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

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: April 2023

UN WATER CONFERENCE | COMMENTS ADD UP AGAINST ASYLUM RULE | GLOBAL FRAGILITY ACT | FAIR HOUSING | FAITH ORGANIZATIONS OPPOSE FAMILY DETENTION

 

UN WATER CONFERENCE: “It has been 46 years since the last time the United Nations gathered on the issue of water,” said Christine Moffett, ELCA Environment Policy Contractor, who took part in the event along with ELCA World Hunger staff by coordination of the Lutheran Office for World Community. Held in New York from March 22-24, ELCA staff engaged with the United Nation Member States on their contributions to increasing access to the human right to water. “It was so important for ELCA and LWF advocates to be present at this long overdue conversation because while we may or may not share nationalities, political principles or religious convictions, we do share the water that we drink – water that we more notably ought to share more equitably,” said Moffett.

In other news, the Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report was released on March 20 by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It is the final issue of an eight-year scientific assessment on the state of climate change. While the future painted from this report is bleak, the IPCC did lay out some clear, readily available paths forward for greenhouse gas reduction, carbon removal and increased resilience. This report and its recommendations can be used as a guide for policymakers to make changes in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Our new ELCA social message “Earth’s Climate Crisis” speaks to the need for us all to take action in this moment of Kairos.

 

COMMENTS ADD UP AGAINST ASYLUM RULE: The comment period for the proposed rule “Circumvention of Lawful Pathways” closed on March 27 with over 30,000 public comments from across the country! Some ELCA AMMPARO congregations even organized writing groups, helping ensure that a diversity of Lutheran voices were counted.

Through the proposed rule, the administration seeks to impose a “presumption of asylum ineligibility” for asylum seekers unless they received parole prior to arrival, presented themselves at a port of entry at a pre-scheduled time and place, or sought protection and were denied protection in a country en route to the United States. ELCA advocacy staff shared educational resources, like this video featuring the CEO of Lutheran Social Services of the National Capitol Area, to equip advocates to submit comments opposing the proposed rule. The ELCA’s public comment expresses the historic position of the church and draws from direct experience accompanying migrant children and families, particularly in the Americas that is made possible through ecumenical and NGO partners. The administration has several weeks to respond to all unique comments, but advocates still hope the rule will be withdrawn before May 11.

 

GLOBAL FRAGILITY ACT: The Biden-Harris administration has released implementation plans required in the Global Fragility Act (GFA), a bill supported by the ELCA that was signed into law in 2019. According to the World Bank, more than 80 percent of humanitarian needs are driven by conflicts, posing great challenges. This landmark legislation improves U.S. government capacity to prevent and/or mitigate conflicts around the world. The 10-year plans focus on four priority countries (Haiti, Libya, Mozambique, and Papua New Guinea) and a grouping of Coastal West African countries (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Guinea, and Ghana). The Department of State will lead implementation of these plans, but other federal agencies like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of Defense and Department of Treasury have different roles as well.

While the GFA authorizes $200 million annually to support conflict prevention programs and activities in priority countries, Congress still needs to appropriate these funds in every budget cycle. Witness in Society advocacy staff will continue to advocate for appropriations of these funds as part of foreign assistance budget work.

 

FAIR HOUSING: Last month, the ELCA Witness in Society office issued an Action Alert in support of the proposed Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule. As of March 28, Lutherans had submitted over 20 percent of all public comments on the administrative proposal! As mentioned in previous updates, if enacted the proposed rule would help the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) overcome patterns of segregation, promote fair housing choice, and foster inclusive communities free from discrimination.

 

FAITH ORGANIZATIONS OPPOSE FAMILY DETENTION:  Credible news surfaced this month that family detention might be reinstated. “Families do not need to be detained” reads a letter the ELCA joined with 130+ faith orgs opposing the return. Over 100+ House members, nearly a quarter of the U.S. Senate, the American Academy of Pediatrics among others, called on the administration to abandon any plans to detain families. Reuters on April 18 reported that the Biden administration is not planning “at this time” to restart family immigration detention, signaling the contentious practice to more quickly deport families is on hold.

 

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

 

U.N. | CALIFORNIA  | COLORADO | KANSAS | MINNESOTA | NEW MEXICO | OHIO | PENNSYLVANIA | TEXAS | WASHINGTON | WISCONSIN |

 

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

Christine Mangale, Director

From March 6-17, 2023, LOWC hosted 30 Lutheran Delegates who attended the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York. The delegation represented Lutherans from Africa, Asia, Middle East, Latin America and North America. They were Lutheran Clergy, lay leadership, staff, issue experts, and youth and young people from throughout the global church. The theme for this year focused on “Innovation and Technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.” Our official statement to the Commission on the Status of Women in its 67th session is located here. 

Lutheran delegates attended the CSW 67 both in-person and online (virtually) ensuring that the voices of faith-based organizations and communities were clearly represented in the Agreed Conclusions. Additionally, young delegates, including young Lutheran delegates from the ELCA Hunger Fellows program and the International Leaders Program took center stage at the commission. This is the first year that the CSW has included a youth session specifically for young people to engage with the theme of using technological innovation to promote gender justice and women’s empowerment. 

The commission closed with Agreed Conclusions at 3:00 AM on March 18th. LWF and LOWC staff will circulate analysis and next-steps from our official delegation over the coming weeks and will circulate our reporting when it is complete 

Our flagship event was entitled, Harnessing digital technologies to end sexual and gender-based violence Friday March 10, 2023. Event sponsored by Lutheran World Federation. Professor Antje Jackelén, archbishop emerita of the Church of Sweden, provided the session opened with greetings from the LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr. Anne Burghardt. Both interventions offered contextual grounding for the discussion. The session moved to a panel discussion moderated by ELCA Hunger Fellow Kayla Zopfi. The panel was made up of Rev. Dr. Debora Sinaga (Indonesia), Ameera Khamees (LWF Jordan), Miriam Alum (LWF Uganda) and Laura Gonzalez (LWF Columbia). Lutheran Pastor and Executive Director of Sonke Gender Justice, Rev. Bafana Khumalo (South Africa)** 

Next year in March 2024, CSW 68 will focus on issues of Gender and Development Finance. Planning for our engagement in this important conference is beginning now. 

 

For the first time in 46 years the UN hosted a “UN Water Conference.” Held in New York from March 22-24th 2023, LOWC hosted a delegation from ELCA World Hunger and ELCA Advocacy as they engaged the United Nation Member States on their contributions to increasing access to the human right to water. The Lutheran Delegation presented during two official side-events:  

• United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Interfaith networking event ahead of the UN Water Conference 2023 on Thursday, 16 March 2023. Dr. Ryan Cumming, interim Director of World Hunger presented on behalf of the ELCA and LWF. Interventions issued to this event are available here. 
• “Faith Community is a Blue Community” held on March 22nd, 2023. The World Council of Churches – Ecumenical Water Network and partner organizations, International Partnership on Religion and Development (PARD), Lutheran World Federation, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and World Evangelical Alliance hosted an official hybrid side event. Further details, including a recording of the side-event can be found here. Christine Moffett, interim Environmental Policy Program Director spoke for our Lutheran Community. 

 

California

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

Regina Banks, Director

On Sunday, March 19, LOPP-CA the Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California joined other advocates in celebrating the end of the ICE contract at Yuba County Jail. The day included a musical performance by Japanese artists and a variety of testimonies by organizations that were a part of achieving the ending of the ICE contract, as well as from former incarcerated people at the facility. The rain couldn’t keep folks away from celebrating this advocacy success and looking ahead at the work yet to come for immigrant justice.

Registration remains open and active for our Lutheran Lobby Day on May 17th! Come join us for a full day of training, legislative meetings, and fellowship. Register here: https://lutheranpublicpolicyca.org/lutheran-lobby-day-2023 

 

Colorado

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

Peter Severson, Director

LEGISLATIVE SESSION CONTINUES: The Colorado General Assembly has moved into consideration of the budget for the next fiscal year. In the past several weeks, the Assembly has taken the unusual step of meeting on the weekends to address bills that have generated significant debate and controversy. Ultimately, gun safety bills that raise the minimum eligible age of purchase, extend waiting periods, and expand Colorado’s ERPO (Extreme Risk Protection Order, or “Red Flag”) law have passed both chambers after lengthy delays. 

Among the bills LAM-CO is actively working on, our Medical Debt Credit Reporting bill has passed both chambers with amendments. While the compromise bill is less ambitious than our original proposal, we still look forward to these substantial protections being signed into law by the Governor. Our bill to allow local decision-making on rent stabilization policies has passed the House, as has our bill creating just cause requirements for tenant eviction. 

URBAN SERVANT CORPS AT THE CAPITOL: The volunteers with Urban Servant Corps, a service year program which invites volunteers into simple living and intentional community in Denver, joined Lutheran Advocacy for a day at the state Capitol in March. Representative Andy Boesenecker and Senator Robert Rodriguez both greeted the volunteers and spoke about their paths to public service, while also hearing from the volunteers about their experience serving at organizations in Denver. 

Kansas

Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA) – kansasinterfaithaaction.org

Rabbi Moti Rieber, Executive Director

The Kansas legislature concluded its main session last Thursday with a marathon session that lasted into the wee hours. Bills were bundled together, and policy that hadn’t been passed by either chamber was included in a demonstration of how broken the legislative process has become.  

Public Education – Vouchers: A plan that would give families within 250% of the FPL up to $5000 toward private or parochial education narrowly passed the House but was defeated in the Senate. We expect this to come back during veto session.  

LGBTQ+ issues – This session has seen a spate of bills targeting transgender individuals, particularly children. The governor’s veto of HB 2238 (the bill banning trans girls from girls’ sports) was overridden and now becomes law. SB 180 (“the women’s bill of rights”) was passed. SB 26 (a ban on gender-affirming care for minors) – which we had previously been told was dead in the House – became suddenly less dead. We expect 180 and 26 to be vetoed, and we will work to sustain the vetoes.  

SNAP – A bill to impose work or training requirements on “Abods” between 50-59 was passed and is on the way to the governor. Another bill to make SNAP dependent on being current with child support failed in the Senate, and a bill to criminalize homeless encampments didn’t get out of committee.  

Flat Tax – As in other red states, a high priority has been moving from a graduated income tax to a flat rate – a repudiation of over 100 years of the progressive income tax. In the conference committee, parts of the bill that benefit high-income Kansans got better, while the components that would benefit low- and middle-income Kansans were watered down. We are urging a veto.  

Vaccine Requirements – A bill cobbled together in conference committee that would expand exemptions from childhood immunizations (among other dangerous policies) based on a because-I-said-so philosophical objection failed on the Senate floor (at 3AM Friday morning).  

Elections – SB 209 would eliminate the three-day grace period for return of mail ballots, but it did not pass by a veto-proof majority.   

There will now be a two-week break while the governor decides which of these bills to veto. The legislature will return on April 24, and they will have to pass education funding, which they haven’t done. 

Minnesota

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

Tammy Walhof, Director

Legislative Session: This session continues to move at a dizzying speed with an unprecedented number of bills moving forward from committees to floor action. 

Sacred Tiny Home Communities: The bill was included in the Senate Labor Committee Omnibus and the House Labor & Commerce Omnibus bill. We continue to work that 

1. The bill remains in the Omnibus bills, 

1. The Municipal “Opt Out” favored by the League of Cities NOT be included, and 

1. The “Intentional Neighbor” participant provision remain at 33-40%. (Attempts to make it 25% “to house more people experiencing homelessness” goes against research for healthy stable communities). 

Next Generation Climate Act: This bill updating our state’s greenhouse gas emissions targets to align with current climate science, is included in the House Climate Omnibus, but not the Senate Omnibus. Although 100% Clean Energy by 2040 has passed, benchmarks are needed for all sectors of the economy. The electrical sector is making strides in reducing harmful emissions, but other areas are increasing emissions. 

Spending Targets: House and Senate leaders along with Gov. Walz released budget targets for Omnibus Spending Bills March 21, much earlier than the usual May time-frame. 

• Housing Target: Affordable Housing has been allotted $1 billion. A large portion is one-time spending from surplus. With money allocated to other committees, housing-related needs could get as much as $1.4 billion. 
• Clean Energy/Climate Target: Spending for a number of different bills is included in the targets, including solar on schools, incentives for electrification, and more. 

 

New Mexico

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

Kurt Rager, Director

Legislative Issue Briefing and Bishop’s Luncheon Returns 

After a two-year pause caused by the Covid pandemic, the annual in-person Legislative Issue Briefing and Bishop’s Luncheon returned as focal-point for the New Mexico Legislative Session.  

Legislative Issue Briefing: The morning began with Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – New Mexico (LAM-NM) supporters from across the state gathering at Bethlehem Lutheran (ELCA) in Santa Fe for an update on legislative issues and key bills being supported by LAM-NM during the session.  Featured speakers addressed New Mexico’s abundance of revenue anticipated for FY24 and competing interests, tax reform, proposals to modernize the state’s legislature, legislation related to homelessness and lack of affordable housing in NM, and to a group of criminal justice reform bills being considered.  LAM-NM works in strong partnership with the organizations represented by the speakers, including, New Mexico Voices for Children, New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness, and ACLU – New Mexico.  Participants were centered by a Bible study that began the day, led by Rev. Paul Schick. 

Bishop’s Luncheon: Following the conclusion of the Issue Briefing, participants moved to the historic La Fonda Hotel for the Bishop’s Luncheon, hosted by Bishop Jim Gonia of the Rocky Mountain Synod.  During the meal, Legislator of the Year awards were presented to four legislators. From both the Senate and the House, these legislators were lead sponsors on priority legislation of LAM-NM over the last two legislative sessions.  Legislation chosen included bills that capped store-front, short-term loans, at 36%, legislation that provides significant annual funding to the New Mexico Housing Trust Fund, and a constitutional amendment, overwhelmingly passed by voters, that taps the state’s massive Land Grant Permanent Fund of an additional 1.25%, much of which will go to support a robust expansion of Early Childhood care throughout the state.  In addition, the annual John and Chris Haaland Advocacy Award was presented to St. Andrew Presbyterian Church of Albuquerque, for their long-sustained advocacy on local and state issues that are priorities for LAM-NM.  

The entire day was well-received by all who attended. Attendees included members of Lutheran, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist, United Church of Christ, Unitarian, Catholic, and Mennonite congregations throughout New Mexico.   

Ohio

Hunger Network Ohio (HNO) – hungernetwork.org

Deacon Nick Bates, Director

2023 Budget Advocacy Day
On March 28th, the Hunger Network in Ohio held our Budget Advocacy Day where we invited faith leaders to lobby at the Ohio Statehouse. We had over 40 Faith leaders join us and attend 23 legislative meetings with their representatives and senators. Our main focuses on the day included Hunger-Free Schools, Increasing SNAP Benefits for Seniors, and Increasing Food Bank Funding. We had an amazing time with this group of strong advocates who were able to show up and speak up for our communities. 

Finance Committee Testimony:
Also on March 28th, Hunger Network’s Director, Nick Bates testified in front of the House Finance Committee. To read his testimony, click here! 

Upcoming Event:
Praying for our Daily Bread: Luncheon at Ohio Statehouse
May 11th, from 11am – 1pm at the Ohio Statehouse Atrium 

Join faith leaders, legislators, and advocates to discuss hunger in Ohio and what can be done to address it.  We will hear from Bishop Gregory V. Palmer of the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, and legislative leaders about Ohio’s budget and efforts to reduce hunger in Ohio. 

 

Pennsylvania

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

Tracey DePasquale, Director

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania(LAMPa) is busy preparing for our first in-person Lutheran Day in the Capitol since 2019.  The Rev. Dr. Roger Willer will keynote as we focus on a theme of Discipleship in a Democracy and progress on the new social statement. The day will feature workshops on hunger, housing, climate and clean water advocacy as well as building bridges for depolarization. We will celebrate advocates from every synod and make legislative visits to advocate on hunger and housing.  

LAMPa participated in the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod’s Commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.  as they honored his legacy with an ecumenical service of Holy Communion and a weekend focused the practice of nonviolence in their continuing efforts to build the Beloved Community in the Pittsburgh region with a priority on equitable housing. The weekend included a forum and panel discussion on state and federal housing advocacy priorities as well as the ELCA World Hunger housing resource, and an opportunity to visit ministries with unsheltered neighbors in the Pittsburgh region.  

LAMPa Director Tracey DePasquale participated in the Pennsylvania Emergency Food Assistance Advisory Council spring meeting, taught at Trinity Lutheran Church in Reading and accompanied allies and advocates from United Lutheran Seminary and Lower Susquehanna Synod to a rally at the Capitol for Education Equity as part of the Trans Day of Visibility.  

 

LAMPa is searching for a full-time communications and advocacy engagement manager.  Learn more.   

Texas

Texas Impact – texasimpact.org

Scott Atnip, Outreach Director

The Texas Legislature in the middle of their 140 day biennial legislative session, and Texas Impact has mobilized Texans of faith, and specifically Lutheran leaders, to speak out on a wide range of issues.  

Bishop Michael Rinehart participated in a prayer vigil to support LGBTQ+ Texans testifying against a number of anti-trans bills in the House. Bishop Sue Briner testified against similar bills in the Senate and co-authored an op-ed with Episcopal Bishop Suffragan Kai Ryan. All three ELCA Bishops in Texas signed a letter opposing anti-immigrant legislation, including bills to deputize volunteers to deport migrants.  

Texans of faith participated in Texas Impact’s Annual Interfaith Advocacy Days.  Lutherans are participating in and providing leadership in Texas Impact legislative teams, Rapid Response Teams and Legislative Engagement Groups on a wide range of issues, from maternal health and reproductive justice to immigration, protecting the LGBTQ+ community, protecting public schools and more. Synod leaders and congregations are sharing weekly Action Alerts and calls to action.  

While most of the current focus is on the Texas Legislature, Texas Impact is funded to begin civic engagement work with Houston congregations, so planning is underway for a series of civic engagement programs and opportunities post-legislative session. 

Washington

Faith Action Network (FAN) – fanwa.org

Elise DeGooyer, Director

We are nearing the end of the 2023 Washington State Legislative Session, scheduled to conclude April 23. FAN-supported safety net protections were among the first bills to pass and move to the Governor’s desk to be signed, including one unanimous bipartisan bill Concerning Hunger Relief that will allot an extra $28M to emergency food and nutrition services to begin to address the “hunger cliff” people are experiencing as their pandemic SNAP benefits ended. In a year when the economic forecast wasn’t bright, we still await final passage of the expansion of School Meals for More Students (bill trimmed from universal school meals due to cost), as well as a Hunger Free College Campus bill.  

We are awaiting passage of some technical fixes to the Working Families Tax Credit, which launched February 1 and over 150,000 low-income people have applied for the credit, which provides up to $1,200 cash. FAN is involved in outreach about this credit to faith communities in multiple languages. Our coalitions’ economic justice bills to fix Washington’s regressive tax system–like a Wealth Tax, Guaranteed Basic Income, and so-called “baby bonds”—did not move this session.  

Great news over Easter weekend that the Death Penalty would finally be removed from Washington state law, with the legislature passing the bill to remove it after the State Supreme Court’s declared it to be unconstitutional. In the wake of the tragic Tennessee and Kentucky shootings, the legislature passed FAN-supported bills to limit assault weapons, expand background checks and waiting periods, and hold the gun industry accountable to controls.  

Agreement on a two-year state budget is pending, with FAN advocating for Health Equity for Immigrants and housing/homelessness funding in the final budget. 

Wisconsin

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

The Rev. Cindy Crane, Director

Wednesday Noon Live  We interviewed Faith in Place staff, Alexander Malchow, Wisconsin Policy Coordinator, and Jonathan “Cosmic” Jackson, Wisconsin Outreach Coordinator.  

2023 Interfaith Advocacy Day and the Wisconsin State Budget
We had an inspiring 2023 Interfaith Advocacy Day, organized by LOPPW and Faith in Place, with great speakers and an engaged group we helped prepare to make visits at the Capitol.  

Wisconsin State Budget Tool Kit:   Priorities related to energy efficiency, clean water, adaptation to climate change, youth justice, and driver licenses for undocumented Wisconsinites.  The kit lists dates for public hearings and links for submitting your comments on the budget:  Budget Talking Points & Public Hearings 

 

We made final plans for our April Youth Advocacy Retreat with leaders from synods around Wisconsin and the UP.

Brian Hiordahl, Orangevale, CA

Warm-up Question

What do you do to relax or escape stress?

Gate Expectations

The use of cannabis (marijuana) and whether it should be legal remains a hotly debated issue in our country, with different states reaching different conclusions. One persistent fear is that cannabis is a “gateway drug” leading its consumers to use harder drugs. In an article for Forbes, Dario Sabaghi traces the dubious history of this concern, noting that several studies not only challenge this idea but also suggest that cannabis may also lead users away from opioids.

Sabaghi sites evidence that most users of cannabis do not, in fact,  progress to hard drugs. More important than the use of cannabis in predicting hard drug use are personal differences and social factors. “According to the US think tank RAND Corporation (Research and Development), what triggers people to use hard drugs is not cannabis but the individual opportunities and the unique inclinations of people.”

Some studies have shown that cannabis may be helpful in relieving pain and reducing the use benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and other prescription drugs.  But further research is necessary.

Discussion Questions

• Is this article convincing? What important information or perspectives does it omit?
• Do you support legalizing the use of cannabis?  Why or why not?
• To what does cannabis usage lead?  Are these outcomes positive or negative or both?

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:42-47

1 Peter 2:19-25

John 10:1-10

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

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

Gospel Reflection

After a long story about the healing of a man born blind (reviewable here), Jesus tells his disciples a “dark saying” (figure of speech) about the difference between a shepherd and a bandit. Not surprisingly, they did not understand what he was saying to them. In later verses, Jesus identifies himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. This laying down happens after the crowd demands his crucifixion, spending its annual Passover get-out-of-jail-free card, not on the good shepherd, but on a bandit (John 18:39-40).

In this text, when the disciples prove just an unable as the crowd to distinguish shepherd from bandit, Jesus pivots to another image:  I am the gate for the sheep….Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.

Is Jesus a gateway drug? A getaway drug? Both?  If he is the gate, to what does going through him lead us?

In contrast to thieves and bandits who come only to steal and kill and destroy, I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly, Jesus explains. For the man born blind, Jesus was the gateway to sight and trust. Now, for the sheep who listen to his voice, Jesus calls himself the gate to salvation and pasture: healing and nourishment, the restoration and preservation of life rather than death. 

Notice that the sheep come in and go out. Jesus is not only the entrance to church but also the exit, our doorway into the world. He guides us into the fold and out to the field; into worship to feed us and out of worship to feed and serve others. Whether we enter or leave church, Jesus defines and directs how we go.

Discussion Questions

• What voices do you listen to with trust?  What voices do you distrust?
• If your preacher called Jesus a gateway drug, how do you think your congregation would react? Is this image helpful or hurtful, and why?
• When and where has Jesus led you to more abundant life?

Activity Suggestions

• Interview a medical expert about cannabis and other drugs. What leads to more abundant life, and what leads to death and destruction?
• Search “gateway drug” on the internet and make a list of things (not only drugs) to which the phrase refers. What light do these other things shed on this term?
• Walk around your house or church building and go in and out of every door and gate. What do you notice? Say a prayer for what you find on each side of the door.

Closing Prayer

Risen Christ, gate for the sheep and hope for the world, open our eyes to find you, our ears to hear your voice, our minds to understand you, and our hearts to receive, live, and joyfully share the abundance you came to give us. Amen.

 

On Thursday, April 20, 2023 the ELCA Church Council unanimously adopted the church’s sixteenth social message, titled “Earth’s Climate Crisis“ — an action that acknowledges the urgency of this critical moment and our responsibility as Christians to respond decisively. On this Earth Day, 2023, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton released a video on the ELCA’s Facebook page highlighting this call to action. Eaton named this as a “moment of Kairos, a critical moment in time when God is calling for decisive action in history.”

This action will need to happen in our congregations and communities, but also reach far beyond them, because challenges this monumental require strategic collaboration and partnerships. Here are just a few snapshots of how the climate crisis is being met through ecumenical engagement, statements, and actions from the ELCA, the World Council of Churches, the Anglican Church of Canada, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.

 

Ecumenical Conference on Faith and Climate Justice in Puerto Rico

By: Rev. Dr. Carmelo Santos

On Saturday February 25, 2023 nearly 300 hundred people gathered for the first ecumenical conference on Faith and Climate Justice in Puerto Rico. The conference was an initiative of the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop through the combined leadership of Jennifer DeLeon, ELCA Director for Racial Justice, and myself, the ELCA Director for Theological Diversity and Ecumenical & Inter-Religious Engagement, along with the generous sponsorship of Lutheran Disaster Response and ELCA World Hunger.

The actual planning and implementation of the event was a beautiful ecumenical collaboration between the ELCA’s Caribbean Synod (Office of the Bishop), the Diocese of Puerto Rico of the Episcopal Church, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Archdiocese of San Juan of the Catholic Church (through their “pastoral ecological” of Sister Lissette Aviles), and civic organizations such as the Rockefeller Foundation. The purpose of the event was to prayerfully discern together how the challenge of climate justice can be addressed from the perspective of faith, with examples of what is already happening on the ground.

We chose Puerto Rico in part because the Caribbean is on the front lines of climate change, as demonstrated by the devastating effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 from which the people are still recovering, and because of the creative ways in which churches and civic groups are responding to the challenge. The rest of the church can learn much from what is happening there.

The event opened with a prayer from the Episcopal bishop followed by a presentation on the basics of climate change by a local prominent scientist and a video that we commissioned on the history of the work on faith-based climate justice in Puerto Rico. That was followed by a series of presentations by inspiring leaders on the ways different organizations are making a positive impact at the local level addressing the challenges of climate (in)justice in very practical ways. Others presented on the theology underlying the work of climate justice, from Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si, to biblical texts and theological principles guiding this work. The event concluded by people gathering into small groups selected based on the region of the island where they live, so that they could discuss, with the guidance of leaders who had been trained ahead of time, how the issues discussed affect their communities immediately and how they might have been feeling called by the Spirit to get involved.

Our time together created much excitement and momentum to join efforts ecumenically in the urgent work of climate justice done from a faith perspective. We are working on editing the presentations and securing permissions to make them available to the wider public. We will also be planning how to build on this success.

 

Equity is the Path to Sustainability

This is an excerpt from a WCC article published on March 22, 2023. The article can be read in its entirety here.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay commented on the synthesis of the 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, released 20 March.

“There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all,” the report underlines. “Rapid and far-reaching transitions across all sectors and systems are necessary.”

The report also adds that our choices and actions—or inaction—in the next few years “will have impacts now and for thousands of years.”

Pillay underscored that the climate emergency demands integrated and coordinated efforts. “The report clearly shows that climate change is not merely an environmental phenomenon but one with profound implications on economies, societies, and the health and livelihoods of people especially those living in poverty,” he said. “This means that our response to the climate emergency must take an integrated and coordinated approach, understanding that mitigation and adaptation efforts are two sides of the same coin, comprehending the necessity of institutional, economic, and social transformation, and recognizing the need for global collaboration to unite our efforts.”

A second message Pillay shared is that equity is the path to sustainability. “The report reveals that the way forward is a climate-resilient development that integrates actions to curb emissions with measures to adapt to climate change in ways that enhance people’s health and livelihoods while at the same time reducing hunger, poverty, and inequality and delivering clean energy, water, and air for all,” he said, adding a third point: “Climate solutions exist; political commitment is needed.”

But political will is not enough, he concluded. “The pursuit of short-term financial gains through aggressive land use and wanton resource extraction has wrought immeasurable costs to life and all creation and will impose a heavy  burden on our children for millennia, imperiling their very future,” he said. “As Christians we believe that life-in-creation is a sacred gift from God.”

 

A Message from Anglican, Lutheran Leaders for Earth Day 2023

Originally published by www.anglicanlutheran.ca on April 18, 2023

Every year on April 22^nd, communities and individuals around the world participate in Earth Day. This is a global occasion for collective reflection on our current environmental realities, and an opportunity for commitment to action to protect and preserve Creation for the generations to come. As Christians, we are called to recognize the sacredness of the gift of God’s Creation at all times, and Earth Day provides a distinct occasion to join with other faith communities, networks and civil society organizations  to address the ongoing ecological crisis.

This year we join with our partners in the For the Love of Creation network to encourage you to come Together For the Love of Creation throughout Earth Week (April 16-22). This is an opportunity to break down barriers between faith communities by considering ways we might come together with others to connect, grow, listen, inspire hope, and affect change. You might plan an activity or a gathering and invite others in your community to join you, or you may seek out what others are doing and find ways to come alongside those efforts. Activities might range from intentional times of prayer to greening of your church buildings to policy advocacy with all levels of government. There are some suggestions for activities on the For the Love of Creation website, along with an interactive map where groups can share information on local events across the country. Together we can amplify each others efforts, and increase the effectiveness of our actions.

We cannot deny that the crisis does indeed continue across the globe. Significant and sustained increases to global temperatures are resulting in increased extreme weather events, accelerated biodiversity loss, and ongoing impacts on health and well-being. These impacts continue to be experienced disproportionately by Indigenous peoples and by communities in Global South countries, particularly in low-lying coastal areas and small island nations. Only through collective action can we limit these negative outcomes and reduce the impact of a changing climate.

As we continue to celebrate the miracle of Christ’s resurrection, let us keep hold of the hope of new life and new possibility that is offered to us. It is not too late for us to make a measurable difference in the impacts of global warming and biodiversity loss. The most recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change insists that with “deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions” it is still possible to slow the rate of global warming.¹ There is still hope, and by acting together we can help to cultivate this hope for our world.

As you work together with your communities this Earth Week (and beyond), please join us in prayer:

Loving God, be with us as we face the challenges in caring for this Creation which you have shared with us. Enfold us as we come together for the love of your Creation. Inspire us as we continue to seek new and creative ways to preserve this gift of Creation for those who will come after us. Amen

The Most Rev. Chris Harper
National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop, Anglican Church of Canada

The Rev. Susan Johnson
National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

The Most Rev. Linda Nicholls
Archbishop and Primate, Anglican Church of Canada

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1. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “Synthesis Report of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6): Summary for Policymakers” paragraph B.1, p.12 https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6syr/pdf/IPCC_AR6_SYR_SPM.pdf

Bob Chell, Sioux Falls, SD

Warm-up Questions

When I was young we sometimes played a game we called “Brush with Fame” where we would take turns recounting encounters with famous or well known persons in our community. Remember a time you encountered a well known person? What was your experience like?  What would you say or do differently if you encountered them again. Did the experience change you in any way?

Brush With Fame

At the Silver Jubilee Celebration, marking 70 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, Richard Griffin, a Royal Protection Officer assigned to protect her, told an amazing story of two Americans’ unsuspecting brush with fame.  The hikers on a walking holiday met the Queen and Griffen in a picnic area, but had no idea who they were.  After a short conversation–and some pictures–the hikers went on their way, never guessing they had been in the presence of royalty.  You can hear Griffen tell about the encounter here.

Discussion Questions

• Did your ‘Brush with Fame’ change you or your thinking in any way?
• Did your ‘Brush with Fame’ change your opinion about the well known person you encountered?
• Would you like to be well known? What would be a burden? a blessing?
• Why do you think the hikers did not recognize one of the world’s most famous people?

Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:14a, 36-41

1 Peter 1:17-23

Luke 24:13-35

(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 A at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

In their defense, the disciples had just watched Jesus die; he was the last person they expected to see. Keep in mind, too, the disciples were not out for an afternoon walk; they were fleeing for their lives. Who knew? Perhaps the religious authorities would come after them next!

Did you ever run away from home as a child, wishing you could leave your life behind in search of a better one? Or perhaps you’re nearing graduation and pondering what’s next; more school, full time work, enlistment in the military, or volunteer service. We may greet the next chapter with with a note of sadness or despair, or with a sense of excitement and anticipation. Whatever the motivation, change is almost certain to prove difficult and challenging—just as it was for the disciples as they moved into a new reality.

Those times we’ve had all we can take and just want to be done, just want to be somewhere else, just want to leave the pain, shame, or guilt behind are Emmaus times. In those times, when the pain of our present circumstances gets unbearable, we hit the road, figuratively or literally, yearning for change.  These are difficult and dangerous times: Leaving home, changing schools, ending a relationship. Even when it’s a healthy choice, it is difficult. Change is hard, and more so when it involves those with whom we are related by friendship or family. 

Henry Nouwen, a Catholic priest wrote about another Biblical character who, like these disciples, hit the road in search of a new life, the prodigal son. Reflecting on his own life Nouwen wrote,  “For most of my life I have struggled to find God, to know God, to love God.  Now I wonder whether I have sufficiently realized that during all this time God has been trying to find me, to know me, and to love me. …I no longer think of God as hiding out and making it as difficult as possible for me to find him, but, instead, as the one who is looking for me while I am doing the hiding.” 

It wasn’t the empty tomb which convinced the disciples of the truth about Jesus but Christ’s living presence in their lives. It was an intimate meeting on the road.  Unless we too encounter the living Christ, we too are unable to believe.

This doesn’t mean need we need to conjure up enough faith to believe in things which are foreign to our experience.  Nor ought we suspend our intellect or deny our doubt.  Rather, it means opening ourselves to the presence of Christ in our lives. Where is Jesus meeting you? God has always worked in ways unexpected, in places outside the mainstream. God still does.

Meister Eckhart, a Christian mystic of the 13th century said, “Above all else, know this: Be prepared at all times for the gifts of God and especially for new ones.” 

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever had an encounter with someone which transformed the way you looked at life? Was it exciting? disquieting? both?
• Do you find change more exciting or more frightening? One psychologist said we change when we are bored enough, hurt enough, or find out how exciting it can be. Which has been most true for you?
• How does your faith change and shape your life as you look to the future?

Activity Suggestions

• Ask someone you respect if they found a career, or if a career found them. Are they fulfilled? If not, what prevents them from changing.
• Ask a parent, grandparent, or trusted adult if there was a time in their life when they were confused or scared about the future? What enabled them to get through that time?
• How can you tell when God is calling you to move in a new direction?  Is it possible that several different directions might be equally pleasing to God?

Closing Prayer

God, thank you for loving us, even when we feel lost and lonely. Open our eyes to your presence in our lives and especially to the opportunities you set before us. Ease our fears and increase our trust in you. Amen.

 

Kelsey Brown, Brooklyn, NY

Warm-up Question

When meeting new people, what’s something you share about yourself to help them  know you better? 

Peace to All

Our current news cycle is full of debates around the validity and protections of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly our transgender siblings. While no one’s lives and identities should be used for political fodder, we many shape these conversations around demonizing trans folks, and more specifically weaponizing what God thinks about the diversity God has created.

CNN reports that transgender young adults are 40% more likely than their cisgender counterparts to contemplate suicide. The attack on the rights of trans individuals, mainly youth and young adults, is fueled by bias and misinformation. Many states have introduced bills to restrict gender-affirming medical care for youth. These laws and social commentary have real life affects for our siblings. We know what we can do to counteract this. We can believe people when they tell us who they are, standing together to make sure that all of God’s people receive the  the support, encouragement and hope they need to thrive. As Christians we can affirm that God knows us fully and wishes peace for  all God’s children.

Discussion Questions

• Can you list some of the “God created diversity” you see in your day to day life? 
• When have you been scared? How have you experienced God with you in the midst of this fear?

Second Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:14a, 22-32

1 Peter 1:3-9

John 20:19-31

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

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

Gospel Reflection

Fear is rampant following the death of Jesus. His closest friends and followers huddle together, deep in fear that they might be next. Their closest friend, their teacher has been executed by the state and their entire lives flipped upside down. The women, the first at the scene, have heard the good news that the Lord has been raised.  While the men wait, Jesus begins his post-resurrection tour. Although the doors to the room are locked he appears among them and breathes a word of peace. He forgives them for fleeing and remaining silent—reminding them of their belovedness. 

One disciple was missing from this “beyond the grave” visit – Thomas. Having heard from his brothers in Christ that the Lord is alive and has visited, Thomas remarks in disbelief. There is no way this has happened!  He cannot fathom this reality without seeing and touching the places where the Lord was wounded. 

Wouldn’t you guess it, a week later Jesus returns, and this time Thomas is there. He places his fingers in the wounds and his hand in Christ’ side. He suspends his doubt and begins to believe. “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” It is this believing which grants us eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Discussion Questions

• If someone showed up saying they were Jesus, how would you know if they were telling the truth? 
• How you think Jesus’ breath of peace soothed the disciples?  Was his mere presence their balm? 
• How do you embody your belief in the risen christ? 

Activity Suggestions

• On a sheet of paper and using your 5 senses, draw what peace looks, feels, tastes, sounds, and smells like to you?
• Listen to Presiding Bishop Eaton’s video message about our commitment to our transgender siblings and an affirmation about God’s love for all who God has created. 
• Find a comfy spot, close your eyes, breath deep and listen to rain sounds. Reflect on the places of stress in your lives – exhale tension and inhale peace

Closing Prayer

God who once was dead but lives again. We ask you to revive us from our apathy. Breathe new life into our world, that all your people might have what they need. Make us representatives of your love, your grace, and your mercy. May we continue to believe God’s people when they tell us who they are.  May we see you reflected in the eyes of one another. We ask this in your holy and perfect name. 

 

Blessings as we enter holy week! Many of you have journeyed with ELCA World Hunger through Lent as we have reflected on the Psalms and what meaning that vast collection of hymns, poems, laments and prayers might have for hunger ministry today. As the season comes to a close, thank you for being part of the 40 Days of Giving!

Lent is a common time for congregations to focus on hunger and social ministry. Indeed, almsgiving is one of the traditional “three pillars” of Lent (the other two being prayer and fasting) and is still found as one of the disciplines of Lent observed by Lutherans today. While many of us think of fasting as the core practice of Lent, the history of the church reminds us that fasting and giving are two sides of the same coin. The witness of Isaiah goes even further, describing authentic fasting as intimately tied to love and justice for the neighbor:

Is this not the fast I choose, to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? (Is. 58:6)

Scripture and tradition make a good case for focusing on hunger ministry during Lent. But this upcoming weekend may be an even more important time to reinvigorate our efforts. As pointed as Isaiah’s message about fasting may be, for Lutherans, it is the feast – and not just the fast – that calls to us.

Sharing the Feast

Say what you will about Martin Luther (no, seriously, say whatever you want – he deserves heaps of both praise and blame), but he certainly knew how to craft a pithy phrase or two. One of his most famous couplets comes from his 1520 “Treatise on Christian Liberty”:

A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.

A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.

As paradoxical as it might seem, what Luther is getting at is that we don’t experience God as humanity’s captor, binding us to rules and obligations, but as our liberator. That’s not to say that there aren’t obligations and demands – the Law is still the Law and still God-given. But within the Gospel, God reveals Godself to be the one who frees us from bondage to sin, death and to the notion that we can save ourselves, hence “perfectly free.”

This is a dramatic shift in Christian ethics. Why do we do “good works”? Certainly, for Lutherans, we know that those works won’t save us. No amount of fasting or almsgiving will merit a reward (or even make us good people.) And it’s not merely because the Law, with its rules for righteous living, is so compelling (we can’t fully follow it anyway.) Instead, what motivates Lutheran ethics is the experience of being loved and set free from the burden of trying – and failing – to overcome our own sin. The foundation of loving a neighbor, of striving for justice and of working to end hunger is nothing more or less than gratitude.

To play a bit with Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s popular phrase “cheap grace,” this isn’t “cheap thanks.” It’s not the kind of gratitude for all the great things we have or, worse, the gratefulness that “at least we aren’t like them.” It’s deeper than that. What moves us to choose for ourselves being “subject to all” is the realization that our entire lives, our eternal salvation, is an undeserved gift. We don’t have to worry about our own salvation, or feeling as if we aren’t enough, or fearing that the world around us will corrupt our souls or separate us from God. Instead, we can freely and boldly love and serve one another. Social ministry is not a legalistic requirement but a response to an invitation to be part of what God is doing in the world: “Come and see!”

Easter, then, isn’t the celebratory end to the sacrifice of fasting and almsgiving in Lent but the very foundation of a new life lived in gift and promise, the free gift to be bold in our love of one another and the assured promise that in so doing, we are bearing witness to God’s building of a just world where all are fed. The feast of Easter nourishes us for the work ahead.

Surveying the Cross

We can’t get there too quickly, though. All too often, our Holy Week moves from Good Friday to Easter Sunday without giving us time to hang in the liminal space of Holy Saturday. Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar says that the church needs to avoid this temptation of moving too quickly from Good Friday to Easter Sunday. We have to be in that Holy Saturday moment with the disciples, von Balthasar writes, even just for a bit. For those disciples, that first day after Friday, Jesus is dead. The one they’d given up their lives to follow is now laying in a tomb. A quote often attributed to Luther describes the moment: “God’s very self lay dead in a grave.” For the disciples, there is no Easter Sunday. The messiah is dead, and hope seems lost.

Living after the resurrection, it’s difficult to fully understand that kind of grief, but we must because in that grief is honesty. For all the joy and hope and feasting of Easter, we live in a world where the number of people facing hunger is growing, not declining, where income inequality continues to rise, and where justice and opportunity seem further and further away, especially for communities whose strides toward progress are often stymied by violence, marginalization and oppression.

It’s a grief not only for our world, though, but also for our own shortcomings. As the church, the death of Christ reminds us of our own complicity in human suffering. Sure, the church has done some wonderful things, but the cross confronts us with the ways we have fallen short, the ways we have contributed to rather than alleviated injustice, the communities harmed by the church’s good intentions, and the people pushed aside, sometimes violently, as we have pursued what we call “mission.”

Living and Serving in Holy Week Tension

Living in Holy Saturday means living into that grief and honesty about ourselves and our world. Where Easter inspires joy in God’s promise, Holy Saturday fills us with a sacred longing for that same promise. In Easter, we celebrate it. In Holy Saturday, we yearn for it.

That movement between celebration and yearning, between joy and grief is the tension that grounds our work together as ELCA World Hunger and as a church accompanying neighbors in need. We are caught between the cross and the empty tomb, embodying the grief and longing of a long Holy Saturday before we see the promise fulfilled. And we should be. We celebrate as God works through communities near and far to create new opportunities for abundant life through neighbors joining together with determination and hope. And we lament for a world where the crosses of injustice, violence, marginalization, inequity, racism, heterosexism, sexism, ableism, ethnocentrism, exploitation and more continue to dot the landscape.

This is where the ministry of the church in a hungry world begins. Not in the self-sacrifice of Lent but in in grief and joy, in lament and hope, in yearning and thanksgiving, in the tension between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. It’s a costly faith that we find there, with no easy answers – but with the assurance that even then, God is still at work.

What might that mean for our day-to-day responses to hunger? What might it look like for hunger ministry to be grounded in both hope and lament? As we emerge into the season of Easter, I pray that that those questions can stay with us, that we can carry a bit of both Easter Sunday and Holy Saturday with us into the rest of the year.

Our journey through Lent doesn’t end at the cross or even the empty tomb but continues in the long walk with one another toward the future that is both promised and deeply, deeply needed.

 

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

Jen Krausz, Bethelehem, PA

Warm-up Question

Does the good news of Easter—Christ is risen!—still hit you with fresh meaning each year? Do you consider Easter the most important holiday of your faith?  Why?

Truth of the Resurrection

A study by Christian publisher Lifeway showed that while most people (66%) say they believe the biblical accounts of the physical resurrection of Jesus are completely accurate, most young people ages 18 to 34 (59%) say they don’t believe the physical resurrection really happened.

“Young adults are less likely to be cultural Christians than their parents or grandparents, partly because identifying as a Christian isn’t seen as positively by folks outside the church as it once was,” said Rebecca McLaughlin, author of 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) About Christianity.

There are exceptions to the trend.  There have been reports of a revival  sweeping college campuses.  Thousands of students participate in days or weeks-long campus chapel services where they pray, sing praise, are baptized, and give testimonies about God’s involvement in their lives.  

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever wondered if the physical resurrection of Jesus is true? What made you question or doubt?
• What evidence have you found that Jesus was physically resurrected?
• Why do you think younger people find it harder to believe in Jesus today? What would  convince them or help them come to faith?

Resurrection of Our Lord

Acts 10:34-43

Colossians 3:1-4

Matthew 28:1-10  or John 20:1-18

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

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

Gospel Reflection

When thinking about the events of the first Easter Sunday—namely Jesus’ resurrection and the disciples’ reactions to it—it’s important to understand that the disciples had no way of expecting the resurrection. Nothing in their understanding of the scriptures their rich religious tradition prepared them for a savior who would die for their sins and be resurrected. It’s true that Christians now read some Hebrew scriptures (like Isaiah 53) to be prophecies of Jesus’s sacrificial death.  However, they were not understood in that way during Jesus’ earthly ministry. And even though Jesus told them he would die and be raised again, the disciples clearly did not understand what he was saying and did not accept his statements until what he told them had taken place. 

Believers have the whole story now, and have heard it numerous times if they have attended church for years.  But for those first witnesses it would have been a brand new concept. 

When the angel told the women about Jesus’ resurrection, something started to click in their minds. This was what Jesus had said would happen.  Now they could see that his body was no longer in the grave. They were still afraid, but joy began to take hold. 

Then, as the women went to tell the other disciples what they had seen, Jesus came and met them. Now they understood. Divine help is often necessary for us to gain an understanding of God’s ways. When we try to understand deep matters of faith with only our own strength and intellect, we just can’t do it.

The resurrection is important because it shows that because Jesus defeated death, we can also defeat death by putting our faith in him. Just as some theologians have said the crucifixion is important because there Jesus pays the price for our sins, the resurrection shows death defeated once and for all.

As the disciples encountered the risen Jesus, it soon became clear to them what had happened.  They joyfully shared the truth about Jesus with the rest of the world with such conviction that, nearly 2,000 years later, billions around the world believe it.

Christ is risen—he is risen indeed! A most blessed Easter to you.

Discussion Questions

• How would our faith be different if Christ died for our sins, but was not resurrected? What does his resurrection mean for us and our relationship with God through Christ? 
• What biblical truths has Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, helped you to understand? 
• What makes it hard to accept that you need  Jesus’  death in order to be saved from your sins, as well as his resurrection to defeat death?  

Activity Suggestions

• Write the story of the resurrection from the point of view of someone who is hearing about it for the first time. What questions would they have? What would convince them it was real? This can be done in smaller groups or individually, if students feel more comfortable. 
• Wish one or more people you come across (a friend or the cashier at the grocery store, for instance) a blessed Easter. If they ask you questions about what Easter means for you, be ready to answer their questions. 

Closing Prayer 

Holy God, we are filled with awe and gratefulness that you offered your son Jesus to die for our sins and that you raised him after three days. May we never stop meditating on that greatest sacrifice and sharing the good news about the resurrection with others. Amen.

This post, “Dear ELCA, We Must Speak and Act for Trans Lives,” is reprinted in full by permission of the author, originally posted to the author’s blog on March 27, 2023.

 

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By Jamie Bruesehoff [about the author]

During this week leading up to Transgender Day of Visibility as legislative attacks terrorize the LGBTQ+ community with many targeting transgender young people, consider our call as a church and how we might live that call out in proclamation and action for the sake of our siblings. This post is specifically directed at my siblings in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) although the action steps apply to all.

People of faith continue to do the most significant harm to the LGBTQ+ community, personally and politically. People of faith must loudly and boldly speak and act against it.

I have watched as parents, lay leaders, deacons and pastors, and bishops mobilize in action against these sinful attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, especially our transgender and nonbinary siblings. Public posts, sermons, email campaigns, being present at protests, and testifying in the legislature and more.

Thank you Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton for your statement. 

Thank you to Bishop Kevin Strickland (Southeastern Synod), Bishop Mike Rinehart (Texas – Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod), and Bishop Sue Briner (Southwestern Texas Synod) for showing up at state capitals and testifying and mobilizing your people to do the same. I’m certain these aren’t the only Bishops mobilizing, but these are the ones I’ve spoken with or heard from.

Thank you to ELCA Vice President Imran Siddiqui for repeatedly using your voice to lift up who we are as a church and to vocally support our transgender siblings and oppose discrimination.

Thank you to leaders and ministries like Pastor Dawn Bennett at the Table in Nashville and Technicolor Ministries in the Southwestern Texas ministries. I know so many others are doing this work on the ground; I am grateful for all of you.

I am deeply grateful for every single person, every statement, every act of advocacy. I am grateful for the way our church is looking to understand what a more faithful and just future looks like in the realm of our polity. And we need to do more. Right now.

Our transgender siblings are crying out for justice, they are begging for mercy and protection, for support, for people to care with their words and their actions. Our rostered leaders, our seminarians, families with transgender youth, and the transgender people in our pews need the church to show up at this moment. What are we going to do? There is a genocide happening. There is blood on the hands of those who do not act.

 

WHAT DOES THE ELCA SAY?

For this we can turn not only to recent statements from Bishop Elizabeth Eaton but to our social statement on Faith, Sexism, and Justice.

Faith, Sexism, and Justice: A Call To Action – English

Faith, Sexism, and Justice: A Call to Action – Spanish

In this social statement the ELCA commits itself to the following (among other things):.

• Advocate for and support laws, policies, and practices that respect diverse bodies rather than discriminating against, objectifying, or devaluing them. (p. 60)

• Advocate for and support medical research, health care delivery, and access to equitable and affordable health care services, including reproductive health care, that honor how bodies differ and eliminate discrimination due to sex (biological), gender, or sexual orientation. (p.62)

• Advocate for and support portrayals in entertainment, media, and advertising that do not objectify or stereotype people but rather show all people as capable of the wide variety of human characteristics and roles. (p. 67)

And in implementation of those commitments, we resolve to:

1 – To urge members, congregations, synods, churchwide ministries, social ministry organizations, church-related institutions, ecumenical partners, and all people of good will to be guided by this statement’s convictions and commitments to resist and dismantle patriarchy and sexism, and to transform life in the church and in society; (p. 81)

2 – To call upon members of this church to pray, work, and advocate for justice for all those affected by sexism and patriarchy and to draw upon this statement in forming their judgments and actions in daily life; (p.81)

4 – To call upon all members of this church to reflect on how mass media (films, video games, etc.) and social media distort sex, gender, and sexuality and to address this problem in their own actions (especially their care for children); (p.81)

10 – To call upon this church’s advocacy and related ministries, such as ELCA Advocacy and ELCA World Hunger, to support and advocate for measures, policies, and laws consistent with this social statement and to give sustained attention to its convictions and commitments in the creation of programs and projects; (p. 82)

15 – To call upon rostered and lay congregational leaders, synodical and CWO staff, social ministry organizations, and faculty and staff at ELCA colleges, seminaries, and universities to renew their efforts to welcome, care for, and support the lives and gifts of LGBTQIA+ persons and to oppose discrimination against these persons so that they may live into the promise of gender justice envisioned in this social statement; (p.82)

 

ACTION STEPS

It is clear what we believe as a church. In light of the above directives, we must advocate against: gender affirming healthcare bans, transgender athlete bans, curriculum and book bans, bathroom bans, bills disguised as parental rights efforts that jeopardize the health, safety, and humanity of LGBTQ+ young people.

So what do we do? We give of ourselves, our time, and our possessions for the sake of our siblings. The following action steps are by no means exhaustive. Honestly, they are a starting point. But may they be a jumping off point for you to commit time, money, and energy to the fight for transgender lives.

Learning

• Visit www.trans-week.com for learning and action steps. 

• Consume content created by LGBTQ+ people, especially

  • transgender and non-binary people

  • BIPOC LGBTQ+ people

  • Disabled LGBTQ+ people

• Check out this reading list assembled by the Transgender Seminarian Cohort of the National LGBTQ Task Force.

• Order and read the latest expanded and updated edition of Austen Hartke’s book Transforming: The Bible and The Lives of Transgender Christian that was released last week.

Advocacy

• Find what’s happening in your state (ACLU leg tracker linked). You can google other resources. Here’s a look at healthcare bans that have been passed or introduced across the country.. 

  • Call your legislators. Tell them as a constituent and a person of faith, you oppose bills that discriminate against LGBTQ+ people.

  • Plan to show up to testify

• Find what organizations are doing on the ground work related to what’s happening in your state. Google it. Ask on social media. 

  • Reach out to ask how you can best help in this moment. Listen to them and do what they tell you to do.

  • Plan to show up at public actions and protests as a person of faith.

  • Donate funds to them and encourage others to do the same.

• Communicate what you’ve learned in both items above and the next steps with colleagues and congregation members.

  • Speak it from your pulpit.

  • Mobilize your people.

  • Share widely on social media.

• Tell your story publicly. As a person of faith, as a Lutheran church leader, as a parent and a community member… I oppose discrimination against my transgender siblings of any kind, not in spite of my faith, but because of it. I support LGBTQ+ people. I support science. I support truth.

  • Write op-eds.

  • Speak to your neighbors.

  • Be bold, because your faith calls you to this.

Funding

• Donate to local, state, and national organizations working for the full justice and safety of LGBTQ+ people, especially transgender and non-binary people. 

• Donate to direct aid requests for families or individuals seeking safety, seeking healthcare, or otherwise in need.

Transgender and nonbinary people are called and claimed children of God. The church and the world is a better place because of them. And it is our responsibility as Christians to actively and relentlessly work for justice.

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jamie Bruesehoff (she/they), a member of the ELCA Church Council, is an award-winning LGBTQ+ advocate, nationally known speaker, and mother of three, including a transgender child. Her family and work have been featured by media outlets and organizations around the world, including Disney, NPR, Good Morning America, USA Today, The Today Show, CBS News, Human Rights Campaign, The Trevor Project, and The GenderCool Project. With a master’s degree from The Lutheran Theological Seminary-Gettysburg and twenty years of experience working with youth and adults in and outside of the church, she strives to create a world where LGBTQ+ young people thrive. She lives in New Jersey with her spouse and children. Her upcoming book, Raising Kids Beyond the Binary: Celebrating God’s Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children, is available for pre-order wherever books are sold.

Amy Martinell, Sioux Falls, SD

Warm-up Questions

Who is someone you completely trust? What organizations (school, clubs, health system, etc.) do you trust? What organizations do you not trust?  Is it easier to trust people or organizations?

Broken Trust

The last few weeks have brought worry and panic to the banking world. The panic began with the sudden collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank over a three-day span. These bank closures led anxious customers to withdraw their money from other smaller regional banks and place it with bigger institutions that are better capitalized.

These smaller banks then had to scramble to have enough money to cover the withdrawals. Many banks sought emergency loans from the Federal Reserve. Some of these banks then saw significant drops in their stock and credit rating. This problem is not limited to the US. Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second largest bank, was bought out by UBS, Switzerland’s largest bank, in order to prevent a collapse.

All of this action leads to concern about global and personal finances and worry that we are headed into a prolonged recession. While Global financial regulators state that the banking system is secure and healthy, many cannot help but wonder.

Discussion Questions

• Distrust of banks has been common especially after the Great Depression. Have you experienced friends or family distrusting banks.  What stories have you heard about this?
• Do you worry about the current financial situation? How do you think money is tied to our sense of security?
• What things help you feel safe and secure, especially when you are feeling anxious?

Sunday of the Passion/ Palm Sunday

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Philippians 2:5-11

Matthew 26:14—27:66

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

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

Gospel Reflection

From one story of worry and panic to another. The story of Jesus’ passion is filled with tension and broken trust. We begin with Judas agreeing to hand over Jesus, his teacher and friend, for thirty pieces of silver. Judas is not the only disciple who lets Jesus down. When the disciples gather with Jesus for the passover meal, Jesus warns that one gathered there will betray him. Peter swears he will die for Jesus before he will desert him, but he quickly breaks this pledge. When Jesus is arrested, Peter loses his resolve and denies Jesus three times.

The road to the cross is a lonely one. When the High Priest and Pilate question Jesus, no one speaks a word in Jesus’ defense.  The very crowd that welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem calls for his death. In the end, even God seems silent. The desertedness of the story reaches its climax as Jesus’ cries out to God in anguish, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

The story of Jesus’ passion is hard to read. We want to rush to the good news of Easter, but it is important to sit with the story of Good Friday first.  In this story we see everyone fail Jesus—from his friends, to political and religious leaders, to the ambivalent crowd. These failures teach us that the ways of the world are imperfect at best and deeply flawed at worst.

We experience that in our own lives. We’re tempted to put our trust in earthly things. Things like banks, insurance, and retirement funds can make us feel safe and secure, but the current banking issues and history have taught us that they are not infallible. We put trust and care into our relationships with friends and family, but we know that while these relationships are wonderful and needed, they are not perfect. Forgiveness is such a big part of human relationships because even those with the best intentions, like Peter, will fail us and we will fail them.

It is only Jesus who never breaks our trust. Even when Jesus is betrayed and abandoned, he does not give up on humanity. Instead, he goes to the cross and takes on our sin and death, so that we might have new and abundant life. In Jesus, we have a God who has experienced every heartbreak we face: loneliness, betrayal of friends, and times when even God seems silent. Jesus knows our every pain and joins us in our suffering. 

In the story of Jesus’ passion, we also find the promise that God’s love is there for us no matter what. Jesus welcomed Judas to his table, knowing he would betray him.  The resurrected Jesus sought out Peter to offer love and forgiveness. Jesus’ actions promise us that nothing we can do can separate us from God’s love for us.

Discussion Questions

• What stood out to you as you read the gospel reading? Were there parts that were hard to read?
• Recall a time someone broke your trust? How did it make you feel? How did you respond to the situation?
• When was a time that you felt God was with you amid a challenging situation?

Activity Suggestions

While only Jesus never breaks our trust, it is so important to have spaces where we feel safe and where we can trust each other. Help to build trust within your group by doing the activity below or other trust building activities.

Have everyone stand in a circle and hold out their hands parallel to the ground. They also stick out their index fingers. Gently place an object on their index collective fingers, like a hula hoop or a stick. Now ask them to lower the object to the ground but make sure their fingers do not lose contact with the object. The group may find it difficult at first. The idea is that they must formulate a strategy where they are working together and trusting everyone to do their part.

Closing Prayer

Dear Jesus, we thank you for the love you poured out for each one of us on the cross. May we put our trust in you in order to hear your call and follow your mission. Amen.