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

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: February 2025

DOMESTIC SERVICES AND GRANT ACCESS | PRESIDENT TRUMP WITHDRAWS FROM THE PARIS AGREEMENT | FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS | USAID IMPACTS | IMMIGRATION IMPERATIVES

This month has seen rapidly developing impact of executive actions from President Trump, jolting a vast array of government agencies and the people who intersect with related vital supports. All Witness in Society staff have been active with ELCA colleagues and partners to discern and advocate in the rapidly evolving, complex political climate, and with voicing ELCA priorities through shared experiences and ELCA social teachings with policy makers.

The ELCA presiding bishop has brought important reflection and action on current events, including through videos. Find “Responses to Executive Orders on Immigration” (2/14/25), “ELCA Responds to False Accusations on X” (2/2/25) and “Faith, fear and the call to community” (2/21/25) from the playlist on the ELCA Advocacy YouTube Channel as well as ELCA socials.

 

DOMESTIC SERVICES AND GRANT ACCESS:  Confusion follows an executive order implemented by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of a federal funding freeze on all federal aid and grants to organizations – largely impacting states and nonprofits. Though the memo has since been rescinded, aftershock impacts continue. The aftershock impacts left many domestic program funding portals, such as Medicaid for states and Section 8 assistance, inaccessible. Access to grants was closed for several days – with some programs still inaccessible for a lingering period, and with a federal judge citing evidence that the administration is continuing to freeze programs despite a court order.

Why It Matters in the ELCA

Regular administration of basic domestic services and grants is a core necessity for many low-income programs. The tangible result of this freeze included pausing research for cures for cancer, halting food assistance, stopping infrastructure construction, closing suicide hotlines, and much more. Delays in payments also resulted in furloughing programmatic staff while creating mass confusion among shelters, food pantries and contractors. Though the federal freeze for domestic aid programs has since been rescinded, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff have indicated they will continue combing all programs that help low-income families for consideration of elimination.

What’s Next

Several non-profit organizations and states, including the National Council of Nonprofits, are leading lawsuits against this U.S.-wide grant freeze which resulted in the initial withdrawal of the memo. ELCA Witness in Society staff will be tracking the progress of the lawsuit alongside Lutheran partners, while sharing with lawmakers the impact of the short-term freeze.

PRESIDENT TRUMP WITHDRAWS FROM THE PARIS AGREEMENT: Upon being inaugurated into the office of the U.S. president, Donald Trump immediately issued an EO calling for the United States to withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. This action will take the United States out of the first global agreement to collectively combat climate change.

Why It Matters in the ELCA

The ELCA stands strong in its commitment to caring for creation, and in that commitment, bolstered by the 2023 social message “Earth’s Climate Crisis,” calls for government action toward combatting climate change and promoting a clean energy transition. The ELCA has been present and advocating for positive action at the annual Conference of Parties to the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP). The experience of our Lutheran delegation at the recent COP29 was shared in a webinar. A recording of this webinar, “Voices of Faith in Climate Action: COP29 and Beyond,” is available.

What’s Next

As one of the largest global emitters of greenhouse gases, the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement gravely threatens global progress on climate change as well as multilateral cooperation more generally. ELCA advocacy staff will continue to advocate for policies and regulations in line with the Nationally Declared Contribution (NDC), country commitments to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change within the Paris Agreement, which were announced by the outgoing Biden administration.

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS:  Most U.S. foreign assistance programs have been impacted by a series of EOs and directives that were issued by President Trump soon after his inauguration. The administration has sent stop-order requirements to all existing foreign assistance awards, effectively pausing implementation of many development and humanitarian programs in low and middle-income countries. This is in addition to the EO pausing new U.S. foreign assistance obligations and disbursements pending a 90-day review. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS (PEPFAR) is one of the programs that have been impacted.

Why It Matters in the ELCA

The ELCA has long been involved in advocacy related to U.S. foreign aid to help fight hunger, extreme poverty and disease around the world. Millions of lives have been saved because of U.S. foreign aid programs such as PEPFAR, which by itself has saved over 25 million lives.

What’s Next

While Secretary of State Marco Rubio has now issued an emergency humanitarian waiver to allow portions of PEPFAR programs to continue, the waiver is temporary and limited in scope. It does not cover new or future work unless a separate waiver is granted and does not apply to other global health efforts such as cervical cancer screenings. Witness in Society staff are working with advocacy partners to push back against suspension of U.S. foreign assistance.

USAID IMPACTS: Currently, the attempted dissolution of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the government agency overseeing global efforts to improve health and education and decrease poverty and hunger, is having a large impact on global assistance around the world, with broad impacts including to Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH). This includes the inability for humanitarian aid to arrive to intended communities, and grants, contracts and payments already owed to organizations going unpaid or being cancelled. Such payments included funds set to be paid to the AVH, which is run by Lutheran World Federation. The actions impacting USAID started with a stop-work order, halting nearly all USAID programs pending a 90-day review, followed by layoffs and a shutdown of the USAID website, along with an order impacting workers.

Why It Matters in the ELCA

As of this writing, $10 million in payments that were already obligated and set to be paid out in January 2025 to AVH are in limbo. USAID’s payment system is still not working and the process for obtaining a humanitarian waiver is unclear and disorganized. There is no clarity whether this money will ever arrive at the hospital, despite this money being allocated by last year’s 118th Congress to the hospital.

What’s Next

Witness in Society and LWF staff members worked together to submit a humanitarian waiver to the U.S. Department of State in support of unfreezing the $10 million obligation and are working to follow up on that request. Additionally, ELCA advocacy staff will be supporting advocacy efforts by LWF in Washington, D.C. at the end of February in support of future funds for the AVH and the wider East Jerusalem Hospital Network.

IMMIGRATION IMPERATIVES: Well over ten of the Trump administration EOs are directly related to revoking the previous administration’s immigration imperatives or setting new policies and directives. Immediate impacts included from the EO “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” which expands expedited removal nationwide. Expedited removal is a fast-tracked deportation process without, generally, a chance to go before a judge. It mainly applies to more recent newcomers suspected of being undocumented. In recent days, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also revoked the protected areas memo, which restricted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in places like churches, hospitals and schools. Additionally, EOs have threatened various temporary protection programs. Affected parole programs include those for Ukrainians, Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, and Central American minors. An extension for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans was also revoked.

Why It Matters in the ELCA

The combined EOs represent an unprecedented expansion of immigration enforcement—beyond what has been attempted before or may even be reasonable and feasible. The ELCA social policy resolution, “Towards Compassionate, Just, and Wise Immigration Reform,” specifies that, “This church advocates for a fair deportation process consistent with American values, for example, the right to appointed legal representation and a hearing before a judge.” Family unity and due process for immigrants remain a concern amid the flurry of actions. As the policies roll out: Lutheran congregations have been forced to cancel worship celebrations as community members express fear; congregations have navigated how to share Know Your Rights information with community members; and Lutheran members and congregations who sponsored refugees, Ukrainians and Venezuelans under the temporary parole programs have expressed concern about the future for those they welcomed.

What’s Next

Before and after the EOs, numerous briefings have taken place with ELCA communities and networks to help others understand the lay of the land and share resources. The ELCA program director for migration policy has shared updates in multiple networks. The ELCA Action Alert on the foreign aid funding freeze also addressed the extremely concerning pause on resettlement aid for recently arrived refugees. ELCA advocacy has also been active on the Hill. The ELCA program director, Latino Ministry, and program director, migration policy, recently met with Republican and Democratic offices to discuss the impact of the EOs and encourage common-sense solutions for the community.

 

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By Solveig Muus, Director, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona 

Lately I’ve been thinking about the many ways our Church intersects across so many different channels, and about how that intentional intersectionality benefits the whole. ELCA-affiliated state public policy offices (sppos), like Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA), are one of those channels. I’m privileged to serve on the planning teams for this year’s sppo retreat as well as the ELCA World Hunger Leaders Gathering. In these settings and others, I’ve heard Christians in the ELCA passionate about the ways in which we, as Lutherans, connect people to create possibilities.

Below is just a thimbleful of the happenings in my world that are making connections.

• In Mar. 2024, the Hunger Leaders Networks in ELCA Region 2 (California, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico) embarked on a year-long journey to plan the 40-40-40 Region 2 Lenten Challenge for 2025, in which the five ELCA synods in Region 2 challenge one another to participate in spiritual and physical practices and to raise funds through Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) for a major water project at the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission (NELM) in Rock Point, Ariz. during the 40 days of Lent. I will be sharing this story in a Collaborative Learning ‘course’ through LDR called “LDR and ELCA World Hunger Intersections: Navajo Lutheran Mission” on Wednesday, March 5 (2:00 EST). Great possibilities in Region 2 – Lutheran Disaster Response – ELCA World Hunger – NELM intersectionality.

• In October 2024, the Rev. Sara Lilja, my sppo colleague at Lutherans Engaging in Advocacy Ministry New Jersey (LEAMNJ), mentioned a New Jersey bill (S-3672) recently introduced called the Immigrant Trust Act that safeguards the privacy of immigrants and limits how their immigration status is shared amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment. Thinking this could be important for Arizona as well, I proposed it to one of our state senators – who agreed and introduced the bill (SB1362) in the Arizona legislature in February. Great possibilities in SPPO – New Jersey – Arizona intersectionality.

• On Feb. 2, Lutherans of all stripes felt the sting of false accusations and misrepresentations of the funding that supports Lutheran organizations across the country, and came together as never before to defend our Lutheran service organizations. Great possibilities in inter-Lutheran intersectionality.

• On Feb. 10, Lutherans gathered at the Arizona Capitol for LAMA’s annual Lutheran Day at the Legislature. Two hundred people enjoyed a rally, legislative appointments, lunch, prayers and introductions from the House and Senate galleries and more. We were joined by 18 members of an United Church of Christ (UCC) church who share our Lutheran values, are passionate about advocacy and wanted to join their voices with ours. What are the possibilities here? Great possibilities in interfaith intersectionality.

• On Feb. 24, I attended the hearing of HB2191, Arizona’s “Yes In God’s Back Yard” (YIGBY) bill in the House Appropriations Committee. This is one of three bills (out of 1,802 introduced this session) that LAMA championed on Lutheran Day. Testimony (including by one of our ELCA Lutheran pastors), reasonable questions, lively discussion, pushback, bluster and exasperation ensued. The bill needs work, but it has bipartisan support. For now. Great possibilities in Bipartisan intersectionality.

I am inspired by the ways we connect with one another; I feel invigorated and challenged. This intersectionality gives me hope for the future of our Church, and reminds me of the importance of every connection we make. When it feels discouraging, or friends and colleagues share frustrations about our inability to affect change, I draw encouragement from our interconnectedness, knowing God is present in this work, the great weaver, making us a tapestry.

Catalyst Question

Describe a time when something out of your control was happening in your life. What did it feel like?

A God We Can’t Control

People often like to feel in control. Sometimes that’s for their own sinful reasons, like wanting unfair influence over others’ lives. At other times, people try to take charge because they’ve been hurt by someone they trusted.  And surely, there are things in our lives that we should control. How we treat other people, how we choose to use money, and how we spend our time are all appropriately within our control.

This week, there’s something going on in the sky that’s majestically out of our control. All across the world, all official planets within our solar system (sorry, Pluto) can be seen in a planetary parade. The best night to view across the globe is February 28th, and even five of the planets can be seen without a telescope.This astronomical wonder reveals both the expansiveness and the closeness of the heavens. Not only is it a rare and beautiful experience to witness, but it also highlights how fortunate we are. The laws of physic, far beyond our control, keep these planetary bodies in safe orbit around the sun in ways that both support and protect life on Earth. None of this is in our control, and yet it is good.

Luke 9:28-36 tells of a time when the disciples tried to control Jesus, along with Moses and Elijah. Often called The Transfiguration, because Jesus transforms in front of them, the story reveals that Jesus is beyond their control. Rather than contained in houses, or temples, instead Jesus shines brightly for all the world to see. In a voice from heavens beyond even our solar system, God affirms this independence from human control.

Yet, though we cannot control him, Jesus is good to us and good for us. Indeed, Jesus is God with us. As you read about The Transfiguration, consider these questions:

Ask Yourself

When have you tried to control something in your life and realized that, even though you couldn’t control it, it was still good for you?

Ask a Friend

How might it be good for us that God is beyond human control?

Dear Sumud community,

Thank you for your patience in receiving this Sumud Lenten resource. Below you will find a link to our 2025 Sumud Lenten Resource Guide, which has six weeks worth of links to guide you in Lenten devotions, discussion, and prayer. This series was a collaboration between ELCA Sumud, the ELCJHL, and the Bethlehem Bible College. You will find voices from ELCJHL pastors, Bethlehem Bible College student theologians, and one of our very own ELCA bishops. We invite you to use these resources in bible study groups, Sumud communities, or however you see fit. Blessed Lent to you and your community.

ELCA Sumud 2025 Lenten Series Resource Guide

ARIZONA | KANSAS | MINNESOTA | NEW MEXICO | PENNSYLVANIA | TEXAS | VIRGINIA  

Following are updates shared from submissions from ELCA-affiliated state public policy offices (sppos) this quarter (formerly shared monthly). Full list and map of sppos available.

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAM-AZ)

Solveig Muus, Director 

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) hosted its 4th annual Lutheran Day at the Legislature on Feb. 10. More than 200 Lutherans and friends representing 29 of Arizona’s 30 legislative districts gathered to hear remarks from Senate President Warren Petersen, House Minority Leader Oscar De los Santos, ELCA Grand Canyon Synod Bishop Deborah Hutterer and others. Following the remarks, participants met with their legislators in support of bills requesting appropriations to support free school lunches for qualifying students; automatic restoration of voting rights for first-time offenders upon final discharge from probation or imprisonment; and “Yes in God’s Backyard (YIGBY),” a bill which eases zoning restrictions for houses of worship and allow them to construct low- and middle-income housing on their properties. Participants met with more than 40 lawmakers, enjoyed breakfast, lunch and fellowship together, wrote letters to their congressional leaders and enjoyed a guided tour of the Capitol. 

The Grand Canyon Synod Hunger Leaders Network is sponsoring its 3rd annual 40-40-40 Lenten Challenge. The 2025 Lenten Challenge supports our church’s call to respond to nonconventional disasters by raising money for Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) and the ELCA’s 70-year old Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission (NELM) water projects in Rock Point Arizona, The five synods in ELCA Region 2 are challenging one another to raise funds through LDR in support of water projects at NELM, where 40% of the homes in the community have no running water. The challenge: Participate in some spiritual and physical practices during the 40 days of Lent. The synod with the most participants wins! 

 

Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA)

Rabbi Moti Rieber, Executive Director 

Rev. Dr. Mandy Todd, Director of Engagement and Development 

2024 Elections Aftermath: Following the 2024 election, Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA) will increase our focus on community building and mutual support. Our KIFA leadership put together an opinion piece after the election that says among other things: “The most important thing religious leadership can do at a time like this is continue to hold and articulate our core sacred values – love, inclusiveness, diversity, nonviolence, caring for the least of these, caring for the stranger,” and, “A Mainline church in a small town can serve as a base of resilience (not to say resistance) for people who want to be Christian but not Christian Nationalist. However, the congregation has to consciously lean into that role…” The day after the election KIFA held a multi-faith, online vigil. Attendance in our monthly advocates’ meetings and clergy meetings has increased post-election as well. We plan on increasing opportunities for this type of engagement programming both online and in-person.  

Legislative Priorities: KIFA set and released our 2025 legislative priorities, including protection of public education, defending the rights of LGBTQ+ Kansans, a comprehensive approach to affordable housing and homelessness, voting rights, and support for childhood immunizations. 

Legislative Session: KIFA’s Executive Director Rabbi Moti Rieber and Hunger Advocacy Fellow Sagi Rudnick have been busy during the session, testifying, meeting with legislators, and taking part in lobby days. Bills we have taken a stand on are related to our 2025 legislative priorities including opposition to moves to repeal the affordable housing tax credit.  

Calls to Action: In partnership with allied Kansas advocacy organizations, we have made sure our base has been apprised of calls to action, reaching out to legislators on some of the most egregious bills moving through the legislative process. We will also hold our Advocacy Day on March 10. 

 

Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota (LA-MN)

Tammy Walhof, Director 

Jacob Summerville, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow 

Main Legislative Issues: 

1. Electronic Waste Recycling – This effort seeks to update the 2007 definition of e-waste to include any device with a cord, battery, or circuit board. (Previous legislation was passed before the first iPhone). It would also provide free drop-off/collection of e-waste statewide and require manufacturers to cover the cost of that collection based on percent of state electronics sales. This spreads the cost very broadly and is already done for other waste such as packaging. 
2. Affordable Housing – As part of the Homes for All Coalition, Lutheran Advocacy-MN continues to work for significant funding for housing production/rehabilitation, safe shelters/transitional housing and Emergency Rental Assistance (to keep people/households from losing current housing). LA-MN is continuing the effort to secure Source of Income Protection to prevent discrimination against those using housing vouchers and defend the gains made in previous years. 

2025 Lenten (Lutheran) Letter Campaign: Lutheran Advocacy-Minnesota (LA-MN) is again doing the Lenten Letter Challenge and adding the Lutheran Letter Campaign (same issues and materials, but different Lent focus). Materials with talking points and sample letters can be found on the Campaigns/Action Alert page on our website. 

Out & About: LA-MN Director Tammy Walhof recently did a presentation on the United Nation’s Conference of Parties COP28 & COP29 climate change conference with Mount Olive Lutheran in Minneapolis. Tammy and Jake hosted a group from Edina Community Lutheran and Redeemer Lutheran (Northern Minneapolis) for an Advocacy Tour of the Capitol, a meeting with Senator Alice Mann, lunch (by Shobi’s Table, a pay-as-you-can cafe), an overview of effective advocacy methods and LA-MN’s 2025 main issues. 

 

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry New Mexico (LAM-NM)

Kurt Rager, Director   

1st Session of the 57th Legislature underway. 

The New Mexico Legislature’s current 60-day session will continue through March 22nd. Almost 900 pieces of legislation have been introduced. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – New Mexico (LAM-NM) is tracking over 90 bills, actively speaking in support or opposition to those identified as priority legislation through our 2025 Advocacy Agenda.  

LAM-NM Advocacy Agenda highlights:  

Affordable Housing & Homelessness – Support legislation that would appropriate $500 million to increase the construction of affordable housing, and fund programs that assist people experiencing homelessness.  

Family-Sustaining Income – Support legislation that would increase the state’s minimum wage to $17 per hour and legislation to expand eligibility for public assistance programs. 

Healthcare – Support legislation that would expand Medicaid as an option for most New Mexicans. 

Hunger – Support appropriations to support basic food needs for college students, emergency food purchases for state food banks and for additional Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) supplement funds. 

Good Governance – Support legislation that would create semi-open primaries, expand reporting requirements for lobbyists, and establish a legislative salaries commission. 

Criminal Justice – Support legislation that would update parole board procedures and prohibit private prisons from detaining asylum seekers. 

Care of Creation – Support legislation that would add a “Green Amendment” to the state’s constitution, appropriate funds to reclaim uranium mines and require transparency in chemicals used in fracturing fluids. 

LAM-NM will hold its annual Legislative Issue Briefing and Bishop’s Luncheon on Feb. 20 with more than 100 anticipated attendees from ELCA congregations and other denominations, traveling from across New Mexico to the state’s capitol of Santa Fe.  

 

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Pennsylvania (LAM-Pa)

Tracey DePasquale, Director  

The Pennsylvania General Assembly began its two-year session in January, and Governor Josh Shapiro outlined the administration’s priorities in an annual budget address that reflected many of the priorities adopted by LAMPa’s policy council for 2025-2027.  

While pursuing their goals for the Commonwealth, the administration and legislature, as well as our office, must navigate uncertainty posed by a rapidly changing federal landscape that includes executive orders and legislative proposals hostile to the safety and human dignity of immigrants, members of the LGBTQ+ community and the most economically vulnerable. State and local governments and businesses and nonprofits must contend with threats to already-committed federal funding for projects and services in addition to potential cuts to future funding.  

In response, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Pennsylvania (LAMPa) is working with Pennsylvania synods, ministries and congregations to accompany targeted communities – sharing resources, establishing rapid-response networks and supporting a bold witness for welcome. We are working with coalition partners and government leaders to identify and communicate the ramifications of revenue loss for local communities. Together with Lutheran Disaster Response and ELCA Witness in Society federal staff, we are equipping Lutherans in Pennsylvania to prepare and respond to increased need as well as to advocate for just policies that serve our neighbors.  

Join us and register for the livestream/recording of Hope in a Divided World: A Faithful Response to Christian Nationalism, March 7-8, featuring preaching by ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and presentations by Amanda Tyler of Christians Against Christian Nationalism, and Dr. Lori Brandt Hale of the International Bonhoeffer Society.  

 

Texas Impact 

Scott Atnip, Director  

The Texas Legislature convened in January for a 140-day biennial legislative session. Texas Impact marked the convening of the session by continuing a 50 year tradition with the Celebration of Public Witness on the steps of the Capitol.  

January also included the United Women in Faith Legislative Event with ELCA participants among the 350 United Women in Faith who spent three days in Austin learning about public policy, concluding with meaningful Capitol visits on the final day. Giovana Oaxaca was a star of the second day, giving a timely federal immigration update.  

Texas Impact is organizing advocates through issue teams with great ELCA participation in teams related to public schools, climate action, reproductive policy, ending gun violence, immigration and the Rapid Response Team. Each team is meeting virtually every week during the legislative session.  

Finally, Texas Impact is excited to announce the addition of Rev. Keats Miles-Wallace to the Texas Impact team as a Policy Consultant. Texas Lutherans are particularly excited to have an ELCA pastor on staff, and Pr. Keats is off to a quick start working with the Immigration Team on LGBTQIA+ issues.  

 

Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP)

Kim Bobo, Co-Executive Director  

Rev. Dr. LaKeisha Cook, Co-Executive Director 

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) is focused on bringing a faith voice to the “short session” (6 weeks) of the Virginia General Assembly. The organization had more than 450 advocates registered for its Day for All People advocacy day in January and brought another 70 students to the General Assembly two weeks later. More than 100 meetings were organized with Delegates and Senators discussing priority issues. 

Although the final outcome of bills will not be known until the governor reviews them and legislators return in April to review the governor’s amendments (or vetoes), it appears that the following bills that VICPP has led on will be sent to the governor: 

• Presumptive eligibility for pregnant women (allowing likely eligible folks to get on Medicaid sooner) 

•  End to youth shackling (in courts). 

• Expanded process for education in prisons. 

• Keeping rural maternity wards open. 

VICPP is still working on sending bills on paid sick days and faith in housing to the Governor. 

After the General Assembly, VICPP will switch its attention to the federal attacks on immigrants and refugees in Virginia.  

 

How can we use our voices for justice in Palestine and Israel as American Christians?

Catalyst Question

How do you define the word “mercy”?

Mercy Meant for Today

This devotion is based on The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). A lectionary is a set of scripture readings assigned to different days throughout the year. Right now, we’re in the third year (known as Year C) of the RCL’s three-year cycle, which was assembled in 1983 by leaders of many denominations. That’s important background because, today, many congregational leaders are being accused of manipulating the biblical selections for worship to fit their own political or social agendas. If the congregation is using the Revised Common Lectionary, that’s simply not the case. These scriptures have been assigned to February 23, 2025 since before most millennials were born.

In the Gospel for this Sunday (Luke 6:27-38), Jesus speaks of many topics that challenge prevailing logic in the United States over the past month or so. In the face of political partisanship, racism, sexism, and economic oppression, Jesus says, “love your enemies.” In the face of funding cuts for programs that support the most at-risk citizens in our country, Jesus says “give to everyone who begs from you, and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.” When these words appear on Sunday, it’s not evidence that your preacher brought an agenda into the pulpit. It’s not hinting of some conspiracy to undermine the current administration. They’re simply the words destined for this Sunday for decades.

This also includes the simple phrase from Jesus, “be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” That’s profoundly relevant today because the works of mercy that Lutherans have carried out for hundreds of years are now at risk. The move to freeze or remove congressionally-approved funding is not only legally dubious. It is at odds with Christ’s teachings. Fortunately, as the linked article indicates, Lutheran social service organizations are not backing down from this work of mercy. Instead, following the witness of Christ, they’re doubling down on the work of mercy and advocating that others do the same. Just as Jesus calls us to do.

It is dreadfully difficult to be merciful in such divisive times. Yet, remember that Jesus taught in a similar time. Rather than in relative peace, Jesus lived under Roman occupation. Jesus spoke out against religious and politic corruption. Jesus’ own faith community was divided into many factions. Though 2,000 years old, these words are very much meant for days like today. Especially now, we need mercy in all its forms–generosity, love, forgiveness, and the like. Rather than accidentally occurring or deviously manipulated, perhaps the Holy Spirit moved in 1983. Perhaps God knew, in a country with growing inequality, that we’d need the same words of mercy that spoke into similar divides in past millennia. It just might be that God knew we needed to lead with mercy in such a time as this.

Ask Yourself

What is the hardest part of Jesus teaching today for you to put into practice? Why is that?

Ask a Friend

How can we be more merciful and help others to understand the need for mercy in times like these?

By Courtney Hall, Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California [ABOUT THE AUTHOR]

In all honesty, I feel I have lost sense of what the phrase “common good” even means today. In a world so divided, what I view as the common good may be the antithesis of my neighbor’s beliefs; so, who decides? Is it those with power, is it a popular vote, is it those with the most influence? As I try to understand how my role as a faith-based advocate contributes to the common good, I am left with more questions than answers.  

It is in times like these, I think, that our faith is most important—not just our faith in a God, but our faith in each other – our faith in our neighbors that despite any differences we may have, we all want the same thing.  

  

STRUGGLES WITH LEGALITY AND MORALITY  

In college, I studied history, so that is often the lens through which I view the world. History can often be cyclical, providing a road map of what is to come based on what has already happened. Today, I believe we find ourselves headed down an all too familiar road, facing an internal struggle of legality and morality opposing each other. Throughout history, there have been many examples of this. Just because something is legal does not mean it is moral. There are, of course, the obvious examples of this, such as the apartheid in South Africa. However, there are also smaller instances that we may not think about day to day. For example, it is illegal to steal; however, is it moral to punish a starving person who is stealing food to survive? Should the legal consequences of such an act be placed on the individual who is suffering or the system that puts them in that situation to begin with?   

Neither train of thought is inherently evil nor corrupt; rather, it is simply a variety of opinions.  In both instances, it would be valid to say that holding the chosen party accountable is for the common good. 

 

GUIDING LIGHT  

I often find myself feeling hopeless and disillusioned with the world around me as if I am a ship lost at sea, surrounded by darkness. The world is overwhelming, and it is easy to feel lost. Our differences and disagreements can often cloud our judgment and make us lose sight of what is truly important.  

And just when I think it is time to give up, I see a faint light off in the distance. This light is my faith, guiding me like a lighthouse guides a ship to safety through the darkness.  

 

INSTEAD OF BLAME 

Faith-based advocates can point to that guiding light when people feel overwhelmed and lost in the world of politics. One of their roles is to help people make sense of the confusion and chaos of all the different policies that are proposed, especially when policies conflict with our values.  

A lot of my work thus far has been focused on the governor’s proposed budget and how we can work to ensure the safety of vital programs that help marginalized communities. Understandably, there are major concerns over the continued support of such programs in the wake of the devastating wildfires in Southern California, which will take up a lot of available resources. Realistically, programs that are important will be cut, and people we know will have to deal with the consequences of those decisions.  

These budget cuts will likely sow further divisions in our communities if we place the blame on each other for an impossible situation. However, it is not your neighbor’s fault if a program they use is saved and a program you use is not. Instead of blaming each other, we need to lean on each other, lean on our shared communities to help those who are struggling.  

 

POINTING TO THE GUIDING LIGHT

Yes, these times of divisiveness raise questions about our futures, however, my work with faith-based advocates has given me hope that as long as we continue to follow that guiding light, we will make it to shore safely. We simply need to keep track of our shared goals, where our actions support a world and humanity created in God’s image, with love, grace and compassion for all who inhabit it.  

 

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Courtney Hall (she/her) began working with the Lutheran Office of Public Policy in California as an ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow in October 2024. Miss Hall is originally from Long Beach, California but lived in South Carolina for the past four years attending Clemson University. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History with a double minor in Political Science and Religious Studies.  

This Lent, join ELCA Sumud with a six-week series in which Palestinian Christian theologians and pastors will weave together the biblical history of the Holy Land with themes of Jesus’s ministry surrounding empire and justice. Through videos and reflections, we will explore Jesus’s call to disrupt systems of oppression and injustice which still echoes loudly over two thousand years after his death and resurrection. We will have resources available by March 2025 on the Sumud webpage. Special thanks to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and Bethlehem Bible College for their collaboration.

 

Proposed cuts to Medicaid advancing in Congress threaten the wellbeing of millions of vulnerable Americans. We have a critical opportunity to raise our voices and share our values and experiences that shed light on the valuable role Medicaid fills. Proposed cuts would have far-reaching impact, potentially hampering the work of our ministries that serve low-income children, seniors and individuals with disabilities. ELCA social teaching emphasizes both fiscal responsibility and moral obligation (see ELCA social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All). These  principles can work together to strengthen our healthcare system while responsibly stewarding taxpayer resources.  

“We of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have an enduring commitment to work for and support health care for all people as a shared endeavor. Our commitment comes in grateful response to God’s saving love in Jesus Christ that frees us to love and seek the wellbeing of our neighbor.” – ELCA Social Statement Caring for Health: Our Shared Endeavor.

 

UNDERSTANDING THE PROPOSED CHANGES

Among a menu of cuts that could be introduced in the 119th Congress as soon as this spring, the most concerning proposals include: 

• Converting Medicaid to a block grant system. Under block grants, federal funding would be capped, with states receiving only a fixed amount of federal Medicaid funding, irrespective of states’ actual costs. This would potentially lead to reduced coverage and benefits, increased state taxes, or reduced funding for schools and local services as states search for alternative ways to fund the program.  

• Giving states broader authority to cut benefits and restrict eligibility.

• Expanding existing work requirements for vulnerable populations. 

• Lowering reimbursement rates for targeted groups, such as children and pregnant mothers, triggering immediate cuts to families in nine states and potentially more.  

For detailed analysis of these proposals, we encourage you to review resources from: 

• “Medicaid: An Overview” from the Congressional Research Service  

• “2025 Budget Stakes: Millions Could Lose Health Coverage or See Costs Rise” from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities 

• “Medicaid and Work” from the Kaiser Family Foundation 

• ELCA social statement Caring for Our Health, Our Shared Endeavor  

 

URGENT CONCERN ABOUT PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION ACTIVITY

Deeply troubling reports indicate that new Administration officials may be accessing Medicaid databases without proper authorization. This raises serious concerns for individuals and organizations such as Lutheran social ministry service providers, including: 

• Potential freezing of vital funding to states and beneficiaries.  

• Compromise of sensitive beneficiary information. 

• Violation of established procedures for database access and constitutionality. 

• Disruption of healthcare delivery for millions of Americans for whom the support is essential.  

 

OUR ACTIONS AS PEOPLE OF FAITH MATTER

      1. Use the Partner Action Alert to contact your elected official.

Please consider taking action on an advocacy alert from the ELCA’s social ministry partner, Lutheran Services in America (LSA), on the vitality of Medicaid.  

• Go directly to the LSA Advocacy Alert, “Urge Your Lawmakers to Protect Medicaid and Oppose Cuts and Caps,” here, or select it from ELCA.org/advocacy/actioncenter.  

The LSA network reaches one in 50 people in America each year, and it brings the collective power of its national network and strategic partners together in new ways to advance innovation and achieve a healthier, more equitable future for all people in America.  

 

      2. Attend the upcoming ELCA Advocacy webinar, “Understanding Medicaid Cuts: A                        Lutheran Response,” for updates. 

Registration will open soon for a Thu., March 6 webinar with key leaders from the Lutheran community. Watch socials @ELCAadvocacy and our ELCA Advocacy Connections e-news for the link.  

 

      3. Coalition Action Opposing Harmful Medicaid Cuts. 

Our ELCA advocacy team and partners are working together to make our elected officials aware of the impacts of proposed Medicaid cuts. In addition to your letters and local efforts, an opportunity is being organized for your social ministry or congregation to sign together a letter to members of Congress. As details finalize, look for announcements in the ELCA Advocacy Connections e-news. 

 

      4. Directly Connect with your Elected Official 

Consider inviting your member of Congress to your congregation or social ministry to discuss or illustrate the impacts Medicaid will have on your ministries and your community. Guidance in the “Virtual Visits” guide among ELCA resources will help you get prepared. 

 

IMPORTANT TIME TO ACT

In our households, communities and ministries, we know many of us will face serious consequences of changes to federal Medicaid policy. It is an important time to act. Together, we can make a difference in protecting this vital program. 

For more information or assistance with any of these action items, please contact our advocacy team at washingtonoffice@elca.org.