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.

 

 

 

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 1 

“Jesus is Coming” 

“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour” (Matthew 24:44).

The readings for this Advent, appropriately, are full of expectation. In many households, “expectation” has been the theme since the last few days of November. Some folks are digging out dusty boxes of decorations, young children are making early drafts of Christmas wish lists, and local stores … well, they’ve been ready for Christmas since Halloween ended. The air is full of anticipation. In the midst of this, it can be difficult to wrap our heads around the idea that “the coming of the Lord” was not always a joyous thing to look forward to. Thankfully, roadside billboards across the country are there to
remind us:

• “Jesus is coming! Are you ready?” (against a background of flames);
• “Repent! Jesus is coming to judge YOU!”;
• “I will be back” (with a decidedly angry-looking Jesus on the cross); and
• (the rather specific) “Judgment Day is coming — May 21, 2011.”

The last one may have been a slight miscalculation. But the idea is still there — Jesus is coming, and he’s bringing the thunder (or fire or brimstone or a can of what-have-you). And you thought that sweater from Aunt Myrtle last year was the worst thing anyone could get for Christmas. As striking as these messages might be, they aren’t really that far off from a pretty common thread in Holy Scripture. The arrival of God into the world is a fairly frightening prospect. The “day of the Lord,” as it is sometimes referred to, is described as “great and terrible” by the prophet Joel (2:31).

In Scripture, it seems, the future is something to fear. And certainly, for many people around the world who are uncertain about their health, their job or the environment in which they live, there are some bleak prospects on the horizon. But this isn’t the only way Scripture describes the coming of God. Certainly, as the prophetic writings in the Bible make clear, God drawing near is always risky business. But the story of Christ subverts our expectations — a humble manger instead of a flaming chariot, swaddling clothes instead of royal robes, a carpenter instead of a king.

Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew about the return of the Son to the throne is not a pleasant passage to kick off the Advent season. It is full of dire warnings about the coming days for the people. Jesus admonishes the disciples to watch expectantly for his return, but he also says something about what shape that expectation ought to take. And in doing so, Jesus again challenges assumptions about the end of time.

Jesus makes clear that, first, preparing for the day of the Lord is not about getting ourselves “right with God” so that we might be among the ones taken up rather than left in the field (24:40). By grace, we are saved from dreading the future. In faith, we know that God’s salvation of the world has already begun — and that it includes us. The second thing Jesus teaches is that the day to come should not cloud our vision from the work left yet to do before that day. The parables Jesus tells describe servants at work, doing what they can and laboring now, before the return of the “master.”

Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 24 are part of a larger sermon that includes Matthew 25. It’s in this later chapter that Jesus lays out the labors of the people of God as we await his coming: feeding those who hunger, satisfying those who thirst, showing hospitality to strangers, visiting the imprisoned and caring for those who are sick.

What does expectation of the dreaded “day of the Lord” look like for followers of Jesus? Actively being about the business of caring for our neighbors. Ultimately, the end is not about our repentance, or our righteousness or our own fear of judgment. It is about accompanying one another, caring for one another, and meeting each other’s needs. That is the labor of the expectant servant. For all the talk about the separation between those who will be “taken” and those who will be “left” (24:40-41), Jesus’ warnings about the day of the Lord are not meant to separate us from one another but rather to draw us near to each other in love, hospitality and care.

God has drawn near and commissioned God’s people with a holy vocation: to attend to their neighbors. The future is not something to be feared but something to be embraced. As people of faith, we know that our best days are not behind us but ahead of us. We know that the plans God has for us are, in the words of Jeremiah, “plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” We cling to the vision of John, who in Revelation 7 describes the future as a time when all will be sheltered by the one on the throne: “They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them … for the Lamb … will be their shepherd … and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” We know that we have been set free by grace to reimagine our world, no longer beholden to the past or worrying about the future. We are set free to be the church — to be bold and creative and courageous, knowing that we are part of a story God is enacting in our midst, a story of God at work through God’s people.

Gustin knows this about the future. A farmer and village leader in the Dowa district of Malawi, Gustin was 57 when he started to get sick. The day started like any other, but working in the field, he was overcome with muscle pain. Too weak to walk, he was helped by a fellow community volunteer, who hired a bicycle to bring them to the nearest clinic, 12 miles away. It was there that Gustin learned he was HIV-positive.

For Gustin, the future could have looked bleak, but he was determined to fight, not only for his own sake but for the sake of his neighbors. Through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi (ELCM), Gustin met with a community health counselor who was trained in an ELCM program supported by ELCA World Hunger. With access to treatment, education and a companion for his long journeys to the clinic or hospital, Gustin got the help he needed. And now, he works in the community, actively counseling others who are living with HIV and AIDS.

Gustin refused to let his diagnosis become a prognosis for his future or the future of his community. With the right support, his diagnosis does not stop him from working toward a brighter tomorrow for his neighbors. “I know that my life is not over,” he says, “and I have a future.” God draws near, and the “day is coming.” But for people of faith, the future is filled with hopeful expectation, and the present is filled with active, loving service that draws us to one another

Reflection Questions

1. How does your congregation inspire hope for the future in you, your family or your community?
2. In what ways is your church part of building a brighter future within your community?
3. How can the church counter the messages of fear within our communities today?

Children’s Message

Brooke De Jong is the writer of this Advent children’s message. Brooke is the Program Assistant for Hunger Education with ELCA World Hunger and a youth director in Park Ridge, Ill. 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 grow that anticipation with each children’s message until Christmas Eve/Christmas Day.

Bring in a large wrapped box. Inside the box make sure to include three 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 next 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 posted next week. For the largest box, wrap it in blue paper and/or add a blue ribbon to it to make it look like a present that is the color of your advent paraments. Inside the box place a packing list and an image of a hard hat for each child.

Script:

Invite the children to come forward.

Good morning everyone! I invite you to look around and tell me if you notice anything different at church this morning. (wait for response)

We changed colors today and added a few things! This is because we are starting a new year at church! The church year does not start on January 1^st but with the season of Advent. (take a minute to point out the new color and explain any new objects, such as an advent wreath).

We also have this new big present! Would you like to see what is inside? (let the children help you unwrap the box). Hmmmm . . . there is another box and some other items. We will have to wait until next week to see what is inside this box. So, I wonder what these items could be for? (show everyone the items in the box) 

(take out packing list) The first thing we have is this piece of paper with a list on it. Would anyone like to read it? (if the children are shy or not of reading age, read the list out loud to the group). It’s a packing list!

I think I have an idea about what the things in our box are about! packing lists are ways we prepare for big, new and exciting adventures.

Did anyone travel for thanksgiving? Is anyone planning to travel for Christmas? (wait for responses) What did you bring with you or what are you planning to bring with you? (wait for responses)

Well, just like we prepare for a trip, we need to prepare for the baby Jesus and the coming reign of God.  Advent is a time when we prepare and slow down so we don’t miss the wonderful things God is doing and where God is calling us. But unlike a trip where we rest and relax, in advent, we are called to get to work! I think that is why we have these images of hard hats!

In our story for today, we learn that preparing for the baby Jesus means doing the work of loving and serving our neighbors. Preparing for the baby Jesus is about doing the work of things like showing hospitality to strangers, visiting the imprisoned and caring for those who are sick. What is something that you can do to be welcoming, helpful or show God’s love this advent? (wait for responses). 

You all have some unique gifts and unique work to do this advent! Now I invite you to take this hard hat and give it to one of the adults and remind them that they also have some work to do this Advent to welcome the baby Jesus. Ready! Go!

Dennis Sepper, Rosemont, MN

Warm-up Question

Do you ever think about the Second Coming of Jesus?  What it will be like?   

Basis of Hope

Colorado Springs, Colorado – Michael Martin was serving as a Mennonite youth pastor when news of the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School came as a “breaking news” story on his car radio.  The news touched and troubled Pastor Martin deeply.  As he went about his ministry he couldn’t shake the story and a feeling that he had to do something.  A short time later Martin knew what he had to do.  Pastor Martin left his ministry and, with his father, learned to blacksmith.   They launched a non-profit faith based organization called Raw Tools.  They collect guns—shotguns, rifles and handguns—and transform them, shaping them into gardening tools which are then donated to community gardens all over the United States.  

Not only did Michael Martin take the words of Isaiah 2:4 literally, but Raw Tools paid attention to the rest of Isaiah’s words and part of their new ministry includes teaching and training people  around issues such as restorative justice, conflict mediation, and active-bystander training.  Martin really wants to give people hope, just like Isaiah did, that the current violence in our world is not the last word…that God will have the last word and it will be a Word of peace and justice.

Raw Tools website:  www.rawtools.org

Discussion Questions

• What do you think about Michael Martin’s ministry?  Does it make sense to you?  In what way?
• Notice that there is an educational piece to Martin’s work.  How does that line up with Isaiah’s words in verse 2:3?  Is it important that our good works, our works of hope, be linked with some sort of instruction?
• What are some other signs of hope that our personal futures and the future of the world will be a place of peace and justice?

First Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 2:1-5

Romans 13:11-14

Matthew 24:36-44

(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

December 1^st marks the beginning of the church year season of Advent.  Advent is a season of hope, preparation, and anticipation of the coming of God into our world and into our lives.  Advent creates this experience of preparation and anticipation by looking to the past (and remembering the coming of Jesus years ago), the present (how Christ comes to us today in Word and Sacrament and through the Holy Spirit), and the future (the promise that Jesus will come again).  The readings for this season are meant to “wake us from sleep” (Romans 13:11) and help us to be attentive to what God is doing in the world today.

At first glance today’s reading from Matthew is quite troubling.  Does Jesus really mean that his return will be like the flood in the time of Noah?  Will it be like the coming of a thief in the night?  Will suddenly some people be taken and others left behind?  That doesn’t seem like the kind of thing Jesus would teach or preach.  The clues to this reading are found in the first and the last verses.  They emphasize that one, even Jesus doesn’t know the time of his return because God is the one in charge and two, we should be ready for Jesus’ coming in each moment.

I often say to others that I hope that when Jesus returns I will be in the midst of my morning devotions with an open Bible in front of me and not when I am watching football with a bag of Cheetos on my chest!  We just do not know when that time will be.  So, how do we stay awake and ready and prepared?  About a month ago one of the pastors at the church I attend preached a sermon on prayer.  He said that most of us learn as children to bow our heads, fold our hands and shut or eyes when we pray but he suggested a different posture for prayer which he called “praying with one eye open”…open to the concerns of others, to the needs of the communities we live in and to the needs of the world.

That’s a helpful image as we think about the return of Jesus.  While we go about our daily affairs we should keep an eye open to look for ways God is working in our lives and in the world.  We should look for signs of hope, at the least, and at most, join God in creating those signs of hope for others to see.  

The world we live in still has many troubling elements.  While we must do what we can do to address those things that harm and dehumanize people, we  always remember that God is in charge.  We place our trust and hope in God who entered our world in the past, is present in it now, and will come again  to bring God’s loving purposes for all creation to full fruition.  Such are the themes of Advent.  While we might be excited by the coming of the Christmas season, we should also hear God’s call to think about and address the themes of Advent.

Discussion Questions

• God and Jesus have a habit showing up in unexpected places.  Have you ever experienced God or Jesus’ presence at a time you did not expect it?
• Sometimes we can worry about the Second Coming of Jesus.  A favorite author of mine once wrote that there is no evidence that the Jesus who returns will be any different than the Jesus we meet in the Gospels.  Does that thought give you some comfort?  Why or why not?  What is the Jesus we meet in the Gospels like?
• How can we keep and respect the themes of Advent in the midst of the pre-Christmas craziness?

Activity Suggestions

We are very good at sending out Christmas cards to wish those we love a Merry Christmas and blessings for the coming year.  But what about those in our communities who may need a word of hope and assurance during the festive month of December.  This week’s activity seeks to give those folks a word of hope and encouragement. 

Speak to your pastor and get a few names of people who are homebound or in the hospital, or perhaps you have a friend or acquaintance who you know needs some support.  Take the time to create an Advent card.  Think about the themes of Advent (hope, light and the fulfillment of God’s promise) to create a unique card you can send to those who need it.  You may want to include a verse from Scripture such as Isaiah 9:2, John 8:12, 1 Timothy 4:10, Romans 15:13-15 or Matthew 28:20.  Assure those brothers and sisters that God loves them, God is with them, God is for them and they can put their trust in God. 

Part of our Advent preparation is “keeping one eye open” to what God is doing in our world and then telling others about it.  That way we plant the seeds that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit will cause to grow into a garden of hope, peace and justice.  

Closing Prayer

Faithful God, we look at the world around us and at times we cannot see you at work in the world.  Send your Holy Spirit upon us and fill us with holy hope and the vision to see you at work in our lives, in our communities and in the world.  Empower us to speak a word of peace and hope to those who need to hear it and help us to prepare for the coming of our Savior, Jesus the Christ.  Amen.  

 

Scott Moore, Erfurt, Germany

Warm-up Question

When have you ever risked your own safety to help someone else? 

In the Line of Duty

“Died in the line of duty.”  How often have we heard these sad but somehow inspiring words? This time they were said two weeks ago about firefighter Lieutenant Jason Menard, thirty-nine year-old husband and father of three, on his last day of duty before going with them on vacation to Disney World. Doing what he was trained to do, put out fires and rescue people, he was trapped with other firefighters in a burning home in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts. Responding to a distress call and hearing that others might be still in the burning house, Menard and two others went looking to make sure everyone was safe.  It was reported that as things got difficult, Menard helped his two comrades get to safety. He could have rushed out on his own. He chose, instead, to risk his own life so that their lives could be saved. He made the ultimate sacrifice.

Discussion Questions

• When have you ever benefited by someone else’s sacrifice of any kind?
• How should we as a society honor those who make sacrifices like Lt. Menard?
• When do you think firefighters should “draw the line” and not risk themselves?
• What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of paid vs. volunteer firefighters?

Christ the King Sunday

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Colossians 1:11-20

Luke 23:33-43

(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

What are we doing on this festival of Christ the King, with Jesus on the cross? Isn’t that somehow totally opposite to the message of the day? It is the end of the church year, next week we are back to the beginning, with the first Sunday in Advent. We want to end things with a bang like New Year’s Eve: celebrate Jesus as king and lift him up high with a glorious crown on his head. He is the Messiah after all, which means anointed one, and the kings of Israel were all anointed when God chose them for their duty as royal leaders. The anointing with oil was a holy act that set apart these normal human beings as sons of God, (there were just kings back then, they were all men).  Those chosen to lead God’s people were anointed and claimed as royal children. They, too, were messiahs (“anointed ones”), so to speak. 

Early on in Luke’s Gospel (chapter 3), God tells Jesus, when he comes up out of the waters of the Jordan, “you are my beloved son.” Here, towards the end of the Gospel, Jesus’ sign on his cross says, “This is the King of the Jews”, and the religious leaders standing there mock him “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” Even one of the criminals challenges Jesus to save them and himself if he is this one anointed by God. We know how the rest of the story goes: Jesus chooses to follow the path all the way to the cross, to be humiliated like a common criminal, to suffer, and to die. Just one chapter earlier, Jesus asks his Father if he might be able to avoid having to die in the line of divine duty, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” 

Whatever his abilities might have been as healer and miracle worker, Jesus chooses to follow God’s will and experience the fullness of humanity, even to the point death. The chosen messiah, who was baptized in the Jordon, becomes the true royal Son of God lifted up high on a cross with a crown of thorns. Jesus’ line of duty leads him to the cross, the grave, and to new life. This same king who died is raised again to new life. Death and resurrection. What seems like a dead end becomes a living beginning. 

In our baptism, we are also made children of God. In our service of holy baptism, we can hear the words: 

“In baptism our gracious heavenly Father frees us from sin and death by joining us to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are born children of a fallen humanity; by water and the Holy Spirit we are reborn children of God and made members of the church, the body of Christ. Living with Christ and in the communion of saints, we grow in faith, love, and obedience to the will of God.”   (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, “Service of Holy Baptism”)

Through water and God’s word, through the laying on of hands and anointing with oil, we join Jesus in his royal mission as a child of God. We die and are raised again. We are made little anointed ones, little messiahs, little Christs. We are invited and encouraged to follow Jesus on God’s path of healing and justice, hope and reconciliation. We walk hand and hand with the one who is willing to give himself for the whole world, Jesus Christ the King. 

Discussion Questions

• When was the last time you felt you did something really special?
• When do you ever feel like you want to give of yourself for others?
• What do you think about when you see someone else get baptized?
• What is your favorite part of the baptismal service?
• Jesus tells one of the thieves on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” What do you think paradise is like?

Activity Suggestions

• Discuss the image of “king” (or “queen”).  In the Bible, we find many images for Jesus and God (shepherd, mother hen, father, suckling mother, to name a few).  What is suggested by calling Christ the king; what are we trying to say about Jesus by using royal imagery?
• How has the meaning of the kingly image changed over the centuries; do you think it is still a good metaphor for God and Christ?  Why?
• Out of all the biblical possibilities, the gospel text for this week in the lectionary is from the crucifixion; why do you think that is?  How does that change how we understand what a king is?

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, creator of the universe, you have made kings and queens out of average people. In holy baptism, you wash us with water and you anoint us with your Holy Spirit. Lift our chins when we are down, so we may look into your eyes and see in them how much you love us. Strengthen our love of you, our love of ourselves, and our love of the world. Lead us as your royal children on the path you have set before us, so that the world around us may touched by the grace and love we know from you. We ask this in the name of the one lifted on the cross for us, Jesus Christ the King. Amen.