As you observe All Saints Sunday on November 7, 2021 or at another time near November 1 (All Saints Day), you may desire a rite that acknowledges those who have died from COVID-19 during this past year or since the beginning of this pandemic.

Of course, we lament many other deaths and losses due to systemic injustice, racism, climate change, poverty, and more. Even as we put our hope and trust in God, including times of lament in our worship allows us to join the pleading of all creation. “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves…” (Romans 8:22-23)

The following litany of lament may be part of the gathering rite or part of the intercessory prayer. Other resources for lament can be found in All Creation Sings (pp. 61-66). Hymns and songs with a lament theme can be found in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (#697-704) and All Creation Sings (1049-1055). See especially “God weeps with us who weep and mourn” (ACS 1054) for its resonance with the gospel reading for All Saints. Musical resources for choir and assembly can be found in Music Sourcebook: All Saints through Transfiguration, with most of the contents available to subscribers on Prelude Music Planner. Additional intercession resources crafted in response to the pandemic are available from the Lutheran World Federation. Additional lament resources can be found in Pray, Praise, and Give Thanks: A collection of Litanies, Laments, and Thanksgivings at Font and Table by Gail Ramshaw.

 

Litany of Lament for All Saints in a Time of Pandemic

The shroud of death covers us. 700,000 and more have died in our nation from the COVID-19 pandemic. Four and a half million and more have died worldwide.
Have mercy, O God.

Sickness fills our homes and hospitals. Health care workers are weary and exhausted as suffering and death has come so near to them.
Have mercy, O God.

Families and friends grieve. With Mary we cry out, “Lord, if you had been here.” Over 100,000 children in the United States cry out for parents, grandparents, or caregivers who have died from this pandemic.
Have mercy, O God.

Ways of life are forever changed. The shadow of this disease spreads over the living. Relationships are strained or broken. Depression, anxiety, fear, and grief have become constant companions.
Have mercy, O God.

Families and neighbors, leaders and officials, mistrust one other. Anger rages. Systems break down. Doors are closed to understanding and mutual care.
Have mercy, O God.

Receive O God, the laments of our own hearts…

A generous time of silence is kept.

Lift up your heads and hear these words of promise:
The Creator of all brings life from the ashes.
The Redeemer of the world wipes away our tears.
The Spirit of life fills us with strength for the days to come.

Even as we grieve, we do not grieve as those without hope. We trust that all your saints dwell with you forever. And so we are bold to acclaim:

Thanks be to God.
Thanks be to God.

 

Petition for the prayers of intercession

God our hope, we remember all who have died and now rest in you. We remember especially all who have lost their loves to COVID-19 (especially. A time of silence or ringing of bells could be observed). Comfort all who mourn and give us your strength until that day when crying and pain are no more. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.

 

Practical guidance specific to COVID-19 safety, “2021 Guidance for All Saints and Related Observances,” is available from the Ecumenical Protocols for Worship, Fellowship, and Sacramental Practices consultation.

 

 

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

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: October 2021

PRIORITY CONSIDERATIONS IN FEDERAL DELIBERATION  |  PIVOTAL COP26  |  COVID-19 VACCINES  |  AFGHAN ARRIVALS AND REFUGEES  |  BORDER AND ASYLUM UPDATE

 

PRIORITY CONSIDERATIONS IN FEDERAL DELIBERATION:  The ELCA continues high-level advocacy with members of Congress, leadership and staff on making the child tax credit permanent along with other priorities as negotiations continue around both the bipartisan infrastructure legislation passed in the Senate and initiation of a multi-trillion budget reconciliation process in both chambers. Advocacy program directors have also worked with interfaith partners to plan a livestreamed 12-hour vigil, “Keeping the Faith,” on the U.S. Capitol grounds on Oct. 20 to raise awareness in Congress of these priorities.

As negotiations on the reconciliation package advance with congressional leaders and the Biden Administration, the Washington Post reported in early October that early commitments, such as funding to address housing affordability and access to home ownership, may prove among the first to “hit the cutting room floor.” Housing commitments, historically, have often been the first to be left out of stimulus and spending bills. This comes as the U.S. faces an immense shortage of available housing across all income levels and as unaffordability is becoming one of the leading causes of homelessness in our communities. An ELCA Action Alert was issued in mid-September highlighting the need to include affordable housing in the reconciliation bill. Advocates in the faith community are among the few actively supporting such provisions as a high priority, and feedback from religious leaders will be paramount for lawmakers to hear in the coming days and weeks.

 

PIVOTAL COP26: The ELCA is sending a delegation to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Conference of the Parties (COP26) being held in Glasgow on Oct. 31-Nov. 12. COP26 will be the most significant since COP21 adoption of the Paris Agreement, advancing achievement of the commitments.

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. The aims of COP26 negotiations include to reduce emissions, strengthen adaptation and resilience to climate impacts, scale-up finance and support critical to finalizing the “Paris Rulebook” (detailed rules and procedures for implementing the Paris Agreement), and conclude outstanding issues from COP25. Key specific priorities include enabling ambition through carbon markets; enabling enhanced adaptation action; averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage; identifying means of implementation, including the initiation of deliberations on a new goal for global climate finance after 2025; and responding to the latest science and the ambition of current emission reduction targets.

 

COVID-19 VACCINES:  President Biden announced that the U.S. will donate an additional 500 million Pfizer- BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. This brings the U.S. commitments to donate vaccines to a total of 1.1 billion by fall 2022. The World Health Organization has said 2.4 billion are needed by the end of 2021.

The ELCA has been advocating for vaccine donations as well as for loosening of rules to enable other countries to manufacture vaccines to make more vaccines available.

 

AFGHAN ARRIVALS AND REFUGEES:  After intense pressure from advocates, the Administration mounted a coordinated response to support evacuations, screening, immigration services and general processing of Afghan arrivals from interim military installations to final destinations.

Thousands of Afghans have been welcomed by communities across the country. Operation Allies Welcome brought on former Delaware Governor Jack Markell to coordinate the hub as the U.S. prepares to resettle as many as 95,000 Afghan newcomers. A stop-gap funding bill passed by Congress in Sept. injected much-needed funding for resettlement services along with other provisions. Congress must still pass a future Afghan Adjustment Act, which would allow certain arrivals the opportunity to seek legal permanent residence. The Witness in Society staff response to Afghan arrivals has included statements, letters and participation in vigils and informational webinars. Advocacy staff will continue to monitor developments on the Hill that prepare communities for a long welcome.

 

BORDER AND ASYLUM UPDATE:  Thousands of migrants have attempted to seek legal asylum at the border over the past few months, but a public health authority known as Title 42 continues to be invoked. This issue came to a head when the Del Rio sector experienced an increase of Haitian migrants, including families with children and adults.

Around 13,000 camped under the Del Rio bridge before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deployed a response that forcibly deported around 6,000 people to Haiti and released several thousand others into the U.S. to start immigration proceedings. Through AMMPARO, the church has been active in advocacy against Title 42 and other barriers to asylum that affect migrants in transit, like Remain in Mexico. We’ve also welcomed positive announcements, like expanded eligibility for the Central American Minors Program (CAM).

 

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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 .

 

Kris Litman-Koon, Mount Pleasant, SC

Warm-up Questions

Have you ever given thought to an invention that should be created? If so, share your idea with others. As you think about that invention, does it strike you as having serious potential or as an amusing idea–or perhaps a combination of both?

Inventing With a Purpose

The MacArthur Foundation provides grants to individuals and nonprofit organizations around the globe to build “a more just, verdant, and peaceful world.” The foundation annually awards roughly 20 to 30 individuals with The MacArthur Fellowship, which is more commonly known as the “Genius Grant.” These individuals are selected for their “extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits.” The award comes with a $625,000 grant with no strings attached. This fellowship gives these individuals flexibility in their creative pursuits.

In late September the Foundation announced that Joshua Miele is a genius grant recipient. Miele designs adaptive technologies that allow blind and visually impaired (BVI) people to use the technologies that permeate society. For instance, Miele developed YouDescribe, which allows sighted volunteers to create audio descriptions of any video on YouTube. BVI individuals can access those descriptions to better experience the content of a video on YouTube. 

Miele has other inventions, too: a glove called WearaBraille that allows a wearer to type braille into any smart device without the need for a keyboard, and a web tool called TMAP that creates street maps, so BVI individuals can travel anywhere in the country.  The list of his inventions goes on. (A more in-depth story can be found here.)

Joshua Miele became blind at the age of 4, and at that point his mother, Isabella, became his advocate. About her Miele says, “People in general assume that a blind kid is in danger, and my mother was not interested in protecting me. She was interested in having me be as active and engaged with the world as possible.” 

After the announcement of his becoming a MacArthur Fellow, Joshua Miele said, “What I do: it’s research, invention, and activism. I am proud to be blind. I’m proud of the community I’m a part of, and I love building and imagining cool technologies for blind people.”

Discussion Questions

• Of the technologies mentioned here, which of Joshua Miele’s inventions interests you the most?
• Joshua Miele feels there is no reason for his blindness to hold him back. He enjoys life, he has a family and a community, and he is being awarded for his contributions to society. Thinking of your own traits and interests, how do you imagine your own life being full and content?

Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

Jeremiah 31:7-9

Hebrews 7:23-28

Mark 10:46-52

(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

There are around two dozen stories in the four gospels that depict Jesus interacting with people who have some form of disability, and these stories all present Jesus healing these people. Throughout the history of the Church, an unfortunate result of these stories has been some Christians holding destructive attitudes toward disabilities, as if a disability means someone is not a whole person or  must always be woeful in their daily life.

A frustrating experience that sometimes arises for people who have a visible disability is being approached by a random Christian who wants to pray for them with the intent to heal them. Just… don’t. Resolve to never do that, and try to stop anyone who is inclined to do so. Such an act to “fix” or “repair” another human being will at best annoy the other person, and at worst it will alienate and disempower them in a social setting.

Today’s gospel lesson is about Jesus giving sight to Bartimaeus. A non-critical reading of this lesson would reinforce the idea that sight can be given to a blind individual if there is only enough faith. We get a better takeaway by considering the larger narrative of Mark’s gospel.

In Mark 8:22-26, Jesus gives sight to a man who is blind. Yet, the first attempt to give this man sight doesn’t fully work; he says, “I can see people, but they look like trees walking.” So Jesus lays his hands on the man again, and after this second attempt the man sees clearly. A couple of chapters pass by and now we have today’s story of a blind man receiving sight, only this time it takes Jesus one attempt. What’s the connection between these two stories in Mark, and why is the process for giving sight different?

Think of these two stories as bookends. What occurs in between are several interactions between Jesus and his disciples  and there is a common thread through all these stories: the disciples don’t understand. They don’t understand Jesus’ teaching that all people should be welcomed into his “kingdom of God” mission in this world, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized people in society (Mk 9:14-32, 9:38-50, 10:1-16). Running concurrently with that thread is the disciples’ misconception of greatness; they believe greatness is a result of rising to the top.  Jesus teaches that true greatness in God’s kingdom is found in humility and welcoming others (Mk 8:27-37, 9:2-10, 9:33-37, 10:17-31, 10:32-45).

When we consider that larger narrative, the two bookends and their details make more sense; they symbolize the disciples’ difficulty in comprehending the values of God’s kingdom on earth. In Mark 8:22-26, the miracle has difficulty landing, similar to how Jesus’ teachings don’t land at first with his disciples. By the time we reach the miracle with Bartimaeus in 10:46-52, the disciples begin to comprehend Jesus’ teachings about welcoming all people and that true greatness is found in humility.

Hence, that second miracle story symbolizes that the disciples are beginning to comprehend what Jesu is about. Another detail in these bookends reinforces this reading of Mark’s narrative. The man in the first bookend goes home and doesn’t follow Jesus (Mk 8:26). Bartimaeus, however, joins the disciples and Jesus on his way (Mk 10:52). Where does this “way” go? Mark 11:1 tells us it is to Jerusalem, where Jesus will take up the cross.

By this symbolic narrative of two healings Mark says  we followers of Jesus have difficulty grasping what Jesus means by “the kingdom of God” in this world. Yet Jesus calls us to welcome all people, including the most vulnerable and marginalized, and to understand  that true greatness comes in humility and recognizing God’s image in all people. These are not the values of the world.  It takes time for  us to comprehend these “kingdom of God” values of humility and radical welcome. But like Bartimaeus, we can grasp these new values and join Jesus on his way of the cross. A non-critical reading of the two bookend stories opens a door beyond  harmful attitudes regarding disabilities. However, the bigger narrative in Mark begs us to  grasp the deeper lesson: we are living in God’s kingdom when all are welcome and we value all people for who they are.

Discussion Questions

• Is “the kingdom of God,” only about heaven and the afterlife, or is it something Jesus invites us to begin experiencing in this life as well?
• God’s kingdom values, as revealed in this section of Mark’s gospel, involve welcoming all people and recognizing humility as a sign of true greatness. When, and in whom, have you witnessed these values embodied?

Activity Suggestions

There are a variety of impairments that people may have: visual, hearing, motor, and cognitive are among the most common. If time and ability allows, tour your ministry’s facilities and discuss the ways that the space itself welcomes people with disabilities and the ways that it does not welcome them. The ELCA Disability Ministries page is in the process of being updated to better provide resources for you and your community. You can contact the ministry’s coordinator, Pastor Lisa Heffernan, at Disability.Ministry@elca.org with any specific inquiries you have.

Closing Prayer

Loving God, open us to the values of your kingdom. Shape our lives to be welcoming of all people and give us appreciative hearts for the community you create through us all. Amen.

 

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. | Arizona | Colorado | Ohio | Minnesota | Texas | Washington | Wisconsin

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

Women’s Human Rights Advocacy Training

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in partnership with the World Council of Churches, ACT Church of Sweden, ACT Alliance, Finn Church Aid, Mission 21, and Norwegian Church Aid held the Women’s Human Rights Advocacy Training virtually from 7-9 September 2021. LOWC Program Director Christine Mangale joined LWF colleagues in the planning and facilitation of the training. This year, nearly 60 delegates from faith-based organizations participated in a Training of Trainers (ToT) focusing on advocacy at local and regional levels and strengthening networking and collaboration. Topics discussed during the training included:

• “how to design and facilitate a regional training”;
• “instruments on gender justice advocacy”;
• “how to report on human rights in different contexts”;
• “the role of faith-based organizations in gender justice advocacy”;
• “how to counter backlashes and address challenges,”
• “human rights’ language;”
• “gender-based violence in the context of COVID-19”;
• “safety and security relating to advocacy on women’s human rights”; as well as
• “designing faith-based advocacy”.

The participants are then to take part in designing and leading a regional pilot project, starting with a virtual training in Africa to be held October 11-18, 2021. A LWF resource for faith-based organizations on affirming women’s human rights can be found here.

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Arizona
Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) lamaz.org – Solveig Muus, Director

This is an exciting time for LAMA! Readers may know the LAMA office of the Grand Canyon Synod launched the same month that COVID-19 launched, so our efforts to connect with congregations, legislators and community have, from the jump, been exclusively virtual. But now happily, congregations are beginning to invite Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona into their communities, both virtually and in person – respectfully distanced! – and we are grateful to be making these wonderful connections through preaching and joining forums and groups, all to share our advocacy message.

LAMA’s annual retreat will be in person this year, and we are pleased to be joined by the Rev. Amy Reumann, Director of Advocacy for the ELCA. Pr. Reumann will also be the keynote speaker at the annual LAMA Summit for congregational liaisons and advocates on Sunday, December 5 at Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in Carefree, Arizona.

LAMA’s first Lutheran Day at the Legislature is set for Tuesday, February 1, 2022 in the Rose Garden at the State Capitol in Phoenix. We welcome this opportunity to gather, to meet legislators, and to voice our common needs in the public square, activating our faith in love.

In addition, the Grand Canyon Synod has launched a new Hunger Leaders Network for hunger champions across the synod to connect, hear about hunger resources both locally and churchwide, share stories, and learn and grow together. The Hunger Leaders Network group meets monthly and is ably chaired by Melanie Hobden.

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Colorado
Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado (LAM-CO) lam-co.org – Peter Severson, Director

BALLOT MEASURES: Coloradans will have three statewide ballot measures on which to vote on November 2. Check out the LAM-CO 2021 Voter Guide for our analysis and recommendations! It’s available online at www.rmselca.org/ColoradoBallot2021

LEGISLATIVE FOLLOW UP: The State of Colorado is working on implementing important legislation that was passed in our 2021 session. This includes important protections for agricultural workers, who were brought under the protections of the Colorado Labor Peace Act of 1943 for the very first time. This will include overtime pay, rest breaks, minimum wage, and others. We are working on supporting the implementation process and making sure that the state fulfills its obligations under the new law, particularly around the bills’ mandated “meaningful overtime protections.” A public hearing on this issue is upcoming on November 1.

Check out our 2021 Legislative Wrap-up for all the details on the bills we worked on this year!

DIRECTOR’S SABBATICAL: LAM-CO Director Peter Severson took a sabbatical rest from June 19 to September 19. With gratitude for the experience of restoration and refreshment, he’s back in the office and ready to lead our work this fall!

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Ohio
Hunger Network Ohio hungernetwork.org – Nick Bates, Director

Faith community speaks out against the death penalty

The Hunger Network in Ohio hosted a panel on the Death Penalty on October 11 with Southern Ohio Synod Bishop Suzanne Dillahunt and in partnership with the Ohio Council of Churches and Ohioans to Stop Executions as part of a faith advocacy week toward the abolition of the death penalty in Ohio.

Bishop Dillahunt shared the ELCA’s commitment to justice as expressed in our ELCA social statement on the issue prior to hearing from legislators and co-victims. We are grateful for the leadership of HB183 sponsor Rep. Adam Miller (D-Columbus) and co-sponsor Rep. Laura Lanese (R-Grove City) for joining us on the call to share their perspective from the Ohio House of Representatives.

We are hopeful that this legislation will move over the next few months, but we need advocates to keep up the pressure! You can act now by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper.

 

Click here to send a letter to the editor of your paper!

 

You can watch the forum and hear the powerful impact stories on our Facebook page here.

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Minnesota
Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota (LA-MN) lutheranadvocacymn.org – Tammy Walhof, Director

 

Rent Help MN logo

Housing Crisis: Although significant COVID- related funding was set aside to address the impending eviction crisis, many renters have had difficulty accessing the help. The Minnesota Eviction Moratorium has now ended, and landlords can evict tenets. If you know someone behind in rent or facing eviction due to the pandemic, please help them access and navigate RentHelpMN.org!

Preparing for the Next Legislative Session: A big part of our fall typically includes educating congregations about our work and meeting with coalition partners.

Walhof presenting pre-pandemic

We have been in many meetings with the Energy Cluster of Minnesota Environmental Partnership to consider legislation, and plan future options for long-term impact. Additionally, the Homes for All Coalition is collecting proposals that we will review in coalition Policy Team meetings.

The education pieces are more difficult due to the pandemic. Walhof and Rachel Wyffles, LA-MN’s Hunger Advocacy Fellow, are both willing to present or preach in churches if mask-wearing and vaccinations are taken seriously. We have also been brainstorming and working on videos, webinars, and studies. What does your congregation need?

Upcoming Events: Some of our partners are doing webinar events that match our priorities closely, so we encourage participation in the events listed below:

• Webinar Series on Affordable Housing & Homelessness (Joint Religious Legislative Coalition). Monthly through February. November 4 focus – Homelessness. Information/Registration
• “Hunger at the Crossroads” Webinar Series (ELCA World Hunger). October 27 focus – Hunger & Climate Change. Information/Registration
• International Climate Conference – Pre-COP26 Conversation (Fresh Energy). October 26 focus – How Minnesota fits. Information/Registration

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Texas
Texas Impact texasimpact.org – Scott Atnip, Outreach Director

The Texas Legislature began a third called special session September 20 focused on redistricting, spending American Rescue Plan Act funds, anti-trans legislation, and banning vaccine requirements. Through ongoing programming, including the Weekly Witness podcast, Rapid Response Team, and Legislative Engagement Groups, we continue to work to equip and mobilize Texans of faith and to help them understand what is happening in their Texas Legislature. In addition, Texas Impact hosted a Redistricting 101 webinar and a briefing with state budget experts on the process for appropriating Texas’ $16M in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Texas Impact also partnered with the ELCA’s own John Johnson on a Weekly Witness episode focused on the Build Back Better Agenda and a training for advocates to meet with South Texas members of Congress on the Build Back Better legislation.

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Washington
Faith Action Network (FAN) fanwa.org – Paul Benz and Elise DeGooyer, Co-Directors

Moving Forward with Gratitude invite

FAN Annual Dinner: We will host our annual fundraising celebration virtually on Sunday, November 21 to celebrate our 10th birthday, the 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 are welcome to join from your state!

Cluster Meetings: FAN hosts Fall Cluster Meetings as a way to gather with advocates in their local areas, learn about the issues that matter in their region, and build momentum for our work together. We are hosting 11 geographic clusters via Zoom around the state, and have heard from advocates on issues of housing, homelessness, taxation, food, climate and energy, immigration, refugees, and police reform.

Tax Town Halls and Candidate Forums: With our economic justice work group, we have been sending advocates to statewide Taxation Town Halls hosted by the legislature’s Tax Structure Work Group. The state of Washington has one of the most regressive tax systems in the nation, so it is vital that we move forward to restructure our tax system to be more equitable. FAN is co-hosting candidate forums across the state, with coalition partners, to hear from local candidates on critical issues of policing, housing, and immigration.

Boarding Schools: FAN’s Interfaith Network for Indigenous Communities issued a statement signed by the three ELCA bishops in Washington regarding U.S. Boarding School history. We also signed on in support of the Truth and Healing Commission Act reintroduced in Congress.

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Wisconsin
Lutheran Public Policy Office – Wisconsin (LOPPW) loppw.org – Cindy Crane, Director

John Johnson

Wednesday Noon Live interview with John Johnson, ELCA Program Director for Domestic Policy. Johnson discussed domestic policy to support people experiencing poverty and the recent White House visit of Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the ELCA and Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of The Episcopal Church. We highlighted extending the Child Tax Credit (CTC). We have additional information on the CTC under Hunger on our website and via this Action Alert.

Anti-Sex Trafficking
Shirley Paulson, retired educator and former president of the Women of the ELCA of East Central Synod of Wisconsin, and the Rev. Cindy Crane, the director of LOPPW, testified on SB 245, which looks to make it so that anyone under the age of 18 may not be prosecuted for prostitution. At the hearing, there were several disturbing stories of trafficked youth who were afraid they would be charged with a crime if they called the police due to the current laws in place.

Left Image: Shirley Paulson Bottom Right Image: Cindy Crane

It sometimes takes many years to pass a bill. We have been supporting this one for quite a few years now, but it is closer to passing.

Look forward to action alerts on SB 245 and for another significant bill on expulsion of crimes for adult victims of sex trafficking.

Juvenile Justice
Our Raise the Age Coalition is reaching out to businesses to support our efforts to return 17-year-old youth to the juvenile justice system. Recently, members of our steering committee met with the president of Wisconsin Manufacturing & Commerce to discuss this issue.

Settling Afghan Refugees
We have supported the Welcoming Evacuees Coming from Overseas to Mitigate Effects of Displacement Act of 2021, also known as the WELCOMED Act with our Action Alert.

Care for God’s Creation
Pr. Crane will be at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Conference of the Parties, known as COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland!

 

Supported in part by ELCA World Hunger, the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in Japan is a nine-month service leadership training program that draws people from around the world, allowing them to live and work together as they learn agricultural skills they can take back to their home communities. ARI also invites guest lecturers from Japan and abroad to teach sustainable development, organic farming and more. 

Through this model, ARI empowers leaders from around the world to build community, embrace diversity, value rural life, see the dignity of labor, promote food sovereignty and live in harmony with nature. Graduates return to their home countries equipped to work in sustainable development, build relationships with local leaders and transform their communities. Participants also receive ongoing support from ARI in identifying funding and leadership opportunities.  

As the impact of COVID-19 began to ripple around the world this spring, countries closed their borders and airports and flights were changed or canceled. Out of 26 students who’d planned to participate in ARI this year, only seven arrived in Japan; the others encountered travel restrictions and other challenges.  

Four ARI participants from Sierra Leone were at the closest Japanese consulate — in Accra, Ghana — applying for visas to enter Japan when Sierra Leone closed its borders and the government in Ghana ordered a nationwide lockdown. The participants obtained their Japanese visas, but the airports and borders were closed, so they couldn’t leave the country.  

This is when ARI reached out to its graduates in Ghana for help. John Yeboah, a 2018 graduate, answered the call, providing safety, food and lodging for the travelers. He escorted them from Accra to Kumasi by bus and took care of their needs while they awaited travel news.

Modeling what he had experienced during his training in Japan, John even worked with ARI to start the participants’ training right where they were. He led them in morning exercise, time-management techniques, leadership training and coaching, and discussion and reflection sessions.  

For the first few weeks, COVID-19 restrictions prevented Ghanaians from traveling to their fields. Eventually, restrictions were loosened, allowing the group to begin the agricultural portion of their unexpected training program. Following the ARI curriculum, they practiced growing crops such as cabbage, beets, carrots, chili peppers, okra, lettuce, spring onion, mint, spinach and cucumber on John’s organic farm

ARI staff have called John’s work a testament to the impact of the ARI training program on a community. With his display of servant leadership and his ability to adjust in a time of crisis, John turned a challenging and stressful situation into an unexpected time of learning and bonding for the Sierra Leone participants. Despite the difficult year, John and people like him around the world are demonstrating adaptability, ingenuity and Christ’s love for the neighbor.

Because of the work of God bringing people together across borders and through challenges, a farmer from Ghana guided students from Sierra Leone in a training program established by an institute in Japan, with funding from congregations and individuals in the US. Truly, John’s story, made possible in part because of gifts to ELCA World Hunger, reflects ARI’s motto: “That they may live together,” no matter the distances that keep us apart.

This story was originally published in the Winter 2020 edition of Boundless. View the full publication here. 

Alyssa Kaplan, Baltimore, MD

Warm-up Questions

What does it mean to have power over something or someone? Who are the people who hold power in your day-to-day life? Who are the people who hold power in the world? What are they like?

Servant Power

In the past few years there has been a movement within the US American Catholic Church to recognize Dorothy Day as a saint within their tradition. While Lutherans and Catholics have different understandings of saints and sainthood, we too, can look to these people as exemplars of the faith. 

Dorothy Day was an incredible leader, activist, mother, and theologian.  Above all she was a fierce advocate for and faithful servant to the poor. She was deeply skeptical of hierarchies and institutional power. She operated on the fringes of her faith tradition.  Throughout her life and ministry, she unequivocally made those on the margins of society the center of her work. She was an exceptional leader because she was first and foremost a servant of all. 

Dorothy Day founded the Catholic Worker Movement, which largely operated out of Catholic Worker Houses. For decades these houses have provided respite and resources for the poor and served as gathering places for justice activists. At the time of her death there were 30 such houses around the United States; as of January 2020 there were over 250. 

Robert Ellsberg, who worked closely with Dorothy Day in the last years of her life, stated, “When many people think of saints, they think of people who are kind of removed from the world in some sacred way. She showed there can be a holiness of action, of engagement of the challenges of our time. She’s not someone from the past — she’s someone from the future. In some ways she’s the American counterpart of the vision Pope Francis has brought to the universal church. She isn’t encapsulated in institutionalism, not mired in clericalism. She just stands there and points the way.”

For further reading: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/04/13/dorothy-days-radical-faith

Discussion Questions

• Had you heard of Dorothy Day before? Can you think of other leaders who act like her?
• Day operated on the fringes of her tradition. How do you think that informed her actions?
• Have you worked with people who are unhoused or lack other basic needs? If so, how have those experiences impacted your faith?

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 53:4-12

Hebrews 5:1-10

Mark 10:35-45

(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

Throughout this section of Mark’s gospel, a pattern emerges as Jesus engages with his disciples about the hard truth of what is to come. The pattern essentially goes, 

• Step 1: Jesus tells the disciples something super hard, the reality of his coming death and suffering.
• Step 2: The disciples do not understand and respond in inappropriate ways.
• Step 3: Jesus corrects the disciples’ misunderstandings and teaches about  discipleship.

This text picks up at step 2.  Immediately before this section we read, ” [Jesus], taking the twelve aside again, began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.’”

Oof. Heavy stuff! And yet, immediately following this discourse, John and James  beg Jesus to acquiesce to their demands. What demands? Just that when Jesus enters in to “glory” they be seated at his right and left hands. Could they be further from the point? Jesus repeatedly teaches how the reign of God disrupts the status quo. Jesus clearly describes how the Messiah will come as a suffering servant of all, not as a powerful warlord to vindicate his people. 

Yet, even after hearing this message over and over again, after traveling with Jesus and watching him heal the lowly and the outcasts, after listening to him preach about God’s radical justice for the poor and oppressed, James and John are still caught in their own world–a world  radically different from what Jesus describes as God’s vision for God’s people. John and James are stuck in a world of power and control, where prestige and favor create hierarchies, where some are first and others are last…and they want to be first! 

So, on to step #3. Jesus hears their misguided question and takes the opportunity to teach them what God is all about and what kind of leadership God values. Consistent with his preaching throughout the gospels, Jesus shows how God’s kin-dom of justice and mercy operates in a radically different way than the world in which they and we live. 

Roman leaders are assessed by the kind of power they exert–the more power, the better the ruler. Jesus says that among his followers the sign of true leadership is servanthood. The sign of true strength is humility through service. Within the beloved community, loving service is the ultimate sign of true leadership and holy power. 

Discussion Questions

• What does the repetition of the ‘three step’ pattern suggest about the disciples’ understanding of Jesus?
• What motivated the questions of John and James? How does Jesus’ response relate to the particular questions they were asking?
• What do you think happened next? How do you think this conversation changed how the disciples understood leadership and their political leaders?

Activity Suggestions

• Look up the nearest Catholic Worker House to your church. Read some of the information on their website. What kinds of programming do they offer? How could your church get involved? If possible, write letters to the servants at the Catholic Worker Houses nearest you to encourage them in their mission. 
• Brainstorm simple acts of service you could share with your church community, school community or family. Think particularly of acts of service you could share in moments or times when you are in a leadership role or in a position of power. Once you’ve brainstormed a list, write them onto a calendar, challenging yourself to complete on such act of service a week for the rest of the year.
• Are there leadership roles you hold within your youth group or school community? If so, take a look at those roles, especially if they come with written descriptions. How do these leadership roles relate to Jesus’ vision of servant leadership?

Closing Prayer

Dear God, it is hard to live in the world as you wish us to live. The sinful forces in our world have influenced our visions of power and turned them into visions of control and domination. Help us to have the spirit of service and humility of your son Jesus. Help us to only grasp for more love and more justice, not more power or prestige. Thank you for your loving grace which compels us to live for others. Amen.

 

This post is written by Rev. Aaron Fuller. Pastor Fuller serves multi-vocationally as a chaplain in the Navy Reserve and Pastor at Our Father’s Lutheran Church, Rockford, MN.  His views expressed here are his own and do not represent the Department of Defense, Navy or Navy Chaplain Corps in an official capacity.

On November 11th the nation will observe Veterans Day. It is a day set aside to recognize veterans’ service in the Armed Forces, past and present. In recent years the day has been marked by recognition in the news and social media, encouraging people to “thank a veteran” or “support the troops.” It has also been marked by businesses offering benefits such as discounts and free meals to veterans, in recognition for their service.

Similarly, congregations across the ELCA have chosen to recognize veterans in worship. Others have chosen not to. Both choices are faithful expressions of people’s deepest convictions. I want to offer why all congregations should consider acknowledging veterans in their worship services around Veterans Day this year.

This year, September 11th marked two important realities in our collective history. The first was the twentieth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that led to the tragic loss of life here in the United States, and subsequent twenty years of war in the Middle East. The second reality was the shocking withdrawal and evacuation of the United States from Afghanistan. Also shocking was the sudden rise of the Taliban taking back the country, creating a massive refugee crisis and wiping out two decades’ worth of progress made with the Afghan people on human rights.

For many veterans there has been a significant investment made in Afghanistan and the Middle East the past twenty years. That investment is shown in the toil it has taken on their bodies and minds. They also bear inner conflict between what they have experienced and their fundamental values, often rooted in their religious faith. That inner conflict leads to hard questions: “What was the point of what I experienced?” “Was it all worth it?” “Am I good?” Left unanswered, those questions can become a matter of life or death.

This response to traumatic events is known as moral injury. Moral injury is defined as “perpetrating, failing to prevent, bearing witness to, or learning about acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations.”¹ While moral injury shares some of the same signs of trauma as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, it is not the same.  Moral injury is distinct; it is a violation of what is right. It is feelings of betrayal towards justice. It is an injury of the soul, where human goodness is diminished to where we no longer see God’s light in ourselves or others.

As I listen to God’s people in both contexts I serve in as Pastor and Navy Chaplain, it is apparent to me we are all suffering from a collective moral injury, a result of the past twenty years and made manifest through the nation’s withdrawal from Afghanistan this past summer.  That injury has caused the division and disconnect we all are experiencing right now as we struggle to live in a world that feels less safe, less compassionate, and less just.  We need healing – collectively reconnecting to what is right, what is true, and what is good.

That healing starts by acknowledging those who are struggling with that moral injury the most: veterans. I can think of no better way to begin that healing than in our regular worship. God heals through Word and Sacrament, confession and absolution, and gathering and sending.  That is so necessary for veterans right now, and so necessary for us all.

1. Litz, B. T., Stein, N., Delaney, E., Lebowitz, L., Nash, W. P., Silva, C., & Maguen, S. (2009). Moral injury and moral repair in war Veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(8), 695-706. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.07.003

A worship resource for Veterans Day includes prayers, hymn suggestions, and other ideas. Both PDF and Word versions are available at https://elca.org/Resources/Worship#Liturgy.

Grace Heimerdinger-Baake, Elkhart, IA

Warm-up Question

How much money would you need to make you completely happy? 

Can You Really Buy Anything?

A 2010 study by psychologist Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton revealed that money did have an impact on how people evaluate their lives — people with more money feel better about their lives. The study showed when individuals reached an annual salary of $75,000, more money didn’t equate to more happiness. 

Matthew Killingsworth created an app to track individual happiness to investigate what makes life worth living. His research showed similar results from the 2010 study — both life satisfaction and experience well-being increased with income. However, the 2021 study concluded that high incomes have the potential to improve people’s day to day well being rather than reaching a potential. 

Discussion Questions

• Do you think money can buy real happiness? What about life satisfaction? What is the difference between happiness and satisfaction? 
• When it comes to your money and possessions, how do you make your decision about how much you give and to whom?
• Other than wealth and possessions, what are other things that make you truly happy?

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Amos 5:6-7, 10-15

Hebrews 4:12-16

Mark 10:17-31

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

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

Gospel Reflection

In Mark 10, as Jesus makes his journey to Jerusalem, he encounters a rich, young, ruler. The rich man questions Jesus concerning what he must do to inherit eternal life, saying he has kept all the commandments. The writer of Mark indicates that Jesus truly loves the man.  Jesus tells the man he lacks one thing; he must go and sell everything he owns and give the money to the poor. When the man hears Jesus’ response, he goes away in shock and grief. 

The rich man truly believes he is morally and spiritually good. He is following the commandments, but when Jesus asks him to abandon his wealth and possession to fully follow Jesus, he can’t fathom that sacrifice. 

Every day, we encounter advertisements which try to persuade us to purchase the latest iPhone, sign up for the latest diet, and lease the newest car. The advertisements try to convince us that we need these things and that having them will make us happier. Jesus warns us about how wealth can separate us from God and tells the disciples, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” If you have threaded a needle you know how difficult it can be to get even thread to go through the eye of a needle. 

Although our wealth, possessions, and greed can separate us from God, Jesus says there is hope for us all. With God, all things are possible; nothing can separate us from God’s love.  

This reading from Mark challenges us to remember that Jesus wants to be at the center of our lives and calls us to share what we have with others. 

Discussion Questions

• What do you think the rich man did after Jesus told him to go sell everything and give the money to the poor? The text says he was shocked and went away grieving. Do you think he sold everything and gave the money to the poor? 

• Is Jesus really asking us to sell everything? What are ways you can use your wealth to serve others in your community and across the world? 

• Share a time when someone’s generosity has helped you. 

• How does wealth empower your faith community to share the good news? 

Activity Suggestions

• Using Play-Doh, create models of items that separate you or distract you from Jesus and serving others. Talk about how these items may distract or separate you from following Jesus, but also talk about how these items can help serve others.

• Have the group think of populations of people who may be easily forgotten. Brainstorm ways you could share your wealth. Suggestions could include children or adults at the hospital, residents at a nursing home or rehabilitation center.
• Separate your class into two separate groups and have a race to see what group can thread their needles the fastest.

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, there is so much that separates us from you: our actions, our stuff, our wealth. Forgive us for all the times we put ourselves and our needs about our neighbors near and far. Help us to be glad and generous with everything we have. Amen.  

 

When the church gathers, we pray for the needs of the world. Like preaching that is both rooted in
scripture shared across time and space and attentive to the local assembly at the present moment, the sense of “praying for the world” is expansive but also attentive to a particular context.

Evangelical Lutheran Worship encourages that “The prayers [of intercession] are prepared locally for each occasion” (ELW. p. 105). How can this be done? What practices are useful? What resources can help? Listed below are several resources from ELCA Worship or Augsburg Fortress.

Downloadable Resources on ELCA.org/worship

How Do We Craft the Prayers of Intercession?  This newly added FAQ summarizes the task of preparing intercessions. A list of further resources that dig deeper into the task are included.

Here Other Intercessions May Be Offered.  This Sundays and Seasons essay offered by permission of Augsburg Fortress gives practical tips on what it means to pray contextually and gives concrete examples.

A Template for the Prayers of Intercession. This  template prepared by Gail Ramshaw is an excerpt from Pray, Praise, and Give Thanks: A Collection of Litanies, Laments, and Thanksgivings at Font and Table. It is offered by permission to assist in the crafting of comprehensive intercessions.

For What Shall We Pray? This weekly post provided on the ELCA worship blog invites individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials.

Prayer Ventures. These petitions, one for each day of the month, are offered as guides to prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world. While helpful for personal devotion, they could also be a helpful resource when preparing intercessions.

Resources available from Augsburg Fortress

Sundays and Seasons.  This annual worship planning guide available both in print and via an online subscription provides crafted intercessions for each Sunday and festival in the church year. Worshiping assemblies are encouraged to adapt as needed for local use. Sundays and Seasons also includes seasonal essays that included more general tips and suggestions.

Praying for the Whole World: A Handbook for Intercessors.  This concise handbook proposes seven steps, from Monday to Sunday, to assist in preparing the weekly intercessions.

The Sunday Assembly. This first supporting volume to Evangelical Lutheran Worship includes guidance on the role of intercessions in the Sunday assembly (pp. 167-172).

Leading Worship Matters: A Sourcebook for Preparing Worship Leaders.  A comprehensive guidebook, this resource devotes a chapter to preparing and leading intercessory prayer (pp. 69-94). Very practical helps such as a list of twelve tips for preparing the prayers and a sample letter of invitation to a training session for new intercessors,  among others, are included.

• Tips for Preparing the Prayers
• Sample Letter of Invitation

If you have not yet encouraged lay people to craft and lead prayer in your assembly, may these resources be an encouragement in that holy work. As noted in Leading Worship Matters, “The intercessions are best prayed in different voices, by a variety of people with divergent experiences of life, who not only can articulate their own perspectives on the needs of the world but can gather up the needs of those around them (p. 71).

Blessings on your work of encouraging, teaching, and most of all, praying.

“Mercy, we abide in you. Stir in us, we pray” (ACS 1077).

 

Tuhina Verma Rasche, San Carlos, CA

Warm-up Questions

• When you hear the words “All are welcome,” does that describe the faith space where you’re a part? How so? If you don’t feel a part, what makes you feel apart?
• Would you consider yourself to be an insider or an outsider? What are the situations that bring you to your answer?
• What makes a person and communities vulnerable?

Are All *Really* Welcome?

Ever since I’ve been a part of the church, I’ve often wondered, “Do I even belong here?” More often than not, I’m the only person of color in progressive church spaces. I’ve been told that my ideas of God in the world and how we are to be followers of Jesus are “too radical.” Even though many churches proclaim, “All are welcome,” I’ve wondered if there are unspoken exceptions.  Shouldn’t it say instead, “You’re welcome here if you look and behave a certain way that makes everyone else comfortable”? I feel hurt when a community says “all are welcome,” and it’s not actually true. I feel like I’m an outsider.

At our core as human beings, we’re created to be in community with one another. With that comes wanting to belong, which makes us keenly aware that there are “in” groups and “out” groups. The division between being an insider and an outsider is painful  when we want to be seen, acknowledged, and loved as God created us. It’s especially painful in friend groups and faith communities. 

Why are there insiders and outsiders? Who gets to determine who is included  or excluded in a community? Jesus calls the excluded “the least of these.” Those on the outside were welcome if they met certain requirements, like cleanliness, a change in social ranking, and access to power and popularity. Jesus accepts them as they are.  He includes “the least of these” in the greater community.  He proclaims that all (regardless of popularity, wealth, social status, cleanliness) are not just accepted, but also centered in God’s heart. 

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think Jesus wanted to include the excluded? What ways do you practice inclusion and exclusion in your friend groups?
• In what ways do you want to be recognized for the entirety of who God created you to be?   Are there parts of yourself you are not sure would be welcome in your social or religious community?
• Why do communities use the words “all are welcome,” if they don’t actually mean it?  How does that happen?

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Genesis 2:18-24

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12

Mark 10:2-16

(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

There are times where it would be easy to skip over a Bible passage and pretend it doesn’t exist. This is one of those times. Yet, if we were to skip over it, what would keep us from skipping over other parts of the Bible when we struggle with the message? Jesus often gives hard words to the disciples (and us). This week is no exception. 

The Gospel begins with a difficult conversation on divorce. For many people, divorce is still hard to talk about because it radically changes the lives of, not just those ending the marriage, but also family members, friends, and communities. 

We need to keep in mind that divorce in Jesus’ time and divorce in our time are very different. In Jesus’ time.  If a woman were divorced from her husband, she would be incredibly vulnerable. The world wasn’t (and still isn’t) built to protect vulnerable women and femmes. He answers the question from the religious authorities forcefully because vulnerable people are being hurt and it makes him mad. 

In asking them how a man may divorce his wife according to the Law, Jesus is talking about what people currently know and understand. There are structures in place to protect vulnerable populations.  Yet structures created by people with good intentions often don’t go far enough. Divorce, says Jesus, is an unfortunate concession to the fact that we do not always live with love and respect in marriage.  Instead of having people trapped in situations where they were powerless and unhappy, divorce may happen, but it not God’s intention for marriage. 

Jesus tells us to protect the most vulnerable among us. It seems that the disciples didn’t get the memo, because immediately after the conversation on divorce, they try to keep children from Jesus’s presence. Jesus speaks in support of both divorced women and the little children, people who don’t have power, both then and now. Jesus is all about being with and empowering the weakest and most vulnerable in society. The Beloved Community is for all people, especially those who are made vulnerable by the sometimes well-intentioned but always faulty power structures of this world. 

The disciples, as close as they are to Jesus, don’t understand him. In preventing people from bringing children to Jesus so that he may bless them, the disciples assume authority over who is in and who is out.  Jesus turns them around to a new way of being. 

Jesus welcomes those on the outside, those who are vulnerable. That welcome challenges our notions of who belongs in the realm of God and who is the greatest. Those whom world calls outsiders, Jesus calls insiders and welcomes them in the entirety of who they are. Jesus continually challenges our expectations and reminds us that inclusion is incredibly radical.

Discussion Questions

• Have you invited a friend to your faith community? Did they come with you? Has something prevented you from inviting others to come with you to your faith community? Have a conversation to how your faith community is and can be a more welcoming place. 
• Talk about a time where you felt like you belonged to a community and a time where you felt like you were on the outside of a community. How do these feelings feel similar? How do they contrast?
• How do you feel when another person notices a quality or attribute about you? What does it feel like to be fully recognized for who God created you to be? 

Activity Suggestions

• Martin Luther wrote in the Large Catechism, ‘But I am baptized! And if I have been baptized, I have the promise that I shall be saved and have eternal life, both in soul and body ….’ ” Baptism means inclusion in the body of Christ. When do you encounter water? Doing dishes, watering plants, washing your hands? Record how many times a day you encounter water. Anytime you encounter water, take a moment to remember that you are beloved by God and to think about God’s promises made in baptism. 
• There are many members of our community who are vulnerable and on the outside. If your faith community has a visitation ministry, a food pantry ministry, or a similar ministry, make cards with encouraging messages for these ministries.
• Find smooth rocks, markers, and acrylic paint. Draw words of encouragement on the rocks and leave them outside where people can find them for a source of surprise encouragement and acceptance.   

Closing Prayer

God of inclusion, you came to us in ways that were meant to be excluded. You came as a poor, Brown, Jewish Galilean man in the midst of an empire that thought it was all powerful. In the person of Jesus, you show us just how radical inclusion can be, and that you want to include all into your community. May we extend radical invitations so that those who feel on the outside are on the inside and that those who feel excluded are included for who God created them to be. Remind us that we are loved by you. Amen.