White folks – we need to get past the idea that we need to fix white supremacy for other people – that we can be white saviors coming in to save the brown and black folks in our church.  The truth is that we are the ones that are broken.  Now don’t get me wrong – White supremacy DEFINITELY needs to be dismantled in order to improve the lives of our brown and black siblings.  I just don’t want you to get it twisted.  I want you to realize that we too are harmed by white supremacy.  That what we need is collective liberation.  That we are not the savior.  A brown skinned Palestinian Jewish man named Jesus is.

About our brokenness.  We are seriously lacking in empathy.  When we hear about another black body being shot on the news, we wait “to hear the whole story” before we can lament about the situation.  We find some way to justify what was done.  We find some way to assign blame to the victim.  “Well if he wasn’t walking in the street.”  “If he didn’t speak that way to the police.” “Well he shouldn’t have been selling loose cigarettes.” “Well he did have a realistic toy gun in his hand.”  Somehow we have become okay with state sanctioned executions in the street.  Where oh where is our empathy?  White supremacy tells us that objectivity is possible – that emotions shouldn’t play a role in decision making.  All too often we get stuck in our heads and we forget about our hearts.  We rationalize away some pretty awful things.  White supremacy has us do these things.

White supremacy also tells us that we have a right to comfort.  In church.  White supremacy tells us that we have a right to comfort in church. What?!  Jesus was about flipping power structures, lifting up the lowly  – he was executed by the state for standing up for his friends.  Jesus was intensely political.  But we want the church to “not be political”.  We want the church to be comfortable.  We think talking about race is racist.  We wonder if we could just use some words other than “white supremacy”, which after all isn’t really that big of a problem.  So without thinking about it, we have created the equation that white comfort is more important than black lives.  OUCH.  I know  – its a shocking realization.

I know – some of you are probably super mad right now.  You’re mad because you think I am accusing you of being a white supremacist.  You’re mad because you can’t possibly be a white supremacist – you’re a good person – white supremacy tells you that you have to be perfect.  You can’t have some flaw like white supremacy or racism.  The thing is, white supremacy is not so much about you as an individual as it is about this insidious evil system that we are ALL caught up in and that we ALL suffer from – though in different and unequal ways.  The evil genius of white supremacy is that it operates without you noticing or doing anything to keep it in place.  It is so deep and entrenched that we don’t even notice it or realize that we have anything to do with it.

It’s going to take a lot to root white supremacy out of church folks and its going to be hard, but we HAVE to do the work.  Much harm has been done because we have failed to do the work.   (I often wonder what Dylann Roof learned in his church about racism.  I wonder if he had pictures of white Jesus hanging  in his ELCA congregation.  I wonder what role did our denomination play or not play in his formation.) We are going to have to offer each other an ABUNDANCE of grace.  We are going to have to be okay with not knowing what we are doing and forging ahead on faith.  We are going to have to ask other white folks to give up their comfortable positions because the truth is that white comfort is NOT more important that black lives.

Shari Seifert with her friend David Starks together at Calvary Lutheran Church – Minneapolis following the murder of Philando Castile.

The truth is that we are all the body of Christ together and when part of the body hurts, the whole body should feel it.  We shouldn’t wait “to hear the whole story”.  We should feel it with our whole heart.  As Bishop Eaton said tonight – until white folks care about the death of black lives as if they were their own, nothing is going to change.  Can you join me in hoping and praying for the holy spirt to enter our hearts and move us to compassion and to action?  Can you join me in calling for the dismantling of white supremacy?

Bio: Shari Seifert  lives in Minneapolis with her wife, two sons and the cutest Golden Doodle you have ever seen.  She works as a Realtor and  is committed to working towards dismantling white supremacy in the ELCA.  Shari is currently vice-president of the European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice (EDLARJ),  a member of the Minneapolis Synod racial justice table, her congregation’s Race Equity Committee and Multi-faith Anti-Racism and Healing (MARCH)     She is also on the core planning  team the Multicultural Youth Leadership Experience (MYLE).

As we approach the twentieth anniversary of our full communion agreement, “Called to Common Mission,” we give thanks to God for the partnership we share with The Episcopal Church. In the coming months, we will pray for and with one another, seeking spiritual renewal in these challenging times, and revival for the common mission we share.

From Pentecost Sunday through the first Sunday in September, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and her Episcopal counterpart Presiding Bishop Michael Curry welcome congregations and individuals to regularly pray “A Prayer for the Power of the Spirit Among the People of God.” This prayer – crafted by a team of Lutheran and Episcopal prayer leaders in light of the COVID-19 pandemic – will connect us in common prayer and revive us for common mission, wherever and however we may be gathered.

Congregations might wish to incorporate the prayer into worship following the Prayer of the Day, as part of the Prayers of Intercession, or at the conclusion of worship before the Blessings or Dismissal. Individuals may pray it anytime as part of their own personal prayer discipline. Please feel free to print, publish, post, and share it widely.

At Pentecost, we celebrate the power of the Holy Spirit. In our diversity, we are united through God’s presence among us. We are amazed and astonished. United in Christ, and joined by common prayer, the Advocate calls and sends us out in common mission. Come, Holy Spirit.

A Prayer for the Power of the Spirit among the People of God
God of all power and love, we give thanks for your unfailing presence
and the hope you provide in times of uncertainty and loss.
Send your Holy Spirit to enkindle in us your holy fire.
Revive us to live as Christ’s body in the world:
a people who pray, worship, learn, break bread, share life, heal neighbors,
bear good news, seek justice, rest and grow in the Spirit.
Wherever and however we gather,
unite us in common prayer and send us in common mission,
that we and the whole creation might be restored and renewed,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Oración por el Espíritu en tiempos de incertidumbre y desplazamiento
Dios de todo poder y amor, te damos gracias por tu constante presencia y por la esperanza que brindas en tiempos de incertidumbre y de pérdida. Envía tu Espíritu Santo a encender en nosotros tu fuego santo. Revívenos para vivir como cuerpo de Cristo en el mundo: un pueblo que ora, adora, parte el pan, comparte la vida, atiende a sus prójimos, es portador de buenas nuevas, busca la justicia, descansa y crece en el Espíritu. Dondequiera y de cualquier manera que nos reunamos, únenos en oración comunitaria y envíanos en una misión común: que nosotros y toda la creación podamos ser restaurados y renovados, mediante Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.

Une prière pour l’Esprit en une période d’incertitude et de déplacement
Dieu de toute puissance et de tout amour, nous te rendons grâce pour ta présence indefectible et l’espoir que tu nous donnes en cette période d’incertitude et de perte. Envoie ton Saint-Esprit allumer en nous ton Saint feu. Ravive-nous pour vivre comme le corps du Christ dans le monde : un peuple qui prie, adore, apprend, rompt le pain, partage la vie, guérit les voisins, porte de bonnes nouvelles, cherche la justice, se repose et croît dans l’Esprit. Où que nous nous réunissions et de quelque manière que nous le fassions, unis-nous dans une prière commune et envoie-nous dans une mission commune afin que nous et toute la creation puissions être restaurés et renouvelés à travers Jésus-Christ notre Seigneur. Amen.

The ELCA recognizes June, 17 as day of Commemoration of the Emanuel 9 and a Day of Repentance of Racism.  This blog is featured as part of a series to call the ELCA to address white supremacy and racism. To find additional worship materials for June 17, please visit https://www.elca.org/EmanuelNine

3 Then I turned to the Lord God, to seek an answer by prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying,

“Ah, Lord, great and awesome God, keeping covenant and steadfast love with those who love you and keep your commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong, acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and ordinances. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.  (Daniel 9:3-6)

I love living and serving as a pastor in rural communities on the Great Plains. I have spent most of my life in this environment, and my family has been part of this landscape for generations. My identity is tied to this place, and that comes with complex realities and shameful truths. Like anywhere in the United States, has been present in this space since the arrival of white people. It takes different forms in different settings, I cannot speak to how it manifests in other rural environments. Rural spaces are not monolithic.

There are, of course, overt displays of white supremacy. People fly confederate battle flags, hang racist symbols in bars while claiming they are, “just being country,” whatever that means. Hate groups hold rallies to intimidate immigrant communities. We have an abundance of statues and landmarks named after men who committed genocide against our indigenous neighbors. Those obvious examples give cover for the quieter, more prevalent, and just as pernicious ways that white supremacy manifests itself into the daily rhythm of our lives.

This landscape is defined by openness. That this openness has tragically created space for my people to hide how white supremacy is alive and well. It is easy not to see migrant workers when they are the only people standing in a field miles from the nearest town or behind the walls of factories processing our food. It is easy to not see the indigenous communities that our presence has forced onto reservations or to ignore the people of color who live in our communities as our neighbors. It is easy to claim that issues facing communities of color don’t affect us because there is just so much space.

The reality is, regardless of how easy it is to look another way white supremacy damages us all. The stories we pass down from generation to generation about how our rugged ancestors came from Europe with nothing.  How they were tough and brave enough to “tame the land.”  Those stories live on in us, a constant nagging sense of inadequacy. These prideful narratives center on white exceptionalism and yields shame that creates a hardness within us and our communities.

As a result we gloss over the honest parts of these stories, where people were faced with a choice of starvation, conscription, or a boat to a place they had never been. We don’t tell how whole communities shared one window so that everyone’s sod home was up to code when it was to be inspected. We exempt the reality that people of color have been present in every wave of immigration to this area. We certainly don’t spend enough time sitting in the discomfortable truth that we live in this vast and beautiful space only because of the systematic extermination and removal of indigenous people.

I love living and serving here. I delight in meeting our new neighbors who much like large parts of my family, have come fleeing dire situations to find some measure of peace. I am honored when I am invited into holy moments where those whose families have been in this space for thousands of years share their experience with me. I have hope that we can stand against this damaging and pervasive narrative. We value humility, let’s commit to taking an honest look at the ways in which we have participated in the oppression of our neighbors. We value steadfastness, let’s commit to the long process of dismantling white supremacy.  We value community, let’s commit to creating a world where those who have been excluded for so long are shown the dignity, justice, and love.

Kelly France is  the interim pastor at Swedlanda Lutheran Church in rural Hector Minnesota. In his ministry he seeks to build communities that address the injustices of white supremacy and religious intolerance in the rural Midwest.  He serves on the board of the European Descent Lutheran Association for Racial Justice (EDLARJ).

The word “amparo” in Spanish means the protection of a living creature from suffering or damage. The ELCA’s strategy to Accompanying Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities (AMMPARO) was envisioned after witnessing the plight of children who are forced to flee their communities because of complex and interrelated reasons, including chronic violence, poverty, environmental displacement and lack of opportunities in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

Dave Delaney, Salem, VA

Warm-up Questions

• What a time to be talking about the effect of the wind and the effect of breath! As the spring has gone on, we’ve learned that the virus that is currently dominating our lives is primarily spread through vapor that comes from our mouths. Have you mostly ignored that, or have you started to think about how connected we are to others through our breath? We have had to come to terms with a somewhat unpleasant truth – that when we’re in an enclosed space with other people, we will invariably breathe each other’s air. If it’s carried by a slight wind, like air conditioning, the effect is even amplified. Medical science has always known this, of course, which is why surgical masks are worn. We are connected by air / breath / spirit whether we like it or not! What do we each owe to those around us in helping to safeguard their health?
• When you see something that’s just plain baffling, what is your usual reaction? Imagine seeing strange lights in the sky or a really clever optical illusion (like Zach King’s short videos), or even a person you know acting completely out of character. Do you usually try to come up with an explanation that fits the normal way things work? Or do you take time just to enjoy the novelty of the experience? Or does it freak you out in some way?  When something extraordinary happens, do you think about the possibility of that being God’s work?
• We have come to the end of the Easter season. In these scary and frustrating times, what were some of your greatest joys over the last seven weeks?  How did you notice or give witness to the reality of Christ’s resurrection in your life and your world during the Easter season?

Love in Many Tongues

A recent news story emphasizes the importance of interpreters in the dealing with the current pandemic. In a place such as New York City, where more than 800 languages are spoken, one can only imagine how hard it must be to make sure someone with any medical emergency can provide a description of their condition, as well as receive understandable instructions. If we add to that the restrictions that accompany our current reality, where an interpreter might not even be in the same room to provide a sense of comfort to a disoriented or otherwise distraught patient, or where the patient may not even be able to speak due to medical apparatus, the task of sending and receiving clear messages in the patient’s own language becomes overwhelming. 

In addition, while the wholesale introduction of new technology into medical care can make a positive difference for the patient, there have also been unexpected effects on the interpreters, bad as well as good. Health care interpreter Helen Sweeney says of a recent patient, “We just kind of had him do like a thumbs up or thumbs down for ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ And we just simplified the communication.”  Her story – communicating remotely by screen and having to improvise on the spot – sounds at first like a grand success for the kind of creativity and commitment that would make these interpreters even more “essential” –  to the point of life and death!  

But interpreters have also had trouble maintaining their revenue in the face of technology and other struggles associated with the pandemic. So-called “tele-health” practices do not provide the same income for these interpreters as does on-site interpretation. Since this could easily become the norm rather than the exception, even after the pandemic passes, analysts wonder whether this will affect the availability of good interpretive services for the most vulnerable patients. 

In addition to the doctor-patient interaction, interpreters are often the only ones who can also communicate the condition of a patient to their family members, or even inform them that the patient has sadly died. Helen Sweeney has, however, managed to preserve some very human elements of these somewhat impersonal screen-based translation encounters. She describes a call with an older, Russian-speaking woman who was stressed about her health care and had symptoms of COVID19. Later, Helen ended up being put back on the call with the same woman, who she says remembered her instantly. “It’s very rarely that you’re interpreting for someone in a very dark situation, and then you’re able to catch them again,” said Sweeney. “She recognized me, not by my face, but by my voice.”

Discussion Questions

• For anyone who has studied a language other than the one spoken in their home, what are the most difficult kinds of things to communicate to someone in your second language?
• What would you be feeling if you were in a setting where no one spoke your native language and you had an emergency? What then would be the further effect on you if someone suddenly appeared who knew your language perfectly and was willing to help?
• Medical interpreter Helen Sweeney notes that a recent patient recognized her not by her appearance but by her voice. What are some things that are distinctive about *your* voice that you think would help someone recognize you? In your life, whose voice is the most recognizable and what are the key signals that help you know that voice? Are there voices that just by hearing them they provide more anxiety than relief or joy? Who has the most comforting voice you know, regardless of what they’re saying? Whose voice most inspires you?

Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21

1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

John 20:19-23

(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 A at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

Although Acts 2 is not the gospel reading for the day, it is the centerpiece reading for The Day of Pentecost. Some phrases may jump out at us right now because of the restrictions surrounding the pandemic: “…they were all together in one place…” “… at this, the crowd gathered…” – things we cannot quite do as the church yet! 

The words describing the reaction of the crowd also feel familiar: bewildered, amazed, astonished, perplexed, sneering, and so on. These gathered visitors in Jerusalem would never have seen anything like this before and did not know whether to be terrified or excited. They did not think about this as possibly God’s work, until Peter informed them. The spoken word of the gospel had to accompany the experience they were having, which remains true throughout the book of Acts.  Over and over again, the apostles have to awaken their listeners to the activity of God among them in the midst of a confusing experience. 

As if to address the confusion head on, the nations and languages represented indicate the church’s view that this movement of the Spirit was to be a worldwide phenomenon! In the same way that the current virus has tragically spread to nearly every part of the world in a short time, so the gospel was to be proclaimed throughout every nation. Peter’s sermon goes on to cast the same very broad vision later  articulated by St. Paul in Galatians 3:28, that none of the human distinctions we observe – heritage, sex, age, etc. – matter when God’s Spirit is poured out. 

Discussion Questions

• We may find “tongues of fire” to be a surprising, even weird, image for the presence of the Holy Spirit. We’re used to the dove and the wind. Fire is also a dangerous image to dwell on, because whenever we hear of fire in the news, it’s almost always destructive or tragic. But one of the characteristics of fire is that it can spread. Once our tongues are set on fire with the gospel, our minds can be set on fire for God’s good news and our vocation as evangelists.  We become urgent in prayer, eager to study God’s Word, and alert to those who may need to hear that good news. Who are the people in your congregation or our youth group who have this fire? Can we spread some of that fire ourselves by identifying just three people in our own lives who would welcome a word of God’s gospel?
• Notice that, even though Peter alone gives the sermon, this pouring out of the Spirit only happens once the disciples are together! God could certainly have sent this inspiration and heavenly power to each of them as individuals, wherever they were, but something more powerful happens when they are gathered. We are currently praying that we will be able to be more and more together as the coming weeks and months pass. When that starts to happen, how can we best watch for the Spirit of God to motivate each of us in ways we might not notice if we are by ourselves?
• The disciples of Jesus lived in a time when it was presumed that young people, people from other lands, and especially non-males would have no role in any work that God was doing in the world. Peter’s sermon quotes the prophet Joel  stating emphatically that this will not be the case with the outpouring of God’s Spirit. How do you as a young person or as someone without a privileged position in the world claim that promise of God for yourself? What are some situations where you could speak a word of God’s love and good news as a fully authorized and Spirit-empowered disciple of Jesus? How do those of us who are in privileged positions repent from prejudices that make us suppress or ignore the voices of others?

Activity Suggestions

• On Pentecost Sunday, many congregations feature the reading of Acts 2 in multiple languages – often at the same time! – to create the sense of the attention-grabbing sound that the crowd heard on that first Pentecost. Whether your group is meeting in-person or online, you can approximate that just by using your congregation’s native language and have everyone read the same passage at their own pace, not trying to stay together. Especially if it’s an online experience, the confusion will be very apparent! Then have just one person read the sermon from Peter (vss. 17-21) and notice the contrast. In our daily lives, what kind of speaker or message does it take for all of the rest of us to be quiet and listen, not because we’re expected to, but because we do not want to miss what is being said?
• We often think of Pentecost as just one day, but it is a whole season of the church year lasting half the calendar year! It will be Pentecost Season all the way until the end of November! Your group can celebrate that together by taking time to affirm each member individually. What are the spiritual gifts you see in each member of your group? How do those gifts contribute to the mission of the church, the vitality of your youth ministry, and the life of the world, especially when you’ve got weeks and months ahead of you to reflect on that?
• Many congregations have their Confirmation Service on Pentecost Sunday. Due to this year’s restrictions, families may not be able to be present the way they might have under normal circumstances. This would be a perfect time for your group to provide special cards and notes for each confirmand. AND – do not forget the families! As a group you might generate a giant thank you card for each of the confirmands’ parents, siblings, and other family members who have nurtured that confirmand to this point in their faith journey. 

Closing Prayer

God of wind and fire, we thank you for sending the Spirit to those first disciples and to all believers throughout the centuries, giving us peace, hope, and courage for service and witness. Make our faith strong and our words clear to those who know and hear us. Give us listening ears to the cries of those who need you most, and bless our outreach with an abundance of joy and an ever-increasing body of those who call on the name of the Lord. In the name Jesus, our Savior and Lord, Amen.

These reflections are a part of ELCA World Hunger’s Sermon Starter series which is published via email every Monday. You can sign up for the weekly email here on the right side of the page if on a computer or near the bottom of the page if viewing from a phone. This reflection was written by Rev. Dr. William Flippin. Rev. Dr. William Edward Flippin, Jr. served as an ELCA parish pastor in Columbus, Ga., and Atlanta, Ga., for eleven years. He was the first African-American pastor at both churches.  He currently serves as Assistant to the Bishop, Director of Evangelical Mission for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod. He served on the ELCA Church Council 2013-19 and is on the Lutheran World Federation Church Council as Co-Chair for Advocacy and Public Voice. He received the “Prophetic Voice” Award in 2016 for Faith in Public Life, Washington, D.C., and serves on the Alumni Board for Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He also was inducted in 2017 to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers and Laity at his alma mater Morehouse College. He has been married for seventeen years to Kedra Phillips-Flippin, a nurse care manager, and are the proud parents of Shamel Emani.

May 31- Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21

Today is Pentecost, a day for remembering where the church came from, how the church came to be, and for asking what on earth the church is for and where in heaven’s name the church is headed. This is the day when we should envision what the Church could be, what its field of dreams would look like — and to start working to bring that dream to reality.

The disciples who were situated in the Upper Room, as the poet Langston Hughes described, had a “dream deferred” vaporized in their Messianic expectations. Despite their realities, Pentecost came with the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out on them in a topsy-turvy world. How can we still have hope for a field of dreams?

We must pour out our hearts: Jesus always reminds religious leaders, spectators, and followers that humanity examines them from the outside, but the spiritual dimensions are found in the heart. Pentecost reminds us that the authentic expressions of disbelief from the disciples were the catalyst of transformational change. This birthday celebration of the church reminds us that we do not need a lovely building, a good choir, a well-run church school, or any ordained clergy to be a church. Instead, we need the Spirit of Christ in order to be a Christ body community. This allows Christ to be enfleshed, incarnated, embodied through a Spirit-filled community, the Church must pour out a heart filled with self-sacrificing love.

Even in our present “dreamless” state, the church has managed pretty well to offer to helping hands to people in need. We run soup kitchens, stock food pantries, and provide showers, online worship and devotions, and shelter. But there should be a difference between being a “good citizen” and being the church. In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA World Hunger is expedited and advocated through the means of sacrificial giving through accompaniment and trustworthy service to neighbors. Through being the embodiment of God’s hands, the works of love  are manifested in the global realities of hunger being minimized. To find stories about ELCA World Hunger’s transformative work, read the reproducible stories found here: https://www.elca.org/Resources/ELCA-World-Hunger#Stories

There is a new field of dreams that are endless for those to hear the clarion call of leadership. Jesus affirms that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Why is the church stagnating? Could it be that the church, which began as a field of dreams for the outcast and outsiders, has become a field of keeping the status quo? An area of ideas seems outside the reach of even the highest imagination.

Nearly two centuries ago (August 18, 1807), someone watched as Robert Fulton tested his steamboat. He kept yelling, “It’ll never start! It’ll never start!”

Just then, the steamboat pulled away from the dock and moved majestically up the Hudson River. That observer quickly changed his tune.

He yelled: “It’ll never stop! It’ll never stop!”

We all know these people. They go by different names: the failure-predictors, the trouble-warners, the obstacle-visionaries, the problem-imaginers, the “we-can’t-afford-it” cost-estimators.

The truth is that the church — no matter how stodgy and out-of-shape it has become — is still in God’s hands. The church’s future is never predictable or plotted out because the Holy Spirit, the animating breath of the church, blows up storms and whirlwinds without any notice.

The Spirit must be allowed to circulate through the sanctuary, pushing us to our knees at unexpected moments. Does anything ever bring tears to our eyes in Church (besides the annual budget report)? Can the Spirit make us smile, or even laugh out loud in church?

 Just as found in the impetus of the Spirit, it is time for the church to spread her wings in being willing to “trust the Spirit.” We cannot take flight under our own power. Peter Pan’s “flying song” in the Disney version of this childhood dream story still offers sound advice. To soar, “all it takes is faith and trust … and a little bit of pixie dust. The dust is a definite must!”

As Christians, we can provide the faith and trust — while still admitting that we are mere dust and to dust we shall return.

At its heart, this is what building a church that is a “field of dreams” takes — the willingness to spread our wings and step off the edge, believing that the breath of the Spirit will bear us forward into the future.

John 7:37-39

In 1999, I was a Peace Corps Intern for Mickey Leland Institute of World Hunger and Peace, residing in the remote villages of Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). My primary task was health education and the building of water latrines. On the surface, the water looked clean, but the children kept getting sicker and sicker. Malaria was the cause of this dilemma, affecting sixty percent in the village and within a fifty-mile radius. As I was treating water sources with chemicals, I would always think that new life begins with just one drop.

Jesus knows this, which is why he cries out, “Let anyone thirsty come to me and let the one who believes in me drink. As the Scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water'” (John 7:37-38).

Whenever the Bible speaks of “living water,” it is pointing us in several directions. Living water can mean fresh, running water – water from a spring, as opposed to a container. It can also mean life-giving water. In this case, Jesus is suggesting both because he knows that fresh, running water is also life-giving water – something everyone needs for a life of health and vitality. Just ask the residents in countries I witnessed in the remote villages of West Africa.

But John, the gospel writer, offers a third meaning in the very next verse: “Now [Jesus] said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit because Jesus was not yet glorified” (v. 39, emphasis added). John believes that living water Jesus offered is nothing less than the fresh, running, life-giving Holy Spirit of God, which comes to Jesus’ followers on the day of Pentecost.

Living Water. Holy Spirit. Both change our lives. Both give us hope for the future. Clean water and the Spirit of God can flow together in some powerful ways in the mission of the church today. The simple presence of one clean-water well can transform a community. Clean water leads to health, which leads to productivity, which leads to education and commerce and forward progress.

It isn’t just about a cup of cold, clean water. It’s about the future.

Jesus tells us the power of the Holy Spirit has the same effect. When we turn to Jesus in faith, we receive a free-flowing and life-giving Spirit who can transform our lives. The Spirit makes us happier, healthier, and better able to serve God with passion and purpose.

Just one drop. That’s where it begins. Then the flow of the Spirit in Pentecost and Christ’s divine breath becomes a river of living water.

All were together and filled with the Holy Spirit. The river of living water drenched all.

Our transformation begins with just one drop – a drop of concern for a child in poverty. If the Holy Spirit is working for health, welfare, and education, then we should too. We can volunteer at a free medical clinic, deliver food to a low-income family, or tutor a child requiring help with homework.

Such a drop turns into a trickle – a trickle of help for a neighborhood in need. If Jesus is the embodiment of divine power, overcoming the evil forces that inflict calamity and sickness on humanity, then our challenge is to be Jesus’ healing and helping hands in our communities. We can support dental clinics for the homeless, affordable housing for the working poor, and English classes for immigrants.

This trickle can become a river of living water – a river that carries the good news of God’s love around the world, washing over people with improvements to their spiritual and physical health. Whether

fighting cholera in Haiti or installing water filters in my own experiences in

West Africa, Christians are changing lives as they follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. Jesus’ words are coming true: “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).

It can start with just one drop. The installation of one water filter. The digging of one well. But once the water begins to flow, nothing can stop it. Same for the Holy Spirit.

Children’s Message

Pour a pitcher of water into a bowl and let the children watch and listen to the flowing water. Explain that this is what the Bible means by “living water” (v. 38) – water that’s fresh and running freely instead of sitting still. Then ask if everyone needs to drink water in order to stay alive. Nod your head yes and say that a person can live for only about three days without water . As you put your hand in the bowl and stir the water, share this second meaning of “living water” – life-giving water, the water we all need to stay alive. Then say that Jesus defines “living water” in a third way: He says that it is the Holy Spirit, which believers in Jesus receive from God (v. 39).

The world is mostly water, but most people can’t drink safe water that we can get at home in the United States and use for drinking, cleaning or bathing. Emphasize that this Spirit is like water because it’s running freely, and it gives everlasting life to us in this world and in heaven. Let them know that each of us has a soul and a body, and our soul needs the Holy Spirit just as our body needs fresh, clean water.

by Ruth Ivory-Moore, ELCA Program Director, Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility

What do a Malayan Tiger, Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake, Ridgeway Hawk, Hawksbill Turtle and Eastern Black Rhino have in common? For one thing, each animal plays an important role in balancing and maintaining healthy ecosystems. But also, each of these animals is classified as critically endangered – that is, facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due in large part to human activity.* In the ELCA resource, “Why Lutherans Care for Creation,” we are reminded that the key tenet of Lutheran ethics has been faith active in love. “When we expand the definition of ‘neighbor’ to include the plant and animal life that surrounds us and upon which we depend, we are called to embrace not only the ‘two kingdoms’ of church and society but also the ‘kingdoms ‘ of the plant, animal and geologic worlds – the entire orbit of our life” (pg. 5). Yet humanity’s greed and selfishness seen in various activities such as poaching, black-markets and deforestation have played a key role in causing these creatures to be nearing extinction.

May 15th was Endangered Species Day, a day set aside to recognize the national conservation efforts to protect our nation’s endangered species and their habitats. This week of May 18th marks the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si’, a letter from Pope Francis to all Roman Catholic bishops subtitled “on care for our common home.” In this encyclical he reminded that “[p]eace, justice and the preservation of creation are three absolutely interconnected themes, which cannot be separated and treated individually without once again falling into reductionism” (Laudato Si‘, p.92).

PRACTICES THAT PROTECT ARE NEEDED

Peace, or rather the lack thereof, has been historically linked to illegal practices such as poaching. Early in the 1800’s during the Oyster Wars of the Chesapeake Bay, for example, encroaching dredgers and legal Virginia watermen clashed to avoid overuse of the waters. In these uncertain economic times resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the world could see an uptick in certain illegal activities such as poaching. “Rhinoceros poaching has increased in Africa as the novel coronavirus caused countries to announce national lockdowns that put a stop to big game tourism,” reports The Wildlife Society (4/16/20)

The removal of animals from the ecosystem causes the system’s balance to be upset. Practices such as poaching do more than cause the extinction of certain animals. The United States government, recognizing the importance of protection of animal species, in 1973 did what no country had done before and enacted a law to protect and restore the species that are most at risk of extinction. That law, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), has proven to be extremely effective.

WITH PRAISE, PRAYER AND POLICY WE EMBRACE OUR ROLE

“Our foundational biblical vocation is to be our ‘brother’s [and sister’s] keeper’ (Genesis 4:9) and ‘to till it and keep’ the Earth (Genesis 2:15),” says “Why Lutherans Care for Creation.” “We are especially called to care for the poor and the vulnerable among us and all around us, including endangered species and at-risk ecosystems.” We work toward sustainability of an acceptable quality of life for present generations without compromising that of future generations. All of creation is interconnected, and we respect and embrace the roles played by animals from the top of the food chain predators like the Malayan tiger to the Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake that controls rodents to keep balance and diversity in the ecological systems. What we do today will have profound impacts on future generations, and we value the life of all creation.

With Endangered Species Day fresh on our minds and with the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si’ being recognized by many in the interfaith community, we praise and thank God for God’s beautiful creation. We ask for prayers for all of life and for more understanding of the connectivity of humanity to the rest of creation. As Pope Francis stated in Laudato Si’, “[e]verything is related, and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of his creatures…”

”Why Lutherans Care for Creation” sets out this challenge: “This is how we love God in, with and under all creation—as neighbors of one another and of all living things on Earth and as kindred spirits with all things in the cosmos. The church calls upon Christians and all people of goodwill and conviction to participate in this great work of our time. Together we may be able to renew and re-form our church to embrace ‘the care and redemption of all that God has made.’”

*See a stirring, brief video from National Geographic on these lovely creatures as part of the PhotoArk project.

For many of our neighbors, the economic consequences of the pandemic has thrust them into the sometimes-confusing world of applications, documentation and eligibility requirements that make up our public assistance programs here in the United States. The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) increased funding and broadened eligibility to many of these programs, but since many of these programs are administered by states, how to apply depends on where you live.

ELCA World Hunger’s newest set of guides, “Community Assistance Resources by State,” is meant to help potential applicants get started in applying for benefits they and their families may need. Each one-page guide has links to information and applications for each of the following programs for all 50 states and Washington, DC:

• unemployment insurance;
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
• Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC);
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP);
• Rental and housing resources from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); and
• child care assistance (for most states).

In addition, each sheet has contact information for the National Suicide Hotline, the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the Farmer Crisis Hotline.

We included some information about changes to programs, where possible, though with many programs in flux, we only included information that we are reasonably certain will still be accurate as we head into Fall 2020.

How to Use the Community Assistance Guides

The guides are on the ELCA World Hunger resources page under the “Hunger Ed” tab. All of the states are grouped together in a zip folder. If using a PC, simply save the folder to your desktop, right-click on the folder once it is downloaded and click “Extract All…” A folder with all of the guides should appear.

The guides are meant to be a starting point for finding applications and information on public programs. These can be shared electronically with members of a congregation, contacts on an email list or with clients of a feeding ministry. They can also be printed and placed in bags with food during distribution days at a food pantry. These can also be posted to social media groups for a community or shared on a website.

As you can see in the Montana guide above, most of the information contains links to websites, while some also have phone numbers. There are a few reasons for this. First, the agencies that administer many of these programs have been overwhelmed with calls. Some potential applicants are finding that hold times are very, very long, if their call is answered at all. Going online is typically the quickest way to apply. Where possible, we included links to paper applications for some assistance programs, for folks with challenges filling out forms online, either due to internet access or ability level. The second reason is that the most up-to-date information on eligibility and process can be found online.

Having direct links to the information can also help potential applicants find what they need much faster. Digging through state government websites can be tricky, and there are several websites that appear to be state-run are not the right sites and may present a risk for security of applicants’ information. The links on ELCA World Hunger’s Community Assistance Resource Guides have been checked by multiple staff for accuracy.

What If Clients Don’t Have Internet Access?

The COVID-19 pandemic is revealing what many folks have known for years: there is a deep digital divide between communities that have access to the internet at home and communities that have insufficient or no access. So, how can neighbors who don’t have internet access use these resources?

There are a couple solutions to this problem. First, some of the guides have links to paper applications that can be printed out and sent to congregation members or placed in a bag of food during distribution at a food pantry. The paper applications usually include the mailing address for the agency, so this is one easy solution.

Second, if your ministry has switched to a drive-through or walk-up model at a church, look into how far your church’s wifi extends on the property. For some churches, guests may be able to access the network from their cars. Consider setting up a waiting section of the parking lot for guests to access the church’s wifi and fill out the application using their own computers. In many cases, the applications are quick to fill out. This does depend on your state, though. For unemployment insurance, some states have set up scheduled days when applicants can apply. Be sure to check these first. Also, be sure to check with the church administrator to make sure the wifi connection is secure and available for clients to use.

Another option during food distribution is to provide computer stations outside for clients to use. This is a bit more difficult. The computers would need to be secure (especially in deleting browser history after each use), socially distant from other computers, guests, or volunteers, and covered in such a way that they can be easily disinfected after each use.

Also, remember that the crisis response resources are phone or text-based. For neighbors facing crises related to mental health or domestic violence, these hotlines can be an important help and do not require a computer.

Accessing the public benefits that are available in your state can be confusing for folks. But with these guides to get started, the process can be much easier and less time-consuming.

Note: Most of the public benefits expanded under the CARES Act are not available to undocumented immigrants. The ELCA’s AMMPARO ministry has shared a spreadsheet of resources on its Facebook page to help non-citizen neighbors find the support they need.

Ginger Litman-Koon, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Warm-up Question

How do you see people becoming divided during the pandemic? How have you seen people coming together?

That We May Be One

The global pandemic has caused communities around the world to put social distancing and isolation measures in place. These measures have proven effective in keeping people apart, and, therefore, reducing the spread of COVID-19. Artists across the globe, however, have not allowed social distancing to squelch the unifying effect of art. Musicians began to share their musical gifts, either from their front door or through the web. One video of opera singer Maurizio Marchini performing an aria from his balcony in Italy, one of the hardest-hit countries in the world, went viral and brought joy to both his neighbors, as well as audiences across the web.

Photographers have also been employing their talents to lift people up and bring communities together. In Minneapolis, photographer Scott Streble began what he calls the Front Porch Project, to document this memorable time in our shared history. No matter what our families, homes, or lives look like right now, one thing we can share is the experience of “quarantine,” as the national social-distancing efforts have been commonly termed. In New York City, the worst-hit metropolitan area in the US, artist Arina Voronova created a street-art campaign called Act of Love, showing different couples sharing a kiss while wearing surgical masks. Her goal was simply to spread love in a difficult time. Her campaign is just one of many which uses art to lift spirits and create a sense of solidarity amidst the stress and isolation of pandemic.

Discussion Questions

• How have you seen unity during the pandemic?
• Has your community participated in any acts of solidarity during this time? How?
• What effect have these actions had on you? on those on the front lines? The community?

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Acts 1:6-14

1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

John 17:1-11

(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 A at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

Protection. We all want it. We all need it. Especially with the ever-present threat of COVID-19, protection is front-and-center in our minds these days. You or your family members may have used protective coverings to go out for work, shopping, or even exercise. Wearing a face mask to the store or gloves to pump gas may feel awkward or even embarrassing. But over the last few weeks it has become necessary for the safety of self and others. 

In today’s Gospel Reading from John 17, Jesus prays to God the Father on behalf of his disciples. He prays that God would grant us eternal life, and he prays that he would provide us with protection. “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me,” Jesus says, “so that they may be one, as we are one.” I don’t know about you, but just hearing these words of Jesus gives me a sense of comfort. Our Lord Jesus prayed for us, for our protection. Just that fact alone brings peace.

Jesus prays that God would protect us. He prays because he knows that we need it, and he prays because he knows God can provide it. Disciples of Jesus need protection, because we are not supposed to stay locked away behind closed doors forever. Our calling is to shine the light of Christ wherever we go – even if, for right now, that’s just for a walk or to the store for a loaf of bread. Disciples of Jesus are called, equipped, and commissioned to be Christ’s representatives in the world, even when the world is a little scary. And that’s why we need protection. That protection may come in the form of face masks and gloves, worn to protect the most vulnerable around us, or it may come in the form of God’s watchful eye, leading and guiding us through each day in safety.

But there is another facet to Jesus’ prayer for our protection. He prays that the Father would protect us for a particular reason. The reason he gives is “that they may be one.” Jesus implores the Father to protect us, not only from harm, but from division. Jesus’ ultimate desire for his disciples is unity. Jesus wants his followers to know the loving unity that he shares with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Above all, Jesus prays that the Church would be protected from everything that pulls us apart, builds walls between us and sets us against one another. 

We, the Church, may not “feel” very united right now, since many of us cannot worship together in-person. However, there are many ways we can see how God is keeping us united. We are being united by worship – whether through online worship, drive-in church, or messages arriving through “snail mail.” We are being united by service – disciples around the world are finding ways to serve those in need, whether through blood drives, food collections, community gardens, or other means. Some people are using their sewing skills to make cheery patterned or logo masks, in order to make personal protection a little less intimidating. We are also being united in prayer – pastors have received many calls, notes and emails just letting us know that we and our congregations are being lifted up in prayer at this time.

For the sake of his beloved Son, God is answering Jesus’ prayer for protection. He is providing for our physical and spiritual needs through the work of very Body of Christ, the Church. May we trust more each day in God’s care for us, for Jesus’ sake.

Discussion Questions

• Have you needed extra protection during the pandemic? Did you have what you need?
• In what ways have you felt protected during this time? Have you offered protection?
• Do you have any ideas of how you or our church could help provide protection to others?

Activity Suggestion

In the next to last paragraph, the gospel reflection mentions a number of ways we are being united–by service, worship, and prayer.  Do something to build  unity through service in the coming week, either by engaging in one of the actions mentioned in this Faith Lens or by doing something of your own creation.

Closing Prayer 

Sheltering God, like a mother hen, you cover your children  under the protection of your holy wings. Keep us safe, protect us, and guide your Church toward greater unity, now and always. Amen.

When we must bear persistent pain
and suffer with no cure in sight,
come, Holy Presence, breathe your peace
with gifts of warmth and healing light.

These words by Ruth Duck are the opening stanza to “When We Must Bear Persistent Pain,” a hymn that will be included as one of two hundred hymns and songs in the forthcoming worship resource, All Creation Sings. As this resource was developed the themes of “lament” and “healing” were identified as topics needing additional assembly song. Such songs are needed in every time but now as we are in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, the need is ever more pressing.

Some of the hymns in All Creation Sings that have been written more recently take on new meaning as we sing alone in our homes or via digital means. Adam Tice profoundly expresses the depth of our suffering at this moment in “Sometimes Our Only Song Is Weeping.”

Sometimes our only song is weeping; our only sound is gasping breath.
Sometimes it seems that God is sleeping while our brief lives are bound in death.
Who hears the song our sorrows swallow and offers hope to calm our fears?
When all our words seem frail and hollow, God heeds the prayers within our tears.

We know as people of God that such suffering has been encountered and sung about in the Psalms and in the hymns of every generation. Consider the sixteenth-century hymn “In the Midst of Earthly Life” penned by Martin Luther and in a new translation by Susan Palo Cherwien.

In the midst of earthly life fear and death beset us;
who attends and hears our cry, who does not forget us?
You only, God, you only.
In you our forebears put their trust, hoped in you and were not crushed.
Holy and righteous God! Holy and mighty God!
Holy and all merciful Savior! Everlasting God!
Though death would torment us, let us not sink in the dust.
Lord, have mercy.

In every time and place God’s people plead for mercy yet trust in the promise that God will never forsake us. Sometimes we address God in lengthy poems; sometimes we use short refrains that reassure. “Don’t be afraid, my love is stronger, my love is stronger than your fear,” sings a refrain by John Bell, echoing the biblical assurance to not be afraid. In Richard Smallwood’s song “Total Praise,” such praise arises not when all is seemingly well but “in time of the storm … [God is the] source of my strength.”

You may be deeply lamenting the loss of singing together in these days while still clinging to the promises expressed in the songs you’ve treasured. When we do come back together, perhaps these new hymns and songs will join those you’ve always known in expressing the sorrow of these days but also the hope in Christ that sustains us.

May these words by Shirley Erena Murray inspire such hope:

Let my spirit always sing,
though my heart be wintering,
though the season of despair
give no sign that you are there,
God to whom my days belong,
let there always be a song.

“When We Must Bear Persistent Pain” by Ruth Duck © 2005 GIA Publications, Inc. “Sometimes Our Only Song Is Weeping” by Adam M. L. Tice © 2015 GIA Publications, Inc. “In the Midst of Earthly Life” © 2005 Susan Palo Cherwien, admin. Augsburg Fortress. “Let My Spirit Always Sing” by Shirley Erena Murray © 1996 Hope Publishing Company.