Advent Week 2

“By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us.”

-Luke 1:78

This advent reflection is part of ELCA World Hunger’s 2021 Advent Study and ELCA World Hunger’s weekly Sermon Starter emails. You can download the full study here. You can also download the corresponding advent calendar here. You can sign up for the weekly Sermon Starter emails here on the right side of the page if on a computer or near the bottom of the page if viewing from a phone.

Reflect

Zechariah’s prophecy in the first chapter of Luke, our reading for this second Sunday in Advent, is sometimes overlooked in favor of the  Magnificat of  Mary in the same chapter. Mary’s song, which we will read later in Advent, is a theological ode to God, who “lift[s] up the lowly” (Luke 1:52). Zechariah’s prophecy, however, is a cry of joy for the God who fulfills God’s promise. Both Mary and Zechariah have longed with their people for this moment, have yearned for

the fulfillment of the promise that we heard on the first Sunday of Advent, when “Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety” (Jeremiah 33:16). Now, as Zechariah proclaims, “the dawn from on high [has broken] upon us” (Luke 1:78).

What does it mean for this new day to “dawn”? All too often, the church has tended to conflate metaphors of light and darkness with good and evil. The darkness of night is tied to fear, uncertainty and even despair, whereas the brightness of day symbolizes hope, joy and, in some cases, wisdom. But Zechariah’s proclamation of the coming dawn reveals more than the difference between light and darkness . Indeed, in much of Scripture the dawning of the day of

the Lord is far from a happy occasion. The prophets Micah and Joel both refer to it as “terrible,” and Amos chastises the people who long for it to arrive.

In the Bible and in life, metaphors of light and darkness are more complex than we sometimes assume. In life, the darkness of night can bring risk and uncertainty, as we heard in Charity’s story in the first session of this Advent study. Yet night can also be a time of rest, a symbol for the end of our labors. For the people of the Bible, living in hot, arid climes, the sun was necessary for growing food but its setting would bring a cool, restorative break.

For many of our neighbors who face housing insecurity, night and day each carry their own risks. As the sky dims, the need to find safe, suitable shelter intensifies. As the day dawns, the threat of eviction or displacement looms.

St. Andrew’s Refugee Services (StARS) in Cairo, Egypt, a ministry supported by ELCA World Hunger, accompanies vulnerable neighbors through these risks. The community­ based organizations supported by StARS are key partners in this work. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced many governmental agencies to close down or scale back their support of refugees

in Cairo, these community-based organizations remained open, providing critical support.

Hala, a 37-year-old Sudanese mother, was one of these neighbors. Her husband passed away during the first wave of COVID-19 in Egypt, leaving Hala to care for their four children. Forced to support them on her own amid the widespread economic uncertainty of the pandemic, Hala soon fell behind in her rent payments.

Knowing she needed some support, Hala turned to Amal School, an organization supported by StARS. Amal School provided her and her family with an emergency grant so that they no longer had to fear eviction. The school also provided Hala with a caseworker who helped her find a job. Now, her family has stable housing, her job provides much-needed income and Hala has the resources she needs to care for her family. She no longer worries about what they will eat during the day or where they will lay their heads at night.

The season of Advent invites us to journey with our historical forebears, such as Mary and Zechariah, and with our neighbors today, such as Hala. This journey is no metaphorical shift between night and day, darkness and light, but a real, lived transformation from the vulnerability we know surrounds us to the promise we know includes us. For Mary, this meant seeing the proud brought low and “the lowly” exalted by God. For Zechariah, it meant seeing the dawn break from on high. For Charity Toksang, in our first session of this study, it meant seeing the sunrise over a health care clinic in Juba, South Sudan. And for Hala and her family, it means sleeping in a home they won’t be forced to leave the next day.

God meets us where we are with a promise – that we will be reconciled, that the world is being transformed, that we

will live safely, securely and abundantly. God also meets us with an invitation – to participate in this reconciliation and transformation in the world.

Where is God meeting you this Advent? And where is God calling you to be in the new year?

Ask

1. What does it mean to be vulnerable? What are some ways Hala and her family may have felt vulnerable? What are some ways you feel vulnerable in this Advent season?
2. What does God’s promise of salvation mean for us today? What will “the dawn [breaking] from on high” look like in our lives?
3. The term “housing insecurity,” used in the reflection above, includes not just homelessness but a variety of obstacles people face in finding a safe, stable and affordable place to live. Consider the terms “housing-insecure” and “homeless.” What’s the difference? What does it mean to have a “home”? What challenges does your community face in ensuring that everyone is “housing secure”?
4. Where is God calling the church to be this Advent? How does our faith call us to accompany neighbors such as Hala as they work toward a better future for their families?

Pray

God of promise, we thank you for the darkness of night and the brightness of day, for the change of seasons, the passing of time and the promised future toward which you lead your world. Be present with us and with our neighbors around the world, especially those left vulnerable by rising costs and declining opportunities. Inspire your church to be part of your work in the world, ensuring that all can enjoy the blessings of safety, security, peace and hope that you provide. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Children’s Sermon

By Pr. Tim Brown for ELCA World Hunger Sermon Starters

Today the theme of “names” is noticeable by the Gospel writer. 

Bring in a bunch of, “hello, my name is” name tags and a sharpie marker.  You’ll need enough for each child plus enough for each child to take with them, with a few that are blank, and the rest filled in with “Lovely,” or “Beloved,” or “God’s Child,” or “Wonderfully Made.”

“Hi all!  I’m so glad you’re here today.” Hold the name tags tightly in your hand out of sight. “Does anyone want to guess what I have here?” Give appropriate time for guesses “They are nametags!  Tell me look at one youth What would you like me to write on your name tag? It can be your name, or it can be any name that you really, really like.”

Allow time for them to answer and write it on the tag.

“Anyone else?” Call on another youth “What name would you like?”

Allow time for them to answer and write it on the tag. Now, look out at the adult congregation.

“How about anyone in the seats?  Anyone want a name tag? What would you like on your tag?”

Call on an adult. Allow time for them to answer and write it on the tag.

“In today’s Gospel lesson the writer names all these names: Pontius Pilate. Tiberius. Herod. John the Baptist. Zechariah. They name all these names because they want us to know what was going on in the world and who these people are.  Names are important.  You all have names.  And God knows all of your names!  But you know what?  You also have other names given by God in your baptism, names you might forget.  I want to show them to you, but they’re a surprise, so come in close.”

Invite the youth in close and show them the name tags.

<whispered> “You are all Beloved.  You are all Lovely. You are all Children of God. And you know what?  They are, too. <point to the assembly>  “Each of you take a nametag to wear, and then take a name tag to give to someone out there, so that they can know what they are named by God, too.  Ready? Go!”

Scott Moore, Erfurt, Germany

Warm-up Question

When did you have difficulties getting in, on, or around some thing or some place?

Barrier-Free Love

Two years after the original projected date of completion, the Minoru Centre for Active Living in Richmond, VA is open. It’s not every day that a community gets a new center for events with indoor swimming facilities. It’s also not every day that such community centers win international prizes for their accessibility. The Minoru Centre, however, is one such place. The award was presented in Cologne, Germany by the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, and International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities. Over 80 architectural projects from all around the world competed for prizes in various categories. The Minoru Centre is a wonderful example of how to make a facility accessible for everyone. 

Pam Andrews, herself someone who faces various mobility issues, sits on the city’s design advisory panel. She brings a needed voice for the principal of universal access – for people of “all ages and all stages” of life. Universal access embraces the design vision that all aspects of a building can be accessed and used by everybody. 

Some of the accessibility features at the Minoru Centre for Active Living:  barrier-free front doors, accessible reception centers, ramps and “gentle steps,” as well as mobile lifts into the pool. Andrews’ advice for designers is that they should be, “focusing on universal design, focusing on one fit for everybody, no matter what their age, no matter what their needs, no matter what their abilities.” 

Discussion Questions

• When have you noticed someone struggling to get into a building? In and out of a vehicle?
• Where have you noticed people getting help from service animals (seeing-eye dogs, etc.)?
• What are other things you have noticed related to accessability–or the lack of it?

Second Sunday of Advent

Malachi 3:1-4

Philippians 1:3-11

Luke 3:1-6

(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

Luke’s gospel is a story about the good news of Jesus. Luke wants us to know that Jesus is the Lord that the prophet Isaiah was talking about when he said, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” And, John, son of Zechariah, is the one preparing Jesus’ way. 

John is out there preaching, baptizing,  and inviting people to turn their lives around to meet the Lord, who is on his way. The prophet Isaiah paints an amazing picture of how extreme this preparation should be. “Every valley should be filled. Every mountain and hill made low. The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth.” Any barrier for the Lord should be removed. Jesus’ way is barrier free. 

This image is about making it easy for Jesus to get where you are now. This image is not just about little changes. It is about big things, too. Every valley, that means even the Grand Canyon. Every mountain and hill, that means the Rockies and the Alps and even Mount Everest. Crooked, straight. Rough, smooth. No twisty-turny roads to get lost on. No bumpy stony roads to stumble on. Easy access. And this access is a two-way street. If Jesus’ way to us should be made barrier free, then the same goes for our access to Jesus. Nothing should stand in the way of getting to Jesus. John the Baptist’s task, according to Luke, is to preach forgiveness for all who turn to Jesus, no matter where they find themselves in life.  

Many things in our lives get in the way of hearing God’s word of forgiveness in Jesus. Sometimes it is the voice whispering in our ears, words of unworthiness. Perhaps it is the memories of traumatic things which keep us from believing that the way to Jesus’ love is easy. Maybe it is teachings we’ve heard which suggest that God’s love is not meant for us because of how we look or who we love. So we think God’s forgiveness is not meant for us. 

Isaiah’s words are about extreme, barrier-free love. That seems too good to be true. God couldn’t possibly love me or him or her or them. Or could God, indeed, love any of us at any time, all the time? How many people do we know who find themselves living in a wilderness of their own making, desperately needing to hear a voice crying out into their wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord!”? God’s love constantly breaks into the world and Luke points to it. Isaiah points to it. Others around us point to it. We, too, can point to “barrier-free Jesus, for ourselves and for others in the world around us. 

Discussion Questions

• Where do you sense barriers to God’s love in your own personal life?
• When have you experienced easy access to God’s love? Who helped prepare the way of the Lord in those situations?
• When have you sensed when the church has put up more barriers than been barrier free in its preaching and teaching?
• Where do you think you can work to “fill valleys and flatten hills” to prepare the way of the Lord?

Activity Suggestions

With the group, check out your own church’s accessibility. Here a few questions to help you assess your own church: 

• How easy is it for people with walkers or wheelchairs or stroller to get into church? How about getting into a pew or chair?
• Can someone in a wheelchair easily participate in leading worship?
• What about those with challenges in hearing and seeing in your worship context?
• How barrier-free is your church’s online presence?
• What steps does your church take to make sure that everyone can understand the sermon and participate fully in the worship experience?

Closing Prayer

Ever loving God, you made yourself more accessible to us in taking on our humanity in the person of Jesus. By reaching out to us, you have made it easier for us to reach out to you. Take away the barriers between us and you, and between us and those around us. When we turn away from you, call us back into your loving embrace. We ask this in the name of one who breaks down barriers with the most powerful love, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

All Creation Sings, the worship and song supplement to Evangelical Lutheran Worship, released in late November 2020. The church was entering Advent at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; vaccines were not yet available. Most of our assemblies were worshiping online.

As we approach Advent 2021, the pandemic lingers. Yet during the past year —amid tumultuous world events and an ever-changing church—many congregations have discovered that alongside well-known treasures, new words and melodies help us voice both praise and lament in these days.

The ELCA Worship Staff would like to know how you’ve gotten to know All Creation Sings since its release last Advent.

• What is a newly discovered hymn or song that has worked very well in your assembly?
• Have you used elements of Settings 11 or 12 over this past year? Has a spoken prayer or piece of liturgical music from these settings become a new favorite in your assembly?
• What All Creation Sings hymn text has inspired your preaching over this past year?
• Have you used any of the thanksgivings, laments, or additional prayers in your assembly? In what context?
• What hymn/song do you look forward to introducing this Advent or in the year to come?

Perhaps you have something else to share with others, a story about how this resource has been welcomed into your worshiping community or has inspired your own ministry.

Tell us about it!

Email us at worship@elca.org. Or post on social media using #AllCreationSings. We may invite you to write a blog post to share your story with others.

The All Creation Sings family of resources has grown since last Advent. If you have not yet discovered these additional resources, be sure to visit www.augsburgfortress.org/allcreationsings to learn more.

We are encouraged to learn about residential and boarding schools, honor survivors, and remember those who never made it home from the schools in “Telling and Teaching the Truth: The Church’s Obligation to Education about the Ongoing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery” presented by the ELCA with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Anglican Church of Canada, and The Episcopal Church (September 2021). The open letter expressing commitment notes: “Our churches’ work to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery begins with the costly work of telling the truth.” We are thankful for truth-telling from our guest blogger in this Native American Heritage Month.

By guest blogger the Rev. Manuel Retamoza [about the author]

As both a member of the Cherokee nation and a first-generation Mexican American, news stories from the southern border in 2018 were more than just headlines for me.

Headlines were made when the news broke about the practice during the previous executive administration of separating immigrant children from their parents at the southern border. We all saw images and heard stories of children, even babies, being held in squalid conditions while being processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. There was a public outcry against the dehumanizing practice of forcefully removing children from their parents, which led to protests on both sides of the border.

These stories tap into the deep, largely unacknowledged, pain that Indigenous peoples in the United States have carried for generations around the governmental and the church practice of forcefully removing Native American children to send them to residential boarding schools. The philosophy of one of these institutions, The Carlisle School in Pennsylvania, was “Kill the Indian, save the man.”

History Repeating

I was overwhelmed with empathy for these Central American (often also Indigenous) children, many of whom I met when I volunteered at a shelter here in San Diego, knowing that this is a repeat of our country’s history. Whether it was the separation of families at our border or with our Indigenous children who were taken from their communities to boarding schools, separating children from their families has been used to implement harm and family devastation for 500 years by those who colonized this land we call Turtle Island.

Recently I preached at the Vine Deloria Jr. Theological Symposium at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. We gathered around the theme “On Our Way to Truth and Healing.” In my sermon, I reflected on Jesus’ words in Mark 13: “Pray that it may not be in winter. For in those days there will be suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, no, and never will be.” These words also describe my people, the Cherokee – gathered up like livestock – forced out of their homes with nothing but the clothes on their back, held in stockyard-like conditions as the U.S. military prepared to “escort” them 2,000+ miles to what is now Oklahoma. It was in winter when this happened, and many of our elders and children did not survive.

Truth of Indian Boarding Schools

A generation later, children would be taken from their families, only this time to Indian boarding schools. Many of these children never returned. Those who survived endured neglect and abuse by the adults entrusted to care for them. It is here where some of the worst atrocities against Native people took place because we were robbed not only of our children but our future. The goal was to kill and bury our story, our truth. The goal was erasure and elimination, but we are still here.

We can’t sit back and ignore the truth when it is presented to us. Truth once revealed must be struggled with, even the painful truths of what we have done and left undone as a church and as individuals. To not dig deep into the infection that is the atrocities done to Indigenous people is to allow it to continue to fester and prevent real healing. Ultimately, this denial hinders the work of the Holy Spirit in our church.

Need for God’s Grace

By telling the real story and allowing our people to tell their real story we invest in our future by not forgetting our past injustices and work toward healing for our future. It is in sharing the story, both the good and the bad, that we truly discover our need for God’s grace.

MORE

Additional background is available from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition:
“US Indian Boarding School History” and “For Churches.”

Use our Action Alert, “Indian Boarding School truth and healing needed,” to urge Congress to advance a new commission and study on the devastating legacy of Indian Boarding Schools and develop meaningful steps to heal moving forward.

In October 2021, the ELCA released “A Declaration of the [ELCA] to American Indian and Alaska Native People.” The declaration is a direct result of the social policy resolution, “Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery, which was passed by the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. In the declaration, the ELCA acknowledges the theological and Christian foundation of the Doctrine of Discovery, which has codified colonialism and religious intolerance as societal norms for more than 500 years. Direct links and more are available in an ELCA news release.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: The Rev. Manuel Retamoza is senior pastor at St. Andrews Lutheran Church in San Diego, California. He also serves as vice president of the ELCA American Indian and Alaska Native Lutheran Association.

Jason Fisher, Champaign, IL

Warm-up Questions

•  Share about a situation that seemed like the end of the world to you, but looking back now, was a bit silly.
• What is your favorite apocalyptic novel or movie?
• What did that book or movie reveal about humanity, or about how you would respond in similar situations?

When Your Temple Crumbles

The apocalyptic movie 2012 came out with a startling trailer that featured a Buddhist monk high up in the Himalayan mountains ringing a warning bell, as an enormous wave of water was about to crash down on him and destroy humankind in a flood of biblical proportions. The movie itself was pretty silly in places, but revealed what was most important to a variety of people as they faced the end of their world. Sometimes things in our lives can feel like the end of the world, especially when what we have relied upon for so long is being challenged.

In his book, Silence the Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise, Thich Nhat Hanh talks about two kinds of knots. The first knot is our notions, ideas, concepts, and knowledge. These things are not bad, but when we get stuck on them we miss out on the truth of life. If we don’t hold them loosely and someone challenges them, it can seem like the end of a world we have known and loved. The second knot is our afflictions, fears, anger, discrimination, despair, and arrogance. Thich Nhat Hanh believes that until these knots are undone we remain bound up and not truly free.

Thich Nhat Hanh writes; “These two knots, which are etched deeply into our brain and consciousness, bind us and push us to do things we don’t want to do; they make us say things we don’t want to say. So we’re not free. Any time we do things not from our desire but out of habitual fear or ingrained notions and ideas, we’re not free.”  

Discussion Questions

• What has you tied up in knots right now?  Is it some affliction, fear, anger, discrimination, despair, or arrogance?
• Have life experiences ever made you angry or biased? Share about those experiences.
• How can God, following Jesus, and being a part of the church help untie those knots?

First Sunday of Advent

Jeremiah 33:14-16

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Luke 21:25-36

(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

For many the season of Advent is a reminder of a time to prepare for the coming of dear, sweet, baby Jesus, not a time of distress, when people are fainting from fear. When we think of Advent we don’t typically think of apocalypse! The word apocalypse means “revelation.” So not only is apocalypse about the end of the world as we now experience it, but a revealing of a new world that God is creating. The season of Advent begins with a focus on Christ’s second coming, which can be terrifying for those who are unaware of God’s redemptive work and for those who cling to the things of this world.

The three sections of the text—The Coming of the Son of Man, The Lesson of the Fig Tree, and Jesus’ Exhortation to Watch—are all meant to be words of encouragement to believers whose world has been rocked by disaster. 

The Coming of the Son of Man

This passage from Luke was probably written 10 to 20 years after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, which, to the Jewish followers of Jesus, would have seemed like the end of the world as they knew it. Jesus encouraged people to repent and follow his kingdom way. The message of Jesus to Jerusalem wasn’t accepted and the Temple was destroyed in their lifetime by the Romans.  In the verses right before this text Jesus says the destruction of the temple will be ansign that Jesus has won and reigns at the right hand of God in heaven. New Testament Scholar N.T. Wright says that, “this passage is about the vindication of Jesus and the rescue of his people from the system that has oppressed them.” So while the world is shaken, they are encouraged not to shake, but, instead, to stand firm and look up, because their redemption now draws near.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

“Heaven and earth will pass away,” but the words of Jesus will not pass away. Some things are lasting and other things are everlasting. Seeing trees bud and bear leaves is a sign of new life in the spring. Jesus reminds his hearers that no matter how much their world seems to have changed, they should still look to those places where there is life and thus know God’s kingdom is near. Those who have not put their whole lives into God’s hands, but have instead trusted in lesser gods, will have a hard time seeing these small signs of life. They will be more concerned with what they have lost than with what God is bringing into the world.

The Exhortation to Watch

You can look around you today and find many examples of people who are frustrated with how COVID 19 has doomed their world.  They become angry, violent, and cynical. Jesus warns his disciples against this and tells them to guard their hearts. In crisis people may lose their faith in God and turn to a “let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die,” mentality. This kind of selfishness and cynicism sneaks up on believers slowly. It might begin with a smirk at someone else’s misfortune or with a subtle comment like, “who cares?” But it ultimately ends with faithlessness and hopelessness in the midst of the disasters which surround us.

Yet God’s love for us breaks through all chaos in the person of Jesus Christ, for whom we wait patiently. Theologian Fred Craddock writes that, “Amid painful and prolonged suffering, when there can be seen on the horizon of predictable history no relief from disaster, faith turns its face toward heaven, not only for a revelation of God’s will but also for a vision of the end of the present misery and the beginning of the age to come.” Patience is essential and we cannot let the world’s cares bog us down. Instead we are called to stay alert and stay awake, to hold onto hope and hang on, for our redemption draws near.

Now, in order for that to happen, we may need to let go of some of the notions or images of the world to which we hold. Some of our ideas about how the world works and how God works may need to die in order for God to reveal new life.

Discussion Questions

• What for you are “the worries of this life?”
• How can you become trapped by those things?
• What keeps your heart from being weighed down by these things?

Activity Suggestions

Creating an Advent Wreath is a traditional ritual this time of year. With these apocalyptic texts about destruction and world-shattering events in mind , make  an Advent Wreath out of things that have been destroyed. Visit a thrift store or collect things that have been discarded on the ground. Wrap or glue them together to form a wreath and four separate candle holders. Maybe, instead of using new candles, find some old ones at a thrift store and add them to your redeemed advent wreath. Maybe this activity will reveal something new to you about what God is doing during Advent.

Practice the Ignatian Examen in the evening as a way to ‘be on guard’ and to ‘stay alert at all times.’ Begin by lighting a candle from your Advent wreath and give thanks to God for the world. Think about where you felt God’s presence during the day. Then think back on times when your notions, ideas, concepts, or knowledge were challenged by someone else, how did that feel? Did afflictions, fears, anger, discrimination, despair, or arrogance get the better of you? If so, simply acknowledge it and give it to God. Make an intention to work on that area tomorrow. End your time of silence with gratitude towards God. Try to repeat the process each evening in Advent.

Closing Prayer

Great Redeemer, we ask that you would help us to guard our hearts during uncertain times. Grant us strength to resist hopelessness and cynicism. Help us to look towards Jesus Christ that we might stand boldly with confidence and joy. Amen

By Kathryn M. Lohre

On November 11, the ELCA Church Council approved revisions to “A Declaration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to the Jewish Community”* as an expression of this church’s continual opposition to rising antisemitism. The revisions specifically named the anti-Jewish “incitement to violence” that is far-too-often realized. We  think of Pittsburgh and Poway, but also the daily acts of violence experienced by our Jewish neighbors that go unnoticed, underreported, or ignored. The point is that antisemitism is not simply a harmful, derogatory idea about Judaism, but a disastrous and sometimes deadly force in the world against our Jewish neighbors that we need to guard against — in ourselves, in our church, and in the world around us. For this reason, the action taken by the Council included not only the revisions but a call for the church to enter into a time of study and reflection using the Declaration and other Lutheran-Jewish resources available from the Office of the Presiding Bishop.

By design, the Declaration provides a measure of accountability within the ELCA, and to this church’s Jewish partners. (One of our dear Jewish partners has a framed copy of the Declaration on her office wall!)  As Lutherans – through the Lutheran World Federation, our predecessor bodies, and the ELCA, we repudiate the troubling legacy of Luther and our complicity in the unique horrors of the Holocaust, and the ongoing scourge of anti-Jewish bias, bigotry, hatred, and violence. To be clear: this requires more than just declaring our intentions, but acts of daily repentance and renewal lived out in community, and through intentional relationships with our Jewish neighbors.

At the same time, the ELCA is living out its accountability with others. In September of this year, the Church Council adopted “A Declaration of the ELCA to American Indian and Alaska Native People” as a step in the implementation of the church’s 2016 Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery. The newest ELCA Declaration concludes with the acknowledgement that, “we understand that no document, no matter how carefully crafted, will accomplish the actions of truth and the work of justice as it relates to our American Indian and Alaska Native siblings. We also understand that what has developed over hundreds of years will take enduring commitment to address.” The church’s history – and its ongoing witness – cannot be made right simply by declaring it was wrong.

This brings me to the second part of the revisions recently adopted to “A Declaration of the ELCA to the Jewish Community.” The text adopted in 1994 began, “In the long history of Christianity there exists no more tragic development than the treatment accorded the Jewish people on the part of Christian believers.” The superlative in this original sentence unintentionally invites false comparisons – between the Holocaust perpetrated against the Jewish people and the genocide perpetrated against Indigenous People, between rising antisemitism and anti-Indigenous racism to name two examples. Instead, what we should be looking for are the deadly connections: the complicity of the church, the political and theological justification of sinful ideologies, the ongoing perpetration of bigotry, violence, and even death against those deemed inferior, unworthy, expendable, or less than human by the dominant (and dominating) culture. To this end it now reads, “In the long history of the church, the treatment accorded the Jewish people by Christians has been among our most grievous and shameful legacies.” These connections will help us see more clearly the truths we need to tell in order to heal, and the work we need to do to guard God’s vision of life abundant for all people and creation.

I give thanks to God for the courageous people, including the late Rev. Dr. Franklin Sherman, who was instrumental in the development of “A Declaration of the ELCA to the Jewish Community” in the 1990s, and to the late Rev. Dr. Gordon Straw, who challenged the church in 2018 to take seriously the church’s repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery, including in the context of our Jewish relations. Even in blessed memory, they have helped us to see that sometimes even correctives need correcting.

——————————

*Written by the ELCA Consultative Panel on Lutheran-Jewish Relations and adopted by the ELCA Church Council in 1994 “A Declaration of the ELCA to the Jewish Community” repudiates Luther’s anti-Judaic writings, opposes anti-Semitism, and expresses the ELCA’s desire to build right relationships with the Jewish community.

Kathryn Mary Lohre serves as Assistant to the Presiding Bishop and Executive for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations & Theological Discernment for the ELCA

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 | Minnesota | Texas | Washington

U.N.

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

Dennis Frado, Director

The General Assembly’s Third Committee held its annual dialogues with special human rights mandate holders and others. Of particular interest were:

• The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Reem Alsalem, spotlighted the gender related killing of women, also known as femicide. She urged countries to use the femicide watch initiative to gather data and report annually.
• The Chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Gladys Acosta Vargas, underscored the distressing situation of women facing the threat of sexual violence in conflict, human trafficking, sex-based discrimination, socioeconomic injustices and humanitarian emergencies.
• Special Rapporteurs on internal displacement, human trafficking and modern slavery all issued warnings that the number of people forcibly displaced within their own countries due to conflict is now at the highest on record, at 48 million.
• Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, also appealed to governments for international solidarity. He reported that conflict continues to be the main driver of displacement and emphasized that “We must never forget that nobody wants to live with the anxiety of exile”. He also highlighted the reality of climate-related displacement.
• The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, sounded the alarm on femicide, enforced disappearances and discrimination against vulnerable groups which continues to flourish in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change crisis.
• The Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples highlighted the causes and consequences of urbanization and the racial discrimination, poverty, and stigmatization that Indigenous Peoples living in urban areas face. The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, presented on the role of organized criminal groups in contemporary forms of slavery, and the Chairperson of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, stressed that “Systemic racism is a public health crisis, just as COVID 19 has become a racialized crisis”. She highlighted how people of African descent face racism and structural discrimination worldwide and underlined that “human rights are for everybody”.
• The Special Envoy of the Secretary General on Myanmar, reported “the overall situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate sharply, with conflict intensifying in many parts of the country.  “Repression by the military has led to more than 1,180 deaths,”.  She further highlighted the challenges and heightened suffering of already vulnerable communities, especially the Rohingya and other ethnic and religious minorities.
• The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, said that “increased attacks by the military junta have taken place against the backdrop of a grossly disproportionate response by the international community”.

Colorado

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

Peter Severson, Director

ELECTION DAY RESULTS: Coloradans voted on three statewide ballot measures on Election Day, November 2, and all were defeated. LAM-CO opposed all three because we believe there are more just and equitable legislative pathways to accomplish some of these ideas.

We can increase the accountability of custodial spending, but we don’t need to require every dollar to go through an inefficient and cumbersome bureaucratic process in order to be spent.

We can boost tutoring and after-school learning opportunities, but we don’t need to create a separate program outside of the Department of Education, funded by vice taxes.

We can provide targeted relief to property tax-payers who most need it, but we don’t need an across-the-board cut that will hurt local services while benefiting the wealthiest property owners the most.

The results are below:

• Amendment 78, Legislative Authority for Spending State Money
  • YES: 43.6%
  • NO: 56.4%
• Proposition 119, Learning Enrichment and Academic Progress Program
  • YES: 45.6%
  • NO: 54.4%
• Proposition 120, Property Tax Assessment Rate Reduction
  • YES: 43.4%
  • NO: 56.6%

Happy Autumn from the Rocky Mountain Synod Office of the Bishop

Minnesota

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

Tammy Walhof, Director

Lutheran Advocacy-Minnesota recently took part in the decision-making process for the 2022 policy agenda of Homes for All, a statewide coalition of 240+ endorsing organizations that advocates for housing stability for all Minnesotans. Tammy Walhof and Rachel Wyffles listened to 26 policy proposals over two days and scored each according to criteria that evaluated urgent need and effectiveness. LA-MN then participated in two sessions of discussion in which scored proposals were considered in the context of Homes for All’s five policy buckets: Build more, equitable access and fair treatment, housing stability/anti-displacement, preserve the homes we have, and wealth building. We had great discussions throughout the process, and we look forward to working towards these priorities in the 2022 legislative session! 

LA-MN is also contributing to discussions around clean energy with our environmental coalition partners as they decide on priorities for the 2022 legislative session. They are looking towards smaller, more project-based priorities for the 2022 session.  

Wyffles had the opportunity to speak to 110 youth from around the country who were gathered at the ELCA Youth Leadership Summit in Minneapolis. She spoke about what advocacy is, gave context for how advocacy is an integral part of Lutheran faith, and provided ideas for how to incorporate advocacy in youth ministry. The youth were an insightful and inspiring group, asking great questions and expressing enthusiasm for getting involved with the ELCA Advocacy Network in their own states. 

Texas

Texas Impact – texasimpact.org

Scott Atnip, Outreach Director

It has been a busy year in Texas with the Texas Legislature convening their regular 140 day legislative session followed by three special sessions, concluding in October. The third special session focused on redistricting, spending American Rescue Plan Act funds, anti-trans legislation, critical race theory and a failed attempt to ban vaccine requirements by statute. The work continues to equip and mobilize Texans of faith to help them understand what is happening in their Texas Legislature through ongoing programming, including the Weekly Witness podcast, Rapid Response Team and Legislative Engagement Groups.  

Plans are underway to host an election training to help congregations understand how the new voting laws will impact their communities and to share best practices for congregations to support local infrastructure. Texas Impact also sent a delegation to COP26 in Glasgow with plans to report back to Texas congregations.  

Washington

Faith Action Network (FAN) – fanwa.org

Paul Benz and Elise DeGooyer, Co-Directors

FAN Annual Dinner We will host our annual fundraising celebration virtually on Sunday, November 21 to celebrate our 10th birthday, Rev. Paul Benz’s years of service, and our shared future. Advocates across the state will be joining us online, with the option to gather in small COVID-safe watch parties. You’re welcome to join from your state – register here to receive the event link: bit.ly/FANDinner2021

Statewide Policy With the help of our Economic Justice team leaders, FAN sent many advocates across the state to virtual Tax Town Halls led by the state Tax Structure Work Group to envision a new way forward for a fair taxation system in WA State. The Department of Revenue also hosted listening sessions on the implementation of the newly-funded Working Families Tax Credit, which FAN has advocated for in many sessions. The statewide eviction moratorium ended on October 31 despite calls for a continued extension by many organizations and individuals. We will continue to work with cities to extend their moratoriums and provide eviction prevention measures and rental assistance as families recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19.

Welcoming New Staff We welcomed two new staff to the FAN team – Elizabeth Dickinson is our Partnership Coordinator who will be working with our Network of Advocating Faith Communities, and Juli Prentice is our Outreach and Organizing Intern through Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry. We look forward to the fresh energy they will bring to our outreach and organizing!

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

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: November 2021

HISTORIC FEDERAL BILLS  |  HOUSING STIMULUS FUNDING  |  GLOBAL COVID-19 VACCINATION  |  PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP  |  ISRAELI GOVERNMENT DECISION

HISTORIC FEDERAL BILLS:  The recently signed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will make strong investments in our nation’s infrastructure and climate resilience and will increase economic opportunity in our communities. Measures in the Build Back Better budget reconciliation bill also contain potential for advancing common good including in the areas of in childcare, climate impacts childhood education, employment, food security, healthcare, housing and immigration, and our advocacy continues to emphasize ELCA priorities. Climate change provisions in the Build Back Better Act may total over $500 billion, only one of the areas ELCA advocacy staff continues to monitor.

HOUSING STIMULUS FUNDING:  In recently announced frameworks and bill text of the administration’s Build Back Better Initiative, roughly $150 billion of housing funding was publicly stated to be included – though negotiations are still ongoing as of early November. This initial allocation came as hundreds of Lutheran advocates called their lawmakers in support of such funding on an active housing action alert. The ELCA joined other interfaith partners in a message urging federal leaders to consider housing an essential priority last month.
In that same period, several lawmakers joined faith advocates and speakers dedicated to lifting up housing issues in a vigil on Capitol Hill as negotiators met in Delaware to finalize a compromise Build Back Better framework. Partners such as the National Low Income Housing Coalition state that the $150 billion would make a transformative difference to address access to housing, affordability, and homelessness in our communities if passed.

GLOBAL COVID-19 VACCINATION:  ELCA advocacy staff continue to advocate for COVID-19 vaccines access. Recently staff participated in dialogue with COVAX’s Vaccine Initiative representatives, who shared about the need to increase COVID-19 vaccines and other related resources to strengthen countries’ capacity to fight the pandemic. At the end of October, the Biden administration announced that it will defer its delivery of 33 million Moderna doses to give the African Union its spot in line to purchase the vaccines. The advocacy community has been asking wealthy countries like the U.S. to relinquish part of their pre-purchase spots so that low-income countries can have access to purchase vaccines. This will increase the number of available vaccines for purchase immediately and in the near term.

PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP:  As the reconciliation negotiations continue, the immigration provisions have become a major point of contention. Originally allocating $100 billion for immigration and a pathway to legal permanent residency, this allocation is mired by debate over specifics. Members overcame this impasse, eventually announcing consensus on proposals that would grant undocumented immigrants temporary work permits and protection from deportation, in addition to recapturing family and employment-based visas. While this effort would yield significant benefits to mixed status and immigrant families, the economy, and our society at large, it falls short of the proposed pathway to status. Negotiations are still ongoing, and few procedural hurdles remain, as the ELCA joins the interfaith community in holding out hope in advocating for a flexible pathway to earn citizenship.

ISRAELI GOVERNMENT DECISION:  The ELCA and 14 other faith-based organizations signed a letter calling on the Secretary of State to publicly oppose an Israeli government decision to designate six Palestinian human rights groups as “terrorist” organizations. They also asked him to call upon his Israeli counterpart “… for the immediate reversal of this action which runs directly counter to President Biden’s stated prioritization of human rights in the conduct of US foreign policy.”
In another update, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) welcomed the Biden Administration’s opposition to Israel’s opening of construction tenders on October 24 for 1,355 new settlement units and their decision on October 27 to advance thousands of new settlement units, many of them deep in the occupied West Bank.

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 .

Amy Martinell, Sioux Falls, SD

Warm-up Questions

• Have you ever been blamed for something you didn’t do?  How did you feel?  How did you react?
• What news have you heard lately that made you feel good?

Signs of the Kingdom

On Halloween night in the UK three children stopped to trick or treat at the house of Brenda Burdon, 86.  Brenda apologized because she did not have any treats ready to give out.  The youth replied, “It’s OK, because sometimes making people happy and getting a nice big smile is reward enough.”

They then decided they wanted to spread a little more happiness.  They returned the next day with muffins and chocolates they had purchased for her, along with a ten pound note and a card which they had decorated with pumpkins and doodles that read, ““Thank you for being so kind. Hope your life gets better as you go on… “  Brenda Burdon’s grandson visited her later that day and said that “She was just lost in happiness that total strangers could leave such a wonderful impression” and that it had been the best Halloween of her life.

Discussion Questions

• What was the best Halloween of your life?
• When have you experienced being “lost in happiness”?
• When has a total stranger brought you joy?  When have you shared joy with a stranger?  What moved you to share kindness with the stranger?

Christ the King 

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14

Revelation 1:4b-8

John 18:33-37

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

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

Gospel Reflection

The kingdom of God is like…

Our reading today comes during Jesus’ last hours before his death.  Jesus has been handed over to the Pilate, the Roman governor, by Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest.  They tell Pilate Jesus is a criminal whom they want put to death, but Pilate is not sure of what Jesus may be guilty. (John 18.29-31)  So Pilate questions Jesus, asking if he is the “King of the Jews.” This is a political rather than religious charge. Pilate does not care about the religious infighting, but he does care if there is a new political ruler rising to challenge Roman rule.  In his typical fashion, Jesus does not provide a clear answer to Pilate’s question.

When asked if he is King of the Jews, Jesus replies, “My kingdom is not from this world.”  Jesus has a kingdom, but it is not here on earth.  The world has proved they are not ready for Jesus’ kingdom of serving the lowly, forgiving sins, and loving your enemies.  Because the world is not ready, Jesus is standing before Pilate facing death.  Yet, this is not the end of the story.  Jesus rose from the dead and promises to return with his kingdom.

Now it’s up to us, the followers of Christ, to wonder: What is this kingdom not of this world?  What does Jesus’ reign look like?  How do we welcome Jesus’ reign into our lives and our world?  We live in waiting, waiting for Christ to return and for Christ’s kingdom to come to earth.  But as we wait, we see glimpses of Christ’s kingdom right now.  When we follow Christ by loving and serving others, we bring God’s kingdom to others.

I have a friend who loves to share on her social media when she sees the kingdom of heaven break into our world.  She posts “the kingdom of heaven is like…” and then shares stories of places she has seen Jesus’ kingdom.  These stories include a competitive runner who helps an opponent rather than going for the win, farmers who come together to harvest their neighbors’ crops after tragedy, and a couple who spent their flight helping an anxious teenager cope with turbulence.

So, when it came time to pick a current event for this Faith Lens, I didn’t do what I usually do.  I didn’t look for a prominent news story that was on my mind.  Instead, I looked for a story that would give us a glimpse of a kingdom not of this world.  It took a bit longer to find this type of story, butI think this story of kids taking time out of their trick-or-treating to share some joy with a stranger gives us a great picture of what the kingdom of God looks like.

Discussion Questions

• Pilate questions Jesus to get closer to the truth of his arrest.  Jesus proclaims “I came into the world to testify to the truth.”  Are Jesus and Pilate talking about the same kind of truth.  What truth does Jesus point to in your life?
• What do you imagine Jesus’ kingdom is like?  Share a time when you experienced Jesus’ kingdom on earth?
• As Jesus’ followers, how do we live in a way that helps others see the kingdom of God?

Activity Suggestions

Divide into groups and search newspapers or news websites for stories that show us what the kingdom of God is like.  Come back together and share the stories you have found.  Discuss if it was  easy or hard to find “good news” stories. What kind of news stories got the most attention?  Brainstorm ways to share the stories you have found so others may hear what the kingdom of God is like.

Closing Prayer

Jesus our Savior,  we ask that you reign in our lives.  Help us to cast aside all the other things we would like to make our king and turn our hearts to You.  Send us out to share Your love and serve our brothers and sisters.  Amen.

Issue 79 of Administration Matters

Invite a friend to subscribe to Administration Matters!

Over 13 years ago a group of staff at the ELCA churchwide organization got together with an idea. They wanted to offer church leaders a tool that would provide support in facilitating the management and administration of their congregations and ministries. So, Administration Matters was born.

Administration Matters addresses common, practical issues, including finance, governance, risk management, tax and legal concerns, and other topics of interest about day-to-day operations and management in church settings.

We hope you find its articles interesting and useful and ask that you share them with colleagues, partners in ministry, neighboring churches and congregation staff, inviting them to subscribe. Subscription is free, their names won’t be added to any other mailing lists, and they may unsubscribe at any time if they decide to opt out. Just forward this issue to their email address, and they can subscribe using this link. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Administration Matters.

“Stories of Faith in Action”

We are pleased to share with you the latest issue of “Stories of Faith in Action,” filled with inspiring stories from this past year. “Stories of Faith in Action” connects us as church and illustrates how, through your generosity, God is at work across the ELCA. It highlights how a portion of your offering, called Mission Support, advances the ministry of our church, helping the ELCA nurture Christian community, raise up leaders, serve our neighbors and strive for justice. Most importantly, it’s one way to thank you for your faithful generosity to your congregation, your synod and the churchwide organization ― by showing your offering at work. The magazine’s PDFs, flipbook and resources can be found at ELCA.org/SOFIA.

How to report the clergy housing allowance

The housing allowance is an important tax advantage for clergy. However, your congregation must officially designate the amount in writing each year, before compensation is earned, that might be used for housing expenses. As you look ahead to 2022, be sure to take action to document this amount. >More

Keeping up with a changing cybersecurity landscape

Your organization works tirelessly to achieve its mission, often with limited staff and resources. It’s important to consider how a strong technology strategy and security can help you achieve your goals. It is critical to stay current in order to keep your information secure. >More

IRS requirement for churches — Form 8822-B

In a July 30, 2021, news release, the IRS issued a call for entities with an Employer Identification Number (EIN) to ensure that the IRS has the entity’s current “responsible party” on file. The IRS believes maintaining current responsible party contact information is critical to its efforts to fight identity theft and other fraud related to EINs. >More

Dell Technology Discount Program

Buy directly from Dell and enjoy great discounts, monthly and limited time specials, discounted ground shipping, and 24-hour hardware tech support. Take advantage of everyday specials on systems, laptops, software, printers, scanners and other peripherals, and receive a discount of up to 12% on selected Dell desktop and notebook systems.

Upcoming membership sales events:
• MPP Early Access — Nov. 15, 2021
• Black Friday Week — Nov. 22-27, 2021
• Cyber Monday offers start Nov. 28, 2021.

To place an order or obtain product info, visit Dell’s Membership Purchase Program website at www.dell.com/mpp/ELCA or email Jarrett_Parsons@Dell.com. Please use the ELCA Member ID GS74878907 when emailing.

Annual report covers

Annual report covers are now available online for congregations that are preparing for their annual meetings. The document includes a letter from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, a hymn and litany and a story about how change and creativity have helped shape congregations this past year. The digital covers are available as pages or as spreads and can be found at ELCA.org/SOFIA#relevantresources.