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.

Be a part of the response:

Pray
Please pray for people who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. May God’s healing presence give them peace and hope in their time of need.

Give
Thanks to generous donations, Lutheran Disaster Response is able to respond quickly and effectively to disasters around the globe. Your gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response (General Fund) will be used where they are most needed.

Connect
To learn more about the situation and the ELCA’s response:

• Sign up to receive Lutheran Disaster Response alerts.
• Check the Lutheran Disaster Response blog.
• Like Lutheran Disaster Response on Facebook and follow @ELCALDR on Twitter.
• Download the situation report as a PDF. 

Shoulder to Shoulder is a national coalition-based campaign of religious denominations and faith-based organizations and communities that are committed to ending discrimination and violence against Muslims in the United States by equipping, connecting, and mobilizing faith leaders to effectively take action. The ELCA is a founding member of Shoulder to Shoulder and has supported the work of the campaign since 2010.

By Dr. Catherine Orsborn

Like many of you, we started 2020 with a lot of plans. We were excited to engage (in person!) with people across the country through our Faith Over Fear trainings and through our annual Ramadan campaign. In February, we started to get a little concerned about Coronavirus, but figured that things would surely be “back to normal” by the time Ramadan rolled around. As slowly (then quickly) new information and recommendations emerged, we realized we were facing a future with much greater uncertainty than any of us could have imagined.

In mid-March, our team gathered on Zoom and we asked one another, how in the world do we plan for the future in a time like this? Do we just abandon our plans for a bit (we joked for a few minutes about taking a “spring break”)? Or is it possible to find meaningful ways to connect across lines of difference and to address discrimination and bias, even while we’re physically distancing from one another? We think that it is. Thus, we took to the task of designing a plan for interfaith engagement during Ramadan that allows for meaningful social connection across physical distance.

As Priya Parker has argued in her book The Art of Gathering, the purpose (rather than category) of a gathering is the most important place to begin planning any meaningful coming-together. This is true as much for a virtual space as it is for an in-person event. In rethinking our Ramadan plans, we asked ourselves WHY people find interfaith Iftars meaningful, and how can we recreate that experience in a virtual space? While certainly, people learn things from the “front of the room” content at many Iftar events, we mostly have heard from people in our networks that it is the one-on-one or small group conversations and connections that really make an interfaith Iftar experience worthwhile to them.

So instead of trying to pivot every large interfaith Iftar to a virtual one, we thought, why not focus on just connecting households to one another for more intimate conversations over a meal? We designed a matching system and a guidebook, with ideas for how to make these encounters fun and meaningful, and launched our Welcome to my Table initiative for Ramadan 2020.

The staff and Executive Committee of Shoulder to Shoulder joined the family of Shoulder to Shoulder co-founder Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi for a virtual Iftar in his home as part of this initiative. We gathered on Zoom, watched presentations from Dr. Elsanousi’s school-age children, and shared some of our own experiences with fasting with one another. I held my infant daughter on my lap throughout. It was brief and it was meaningful to be let inside someone’s home in this way.

We’ve started to hear stories of others who gathered through this initiative, including two interfaith couples (one Muslim and one Catholic in each couple) from different parts of the US, who found the experience incredibly enriching and uplifting, saying, “We discussed travel, food, immigration to the US, our jobs, how the pandemic is affecting our lives and the world. The time flew and by the end I realized we forgot to talk about Ramadan!…I’ve been trying to see the silver lining in everything in this pandemic and this was definitely a blessing” (Linden, Wisconsin).

Another household pairing reported that they found it to be a great opportunity for their teenagers to connect with each other and share about their remote learning experiences, while others were able to use the time to share about commonalities and differences between Lent and Ramadan observances. Many noted that they’ll continue to stay in touch with their household “match,” whether virtually or- someday- in person.

We are also finding that this moment is ripe for uplifting the incredible stories of American Muslims responding to the challenges that Coronavirus has created, whether it is providing essential medical care or responding to food insecurity. As interfaith partners looking to help change false and negative narratives about Muslims and Islam, this is an opportunity not only to connect across lines of religious difference, but also to help tell a different story.

We are learning as we go– this is a brand new reality for all of us to navigate, but we’re committed to continuing the work of reaching across lines of difference, even when it’s a little more complicated. We are all aware that Zoom fatigue is real, and we know that we cannot move every single thing we were planning to do in-person to a virtual event- we’ll burn out. But if we are asking questions around purpose and goals of our initiatives and events, and we are intentional in engagement with one another, I think we’ll continue to find meaning and connection in these complex times.

Dr. Catherine Orsborn serves as the Executive Director of Shoulder to Shoulder

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

Partial content* expanded from Advocacy Connections: May 2020

NEXT COVID-19 RESPONSE BILL | DACA CONCERNS | NORTHERN TRAINGLE FUNDS | DEBT RELIEF FOR COUNTRIES | VIRTUAL EAD

TOP INTERFAITH PRIORITIES FOR NEXT COVID-19 RESPONSE BILL:  On May 1, the ELCA Advocacy office joined 34 other denominations and religious organizations in a letter to members of Congress. “As organizations representing a broad array of religious beliefs and faith traditions,” it reads, “we write to urge you to act with urgency to pass another COVID-19 response bill that first prioritizes vulnerable individuals and communities.” The letter goes on to share specific concerns, such as a request to collect and release federal demographic data so public health officials can begin to understand and address racial disparities in rate of infection and morbidity due to the coronavirus which are disproportionately higher in communities of color. Other concerns raised include domestic human needs, criminal justice, Native American issues, immigration, health care and more. “Interfaith Sign on Letter – COVID-19 Priorities (May 2020)” can be accessed at domestichumanneeds.com.

Are there priorities you would like to see reflected in the next response bill? An Action Alert at elca.org/advocacy/actioncenter can direct your message to your member of Congress. Additional information to help you reflect on considerations before our nation as this bill takes shape can be found here.

“The witness of this church in society flows from its identity as a community that lives from and for the Gospel. Faith is active in love; love calls for justice in the relationships and structures of society. It is in grateful response to God’s grace in Jesus Christ that this church carries out its responsibility for the well-being of society and the environment” (from Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective, pages 1-2).

DACA CONCERNS:  Even as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on the status of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the ELCA has joined 248 others requesting that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) restore DACA recipients’ access to benefits under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“Access to COVID-19 testing and treatment for DACA recipients and their U.S. citizen children is absolutely critical during this pandemic, particularly for the 27,000 DACA recipients employed as healthcare practitioners and supporting occupations on the front lines of responding to COVID-19,” reads the letter, addressed to Alex Azar, secretary of HHS. Find the letter requesting ACA access restoration for DACA recipients here.

Visit www.c-span.org for live oral arguments before the court and SCOTUSblog.com for live analysis.

NORTHERN TRIANGLE FUNDS RELEASED:  Secretary Mike Pompeo announced this week that the U.S. government will release $258 million for the Northern Triangle because the countries have made progress on curbing illegal migration. The United States suspended funding assistance to the Northern Triangle last year.

It’s unclear how the funds will be used, but initial indications are that the money will go toward migration deterrence, security programs and private-sector economic development. ELCA Advocacy is working to assure direction of the funds to support humanitarian support for communities in need. In Central America, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras form the region referred to as the Northern Triangle.

DEBT RELIEF TO HELP COUNTRIES FACE PANDEMIC:  The G20, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have agreed to suspend debt repayment for some of the world’s lowest-income countries through the end of this year so that these countries can more easily respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, a move supported by ELCA Advocacy and its faith-based partners.

ELCA Advocacy and other faith-based partners have been pushing for this measure, recognizing the challenges many low- and middle-income countries face during the global pandemic. (The suspension does not include debt owed to private banks or investors.) A letter on this subject, sent by the ELCA and many other denominations in the Jubilee USA Network to address the root causes of poverty and inequality, can be found here at “COVID-19 Jubilee White House, IMF, G20 Letter.”

VIRTUAL ECUMENICAL ADVOCACY DAYS:  In place of an in-person event, the annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) conference sponsored by the ELCA held its seminar via web conference on April 29, drawing connections among climate change, economic injustice and the current public health crisis. View the seminar here.

Among the featured speakers were the Rev. Mark MacDonald, archbishop of the Anglican Church of Canada, and Shantha Ready Alonso of Creation Justice Ministries. As part of the webinar, many EAD attendees joined in an action alert to Congress requesting better equity, environmental provisions and global relief in upcoming COVID-19 legislation. Held under the theme “Imagine! God’s Earth and People Restored!” the seminar focused on the intersection of climate change, economic injustice and the devastating impacts of inequality on public health.

* Receive monthly Advocacy Connections directly by becoming part of the ELCA Advocacy network – http://elca.org/advocacy/signup , and learn more from elca.org/advocacy .

Issue 70 of Administration Matters

COVID-19 resources for ELCA congregations and members

Online giving helps sustain ministry while congregation’s members worship from home

Your COVID-19 source for benefit information

Information Security for congregations and synods

Weather preparedness

The following is an excerpt from the newsletter of Daudi Msseemmaa, the ELCA’s regional representative in East Africa.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Rural people are accustomed to cycles of plenty and poverty. Livestock keepers, like the Maasai who live in my region, are even more so. During a severe drought in 2008-2009, I spent time in dusty villages where the carcasses of livestock littered the ground and hungry children fainted in class. There was a lot of suffering. But I did not encounter hopelessness, even among malnourished mothers whose couldn’t provide enough breast milk for their infants. They had a saying – God is far, but he is very near.

I recently recounted that memory with one of my elders – a theologian named Rev. Gabriel Kimirei. He said that in the Maasai traditional religion, there’s a belief that in the good times God is near with all his communal blessings. In the times of drought and communal suffering, God is far. But even when God is far, it won’t be long before he comes back.

This is not to minimize the suffering that our brothers and sisters go through in those seasons of hardship. There is no healthy outlook or ideology that will help you pass painlessly through losing loved ones or being unable to feed your children. It’s a hopeful posture through pain – understanding that it is a season that will pass.

In times like these when the coronavirus has taken so many lives and battered so many economies, and when flooding and locusts plague parts of our region, it would be easy to say that God is far. But our Christian tradition tells us God is a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46). God never leaves us. Still, adopting the cyclical way of seeing life can help us avoid despair during seasons like this. It requires breaking free from a linear way of looking at life as a journey from Point A to Point B or looking at time as the steady march of progress. In this view, life is instead like a circle, moving us all through despair and hope.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

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

Home Waters

The North Fork of the Flathead River is the most beautiful river on earth. This, of course, is a personal opinion, but anyone who has spent time on the river would likely agree. The deepest point of the largest channel marks the western boundary of Glacier National Park, and on the other side of the river is the vast Flathead National Forest. Cutthroat trout return to tributary creeks every year to spawn. Grizzly bears are frequently spotted along the banks. A day without seeing an osprey or a bald eagle while rafting on the North Fork is considered an odd occurrence.

The North Fork River in northwest Montana

The splendor of the North Fork makes it a natural place to talk about the Creator. The mountains, the fresh air, the cold water, all of it: the place is as ripe with holiness as it is with huckleberries. I had the privilege, during the summers of 2014-2017, of guiding high schoolers down the river and through conversations about their own faith when I served as a raft guide with Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp. Experiencing something as big as the peaks towering over 3,000 feet above had a way of reminding us how small we are compared to a God who created everything.

The deeper challenge, then, and the challenge I posed to all of my high school groups, is to see God in all that God created: everything. It’s easy to see a place like the North Fork, protected by law to remain undisturbed, and say “God is here!” It takes a more practiced eye to see a scraggly weed in a movie theater parking lot as part of the same beautiful Creation. For many of our campers, leaving camp meant returning to the midwest, which was full of agricultural lands, sediment-rich waters, and hardwood forests. If those campers could see God in the natural world back home, despite the vast difference between those landscapes, it meant they could also be in tune with the ways God was alive in their lives.

The Word

Depiction of Jesus with the Woman at the Well by He Qui

John 4:19-24 (NIV)

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Neither On This Mountain Nor In Jerusalem

In this passage, the infamous woman at the well asks Jesus where she ought to worship. In doing so, she is also asking Jesus, “Where is God?” Jesus answers that God isn’t found “on this mountain nor in Jerusalem,” but instead points her to a kind of worship and presence with the Spirit and with God that surpasses geography: “A time is coming and has now come when true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth.”

In 2017, I moved to Cambodia. As a Young Adult in Global Mission, I was serving the community of Phnom Kravanh through a local non-profit called Life With Dignity. The landscape was so different from what I was used to! Rice fields replaced mountains, palm trees replaced pine trees. The new sounds, smells, and sights challenged me, and felt alien for a long time. In those early days, especially as I was experiencing the growing pains of living in a new community, the landscape seemed to me further proof that God was far away. Considering the message I was so eager to share with my campers in Montana, I found myself having to eat my hat.

The Most Beautiful River

One day, I took a bike ride down a dirt road near my house. I sat along the edge of an irrigation ditch, and looked out across the rice field at the sunset unfolding before me. In the hues racing across the sky, I was reminded of those late summer sunsets along my home river. If the God I believe in is big enough to create this landscape and the one I know from home, I thought, God is big enough to be present with me in my life here.

Rice fields in Phnom Kravanh, Cambodia

The beauty of our natural world is entirely in the eye of the beholder, and the more we see beauty in places we don’t expect, the more we open ourselves to seeing God. For me, on that evening in Cambodia, the brown irrigation ditch became the most beautiful river on earth.

Called to Connection

During this Easter season, I invite you to the practice of confession: we fail to see God’s presence everywhere, especially in places unfamiliar to us. We fail to connect with God around and within us.

I also invite you to the practice of prayer: God, open our eyes to seeing newly realized beauty in the natural world around us. Open our hearts, God the Creator, to your Holy presence that never leaves, and is everywhere, always.

Amen.

Discussion Questions

1. What are the physical places in which you have experienced God? Did any of these surprise you?
2. What was a time when, like Colter, you felt like God was far away? How did you respond?
3. At the end of this Easter season but in the middle of this season of global pandemic, where are you noticing God’s presence in new places?

Colter Murphy serves as Director of Youth and Service at Faith Lutheran Church in Chico, CA. He served as a raft guide at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp in Lakeside, Montana and was an ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission volunteer in Cambodia. These days, he practices seeing God in the natural beauty along the Sacramento River near his house, and in the chaparral of the Sierra Nevada foothills.