices for Pennsylvania’s charitable food network that includes many congregational pantries. LAMPa also worked to identify champions for a proposed state-supported increase in minimum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for seniors and persons with disabilities.

LAMPa and coalition partners made progress on securing bipartisan support for legislation dealing with prescription drug pricing and funding for the state housing trust fund. LAMPa advocates have worked for years on the program, and it will be the focus of a presentation at United Lutheran Seminary on April 28. The presentation, which will include conversation with housing agency officials and advocates who themselves have experienced homelessness, will conclude the seminary’s spring convocation.

DePasquale met with Lutheran Disaster Response, Pa. Council of Churches, and Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster regarding increases in state funding for disaster and plans to educate the next administration about disaster response.

Staff offered advocacy presentations to Allegheny Synod deans and congregations in Lower Susquehanna Synod, hosted a webinar on energy choice and community solar advocacy, met with Lutheran advocates monitoring elections legislation and continued work with partners seeking independent investigations of police use of lethal force.

---

 

Washington

Faith Action Network (FAN) – fanwa.org

Elise DeGooyer, Director

 

We are celebrating some wonderful successes from the 2022 Legislative Session that ended on March 10. This was one of the most productive short sessions in recent memory, with transformational investments across the safety net—food, school meals, housing, and cash assistance—as well as transportation and education. By the end of session, the largest supplemental budget in history passed with $64.1 billion that will make a tangible difference for our communities, along with a 16-year, $17 billion transportation package called “Move Ahead Washington” that will reduce emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. We were frustrated that our criminal justice and police reform bills did not move and recommit ourselves to continue working in coalition to move forward a ban on solitary confinement and other essential reforms. Other notable achievements of this session included bipartisan support for the nation’s first alert system for missing and endangered Indigenous persons, momentous victories for gun responsibility, and additional funding to support refugees arriving in our state. You can review the full list of successes and read Policy Engagement Director Kristin Ang’s recap at fanwa.org/advocacy/legislative-agenda.

---

 

Wisconsin

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

The Rev. Cindy Crane, Director

 

Care for God’s Creation – Message from Governor Evers’ Office: “The Governor will today sign AB 727/SB 677, which Lutheran Office for Public Policy Wisconsin supported, related to creating a commercial nitrogen optimization pilot program, providing crop insurance rebates for cover crops, creating a hydrogeologist position, extending the time limit for emergency rule procedures, providing an exemption from emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. We wanted to make sure you knew before it came out publicly. Thank you so much for your advocacy.” signed by Camille Crary, Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Governor Tony Evers

Human Trafficking: LOPPW’s director the Rev. Cindy Crane was one of the presenters at UW-Madison Law School’s Wisconsin Journal of Law, Gender Society Symposium, at the recommendation of a La Crosse legislator. LOPPW presented on recent anti-sex trafficking bills.

Wednesday Noon Live: Interview with Secretary of State Doug La Follette. How some leaders tried to overthrow the 2020 election results in Wisconsin: What is at stake in the Secretary of State’s position? Click here to watch the interview.

Youth Advocacy: We held our first listening session for youth, who showed interest in climate justice, equity and racism, anti-bullying, equity and LGBTQ+ issues, and hunger and class. There is interest in holding a second session.

Raise the Age: Our coalition had its first online informational session, which included testimonies from two people with experience being sent to adult prison as youth. You can watch the video here.

In his Daily Meditation of February 6 on 1 Corinthians 12, Rev. Richard Rohr writes “Humanity consistently has to face the problem of unity and diversity. We’re not very good at understanding it. We habitually choose our smaller groups, because we don’t know how to belong to a larger group. That demands too much letting go.”

He notes that Paul’s doctrine of the Body of Christ “isn’t easy for Westerners to understand, because we are deeply trained in cultural individualism. So much so, we don’t even recognize our lack.” It seems impossible that anyone with eyes and ears open could fail to recognize the pervasive individualism in our country. For many, the synonym of “it’s a free country” is “you can’t tell me what to do.”

One advantage of belonging to a large group with internal diversity like the ELCA is that we can see varied cultures within a group whose defining culture we share. During Arab American Heritage Month, I would like to discuss an element of Arab-Middle Eastern culture that might help elucidate a different way of being in a group, a way of “letting go.”

For most of my life, the common translation of the Transfiguration story in Mark included a voice saying, “This is my beloved Son.” In more recent translations, we hear, “This is my Son, the Beloved.” These two versions may sound pretty much the same, but they are not. In the first, “beloved” is an adjective describing the son; in the second “beloved” is a name for the Son, an identification by relationship.

Almost anyone who has grown up in an Arabic-speaking family – even a person who didn’t master Arabic – knows the Arabic (and Aramaic) word for “beloved.”  It is a word we have heard dozens of times a day as parents and grandparents call to us and our siblings: habibi/ habibti. “Ya habibi, tha,” they might say. “Oh, my Beloved, come here.” While it sounds stilted in translation, it sounds quite appropriate in context. Importantly, it constitutes the replacement of a name by a relationship.

For many of us represented by the groups of color in the Church, our personal cultures insist that one’s identity is, at least in part, other-oriented. We shape identities based on our family and our community. In the case of those of Arab and Middle Eastern heritage, there is a sense that we are nothing without a family and community to help define us.

The internal relationships of Arab families reflect this cultural reality. Imagine, for example, a young Arab man named Ibrahim and his wife Mariam who have their first child, a son, whom they name Yusuf. From Yusuf’s birth he will be called Ibn Ibrahim, “the son of Ibrahim,” but his parents will also take on new names. They will be from that point on called Abu Yusuf, “father of Yusuf,” Um Yusuf, mother of Yusuf” by friends and family.

I have heard non-Arabs denigrate this custom: “Why should I give up my identity just because I became a parent?” But that is really the crux. This approach is not giving up one’s identity but expanding it in terms of relationships. In Arab culture, one is not defined in isolation but in connection, in relations. And that is a lesson those of Arab-American heritage can share with the Church: we cannot be fully who we are meant to be if we remain isolated individuals.

In his prayer at the Last Supper in John 17, Jesus describes how he views the ideal relationship with us: “that they may all be one, even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us … that they may be one even as we are one.” Here, I believe, is the core of Jesus’ prayer and its most complex and mysterious part. When Jesus suggests that his followers can be one as he and his Father are one, he takes us directly to the mystery of the Trinity. In distinction from the other Western monotheistic religions, Christianity alone posits the person of God as built on relationship, a unity without uniformity. In praying that we be one as Jesus and his Father are one, he is envisioning a future in which his followers will take their identity in part from their relationships with others, unified but not uniform.

 

Dr. Ryan A. LaHurd is a spouse, father of two, and grandfather of five. He served as president of Lenoir-Rhyne University, Hickory, N.C., an ELCA higher education institution, from 1994-2022. Dr. LaHurd, an Arab-American of Lebanese ancestry, has served as a teacher, administrator, author, and leader in many capacities, including with the ELCA Association of Lutherans of Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage. He and his spouse Dr. Carol Schersten LaHurd are members of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicago.