Brooke De Jong is the author of this post and the Program Assistant for Hunger Education with ELCA World Hunger. Previous to this position she worked managing grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for a housing agency in Chicago, IL. 

 

The work towards economic and racial justice has never been easy. Making long-term sustainable and transformative changes is even harder. This is especially true in the areas of housing and homelessness. According to the latest Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data collected in January 2019, Chicago alone had 5,290 people without homes. But what is more concerning is that 1,026 or 19% of persons without homes in Chicago were white but 4,674 or 88% persons without homes in Chicago were people of color.

As we emerged from the holidays and rolled into the new year, news broke that HUD is proposing to repeal a 2015 fair housing rule, or the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, that could make this disparity worse.

What is the proposed change and why does it matter?

The proposal to repeal of the 2015 AFFH rule repeals a definition of fair housing that actively sought to reverse the effects of housing segregation and changes the definition of fair housing to “advancing fair housing choice within the program participant’s control or influence.” Under Secretary Ben Carson, HUD would now define fair housing as the ability to choose one’s housing and end proactive measures that sought to reverse the effects of housing segregation. Without the proper tools, training and financial support, many communities will not be able to continue the hard but important work towards ending housing segregation.

Housing segregation is a serious problem in the United States. In short, where someone lives is important. Where someone lives determines the quality of education, jobs, medical care, access to supportive services, food quality and more. Ultimately where some lives can impact a person’s ability to thrive. In segregated communities, like that of Chicago, often what happens is a concentration of the above items in more white and affluent areas and a decreased density of these crucial services in areas that have higher rates of poverty and large populations of people of color. Housing segregation has many devastating effects but the most sinister is the ability of housing segregation to create a never-ending cycle of poverty. If we  are serious about our mission to create a just world where all are fed, ending housing segregation is an important piece of the puzzle.

What is the “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing” Rule?

Let’s start first with what a rule is, why we have them and how they come about. Rules are created and used by United States government agencies, like HUD, to help staff and related programs effectively interpret and implement laws passed by congress. Often, laws passed by Congress leave a lot of room for the agency to determine how to put a law into practice. So, rules are created to guide the work of the agency, evaluate its grant programs and to prioritize spending.

In the case of the AFFH rule, the US Congress has passed several laws that govern how HUD does its work and spends its money. All of these major laws contain language directing HUD to prevent discrimination in its housing programs and create programs that actively implement fair housing practices. While the laws are clear that housing discrimination is illegal, it is not clear from these laws how HUD is supposed to go about developing fair housing programs. Therefore, it is up to every administration and HUD secretary to define what these affirmative sections of our housing laws look like in practice.

In the case of the 2015 AFFH rule implemented by then-HUD Secretary Julian Castro and the Obama administration, this looked like taking proactive steps to reverse the effects of decades of housing segregation created by redlining, discriminatory and predatory mortgage lending practices, and community disinvestment. This involved defining fair housing as:

taking meaningful actions that, taken together, address significant disparities in housing needs and in access to opportunity, replacing segregated living patterns with truly integrated and balanced living patterns, transforming racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty into areas of opportunity, and fostering and maintaining compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws creating new sophisticated mapping and data tools for communities requiring extensive reporting on systemic housing segregation.

When this definition went into effect in 2015 as part of the AFFH rule, HUD had a new mandate: create new mapping tools and training programs to help communities understand the effects of systemic segregation and begin evaluating grant programs based on how effective they were at reversing systemic segregation. Communities and housing authorities that did well were awarded more money and others who failed to meet the new standards would see their funding cut or the program would find themselves under HUD monitoring.

Why would HUD propose this change?

HUD is proposing this change because it says, among other things, the 2015 rule is too burdensome on communities and programs.

As a former HUD grants administrator, I can see why HUD might be choosing to repeal such a complex rule. Because the thought of a regulation change still makes me feel a deep sense of dread. It is difficult to convey the amount of work and stress that comes with managing HUD grants. But I think it is important to try in order to better grasp and evaluate HUD’s stated reasoning for this rule change.

Many housing agencies administering HUD programs and funding, including the one worked at, are greatly understaffed and underfunded. As the grants manager, it is your responsibility to know HUD rules and regulations inside and out and make sure staff are following them. The bills and regulations that govern a single type of HUD funding can number into the thousands of pages. A violation of those regulations can result in loss of funding and mass eviction of those your agency serves.

Changes in how data is collected and how HUD defines different terms, both of which are part of this proposed rule change, can affect your ability to house people. In short, working on HUD grants and implementing rule changes means the lives of the most vulnerable depend on you doing your job well. That is a heavy burden that many grant administrators and other HUD program administrators carry.

Nevertheless, this burden is one I often carried with pride. The work my agency did to provide housing and supportive services to the most vulnerable populations in Chicago, was a direct result of the funding I was able to secure and manage. HUD rules like the AFFH rule, which it is proposing to repeal, made sure we were making long-term transformative and sustainable changes in the communities we served. That made a difference to me when I was up until 2 am trying to make grant submission deadlines.

In Summary

It is true the 2015 rule did place a heavy burden on HUD programs and administrators. Many programs reported to HUD that the current AFFH process required lengthy report submissions ranging from 200 to 800 pages. Many communities also had to hire outside contractors and spend vital funds on the completion of these reports. It is important and right that HUD should listen to their feedback.

However, HUD also needs to take a look at themselves. HUD never completed the mapping tools and training it promised these communities. These mapping tools and training would have been vital to the success of the 2015 AFFH rule.

So, if something is not working or is difficult and you have not made the proper investment, you don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. In other words, despite some of the failures and difficulties of this 2015 AFFH rule, HUD should not ignore or give up on its mandate to make a positive impact on communities in the realm of fair housing and housing segregation. And HUD certainly should not give up on this mandate because it failed to provide the adequate funding and support these communities and programs needed.

 

 

Brett Davis, Washington, D.C.

Warm-up Question

Is there a story behind your given name?  What is it?

Power of Names

Do our names determine our destiny?  Researcher Steve Levitt has dedicated decades to this question.  Different cultures have different naming patterns and trends.  Our names sometimes suggest something about us.  Every student has had this experience when a teacher calls the roll in a classroom for the first time and and looks up with an expectation.

Levitt and his research partners have studied  whether there is a measurable bias in economic outcomes for people with either unusual or culturally African-American names.  Using public data of every baby born in California over forty years, they analyzed what influences our names and what influence names have on us.  They were surprised to find that  your given name did not impact your economic life as an adult.  (Meaning it was not statistically proven to show that an unusual or culturally specific name made you less likely to have an equal income level to people with common or culturally “white” names.) 

Levitt found that “it’s not the name your parents give you; it’s the kind of parents you have in the first place.”  Our names tell us about our parents, not about us, and the kind of parents one has was the largest factor in influencing opportunities later in life.  

However, their research and further work continued to suggest that web searches for names are highly biased.  For instance, typically African-American names are programmed into search tool analytics to produce results about finding arrest records for an individual, even if there are none.  This could certainly influence someone hiring for a job who searches their candidates’ names, although widespread impact was not shown by the data described above. 

“One thing that most of us can probably agree on: Just about every parent thinks that his or her kid is special. Part of what makes each of our kids special is the names we give them. But from what we can tell, your name is not your destiny — even if your name is Destiny. Or Esmé. Or Archimedes, or Track.”

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever struggled with liking your name,  Have others struggled with it in some way?
• Have you ever assumed something about someone based on their name?  How were you proven wrong?
• Do you think that people are judged or stereotyped based on their name?
• If you or someone you know has been named after someone, do you think you try to live up to that name or be like them?

Baptism of our Lord /First Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 42:1-9

Acts 10:34-43

Matthew 3:13-17

(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

This time of year, right after Christmas, we celebrate some other stories from the beginning of Jesus’ life.  Sometimes we celebrate the lesser festival of Name of Jesus and read the story in the gospel of Luke when Jesus is dedicated in the temple and given his name.  Mary and Joseph didn’t agonize over what to call their baby – an angel told Joseph to name him Jesus.

In today’s gospel reading, we get a naming story of a different kind.  This is the story of Jesus’ baptism, and we have two main characters in the story who are considering their identity and role.  First, John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, doesn’t think himself worthy to baptize Jesus.  But Jesus convinces John that this is his role to play in fulfilling the prophecy.  John baptizes Jesus, the sky opens, and a dove comes down (do you have a dive-bombing dove symbolic of the Holy Spirit depicted in your church?).  

Jesus is baptized by John as an adult, and he’s had his name for a long time already.  But in his baptism, “a voice from heaven” gives Jesus another name.  The voice of God says, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”  In a way, this is God’s name for Jesus – and for each of us in our baptisms.  

Considering Levitt’s research, what God the parent calls Jesus tells us not only about Jesus, but about the parent.  This reminds me that God’s identity is loving parent, pleased with us children, proud of us, and claiming us in our baptisms.  Jesus’ name, in Hebrew Yeshua or Joshua, means “he will save.”  This name, and the name that came from heaven at his baptism, “[God’s] son, the beloved,” would certainly make people biased – in a good way – about what Jesus would be and become.  

For both Jesus and John, that day at the river gave them an identity, a name and a calling, that they would live into.  John is named/called worthy to baptize, and Jesus is called the beloved son.  At your baptism, you are called this too, beloved child of God.  I believe these names shape who we become.

Discussion Questions

• Besides your given name, what have you been called that has shaped who you have become?
• Do you know anyone who has a name which is an adjective, attribute, or title?  It’s more common in some cultures or places – names like: Grace, Prince, or even, like in the Scripture – Beloved.  Do you think naming someone this makes them more likely to embody their name?
• How would your view of people change if you called them (even in your mind), “_(name)_” beloved child of God?

Activity Suggestions

On a sheet of paper, make a big “Hello, my name is _____” nametag.  Write all the things you’ve called yourself or been called by others.  Then pair up with someone or in a small group exchange your sheets and add things – what would you call each other?  Consider how those nice things that others add shape your view of yourself.  If you can get some stick-on nametags, make everyone a “name”tag that says “Beloved child of God,” and one to take with you to give someone else or share with them as a surprise. 

Closing Praye

God our loving parent, you called Jesus your beloved son at his baptism, and you call us the same at each of ours.  Help us to reserve judgment based on people’s names, and instead call and see every person as a beloved child of God.  Amen.

 

Today’s post is by Pastors Melissa Bills and Anne-Edison Albright. Pastor Bills serves at First Lutheran Church in Decorah, Iowa and Pastor Edison-Albright serves at Luther College, also in Decorah. Melissa and Anne are frequent liturgical text writers for the Sparkhouse and Augsburg Fortress imprints of 1517 Media, including several collaborative projects.

January 12, 2020 marks the ten-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti that killed more than 300,000 people. The impact of this disaster reveals layers of trauma. In addition to the earthquake itself, a long history of colonialism, ongoing systemic oppression, poverty, racism, and climate change have all contributed to the death toll and devastation. Similar dynamics have been present in a number of other natural disasters since then. This significant anniversary gives us an opportunity to reflect upon our role and our responsibility in cultivating sustainable global partnerships. It also urges us to continue to take seriously the effects of climate change and our faithful response to the urgent need to care for the earth. On this day, we confess our complacency, we lament loss of life, and we ask God to inspire us to seek new opportunities for faithful living, among all of God’s people and throughout all of God’s good creation.

For us, the authors, this anniversary hits close to home. We are pastors in Decorah, Iowa; hometown of the Revs. April and Judd Larson, and resting place of ELCA seminarian Benjamin Splichal Larson, who died in the earthquake in Haiti ten years ago. With Ben’s family, we have been thinking about how to honor the memory of one who was very beloved and very dear, knowing that we raise our voices in prayer with countless others who are mourning and missing their beloved dear ones this day.  A Witness: The Haiti Earthquake, a Song, Death and Resurrection by the Rev. Renee Splichal Larson tells more of the story, and helped us write these liturgical texts with the many layers of loss, trauma and resurrection hope in Haiti in mind. “Behold, I Make All Things New,” a liturgy composed by Ben Splichal Larson and available for free download, will be used by many ELCA congregations on this day and throughout the season.

For congregations that are marking the anniversary of the Haiti earthquake in worship on January 12, we’ve written a prayer petition that can be added to the prayers of intercession (see below). We’ve concluded the petition with words that echo the Lamb of God from ELW Setting 10, which is the song that Ben Splichal-Larson was singing when he died. We offer “Lamb of God, with us now, Give us your peace, we pray” as a way to conclude the prayers of intercession on this day.  

We’ve also written a litany and prayer that can be used in many places in the worship service; we think it would go well near the beginning of the service as a Call to Worship. The litany draws on Psalm 46 and imagines how the psalmist would write the psalm if they were reflecting on the Haiti earthquake. The prayer gives options to name specific people your congregation is mourning on this day, as well as other disasters that have impacted your community or other communities close to your heart.

Thank you for praying with us, and with people all over the world, who are praying alongside the people of Haiti on this day.

Intercessory prayer petition

God our refuge, we lift up our prayers with all who mark this 10^th anniversary of the Haiti earthquake. Bring an end to poverty, climate change, colonialism, and all forces that make natural disasters more profound. Empower advocates of your justice and healing, and hold in your love all who are grieving this day. Lamb of God, with us now, Give us your peace, we pray. 

Call to worship:

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,

 though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

Though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Years have passed; God has not forgotten us.

God mourns with us for all that we’ve lost.

God hears our cries;

God hears the cries of the world.

Injustice and tyranny compound disaster.

We rage against powers that deal poverty and death.

The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Listen! The people whose world shook are speaking.

God is speaking through all who are broken and healing.

God walks with us; what can we fear?

Afraid and brave, we walk together. 

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.

God, our refuge and strength, we pray with and for the people of Haiti on the tenth anniversary of the earthquake. Bless the memory of all who died in this disaster (especially), and bind our hearts together with all who continue to grieve and rebuild. Draw near to all communities and nations who have suffered natural disasters in recent memory (other natural disasters may be named). Support relief workers and international aid organizations as they generously offer themselves in time of need. Mitigate the effects of future disasters by empowering us to work for economic justice, to seek the care of creation, and to listen faithfully to the voices of our siblings across the globe. Bring hope to our hearts by your promise to make among us a new creation, where all nature is again at peace. Into your hands we commend ourselves, our world, and all for whom we pray, in the name of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Photo Credits: Upper Right: Women return home from the market in Les Palmes, a rural village in southern Haiti where the Lutheran World Federation has been working with survivors of the 2010 earthquake, along with other residents, to experience more abundant life. Photo courtesy of Paul Jeffrey, ACT Alliance. Lower Left:Two girls walk along a street in a model resettlement village constructed by the Lutheran World Federation in Gressier, Haiti. The settlement houses 150 families who were left homeless by the 2010 earthquake, and represents an intentional effort to “build back better,” creating a sustainable and democratic community. Photo courtesy of Paul Jeffrey, ACT Alliance.

 

Kris Litman-Koon, Isle of Palms, SC

Warm-up Question

Have you ever known someone who has experienced a loss of permanent housing, even if just temporarily?

In the World, but Not Known

December 21 is the winter solstice, the date when the northern hemisphere receives its longest night. The winter solstice has been marked in various ways by countless cultures throughout the ages, yet a more recent observance is Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. It is a day for local communities to come together to remember those in their midst who died during the previous year while experiencing homelessness. These local observances are coordinated through the National Coalition for the Homeless. The winter solstice is an apt date for these observances because brutal weather is often linked to these individuals’ deaths and because the long night symbolizes the fact that unhoused residents are often relegated to life in the shadows of society. 

By having a Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, one might assume that we know the number of annual deaths or that we know the names of those being memorialized. The truth is that we don’t know those things for certain (here are some statistics). There is no standard in this country for reporting these deaths, and in some circumstances the person’s identity is never known. Similarly nebulous are the reasons why families or individuals have lost stable housing. Too often society treats homelessness as a personal failing, even though it is commonly the result of an unexpected job loss, exorbitant medical bills, poor health (injury, illness, or disability), other factors, or a combination of these.

Discussion Questions

• Does your local community have an observance of Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day? (A search of your local news’ websites may yield the answer.) Is this observance something you might attend or help lead?
• On a single night in 2018, there were an estimated 552,830 individuals who were experiencing homelessness in the United States. That number is very close to the total population of Wyoming (estimated population 577,737). Had you ever thought that the number of unhoused people on a given night is equivalent to a state’s population? Considering the temporary nature of some homelessness, try to imagine how many people living today in the United States have ever experienced homelessness.

Second Sunday of Christmas

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Ephesians 1:3-14

John 1:[1-9] 10-18

(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

In verse ten of today’s gospel passage, it says, “He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.” Without giving thought to who the “he” is, try to visualize what each phrase of that verse says. To put it lightly, this verse of scripture is a paradox. When we consider the verse’s implied birthing imagery, it would be as if the mother is located in her own child. That’s paradoxical enough, but the final phrase adds to that paradox by saying that the child did not even know the mother in her. 

The paradox takes on a different light when we consider the subject: the Word of God made flesh, Jesus Christ. Various faiths have a belief that the physical universe came into being as a result of divine action, yet Christianity clings to this paradox: the divine then entered the physical universe. To top it off, the physical universe did not fully know that it was the divine who took on physical flesh. The world overlooked this individual, who is the one through whom the world came into being. 

The Incarnation (the belief of God taking on flesh) is a paradox, yet it is also central to our Christian faith. We shouldn’t, however, leave the Incarnation as an interesting concept for us to ponder. Note that verse 10 finishes with “yet the world did not know him.” This should remind us that the incarnate Word identifies with those whom the world does not know. Namely, those whose humanity often goes overlooked, like unhoused individuals. Centuries ago, Christians saw beggars as those who were closest to God, hence the mendicant response upon receiving gifts of food or money — “God bless you” — was something that Christians actively sought to hear. Although that viewpoint has been lost in time (see Fear of Beggars by Kelly Johnson for why this happened in the church), perhaps finding the incarnate God in unhoused individuals is something inherent to our Christian faith.

Discussion Questions

• How do you respond to the idea that the phrase “God bless you” bears more authority when it comes from the lips of someone who is poor and marginalized than when it comes from the lips of a pastor or bishop?
• John’s gospel doesn’t present a story of Jesus’ birth, although it presents a story of the world’s birth through the Word. In the traditional Nativity story (i.e. Luke’s gospel), what are some elements that depict God’s openness to the poor and marginalized?
• “Yet the world did not know him.” What is it like to be overlooked and not known? Do you find solace in knowing that God is present with you in that experience?

Activity Suggestions

• If your community has an observance of Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, discuss how you might become involved with it in the future. 
• If your community does not have an observance, what organizations or agencies might you turn to for names of those neighbors who’ve died while unhoused? How might you or your congregation honor their lives?

Closing Praye

Almighty and gracious God, help us to see the needs of the people on our street, in our community, and throughout the world. Kindle in our hearts a love that radiates sympathy, kindness, concern, and generosity to all humans. Amen.

 

Amy Martinell, Sioux Falls, SD

Warm-up Question

If you or your parents decided to move to another country, how would you feel?  To where would you like to move?

Seeking Safety

 

Our Bible reading centers on the story of a family having to flee their homes to find safety in another land.  This is still a familiar story for many families today.   Those of us living in the United States are aware of the crisis at our southern border as migrants travel here seeking safety, but all around the world

people are forced to leave their homes hoping to find safety in a foreign land.  The UN reports that in 2019 the number of international migrants reached 272 million.  It is hard to imagine a number that large, let alone realize that large number represents real people, all in need of a safe place to live.  This number has almost doubled in the last ten years and about one in seven or 38 million of these refugees are children under the age of twenty.

Of course, there are many reasons that people flee from their homes—war, persecution, and violence—being among the top reasons, but in one way all people leave their homes for the same reason.  They are risking their lives for the desperate hope that they may find a place to be safe.  It is almost impossible for a child to feel safe without having a place to call home, so in our world right now there are at least 38 million children who are unable to feel safe.

Discussion Questions

• What helps you feel safe in times of fear and worry?
• What emotions do you feel when you think of the migrant crisis?  Guilt? Anger? Confusion? Helplessness?
• Why do you think it is so important to have a place to call home?  When you have been away what do you miss most about your home?
• What makes your home special?

First Sunday of Christmas

Isaiah 63:7-9

Hebrews 2:10-18

Matthew 2:13-23

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

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

Gospel Reflection

We have moved quickly from Christmas night and the innocent scene we often imagine when we think of Jesus’ birth.  Jesus is not yet two and he is already facing death threats.  When King Herod meets with the magi and hears they have come to visit the baby born King of the Jews, he is greatly disturbed.  Who is this baby who threatens to take his title of king?  Herod was a ruthless leader who would do anything to keep his power and he became determined to kill baby Jesus before he can be a threat.

An angel directs Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to flee their home and find refuge in Egypt.  The rest of the the male babies in Bethlehem were not as lucky. Herod orders that all male babies under two be put to death in hope of wiping out this baby who may someday become King of the Jews.

During this joyous Christmas season, this story reminds us that things might have been otherwise.  Had it not been for God’s divine protection, fear and violence may have been the end of the story.

There are so many reflections of our world today in this story.  In Jesus’ family traveling to Egypt we see the story of so many displaced people searching for safety.  In Herod’s violent actions, we see the story of so many of our world leaders who are led by fear and make decisions out of self interest that hurt others. In the death of the innocents, we see the story of so many children who have lost their lives to war and violence. Yet, in Jesus’ survival and return to Nazareth we see the beginning of hope for a new story.  We continue to put our hope in our Savior who changes the stories we know: lifting up those who are marginalized and bringing down those who rule with fear.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think Herod is threatened by Jesus even though he is only a baby?
• When have you made decisions out of fear?  How did that situation go?  When have you made decisions based on hope, how were the results different than decisions made in fear?
• In this story we see God actively taking care of Jesus and his family.  When in your life have you been aware of God’s activity?

Activity Suggestions

• Watch the documentary Warehoused together.  The movie gives an intimate look at the plight long-term refugees face.
• Every community has children who don’t have a safe place to call home.  Look into the services your community offers for children in need of shelter and find ways you can support the work they are doing.

Closing Praye

Loving God,  We give you thanks for the safety and comfort you provide for us.  Empower us to share Christ’s comfort with others.  Amen.

 

These reflections are a part of ELCA World Hunger’s Sermon Starter series which is published via email every Monday. You can sign up for the weekly email here on the right side of the page. Pastor Tim Brown is the writer of these reflections. Pr. Tim is a Gifts Officer and Mission Ambassador for the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and a pastor and writer out of Raleigh, NC. You are invited to use the Christmas messages below for personal devotion as well as prompts for sermon writing. 

December 24th- Christmas Eve

Luke 2:1-20

My favorite Nativity scene is sitting on our end table in our living room.

It’s made out of olive wood and the pieces don’t move.  Well, except for one.

That is because it’s a depiction of the stable, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus in a manger, some shepherds, livestock scattered round and then there are the Magi traveling to see them. And in between the stable scene and the Magi is a huge wall.

It’s like a fence, but solid, and it’s smack dab in the middle of the manger scene.

I bought it from a Palestinian artist who makes these scenes as a real-life depiction of what would happen today if Magi tried to visit Bethlehem: they’d encounter the great wall in Israel that holds Palestine penned in on all sides.

But that wall means other things, too.

It’s indicative of this long spoken-of wall to be built on the southern border of the United States.

It’s indicative of all of the walls that are put up around your dinner table at your holiday gathering between family members who can’t speak to one another due to politics, old wounds, new wounds, perceived slights, real slights…we have many walls.

It’s indicative of all of the walls that the people in your assembly on this Christmas Eve have put up, or have had put up in front of them, which is why they only show up twice a year at best. The church is excellent at building walls, Beloved.

And it’s indicative of the walls of checkbooks we’ve set between us and those experiencing poverty around the world, choosing to send money rather than build relationships. Money is good and necessary; please don’t get me wrong. But relationships change minds and hearts.  And if we’re going to be a world that stops building walls between people, we need to be about building relationships.

In fact, one of the big walls that you, preacher, will have to hurdle on this Christmas Eve is the huge wall of familiarity that most in your pews have with this text!  How do you preach on the same text every year and pull something new from it?

Well, maybe we don’t have to pull something new from it, but, rather, just let it do its thing.

Because God showing up in the person of Jesus is a sign that God is not about walls, but relationships. And God will traverse the cosmos over space, time, and reality to prove it.

I mentioned that, in this Nativity set, there’s only one piece that moves…and it’s the wall.  You can pull it out and set it aside.

Because although we have put up all sorts of walls in our world, real and figurative, God is about breaking down such walls between us, between all creation and between the human and the Divine.

December 25th- Christmas Day

Titus 3:4-7

If, on Christmas Eve, you leaned into the entirety of the Gospel lesson for this festival duo, which I think you should because the majority of the people will only hear the Christmas Eve service, then Christmas Day is the perfect opportunity to do two important things: preach a shorter sermon and focus on the obscure offering from Titus that the Epistle gives us.

Because Titus, a small and largely underutilized Epistle that is shrouded in mystery, gives us a wonderful distillation of Lutheran theology on this Christmas Day.

This day, Christmas Day, is a day to highlight the oppositional nature of this whole Divine experiment that we call the Incarnation.

Human and Divine are opposites, and yet on Christmas, they are fused as one.

We have been trained by society to believe that rewards are given by merit, and yet on Christmas, and in this Titus reading, we are reassured that the gift of salvific love is not something we’ve earned but rather something just freely given.

We have been trained by our world to live off our instincts, instincts which are largely driven by fear.  It’s our evolutionary heritage.  And yet, we learn at Christmas that faith is the opposite of fear and that we need not think the shadows will overtake us because the light of the world is born to us on this day.

We have been trained by our laws that only those who are deserving receive an inheritance. And yet, on Christmas Day we hear that the inheritance of God is ours to have not because we deserved it but because we are so richly loved.

It all sounds so impossible.

As impossible as a baby saving the world.

As impossible as God showing up through the womb of an unwed mother.

As impossible as a tree growing in living rooms.

Christmas is full of impossibilities.  Christmas is full of opposites being forged together into new realities.

It is especially true that, at Christmas, we can conceive of a world where ELCA World Hunger would not be necessary. We have been taught by the world that there are “haves” and “have nots.” But in the promises and living example of a Christ who doled out healing with reckless abandon, who ate with those who couldn’t find a table in reputable society and included those who the world purposefully excluded, we’re invited to believe that just as we’re given God’s grace so freely, we can be agents of that free grace for a world in desperate need of it still today.

 

 

This advent reflection is part of ELCA World Hunger’s 2019 Advent Study. You can download the full study here. The children’s messages are a part of ELCA World Hunger’s Sermon Starter series which is published via email every Monday. You can sign up for the weekly email here on the right side of the page. 

Week 4

God is with Us

“‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means, ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23).

 

 

You are loved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, really.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is the message of Advent, Christmas — the entirety of the gospel story, in fact.

 

 

 

 

 

You are loved.

 

 

 

In the baby — whose name shall be Emmanuel, which means “God is with us” — God has drawn near to humanity in familiarity, intimacy and even identity. God has become human, entering into our world and our very existence. And the message God has brought? You are loved.

Two thousand years of Christian history, and yet that basic message has not changed. God has drawn near, and the message brought to all creation is “you are loved.” Scripture is filled with stories of God speaking to God’s people. Sometimes God speaks to them directly. Moses approaches a burning bush and hears God “informing him, ‘I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt'” (Exodus 3). In the middle of the night, Samuel hears God calling his name (1 Samuel 3). At other times, God speaks through the prophets to the people.

But here …

in this manger …

in this moment …

on this night …

There is no mountain-splitting, quaking prelude like Elijah heard outside his cave (1 Kings 19). There is no opening in the heavens, no descending Spirit, no voice from the clouds (Luke 3.) The baby in the manger is God’s whispered good news: “You are loved.” In the first session of this study, we read a sampling of modern-day billboards warning us of God’s coming wrath. The writings of our biblical ancestors reflect a similar level of trepidation about the day God would draw near. What judgment might befall them when God arrived? What word might God speak?

In the manger in Bethlehem, God did show up. And the word was “love.”

As gospel people, the church proclaims this message: “You are loved.” Obviously, such a simple message doesn’t give us the directives that are to be taken in the many complex situations in which the church finds itself in daily life. Such a simple message does not give us all that we need to make the many minute decisions that organizations and individuals must make. But it does give us a clear message and identity.

Who is the church? The beloved of God.

Who is my neighbor? The beloved of God.

Who is this stranger in my midst? The beloved of God. 

To be the church, to be people of the gospel, called to spread the good news, is to ensure that every person we encounter leaves knowing they are loved. To be “evangelical” is to be sharers of the good news – and that good news is that we are loved by the very creator of the universe.

This almost seems too simple, and in some ways, it might be. But how often does the message the world sends us undermine our confidence in this message? How often are we told that we must make ourselves lovable enough, work hard enough, look good enough, decide wisely enough, or behave appropriately enough to merit the concern or consideration of others around us? The church has a different message: You are loved because the One who created you has marked you as loved. Christ-centered ministries have this message of Christ at their heart.

Rain or shine, the East Boston Community Soup Kitchen opens each Tuesday without fail, serving up nutritious fare — with an extra helping of love — from the basement of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church. Volunteers offer weekly breakfast, lunch and dinner to more than a hundred guests, many of whom face the challenges of poverty and addiction. Guests can also pick up hygiene kits or a set of clean clothes and access social services.

“This space is where we all come together and treat each other with love, with that respect and dignity that we all like to receive,” says Sandra Aleman-Nijjar, the kitchen’s lead volunteer. “We give that to everyone that walks through those doors.” Eddie, one of the guests at East Boston, knows this to be the case. Having lived on the streets since he was 18, Eddie calls the ministry “my home,” a place of belonging and acceptance where his needs — physical, spiritual and emotional — are met. “He feels loved, that someone cares,” says Sandra. “You can see it in [each of] them, that sense of belonging, that sense of acceptance. That someone cares about them, that someone is watching and looking out for their well-being.”

To be “evangelical” is not merely to share the basic facts about faith but to live out a faith that assures us — and our neighbors — that we are loved. For guests at the East Boston Community Soup Kitchen, that means that every plate of food served is a form of evangelism, a way of sharing the good news that is the very message of “Emmanuel”: you are loved.

God’s love calls us to active love and service of one another. Authentic love — the love God shows through Christ — sets tables where all are welcome, calls religious and political leaders to repentance for their treatment of neighbors facing poverty or vulnerability, and testifies to new life in the face of death-dealing powers. It is not merely a word spoken but a life lived, walking with and standing by our neighbors.

This is the Promised One we have been waiting for, and this is the message we have been longing to hear. Through Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, through John the Baptist’s hours of ministry at the Jordan, through our expectant longing in Advent — this is the message we have been waiting for. And the message many of our neighbors continue to pine for.

 

You are loved.

Now, love one another.

Reflection Questions

1. When during this season have you felt loved?
2. How does your congregation share the message “you are loved” with neighbors in your community?
3. Watch ELCA World Hunger’s video “East Boston Community Soup Kitchen” at https://vimeo.com/293599869. How does the ministry in East Boston help guests feel “that sense of belonging, that sense of acceptance”?

Children’s Message

Pastor Tim Brown is the writer of this Advent children’s message. Pr. Tim is a Gifts Officer and Mission Ambassador for the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and a pastor and writer out of Raleigh, NC. This Advent Children’s Message is cross-posted from ELCA World Hunger Sermon Starters. 

Set-up:

The season’s texts provide the leader with an opportunity to practice Advent anticipation, and each children’s message with grow week to week until Christmas Eve/Christmas Day.

This is the last week, and there should be a small box with a pocket mirror inside. A large yellow star should be on the outside of this small box, with the poem below printed on it.

Script:

Invite the youth to come forward.   

“Look here, folks, I have that final box here, and I can tell there are things inside of this one, too. How can I tell?  Just listen!” Shake the box “Now, remember what was inside of last week’s box? Right!  Band-Aids. And what did we do with those Band-Aids? Right, we gave them away as reminders that God invites us to heal the world.  Some of those people out there even put them on. What do you think is in this box?” Field answers as time allows “Could be any of those things! But look, on here is also a yellow star.  Ah, look, here’s a poem on the yellow star. Can someone read it?” If the youth are too young or too shy to read, go ahead and read it aloud:

“The baby is coming soon

And we’re dreaming of the child

And the night will arrive

So meek and so mild

But until then God’s dream

Is for someone else to be a life-changer

We don’t need to wait for the babe in the manger!

And just who should it be?

Open me up to see…

Should we open it and see what’s inside?” Open the box dramatically. If it has a lid, unveil it with panache. If it is sealed in wrapping paper, invite the youth to help you tear it open. Show the box with the mirror inside.

“Wow, a mirror. ‘But until then God’s dream/is for someone else to be a life-changer/we don’t need to wait for the babe in the manger/and just who should it be? Open me up to see…’ Who do you all see? Hold up the mirror.

“Yes!  It’s you. You are the one God is dreaming of who will start the change the world. And we can change the world by giving our gifts to help those who don’t have much, by being a good friend at school to kids who are picked on, by making meals and sharing it with our neighbors. Who else can think of a way we can start to change the world?” Field answers as time allows.

“But, there’s one more thing, come close! Make sure your mic is off “Those people out there? They need to start changing the world, too. So, I want you to go ask them a question, an important question this Christmas. Ask them how they will change the world this Christmas. Say, “How will you change the world this Christmas?”

Go ask them. And if anyone gives you an answer, come back and tell me. You can tell me now or after church. Ready? Go!”

By Rebecca Anderson, Intern at the Lutheran Office for World Community*

According to the International Organization of Migration, today there are an estimated 271.6 million migrants globally. While migrants are not inherently vulnerable, they can be vulnerable to human rights violations, observes the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR). It is imperative to protect their human rights.**

Migrants are forced to move for various reasons: governmental oppression, war, famine, climate change and better employment or educational opportunities. The list goes on. Of the 272 million international migrants, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2019 data indicates one in seven migrants are below the age of 20, with Sub-Saharan Africa hosting the highest proportions followed by Latin America and the Caribbean, West Africa and North Africa. In these age groups, the dangers of human rights violations are exponentially increased due to vulnerability factors such as education disruptions, food insecurity and sexual violence.

Fatou “Toufah” Jallow, a 23-year-old activist from The Gambia, left her home country temporarily to retain her safety after experiencing sexual violence until she could return to seek justice. She spoke of her experience on a youth delegate panel I heard at “Celebrating Human Rights Day: Youth standing up for human rights” hosted on Dec. 10*** by OHCHR. In his introductory remarks at the event, Assistant Secretary-General Andrew Gilmour spoke to the “sustained and sometimes ferocious pushback against the entire global human rights agenda that we haven’t seen before.” He highlighted growing “hate speech and prejudice” towards migrants and minorities.

Migration also has gender dimensions that must be considered. In a 2019 report by the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants to the Human Rights Council, Felipe González Morales emphasized this and highlighted the need for migration to be understood as a “gendered phenomenon,” enabling member states to better protect the rights of migrant women and girls from gender-based discrimination, abuse and violations at each stage of their journey. Migrants need ensured access to basic services – education, health, water, sanitation and hygiene – and social protection.

As Christians, we all have a common identity as children of a loving God who calls us to reflect love outwards, acting in compassion for our fellow neighbor. The ELCA and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) have been welcoming migrants and refugees for decades. During the negotiations for the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), Lutheran Office for World Community championed migrant human rights. We are members of the NGO Committee on Migration and the Civil Society Action Committee that monitor UN events and meetings on migration and advocate for the full implementation of the GCM and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Migrants are our sisters and brothers in need of our compassion both as individuals and as a community. As Lutherans, we work with migrants from all around the world with aid, respect and inclusivity. We extend our embrace to those of us who must flee from dangerous situations or seek out a better life for themselves and their loved ones. Migrants deserve a life of dignity and freedom to enjoy their inalienable human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 

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* The Lutheran Office for World Community is a joint ministry of the ELCA and LWF. Staff actively participate together with other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in various UN meetings and consultations.

** Read more in the ELCA social message on “Human Rights” which notes that “staggering numbers of God’s children have not experienced [human rights] advancement” (page 1).

*** Human Rights Day is observed annually on December 10 to celebrate the anniversary of the General Assembly’s adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This momentous document sets out fundamental universal human rights that are to be protected worldwide regardless of race, ethnicity or culture.