Don’t worry, Faith Lens will be back in the fall.

Faith Lens will be on a summer hiatus after the Day of Pentecost.

The next posting will be on September 7th for September 12th (Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost).

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices.

Find a map and full list of ELCA affiliated SPPOs using our state office map.

U.N. | California | Colorado | Minnesota | Pennsylvania | Washington | Wisconsin

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U.N.

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y. https://www.elca.org/lowc –Dennis Frado, Director

LOWC Program Director Christine Mangale comments on the recently concluded session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women: LOWC Program Director Christine Mangale was interviewed recently by Lutheran World Information about the 65^th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Commenting on the need to continue to hold governments accountable for their Agreed Conclusions, Mangale said, “The focus now is national level monitoring and engaging with governments by continuing to knock on their doors. As long as we keep asking questions, they know we are following up, but otherwise the work just gets swept under the rug.” The largely virtual (due to COVID-19) meeting excluded on-site participation by non-governmental society groups, including the churches. In normal years, Lutheran World Federation delegates are physically present. “Usually we meet with them, we sit down and ask them to push for particular issues,” Mangale reflects. LWF seeks to “shape global policies that impact us at national and local level,” but “How do we make sure our voice is heard in this huge virtual gathering of more than 10.000 people?” On the plus side, this year there were 70 participants attending online events while the usual size of the delegation is about 30. The CSW experience is part of a larger empowerment effort by the LWF. Mangale says “Women are the pillars of our congregations, so this is where the work comes to life through storytelling and sharing of experiences. Women can address leadership obstacles in their communities, they can engage local councilors, run for posts as village elders or members of parliament and feel part of the process for change.”

Briefing from leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Central African Republic: In late April LOWC Director, Dennis Frado, was privileged to be briefed by the President and Vice-President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Central African Republic (CAR) on recent developments in their country. In a meeting facilitated by ELCA Regional Representatives Anne and Willie Langdji, the Rev. Joseph Ngoe, President and the Rev. Rachel Doumbaye, Vice-President, spoke of the high level of insecurity in parts of the CAR, especially around Bouar, the capital of Nana-Mambéré Prefecture, where the church headquarters is located. The population of CAR continues to be plagued by attacks from various armed groups which have created a very dangerous and unstable security situation, despite efforts by the weak national army and United Nations peacekeepers to maintain order. The briefing will help LOWC better advocate for the people of CAR with various UN entities, including the Security Council.

Photo credit: Anne Langdji, ELCA Regional Representative, Cameroon.

Bolivian Church President speaks on Christian identity and indigeneity: On April 22, Bolivian Lutheran Church President, the Rev. German Loayza, participated in a virtual parallel event in conjunction with the 20th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The event, “Identity at the intersection of Indigeneity and Christianity: An indigenous dilemma,” was organized by the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations and co-sponsored by The Lutheran World Federation, The Episcopal Church, The United Methodist Church-General Board of Church and Society and the World Council of Churches. The event was moderated by Archbishop Mark Macdonald, National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop, Anglican Church of Canada and featured other participants: the Rev. Dr. Bradley Hauff from the Oglala Sioux nation (South Dakota, USA), the Rev. Dr. Hirini Kaa, Photo credit: Lynnaia Main, The Episcopal Church Kaiārahithe, a member of the Maori of Aotearoa (New Zealand), Ms. Victoria Tauli Corpuz, a member of the Kankana-ey Igorot people (The Philippines) and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and the Rev. Dr. Seforosa Carroll, a member of the indigenous Rotuman people (Fiji).

Photo credit: Lynnaia Main, The Episcopal Church

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California

Lutheran Office of Public Policy- California https://lutheranpublicpolicyca.org/  – Regina Q. Banks, Director

Lobby Day: On May 19th, Lutherans and other Californians met on Zoom to pray, learn, and hear from the Rev. Cornell William Brooks, as well as meet with our state legislators to advocate for bills that will meet needs at the intersection of food & farming and racial justice, including AB221 (Emergency Food for All) and SB464 (Food for All).

Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD): This year’s virtual EAD centered Climate Justice. After three days of worship and workshops, 19 Californians representing several organizations and faith communities met with Senator Feinstein (D-CA)’s office to advocate for climate justice-oriented infrastructure and energy legislation and funding for countries and communities most impacted by climate change.

Advocacy in Quarantine: In response to COVID-19, LOPP-CA hosts briefings on state and federal legislative priorities, including a quick advocacy activity, every Wednesday at noon. One of our recent priorities is working for undocumented and mixed status California families to receive support and aid from which they are currently excluded, despite being important members of our communities.

Budget Advocacy Guide: Linked here is a budget advocacy guide from LOPP-CA. Soon we will be giving attention to the state budget and meeting with the governor’s staff and legislative staff to express our priorities and values for the state’s budget decisions.

Green California: Green California “is a network of more than one hundred organizations with a common environmental, health, and justice agenda,” including LOPP-CA. Two bills we are currently following that would expand Californians’ access to water are SB222 (Low Income Water Rate Assistance) and SB223 (Water Shut-off Protections), with both currently in Senate Appropriations.

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Colorado

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado https://www.rmselca.org/advocacy – Peter Severson, Director

Our legislative session is three-fourths complete! Lutheran Advocacy has been participating with partners in advancing important bills on our agenda. Our latest bill sheet can be found online.

Our priorities this session have been focused on renters’ protections, environmental justice, immigration, criminal justice reform, agricultural workers’ rights, and tax bills to reduce poverty.

The Lutheran Advocacy Digital Summit was held on Thursday, May 13. More info here: https://rmselca.org/digital_summit_21_info.

Happy May Day from Lutheran Advocacy & the Rocky Mountain Synod Bishop’s Office!

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Minnesota

Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota (LAMN) http://www.lutheranadvocacymn.org/– Tammy Walhof, Director

Legislative Session: Legislative session is almost over! House and Senate passed their respective budget bills and are now negotiating differences. Some analysts are speculating that decisions could move into special session, since differences are vast in some areas. (Last year there was a special session every month through the end of the year due to emergency declaration extensions, but many legislative decisions remained unresolved for months). This year, the two-year budget, made up of the issue area budget bills, must pass before the new fiscal year starts on July 1, or the government shuts down.

Bishop Letter: Lutheran Advocacy-MN prepared a letter signed onto by all six Minnesota bishops to advance our concerns with legislators on 1) clean energy and climate, and 2) rental evictions. Letter Link

Current Action: Call your senator on the issues in the bishop letter. Share that you are Lutheran. Mention your congregation’s involvement in clean energy/climate issues and/or affordable housing. Reference the bishop letter they have received and urge your senator to talk to their leaders about the important issues in the letter (borrow talking points from the letter). Share why you care, too! Link to find your MN State senator.

Introductory Video: We have a new video that introduces Lutheran Advocacy-Minnesota. It is only three minutes long and could have a variety of uses in your church and synod: Worship Service, Adult Forum, Offering, Church Committee Meetings, WELCA Group, Synod Assembly, Conference Meetings, etc. Please share the video and help us recruit others for advocacy action! Video Link

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Pennsylvania

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry- Pennsylvania (LAMPa) https://www.lutheranadvocacypa.org/ – Tracey DePasquale, Director

In April, LAMPa staff participated in United Lutheran Seminary’s Spring Convocation on the theme “Theology of Gathering.” The convocation, beginning with worship, kicked off rogation events to be held in each synod throughout the growing season. Soil, stories pictures and prayers were gathered from each synod and campus. The prayers were woven together to be shared by all, as we pray for one another, the land, those who tend it and all who depend upon the fruits of their labor. As we pray for one another, we also act with opportunities for related advocacy to be shared throughout the season. LAMPa is grateful to our partners at ULS for the opportunity to collaborate and for developing the litany and rogation liturgy to be shared. https://youtu.be/6SI3fTDFaPg

LAMPa’s Hunger Advocacy Fellow, Larry Herrold, worked to finalize advocacy and educational material and took a leading role in planning Upper Susquehanna Synod’s rogation service. He also attended Ecumenical Advocacy Days, joining Pennsylvania colleagues in virtual visits with members of Congress. He also participated in Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light’s Earth Day Interfaith Prayer Vigil on April 22, leading a small group in prayer and assisting in the planting of the first of 100 trees which will form a riparian buffer zone in Lewisburg, Upper Susquehanna Synod.

LAMPa staff also developed hunger advocacy materials to be delivered to the 200 participants of Upper Susquehanna’s Synod Assembly. LAMPa Director Tracey DePasquale taught virtual classes in two SEPA congregations and one SWPA Synod congregation.

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Washington

Faith Action Network https://www.fanwa.org/ – Paul Benz and Elise DeGooyer, Co-Directors

In April we finished an amazing and unique legislative session! Amazing in the significant social change bills passed, such as Capital Gains (SB 5096) which will now fund the new Fare Start childcare program enacted this session, the Clean Fuels Standard bill (HB 1091) that will help our state reduce carbon emissions, and the largest cash grant increase for the TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) program ever (15%=$52.2M) in the 2021-23 biennial budget. Significantly, the focus on racial equity this session was unprecedented – from the number of people of color lobbying and testifying, to the bills being introduced and passed, and the number of legislators of color – now over 20. Please see our 2021 Legislative Successes for all of the bills we are celebrating!

This year was also unique in that the entire session was remote! Most of the 147 legislators did not go to Olympia, with 10-20 on the floor in each chamber for votes and debates. Co-Director Paul Benz, serving as FAN lobbyist, only traveled there one time. This remote session in many ways made citizen engagement much easier by being able to sign in pro or con on bills and testify from your own home, even if it was for only 60 seconds! Senate Democratic leadership stated that 67,728 people participated in the legislative process – up from 14,000 last session. What held true, as stated before the session began, was that there would be fewer bills because of the remote session. As a result, 335 bills passed this session – the lowest number since 1983.

We are grateful for all the advocates who helped bend the arc of the universe in Washington state more towards justice.

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Wisconsin

Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW) https://www.loppw.org/ – Cindy Crane, Director

Wednesday Noon Live and Human Trafficking: We interviewed Attorney Jan Miyasaki, Executive Director of Respect Madison. “We need to make sure that the anti-human trafficking movement intersects with the social and economic justice movement and the mass incarceration movement,” said Miyasaki.

The State Budget: These are our LOPPW State Budget Priorities 2021-23, which we encouraged people to advocate on. We also testified at the virtual Joint Finance Committee (JFC) public hearing and continued our involvement with the Better Choices Coalition. The JFC decided on a long list of close to 400 items to remove, including many of our priorities. Some of the items removed from the budget could return as separate bills. We are confident that a version of Raise the Age (juvenile justice) will return, per our conversations with two legislative offices and others from our Raise the Age coalition that Kyle manages. Our climate coalition agreed to revisit our advocacy after the final budget is approved and we speak to legislators about which deleted items from the budget could return as separate bills.

Advocating on a County Level: Clergy contacted LOPPW concerned about Trempealeau County considering a resolution to become a 2^nd Amendment Sanctuary. Gun Control is not one of our priorities but we offered suggestions on how to organize and advocate on a county level: Advocating to Cty. Supervisors (Trempealeau Cty). We had also created another resource for advocating on a county level several months ago.

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

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: May 2021

COVID-19 VACCINE ACCESS  |  REPARATIONS  |  UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN AT THE BORDER  |  JUST TRANSITION PRINCIPLES  |  AFFORDABLE HOUSING

 

COVID-19 VACCINE ACCESS:  Although a World Trade Organization (WTO) waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, known as the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) agreement, is not finalized, the support for temporary ease of rules announced May 5 by the Biden Administration has potential for India and other nations to increase their access to potentially lifesaving means to stem the spread and severity of this global pandemic.

ELCA Witness in Society staff have been advocating with others to get members of the House of Representatives to also support the waiver allowing increased global access. The ELCA has also signed onto letters urging the U.S. to take this step. More members of Congress in both chambers have publicly expressed their support.

 

REPARATIONS:  H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act, is poised for a vote in the House of Representatives – the first time the bill has received a vote since its introduction in 1989. If passed, a 13-person commission would be formed to study the lasting effects of slavery.

That commission would submit its findings, recommendations and suggested remedies to Congress. In 2019, the ELCA Church Council called for action to further “engage in anti-racism and racial justice work, work toward economic justice—including the study of reparations.” The Declaration to People of African Descent adopted by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly that same year offered a public apology to people of African descent which acknowledges that racism and white supremacy are deeply rooted in our history and that the church is complicit. An Action Alert expressing support for H.R. 40 is available in the Action Center, and ELCA staff are continuing to meet with lawmakers in Congress as the bill heads to its first vote.

 

UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN AT THE BORDER:  Though there are fewer unaccompanied children in Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) custody due to more efficient processing, there are still thousands of children in government care waiting to be reunited with family or placed with a foster parent.

Witness in Society staff continue to advocate for highest standards of care for unaccompanied children and families, while advocating against the use of policies such as Title 42 public health order used to expel most migrants. Additional updates are available from ELCA AMMPARO through their @ELCAammparo social media presence and blog.

 

JUST TRANSITION PRINCIPLES:  In work with policy makers, ELCA federal advocacy emphasizes that declining net emissions, while essential to respond to the threat of climate change, are not the only measures that must be considered. Clean energy transition policies should fairly distribute gains and losses.

Some of these themes are explored in the resource “Just Transition to a Sustainable Future” and “Carbon Pricing Basics,” found from ELCA.org/resources/advocacy.

 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING:  Accessing a safe home is less affordable than ever. The Biden Administration submitted its proposed annual budget to Congress on April 9. Record high numbers of Americans are facing the risk of eviction due to the pandemic, and housing costs are climbing.

As lawmakers negotiate and make determinations for government funding distribution, utilize the ELCA Action Alert facilitating comments to lawmakers in support of funding affordable housing and homeless programs this year.

 

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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 .

 

 

We know that hunger is not just a matter of food but a matter of policy. Public policies impact where our food comes from, the kinds of food we eat, how we acquire food – and what our options are when we don’t have enough. In this new kind of post for the ELCA World Hunger blog, John Johnson, director of domestic policy for the ELCA, joins Ryan Cumming, program director for hunger education with ELCA World Hunger, for a conversation about hunger and policy, including important public policies that could impact people experiencing hunger and poverty in the United States. Links to both the audio and the video are below.

https://youtu.be/ZufOAqbl9NM

Interested in more conversations like this about hunger and policy? Are there specific public policy issues you’d like to hear about? Let us know! Email Ryan.Cumming@elca.org to share your feedback and ideas.

Subscribe to the ELCA World Hunger blog, and sign up to join the ELCA’s network of advocates.

(If you are one of our regular subscribers to the ELCA World Hunger blog and reading this via email, the audio and video files may not show up. Just click on the title of the post to head over to the main blog webpage to listen in.)

Chris Heavner, Clemson, SC

Warm-up Question

• If a room is already full, how can more people get in?
• What do make of the saying, “Good endings make possible great beginnings”?

Old and New

My high school adopted a mascot many of us attending that school found to be insensitive, if not downright offensive.  In 1962, when the school was established, we had not yet learned to listen to the voices of those whose experiences did not match those of the loud and boisterous.  It was difficult to speak of what we wanted to be and become, when we were continually reminded of the comfort the status quo brought most of our classmates.  

While we all like the idea of something new and different, it is never easy to let go of what we know so well.  “If it ain’t broke; don’t fix it!” expresses our reluctance to make way for what is yet to come.

It doesn’t take long for us to fall into a comfortable routine.  The 12th graders at our annual Synod Youth Retreat are celebrated in rituals which they strengthen by their participation as 10th and 11th graders.  How dare we make changes when it is THEIR year to be in a unique small group of their own!

But nothing new can come when we hold the old too firmly.

It is easy  to recognize the things which others (you can read “old people”) need to release.  It is not so easy to see what we have so firmly grasped that we do not have an open hand to receive what is about to pass us by.

Discussion Questions

• Name one thing would you like to see come to an end?  This can be a practice, a behavior, an attitude, or even an expectation.
• Put yourself in the place of those holding on to this “thing” which you think needs to come to an end.  Do not move on till you have come to understand why “they” would not want to see an end.
• With great pride, name those things in your life which have become so special to you that you know you would fight to keep them firmly in place!  Now, ask which of those others might not find as exciting.

Day of Pentecost 

Acts 2:1-21

Romans 8:22-27

John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15

(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

This reading is part of Jesus’ farewell message to his disciples.  He is telling them both good-bye and what he expects of them.  We read this passage on Pentecost Sunday because it is such a clear message from Jesus about the role and purpose of the Holy Spirit. (Here called “the Advocate,” but also referred to as the “Spirit of Truth, “Holy Spirit,’ or “Holy Ghost.”)

On Pentecost Sunday, there is a great commotion in Jerusalem as the presence of this Spirit becomes obvious in the lives of the disciples.  They begin to speak in strange tongues and they overwhelm folks with their announcement of God’s salvation.

Jesus says that this day can’t come until the Advocate comes.  And the Advocate can’t come until Jesus is gone.  Jesus knew the disciples were not going to lean on the Advocate so long as they had Jesus to lean on.  So long as Jesus was with them, they did not need the Spirit to drive them out into the crowd to tell the Good News.  Jesus was better at it than they, right?  But when Jesus isn’t there, the Advocate is able to nudge them into action.  And they become the witnesses to the truth of what Jesus taught and shared.

On Pentecost Sunday, we are each reminded of how powerfully the Advocate moves among us.  We become those who turn loose of whatever it is that we were holding so tightly that we are unable to embrace the new thing God is doing in our midst.

It is a difficult thing to let loose of that which we come to prefer and to trust.  But letting loose is essential to becoming the people God knows we have the capacity to be.

Discussion Questions

• Talk about the great things the disciples were able to do.  (They give rise to the Church, which has members in every timezone around the earth!)
• Remember stories of how the disciples were moved by the Spirit to do God’s work in the world.  
• Speak to one another about the modern-day disciples who have helped you see the workings of the Advocate.
• Return to the question above–what you have come to hold so firmly that you might not be able to receive the new thing(s) God wants to see happen in your life.

Activity Suggestions

Seek out one of the older members of your congregation.  Ask them to tell you about a practice or way of doing things which is no longer a part of the congregation’s life.  Allow them to remember the happiness this event brought them; then ask if something was able to take its place.

Start by realizing that the Advocate is active in your life.  Now – sit in stillness long enough to discover the thing you are being nudged to do.  Maybe it is being kind to the classmate others ignore.  Maybe it is speaking out against racism.  The Spirit may be looking to you to be the one who shouts a reminder of how much God loves all the little children of the world.

Closing Prayer

O Lord, allow the Wind of Pentecost to blow though my life and into my world.  Make it possible for me to follow where you lead and to do the things which you desire.  Help me to avoid the comfortable niche; make me ever ready to take on the challenge of speaking your name and your promise.  Amen.

 

Issue 76 of Administration Matters

Organizing insurance policies and records

Insurance records take up space and are rarely used. Why, then, is it so important to keep your insurance records on hand? The truth is that sometimes, to protect your organization, you’ll need to produce insurance records — even from years past – with very little notice. >More

Tornado safety

Tornadoes are violent; they can destroy well-made structures, uproot trees and hurl objects through the air like deadly missiles. Although severe tornadoes are most common in the Plains States, they can happen anywhere. Learn how to stay safe during a tornado.>More

A mental health reminder from Portico

Living through a pandemic has stretched us past our normal limits. During Mental Health Awareness Month this May, Portico Benefit Services is offering the two-minute video “Get Yourself Some People,” in which ELCA pastor Melissa Pohlman talks candidly about the support system she relies on to keep her centered and resilient. Portico is offering other mental health resources this month on its Facebook page and encourages you to follow the page and share these tools with your ministry team.

Tips for virtual audits

We received a question regarding tips for remote audits. We recognize this article is from the United Kingdom, but thought it was the most helpful.
During the pandemic, office workers have been required to work from home when possible, and this has had an impact on audit work, which has been carried out remotely. For organizations planning to reopen their premises to their workforces in the near future, accommodating an audit team could be a challenge, meaning that, for many, remote arrangements are likely to continue. >More

Stay safe using social media

You can promote your organization in a number of ways, but one method you shouldn’t ignore is using social media. This is an excellent and cost-effective way to reach a wide audience. However, there are several do’s and don’ts you must keep in mind. >More

Hurricane season starts May 15

Plan for hurricane season and be ready to take action. Today you can determine your hurricane risk and review and update your insurance policies, make a list of emergency supplies and prepare your facilities. >More

What Is “Building Resilient Communities”?

ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response are ministries deeply rooted in the identity of the ELCA, and the mission to which God calls this Church. Together, for decades, these ministries have accompanied communities where God is at work through congregations, synods, social ministry organizations, companions and other partners building a just world where all are fed and bringing  hope, healing and renewal to people whose lives have been disrupted by disasters.

This collaboration arises from what we know about both disasters and hunger. Disasters can exacerbate some of the same vulnerabilities and challenges that ELCA World Hunger seeks to address. By accompanying communities through recovery from a disaster, Lutheran Disaster Response helps reduce these vulnerabilities for the long-term health and stability of communities. And some of the surest steps in reducing vulnerability to the effects of disaster are the very things ELCA World Hunger accompanies our neighbors toward – sustainable food systems, sufficient housing, stable income and accessible health care. Whether we look at best practices for meeting human needs or the faith that calls us to walk with our neighbors toward the bright future God promises, the work of ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response are closely connected.

So, we are happy to share with you that these two ministries are now joined together on a single team within the Service and Justice home area of the ELCA churchwide organization: the Building Resilient Communities Team!

“Building Resilient Communities” expresses the deepest commitments of both ministries, which will remain distinct and yet related in this new configuration. Both Lutheran Disaster Response and ELCA World Hunger support work that meets the immediate needs of our neighbors while also working and walking with congregations, partners and companions toward long-term, transformative change. We know that the work to which God calls our church is the work of ensuring that we and our neighbors can thrive today and tomorrow.

For ELCA World Hunger, this has meant supporting the work of job creation, health care, stable housing, access to clean, safe water and more, as well as the critical work of food pantries and emergency feeding programs. Lutheran Disaster Response helps meet the immediate and long-term needs of communities and supports proactive measures to ensure that the next time a disaster strikes, our neighbors will be better equipped to respond and less vulnerable to the worst effects. That resilience – founded on addressing the roots of injustice that create vulnerability – is key to the work supported by both ministries, and now it is central to who we are as a team together.

The Building Resilient Communities Team (BRC) includes staff responsible for both the domestic and international work of ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response. As one team, BRC brings together both Lutheran Disaster Response and ELCA World Hunger, as well as the domestic and international components of both ministries’ work. And, of course, we continue to work closely with colleagues throughout the churchwide organization, synods, companion churches, congregations and partners.

As we introduce this new structure within the churchwide organization of the ELCA, we are excited to introduce, too, the members of BRC!

Interested in joining the Building Resilient Communities team? The ELCA is hiring! Follow the links to learn more about openings for a domestic grants manager and for a social ministry organization engagement manager.

Rebecca Duerst – Senior Director, BRC

Greetings! My name is Rebecca Duerst, and I am honored to serve as senior director, Building Resilient Communities (BRC) in the Service and Justice Home Area of the churchwide organization of the ELCA. In this role I lead the BRC team, a group of incredible colleagues you will meet here, who together serve as leaders for the programming of ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response both domestically and around the world. I’ve been working with the ELCA for about 10 years, most recently as director for Diakonia and, earlier, as program director for global health in the Global Mission unit, and prior to that, in Global Service with one of the Lutheran churches in Namibia. I’m originally from Wisconsin and grew up in a family of six sisters. I have a strong love of learning and am grateful to have had access to a variety of educational opportunities, including majoring in Art, Biology, and Chemistry at St. Olaf College (Um Yah Yah!), and earning a M.A. in Education, a M.P.H. in Global Health, and a Ph.D. in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. I’m excited to be taking on this new role leading the BRC team that brings together the domestic and international work of ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response in an integrated way, particularly to explore how we, together with ELCA congregations, synods, social ministry organizations, global companion churches, and Lutheran and ecumenical partners, can more holistically seek to address root causes of oppression and injustice and work toward transformation and liberation.

Katy Ajer – Program Director, World Hunger-International

Hello! My name is Katy Ajer, and I am the Program Director, World Hunger International. I work on stewarding ELCA World Hunger funds to companion churches and organizations outside of the ELCA in their efforts to improve sustainable development, education, health, and peace, justice, and reconciliation around the world. I also work alongside other churchwide organization staff to facilitate learning events for and by other companions. I am honored to be able to work alongside these passionate and skilled local leaders and to help share their contexts and realities with ELCA members.

I am the daughter of an ELCA pastor and deacon, who carries a strong faith but decided earlier on that I was not a person to work in the church J. Before coming to the ELCA I worked in social services as a case manager in homeless shelters, a health coordinator at an Early Head Start, board member for a free clinic, and a researcher at a hospital, eventually earning a Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health. Public Health called to me because of its combination of the biological mechanisms that our physical and mental health reflect and the complex social realities (and inequities) that play such a strong role in the biological response. It allows us to see things at a macro level of the policies or structural inequalities that cause different health outcomes between different groups and at the micro level of an individual. This year, I’m looking forward to learning more about the domestic work of ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response.

Juliana Glassco – Director, ELCA World Hunger-Domestic

I’m Juliana Glassco, and I am the Director for ELCA World Hunger – Domestic. In this role, I lead the team supporting ELCA World Hunger’s domestic partnerships – a network of individuals, synods, congregations and their partners learning and taking action together toward a just world where all are fed. My passion for building vibrant, healthy communities began with a year of service in Lutheran Volunteer Corps. Since then, I have worked with communities both domestically and internationally to strengthen community identity and engagement through the built and natural environment, interfaith collaboration, and shared ministry toward ending hunger. I started working with ELCA World Hunger in 2018, managing domestic grants. As part of the new Building Resilient Communities team, I’m over the moon about the opportunity to explore relationships and strategies for impact with our international and Lutheran Disaster Response colleagues and partners.

John Pyron – Program Director, Lutheran Disaster Response-US

Hello! My name is John Pyron, and I serve as the Program Director for Lutheran Disaster Response-US (LDR-US). LDR-US is a national, interconnected network of Lutheran synods, social service organizations, congregations, and external partners that is responsive to the needs of people and communities impacted by disasters and is proactive in addressing community and household disaster risk and vulnerability. LDR-US recognizes that all disasters are local and builds capacity by accompanying local partners in disaster relief, recovery and resilience efforts. LDR-US engages by convening partners for mutual learning, mentorship and support; educates through online, in-person and experiential learning opportunities; equips with relief, recovery and resilience grants; and empowers by utilizing a model of active accompaniment, providing opportunities for people to live out their faith in meaningful ways.

I began my journey in disaster work as a volunteer chainsaw and debris removal team leader in Mobile, Alabama after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Since then, I have served in various roles including construction and volunteer coordination, disaster case management, and long-term recovery group coordination, supporting numerous relief and recovery efforts across the country. Prior to joining the ELCA staff in June 2020, I served with two Lutheran Social Service agencies: Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri and Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio. I am an avid guitar player, runner, cyclist and a lover of all things outdoor. My partner, Katie, and I live in Louisville, Kentucky, with our two sons, Henry and William.

Marie Ann Sliwinski – Program Director, Lutheran Disaster Response-International

My name is Marie Anne Sliwinski, and I am the Program Director for Lutheran Disaster Response-International at the ELCA. I have been working in the non-profit sector for close to 20 years, 14 of which are dedicated in international humanitarian and development programs. I currently oversee the Lutheran Disaster Response International portfolio, which supports immediate relief and recovery needs of families affected by disasters. I hold a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Chicago. I currently reside in the Chicago suburbs with my husband and two children. This year, I look forward to getting to know the new team and to learn how we can further integrate the work of LDR US and International because as all disasters may be local, the impact is global.

Joseph Chu – Program Manager, Lutheran Disaster Response

I am Joseph Chu, Program Manager of Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR). It is a privilege to serve both LDR International and LDR US under the leadership of Marie Anne and John. In some ways, this new position will help me integrate learnings from my work in both Global Mission and Domestic Mission, two former units within the churchwide organization. Between 2004 and the end of 2009, I was a member of the Asia Pacific Team in Global Mission. And from September 2012 to January 31, 2021, I served on the Lutheran Disaster Response – U.S. team in Domestic Mission.

Meeting with and listening to disaster survivors, participants of community development projects, professional colleagues and volunteers who have given their all for the sake of building a new home, a new community and a more just and equitable community around the world are among the most gratifying experiences I have ever had. In my new role, I will be following up with projects after their respective grant cycle has started. My responsibilities will include monitoring the project, particularly reviewing project reports in collaboration with other team members and my supervisors. I know there are many experts in these areas among our churchwide colleagues, and I look forward to learning from them. In addition to this work, I am an ordained clergy who have served congregations in California and Illinois. I have also worked in the field of non-profit fund development, social work and teaching. My wife and I have a daughter and a son in their early 20s.

Ryan P. Cumming – Program Director, Hunger Education

Greetings! I am the program director for hunger education with ELCA World Hunger. In this role, I direct the development of ELCA World Hunger’s educational resources, research trends in hunger and poverty, and help with communications with partners and congregations. In addition to this work with the ELCA, I have served as a consultant and presenter on pedagogy, active learning, and instructional design, and I continue to teach undergraduate courses at both Loyola University Chicago and Central Michigan University. I graduated from Capital University in Ohio before heading over to the Jesuit side of higher ed, earning my MA and Ph.D. in Theology, with a focus on Christian Ethics. When wearing my academic hat, I have presented research on ethics, religion, and neuropsychology at conferences in the United States and abroad and have been fortunate enough to even get published a few times. I am the author of The African American Challenge to Just War Theory (Palgrave, 2013), and contributor to and an editor of the three-volume Forgotten Luther series available from Fortress Press. Before working with ELCA World Hunger, I was interim editor of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics and a member of the ELCA’s task force on criminal justice. Before that, I was a bartender, fishmonger, truck driver, bricklayer and factory worker. Before that… Well, needless to say, I am looking forward to what comes next on the horizon with this great group of colleagues on the Building Resilient Communities team.

Brooke De Jong – Program Assistant, Hunger Education

I am Brooke De Jong, and I serve ELCA World Hunger as the Program Assistant for Hunger Education. I have a passion for faith formation that is culturally sensitive, socially responsive and aimed at creating lifelong, engaged faith leaders. I work with the ELCA World Hunger team to create resources that foster faith that is active in love and seeks justice. I am looking forward to deeper collaboration with my colleagues to see what new and innovative resources we can create for the network.

Previous to my work with ELCA World Hunger, I worked on the observance of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation for the ELCA, served as a youth director and served as a HUD grants administrator. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and German with a minor in Ancient Languages from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D. I am currently working on my Master of Divinity and in the process of becoming a deacon in the ELCA. When I am not in the office, I can often be found powerlifting, hiking, backpacking or biking. My last hiking trip was to the Superstition Wilderness in Arizona. My last backpacking trip was an 80-mile loop in the Sawtooth Mountains (see photo).

Angela Galbraith – Grants and Reporting Coordinator

My name is Angela Galbraith, and I am the Grants and Reporting Coordinator for Building Resilient Communities. I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but I’m excited to call Chicago home soon. I have a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with minors in Music, German, and Justice, Law & Public Policy from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. I have over five years of experience in nonprofit leadership focused on food insecurity and chronic malnutrition. Most recently, I served in the Peace Corps as an HIV/AIDS and Adolescent Health Educator in Lesotho. As Coordinator, I will continue supporting our partners in ministry through the granting process and assist the team in data management and comprehensive impact reporting. I am looking forward to growing both personally and professionally as I learn more about Lutheran Disaster Response and World Hunger-International.

Christine Moolo – Manager, ELCA World Hunger

Hi! My name is Christine Moolo, and I serve as the Manager for ELCA World Hunger. In this role, I have the opportunity to engage with the grant processes for both our domestic and international work, support companions and partners in their engagement with our ELCA Grantmaker system, and communicate stories and learnings of ELCA World Hunger-supported ministries to the broader ELCA community. My background is in International Development, and I have served in Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, the United States and other locations to promote the work of global and domestic partners in sustainable development and disaster response initiatives. I have been active in racial equity trainings and am an Intercultural Development Inventory Qualified Assessor. I am passionate about partners in sustainable development having the resources they need to adequately take on the systemic and social barriers that prevent their communities from thriving. I live in the Chicagoland area, and I am honored to work alongside my talented, extremely hard-working and passionate Service and Justice colleagues.

Petra Rickertsen – Networks Manager, Building Resilient Communities

I serve as Networks Manager with the Building Resilient Communities team, supporting both the Hunger Leader and Lutheran Disaster Response networks. My passion for working toward a just world where all are fed began as a camp counselor and grew as a Hunger Leader on the Southwest California Synod Hunger team. I am elated everyday in this role to learn how leaders across both networks creatively build relationships with our global neighbors in addressing hunger and its root causes and disasters and preparedness and support them in achieving their courageous solutions. Though hesitant to trade the roar of the ocean, desert four-wheeling and rock-climbing adventures for snow, I am enjoying the new adventures that Midwest seasons offer.

Roselle Tenorio – Domestic Grants Manager

Hi everyone, my name is Roselle Tenorio, and I am joining ELCA World Hunger as the Domestic Grants Manager. Previously, I was the Grants and Programs Manager at Texas Women’s Foundation. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies from Grinnell College. I have a long and varied relationship with food justice and its intersections, starting at a young age volunteering with my family and community in Dallas, Texas, to researching food pantry systems while in college. I chose the nonprofit career field after a rewarding experience writing a grant for a new mobile food pantry program in rural Iowa. After graduating college, I joined AmeriCorps VISTA and served in Savannah, Georgia, at a nonprofit working on poverty alleviation. Currently, I serve on the board of Abide Women’s Health Services, a grassroots, Black-led nonprofit organization that improves birth outcomes in communities with the lowest quality of care. I also volunteer on the Board of the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas, Junior Players Young Professionals Committee as a Junior League Dallas Member and as a Community Centric Fundraising (CCF) Texas Organizer. Outside of working and volunteering, in my free time, I can be found wandering the arboretum or an art gallery, hiking and enjoying the outdoors, scoping out delicious local vegan cuisine, or curling up with a new book. I am a seventh generation Tejana, currently living in Dallas with my partner, Devin, who is from Chicago, and our cat, Xochitl. I am honored to be a part of this community and look forward to creating a just world where all are fed.

 

 

 

Brian Hiortdahl, Woodland Hills, CA

Warm-up Question

How do you stay in healthy relationship with someone with whom you strongly disagree?

E Pluribus Unum?

As the United States transitioned from one presidential administration to another, many families struggled with strained or broken relationships overheated by strong political disagreement. An article by Belinda Luscomb in TIME reports that, “a postelection Pew Research Center survey found that fewer than 2% of voters felt those who voted for the other party understood them very well, and only 13% of Joe Biden’s voters and 5% of Donald Trump’s voters expressed any desire for future unity. Luscomb’s article chronicles several studies and personal stories to illustrate a larger social trend.

“An October study from the University of Missouri found that since 2016, family interactions have been more likely to drive highly partisan relatives apart than bring them together.”  Family members are blocking each other on social media over political opinions.  Holiday meals have become difficult.  Parents and children view each other with mutual incomprehension.  One explanation, suggests Luscomb, is that “in the Trump era, many Americans don’t see voting as a decision about a set of policies, they see it as a moral imperative, an act that will make or break the country.”

Discussion Questions

• Which family in Luscomb’s article resonates most with your own experience?
• What unites the United States?  Is the slogan “E pluribus unum” (“out of many, one”) idealism or reality?
• Is there division in your faith community?  What is it about?  Is it strong enough to keep tear your faith family apart?
• In the months since the article was published, do you see people moving closer together, drifting farther apart, or about the same?

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

1 John 5:9-13

John 17:6-19

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

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

Gospel Reflection

Every year, on the seventh Sunday of Easter, we “overhear” Jesus praying to his Father on the night before he died. After a very long section of final words to his overwhelmed disciples (see John 16:12, which is how I always felt in calculus), Jesus speaks a lengthy, powerful prayer for them (chapter 17). Today’s gospel is from the middle of that prayer, in which Jesus repeats his request “that they may be one, as we are one” (vs. 11, 22).

As Martin Luther would ask, “What does this mean?”   Does it mean being of one mind, with one singular focus?  Does it mean being united together with each other in loyalty that is stronger than disagreement?  Could it perhaps mean both and more? 

The disciples did not agree politically:  zealots like Simon would never associate with tax collectors like Matthew.  Yet both were disciples of Jesus … who also once spoke about how he had come to divide families! (See Matthew 10:34-39.)  It’s complicated; maybe calculus is easier.

The one family connection that always remains strong, John’s gospel reminds us, is the union between God (Father) and Jesus (his only Son).  It is that truth-filled, joyful relationship of unbreakable love which Jesus wants to share with his disciples.  Jesus knows that the world is full of conflict, cruelty, division, distraction, deception, and danger; he will feel all of it the next day on the cross.  This troubled world is the same one God loves so much that God sent Jesus in the first place (John 3:16-17).  Now Jesus has also sent his disciples into the world (17:18), and he won’t be there with them in the same way he has been.  “Holy Father, protect them”…he prays…”so that they may be one, as we are one.”  

This mind-bending prayer reveals to us something even more impossible to comprehend:  God’s wildly generous love.  God shares Jesus with an unappreciative world, and Jesus shares everything—including giving his intimate relationship with the Father to his disciples, just before giving his very life to the world.

Discussion Questions

• If you knew you would die tomorrow, for whom and what would you pray today?
• Is the Church of Jesus united or divided…or both?  Explain your answer.
• Why is truth important for real unity?
• What part can you play in helping Jesus’ prayer come true?

Activity Suggestions

• Write a loving letter to a family member from whom you feel disconnected.
• As a group, pray together for your faith community and for the world.  Do you think prayer helps unify Christians?  How and why?

Closing Prayer

Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic church. Fill it with all truth and peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in need, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen. (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p.73)

 

 

Educación Popular en Salud, or Popular Education in Health, (EPES) was founded by Karen Anderson, ELCA mission personnel, as a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile in the early 1980s. In 2002, EPES became an independent foundation, continuing and expanding its support of communities in the Latin American country of Chile. This important work is supported in part by gifts to ELCA World Hunger. We are grateful to our partners at EPES for the update and video below, showcasing some of the amazing work that is happening in the El Bosque community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Check it out!

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EPES Foundation initiated a project with community health promoters and nutrition teams to cultivate home gardens. In five months, the women transformed the patios and balconies of their homes into small vegetable gardens. The enthusiasm for what was learned and harvested during the months of strict quarantine was so great that the women decided to create a community garden at the end of that year. The Auco community center in the Oscar Bonilla neighborhood of El Bosque, where the David Werner health team has met for more than 25 years, was chosen as the place for the community garden.

Since the beginning the project has had the technical advice and collaboration of Valeria Rodriguez from the Santa Isabel community garden.

In this video, the women share their experiences related to creating the garden, highlighting the satisfaction of growing their own food, connecting with nature, promoting community participation in health and food sovereignty, and contributing to the environment by reducing organic waste. In addition, they report how this collective learning process has helped them to better face the pandemic, strengthening ties between women, sowing hope and cultivating solidarity.

Video Production and Editing: Claudia Macchiavello

Original Music: Martín Formento

By Kristen Opalinski

 

A Look Back at the 2021 National Workshop on Christian Unity

 

Abide in my love … you shall bear much fruit.

 

It was the theme of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and in turn, became an echo for this year’s National Workshop on Christian Unity (NWCU). After last year’s workshop in Houston was canceled due to the global pandemic, focus turned to 2021, and with it questions of how best to move the work of the NWCU forward. These questions of “what now?” and “what next?” have become all too familiar. Conferences have shifted to digital spaces, and with these shifts, questions about our ability to authentically engage, to create opportunities to inspire, challenge, and grow together.

 

Abide in my love … you shall bear much fruit.

 

Perhaps, there is no better reminder of our life together in Christ in the midst of such a challenging time than this message from John 15. These are words of mutual comfort and mutual resilience, but they are also words that seek to move us into active participation. We abide in Christ to bear the fruits of justice, love, and reconciliation – to not simply lend a hand in the vineyard, but to cultivate, through Christ, the fruit that brings transformation and renewal. This year’s National Workshop (April 12 -15) sought to look at the myriad of ways in which we are being called as Christians into this season of cultivation, to roll up our sleeves, ask the difficult questions, and then dig into the soil around us. Themes of Christian hospitality, human fraternity, racial justice, immigration, and care for creation were the seeds for our week of listening, learning, and engagement.

 

Abide in my love … you shall bear much fruit.

 

Leaders and musicians from various churches joined together for a stirring opening worship. The Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, delivered a sermon that framed the important work of introspective evangelization noting that, “it may well be that our great evangelistic task will be the re-evangelization of Christianity itself.”

Participants were welcomed into morning meditations on various aspects of Christian hospitality led by Fr. William Skudlarek, OSB, Associate Professor of Theology at St. John’s School of Theology and Seminary in Collegeville, Minn. His sessions for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are available for further reflection and usage.

The theme of Christian hospitality continued with sessions centered on our call to respond to the needs of immigrant communities and those seeking asylum. Wednesday’s Bishops at the Border conversation brought together four bishops serving geographic areas along the southern border of the United States, including Bishop Sue Briner of the Southwestern Texas Synod of the ELCA. On Thursday, a session titled Human Migration, Asylum, and the Church, assembled practitioners from three churches, including Christopher Vergara from the ELCA, to discuss grassroots responses to the challenges faced by immigrants and those seeking safety and a new beginning in the United States.

Other themes highlighted throughout the week included a keynote on human fraternity, and sessions on care for creation, countering racism, and exploring new ways for religious exchange in digital spaces.

The entire playlist of sessions from the 2021 NWCU can be viewed through the Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers (EDIEO) YouTube channel.

 

Abide in my love … you shall bear much fruit.

 

This year has forced us all to see life and relationships in new ways, to see opportunities in unlikely places, and to find ways to continue to gather despite out physical separation. As the NWCU looks toward the future, we hope to carry the lessons of this year forward as we continue to broaden engagement in the workshop. The Rev. Tura Foster Gillespie, chair of the 2021 National Planning Committee for the NWCU reflected on this year’s workshop and the doors that it opened with the following, “We were blessed that the online platform afforded us new opportunities. Attendants and speakers were no longer geographically limited.  This made some normally unattainable speakers a reality and I am overwhelmed with how gracious and inspiring they were.  It was amazing to see God work in wonderful ways to make some positive things come out of such a hard year.”

While we hope to gather in-person for the 2022 NWCU in Garden Grove, Calif., there are plans currently being developed for a hybrid model that will continue to allow for further expanding participation.

 

In addition to all of the content from this year’s NWCU,  be sure to check out Rev. Paul Benz’s post reflecting on this year’s Ecumenical Advocacy Days, which also gathered digitally in April, under the theme Imagine God’s Earth and People Restored.