By Taina Diaz-Reyes, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow*

Paul, as described in Acts 21, arrived in Jerusalem to some strong responses. Buoyed by a crowd incensed by rumors that he was encouraging Jews to no longer observe Jewish law, a Roman tribune arrested and interrogated Paul to determine his crime. Following the Jewish law was central to the life of those identifying as God’s chosen people, and this man was accused of overturning the practices and covenant of their ancestors. (I probably would have been similarly roused. In fact, as I learned more about the history and present-day legacy of colonialism among communities with which I identify, I was roused – but I digress.)

We’ve heard a lot of rhetoric about our laws recently – from politicians, from pulpits, and most recently, from angry mobs of people rallying around a cry to hold fast as a country to tradition or law and order. The Constitution, the source document from which the laws of the U.S. came to be, is considered by many to be the ancestral heritage of the U.S. To many it’s what makes this country unique, and identity as “Americans” is marked by adherence to following law. As in Paul’s day, it becomes a problem now too when someone is accused of attempting to disregard the law for their own purposes.

But what was Paul doing, if not what he was accused of?

 

A moment of confusion

TEXT Acts 22:1-16 – I asked, ‘What am I to do, Lord?’ (v. 10)…

Acts 22 is known today as the account of Paul’s conversion. He was in Jerusalem because he had been given explicit instructions described to go (v. 10) and to do (v. 16). He attempted to convey this to the angry crowd, saying he lived “according to our ancestral law” (v. 3), saying it was as precious to him as it was them. He had dedicated his life to the law, to tradition, to persecuting those who sought to preclude the law with a new Way (v.4). Jesus, when addressing Paul on the road, anticipated the uproar when Paul testified to his encounter on the road.

When Paul tells of his conversion, he’s been confronted with his sins. Like many in the crowd, pre-conversion Saul had used the law and tradition to persecute and oppress others (even though many had heard of Jesus’ making an entire speech in Matthew 25 about how any treatment of the oppressed and marginalized among us is done as though it were being done to Jesus Himself… again, I digress). He asks Jesus, “What am I to do, Lord?”

The interesting thing about what Jesus says? He doesn’t tell Paul anything. He just says to go.

“What am I to do, Lord?” is a question we must ask ourselves daily. It is a question I ask about my work in advocacy. The response is always the same: Go.

 

Going it alone

After his encounter with Jesus, Paul tells us, “those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus” (v. 11). Like Paul, we need accompaniment in our mission. The task of pursuing God’s call on our lives as believers is a charge made possible by the indispensable resource of community. As we “go,” we do not journey alone. In the work of advocacy, we do not labor for justice alone. The work of advocacy is a journey to join God in restoring all things to Godself. The work is urgent, as we strive to ensure the needs of those made vulnerable to suffering are met.

 

A refreshed beginning

As it was with Jesus’s, Paul’s baptism (v. 16) marks him as a member of the Christian community and as at the beginning of his work. And as it was with Paul, our baptism marks us as members of the Christian community and the beginning of our work. As Lutherans, our commitment to advocacy comes in response to our baptismal covenant, just as Paul’s faith and mission were confirmed by his baptism (v. 16).

Paul was forgiven his sins of persecution in order to be proactive in his commitment to Christian community and faith. We must repent of the sins in which we unknowingly (and sometimes knowingly) participate. Judgment. Discrimination. Apathy. Inaction.

Forgiveness leads us to repent of our sins and move forward in faith. A recent example of repentance is the commitment to anti-racism that individuals and organizations have made to turn away from discrimination and become proactive in using anti-racist language, behavior, etc. To repent of racism is to live out anti-racism.

 

Timeless and timely advice

Ananias tells Paul, “And now, why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name” (v. 16). Ananias’ words to Paul reinforce what Jesus said to Paul on the road: get up and get moving – why do you delay?

And it is a sending I take with me, along with you, in advocacy action.

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* This New Year Devotional Series has been composed by the three ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellows serving in 2020-2021. “The ministry of ELCA World Hunger involves young adult engagement in conversations and formulating solutions to this systemic and universal obstacle to physical and spiritual well-being. Hunger is one of the key issues we must address as a church, for injustice and inequity are consistent themes across our local and global food systems. One way to address hunger and ensure young adult involvement in the ELCA and in World Hunger’s faith-based work is by funding the Hunger Advocacy Fellowship (HAF) position, a year-long contract position designed to cultivate the leadership of individuals looking to halt the expanding reach of hunger through advocacy,” describes Taina Diaz-Reyes, Hunger Advocacy Fellow in D.C.

Taina Diaz-Reyes‘ placement is with the ELCA advocacy staff in Washington, D.C. She says: “I am a ‘Lutheracostal’ originally from Tucson, Ariz. but raised in the D.C. area. It was here I was exposed to the power of protest and political movements present in the city over the course of my youth. I graduated from the George Washington University with a BA in Geography and Sustainability, then completed the MDiv/MA in Sustainability dual degree program at Wake Forest University in December 2019. My personal and professional interests lie in the food-climate-policy nexus and the theological frameworks that help Christians determine points of action for racial equity, food security, climate justice and decolonization. My hope is to gain skills that will help me advance the pursuit of food justice via theologically-informed advocacy.”

Heather Hansen, San Antonio, TX

Warm-up Question

When have you had success getting someone to change their mind, selling them something, or convincing them of a new concept.  What helped you do it?

Inviting Not Selling

Relevant Magazine online recently reported a list of 11 statistics that paint a striking picture of US consumerism.  Here are a few of the 11, but to find the whole list, you can use this link:

1.  Nearly 40% of food in America goes to waste.

2. Nearly half the world’s toys are in America.

3. The average American household has more than $7,500 in consumer debt while the median household

income in the global population is just over $9,700 (as of 2013, according to Gallup).

In a 2008 video called “The Virtue of Kindness,”  one of the narrators shares a statistic which remains fairly unchanged 12 years later:  The US is 6% of the world’s population and we use about 23% of the world’s resources.

Just coming out of the Christmas season, how do you feel about consumerism?  Has Christmas become primarily a consumer cultural?  Is it hard to stay focused amidst all the advertisements and marketing?  I noticed this year that many commercials are about treating yourself, or at least treating yourself after you treat others.  But isn’t giving someone a gift at Christmas supposed to be a meaningful show of love, like God’s gift of Jesus to us or the wisemen’s gifts to Jesus?

In 2018, the top 200 advertisers spent a collective $163,000,000,000 on marketing, according to businessinsider.com.  Yes, you read that right.  One-hundred-sixty-three BILLION dollars on marketing in ONE year.  It’s no wonder we are such consumers.  We are bombarded with verbal and visual ads everywhere we look— social media, TV, radio, billboards, and print.  Consider what we could do with billions of dollars to care for the poor, the sick, or the stranger.  We could develop better care and programs for the mentally ill or persons with disabilities, or boost education…the list goes on and on.

Because of our consumer culture, it’s not surprising that many people look at participation in a faith community or church the same way:

-Which church fits MY needs or the needs of my family?

-Which church has a coffee bar?

-Does my church worship at a time that I would like to worship, or should I find a new one that does?

-We are “church shopping.”

Of course, none of these things are necessarily bad.   But how can we also make sure we aren’t merely “consuming” faith too?  How can we be sure that our churches are not “selling us” an experience, rather than inviting us to be disciples?  What does it mean to be a disciple?  How do WE invite others into a relationship with God and with our neighbors without manipulation or a sales pitch?  Because ultimately, Jesus isn’t for sale, and neither are our relationships.

Discussion Questions

• Based on these statistics, how do you feel about consumerism in America?
• Given what Jesus says in Luke 12:34 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” what is God teaching us about consumerism?
• When is going to church a faith practice and when is it consuming?  In other words, how is participating in a faith community or church more than just filling satisfying our wants.  Is there a difference between what we want and what we truly need?  Is that difference important?

Third Sunday after Epiphany

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

Mark 1:14-20

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

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

Gospel Reflection

In Mark 1:14-20, Jesus calls and gathers his first disciples.   Jesus tells these men, who are fishermen by trade, that he will make them “fishers of men,” or in other words, “fishers of people.”  It seems like a relatively straightforward deal; I call you to follow me, and you call others to follow me (meaning Jesus).  We use this story as a reference to how God wants us to invite and welcome people into our communities of faith.  We use this story to understand part of the work of being a disciple of Christ.

However, isn’t it a little more complicated than what we hear in the gospel?  Jesus walks up to these fishermen, calls out, “Follow me.”  They lay down their nets and follow.  But WHY?!?!?!  If you were to walk up to someone in today’s world and tell them to just drop what they are doing and follow you, they would probably think you are crazy!  Even if they didn’t think you were crazy, they would not likely follow.  Moreover, in today’s cultural climate of marketing and consumerism, we’ve become particularly tuned in to wondering what people are trying to “sell” us and what’s in it for them.  “Why should I follow you?  What’s the catch?  What’s in it for me?  What’s in it for you?”

I’ve spent a lot of time in recent years inviting young people who do not go to church or have an interest in church to come.  I’ve often heard that they just don’t see the point.  These are exactly the people I feel God is calling me to invite into a faith community.  However, finding ways to invite them and not make it “too churchy” or sound like a sales pitch has proven hard.  Simply asking them to “follow me” doesn’t seem realistic either.

So I look to the gospel story and wonder, what does it mean to be a fisher of people?  And how can I be a fisher of people without becoming a salesperson?  A few things come to mind:

1. Jesus invites the disciples to follow AND tells them he will make them fishers of people.  When we invite someone to come to church, we should be clear about what we are inviting them to and why.  When you want to ask someone to share a special thing in your life, how do you ask them?  What do you say?  Developing a relationship with God different than just coming to church–and people need to know why.

2. The story doesn’t tell us is why these men just dropped their nets to follow.  Did they KNOW Jesus?  Was he an acquaintance?  A stranger?  Did they hate their jobs and see that Jesus offered something better?  Had they heard that Jesus was proclaiming the good news of God?  What would make someone in today’s world hear that the gospel is good news?  Does knowing a person and hearing about what they are doing that is unique or special make a difference in whether someone follows?

3. Jesus doesn’t make a big fuss or spend a lot of time on the invitation.  It’s simply an invitation.  Sometimes, when we work too hard to convince someone, we begin to sound like a salesperson trying to sell something instead of simply inviting.  Keep it simple.  Just invite.

4. Finally, a fisherman knows that some days you catch a bunch of fish, and some days you don’t.  And when you pull in the nets, some get away or never get caught in the first place.  If we apply this to fishing for people, we remember that fishing for people isn’t about catching everyone or catching anyone in particular.  It’s about the fishing itself, the inviting. God asks us to be faithful disciples and  fish, but God doesn’t expect us to always make a catch.  Additionally, if we get too caught up in trying to catch the fish we missed, we lose sight of those we’ve caught—and they may then slip away.  Fishing for people is not about making a catch or a sale.  It’s about  extending an invitation to something which is life-giving, nourishing, sustaining, and filling.  It’s about inviting someone deeper into a relationship.  It’s about sharing the opportunity to experience God’s love with others.

Fishing for people is not about selling something.  It’s not even about making a catch.  The point of fishing for people is to throw out the net and gather people in who want to know how God is part of our lives.  It’s about inviting people into hard, beautiful, merciful, forgiving, filling, comforting, beloved relationships; the things that being a disciple are all about.  In our consumer world, fishing for people can sometimes feel like just another marketing scheme, but it doesn’t have to be that.  After all, an invitation to a party is way better than an ad for another thing to buy.

Discussion Questions

• What’s the difference between inviting someone to follow Jesus and marketing your church or faith community?
• In today’s consumer society, why is it important to invite someone into a relationship with Jesus rather than “sell them Jesus”?
• What does it mean to you to be a fisher of people and why does God call disciples to be fishers of people?
• What are some ways you could fish for people rather than “sell them Jesus”?

Activity Suggestion

Role play a way you might “fish for people.”

If you need assistance, follow these steps:

a.  Determine why your faith or your relationship with Jesus is important to you.

b.  Think about a story you could share with others that describes why your faith or relationship with Jesus is special to you.

c.  Practice sharing your story with a partner.

OR

After answering the discussion questions above, you may have come up with some different ways to fish for people yourself.  Try these out in your role play. When you are finished with your role play, have your partner help you fine tune your invitation and explore other ways you might “fish for people.”

Closing Prayer

Jesus, our teacher, You have called us to follow you and made us fishers of people.  Give us the courage to become the fishermen you ask us to be, and the faith to know how to share your love rather than sell someone on why they should believe in you.  Equip us with the tools we need to extend your forgiveness, mercy and compassion to others, and gather in all those who are drawn to you.  Amen.

 

Issue 74 of Administration Matters

Grow giving through the ELCA’s Congregational Financial Assessment
Through the Resourceful Servants Congregational Financial Assessment, your congregation can help grow its benefactors’ confidence by proactively engaging in a review of its financial systems relative to best practices and healthy behaviors. Carrying out these activities signals to donors that your congregation is worthy of donations and conveys that accountability, transparency, professionalism and impact are taken seriously. To learn more about this free resource from the ELCA, visit resourcefulservants.org/congregations. You can also watch this video demonstration of the site and its tools.

ELCA Federal Credit Union increases ministry loans to $100K, offers ministry credit cards
The ELCA Federal Credit Union now offers ministry loans of up to $100,000 to congregations — doubling the previous maximum amount. Ministry loans at favorable interest rates can be used for building repairs, vehicle purchases, small projects and supplemental operating income. The credit union also offers a ministry credit card. With unique benefits, the cost-effective card has no annual fee and is an alternative to standard business cards. Ministry loans and credit cards are another way the credit union assists congregations financially, allowing you to focus on your ministry. Find out more about these financial opportunities at https://www.elcafcu.org/personal/ministry-solutions under “Credit Cards and Loans.”

Journi — reveal your path to leadership
When someone feels God is calling them to make a difference in the world, the sheer number of
questions and options can be overwhelming. Coming in early 2021, Journi is a digital tool for everyone who feels called to leadership in this church. Journi will equip future leaders with tools to discover their gifts, practical resources to learn more about opportunities within the church and next steps to move them forward in their leadership journey. Watch this video to learn more about our vision for Journi, which we are hard at work making a reality. Be among the first to learn how it’s going — sign up for updates at Journi.faith.

Stories of Faith in Action new digital platform
We’re delighted to unveil a brand-new digital platform for Stories of Faith in Action, housed at livinglutheran.org. The new website features content from this annual publication in a modern, dynamic format, mixing video and visual elements with stories to take you further into the work of Mission Support. This site is a fantastic tool to include in your next stewardship communication or as part of your annual meeting materials. Visit now to learn how your offering sustains and enhances ministries that support and lift up God’s people.

2020 IRS mileage allowance
The Internal Revenue Service issued the 2021 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business and charitable, medical or moving purposes. Beginning Jan. 1, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) is:

• 56 cents per mile driven for business use, down 1.5 cents from the rate for 2020,
• 16 cents per mile driven for medical, or moving purposes for qualified active duty members of the Armed Forces, down 1 cent from the rate for 2020, and
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations, the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged 2020.

The standard mileage rate for business use is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. The rate for medical and moving purposes is based on the variable costs. For more information, visit the IRS website.

Avoid frozen pipes this winter
For most of the country, winter brings plummeting temperatures. As the leaves begin to fall, the countdown to the first snow begins. Freezing and bursting pipes are a common and expensive frustration of the winter, but there are steps you can take to prevent ice blockages and freezing pipes as well as protect your water systems. >More

 

As congregations and worship leaders prepare for Ash Wednesday in this most challenging year, the ELCA Worship team offers this set of reflections by those serving the church as scholars, pastors, and bishops. Our hope is that their perspectives will provide thinking points as you reflect and prepare worship in your context.

 

Repentance is at the core of Christian living (the first of Luther’s 95 Theses). During the season of Lent, we all become a “penitent” with ashes on the forehead, looking toward to the cross as a sign of God’s reconciliation with all creation (with the absolution on Maundy Thursday). Ashes appear throughout the Hebrew Bible as a sign of mourning and repentance, but Isaiah reminds us that such practices point to the larger call for justice (Isa. 58:5-6). These ashes are at the very beginning (“dust” in Genesis 3:19) and connect each of us to all of creation and to our own mortality.

Ash Wednesday reflection has taken on new meaning because of the coronavirus. Some may argue that a specific day or season is not necessary since signs of impending death are all around us as the pandemic continues to claim thousands of lives and impacts millions more. But the coronavirus is not only a reminder of mortality but also the result of sins. Let me be clear here – I do not mean that the pandemic is punishment for sin, but rather that the spread of the pandemic has been aided by the sins of “neglect of human need and suffering” and “our lack of concern for those who come after us.”

The popularity of ashes-on-the-go highlights that Ash Wednesday can be commemorated outside the church building. For the sake of safety, the imposition of ashes should only take place with those in the household. Congregations could provide ashes (traditionally made from burning last year’s palm branches), or households could make their own – even all-wood charcoal would work.

When participating in digital worship, those in the household could impose ashes on each other during the appointed time in the liturgy. Those worshiping at home could use the litany of confession as a conversation guide, discussing (and then acting on) how to live into the disciplines of Lent: “self-examination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial giving and works of love.” It is not enough to just remember that “we are dust, and to dust we shall return.” As ones marked as Christ’s own children, we heed the call to repent, to ‘turn around.’

Prof. Kyle Schiefelbein-Guerrero is Steck-Miller Assistant Professor of Worship and Liturgy at United Lutheran Seminary. Prof. Schiefelbein-Guerrero explores “Living the Liturgical Year in Pandemic Times” in a new video series. Look for an entry about  Ash Wednesday in the coming weeks.

 

The power of receiving the cross on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday is in the layering: there is a sign of sin and death traced and layered on top of the tracing in water and oil of the promise of life, rebirth, and liberation from sin and death. On Ash Wednesday, we feel the full weight of the ashy tracing. It does not negate or obliterate the liberating sign it is layered with, but it is a suitably tangible reminder of the reality of grief, loss, and death.

The questions that have helped guide my reflections and exploration of Ash Wednesday this year have been basic: What is Ash Wednesday? What does it do? I’ve found help in the ELW Pattern for Worship (Pew Edition, p. 248; Leader’s Desk Edition, p. 612.) That led me to Welcome to Baptism (ELW Pew Edition, p. 232; Leader’s Desk Edition, p. 592), which led me to conversation with Episcopalian and Roman Catholic folks involved in the ecumenical catechumenate. Michael Marchal, a Roman Catholic writer and educator, and I talked about the ancient origins of Ash Wednesday (more focused on penitence) and creative possibilities for adapting the rite this year. We found common ground in a focus on baptism and the cross. The cross we trace on each other within our households or on ourselves is an embodied reminder that God is where we’d least expect an all-powerful being to be; a connection to both the reality of sin and death as well as to the promise of baptism.

Blessings on your caring and creative approaches to Ash Wednesday this year. It will be different; things are different this year. Christ will meet you there.

Bishop Anne Edison-Albright is Bishop of the East-Central Synod of Wisconsin. An expanded version of this reflection is found on Bishop Edison-Albright’s blog.

 

Most of my personal study and continuing education for the last several months has been focused on trauma-informed care, recognizing that living through the varied events of the last year affects not only our spirit but also our mind and body, and requires adaptations honoring this challenging new space. A best practice for trauma-informed care is to remember that significant stress and trauma are not just intellectual exercises. Our bodies respond to and reflect the events of the day. It may be using prayer beads or a finger labyrinth to make home worship feel more real or wrapping myself in a favorite sweater or soft blanket when I miss the comforting hugs of family and friends. Being mindful of how my body responds to grief and loss and finding ways to care for and comfort it has been both personally and professionally beneficial.

Ash Wednesday is such a powerful experience because we experience it physically. Even when our minds are not fully able to understand the scope of what is to come, when our spirits reject the pain of Jesus’ last days, our bodies remember. Wearing the cross of ashes as a bodily exercise is Jesus meeting us in our body’s anxiety and sadness and being with us there. As an Ash Wednesday discipline, I am encouraging my parishioners to consider ways their body can hold the day’s realities. What rituals, symbols, or actions can help us confront the fragile beauty of these brief, powerful moments of life? How can we remember that we are called to journey with Jesus and pray with him over the next 40 days, knowing what is to come? Our minds may not have the answer, but our bodies carry ancient wisdom.

The Rev. Carla S. Christopher Wilson is Assistant to the Bishop in Charge of Justice Ministries for Lower Susquehanna Synod, ELCA and Associate Pastor of Faith Formation and Outreach at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

 

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a journey when we remember Jesus’ ministry, his ability to heal and care for humanity, and at the same time, his passion, death, and overall, his glorious resurrection. In a “typical” year it might seem too soon to even talk about Easter on Ash Wednesday. However, I don’t know if that’s the case for 2021.

We have been in a sort of Ash Wednesday and Lenten journey for so long already. We have been on a journey in which we have witnessed pain, suffering, and even death. More and more people dying due to COVID-19, political upheaval in the nation, racism, LGBTQIA+ discrimination, violence, injustice, poverty, and many other issues seem endless. We yearn for that Easter moment.

Before Easter happened two millennia ago there was suffering, pain, anguish, uncertainty, fear, and death. Although pain and suffering are not God’s desire for us, they are an inevitable reality in this human life both then and now.

We say or hear on Ash Wednesday the remarkable phrase: “You are dust and to dust you shall return.” This year it can be an invitation for us to talk and grieve with our communities about how awfully painful these days are. We are invited to do so, however, while keeping the other real fact in mind: Those words are said and heard on a day in which we also know that, even in the midst of suffering and death, Easter is also our reality.

May your Ash Wednesday proclamation and celebration this year be a glimpse of realistic hope that will help us to face together these excruciating and painful times. We know that Easter will come. Though tomorrow is uncertain, we do know that Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Hallelujah!

The Rev. Alejandro Mejia is Chaplain Resident at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

 

Image Credits: Pearls of Life. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. Ugandan Risen Christ, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.

 

By the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Director of ELCA Advocacy

In the days since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the words of the 61st chapter of Isaiah have accompanied me as a prayer and as a promise. It is one of the texts I turned to as I fearfully watched the violent mob of President Trump’s supporters, bent on overturning the election results, breach the doors on January 6 and overrun the seat of American democracy. I prayed the words as the fuller horror emerged, including the tragic death of a Capitol Police officer and of rioters, details about the imminent danger to people I care about and destruction in a place that I love. The prophet’s words direct me now in pondering the role of the church in rebuilding, including telling the truth about the forces of racism and white supremacy that lie at the root of the insurrection and whose repudiation and dismantling in church and society are inseparable from our proclamation of the Gospel.

 

Need to look actually

After the attack I kept hearing the refrain “This is not who we are!” from mostly white Americans horrified by the violence that they saw. I understand that tempting assertion. These are not our nation’s ideals or our national myth, and I don’t want this to be who we are either. But nothing will change unless we acknowledge that last week’s violence and ongoing threats are direct expressions of our nation’s deep-rooted white supremacy intertwined with a resurgent Christian nationalism. Neither are new, but both have been given new sanction and virulent life by President Trump’s rhetoric and policies. Saying “this is not who we are” is a lie that abdicates our individual and collective sin and complicity.

Martin Luther said that a theologian of the cross calls the thing what it actually is, in contrast to a theology of glory which calls evil good and good evil. ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod Bishop Yehiel Curry’s blog post, “If It Was Us We Would’ve Been Shot,” and Missouri’s U.S. Rep. Cori Bush’s op-ed, “This is the America that Black people know,” are some of the voices calling issues by name, saying this IS who we are. They are calling out the disparate treatment of the largely white crowd that was allowed to converge on the Capitol despite weeks of threats and plans to violently overturn the election in President Trump’s favor. They and many others are outraged but not surprised by white supremacy at work in the widely contrasting preparations and response to white supporters of the President, and in the privilege operating that could have allowed this insurgency to succeed.

We need to call what it actually is another thing: the fusion of Christian nationalism with violent insurrection. The cross, signs reading “Proud American Christian,” and banners bearing the name of Jesus were carried next to Confederate flags and among people outfitted for violence. Insurrectionists appealed to faith as a justification for their assault on the Capitol, including a “Jericho March” that would bring down the walls of the Capitol. I want to again say “this is not who we are,” but that too would be a lie. This is a face of Christianity in our nation, and although unrecognizable to me, these are our kin, and it is our responsibility to repent and denounce this perversion of the Gospel.

 

Much to do

Where do we go from here? There is much to do to tend to those traumatized by the event. We need to hold leaders, rioters and their supporters accountable and to ensure this never happens again. And for our ELCA, I suggest we go deep and learn from Isaiah about some first steps to address white supremacy and Christian nationalism.

 

Leading rebuilding

The prophet Isaiah’s 61st chapter announces to the returned exiles the anointing of God’s servant and the rebuilding the ruins of Jerusalem, her institutions and common life. This week I noted new learning from this text. Rebuilding will be led not by the elites but by those who have suffered most under the current order – the oppressed, the brokenhearted and the captives. The ones who know the weight of injustice, who have been on the receiving end of violence and whose hearts have been broken by the trauma of loss are charged with raising up the former devastations. They are the leaders for shaping a new and more just nation.

The rebuilding of Jerusalem in Isaiah’s account is informed by the voices of those who can call a thing what it is, informed by their suffering so that the new city will not replicate its former structures but imagine a new and more just design. So at this time, our overwhelmingly white church needs to listen to and follow the lead of those who know best the pain inflicted by white supremacy, those brokenhearted, imprisoned and oppressed by it – even when we want to cry out that “this isn’t us.” We need to hear the pain and follow this leadership on how to respond and raise up the former devastations. We need to learn to identify and preach and teach about the dangers of white Christian nationalism as heresy and violence.

 

Unleashing renewal and repair

The servant of Isaiah 61 came to preach good news to the poor. The servant’s job was proclamation of God’s word of healing and liberation, and then getting out of the way so that the oaks of righteousness could get to work, unleashing their energy and creativity into repairing their society. It is what Jesus did when he stood in the synagogue to read from this chapter. He announced his priorities with these words and then asked his followers to go and do likewise.

This is who we are – Jesus’ disciples who are broken but also blessed. Sinful but also forgiven. Fearful but also called to serve. Called and sent to renew and repair.

by Larry Herrold, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow*

Believer and non-believer. Educated and uneducated. Rich and poor. Democrat and Republican. Male and female… How numerous are the binaries with which we live!

In many ways 2020 was the year of binaries. The election, the social unrest around racial injustice and a worsening pandemic revealed how deep our divisions have been become. Gridlock ensues in governments, insults fly online, and protesters clash on the streets. Our world seems to be turning-in on itself. Yet we know we are inextricably connected.

TEXT: Proverbs 22:1-9 – A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold…

It’s in challenging times that Scripture can provide comfort and context. Proverbs 22:1-9 shows the continuity in the binaries that we witness, particularly between rich and poor. The rich yield power and possess gold and silver, yet the author makes clear that the humble are blessed and receive honor and life. This passage seemingly depicts a binaried society yet the second verse lays out: “The rich and the poor have this in common: the LORD is the maker of them all.”

The events of 2020 underscore how important it is to keep our interconnectedness in mind in more than just this moment. People lost their homes and jobs, and many went hungry. Countless have lost a loved one to COVID-19. In my own community I’ve seen churches, food banks, shelters, and any person of goodwill take on the weight of supporting those in need, but the response only goes so far.

In my management of my church’s community garden, the produce we donate is nourishing, but it will not sustain the hungry indefinitely. Not only is it not enough, but people often need information and tools to prepare it to eat. Food drives face similar issues, and temporary housing is just that… temporary. The institutions and organizations of my already economically depressed slice of Pennsylvania cannot alone meet needs.

While some struggle and others struggle to care for them, our leaders are slow to act. Aid is minimal and mismanaged. Yet we know that while this is happening, the most powerful have expanded their own wealth and security to unprecedented levels. Our advocacy, as church together, needs to take place. Immediate need must be met, yes, but long-term solutions to the systemic causes of homelessness, hunger, and violence must be made. Our leaders must be held accountable and pressured to act.

Proverbs 22:6 passes along the wisdom: train children in the right way and when old they will not stray. I have fond memories of my grandmother including me in her service to the community. Her faith, which she passed on to me, led her to serve the most vulnerable. That faith compels me to do the same. Yet I, like many before me, live in a turbulent moment. I am called to not only serve in the presence of immediate need, but to also use my voice, inspired by the active faith instilled in me at a young age, to be an advocate for systemic change that brings new and abundant life to people in my community and beyond.

The passage in Proverbs acknowledges binaries of the world and also guides us in considering our identifiers. While the rich are comfortable and powerful, they will lack blessings, honor, and life if they are not humble and “fear the Lord” (Proverbs 22:4). Calamity comes to those who perpetuate injustice, especially as it pertains to the poor.

All people deserve care, justice, and respect from one another, because we all come from the same Creator. In this new year, with new policy makers, and with the hope of an end to the pandemic, let us be strong advocates so that all know “they share their bread with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9).

 

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* This New Year Devotional Series has been composed by the three ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellows serving in 2020-2021. “The ministry of ELCA World Hunger involves young adult engagement in conversations and formulating solutions to this systemic and universal obstacle to physical and spiritual well-being. Hunger is one of the key issues we must address as a church, for injustice and inequity are consistent themes across our local and global food systems. One way to address hunger and ensure young adult involvement in the ELCA and in World Hunger’s faith-based work is by funding the Hunger Advocacy Fellowship (HAF) position, a year-long contract position designed to cultivate the leadership of individuals looking to halt the expanding reach of hunger through advocacy,” describes Taina Diaz-Reyes, Hunger Advocacy Fellow in D.C.

Larry Herrold‘s placement is with the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) office in Harrisburg, Pa. A native of Sunbury, Pa., where the east and west branches of the Susquehanna River meet, he graduated from Susquehanna University in 2019 with a BA in History and Religious Studies. He received a MA in Modern History from the University of Kent in England, where he completed a Fulbright Scholarship. Harrold is deeply committed to the intersection between ecclesiastical service and social justice; he even plans to go to seminary to learn more about incorporating justice into ecclesial ministry.

Last Wednesday afternoon, after a day of virtually meeting and planning with Metro Chicago Synod (MCS) pastoral staff, I closed the Zoom window on my computer. Satisfied with our collective work, I took a deep breath, grateful for a wonderfully dedicated and highly competent team.

After a few moments, I glanced at my phone. Immediately, I realized that the notifications and text messages that I had received throughout the day were more than I could count. Friends, family, and colleagues, many of whom are of African descent, had reached out to me, shocked. Many texted me similar words. “They would have shot us,” they said, again and again.

“If it was us, we would’ve been shot.”

I opened the office door, shouting into the empty space, “What’s going on?” Two others were in the office. Neither of them had yet heard the news.

For me, Epiphany, January, the New Year, is a time of vision boards and new beginnings. Hope for something new greets us as we gaze at the child cradled in Mary’s arms. And yet, I saw no hope as I looked at this news.

As the headlines “The Capitol Under Attack,” “Far-Right Mob Attacks the Capitol,” “Mayhem in the Capitol,” and so on appeared on my screen, something happened in me psychologically. For a moment, time seemed to collapse. As I watched white supremacists carrying Confederate flags into the US Capitol, I recalled images of the same flag flown by plane over sporting events in 2020 and carried into Charlottesville in 2018.

Seeing white supremacists walking freely in a place that symbolizes our democracy, I saw, at the same time, the white supremacists who’ve been encouraged at rallies and marches across our nation, year after year, as leadership at our highest levels has refused to call out bigotry, acknowledge systemic racism, or condemn racist violence against people who look like me.

Seeing this crowd in DC receive a pep rally and praise from the president, I recalled images of tear gas released on peaceful protestors on those same DC streets, and I recalled the president posing with our sacred scriptures, blessing violence against the peaceful crowds.

Lastly, as I saw images of men and women, known neo-Nazis, and holocaust deniers holding banners, threatening violence, and carrying weapons, met with very little police presence, I could not help but also see images of Anjanette Young, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Freddie Gray, and countless others, flashing through my mind—one scene, one death, one trauma after another, after another, after another. I could not help but see officers acquitted of the excessive use of force and officers acquitted of murder based on assertions of fear—acquitted because they claimed to be afraid.

“They would have shot us,” I heard again the words of my siblings.

“If it was us, we would’ve been shot.”

Yes, in seeing the events in Washington DC last week, I saw the events not only of the past four years but of much of my life. And this was not my experience, alone. It was also the experience of countless Black people and people of color all across this country, those who reached out to me, and those whom I have yet to meet.

Indeed, Wednesday was more than Wednesday. It was trauma, reopened, flooding back in, and forcing us to relive those moments of pain and oppression, again and again.

For me, Epiphany, January, the New Year, is a time of vision boards and new beginnings. Hope for something new greets us as we gaze at the child cradled in Mary’s arms. But the events of this past Wednesday were nothing to look forward to. Indeed, these events once again highlighted the disparities that exist in our nation, reminding us again that the pursuit of peace, justice, and equity must never cease.

As we search for an alternative future, the future of God envisioned in Jesus’ teachings about God’s Reign of Love, I’d ask that you recommit with me to the work of dismantling white supremacy in our hearts and in the world. Will you do this?

I ask also that you’d pray with me for all those who are currently living with renewed fear and resurfaced trauma and pain.

Of our leaders, I ask that you take this moment as an opportunity to have courageous conversations with your family, neighbors, and community. We trust that when we gather in Christ, God might instigate change in even the most hardened of hearts and that God, indeed, is with us as we work toward a church and a world where nobody has to say, “If it was us, we would have been shot.”

Bio: The Rev. Yehiel Curry is the bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod, ELCA. He was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, where he still resides with Lashonda, his wife of 25 years, and their three daughters, Shemiah, Ashirah and Shekinah. Rev. Curry received his Master of Divinity from LSTC. He served as pastor to Shekinah Chapel Lutheran Church until he became the bishop, and office to which he was elected on June 8, 2019.

 

Tim Jacobsen, West Des Moines, IA

Warm-up Question

What is a food that you thought would be disgusting, but was actually really good?

Come and See

This weekend we celebrate and remember Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and all that he accomplished through the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.  We still feel Dr. King’s impact today. Dr. King sought equal rights for African Americans and all who are oppressed by the systems in the United States. As many experienced in the summer of 2020, with civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, there is still work to be done confronting systemic racism in our country. Yet Dr. King’s legacy lives on, empowering a new generation to work for equality in our country and world. 

It is part of our human condition to make judgements and seek power; this is part of our brokenness. We often judge others on how they look, talk, dress, think, or act. When we make such judgements, we diminish others in our minds, whether we express that judgment out loud or act on it. 

In Dr. Kings famous “I have a dream speech” he says, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.”

Discussion Questions

• What have you learned about the Civil Rights Movement?
• What work still needs to be done to fight injustice?
• How can we judge people by character only?

Second Sunday after Epiphany

1 Samuel 3:1-10 [11-20]

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

John 1:43-51

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

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

Gospel Reflection

When the ELCA Youth Gathering was in Detroit in 2015, I remember a lot of attendees asking “Is there anything good in Detroit, has anything good come from there?” There were many layers to this question.  One concerned race and judgements made about those who lived in Detroit. Another reflected how Detroit was going through changes, as manufacturing declined and left people without jobs. Detroit is a very storied city, which one needs to go and see to appreciate. I loved our time in Detroit, getting a chance to accompany our neighbors there and to let them know we see them. 

In the gospel for today, Phillip finds Nathanael and brings him to Jesus. After asking, “Does anything good come from Nazareth?”, Phillip invites Nathanael to “come and see.” Phillip calls Nathanael on his judgment of Nazareth and invites him to come and see. So often we make judgements about people, locations, churches, or cultures without ever going to see. 

Going and seeing, being with our neighbor (the other) gives us a new perspective. This new perspective shows us the greatness of God’s creation. As Dr. King pointed out through his work in the leading the Civil Rights movement, we are all children of God, we are all more than just how we look or where we live. Jesus knew Nathanael;  after this interaction, Nathanael knew Jesus . 

Jesus knows us and our neighbor. He is present with us all, even in those people we don’t like. What would it look like if we were, like Phillip, inviting people into our community, to know Jesus regardless of who they are. We are not God, so it is not our job to judge. We are free from the burden of judgement to serve and love our neighbor as Jesus loved and served his neighbors. 

Discussion Questions

• Have you made judgements about people or places and then realized you were wrong?
• Have you felt like God didn’t know you or wasn’t with you?
• When have you been called to go and see and had your view changed?
• How have you seen God through community?
• What would it look like to see your neighbor through Jesus’ eyes?

Activity Suggestions

Talk about discipleship and what it looks like to be a disciple who invites others on this faith journey. Have your group think about friends they could invite to church and what it would look like for your youth group to be invitational. 

Closing Prayer

Good and Gracious God, we thank you for your presence with us and love that you have for us. We ask that you open our eyes to those around us who need to feel your love. Work through us as we go out and see our neighbors. We have been blessed with much and long for much.  Help us to be content and willing to share our blessings with others.  Amen

 

As the final election results in Georgia have been resolved, the 117th Congress has begun. Members were sworn into office on January 3, 2021. Check out some of the Lutheran legislators who will serve our country in this new Congress.

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ELCA affiliated members Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; successfully won their bids for re-election in November. They will be rejoining their other Lutheran incumbent colleagues in the Senate, including ELCA Members Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.; and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) member Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. Also in the Senate, Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) member Cynthia Lummis, R-Wy.; joined the chamber for the first time, while LCMS member Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo.; was not successful in his bid for re-election. Sen. Lummis rejoins Congress after retiring from the House of Representatives in 2016.

Four Lutheran members of the U.S. House of Representatives will be exiting at the start of the 117th Congress. Lutheran members Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash.; and Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill.; announced their retirements last year and did not seek re-election. ELCA-affiliated Congressman Heck ran and won his bid for Lieutenant Governor of Washington State. Other members, Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn.; and Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, D-N.M.; did not win their bids for re-election in 2020. We wish them all the best of luck in their next endeavors and appreciate their dedication to public service.

Returning ELCA members to the House include Rep. John Carter, R-Texas; Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.; Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo.; Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif.; Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine; Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa.; and U.S. Delegate Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I. Other self-described Lutherans who will be returning are Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D.; Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich.; Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn.; Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan.; Rep. Tracey Mann, R-Kan.; Rep. Donald Norcross, D-N.J.; and Rep. David Trone, D-M.D. Re-elected LCMS representatives Rep. Larry Bucshon, R-Ind.; Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis.; and Rep. Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn. WELS member Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis.; also will rejoin the House.

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Get a jump start on building relationships with your lawmakers. “Make Sure Your Member of Congress Knows YOU!” shares ideas from the Washington Interfaith Staff Community (prepared in 2019).

Find a full list of lawmakers and their religious affiliations at Pew Research Center.

 

Advocacy is one of the most important actions we can take to end hunger and poverty. It’s also deeply embedded in many faith traditions, including Lutheranism. From biblical figures like Esther and Nehemiah to Martin Luther’s calls for civic justice, there is a long and rich history of advocacy within our shared traditions. Advocacy is not merely something the church does but a central part of who the church is. And when it comes to hunger and poverty, working toward just public policies is a critical step toward real, lasting change.

But what is advocacy, and how do we get started?

 “Advocacy 101 for Young Adults: When Faith Meets Policy” is a new guide prepared by Hunger Advocacy Fellows in tandem with ELCA Advocacy and ELCA World Hunger. The easy-to-use resource is divided into four sessions and is designed for use with young adult groups on college campuses, in congregations and in other settings. The guide includes insights from leaders, lessons from local, state, and federal advocacy, and activities to help participants learn more about what advocacy is and what it means for them and their communities.

Each session of the guide introduces one aspect of faith-based advocacy, and each features an audio story of a leader that takes participants deeper into the theme of the session. Jeanine Hatcher from Michigan, for example, tells her story of advocating for fair pricing and access to medication she and others need to manage lupus during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the third session, Roberta Oster of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy talks about the importance of working together toward common goals.

The sessions include interactive activities that invite participants to learn more about advocacy as a method and about the ways policies impact their own lives and communities, with tips on how to adapt the activities for virtual settings.

The four sessions in “Advocacy 101 for Young Adults” are:

• “What does advocacy have to do with me?” (with audio from Hatcher)
• “Striving for peace and justice: Our stories interact” (with audio from the Rev. Guy Erwin)
• “Interreligious collaboration” (with audio from Oster)
• “Advocacy 101” (with audio from Regina Q. Banks, director of the Lutheran Office of Public Policy in California)

The full guide is available for download from the resource pages of ELCA World Hunger and ELCA Advocacy. You can jump to audio files from within the guide, using hyperlinks or QR codes. The guide also contains printable transcripts of each audio segment.

 

Meeting the immediate needs of our neighbors is an important part of addressing hunger and poverty. But long-term change will require just, fair and inclusive public policies that protect the common good and create opportunities for the well-being of all. “Advocacy 101 for Young Adults” is a great place to start to learn how you can make a difference!

For more information about ELCA World Hunger resources, please contact Ryan Cumming, program director of hunger education, at Ryan.Cumming@elca.org.

Interested in advocacy and the important policies that impact our neighbors? Sign up for e-news and action alerts from ELCA Advocacy at ELCA.org/advocacy/signup.