A Reflection on Reading The Cross and the Lynching Tree

I am a preacher. Like so many others I have been long convinced that Christ crucified is at the heart of authentic Christian preaching. So, when I first learned of The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone, I was interested. I remembered the ominous words I had heard in graduate school about Cone’s “radical” critique of traditional Christian teaching (or rather, as I have since learned, what it was thought to be from a certain privileged perspective). Nonetheless I still thought I would learn something new about Christ crucified from a perspective that is not my own. So, I put it on my mental list of books to read … where it remained for several years.

Ironically what revived my intention last spring was news of death. A new memorial and museum of lynching and its legacy in the United States — the National Memorial for Peace and Justice — opened in Montgomery, Alabama. And then, just days later, I saw a report of Cone’s death.

Cone wrote that his book was a continuation of his earlier writing, all of it “motivated by a central question: how to reconcile the gospel message of liberation with the reality of black oppression.”  I’m not qualified to judge whether he was successful in that effort, and I don’t know that I gained the kind of insight into Christ’s crucifixion that I anticipated.

As is often the case, something else happened.  As I read, I began to realize how little I knew about lynching beyond what I had allowed myself to acknowledge — the bare facts of its existence and its brutality. I began to learn about the circumstances of actual lynchings, the real people killed, and the real people who protested at the risk of being lynched themselves. I learned about the horrific lynching of Henry Smith in Paris, Texas, and the courageous public advocacy of Ida Wells. When I discovered the county-by-county data about lynchings in the United States collected by the Equal Justice Initiative, I investigated what had happened in the counties where I grew up, starting with Anderson County, Texas, where I was born.

And then I learned about the Slocum Massacre. It was an appalling event. Over the course of two days in July, 1910, mobs of white people in Anderson County hunted and killed African-Americans. Newspapers initially reported 8 to 22 African-American victims, but later investigations discovered numerous bodies in swamps and other remote areas of the county. Estimates range up to 200 victims, all of them African-American. As happened later in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Rosewood, Florida, a thriving community of small businesses was destroyed and hundreds of African Americans who survived fled the area, abandoning their property and businesses, which were then claimed by white people.

Learning about the Slocum Massacre helped me to realize the result of the way I held the knowledge I had of these and far too many similar incidents of violence against African Americans in the United States. I thought of them as isolated incidents, horrific and inexplicable in their horror except as outbreaks of demonic evil. How can such inexplicable outbreaks be anticipated and prevented?

But I already knew that in Jesus’ day crucifixion was not inexplicable. Far from it. It had a very deliberate purpose. Occasionally I hear that if Jesus had been executed in our day, the symbol of our faith would be an electric chair or syringe, not a cross, and I know there are racial inequities in the administration of capital punishment in the United States. But the public spectacle, the false pretense of avenging some fabricated wrong, the obscenely brutal torture, and the deliberate humiliation of a targeted victim as a way of intimidating and keeping an entire community in a subjugated place — what lynching did to African-Americans and other persons of color is everything that I knew crucifixion was intended to do two millennia ago.

Paying attention to the full reality of lynching, both in detail and in broad scope, helped me to begin to recognize how lynching was not so mysteriously inexplicable. And I began to recognize how it fits with other realities I was aware of but held as isolated pieces of information. I see more clearly now how lynching is part of a seamless history of violence against African Americans in the United States that continues today. After the massive crime of slavery was outlawed, lynching was used to enforce the Jim Crow regime that kept African Americans in subjection. In turn the illegal practice of lynching was replaced by abusive practices with a thin veneer of legality but still powerfully oppressive and violent — a racially targeted “war on drugs,” the racial bias in our criminal justice system most evident in mass incarceration of persons of color, and legalized practices of predatory lending that systematically rob economically vulnerable descendants of slaves from what little wealth they have been able to accumulate. Today restrictive voting laws target the African Americans who were promised full and equal voting rights. It is all one interwoven fabric.

Two decades ago, when I was watching the last episode of “The Civil War” by Ken Burns on PBS, historian Barbara Fields caught my attention with these words: “You can say there’s no such thing as slavery anymore, we’re all citizens. But if we’re all citizens, then we have a task to do to make sure that that, too, is not a joke. If some citizens live in houses and others live on the street, the Civil War is still going on. It’s still to be fought, and regrettably, it can still be lost.”

I am a preacher, and I’ve promised to tell the truth about Jesus, who was crucified and raised from the dead. One part of the truth is that while we may think the Civil War is over, that lynching is a thing of the past, it is not. The same hateful violence that crucified Jesus is still at work among us today. The other part of the truth is that those who have been joined to Jesus Christ in his cross and resurrection have a new life of freedom and the Spirit’s power. In that life, in Jesus’ name, there is healing, reconciling, liberating, life-giving work to do in service of our neighbors, especially those who continue to experience the regime of violent hatred that crucified Jesus.

To learn more about the work of the Equal Justice Iniative, visit eji.org.

 

Marcus Kunz is an ELCA pastor who serves part-time with the churchwide organization as Executive for Discernment of Contextual and Theological Issues and part-time in interim ministries, currently at Grue and Peace Lutheran Churches of Ashby, Minnesota.  He lives in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, with his spouse, Pastor Martha Halls.  They are the parents of two adult sons

Leslie Weber, Chesapeake, VA

Warm-up Question

How would you define the word “repentance”?  Does your definition change if you are defining it in church terms vs. non-church terms?

Changing Minds & Lives

An article on NPR.org (based on a piece heard on All Things Considered) tells the story of Clark Porter, who at 17 was convicted of robbing a post office at gunpoint and sentenced to 35 years.  After serving 15 years, he was released and radically changed his life.

While on probation, he attended Washington University in St. Louis and then boldly asked the Chief U.S. probation officer in his district, Doug Burris, for a job.  The article explains that at first Burris laughed, but eventually took it to the Chief Judge even though he expected her to find the idea even more ridiculous than he did and say “no.”  He was wrong; she agreed to give Porter and his idea a chance.

Through his work with ex-felons, Porter, has not only turned his life around, but has had a similar impact on countless others.  The 7-month program includes community service, job searches, and therapy, and has made it possible for other ex-offenders to resist the life they once knew and choose a new way forward.

It is hard work—to break the cycles of recidivism for the participants and break the systems of punishment that have been perpetuated for decades with less than stellar results—but Porter and Burris have become quite the unexpected duo.

Discussion Questions

• Identify all the instances of changed attitude or behavior that occurred in this news story. (note: there is more than just Porter’s and other ex-felons!)
• What do you know about the criminal justice system, parole/probation, and recidivism?

Third Sunday in Lent

Isaiah 55:1-9

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Luke 13:1-9

(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 C at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

It is easy to get caught up in the image of the man in Jesus’ parable declaring that the fruitless fig tree should be cut down.  It can be frightening to think that you might be that fruitless fig tree in God’s eyes and, therefore, you will be cut down. It is easy to read the words “unless you repent” with that same terror in mind. Many Christians would read that repeated warning with its associated command as a work—something you must in order to be saved.

As a Lutheran, this reading makes me cringe.  There is nothing that I have to do in order to be acceptable to God and gain eternal life.  We are saved by grace through faith, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit—AND SO IS REPENTANCE!

If you google “repent,” the first definition shown is “feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin.”  However, that definition is lacking when you look at the Greek word which we see used in Luke 13, “metanoia,” which Merriam-Webster defines as “a transformative change of heart; especially: a spiritual conversion.”  “Metanoia” is a compound word of “meta” (meaning change) and “nous” (meaning mind).

In a letter from 1518, Luther talks about discovering this definition.  The Latin word he had always read in these passages had only meant remorse and the acts of penance imposed by the church. In the letter, he thanks his colleague for opening his eyes to the true meaning of the scriptures. He now understands “metanoia” or “repent” as “the transformation of one’s mind and disposition” (Luther’s Works 48 p.66) and “coming to one’s right mind and a comprehension of one’s own evil after one has accepted the damage and recognized the error.” (LW 48 p.67). He highlights that the Latin word misrepresents the true meaning of the Greek, because it “suggests more an action than a change in disposition” (LW 48 p.68).  Luther goes on to explain that “this change is accomplished [by] the grace of God” (LW 48 p.67).

Our feelings of contrition, the reorientation of our minds, and changing of our behavior are not things necessary for God to love us, but instead are a result of God already loving us.  Because Christ already died for us and the Holy Spirit lives in us, we are able to repent and “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8, NRSV).

Repenting is a daily discipline—an acknowledgement that God is constantly turning us back around to focus on Godly things.  It is not just a personal thing though; groups, communities, and institutions can also participate in repentance—admitting they have done wrong or fallen short and then take steps to prevent history from repeating itself—all by the grace of God!

Discussion Questions

• What are some things for which your worshipping community needs to repent?
• What might repentance look like in those cases (i.e. how do you/they make amends and change behavior in the future)?

Activity Suggestions

• Make time and space for personal confession, if time, space, and resources allow, you can have each person write their confessions (those things for which they repent) on dissolving paper, flash paper, or regular paper and have them dispose of them with water or fire.  No matter how you do the confession part, be sure to announce assurance of absolution; if you need help with that part—ask your pastor!
• Brainstorm a list of ways that your congregation might consider repenting (changing behavior for the future) and share it with the leadership.
• Play an epic game of pin the fruit on the tree!  Split into teams or work as one group against the clock to brainstorm acts “worthy of repentance” and write each one on a cutout of a piece of fruit.  Have participants, while blindfolded, try to stick them on a big picture of a tree on the wall.  If they fail, have the rest of the team help “re-aim” them.

Closing Prayer

Creator God, thank you for loving us even when we fall short and fail to bear good fruit.  Help us to turn our minds, hearts, and lives towards you.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

 

Church of the Apostles (COTA) in Seattle, Wash., does church differently. Embracing the essential Pacific Northwest traits of exploration and self-expression, the church has been drawing in young adults between the ages of 20 and 40 (and now their families) since its beginning as a storefront new start in June 2002. A key part of COTA’s identity is its focus on connecting with ancient church traditions in creative ways to grow authentic relationships with God and each other.

COTA is a mission of the Northwest Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia. It became an organized congregation in May 2017. Located in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, the church reflects the broader arts culture of its community. COTA seeks to free people to grow in faith by sharing their artistic gifts, boldly, in worship and in life. “We are not about getting to God, but about finding ways for God to get to us,” said the Rev. Ivar Hillesland, pastor.

 

Reclaiming the ‘de-churched’

Seattle and the neighborhood of Fremont, in particular, is well-known for large concentrations of unchurched, or “de-churched,” people. “COTA holds a particular mission towards those who are wary of, or direct victims of, the institutional church and the harms that have been caused in its name,” said Hillesland.

Church of the Apostles seeks innovative ways to replace the negatives with affirming alternatives. Church leaders continually reimagine the context and flow of worship services, finding new ways to build on ancient traditions. Hillesland says he is fascinated with figuring out new ways to be and do church. He thinks of the COTA ministry as a sort of church research and development lab. “We have tried to find as many ways as possible to let God speak through our worship and being, and we’ve had many failures along with our ‘successes.’”

In another nod to the past, the church’s home is the Fremont Abbey, a beautiful Lutheran church building constructed in 1914. The Abbey also houses the Fremont Abbey Arts Center, established by the COTA congregation to meet the community’s desire for a place to come together to create and experience the arts. COTA continues to partner with the center, currently under the leadership of an independent director, to integrate the arts into worship and community life.

Priesthood of all believers in action

Taking to heart the theology of the priesthood of all believers, the church strives to have leaders with diverse backgrounds and life experiences. The tasks of planning worship and preaching can be especially meaningful to those who have been unwelcome to use their gifts in the church because of their gender, race or sexual orientation. “Centering the voices of those traditionally marginalized speaks to our intention to expand gender and racial representation and experience, and it gives us a more expanded understanding of the imago dei, or divine image present in all humans,” explained Hillesland.

COTA members and friends come together Sunday evenings for worship—a mix of personal interaction, art, music, a message, and a time of exploration. Opening the pulpit creates space for varying perspectives and authentic reflection. Worship is also a time to experience the divine through creative expression of ancient liturgies. For example, worship music, often written by Music Director Lacey Brown, reflects “themes of ambiguity, expressed spiritual pain or longing, and expanded multigender metaphors for the Divine persons.” Brown also encourages musicians in the COTA community to create songs centered on specific themes or seasons, culminating in projects like the recently released Epiphany Songs.

In an ever-changing world, COTA grounds itself by connecting the past to the present in a way that is authentic to its identity and purpose. According to Hillesland, “As more and more things seem ephemeral, we find ourselves seeking ancient things, things deeply rooted in tradition that can anchor us in the turbulence while at the same time give us more freedom and space to creatively experience God.” It is this connection that inspires the people of COTA to go out into the world as people transformed in Christ.

by Kris A. Mainellis, Program Director for Communication and Events, Congregational Vitality

Issue 63 of Administration Matters

Two options for online giving for ELCA congregations (Tithe.ly and Vanco)

The ELCA churchwide organization has formed a preferred vendor agreement with Vanco, an eGiving software developer and payment processor serving more than 20,000 churches across the country. The agreement offers Vanco’s GivePlus suite of eGiving solutions to ELCA congregations. This announcement adds to the existing relationship with Tithe.ly, providing congregations and synods with a choice in their digital-giving provider. The ELCA has negotiated special pricing for congregations that sign up to use either vendor. Information on the Tithe.ly and Vanco solutions can be found on elca.org.

Reminder: The ELCA Yearbook is now paperless!

To access the most current ELCA directory, visit directory.elca.org with any web browser. Next, select a login provider and enter your credentials. Chances are you are already registered with one of our supported login-identity providers: Facebook, Google, Microsoft or Yahoo. If you have an ELCA login (ELCA community) account or an @elca.org email address, you can also use that to access the directory. If you are a rostered minister or represent a synod, congregation or other organization with a listing in the ELCA directory, now is a great time for you to review your listing to ensure that we have the most up-to-date contact information. Please notify us of any changes by emailing Conginfo@elca.org.

Let your plan members know you care

Remind ELCA-Primary health plan members that they can earn wellness dollars for using the groundbreaking 2019 Live Well tool to strengthen their physical, emotional, financial and spiritual well-being. This new online program provides nearly 100 guided activities and features a spiritual approach to wellness. >More

Split the tasks: How to keep money-handling aboveboard

One day, in the midst of leading a busy congregation, you discover that the congregation’s financial records don’t add up. It dawns on you that someone you deeply trust and have worked with for many years may be responsible. >More

Are voluntary donations to ministers gifts or taxable income?

Congregations should be aware of a recent U.S. Tax Court ruling on voluntary donations to ministers. In Felton v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2018-168, the court ruled that voluntary donations made to a minister in special contribution envelopes were taxable income, not nontaxable gifts. >More

Combat water damage with prevention

Water damage, whether from a natural disaster or plumbing issues, can ruin your floors, walls and ceilings. If you don’t get the place dried up quickly, you could face a severe mold problem and your furniture and other goods could be damaged beyond repair. Acting quickly and following the right steps can save your building from complete destruction and save your congregation from having to spend a lot of money on repairs. >More

National priorities reflected in the proposed budget by President Trump would impair many programs that reflect our shared values. The Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposed by President Trump would increase hunger and poverty in our nation and around the world, exacerbating root causes of poverty and heightening migration tensions.

If enacted, the budget would make deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Child Nutrition Programs (cut $220 billion from SNAP and $1.7 billion from Child Nutrition Programs), expand the ranks of the uninsured (cut $1.1 trillion from Medicaid), end or impair effective global health and antipoverty programs, and end programs that care for creation and combat climate change (make a 30% cut to the Environmental Protection Agency budget and eliminate essential global climate research funding). At a time when apprehensions at the southern border are at a historic low, maximized funding of a physical barrier at that border is not an effective solution to address border security.

The federal budget reflects our national priorities and promotes the collective common good. We urge Congress to reject this extreme vision for our nation and support a budget that reflects our shared values, as in the bipartisan budget enacted for 2019.

Drew Tucker, Columbus, OH

Warm-up Question

What is it like to rebuild something that has been broken or destroyed, especially something you care about? Think about anything from relationships to toys, from sandcastles to careers.

Rebuilding

After nearly two decades of war, Iraq is rebuilding. Cities like Baghdad are bustling with new fashions in clothing and old favorites in food. Mosul, formerly a stronghold of ISIS, is further behind the process but still showing signs of renewed vibrancy. Across the country, the landscape is scattered with rubble of the old and reflections of the new. This article details the difficult process, complicated by both political and religious divides, of rebuilding for the Iraqi people.

What’s clear is that natives loved this land. They lost homes, businesses, landmarks, mosques, churches, art, antiquities; and most irreplaceable, countless loved ones, to war. More than can be remembered is gone. The destruction, initially related to the U.S. led coalition’s War on Terror, was furthered by wars in Afghanistan and Syria, as well as political strife in Egypt and Turkey. Militants within and without led to the rubble, but the locals are the ones who rebuild life from the ashes. There’s a relentless hope to this kind of life after seemingly endless destruction. Rebuilding happens after woe.

Discussion Questions

• Imagine what it is like to rebuild life after a war. What kind of energy would that take? 
• When rebuilding is happening with conflicts still nearby, how should we balance the hope for a new life with a realism about the present dangers? 
• How can you connect your life experience with the stories of those rebuilding in Iraq?

Second Sunday in Lent

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Luke 13:31-35

(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 C at Lectionary Readings

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

Gospel Reflection

Jesus’s ministry happens in a conflict-laden Israel, and no place is more susceptible to that strife than Jerusalem. Jesus is warned by Pharisees, who are often religious opponents, that Herod plans to kill him. Herod, who claims Jewish ethnicity, is a puppet governor of Rome. Roman occupation of Israel began nearly seventy years before Jesus’s ministry, so few of his listeners would remember a time without an occupying army, religious zealots, and political factions constantly struggling for control. In the midst of this struggle for power, Jesus dared to claim Israel’s lordship and displayed divine ability by healing illnesses, casting out demons, and forgiving sin. So of course Herod would want to kill Jesus, who captured the hearts and minds of people Herod meant to control. 

Yet, in the face of that threat, Jesus refuses to run, continues his work, and laments the impending destruction. That’s an impressive, daunting disposition. Scripture tells us that Jesus eventually dies of this conflict. History tells us that the temple is eventually torn down by Rome as a punishment for continued revolts against the empire. That’s what the desolate house business is all about. Much like present day Iraq, 1^st century Israel suffered massive destruction due to the wars sparked by various powers vying for control. Jesus sees the end result of this conflict, and so calls out woes to Jerusalem, a city that he loves deeply, full of people he loves dearly.  Yet, he also sees a future time when rebuilding will happen, foreshadowed in his own resurrection. In the midst of this conflict, Jesus refuses to stop working for the good, even amidst the woe. Jesus refuses to run away, even amidst the knowledge that his life is on the line. Jesus’s penchant for life bears even the immediacy of death. Perhaps most striking is Jesus continued love for this place. Like the present day residents of war torn lands, so too Jesus knows what it is  to love a place wrecked by division, to love even a people who are a threat to his life. 

Lent is a journey that recalls Jesus’s walk toward his own personal destruction, humiliation, ultimately his death. Yet, Lent is also a preparation for life after the woe. It’s preparation to rebuild. Rather than resign ourselves to the shadows of the tomb or the destruction of our city, we enter the disciplines of Lent to prepare for Jesus’s resurrection after the woe of his death. We build an ability to say “blessed is the one who comes in the Lord’s name.” We bear with the sorrow of death and prepare for the abundance of God’s divine life. 

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think the Pharisees were the ones who warned Jesus about Herod’s plans to kill him? 
• What does it say about Jesus that he refuses to run away from the conflict he’s facing? 
• How can we emulate Jesus’s focus on life in the face of division or destruction in our lives? 

Activity Suggestions

• Perform an upcycling project together. Use garbage or recyclables from the church to create something new and beautiful together around the theme of new life. Consider turning drink containers into planters, newspaper into papier-mâché, or a collage from magazine clippings. 
• Develop a compost heap or barrel with food scraps from food and other naturally compostable items from the church. Teach them about the power of new life that comes from the natural decay of once living materials. 
• Teach students how to make the ashes for (next) Ash Wednesday with dried palms or other plant matter. Check out this short video for instructions. Talk with them about the realities of death and the promises of resurrection. 

Closing Prayer

God of restoration, you love with a commitment stronger than the grave. When we encounter unimaginable struggle, remind us that you continue to work on our behalf. When we live through unspeakable suffering, remind us that you refuse to run away. When we fear the worst, remind us that you lived through the worst to bring us the very best of all, abundant and everlasting life. We pray this all in the name of Jesus: Amen.  

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

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE | YEMEN RESOLUTION | JUST TRANSITION | GENDER JUSTICE | ACTION CENTER NOTE | DATE NOTE

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE FUNDING OUTCOMES: Congress has passed a budget compromise that includes spending levels for international affairs programs. These programs address food insecurity, poverty and other top international ELCA Advocacy priorities. Some programs focusing on poverty reduction saw a slight increase, e.g. global health programs and international disaster assistance.

YEMEN RESOLUTION IN CONGRESS: Last month the House passed a joint resolution calling for an end to U.S. military assistance to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. The legislation now heads to the Senate, where 51 votes are required for passage. ELCA Advocacy staff are monitoring the progress of the resolution, which could affect peace outcomes in the region.

JUST TRANSITION AND CLIMATE: ELCA Advocacy and the Franciscan Action Network are working with members of the Edison Electric Institute, which represents U.S. investor-owned electric utilities, to find areas of commonality in addressing the impact of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Together, the partnership is exploring two aspects of the problem—energy efficiency and just transition—and is trying to establish common definitions and principles for just transition. Faith-based organizations can complement the just transition process by addressing the social impact on communities where coal-fired plants have been closed in a manner that utility companies may not be equipped to help, as communities make the transition to a carbon-neutral resilient society where no one is left behind.

INTERNATIONAL GENDER JUSTICE: At the State of the Union Address, President Donald Trump announced a new initiative called Women’s Global Development and Prosperity, with the goal of advancing women’s full and free participation in the global economy. The initiative aims at building on programs that are already in existence. The initiative sets up $50 million fund for USAID to invest in new programs that will help women start their own businesses, overcome barriers to doing business, and find jobs. With the goal of reaching 50 million women by 2025; and requires interagency coordination among different agencies.

FROM THE ACTION CENTER – HUNGER DOESN’T WATCH A CLOCK: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed a rule that would put time limits on food benefits for unemployed and underemployed people who can’t document a designated number of weekly work hours or job training. People who cannot meet the documentation requirement would lose SNAP food assistance eligibility after three months, regardless of how hard they are trying to find work or acquire job skills. This would lead to increasing hunger in our communities. Shortly after the rule was posted last month, ELCA Advocacy responded with an Action Alert opposing it. Advocates have until April 2 to submit comments to the USDA through the Action Center at http://ELCA.org/advocacy/actioncenter .

ON THE CALENDAR – ECUMENICAL ADVOCACY DAYS: The annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days conference, gathering hundreds of faith-based advocates from across the country, will be held April 5-8 in Washington, D.C. Early-bird registration for the conference ends Friday, March 9, so interested attendees should apply soon! This year’s conference focuses on the theme “Trouble the Waters,” drawn from John 5:1-9, and calls on God to bring healing to our nation and world. Advocate meetings with Congress will focus on a range of issues, from expanding voter protections to increasing meaningful public participation to realizing social justice in our communities. ELCA Advocacy will host a reception during the conference for Lutheran attendees visiting the city. Additional information for Lutheran attendees will be shared before the conference begins.

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

 

U.N. | California | Colorado | Minnesota | New Mexico | Southeastern Synod | Pennsylvania | Virginia | Washington | Wisconsin

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Dennis Frado, director

57^TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: The fifty-seventh session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD57) took place from 11 to 21 February 2019, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Priority theme this year was “Addressing inequalities and challenges to social inclusion through fiscal, wage and social protection policies”. The Commission’s emerging issues theme was “Empowerment of people affected by natural and human-made disasters to reduce inequality: Addressing the differential impact on persons with disabilities, older persons and youth”.

Across nine days, the challenges and inequalities of social inclusion were explored through fiscal, wage and social protection policy during high level panels and side events. A plenary on February 13 highlighted the peoples most affected during times of crisis; people with disabilities, older persons and youth and how current policies could be more inclusive and empowering through all stages of planning and implementation. An emphasis on the importance of including those with psychosocial/mental disabilities in disaster planning was also addressed, with the need for visual materials, and verbal cues during moments of natural or man-made disasters.

For further information, check out CSoD57.

UNITED NATIONS BLACK HISTORY MONTH TOUR: During the month of February, the United Nations

Ark of Return located on the United Nations Visitors Plaza. © LOWC/Rebekka Pöhlmann

offered for the first time a special Black History Month tour. Each weekday the Black history-themed tour of the United Nations included a look at the Ark of Return, a permanent memorial in honor of the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, located on the United Nations Visitors Plaza. The art piece was designed by Rodney Leon, an American Architect of Haitian descent, and unveiled on 25 March 2015 to commemorate the more than 15 million African men, women and children, who were enslaved.

During the tour the visitors had the chance to learn about the contributions of people of African descent to the work of the United Nations in fields such as peace and security and human rights, with a special emphasis on decolonization. Ralph Johnson Bunche, for example, was the first person of African descent to receive a Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 for his efforts to help resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict in the 1940s, specifically the 1949 Armistice Agreements. He was also highly involved in the formation and early administration of the secretariat of the United Nations.

The tour was also organized in the context of the International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024.

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California

Regina Banks, Lutheran Office of Public Policy loppca.org

BILL INTRODUCTION DEADLINE: February 22, 2019 marked the final day for the California Legislature to introduce bills for the 2019 Legislative Session. The Senate and Assembly Desks remained open through the weekend to process the bill introductions. Nearly 2,600 bills were introduced this year, covering an extensive range of topics and subject-areas. Among the several bills introduced were no fewer than 17 that represent the End Child Poverty Plan recommendations. Many other bills were introduced with respect to LOPP-CA’s other legislative priorities of Water Justice and Immigration and Migration issues. The policy council will begin to narrow down bill priorities in the coming weeks.

SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS: The Communications Committee has heard your cry: Invest in LOPP-CA’s Social Media presence! We know that you are looking for LOPP-CA on social media platforms and we are preparing to meet you there. Please visit us on Facebook at Lutheran Office of Public Policy- California. We are sharing updates, article and time-sensitive action items. Like, share and repost our content. The policy council has a goal of getting 5000 followers by the end of the year. You can help us meet our goal and stay up-to-date with the activities. Plans are underway for Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Watch this space!

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Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Colorado lam-co.org

LUTHERAN DAY AT THE LEGISLATURE: We had a successful lobby day event on Thursday, February 21.

Constituents of State Sen. Tammy Story (2nd from right) meet in her office at the State Capitol for Colorado Lutheran Day at the Legislature

Thanks to all who came out for fellowship, conversation, education and advocacy! We heard from State Senator Jeff Bridges, Rocky Mountain Synod Bishop Jim Gonia, and Colorado Center on Law & Policy attorney Jack Regenbogen. Our asks were all criminal justice related: support for automatic record sealing, “Ban the Box,” and abolishing the death penalty.

Many attendees met with their legislators and/or a legislative aide during our time at the Capitol. The next day, Bishop Jim Gonia offered the opening prayer for the House of Representatives, where he gave thanks for the vocation to public service of our state legislators. You can watch video of his remarks online here (via Facebook).

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: We have been advocating recently on bills to extend eviction notice windows for renters (HB 19-1118) and to expand the Child Nutrition School Lunch Protection Act (HB 19-1171). LAM-CO Director Peter Severson testified in both hearings. We expect the introduction next week of several high-profile bills on our agenda, including Paid Family Leave and Abolishing Colorado’s Death Penalty. Follow all the bills that have been introduced at http://leg.colorado.gov and be informed on issues that you care about. Stay tuned!

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Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy–Minnesota www.lutheranadvocacymn.org

HOUSING & THE GOVERNOR’S BUDGET: Gov. Walz’s budget highlights housing as a critical issue facing Minnesota, calling for investments across the housing continuum from homelessness to homeownership. We appreciate that the governor gives the housing crisis the increased attention it needs! However, we must go beyond his proposals to even do more to meet the housing needs of students, families, employers, and communities across Minnesota. State investments must also include supportive services (in Health & Human Service budget).

CLEAN ENERGY LEGISLATION: Legislation has been introduced that creates a set of renewable and carbon-free energy targets for Minnesota’s utilities to meet between now and 2050, with 100% carbon-free energy the eventual goal. It allows flexibility if meeting the targets significantly effects energy costs or reliability, and allows modification for future unknowns like new technology, environmental impacts, or obstacles to building energy infrastructure. (The bill defines “renewable” energy as electricity produced from solar, wind, small hydroelectric facilities, hydrogen and biomass. “Carbon-free” energy is defined as electricity produced without emitting carbon from sources like nuclear energy which aren’t renewable).

CLEAN ENERGY & CLIMATE ACTION DAY: Join students, neighbors, families, people of faith! Engage in opportunities throughout the day to learn, share, meet with legislators and let them know you want action on clean energy. Participate in action stations, inter-faith worship, and a rally in the Capitol Rotunda. Stay for the day or come when you can. Register at: http://bit.ly/MNEnergyDay

• WHEN: Wednesday, March 13, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• WHERE: Christ Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill, 105 University Ave. W., St. Paul 55103

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New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry- New Mexico (LA-MN) lutheranadvocacynm.org

2019 LUTHERAN ADVOCACY DAY: The 2019 Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico Bishop’s Legislative

Rep. Armstrong with LAM-NM Director

Advocates gather

Luncheon and Issues Briefing drew over 150 advocates from throughout the state. For the first time, over half of the attendees were from our ecumenical partners. The morning began with our Issues Briefing at the United Church in Santa Fe, one of our partner congregations from the United Church of Christ. Advocates attended briefing sessions on several issues included in the LAM-NM 2019 Advocacy Agenda. Bishop Jim Gonia shared remarks in the morning as well as at the luncheon. At the luncheon, Rep. Deborah Armstrong was recognized as Legislator of the Year for her work on health care issues. Also honored was the New Mexico Faith Coalition for Immigrant Justice for its dedicated work to advocate for and serve the interests of the immigrant community in New Mexico.

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Southeastern Synod

Hilton Austin, Director

CAPITOL VISITS: It has been an exciting month, packed with lobby days at Georgia’s state capitol. Hilton and Jordan have been able to participate in several of our partner’s Lobby days to raise awareness for a myriad of issues including environmental justice, criminal justice reform, immigration reform, and Medicaid expansion.

ANNUAL GATHERING: We were humbled by a great turn out and positive responses to our office’s Fourth Annual Advocacy Gathering, titled “Walking Wet,” in Atlanta. Amy Reumann joined us for our event as the keynote speaker and left all in attendance feeling reenergized and ready to advocate both in our local communities and as a Church body. Participants were also able to enjoy fellowship time with other advocates and participate in workshops hosted by Inspiritus (formerly Lutheran Services of Georgia), Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Catherine Strate and Policy Council Member Dawn Bennett.

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AND UPDATES: It has been a busy month with many reoccurring themes across the 3 states(Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee); Our office is currently determining our priorities for the push leading up to Georgia Crossover Day, March 7th. The Alabama legislature kicks off March 5^th. In addition to helping the folks in our Synod make sense of current legislation, we are publishing legislative updates so folks can see what their lawmakers have been up to so far this session.

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Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy – Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

LAMPA CO-SPONSORS ADVOCACY WEBINAR: LAMPa and United Methodist Advocacy are co-sponsoring a webinar March 5 to help congregations and faith-based non-profits in Pennsylvania understand their right to engage in advocacy. Click here to register.

STAFF & VOLUNTEER OUTREACH: Tracey visited with members of the Tree of Life (LSS) sharing an informative conversation about LAMPa. Over the course of several months in 2018, LAMPa assisted a group of congregants at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church (SEPA Synod) who were interested in creating an advocacy team. They did their homework, including a congregational survey, and launched what they call the “A Team” on the Sunday she visited. Tracey also spoke at worship services. Lynn and policy council member Cheryl Burns shared a program on Advocacy and Hunger at St. Stephen’s (LSS).

JOIN US IN THE CAPITAL: Bring Your Faith to the Table — On May 19 and 20, join people of faith from around Pennsylvania for inspiration, education and participation — in worship, service, learning and advocacy. MONDAY, MAY 20 — LAMPa’s traditional Lutheran Day of Advocacy — Set a Welcome Table! features Keynote speaker Kathryn Lohre, assistant to the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA. Learn more and register.

SUNDAY, MAY 19 — Come to the Welcome Table! and join neighbors of many faiths for service, learning, prayer, artistic expression and a community meal — all with an emphasis on strengthening what unites us. A variety of service and learning opportunities will be offered, as well as preparation for advocacy for our common home. Learn more.

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Virginia

Kim Bobo, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy virginiainterfaithcenter.org

The Virginia General Assembly adjourned on February 24^thafter a chaotic session. VICPP is thrilled that 2 bills passed both the Senate and the House and are now waiting for the Governor’s signature. Under current state law, jobs like shoe-shine boys, newsboys, ushers, and movie ticket-takers are exempt from the minimum wage, stemming back to the Jim Crow era. We worked with Del. Cia Price and Sen. Lionell Spruill to remove this discriminatory language from Virginia’s minimum wage law. We also worked with Del. Lashrecse Aird and Sen. Frank Wagner to pass legislation that requires employers to provide workers with a paystub. Under current state law, paystubs are optional. However, paystubs are critically important to helping prevent and deter wage theft. VICPP is looking forward to working on more aggressive legislation for the 2020 General Assembly Session.

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Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Action Network (FAN) fanwa.org

FAN has had a busy month! We are right in the middle of Washington State’s Legislative session. The House and Senate are hearing and discussing thousands of bills and working hard to set the budget for the next two years.

We had scheduled our Interfaith Advocacy Lobby Day for Valentine’s day. The Seattle area experienced numerous winter storms in the beginning of the month and had more snowfall than we’ve had in more than 50 years – nearly 22 inches in just the first two weeks of February. Unfortunately, these icy roads and hazardous conditions led to canceling Interfaith Advocacy Day. We are working hard to ensure that the faith communities in our network have the tools they need to make their voices heard at the legislature in other ways. The FAN staff has been leading and speaking at educational events, attending and supporting other lobby days, and assisting faith communities in their own understanding of different bills and the legislative structure.

Legislative session is about halfway through. As we move through different votes and policy cutoffs, we are keeping a keen eye on the bills on our legislative agenda. A few of the bills we’re advocating for address:

• Repealing the death penalty (HB 1488/SB 5339)
• Increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables through funding the Food Insecurity and Nutrition Incentives (FINI) program (HB 1587/SB 5583)
• Revising economic assistance programs by updating standards of need, revising outcome measures and data collected, and reducing barriers to participation (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families – TANF) (HB 1603/SB 5684)
• Establishing a post-conviction review board and review process for early release for qualifying individuals who are incarcerated (SB 5819)
• Establishing a statewide policy supporting Washington State’s economy and immigrants’ role in the workplace (Keep Washington Working) (HB 1815/SB 5497)
• Supporting 100% Clean Electricity to make our state’s electric grid free of fossil fuels by 2045 (HB 1211/SB 5116)

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Wisconsin

Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin loppw.org

ADVOCACY TRAINING/PREPARATIONS: The director, Cindy Crane, preached and led a workshop on advocacy for pastors from conferences in the Northwest Synod in Chetek. The focus was on how to talk to congregants about faith-based advocacy.

Our intern, Sarah, is gathering information about legislators on a spreadsheet that will help us in our advocacy.

LOPPW is involved in planning the People of Faith United for Justice Advocacy Day on April 11. The director is investigating a focus on water, which is one of our priorities related to Care for God’s Creation.

Kelsey Johnson, LOPPW’s hunger fellow, is working on materials based upon LOPPW’s resources to create packets for our advisory council members to present to conference deans in their synods.

Kelsey and Cindy engaged several people who expressed a passion for justice but were not signed up for our action alerts at the Greater Milwaukee Synod’s Together in Mission in Brookfield.

ANTI-SEX TRAFFICKING: Kelsey and Cindy led a workshop on anti-sex trafficking in the South-Central Synod in Boscobel. Kelsey managed an LOPPW table at an anti-trafficking event at a Catholic church in Madison. She has been in regular contact with one of our speakers from our January rally to explore writing a bill together. Cindy was in regular contact with WELCA in the East Central Synod to discuss what’s next after the rally. She was also in touch with Jen DeLeon, director of advocacy for WELCA, about how Jen can support our efforts.

ELCA: Cindy was part of a relators for DEMs meeting.

 

From dust we came, and to dust we will return.

But between those two truths is a whole lot of life to be lived and work to be done.

Ash Wednesday marks the first day of the season of Lent, a time for reflection on how God’s intentions for the world – and how far our current reality is from that promise. It is a time to reflect on death and to repent for the ways in which we have allowed God’s promise of life to remain hidden from our own eyes and the eyes of our neighbors. Lent is a reminder of our own wanderings in the wilderness, away from our Creator.

Yet, Lent is also a reminder of the road ahead. The ashes are a reminder of mortality; the empty cross that they form on our foreheads is a reminder of the resurrection. We repent for how far we have strayed from God’s plans for us – and how far God has come to find us.

This Lent, ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving draws together the themes of repentance, self-reflection and renewal by focusing on the four spiritual practices, or disciplines, of the season: self-reflection and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial giving, and works of love.

We are formed in these disciplines to be church – together and for the sake of the world. After a generation in the wilderness, the Hebrews came to the Promised Land as a people consecrated by God to be a “a priestly kingdom and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). After facing down temptation, Jesus returned to Galilee and declared the “good news” to the people (Luke 4:18). The journey of Lent is not the end of the story, for them or for us.

There is life to be lived and work to be done between the dust from which we came and the dust to which we shall return.

ELCA World Hunger, as a ministry of this church, is shaped by the Lenten disciplines. In repentance, we recognize the ways sin continues to disrupt communities and contribute to hunger and poverty. Through the ancient practices of prayer and fasting, we are renewed in our commitment to “to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke” (Isaiah 58:6). By sacrificial giving, we support ministries around the world that give our neighbors a chance at new life and livelihoods. And in works of love, we accompany our neighbors toward a just world where all are fed.

In Lent, we “take hold of the promise” of God’s grace together, knowing that the road does not end at Calvary but at an empty tomb – and the assurance of new life for us, for our neighbors and for all of God’s creation. It is the promise of a world in which all shall be filled, that turns us to the work of ending the hunger that confronts us.

There are resources available at ELCA.org/40Days to help you and your congregation be part of this effort. A Lenten calendar, with verses from scripture, reflections on Lent, and short snippets of stories from projects we support together can be used by individuals and families. Coin jar wrappers can be printed and attached to glass jars or cans to collect gifts this season, and a Lenten devotional study with discussion questions and reflections can be used at home or in small groups. There is also a promotional video that can be shared via e-newsletters or during services.

If you plan to lead your congregation in this effort, there is also a handy leader’s guide with tips on how to get started. A weekly email series is also available.

This Lent, journey with ELCA World Hunger and congregations across this church as we share in the work to which God has called us – and, in the words of Martin Luther, “take hold of the promise” of what is to come.

by Abbigail Hull, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow – Washington, D.C.

The courage of a middle school boy stayed with me after my first opportunity as an ELCA Hunger Fellow to facilitate faith advocacy training and lawmakers meetings for a Lutheran youth group visiting Washington, D.C. from Massachusetts. During one of those meetings, he forthrightly told a policy-maker that addressing educational disparities is necessary to eliminating hunger in our country. “Shout out, do not hold back!” Like the exclamation of Isaiah 58:1 which we hear on Ash Wednesday, this student was calling out the sinful inequalities of the world.

During this season of self-reflection, humility, of fasting, what does it mean when we hear the Lenten verse from Joel 2:12-17,  “blow the trumpet of Zion…for the day of the Lord is near…sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people”?

When I initially think of fasting, I think of a personal spiritual practice – a personal decision and action that requires abstaining from some behavior. This can be a positive experience. However, when I view fasting in this way, I have the tendency to use it to punish myself for the things I do not like about myself. I often eat too much chocolate, for example, so no chocolate in Lent. This turns me inward and not outward to the world and my community.

This is not the fasting Isaiah is talking about when he proclaims:

Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Isaiah 58:6-7

I believe Isaiah is calling me and other Christians to turn outward – fast and repent from the injustices seen our community. He calls us to envision fasting as a tool for communal reflection and action to better align ourselves with our neighbors and with God’s vision for the world.  It is an engagement of our hearts and bodies.

Last year, the ELCA participated in a campaign to #PrayFastAct with our Episcopalian siblings in solidarity with our hungry neighbors and in response to potential cuts in anti-poverty programs. When the pang of hunger is felt when fasting, we are reminded of the shared mortality of our human bodies. We are all from ashes and to ashes we shall return. We are also reminded that many of our neighbors have no choice in this fasting. We see the sinfulness of the world and are called to repent from the sinfulness in ourselves and our world.

In that solidarity, may we all have the same humble courage of that young man to gather together, shout out, and work toward justice in our society.