Chris Heavner, Clemson, SC

Warm-up Question

How does the COVID vaccine work?

It Works!

Like most of you, I am eager to for my turn to come.  When either of the approved vaccines becomes available, my sleeve will be rolled up and ready.  These months have been lonely and life has been devoid of so many of the small experiences which make life such a joy.  

But, I have to admit that I really don’t know how the vaccine does what it is supposed to do.  Someone told me it gives me a mild case of COVID which allows my body to build up its own antibodies. (I am not really sure what antibodies are either.)  Seems I heard that the RNA of the virus tells my DNA what to do.  

What I do know is that getting the flu vaccine has protected me for years.  I remember making a trip to the school building for my polio vaccine (it was administered on a cube of sugar!)  So when the vaccine is finally offered – I will be ready to take it.

You might want to do some research.  Dr Cheryl Smith is a member of my home congregation.  She taught me to look for information in the right places.  I would suggest this one from the Center for Disease Control.  I also found it helpful to ask someone I trusted.  Christine worked in one of the university labs and she is great at helping me understand what I read in those journals.  

It is good for us to have some level of understanding; but in the end we may decide to take the vaccine based on the advice and recommendations of those whom we trust.  I trust Anthony Fauci.

Discussion Questions

• Will you take the COVID vaccine when it is available?

• Why do you think some folks have decided not to take the vaccine?

• Name one thing which you do even though you don’t understand how it accomplishes what you have been told it will accomplish

• Have you been baptized?  How does baptism work?

Baptism of our Lord 

Genesis 1:1-5

Acts 19:1-7

Mark 1:4-11

Epiphany of our Lord (alternate)

Isaiah 60:1-6

Ephesians 3:1-12

Matthew 2:1-12

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

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

Gospel Reflection

The practice of baptism began before the start of the Christian Church.  Hindu practice includes a ritual similar to the ceremonial washing experienced at the Jordan River by those who went out to experience John the Baptizer.  John invited his hearers to cleanse their bodies as an indication of the cleansing of their inner moral selves.  Some may have entered the waters without having first examined their hearts.  It is likely that some left convinced that their “bath” had made them clean.

Early leaders of The Way (what Christians were first called) continued the practice of baptism as an external mark of an internal alteration.  Our church believes and teaches that the water alone can do nothing, but when the water is combined with the Word we are truly made new.  The baptism event is important, it is sacred.  Even more significant is the way it acknowledges our identity and our relationship with God.  A Christian baptism is a baptism into the death and resurrection of Our Lord.

Those who are baptized by John may not fully comprehend the ways in which their lives are being transformed.  Yet, John is preparing them for the One who will come after him.  Other fiery preachers along the Jordan River spoke of the dangers of sin and sinfulness.  John’s ritual  offers more; it cracks open the gates through which the Messiah will enter.  John’s testimony is true, even if those who hear it may not completely understand how it all works.  “I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”  John does a wonderful thing for those who come out to see him.  But something much, much, much better lies ahead.

Discussion Questions

• Do you find it frustrating when adults say to you, “I don’t know why it is that way, it just is.”?  Have you ever thought, “Maybe they don’t have a good answer?”  Maybe all they have is a feeling deep within their hearts that this is indeed true, truer than anything they can explain.  How do you decide whether you can trust such feelings?

• Share an experience in which you were totally unable to convince someone of something you believe (we might even say which you KNOW) to be true.

• What is the process at your congregation for those who would be baptized?  Is there an instructional class?  Does the pastor make a visit?

• Our tradition welcomes infants to the baptismal font.  This is to remind us that God is the one who acts; we respond.  Do you have friends or family members who insist that only adults be baptized?  What do  you think they understand baptism to be?

Activity Suggestions

Pull out a copy of Luther’s Small Catechism and read the section on baptism.  Ask questions!  And remember that you get the best answers from those who don’t have all the answers.  After you have read the Small Catechism, look at the baptismal liturgy in the hymnal.  Take notice that there is very little for the one being baptized to say or do.  This is true even when the one being baptized is an adult.

Closing Prayer

Help us, in the midst of things we cannot understand, to believe and trust in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection to life everlasting.  Amen.  (From the funeral liturgy in Evangelical Lutheran Worship)

 

John Wertz–Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up

Invite the group to join you in the game, “Two Truths and a Lie.” 

Tell the group that each member of the group needs to come up with two truths and one lie about themselves. Try to come up with specific statements about yourself.  Avoid general statements that could easily apply to anyone like “I love pizza.” When it is your turn, you share your two truths and a lie in any order. The object of the game is for everyone else to determine which statements are true and which one is false.

Whose Word Do We Believe?

Do a quick search for conspiracy theories and Google will give you over 100,000,000 results to explore. Conspiracy theories used to be confined to rumors and small groups of ardent believers.  The internet and social media have given conspiracy theories like QAnon and those who believe them a feeling of credibility and a highly effective way to broadcast their beliefs to a larger audience. Thankfully, the internet also provides easy access to fact checking sites. For example, Snopes.com and FactCheck.org allow you to quickly learn the facts around common conspiracy theories.

While some conspiracy theories seem relatively harmless, like the belief that the National Basketball Association rigged its 1985 draft lottery by freezing an envelope to ensure that the commissioner gave the New York Knicks the first pick in the draft. Many conspiracy theories promote ideas which endanger others, like the conspiracy theories around vaccines which impede our ability to stop the spread of dangerous diseases.

When individuals are wrapped up in a conspiracy theory, the word of an expert in a field or the facts presented in a peer reviewed paper have no impact on what they believe. One of the great difficulties in addressing conspiracy theories is that “conspiracy theories are essentially irrefutable: logical contradictions, evidence showing the opposite, even the complete absence of proof have no bearing on the conspiratorial explanation because they can always be accounted for in terms of the conspiracy”

Sadly, conspiracy theories  create division, alienation, and conflict when family members and friends embrace them. So how do you help someone else to recognize and reject a conspiracy theory? Here are six suggestions from Dr. Jovan Byford, a conspiracy theory researcher.

1. Acknowledge the scale of the task – Be patient and be prepared to fail.
2. Recognize the emotional dimension – Be prepared for the conversation to get emotional and be prepared to de-escalate the situation if needed.
3. Find out what they actually believe – Don’t assume you know the details and depth of their belief. Ask questions and do research so you can discuss intelligently.
4. Establish common ground – Find points you can agree upon to build trust and relationship.
5. Challenge the facts, value their argument – Present appropriate facts to disprove the theory, but don’t demean the individual in the process.
6. Be realistic – Helping someone abandon a conspiracy theory can be extremely difficult. Often, the best outcome you can achieve may be to sow seeds of doubt about the theory.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think people believe conspiracy theories even when there are clear facts that show the theory is incorrect?
• What processes do you use to verify that the information you see online or hear from friends is actually true?

Second Sunday of Christmas

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Ephesians 1:3-14

John 1:(1-9), 10-18

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

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

Gospel Reflection

In a world filled with conspiracy theories, it can be difficult at times to know what to believe. Someone may say to you, “I give you my word that what I’m telling you is true.” Whether you believe them or not probably depends on how well you know the person involved, how much experience you have with them, how much of their story you know, and what you know of their character. In many places, simply saying “I give you my word” is not enough. In our reading, John reminds us that long before conspiracy theories flourished online, God said, “I give you my Word” and it was enough to bring light, grace, and truth to the world. 

Now to be sure, millions of people today would push back on the claim that God’s Word is enough. A few people would even suggest that God’s Word made flesh in Jesus is a “2000 year long conspiracy theory” since none of us can gave 100% irrefutable scientific proof of the facts of Jesus’ story. Yet, when you dive into the story of God’s Word and God’s relationship with God’s people across the centuries, the light that shines from the words of those stories gives you reason to believe.

“In the beginning” John says, “was the Word” (Jn 1:1) and from the very beginning, God’s story has intertwined with our story: 

• promising Abram and Sarai that their descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. (Genesis 15)
• delivering the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. (Exodus 5-14)
• providing commandments to help us relate in a healthy way to God and to one another. (Exodus 20)
• inspiring poets and artists to share their gifts to inspire God’s people and to help them express their sorrow and pain. 
• remaining faithful to God’s people regardless of how many questions were asked, commandments were broken, or harsh words spoken.
• giving prophets the voice to call God’s people to turn from their sinfulness and instead to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God. (Micah 6:8)
• sending Jesus, born of Mary, to live and to teach, to love and to care, to die and to rise, that all God’s people might know the promise of eternal life.
• sending the Spirit to blow through the world as an advocate and a guide to strengthen, support, and inspire God’s people in their lives of faith. (Acts 2)
• calling countless people across the centuries, including someone in your life, to share the story of God’s Word so that others might know the enduring love of God. 

As compelling as God’s story across the centuries is, ultimately the way in which someone responds to the Good News is not something you or I can control. The best we, who know the grace and truth of the Word made flesh, can do is let our light shine before others.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, those who connect to our story may discover the good news of Jesus, who lived among us to bring grace and truth for all people. 

Discussion Questions

• How do you find answers to your questions about God?
• What scripture passage or story is your favorite?
• Where have you seen God active in your life or your community this week?

Activity Suggestions

• In-Person, Socially Distanced Option: Gather a random assortment of craft supplies and create a supply box for each of the participants which includes the words to John 1:1-18 printed on a piece of paper. Invite the participants to use their supplies to create an image that represents some portion of the reading from John 1:1-18.  Set a timer for 5 minutes and see what everyone can create.
• Digital Ministry Option: Use Wordclouds.com to create a Word Cloud using the text of John 1:1-18. Allow the group to try different shapes, fonts, colors, and themes to create the Word Cloud that best visualizes the words of this reading. 

Closing Prayer

O God, you have been present with us since the beginning, We give thanks that in the manager, your Word was born of Mary to bring your love, grace, and truth to all people. Help us to know that in our good days and in our bad days, in our doubts and in our questions, in our sorrows and in our joys, your love for us and your presence with us will never end. Amen.

 

 

“All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.”

—Luke 2:18-19

 

 

Look in AWE to our Savior, born that holy night in Bethlehem.

May we TREASURE the wondrous MIRACLE of Christ’s

birth and PONDER the HOPE Christ brings.

Merry Christmas!

 

Wishing our ecumenical partners, and all who work for unity in this world, a season filled with peace as we ponder the hope of a new year.

 

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and the Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations Staff ,

Kathryn Lohre, Rev. Dr. Carmelo Santos, and Kristen Opalinski

 

About the artist: Thobani Mpanza is studying at the Evangelical Lutheran Church Art and Craft Centre at Rorke’s Drift in South Africa. He started with tapestry weaving and now works in textile printing. He is a member of the Oscarsberg Parish in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (ELCSA) – South Eastern Diocese. The ELCSA is a global companion church of the ELCA.

 

The following is written by Daudi Msseemmaa

An earthquake, mass displacement, low-latitude tropical cyclones, COVID-19, a plague of locusts – 2020 has been a year of calamities in East Africa like no other. Among the most destructive and widespread for ELCA companions in the region was flooding. 

 

In Rundugai, Tanzania, the water came quickly. After enduring a season of heavy rains on Mount Kilimanjaro and the plains to the west, water coursed over saturated ground in the valley between Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru. The water rose suddenly on the savanna, soaking the earthen walls of people’s homes and soon washing away goats, cows, and even houses.

People ran for safety to their neighbors on higher ground. Some needed rescue, and neighbors were the first line of support.

In the hours and days after, people who lost everything needed shelter, food, and hugs. They assessed the damage, digging through the mud where their homes stood, searching for treasures and missing livestock. At this time, neighbors took the lead in helping each other. In Rundugai, they took in those who had lost their homes and they fed those who lost their food stock.

For communal societies across rural Africa, sharing is instinctual, even if it leaves you hungry. The immediate needs of the flooding stretched resources of even those who were on higher ground and less affected. This is where external support becomes essential – relieving pressure on neighbors and relatives who gave their all helping the most stricken.

The Support of the Church

Rundugai is in southern Hai District, which they say is the poorest and most climate-averse part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) Northern Diocese. Members of the local church went to every household in the parish to conduct an assessment and determine who most critically needed support. Through three villages, they waded through thigh-deep mud and water in some places to reach 151 households that were severely affected. The local church appealed to the district church office. A week after the flood, they sent over 14,000 pounds of maize and 1,700 pounds of beans.

Neema Eliya, 26, lost her home and half of her goats in floods, along with her field where she had planted maize and beans. She and her five children moved into a relative’s home, and six months later they are still there. “Floods are normal, but not like this year,” she said. She received maize and beans from the ELCT.

The floodwaters remained, with the main road into Rundugai not passable for six weeks. After trucks could again enter, the diocese office sent another round of  food for distribution.

The ELCT national office was kept informed of the situation. The flooding was widespread, and the church proposed a coordinated response and reached out to the ELCA. Through Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), they funded relief in the Northern Diocese as well as five others – the Meru, Mwanga, Ulanga-Kilombero, Lake Tanganyika and South Eastern dioceses. Roads and boats were used to  reach the most distressed, who often are women, children, and people with disabilities. Additionally, LDR supported major flood responses in Kenya’s Tana River and Kisumu counties around the same time.

Another affected area was Kilwa, on the Swahili coast in the Lindi region of Tanzania – a rural, undeveloped, and mostly Muslim corner of the country. People who lost family members and homes were evacuated after the floods. Hundreds took refuge in schools that had been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The church distributed food and non-food items and offered training on hygiene practices.

God’s Love in Action

But now, several months after the water receded, the impact is being seen as new churches have sprouted in areas of flood response. “You’d be surprised to see the long-term effect of disaster response,” said Bishop Lucas Mbedule of the ELCT South Eastern Diocese. People who didn’t know about Christ or the church could see God’s love in action.

LDR support comes alongside the dignified work that is already in place – that of neighbors helping neighbors in crisis. Local churches took special donations for purchasing food for those who lost everything. Relatives stepped up as best they could. In our vision of accompaniment, the ELCA lives into its role as a companion when it walks alongside brothers and sisters in their moment of need, stands with them in prayer, and remains hopeful of what arises out of disaster.

 

Daudi Msseemmaa is the ELCA’s regional representative for East Africa. He lives in Arusha, Tanzania, with his wife and children.

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

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: December 2020

SPENDING DECISIONS | EVICTION CRISIS | CENSUS CHALLENGE | CLIMATE CHANGE CONNECTIONS

 

SPENDING DECISIONS:  It is decision-making crunch time for federal FY21 budget considerations before the 116th Congress adjourns for the holidays and furthermore concludes on Jan. 3, 2021. Congress approved $900 billion of relief late on Dec. 21, providing desperately needed aid for Americans after months of gridlock on Capitol Hill. The bill now heads to the White House, where President Trump is expected to sign it into law.

Throughout the process, the ELCA advocacy network and staff persistently emphasized pressing need and priority concerns. With as many as 50 million Americans facing food insecurity this year, $13 billion from the second stimulus will go toward food-assistance programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

 

EVICTION CRISIS:  The stimulus package passed by Congress late Monday includes an extension of a national eviction ban through Jan. 31, temporarily avoiding what housing advocates warned would be a dangerous situation for the U.S. amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic. Economists and affordable housing advocate have warned of a looming eviction crisis that could affect millions of Americans without action. Enhanced Unemployment Insurance benefits and other measures will blunt some of the heavy economic impacts of the pandemic.

If no further action is taken, congregations, feeding ministries and shelters already facing overflow may expect to see assistance requests increased. According to the Census Bureau’s Weekly Pulse Survey, over 6 million renters and 5 million homeowners indicated they had very little confidence in the ability to make their next housing payment. In the same study, 1.5 million renters and nearly 300,000 homeowners indicated it would be very likely they would be evicted or foreclosed on in the next two months.

 

CENSUS CHALLENGE:  On Dec. 18, the Supreme Court dismissed one of the challenges to President Trump’s memorandum ordering the U.S. Census Bureau to discount undocumented immigrants from the final census, which is to be reported by the Census Bureau by Dec. 31, 2020. Failing to count every person who lives in each state would affect the process of apportionment which decides congressional seat allocation for states.

Three lower courts had ruled unanimously that the president’s action violates either the Constitution, the federal census statues, or both. Our communities are significantly shaped by census data, and Census 2020 will update these numbers for the first time in 10 years. The ELCA is an official partner of the 2020 Census to encourage the most accurate count possible.

 

CLIMATE CHANGE CONNECTIONS:  The incoming Biden Administration indicates that it will make climate change an unprecedented high priority. Addressing climate change will be done in concert with addressing the economy, yoking as essential growing the economy simultaneously with addressing climate concerns.

The incoming administration plans to create a Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change position to be filled by former Secretary of State John Kerry. This position will be elevated to cabinet level. In her 2018 Earth Day statement, Presiding Bishop Eaton said: “The present moment is a critical and urgent one, filled with both challenge and opportunity to act as individuals, citizens, leaders and communities of faith in solidarity with God’s good creation and in hope for our shared future.”

 

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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 .

 

Searching for Peace

In life we tend to always be on the search for peace. Peace of mind, peace and quiet, stop to violence, and more. While searching for this peace I find myself wondering if this “peace” we are in search of actually exists. If it does exist where is it located and how do I obtain this peace? That is where faith comes into the picture. At some point in my life I had to decide if I would allow faith to lead me to peace.

Palestine and Peace

Palestine is a very dear place to my heart. It’s everything to me – the food, the people, the land, this list can go on forever. Visiting Palestine became a reality for me when I was trained to be a Peace Not Walls trip leader. Through that travel experience I have learned that there are many similarities with my life and the lives of Palestinians. As a Black man in America I have experienced a great deal of oppression. While in Palestine I quickly learned that their oppression mirrors my own on many levels.

When I arrived I noticed separation. It wasn’t hard to see while in Bethlehem, that is probably because there is a large wall to maintain the separation between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin –  right now we are the most segregated city in the USA. There isn’t a physical wall up but you can definitely imagine the wall that separates the oppressed and the oppressors. In moments when I see this type of oppression I start to wonder: How can people be happy in these conditions? How does one plan for a future? What hits me hardest is how can one believe in God or see God when hate is all around?

Faith and Peace

I am a faith based person. Most anything I do is done within the realm of my faith. I have a belief that everything will work out somehow. I have a three year old son. I have faith that if “Peace on earth” does not happen for me, the work that I put in will help create a more peaceful world for my son.

In Proverbs chapter three we are told to “Trust in the lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding”.

With that scripture in mind I used that energy to find God in the West Bank. It took me three visits to the West Bank to finally see God. I had to stop trying to understand it for myself and started trying to understand it through the people. Although my faith was tested beyond it has ever been, after gaining an understanding through the people and not of the people, I was able to see God. I was able to see “peace”: I saw kids playing, families eating, friends hanging out. 

Forward in Peace

Faith for me is the answer, being able to find God in a country where I see so much pain showed me that I needed to make some adjustments back at home. I no longer needed to feel or think “why me” or “I wish”. I gained the power to stop trying to understand my oppression and start taking actions to relieve my oppression. I was able to gain peace within myself through someone else, and in turn I took that peace within and built it so I can create peace outward. I truly believe if we can all find peace within ourselves we will all see and help build the peace that we need in this world to thrive. 

Reflection Questions:

1. Xavier talks about how his faith has impacted his understanding of peace. How are faith and peace related in your understanding? How is this different from the way peace is talked about in other contexts?
2. When faith + peace seem hard to come by, Xavier leans on Proverbs Chapter 3 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”. What scripture are you leaning on in these days?
3. Peace is not only a lack of violence. When we hear about peace from our Palestinian siblings, we hear about a “just peace”. What have you learned this season about what a just peace in Palestine might look like? How are you committed to playing a role in this?
4. Where is your community in need of a just peace? How are you committed to playing a role in this?

Additional Resources:

Learn more about how you can advocate for a just peace in Palestine by signing up for ELCA Advocacy Action alerts here: https://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Publicly-Engaged-Church/Peace-Not-Walls

Give financially to Opportunity Palestine, a Lutheran and Palestinian-led organization bringing peace and justice to Palestine through education here: https://www.opportunitypalestine.org/secure-online-giving.html

My Name is Xavier Thomas and I was a trip leader for Peace Not Walls in January 2020. I was born and raised in Milwaukee Wisconsin. I am the youth director at All Peoples Gathering in Milwaukee. I have the unique opportunity to serve the same church I grew up in. I have been married for 5 years and we have one son, and we foster as many children as we can fit in our house. I would say that Fatherhood and Palestine have become my passions but I will always love my Xbox!

 

In this year of…

• pandemic
• devastating wildfires
• upheaval over justice too long denied
• bitter political division
• economic anxiety
• social isolation
• private pain

 

“…the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

 

When it comes to breaking the cycle of hunger and poverty, few tools are as important as education. In fact, the World Bank estimates that each year of additional schooling can increase a child’s future earnings by 8-10%. Ensuring that children have access to education and educational support, though, is a difficult goal to reach, and the COVID-19 pandemic has created even more obstacles for communities in need.

In Romania, the Evangelical Parish in Sibu has been hard at work adapting to these new challenges. The “Open House” Day Center of the parish has provided support to children and families since 2001, accompanying 30-45 children throughout the year with its many programs. The center’s mission is to help families with children between six and 16 years old who face high rates of poverty, domestic violence, social and ethnic discrimination, and exploitation. To support them, the center provides counseling, food, preventative health care, and a safe place for children to learn and grow.

The pandemic has made this work much more difficult. The parents who had jobs have lost them, and many families cannot afford food, clothing, heating or school supplies. Many children don’t have access to the internet or the equipment they need to participate in online schooling.

The center, though, is adapting to the new challenges and pressing on toward its mission. This year, with support from ELCA World Hunger, the center continues to provide school supplies and clothing for children to help meet the increased needs of families, including for children who do not have the equipment they need for online learning. “Open House” has also adapted by sending care packages home for families and providing social worker home visits to make sure children and their families have the support they need.

The children are also able to participate in fun activities, such as making crafts. As Diana Fruman of “Open House” shares, “More and more children are getting enthusiastic about handicrafts. Some of them are very talented and create beautiful works.”

The “beautiful work” of God through the “Open House” center is not limited to crafts, though. It can be seen in the new opportunities created by the staff, volunteers, parents and children who are working together at the center. As Diana says, “Every hour [the children] spend here…is another chance for them and their future.”

That’s one of the reasons that, despite the ongoing pandemic, Diana is hopeful for the future and grateful for the support the center has received. “Thanks to your help,” she writes, “we were able to carry out further aid measures this year…[Your] great willingness to help and your donations have made and will continue to make our work here at ‘Open House’ possible.”

Because of the ongoing work of God through the center and its participants, we can join Diana in her hopeful wishes for what is to come:

“On behalf of all our children and staff, we wish you a blessed Advent season, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”

 

The days of Christmas are typically a time to sing beloved carols. This year when we are gathered in our homes, it may be especially comforting to sing familiar Christmas carols. While singing songs etched on our minds and hearts is important, we affirm that as creative people made in God’s image we create and seek out new ways to sing the story of Christmas.

All Creation Sings provides six hymns and songs under the Christmas heading; the topical index offers additional suggestions. While some of these may be familiar from their inclusion in other resources, some are brand new to an ELCA worship book. One of these is the hymn, “Night Long-Awaited / Noche anunciada” by Félix Luna (text) and Ariel Ramírez (music).

While new to our resources, this hymn was composed in the 1960s. It is an excerpt from “Navidad Nuestra: A Folk Drama of the Nativity Based on the Rhythms and Traditions of Hispanic America.” Published for mixed chorus and soloists with percussion, guitar and harpsichord/piano, it included text in both Spanish and English. The performance notes in the original score describe it: “Navidad Nuestra—Our Nativity—was created for a criollo retable—a native tableau—where each moment of the Mystery of the Incarnation is expressed in a popular manner, with all the tenderness that the Miracle of two thousand years ago evokes in the spirit of the simple people.” Each section used a different regional voice.

Félix Luna, Argentine poet, collaborated with Ariel Ramírez, an Argentine and internationally celebrated choral composer, in this tender and simple hymn. Of course, we are also indebted to the work of translators. The version of “Night Long-Awaited” in All Creation Sings was translated by Adam Tice (ACS also includes five of his original hymns). Translations allow the texts to speak anew to us in every generation, but it’s interesting to point out one feature of the original text that changed over time.

The end of stanza two of the version published for mixed chorus in 1965 reads:

When He is smiling, Radiance glows,
And in His arms, a tiny cross grows.

The recent translation reads:

Light for our shadows, grace for our loss;
Born for our dying, bearing our cross.

Both settings connect the incarnation to the death of Jesus.

Unlike “Silent Night,” this hymn incorporates “redeeming grace” with more direct references to the arc of salvation through Jesus, that “all that is broken shall be restored” (stanza 2). Like “Silent Night,” the music ushers us into a sense of stillness and awe, complete with beautiful four-part harmony.

Several recordings exist of this. José Carreras sings the hymn in this recording. Though it is pitched in a higher key, it captures the simple beauty of this hymn. You can also hear it in the key of C in this less formal recording.

The hymn concludes:

Now is God’s promise born in the night,
wake to its fullness; live in its light.
Christ comes among us; people, draw near!
Come to the manger; Christmas is here.

May a treasury of songs, both old and new, fill your hearts and homes this Christmas.

To learn more about All Creation sings, visit www.augsburgfortress.org/AllCreationSings.

 

Night Long-Awaited / Noche anunciada
Text: Félix Luna, 1925-2009; tr. Adam M. L. Tice, b. 1979
Music: Ariel Ramírez, 1921-2010
Text and music © 1965 Lawson-Gould, admin. Alfred Music
Permission required for further use.

Image: Sundays and Seasons

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

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

United Nations 

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

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence: Every year, the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence begin on 25 November – on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and concludes on December 10 – International Human Rights Day. This year, the 2020 UNiTE Campaign Theme is: “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!”. 

LWF’s global communion of 148 churches, representing over 77 million Christians in 99 countries, is joining the UN, Member States, civil society activists and faith-based partners during these 16 Days of Activism to raise awareness and call for action for an end to Gender-Based Violence. It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated gender inequality and exposed other forms of discrimination and violation of women and girls’ human rights. LOWC’s Program Director has helped organize, together with faith partners, several events including panels on the Shadow Pandemic: Faith actors preventing, responding, and advocating to end gender-based Violence, and A Faith Imperative for Human Rights.

United Nations has released $25 million to UNFPA and UN Women to fund women-led projects fighting gender-based violence. Read UN Women’s call to action to respond to the surge of violence against women and girls. UNFPA has launched its first Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) data dashboard, a helpful resource for prevention and responses efforts. 

We must not stay silent. Here are few examples of what you can do:

• Support services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence
• Watch the LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr. Martin Junge about the importance of working to end Gender-Based Violence in our churches and in our societies
• Hold a prayer service. See our suggested worship resources here and here.
• Sign up online for our joint panel discussions on advocacy, theology, human rights, gender justice, engaging men and community responses. See Side by Side – Faith movement for gender justice events here and Ecumenical Women at the UN 16 Days blogs.
• Make the Thursdays In Black pledge 

International Migration – An On-going Concern: International migration remains a topic of on-going concern at the United Nations. People continue to be on the move, some driven by climate change or political upheaval, some because they wish or see an opportunity for a better life. These then remain as topics for discussion in various UN fora. A recent overview of many of the issues is contained in the first biennial report, launched on December 1, of UN Secretary-General António Guterres on implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. He noted: “The Compact reflects a growing global understanding of the great benefits of human mobility. But it also recognizes that, if poorly managed, migration can generate huge challenges, from a tragic loss of life to rights abuses and social tensions. COVID-19 has heightened those challenges and had negative effects on more than 2.7 million migrants, particularly on women and girls.” 

He concluded with several recommendations: “First and foremost, we must embrace the spirit of collaboration. No country can address migration alone. Second, the pandemic has highlighted the value of migrant labor,” observing that many of those providing essential health and care services are migrant women. “Third, we must address discrimination and foster social inclusion and cohesion between host communities and migrants. Migrants should not be stigmatized or denied access to medical treatment and other public services. We must strengthen the immunity of our societies against the virus of hate.” Earlier this year, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants issued a “report on ending immigration detention of children and seeking adequate reception and care for them.” The report took up a wide variety of situations, including that in the United States, and was discussed in mid-October in the Third Committee of the General Assembly. Another key, unresolved issue related to climate-induced migration is its relationship to international peace and security and, thus, the purview of the Security Council. Small Island states, such as the Marshall Islands, have noted the irony of the Council’s involvement in approving the admission of Member States while being unwilling to take up the security and other risks to their very existence. 

On December 18, several nongovernmental organizations — with whom LOWC has been collaborating in a civil society action committee on migration – will host an online event “International Migrants Day: Global Celebration of Our Rights and Our Struggle for Justice” to discuss key migration issues including wage theft, detention and climate justice and mobility. 

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California  

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

Tracking Legislators: The office in California has begun work on tracking legislators and their staff, in connection with various coalitions, for the purpose of keeping lawmakers accountable. LOPP-CA is helping organizations keep track of changes in seats after California’s November election, as well as mapping the political landscape for an upcoming 2021 advocacy year. 

Post-election Coalition moments: LOPP-CA is doing meaningful work with their partner coalitions; alongside California’s Food and Farming Network, the office is in conversation to set strategy for next year’s advocacy, as well as continuing the commitment of racial justice within food advocacy. The Building the California Dream Alliance, of which LOPP is a member, is also having strategy meetings for the coming year, as well as creating new tools to communicate with legislators who have been hard to reach during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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Colorado 

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

Election Results: Coloradans voted on 11 statewide ballot measures in November. Lutheran Advocacy took a position on six of these measures. All three of the ones we supported were passed on November 3! 

•       Proposition 118will create a paid family and medical leave program. After many years of supporting creative but unsuccessful legislative efforts, we are thrilled that voters made it abundantly clear that Coloradans want paid leave. The measure passed with 57% Yes. 
•       Amendment Bwill repeal the Gallagher Amendment, a provision dating to the early 1980s which fixed the ratio of residential and commercial property tax revenue. The net effect in the last decade was ratcheting down residential property tax revenues every year, meaning less revenue for schools, libraries, parks, fire and water services, and other needs. 
•       Proposition 113approved the National Popular Vote Compact. Coloradans support a presidential election system that will bypass the outdated, inequitable Electoral College in favor of a popular vote. 

In addition, three measures we opposed also passed, including a flat tax cut that will benefit median taxpayers in a small way but will enrich the wealthiest taxpayers significantly, requiring $160 million in budget cuts in 2021. We anticipate continuing to advocate on these issues in the coming session. 

Special Session: A special legislative session took place from November 30 through December 2, supporting small business, arts organizations, renters, the unemployed, and other groups needing immediate support in the wake of federal inaction. 

Policy Agenda Passed: The Policy Committee of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado passed our 2021 agenda on November 13. Find out more at lam-co.org. 

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Florida 

Russell Meyer, Florida Faith Advocacy Office https://floridachurches.org/advocacy/ 

The Florida Faith Advocacy Office of the Florida Council of Churches (FCC) will hold its online assembly on Jan. 7, 2021. See https://floridachurches.org/flash2020.  

The assembly will bring together mainline, Black, and Latinx church leaders to develop a jubilee movement in the state capitol. The FCC along with local partners has trained 40+ community leaders in World Café hosting in St. Petersburg as part of an initiative to reimagine civic engagement. Logistic support for Black Lives movement is ongoing, with a current focus on the death of a Black vet while in custody of the Brevard sheriff. Along with many partners, we are questioning proposed anti-protesting legislation which brings back the horrors of the Black Codes. We urge health protocols, wearing of masks, and the necessity of a statewide response to pandemic. In pressing for a second COVID-19 relief package. We also seek robust support for international humanitarian assistance. The successes of ending poverty that kills have been reversed under the pandemic. The world needs a big American heart now. We have the resources for helping hurting people both here and abroad. Faith leaders need to say this clearly and publicly. It is the high calling of our spiritual work. The Florida legislature takes up its pre-assembly work in mid-January, for the March-May session. A new alert system will be rolled out in 2021 to keep advocates advised of where their voices are most required.  

Email advocacy@floridachurches.org for more information.  

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Minnesota 

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota http://www.lutheranadvocacymn.org/

Legislative Session 2021: Along with our partners, we have been considering, debating, and deciding on priority issues for the 2021 session. The LA-MN Policy Council will be meeting soon to determine our foci amid many needs. 

Election 2020: The balance in the legislature has not changed dramatically. The most important change is that the balance of power between the political parties is even tighter than it was before the election. To accomplish our agenda, we need our advocates to build strong relationships with their legislators, especially in Greater Minnesota. While many relationships already exist, remote legislative work means legislators are less accessible in St. Paul.

COVID-19 Housing Relief: Minnesota cannot wait for Congress and the Federal Government to act. It was hoped that a package could be negotiated and ready by early December. Unfortunately, some leaders are calling for narrow business relief, but are not addressing other relief. 

If housing aid is not passed, Minnesota will soon face a grave housing crisis! Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans are behind on rent and mortgages. Without aid, we could have a housing crisis worse than the 2008 crash. This would cause unprecedented homelessness and even deeper affordable housing issues than we have already faced for more than a decade. 

Businesses will not recover if people are struggling with basic housing and food stability. Our state economy will take much longer to recover from COVID-19 if families cannot meet their basic needs! Take Action Now! Find your MN State Senator & Representative and their contact info at https://www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts/.

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Pennsylvania 

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

ELCAvotes: LAMPa staff encouraged and provided information for advocates to be trained and serve as nonpartisan poll monitors, as well as shared an ongoing social media presence on election day to be able to respond with information and assistance in cases of voter confusion or potential voter suppression.  Lutheran advocates joined demonstrations around the commonwealth to protect the vote count in the days following the election. LAMPa staff and volunteers had contacted election offices in all 67 counties, to assess their preparedness and identify opportunities for our congregations to help, particularly as polling sites or as poll workers and volunteers. LAMPa followed up after Nov. 3, thanking elections workers for their service under tremendous pressure. 

Civic Engagement: Discipleship in a Democracy: LAMPa Director Tracey DePasquale participated as a state policy office adviser in the first working session of the task force developing the new ELCA social statement. Earlier this year, LAMPa held an official listening session in the development of the newly adopted social message on the same topic. The development of the social statement will be a five-year process.

Addressing Homelessness, Looming Eviction Crisis: As the federal eviction moratorium deadline draws near LAMPa shared an alert and survey with congregations and constituents seeking their input. Congregations and groups providing sheltering programs were asked to respond to a survey lifting the voice of those facing or experiencing homelessness. LAMPa shared alerts seeking constituents’ voices to speak up for vulnerable neighbors as state  lawmakers finalized the budget for the remainder of the fiscal year. Advocates were asked to contact their state lawmakers to ask them to fix and fund a rental and mortgage assistance program to keep PA residents in their homes. Read more. 

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Washington  

Paul Benz and Elise DeGooyer, Faith Action Network https://fanwa.org/

FAN’s 2021 State Legislative Agenda: With approval of our Governing Board, FAN announced our 2021 State Legislative Agenda. Our six main topics this year are Advocating for a Biennial Budget that Reflects Our Values as a State; Reforming our Policing and Criminal Justice Systems; Creating Housing Opportunities and Preventing Homelessness; Addressing Climate Change; Protecting Immigrants, Civil and Human Rights for All; and Ensuring Health Care and Mental Health Access. See the full list of bills at fanwa.org/advocacy/legislative-agenda/. We will be holding three virtual Advocacy Days in Olympia, Central WA, and Eastern WA as well as sharing weekly action items in our E-News as ways for advocates to use their voices in the 2021 legislative session.

Faith Leaders Speak on COVID Safety: ELCA Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee from the NW WA Synod shared an idea for faith leaders to make a COVID-19 safety video, similar to FAN’s Census video we made earlier this year. These trusted messengers remind us of the important role faith leaders and communities must play in keeping EVERYONE safe by wearing a mask, keeping distance, and ensuring COVID-19 is not passed on in our communities. See their video on YouTube: youtu.be/OvX6_kdT6hQ  

FAN Annual Dinner 2020: On November 15, FAN hosted our first virtual Annual Dinner fundraiser, “Rise Up Together,” and exceeded our goal of $130,000! Advocates met in local Zoom pre-parties, then joined us on YouTube for an evening of statewide calls to action, a look at the 2021 legislative session, a special appearance by our friend and matching donor Rick Steves, and beautiful music and poetry. Read our event recap at fanwa.org/annual-dinner/. 

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Wisconsin 

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

This month, LOPPW was busy preparing our advocacy priorities for the next legislative session while also rebuking our state’s inadequate response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 16th, LOPPW, in collaboration with our interfaith partners, hosted our “Faithful Action for a Healthy Wisconsin” event, a virtual rally urging lawmakers to take substantive action to protect frontline workers, take additional pandemic mitigation steps, and show support and solidarity for the religious and government leaders boldly trying to protect their communities. This event had hundreds of attendees and was picked up my numerous local news stations. We are using the momentum from this event to conduct virtual meetings with leadership in the State Legislature to push for additional action. 

Outside of COVID-19 advocacy, Kyle is helping kickstart work within our criminal justice and immigration reform priorities. He is working towards a coalition to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction in Wisconsin and institute other reforms to the juvenile justice system. While the coalition is still in its infancy, he is confident that LOPPW can be a voice for juvenile justice reform in the future. Kyle is also starting advocacy efforts with our local synod immigration & refugee task forces to advocate locally for immigration reform to their county sheriffs.

As we approach the end of the year, Cindy will hopefully be able to provide a sturdier foundation for the above initiatives and build active coalitions and campaigns to address these important policy reforms.