This is a guest post from Rev. Elazar Atticus Schoch Zavaletta of Good Trouble Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
Pastor Elazar and the Good Trouble Church Community
The mainstream expression of many ELCA Lutheran Churches is defined by being a white, middle class witness to Christ. With hearts open to and appreciative of the saving grace of God through Christ, and often with generosity in serving the Lord locally and globally, nevertheless, few Lutheran churches truly know or understand the struggle of other peoples as they navigate a society defined by white supremacy and systemic oppression. Many of those on the margins of our churches struggle daily with homelessness, poverty, racism, and frustrating battles with bureaucracies to achieve the medical, financial and housing assistance they need to live and thrive.
Good Trouble Church, an ELCA congregation in Baltimore, Md, lives deeply and personally in that world of struggle. Led by its pastor, The Rev. Elazar Zavaletta, and by numerous empowered members and community folks, most who personally understand the struggle for survival in urban Baltimore, Good Trouble has become a “A Way Out of No Way.” It has become a safe home where friendship, non-judgmental caring and acceptance, trusted resources and hope can be found.
Good Trouble’s leaders, while understanding firsthand the exploitation, trauma and uncaring reality of those experiencing poverty, address together the systemic issues that purport to block them from health, safety and hope for the future. Their work includes (1) Resilience based organizing- directly impacted leaders engaging in their own style of gospel-centered resilience-based organizing – naturally calling into question the powers that be through the way they organize their community and change their neighborhood – living into the world as it should be; (2) A Farm to Stoop Free Market- where fresh farm foods, meals, and clothing are distributed in a joyful time of community connection and mutual aid, along with social service agencies can meet people in a trusted arena, such as health clinics, etc; (3) Family Life- community creating a rich liturgy, inspired through Afro-Indigenous wisdom and symbol and inspiring a unique “theology of the block”; (4) Leadership and Liberation Workshops utilizing problem-posing pedagogy; (5) Social Work Support and Drop-In assistance; (6) Safe space housing for a few persons via its harm reduction-based Red Shed Village; (7) Good Trouble Guardians – who develop local leadership to help to de-escalate conflicts, keep people safer while avoiding police intervention, provide overdose response and connect persons to resources, etc.
Good Trouble Church is supported financially by its own funds, grants from the ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran churches in the Delaware-Maryland Synod, among others. There are numerous community and city partners that share the same vision as Good Trouble to work toward love and liberation those who have been made most vulnerable and face food and housing insecurity.
Good Trouble Church–love and freedom, leadership and liberation, community care and sacred ceremony–God showing A Way Out of No Way!
No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God. (Micah 6:8)
