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 3

Signs of the Promise

“[John the Baptist’s disciples said to Jesus,] ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them’”
(Matthew 11:3-5). 

At only 17, Dawit (not his real name) has already faced a long and harrowing journey. He was born in Eritrea, and in 2017, he and his brother escaped lifelong military service by crossing into neighboring Sudan. On the border, they were intercepted by a group of traffickers. Dawit’s brother escaped, but Dawit was held by the traffickers for almost nine months and regularly threatened and beaten while they demanded money.

Eventually, Sudanese police raided the traffickers’ camp and took Dawit to a hospital in Khartoum, where he found his brother again. During their initial journey, Dawit had broken his leg while jumping out of a car. Although he had surgery in Khartoum, it was too late to fully repair the damage to his leg, and he can no longer put any weight on it.

In 2018, Dawit arrived in Cairo, Egypt, and connected with St. Andrew’s Refugee Services (StARS), which is supported by ELCA World Hunger. StARS provided Dawit with a caseworker and helped him meet other immediate needs, such as food, hygiene supplies and, importantly, medical care. StARS also connected him to Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), which is helping provide Dawit with psychological care and support.

Eritrea, Sudan, Egypt. Dawit’s story, like many of the stories of our siblings in Christ around the world, can seem so far away from communities in North America. Even within our own geographic region, communities can seem farther apart than the miles may suggest. Maybe it is the divide between rural and urban cities, or the gulf between affluent areas and areas facing disinvestment and job loss.

Of course, the distance between our communities belies the reality that, as a global community, we share many of the same challenges. Human trafficking, such as Dawit faced, is “a global phenomenon to which no country is immune,” according to a 2018 report from the U.S. Department of State. And research reminds us that even the most affluent counties in the United States are home to people facing food insecurity and challenges with access to housing.

Yet, it is not merely our shared problems that connect us. This season of Advent, the Scripture readings remind us that, in Christ, God has drawn near to us and to our neighbors. As God draws near to us, we, too, are drawn near to each other — in hope, in faith and in our mutual need.

Seeing this is easier now than it was for the followers of John the Baptist. Jesus was, by no means, the first to be considered (or to declare himself) the Promised One sent by God. So perhaps no one should be surprised that John and his followers were a bit suspicious. “Are we to wait for another?” is the question of those who have long awaited the Messiah — and may likely have been disappointed before. This isn’t the pleading of the psalmist crying, “How long, Lord?” but the cynical question of the skeptic whose faith is sure but whose trust must be earned.

And to some extent, this is our question, too. How do we know that God has drawn near? How can we be certain that the Messiah has come? In our day, we are confronted with promises of salvation from every quarter. Commercials and mass media hold out the pursuit of wealth as the path to new life. Social media seem to suggest that our lives will be transformed once we get enough “likes” or followers. For victims of human trafficking such as Dawit, the promises are more nefarious. Many victims were first lured by their traffickers with promises of resettlement in a new, safe country. Or they were deceived by promises of stable employment.

Jesus understands the skepticism of the question. In response, he shares with John’s followers the evidence he knows will convince the Baptizer: “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.” Echoing the prophecies of Isaiah, Jesus makes clear the signs of the Messiah’s coming, signs John the Baptist would seem to recognize: healing, restoration and hope. John the Baptist can trust that the one interrogated by his followers is the One sent by God because following in Jesus’ wake are those characteristics of God’s transformation of the world: healing, restoration and hope.

As we look for the promise of God in our midst, we are called to look for those signs of healing (physical and spiritual), restoration (of relationships with God and neighbor), and hope (for those who are poor or vulnerable). Our shared need for each of these is what draws us together with neighbors near and far as we long together for the transformation of the world. And make no mistake, God is with us in our need as well.

We are united in our common need with neighbors around the world. And yet, the miles are bridged by something greater — our shared participation in the promise God is unfolding in our world. The vocation to be a healing, reconciling, hopeful presence in the world is shared across the church universal in every community. United in trust that God is at work transforming the world, the church is called to participate in the signs that inspired the confidence of John and his followers — and inspires the confidence of our neighbors and ourselves today.

To share in the stories of neighbors near and far is to share in the work God is doing through them in the world. It is to seek together — and to be, together — those signs of healing, restoration and hope. In Advent, the expectant longing gives way to bold confidence that God is at work, revealing the promise that all shall be well and drawing us together in mutual need and mutual hope.

There may be much that separates us, but the promise that unites us can bridge any divide.

Reflection Questions

1. What experiences have reassured your faith that God is at
   work in the world?
2. Why is it important for the church, as the people of God, to
   help neighbors such as Dawit meet their needs for healing
   and care?
3. Where do you see God’s promise taking root in your
   community?

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.

As with last week, make sure this week’s box includes the smaller box surrounded by Band-Aids, one inside the other, like nesting dolls. 

Inside the smallest box should be a pocket mirror. Draw a large yellow star on the outside of this smallest box.  On today’s box draw a large red cross on it like an Emergency Aid kit, and tape one of the ELCA Good Gifts cards to the top.  You can find them here: http://bit.ly/33gC1kQ.

Script:

Invite the children to come forward.   

“Look here, folks, I have that other 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!  Stickers.  And what did we do with those stickers?  Right, we gave them away as gifts of love. 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 red cross.  Has anyone seen anything like this before?  Where?” Field answers as time allows. “Right.  On hospitals and ambulances and first-aid kits.”

“You know, we all have built-in first-aid kits.  Want to see one?” Hold up your hands. “Yes, I know, these look just like hands.  But they’re more than that.  With hands like these we’re given the ability to help and heal others.  We can work, and through that work, we can offer help to others.  Hmmm…let me try to explain a little clearer.   Ah, look, here’s a card near this red cross. Can someone read it?”   If the youth are too young or too shy to read, go ahead and read it aloud:

“This is a card from ELCA Good Gifts, where people can buy animals, seeds, or other goods for people all around the world.  We work with our hands, and with the money we get for our work, we’re able to buy these gifts to bless others.  In this way, we help people who don’t even know to live well!  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 full of Band-Aids, and the other box inside.

“Wow, there’s a bunch of Band-Aids in here, along with another box.  This other box we can’t open until next week, I think, but what do we do with these Band-Aids?” Pretend to think.

“Wait, I have an idea!  Come in close.” Invite the youth forward and turn off your mic. “Go and give a Band-Aid to someone out there and say to them ‘God helps us help others.’.  Make it someone you don’t even know!  If they’re brave, they’ll even put it on today!  Go and remind them that God invites us to help others, and next week we’ll see if God has a new surprise for us in this other box.  Are you ready?  Go!”

As they give out the Band-Aids, you can make a general announcement about ELCA Good Gifts to the whole assembly and invite them to learn more by placing a bulletin insert in their hands, or point them to the ELCA World Hunger website.

 

ADORE LA is seeking new and creative ways to do church in the city of Los Angeles. This LGBTQIA+ faith community outside of Hollywood is passionately living out their mission: “Gather as we are. Reclaim faith for everyone, anywhere.”

What started as an idea to reach out to queer and trans people of color for Joseph Castañeda Carrera turned into a mission to grow a vital faith community. Launched in 2017, ADORE LA is a Synod Authorized Worshiping Community (SAWC) developed in partnership with the Congregational Vitality team at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Southwest California Synod.

This partnership helped Castañeda Carrera make a dream reality. It is a dream held in common with many in LA — to grow an inclusive, God-centered community “driven and led by people of color and queer folks.”

As mission developer pastor for ADORE LA, Castañeda Carrera self-describes as, “a queer man of color, a husband, a son of both an immigrant and a fourth-generation parent of Mexican heritage, an artist and an outdoor enthusiast.” Castañeda Carrera is “a SoCal-rooted pastor who is passionate about sharing a loving and liberating God, reclaiming faith with queer people, undoing religious hurt and connecting with others on a journey struggle and faith.” This diverse perspective and passion are what motivate Castañeda Carrera to empower leaders who want to strengthen their walk with God.

Creative practice

ADORE LA places a strong emphasis on doing church outside church walls — experiencing God in unconventional ways. Castañeda Carrera explains: “We try to create our gatherings where people already are and bring liturgy there.” One way they do this is through ADORE Hike. On select weekends, a group gathers for a hike intentionally centered on personal reflection and community. On the hike up, they will spend time praying for things pressing on their hearts; at the top, they will share communion; and on the hike down, they will prepare to go into the world and love God well.

Other ministry initiatives are held in a public or shared space, such as ADORE Brunch or Worship Lab. As a result of this visible display of community, “People can walk up to us because they are so curious about our faith. We should bring our love for God outside of closed doors.” Encouraging this creative practice is what makes ADORE LA unique.

Creative space

Castañeda Carrera is focused on making space for an authentic liberating theology, with a goal to heal the hurt caused by the church. ADORE LA’s core values underscore this commitment, including love, truth, inclusivity, creativity and authenticity. “I may spend the rest of my life undoing the pain that the church has done in the past,” Castañeda Carrera explained. Yet, for the LGBTQIA+ community, “it is a matter of feeling brave in these church spaces that gives people the confidence to live out their faith in a profound way.” ADORE LA chooses to walk alongside people in this process and provide a community of love that is needed for any follower of Christ. Visit http://adorela.org/adorela to learn more.

 

by Blake Thomas, Congregational Vitality

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

By guest blogger the Rev. Kaari Reierson, contractor for ELCA corporate social responsibility program

Many of us have money socked away in pension funds, saved for education or invested for retirement. We probably thought pretty hard while we were saving that money, but how much do we know about where it is now? What do these investments produce and by what means? Through pension funds or personal investments, we may be supporting corporations which act in good faith and employ best practices, and we may be supporting business activities which harm people and the environment.

Personal ownership of shares gives you economic power as an investor and opportunity for exercising stewardship.

“The biblical understanding of stewardship is that what we have does not ultimately belong to us. We are called to be stewards of what God has given for the sake of all. This stewardship includes holding economic, political, and social processes and institutions responsible for producing and distributing what is needed for sufficiency for all.” ELCA social statement on Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All, page 11

Shareholder votes can encourage best practices by corporations, affirming good corporate citizenship and forward-thinking financial decisions. The next time your shareholder resolutions arrive, look closely. Are there requests for reports from the board that seem fair and reasonable? Are there requests that the governance of a corporation be inclusive and transparent?

The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program of the ELCA encourages corporations through shareholder and other activity to act in socially and environmentally responsible ways.

CSR develops standards for individual and institutional investors that align with ELCA social teaching. There are some products and services the ELCA advises against investing in at all because of the harm they inflict on people and the environment. CSR maintains investment screens found from elca.org/csr regarding: alcohol, community development, the environment, gambling, military weapons, political and civil human rights, pornography, private prisons and tobacco. CSR issue papers explore social issues as they pertain to corporate behavior and illustrate the kinds of shareholder resolutions that ELCA social teaching could support, which can also be found from elca.org/csr.

Portico Benefit Services, which provides retirement, health and related benefits for those who serve through the ELCA, offers Social Purpose funds that are invested in line with the ELCA’s mission.* Through ownership of stocks, Portico signs on to shareholder resolutions, issues its own requests to the Boards of Directors and participates in corporate dialogues.

Stewardship means using all we have been given for the good of all. The CSR program does this on behalf of the ELCA. CSR tools, including the new CSR Overview resource, can help you do this for yourself as well.

 

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* Before investing in any fund, you should carefully consider its target asset allocations, investment objectives, risks, charge and expenses. All funds, including ELCA funds, are subject to risk and uncertainty. Past performance cannot be used to predict future performance. ELCA funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Fund assets are invested in multiple sectors of the market. Some sectors may perform below expectations and lose money over short or extended periods. See the ELCA Investment Fund Descriptions for more information about our funds.

Neither Portico Benefit Services nor the funds it manages are subject to registration, regulation or reporting under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 or state securities laws. Members, therefore, will not be afforded the protections of those laws and related regulations.

 

The faith community of Iglesia Luterana Santa Cruz communes with Christ in a strawberry field of Santa Maria, Calif. It’s but one expression of a ministry of hospitality and hope with working-poor immigrants.

Founded in 2002, this new-start community has grown and expanded its reach over the years to the larger community of working-poor immigrants who face many obstacles daily in simply living their lives. This includes coordinating the weekly lunch program with Latinx workers in the field.

The average week for the husband-and-wife team of Pastor Esteban and Angie Salazar includes leading worship with a growing community, buying fresh ingredients to make homemade tortas, managing volunteers to coordinate Santa Cruz’s food pantry and so much more.

Immigrant farmworker ministry

In 2017, Esteban and Angie felt a strong call to help their congregation’s immigrant farmworkers who labor in a nearby strawberry field. After communicating with the warden of the field, who thought Esteban and Angie were pulling a prank, they drove to the field and were greeted with a “really, you’re here?” surprised response from the warden. Now they make weekly visits, as supplies and resources are available.

On a typical Thursday morning they will shop for fresh-baked bread and other ingredients to prepare tortas. Depending on the day, they will make anywhere from 60 to 200 tortas to serve to the strawberry-field workers. Additionally, they will spend time reading scripture, singing and praying with the workers. Esteban’s belief is, “You have the ‘gospel’ and you have ‘feed my people’…you have to do both.” Creating the space to share a meal and worship right there in the field gives “loving your neighbor” a renewed outlook.

Building the church community

The immigration crisis in the United States has a direct impact on this church community. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has come in and separated multiple families in the congregation; many cannot seek medical assistance because of the high cost; and single-parent homes fight the battle between work and family care. These tough conditions can make hope for a miracle seem absent. Angie has strong feelings about these tough circumstances: “We have a responsibility to do what Jesus would do and Jesus wouldn’t leave them there with nothing.”

The community at Iglesia Luterana Santa Cruz comes together in several activities to help congregants and the larger community. One ministry initiative at Christmas is the Angel Tree Project, a gift-giving program that provides presents for local children. In 2016, a total of 75 students received gifts through the Angel Tree. Last Christmas, the number rose to 400. Additionally, sister churches have begun providing food-pantry items, clothing and monetary help to specific individuals.

The congregation needs more help to care for its immigrant community, including a shed to be built for the influx of pantry items and additional medical support for families. However, Santa Cruz continues to live out a passion for Jesus and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

 

by Blake Thomas, Congregational Vitality Team

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

Lost

Senior year in college, two weeks until the end of the first semester. You’re supposed to have everything figured out (so I thought). Thanksgiving break was quickly approaching, and I was dreading the moment I would be bombarded with questions from family members around the dinner table. We all know what I’m talking about…

“So, how’s school going?”

“Do you have a job lined up after graduation?”

“What are you going to do with your life?”

Like any other college student, I wasn’t looking forward to it. Although it looked like I had everything figured out, I was beyond lost and confused.

Leaning In

As I walked into the McKanna-Sandrock Retreat Center of Lutheranch, I was overwhelmed, nervous, excited, and anxious for what was to come in the next 48 hours at the first-ever ELCA Young Adult Discernment Retreat. I was determined that I was going to have the next five years of my life planned out detail by detail before I got back on a plane to Illinois.

Quiet walking trails at Lutheranch in Tallapoosa, GA where the Discernment Retreat was held.

Well, that didn’t happen, however I left with something even better. I left with the understanding that it’s not about knowing what the next five years entails, it’s knowing what my next most faithful step will be.

I realized the next step on my journey was about how to lean in and let go – how to lean into discomfort and the unknown and trust the Holy Spirit with this next step.

I take my coffee with a side of discernment (and also waffles).

Being in community with sixty lost, confused, eager and change-making young adults was comforting. Not only was everyone supportive, excited, and willing to listen, but everyone was willing to share their experiences and discern alongside me. This community listened to my wildest dreams and encouraged me to chase them, no matter how scary they were

New friends and old friends formed community at the first ELCA Young Adult Discernment Retreat

Letting Go

Luke 5: 1-11 Jesus Calls Simon and James and John

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, ² he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. ³ He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. ⁴ When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵ Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”  ⁶ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. ⁷ So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸ But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” ⁹ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; ¹⁰ and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” ¹¹ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

I left that discernment weekend with this gentle but important reminder: God’s got this. I don’t need to worry, but I do need to trust the Holy Spirit. Just like when Simon, James, and John were all called out into the water to cast their nets out after a long day of catching nothing, they trusted Jesus. They returned with boats so filled with fish that they began to sink. My next most faithful step was considering how I might work on that level of trust in God.

The discernment continues across the miles with these friends!

Leaving

Fast forward a little over a year from the first discernment retreat, a lot has changed in my life. I’ve graduated from college, moved to a new city, met new people, and started working for the ELCA Youth Gathering. It was a scary, exciting, fast, adventure—but that is what this thing called life is. Still to this day, I think about the amazing community that I was a part of and hope and pray that they are still discerning God’s call for them, whatever that may be and that they are trusting to follow that call, even if they are tired and worn out.

 

Reflection Questions:

1. Simon spent all night fishing and didn’t have any luck. Before Jesus came to their boat and said “let’s go”, they had given up. However, once they had Jesus’ help, they had boat loads of fish—literally. What is something in your life that you feel God is calling you to try again?
2. Jesus has a simple message for us, to be fishers of people. How can you use your gifts to spread the Good News of Jesus to others?
3. How do you discern God’s calling for you? Do you talk with others? Do you spent more time in prayer/reflection? Do you spend time in God’s beautiful creation?
4. What is your next most faithful step? It doesn’t have to be a flushed-out plan, but what is that next step that will lead you to where God is calling you?

 

 

Justin Wilson serves as Program Associate for Communications and Administration for the ELCA Youth Gathering in Chicago, IL. He graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree focused around Digital Marketing, Nonprofits and Social Entrepreneurship. Throughout college, Justin served four summers at Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center (Oregon, IL), where he found joy and excitement in youth ministry. He also enjoys spending time outside, hiking, eating ice-cream and listening to Vance Joy.

Mary Ellen Helms, Loveland, OH

Warm-up Question

What is something relatively small in the scheme of things that you are anxiously anticipating?  What is something big that you are anticipating?

Living Here and Now

“Don’t go wishing your life away.” I can remember how hard my eyes rolled when my mom said this to me for the umpteenth time. She was driving me home from driver’s ed and I was laying out my life plan with clarity and ease. I was sure that once I had my driver’s license the problems of 15.75 year-old me would go away completely! Isn’t that how it works? Driver’s license = freedom and freedom = doing whatever I wanted! 

I’ve come to find out there was some wisdom in what my mom was saying. She was concerned about how often I was focusing on what was coming up while ignoring my current reality.  I was so focused on what was coming, I forgot that I could be living the life I wanted right then and there!

Our community recently screened the film, “Look to the Sky” by Brett Culp.  This documentary told the stories of many young people who were not waiting until they had the resources, time, or drive to change the world – they were doing it right then and there. These were young people with great challenges who met the world with eyes of hope and joy – not ones who wanted to rush through the current state and get to adulthood. I loved the story of Violet, a young girl who had a rare form of cancer. She bubbled over with enthusiasm and shared that joy with others in big and small ways. Instead of focusing on what was surely a life filled with a lot of ups and downs, she took her superpower of love and spread hope and joy for others to see.

Discussion Questions

• What is the best thing about being your age? What is the worst thing about being your age?
• Why is waiting so difficult? When is looking forward to something helpful? When does it hurt?
• How can you use some of the current things in your life that some could perceive as negative to positively affect someone or something else?

Third Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 35:1-10

James 5:7-10

Matthew 11:2-11

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

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

Gospel Reflection

In this section of the Gospel, Jesus had sent his disciples to spread his message of God’s kingdom throughout Galilee.  The message made its way all the way to John the Baptist who was in prison.  He had been sent by God as a messenger to prepare the way for Jesus. Because of this, it is not surprising that he is focused on what is to come.  He asks, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” (11:3). Jesus’ coming is marked by an “already but not yet’’ dichotomy. During the season of Advent we focus on both living in the now and expecting what is coming, especially the Second Coming of Jesus.

Much was broken when Jesus walked on earth, prompting some to ask whether God had forgotten the people. Jesus’ life and ministry began answering that question – the blind saw, the lame walked, the deaf heard.  Jesus’ life on earth was the answer to the important question that John and many of God’s chosen people were asking at that time – are you the Messiah?  In this scripture, Jesus points us to the signs in the present that God’s kingdom is breaking in! We see that John is the messenger (not the messiah) and that Jesus is the real deal – living in the now and bringing God’s kingdom to a broken world.

This can be a tricky thing for us to understand because clearly the world is not free of the pain and brokenness into which Jesus entered.  Instead of focusing on how perfect life will be when Jesus comes again, we are called to focus on the present. We are to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, not centering our lives on the end times or what heaven will be like, but instead on how we can see and be pieces of God’s kingdom on earth in the here and now.

Discussion Questions

• Where do you see signs of brokenness in the world today?  Where do you see signs of God’s kingdom breaking in now?
• Why do you think most of the season of Advent focuses not so much on looking forward to Christmas but on looking forward to the Second Coming of Jesus?
• How can we take part in the ministry of Jesus even though we are separated by over 2000 years?

Activity Suggestions

• Look up the documentary “Look to the Sky” at www.risingheroes.org and watch a few of the stories. Discuss which of the people in the story gives you hope for the future. How can you be nudged to look to the sky in your own life?
• Jesus spoke of some of the signs of the kingdom of God that were evident through his ministry with the disciples (the blind see, the lame walk, people are cleansed). Do a service project benefiting one of the groups Jesus names in verses 4-5. Continue to do kingdom work today:  remember, the time is now!

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, we give you thanks that we have the gift of your presence right now. Help us to focus not too much on what is to come but on feeling your love and doing your will in the present.  

 

 

 

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 2

From Good New to Bad News

“He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness, he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth” (Isaiah 11:3b-4a).

In many rural villages in Guatemala, families tend to be large, and due to poverty, cultural traditions and other factors, daughters are often given away for marriage early. At 12 to 14 years old, girls are matched with husbands who are at least twice their age and sometimes older. Pastor Karen Castillo of the Augustinian Lutheran Church of Guatemala (ILAG) knows many of the girls’ stories well. Pr. Castillo hears their frequent concerns about the lack of educational opportunities that can change the future for girls and women throughout Guatemala. Schools are often far from people’s homes, and if instruction is available, boys are often given precedence. When girls are excluded from continuing their education, they are also excluded from new opportunities, including the opportunity to make many decisions about their futures.

Holy Scripture assures us that God hears their stories, too. The promise of Isaiah, indeed the promise of many of the writings in the Old Testament, is that God has heard the people’s pleas for liberation and salvation and will deliver them (Exodus 3:7-8). God’s intimacy with the people of God is such that God is attuned to the many obstacles that undermine the people’s well-being. God’s anger is revealed most clearly in those places where injustice and inequity reign – and God’s loving concern is revealed equally clearly when the children of God are blocked from enjoying life abundantly.

In the Gospel of Matthew, John the Baptist echoes this anger when he sees a group of Pharisees and Sadducees gathered among those desiring baptism. “You brood of vipers!” he calls out. “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7). John is not the meekest character in the Gospel, but here, he’s about to get medieval before there was a medieval to be gotten. What was it that so incensed the Baptizer? We get a clue about the fault of the Pharisees and Sadducees later in Matthew, when Jesus denounces both groups: “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others … they love to have the place of honor at banquets … [they] lock people out of the kingdom of heaven … [they make] gold sacred … [they] have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith,” and so on (23:4-23).

The Pharisees often get a bad rap in the Gospels. They serve as foils for Jesus and the disciples so often that the reader might think “brood of vipers” is John the Baptist’s way of going easy on them. In reality, the Pharisees were one of several Jewish groups at the time and, in some ways, weren’t quite as bad as they might seem. They understood the life of faith as a life focused on obedience to the Law, so they rigorously held themselves to its high standards. The problem was, they held others to those standards, too, even when the Law seemed unclear or when the literal, traditional punishments for violations were downright deadly. For the Pharisees, being faithful meant obeying the Law and tradition, no matter what the consequences were.

Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels present a different understanding of faith. For Jesus and his followers, a relationship with God is not meant to be a burden. In fact, quite the opposite: “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Isaiah, whom John the Baptist quotes in Matthew, describes what true righteousness looks like for God’s people: justice and equity, particularly for “the poor [and] the meek,” those without the social or economic status to demand these things for themselves.

As God draws near through the One prophesied by Isaiah and John the Baptist, the bad news of exclusion is transformed into the good news of hospitality, and the bad news of judgment is transformed into the good news of justice — for them and for the community. It is from among these people, whose lives are so circumscribed by legalism, tradition and inequity, that Jesus will draw both followers and leaders.

In Guatemala, where poverty, traditions and sexism prevent communities from benefiting from the gifts and skills of girls, the ILAG is helping provide new opportunities. Opened in 2018 at the Augustinian Lutheran Center in Guatemala City, the MILAGRO (“miracle”) Women’s Education Center is a place for young women from these rural communities to continue their secondary education, faith formation and development of vocational and life skills that will help them be financially independent in the future. With support from ELCA World Hunger and ILAG, the young women at MILAGRO Women’s Education Center are part of the work God is doing in their communities, proclaiming the good news of justice, equity and life abundant for all.

Reflection Questions

1. What does it mean for God to hear the cries of people who face oppression, exclusion or injustice?
2. How does the church listen attentively to the voices of people facing poverty or hunger in the community today?
3. What is the difference between seeing faith as obedience to God and seeing faith as liberation?

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.

Bring in a large wrapped box. Inside the box make sure to include two smaller boxes, one inside the other, like nesting dolls.

Inside the smallest box put a pocket mirror. Draw a large yellow star on the outside of this smallest box.  Inside the second-largest box put the smallest box along with a bunch of new Band-Aids and draw a large red cross on it like an emergency first aid kit. And inside the largest box, put the other boxes along with a bunch of stickers. On the outside of this larger box, put a picture of a stump with a stem springing forth. On the tree you’ll write the riddle below. Invite the children to come forward.

Script:

“Look here, folks, I have this box here, and I can tell there are things inside of it. How can I tell? Just listen!” Shake the box. “What do you think is in here?” Field answers as time allows. “Could be any of those things!  But look, on here is also a tree stump with this little twig coming out of it. It reminds me of what the prophet Isaiah said today that sometimes, out of things that don’t look alive anymore, new things can spring. And look, it has writing on it!  Can someone read it?   If the children are too young or too shy to read, go ahead and read it aloud:

At Christmas God does something new

And we can do something, too!

With each day comes the chance

To make another heart sing and dance!

Do something kind without pay

Go and make someone’s day!

“Huh, I wonder what that means. 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 children to help you tear it open. Show the box full of stickers, and the other box inside.

“Wow, there’s a bunch of stickers in here, along with some other boxes. This other box we can’t open until next week, I think, but what do we do with these stickers?” Pretend to think.

“Wait, I have an idea!  Come in close.” Invite the youth forward and turn off your mic. “The riddle invited us to go and make someone’s day, so I think you should go out there to the people in the pews and stick a sticker on someone. Make it someone you don’t even know! Put it on their hand, their shirt, or even their forehead! Go and spread some love today with this new thing in church, and next week we’ll see if God has a new surprise for us in these boxes. Are you ready? Go!”

Congregational Vitality Training Event — San Diego

Travel & Logistics for Training Event & Pre-Events: February 17-21, 2020

TRAINING EVENT LOCATION

Town and Country Hotel, San Diego | 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108 | www.towncountry.com

TIMING OF EVENTS: Monday – Friday, February 17-21, 2020

• Homeless and Justice Network Gathering – Sunday & Monday | arrive Saturday PM or Sunday early AM
• Boundaries Training for Mission Developers – Monday (8:00 am – 5:00 pm) | arrive Sunday PM
• ELCA Level 1 Coach Launch Training – Monday & Tuesday (8:00 am – 5:00 pm) | arrive Sunday PM
• REDIL/Latinx Leaders Meeting – Monday | arrive Sunday PM
• United States – Mexico Border Experience – Tuesday (8:00 am – 4:30/5:30 pm) | arrive Monday PM
• CV Training Event Facilitators’ Check-In – Tuesday early evening, approx. 5:30 pm; details to come
• CV Training Event: Wednesday – Friday | arrive Tuesday PM
  • Wednesday – Thursday timing: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
  • Friday timing – 8:00 am – 2:30 pm | Friday evening flights home are strongly encouraged. Friday housing is not provided.

TRAVEL PLANNING & BUDGET CODE

• Fly in and out of San Diego International Airport (SAN).

• Make your flight arrangements ASAP, before using the online registration form. You will need to provide your arrival and departure times when you register.

• Travel Arrangements and Flight Budget Code for Mission Developers: Please shop around: In some cases, certain airlines can offer a better price. If you are invited to use ELCA budget codes to cover your flights, we encourage you to look for the most reasonably priced flights before contacting Direct Travel — you can provide specific flight requests to the agent. Our policy is to help cover flights up to $500 for approved mission developers and other travelers approved by the CV Team. Mission Developers and DEMs Accompanying Mission Developers: If you are a mission developer who has been invited by your synod’s director for evangelical mission and you need a flight, please contact our in-house travel agency, Direct Travel, right away at 773-380-2440 or Direct.Travel@elca.org, to make your own reservations. Please provide the travel code included in event communication e-mails. DEMs may also use this code if they are accompanying mission developers. Make flight reservations as early as possible. Those who make last-minute or late travel arrangements will be expected to cover the additional cost personally. See the point above regarding looking for the best flight prices.

• ALL OTHER PARTICIPANTS MUST ARRANGE TO COVER THEIR OWN TRAVEL (FLIGHT) COSTS. Please consult with the Congregational Vitality team if you are unsure.

• Dress for the weather – Average temperatures in San Diego in February reach a mild 65⁰F (18⁰C) for the high, and 54⁰F (11⁰C) for the low. Bring light layers. It can be very sunny (bring a hat and/or sunscreen) or rainy (bring rain protection).

• If you are participating in the US – Mexico Border Experience, please READ ALL THE DETAILS HERE. You must register separately for this event and book Monday night housing (if needed) through this Border Experience link.

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE

• WHEN TO ARRIVE: Note the timing of your events before you book your flights. See the timeline of events at the top of this page.

• WHEN TO DEPART the CV Training Event: Congregational Vitality Training will end at 2:30 pm on Friday (February 21). Hotel rooms are not offered on Friday evening. Plan to travel home Friday evening, after 4:30 pm. Please do not plan to depart earlier in the day, as you will miss important elements of this event.

• On Friday morning, check out from the hotel and bring all luggage with you to a designated room (we will let you know where) for luggage. Plan to travel directly to the airport after the event ends.

DIRECTIONS AND LOCAL TRANSPORTATION

• Town and Country San Diego is in the Hotel Circle in San Diego (500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108) (towncountry.com). It is conveniently located near San Diego International Airport (3225 N. Harbor Dr., San Diego, CA 92101), which is approximately a 15-minute drive. Visit the hotel website for directions and a link to a map application (https://www.towncountry.com/hotel/directions). Click on “Start Your Journey.” Here is a direct link to the map.

• Local Transportation is “on your own.” DEMs, please help your participants find transportation if needed.

• SUPER SHUTTLE DISCOUNT: For your convenience, you can use a Super Shuttle discount link to book your transportation between San Diego International Airport and the hotel, with a cost of approximately $14 each way (link coming soon, via event communication e-mails). You can adjust your reservations by reentering the link. Reservations are not required when traveling from airport to hotel. However, please allow at least four hours of lead time when making a reservation for the return trip from the hotel to the airport.

• An easy, inexpensive option is Uber or Lyft (approx. $17).

• Renting a car is not necessary, as all activities will take place on site at the Town and Country San Diego Hotel. In the evenings, after training, it’s easy to explore the city using public transportation (https://www.sandiego.org/plan/getting-around.aspx). Learn about train and trolley schedules (https://www.sdmts.com) as well as fares and passes (https://www.sdmts.com/fares-passes).

• The hotel offers shuttle service to the Riverwalk Golf Club, Fashion Valley Center, Old Town Mission Valley Center, and Hazard Center, daily, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm, based on availability. Shuttle pickup and drop-off is in the hotel lobby.

IMPORTANT HOTEL NOTES

• Hotel arrival and departure: Check-in time is 3:00 pm / Check-out time is 11:00 am. On Friday morning, check out from the hotel and bring all luggage with you to a designated room for luggage. Arrange to travel directly to the airport after the event ends.

• Rooms are double-occupancy: Participants will be assigned a roommate if one is not specified on the online registration form. A limited number of single rooms are available for an upgrade fee. Please do not bring nonparticipating spouses, or children, along with you. 

• Parking at Town and Country San Diego: Parking is available at the hotel for $10 per night plus tax.

FOOD

• Meals (breakfast, lunch and snacks) have been selected based on your arrival and departure times.
• Food sensitivities and allergies will be accounted for to the best of our abilities, based on what participants entered into the online registration form.
• A catered breakfast is included (no charge) at the hotel each morning (7:00-8:30 am).
• Lunch and coffee breaks/refreshments are included at no extra charge.
• Dinner is “on your own” (not included). Gather with your colleagues and head out to explore beautiful San Diego!

EVENING ACTIVITIES

• San Diego is beautiful and full of amazing adventures waiting to happen. If you are looking for things to do in the evening after training, check out information (https://www.sandiego.org/explore/things-to-do.aspx) from the San Diego Tourism Authority or do your own Internet search.

• Join the CV Team and other colleagues for a CV Social, Wednesday, 8:30-10:00 pm, on an outdoor patio at the Town and Country! We’ll provide appetizers, you purchase your own beverages!

 

QUESTIONS?

CONTENT/TRAINING QUESTIONS? Contact Anna-Kari Johnson, Rob James, or Ruben Duran.

REGISTRATION ISSUES? Contact Kholoud Khoury (or call 773-380-2830); or Philip Rivera (or call 773-380-2553).

HOUSING OR OTHER LOGISTICAL QUESTIONS? Contact Philip Rivera (or call 773-380-2553).

 

SEE YOU IN SAN DIEGO!

 

“For Christ is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall.” 

— Ephesians 2:14

 

by Kris A. Mainellis, program director for communication and events

U.N. | Colorado | Minnesota | New Mexico | Pennsylvania | Texas | Washington | Wisconsin

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

Dennis Frado, director

HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON 30^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD: The United Nations General Assembly held a High-Level Meeting for the 30^th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), on November 20, 2019. This convention protects the rights of children everywhere to be free from discrimination, violence, and neglect and remains the world’s most ratified treaty. Opening Remarks were given by H.E. Mr. Tijani Muhammad-Bande (President of the General Assembly), H.E. António Guterres (UN Secretary-General), Ms. Henrietta Fore (UNICEF Executive Director), and other Special Representatives/ Rapporteurs. These top UN officials noted the important gains that had been made over the past 30 years and urged refreshed commitments. The meeting featured a “kid’s takeover” segment with participation of children and goodwill ambassadors through speeches, multimedia, and artistic performances across the three themes of Climate Change, Humanitarian, and Education. A  meeting concluded with Member States invited to provide their interventions on their perspectives regarding the 30^th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. You can access the full event on http://www.webtv.un.org

NEVER IS NOW SUMMIT ON ANTI-SEMITISM AND HATE: LOWC Director Dennis Frado joined Kathryn Lohre, ELCA Assistant to the Presiding Bishop and Executive for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, in attending the annual “Never is Now Summit on Anti-Semitism and Hate” sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Featured speakers at the November 21 event included ADL International Leadership Awardee Sacha Baron Cohen and ADL Courage Against Hate Awardee Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder & CEO of Chobani. Cohen’s serious remarks challenging bigotry and intolerance highlighted the role of social media in perpetrating such attitudes and called for holding leaders of social media companies accountable.

CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING ON TREATMENT OF CHILDREN IN ISRAELI MILITARY DETENTION: Bishop Thomas Aitken of Northeastern Minnesota Synod represented Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton at a congressional briefing held November 20, which focused on the treatment of children in Israeli military detention. Organized by the Faith Forum on the Middle East, Churches for Middle East Peace, and the American Friends Service Committee, the briefing featured Rep. Betty McCollum (D-4^th-MN) and several Christian leaders speaking on the importance of holding governments, including Israel, accountable for observing international human rights standards when utilizing U.S. military assistance as required by U.S. law. Bishop Aitken said, “It is in our DNA as a Church to not turn a blind eye to this issue”.

INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN COMMEMORATION: On November 25 the United Nations held a commemorative event for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Participants wore orange in support of the UN’s “Orange the World: General Equality Stands Against Rape” Campaign to end violence against women, with a particular focus over the next two years on rape. One in three women and girls experience sexual violence in their lifetime.

Ms. Ajna Jusic (President of the Association “Forgotten Children of War,” Bosnia), a 26-year old panelist, shared her heartbreak of discovering in her teens that she is a child born of war-time rape. Women who were raped in Bosnia, and the resulting children, are still living in a society where they are ostracized. This drives her current work to pass a law acknowledging the “forgotten children of war” as people who have human rights.

Ms. Karen Naimer (Deputy Director of Programs and Director of the Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones/Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)), is a grantee of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UNTF), who has changed the handling of rape cases. Using a multidisciplinary approach, PHR gathers professionals from the medical, policing and judiciary fields to work with survivors, ensuring they receive the best care and support possible. She also highlighted that “faith leaders carry enormous clout in their communities. They are change-makers and we need to bring them into the discussion as well” and “anyone who carries a certain level of importance, privilege and credibility in their communities – they are the people who need to be part of the conversation and part of the solution.” 

16 DAYS CAMPAIGN: Also on November 25, the 2019 “16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence” campaign kicked off. The international, annual campaign coordinated by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership runs for 16 days and ends on Human Rights Day, December 10, 2019. “16 Days is an opportunity for us to highlight what we are doing, what the situation is. But 365 days is to do the work” said Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka United Nations Under-Secretary-General/UN Women Executive Director. This campaign aims to raise awareness, demonstrate solidarity and pressure governments to implement commitments to eliminate all gender-based violence (GBV) against women. Read the full 2019 campaign guide here. The International Labour Organization (ILO) is considering a legally binding convention on GBV. The Center for Women’s Global Leadership has created an online 16 Days Toolkit #ILOendGBV, on “ending gender-based violence in the world of work”. Through LWF’s partnership with Ecumenical Women at the UN (EW), LOWC participated through short blog posts.

PRESIDING BISHOP’S STATEMENT CONCERNING STATE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCEMENT ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS: Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton issued a statement on November 19 in response to an announcement by Secretary of State Pompeo asserting that the “establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law.” Noting that the ELCA has long called “for an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory, [and] the cessation of all settlement activities and withdrawal from settlements on Palestinian territory to the 1967 boundaries”, she said the announcement made realization of an end to “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict more difficult and distant, rather than advancing the cause of peace.”

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Colorado

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

ELECTION RESULTS: Colorado voters rejected Proposition CC, a legislatively referred measure to allow the state to keep revenue collected at existing tax rates for school and transportation funding. Voters approved Proposition DD, which will allow the state to collect taxes on legalized sports betting. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado took a “yes” position on Prop CC while taking a neutral position on Prop DD.

PREPARING FOR 2020: The Lutheran Advocacy office is at work preparing for the 2020 legislative session, which will feature significant bills related to paid family & medical leave as well as the abolition of the death penalty. LAM-CO anticipates supporting both measures. There will also be plenty of work happening in several of our policy areas, including school meals, housing issues and fiscal reform.

MINISTRY VISITS: Thanks to the good folks at University of Northern Colorado in Greeley and the Village Exchange Center in Aurora for hosting advocacy visits in November!

May the blessings of Advent, this holy season of preparation, expectation and waiting, be with you all as we await the coming of the Good News. It is Jesus Christ who is our ultimate hope and salvation, not any bill, legislation or policy measure – and for that, we give great thanks!

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Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy- Minnesota (LA-MN)  lutheranadvocacymn.org

IMMIGRATION/MIGRANT MONDAY REPLACED: As new executive orders continue to appear, immigration remains a key issue to people contacting Lutheran Advocacy-MN. LA-MN’s director, Tammy, made two presentations in November on immigration/asylum at the southern border. Despite the interest, weekly Migrant Monday postings on Facebook will be replaced by Monday or Tuesday postings about clean energy and climate change, and Thursday postings about affordable housing in preparation for the upcoming session.

CLIMATE BONDING PROPOSALS: With Minnesota Environmental Partnership (MEP), LA-MN is considering principles for evaluating bonding projects based on how they impact harmful emissions to the atmosphere as legislation in the 2020 session. Those should be available soon for you to promote with your legislators.

The MEP Energy Cluster is also evaluating specific bonding proposals. Out of 25 possible options for the upcoming session, Lutheran Advocacy-MN hopes to focus on just a couple that help Minnesota transition to clean energy and fewer carbon emissions (possibly proposals related to making solar energy available for schools, improving solar accessibility to Minnesotans generally, or something related to agriculture/land use/cover crops).

CLEAN ENERGY & CARBON PRICING: Clean Energy proposals are the most basic step to major cuts of carbon emissions. Unfortunately, by itself, clean energy doesn’t do enough – much more needs to be done (quickly) as devastating impacts of climate change are occurring more rapidly than scientists predicted.

Lutheran Advocacy-MN (including many of you) has been working for various proposals that would achieve

1. 50% renewable electric energy by 2030,
2. 100% renewable energy by 2050, or
3. a carbon-neutral Minnesota by 2050.

Minnesota surpassed its 25% renewable threshold two years ago, and each of the last three years Xcel Energy has committed to larger proportions of renewable energy and dramatically reduced carbon emissions. However, Minnesota’s full legislature hasn’t passed legislation that 1) pulls other utilities into doing more, 2) addresses sources of emissions beyond the electricity sector, or 3) offers pathways to employment for people transitioning from jobs in industries related to fossil fuels.

Nationwide, many organizations, climate scientists, politicians (Democrat & Republican) and others are calling for a price or tax on carbon emissions (conservatives usually prefer “carbon pricing” language). In November, Tammy was engaged in events and conversations about the shape those proposals might take in Minnesota. She’s gleaned a checklist of criteria for proposals. It will be posted for your perusal and feedback. In addition, within a few days a new talking points guide should be on the website for Christmas cards to, or meetings with, legislators in December.

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP): Thanks to everyone who submitted comments to the USDA proposed rule change. Whether you commented this most recent time, or one of the other times in 2019 the administration proposed changes (while setting the comment period at minimum allowed), your help to prevent cuts to SNAP which would result in millions of seniors, children, disabled, and other people being eliminated from the program is GREATLY appreciated!

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New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry—New Mexico (LAM-NM)   lutheranadvocacynm.org

2019 LAM-NM ADVOCACY CONFERENCE: The annual LAM-NM Advocacy Conference was held on November 16 at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Albuquerque. Over 100 advocates attended to network and learn about advocacy as well as issues on our Advocacy Agenda. About half of those who gathered were ecumenical and interfaith. 

 

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Pennsylvania

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

LEGISLATIVE VISITS: Director Tracey DePasquale and Program Director Lynn Fry joined coalition partners in Capitol visits on environmental bills and criminal justice reform legislation. Among the environmental legislation being opposed were bills that would allow companies that spill contaminants to determine if the spill should be reported to authorities, possibly exposing downstream users to toxins. Other visits promoted legislation to end long-term and indefinite solitary confinement, provide alternatives, and institute a step-down program.

EDUCATING AND EQUIPPING: DePasquale travelled to Trinity Lutheran Church, Reading, to learn from the experiences of their many social ministries and encourage them to continue to expand their work for social justice concerns to include advocacy. Fry attended the quarterly Keystone Counts coalition update on the 2020 Census. LAMPa will provide information to congregations and feeding ministries on ways they can become involved in the Census as they accompany Commonwealth residents who live in targeted counties with hard-to-count populations.

Lynn also met with the Lower Susquehanna Synod Criminal Justice System Ministry Committee to discuss the solitary confinement bills and other criminal justice legislation.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING BILL PASSES THROUGH SENATE: SB60, a bill designed to impose harsher penalties for traffickers and raise revenues to fund programs for child victims of sex trafficking, passed the Senate unanimously. LAMPa had advocated for both House and Senate versions of the bill as introduced, and is working to address concerns raised by amendments just prior to Senate passage. LAMPa is working with Women of the ELCA to engage advocates in Pennsylvania to secure passage of meaningful legislation.

ACTION ALERTS: LAMPa staff shared action alerts on submitting comments to the USDA on the proposed third Federal SNAP alteration; support for PA HB 1862 dealing with surprise medical bills; federal protection for Dreamers; and advocating federal support for veterans.

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Texas

Bee Moorhead, Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy texasimpact.org

HEALTH EQUITY EVENTS AND PODCASTS: Texas Impact is working with local faith leaders to host a series of Interfaith Advocacy Training events focused on health equity. November events drew about 100 participants at First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Elgin.

In addition, the Texas Impact Weekly Witness podcast series has launched a special 10 episode health equity series focused on various aspects of the social determinants of health.

TEXAS INTERFAITH ADVOCACY DAYS: Texas Impact is holding our first Texas Interfaith Advocacy Days, scheduled for February 16-18. The three Texas ELCA synods provided substantial leadership in piloting this event model and are playing a central role in organizing the February event. ELCA climate advocate Ruth Ivory-Moore will be one of the featured speakers.

TEXAS IMPACT TEAM AT COP25 IN MADRID: A team representing Texas Impact and the Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy will  be attending the COP25 global climate talks as observers for the first two weeks of December. Videos and updates will be posted via Texas Impact’s social media and on the website of our COP25 media partner, the Austin Chronicle.

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Washington

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

ANNUAL DINNER: FAN’s Annual Dinner and fundraiser was another success. We gathered supporters and advocates to hear about our legislative successes and be inspired by our speakers and awardees, including a keynote by Rev. Priscilla Paris-Austin of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Seattle. We also celebrate a successful second annual dinner in Spokane.

LEGISLATIVE SESSION 2020: Washington’s legislature begins its 60-day short session on January 13. At least 2,000 bills will be introduced, with about 200 making it to the governor’s desk for a signature. FAN has about 25 bills on our current legislative agenda and will be updating our website to prepare for the session and bill tracking soon! Once the session is done, the electoral season will begin in earnest as over 120 legislative seats will be up for election. FAN’s Interfaith Advocacy Day will be February 6, with legislative conferences in Spokane on January 25 and in Yakima on February 8. These are important gatherings to educate and activate faith voices from all parts of the state on important issues and bills before the legislature.

GOVERNOR’S SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET: Next year is a supplemental budget year, but the governor will still put forth a budget by December 20 for legislative review prior to the session start date. Some of the critical issues we hope to see in the budget include an increase in funding for the Housing Trust Fund, a proposal to close the capital gains tax exemption, as well as other proposals to some of the other regressive tax structures of the state.

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Wisconsin

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

COMMUNICATION: We had a significant month for communications. LOPPW’s director and an advisory council member started Wednesday Noon Live, which will continue the first Wednesday of each month. We will have updates related to our priorities with one focus each month. For our first focus, we talked about what it means to be a sanctuary denomination and also interviewed both Trinidad Ariztia, Program Director of Migration Policy at the ELCA Advocacy Office in D.C., and an  works with victims of gender-based violence and human trafficking.

The director also turned the FB live stream into a podcast and put links for both on our website.  Wednesday Noon Live as a FB post, and podcast for those not on FB, will serve as a visual/audio newsletter. In December, we will begin sending the links in an email to our list serve each month after the FB live shows. We continue weekly reflections via Monday Quotes. We are utilizing all of our tech equipment to improve our outreach.

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION: The director has been preparing to attend COP25 in Madrid via conference calls and studying materials.

ACTION ALERTS & BILL SIGNING: We sent out action alerts on SNAP, immigration and anti-sex trafficking. We were invited to two bill-signings. The director, intern and a Women of the ELCA representative attended the bill signing at the capitol. An LOPPW volunteer and retired nurse attended the bill signing in Richland Center.

An advisory council member initiated a monthly gathering to discuss social issues over beverages at a coffee shop in the South-Central Synod. He and one of our volunteers planned the first event. More than 15 people attended. We hope to use this as a model for other parts of the state.

 

Danny Stone, Marion, IA

Warm-up Question

When was the last time you participated in an emergency drill – fire, storm, intruder?

Canary in the Coal Mine

In the 1880’s, Scottish-American naturalist, John Muir, lead an effort to protect Yosemite from encroaching agriculture and development.  Muir inspired our nation to establish a system of national parks, refuges, historic sites and recreation areas that would preserve “America’s Crown Jewels.”  Muir founded the Sierra Club, which is still a leader in environmental movement.

Marine biologist, Rachel Carson, shocked the world with her 1962 book, Silent Spring.  Carson detailed the connection between increased pesticide use and plummeting bird populations.  Affected birds were some of the first to be added to the Endangered Species List that debuted in 1967.  With 50 years of improved practices, many species have moved from being “endangered” to “threatened.”  The use of pesticides, fertilizers and genetically modified species is still a contentious issue, but some bird populations have rebounded.  We no longer spray DDT, but scientists are now struggling to explain the dramatic disappearance of pollinating bees.

Today, many scientists see our changing weather patterns, diminished arctic ice, increasing ocean temperatures, 500-year floods every four years, mass extinctions, and forest fires as desperate calls to action.  Just a century ago, miners kept caged birds in the tunnels to warn of deadly mine gasses.  According to climate activists, nations and industries are ignoring the warning signs and heading deeper into the mine.

Like John Muir and Rachel Carson, a new generation of activists is rising to champion environmental causes.  However, the new activists are not just seasoned naturalists or veteran biologists; they are young adults, teens, and children.  Sixteen-year-old, Greta Thurnberg, has become one of the leaders of the youthful activists.  She began her solitary protests in front of the Swedish Parliament in 2018.  Within a year, her movement inspired thousands of students across the world to walk out of school and demand action.  This August, Greta sailed across the Atlantic to address to the United Nations. She railed against complacency, “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!”

Greta spent the fall touring the United States and Canada.  With every speech, she called for immediate action.  She spoke before the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and urged Congress to take “real action.”  In November, she boarded a 48-foot catamaran destined for Madrid’s United Nations climate summit.  The 2019 UN Climate Change Conference summit begins on December 2 and will focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Discussion Questions

• What climate change warning signs (if any) do you see?
• Do you think it is too late to reverse the course of climate change?
• What causes would inspire you to cross the Atlantic . . . on a sailboat . . . in November?

Second Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 11:1-10

Romans 15:4-13

Matthew 3:1-12

(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

The Jewish community waited 700 years for their voice in the wilderness.  Isaiah promised a profit who would “prepare the way of the Lord.” Imagine the excitement in Jerusalem and the synagogues.  The wait was over.  The Messiah was here. If the Baptist was right, the Messiah was bringing FIRE!

Judea was ready for a revolution.  Four religious sects dominated Jewish life – Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes and the Zealots.  We know the Pharisees and Sadducees from gospel stories and the song, “I Just Wanna Be Sheep.”   The Essenes are famous for their desert communities which hid copies of scripture in clay jars.  The jars were discovered in 1946, and the Dead Sea Scrolls include some of the oldest fragments of the Bible.

Zealots wanted FIRE.  The other groups wanted to free Judea from Roman occupation, but the Zealots incited war.  Their uprising eventually lead the Romans to destroy the temple and scatter the Jewish nation.  Today, the word “zealots” is synonymous with those who takes their beliefs to the extreme.  You can be a football fan – a zealot gets a face tattoo and names her first born “Bart Star (if she is a Packers fan).”

The First Century Zealots must have felt Jesus was a false Messiah.  John promised that Jesus would bring fire, but the Messiah did nothing to oppose the Romans and Herod.  The Zealots were blind – they could not see the true fire.  Jesus brought a fire that lives in our hearts.  It is a fire of love that burns away hate.  It is a fire that swept across the world and continues to spread love.

Discussion Questions

• If you were a Judean waiting for revolution, how would you have reacted to Jesus’ message of love?
• Like John Muir, Rachel Carson, and Greta Thurnberg, who are the modern voices in the wilderness?
• What are examples of social and political leaders that have become zealots?  Are zealots dangerous?

Activity Suggestions

With your group, tour your church building and look for ways your congregation is working to conserve natural resources.  Also, brainstorm ways your church could improve its conservation efforts.  Compile your suggestions, write a letter and ask your congregational council to implement change.Using your phones, research and discuss the National and State Parks in your area.  Share the history of the parks and the treasures they protect.

Closing Praye

Dear Heavenly Father, Blessed Mother and Creator of All, please guide your children.  Help us to follow the wise voices and avoid the vipers.  Help us to walk in grace and ignite fires of love.  In your name, we pray.  Amen.