As Lutheran Christians, we are committed to a faith active in love.
We stand in solidarity with our PROTESTant siblings in Minneapolis.
To support the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA's refugee and immigrant ministry, click here.
To support the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA's refugee and immigrant ministry, click here.
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"In publicly gathering to proclaim and celebrate God’s Gospel of peace, the Church uniquely contributes to earthly peace. Its most valuable mission for peace is to keep alive news of God’s resolve for peace, declaring that all are responsible to God for earthly peace and announcing forgiveness, healing, and hope in the name of Jesus Christ. In praying for peace in the world, in interceding for all who suffer from war and injustice and for those in authority, the Church acts for peace and is called to disturb, reconcile, serve, and deliberate. |
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The Church is a disturbing presence when it refuses to be silent and instead speaks the truth in times when people shout out, “‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). The Church is this presence when it names and resists idols that lead to false security, injustice, and war, and calls for repentance. We therefore denounce beliefs and actions that: ◆ elevate our nation or any nation or people to the role of God; ◆ find ultimate security in weapons and warfare; ◆ ordain the inherent right of one people, race, or civilization to rule over others; ◆ promise a perfect, peaceful society through the efforts of a self-sufficient humanity; and ◆ despair of any possibility for peace. |
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As a reconciling presence, the Church creates bonds among different peoples, whether local or distant. It has special opportunities to bring conflicting parties together and to keep tenuous lines of communication open during times of crisis and war. The Church serves reconciliation by countering religious movements—including ones claiming to be Christian— that preach and practice hate and violence, by challenging stereotypes of “the enemy,” and by encouraging imaginative solutions to conflicts. |
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The Church as a community for peace is also to be a deliberating presence in society. As a community of moral deliberation, the Church is a setting of freedom and respect where believers with different perspectives may learn from one another in the unity of faith. Issues that shape our world—including dilemmas of military service and confronting human evil through nonviolence— are proper themes for discussion in the Church. 
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The Church is called to be a serving presence in society. The Church serves when it holds power accountable, advocates justice, stands with those who are poor and vulnerable, provides sanctuary, and meets human need. The Church serves when it supports efforts by governments and others to secure a just peace and when it encourages public debate about what is right and good in international and domestic affairs. It serves by calling for compassion in meeting human needs. 
We recognize the awesome responsibility political leaders, policy makers, and diplomats have for peace in our unsettled time. In a democracy, all citizens share in this responsibility. We encourage participation by Christians in the affairs of government. Our faith as Christians gives a distinctive quality to our lives as citizens. Love born of faith calls us not to harm others and to help them in every need. We call for an imaginative attention to the interests and welfare of other nations, especially of those that are viewed as “enemies” or that are considered unimportant for our nation’s interests. We expect expressions of our nation’s identity to build on the best of our traditions, to respect others’ identity, and to open up paths for mutual understanding. For the sake of a greater good or for reasons of conscience, citizens may need to oppose a prevailing understanding or practice of national identity and interest. Citizens may even need to resist oppressive government." |
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Is this the (Bonhoeffer) moment you were made for? Read more about the 20th-century Lutheran here.
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Christ of Maryknoll
by Robert Lentz, OFM
Pray:
God of justice & mercy, Creator of all nations, races, and cultures, Parent to all people, Your love transcends all human made borders and crosses all boundaries.
We pray for wisdom and guidance for the world’s leaders that protect the rights and dignity of everyone, especially those most vulnerable.
We pray for discernment on how to end the violence and poverty that displaces so many people from their homes and homelands to find new dreams and horizons.
We pray for the children who cross the border looking for a better education because of the lack of opportunities in their own countries. For the victims of human trafficking forced to slave labor and prostitution while they pursue the American dream. For the multitude of refugees, forced from their homes to alien places through war or gang violence. For the migrant workers, who are forced to travel to other countries looking for better salaries because there are not fair jobs in their countries.
We pray for us, show us how we can make a difference. May we be gracious, loving and kind to all people, as we seek to shine your light and your love. Forgive us when we fail to act when you call us to act, when we are critical instead of helpful, when we condemn instead of build up. Help us to be the people you call us to be. In your holy and powerful name, Amen.
God of justice & mercy, Creator of all nations, races, and cultures, Parent to all people, Your love transcends all human made borders and crosses all boundaries.
We pray for wisdom and guidance for the world’s leaders that protect the rights and dignity of everyone, especially those most vulnerable.
We pray for discernment on how to end the violence and poverty that displaces so many people from their homes and homelands to find new dreams and horizons.
We pray for the children who cross the border looking for a better education because of the lack of opportunities in their own countries. For the victims of human trafficking forced to slave labor and prostitution while they pursue the American dream. For the multitude of refugees, forced from their homes to alien places through war or gang violence. For the migrant workers, who are forced to travel to other countries looking for better salaries because there are not fair jobs in their countries.
We pray for us, show us how we can make a difference. May we be gracious, loving and kind to all people, as we seek to shine your light and your love. Forgive us when we fail to act when you call us to act, when we are critical instead of helpful, when we condemn instead of build up. Help us to be the people you call us to be. In your holy and powerful name, Amen.
Recently, our congregation hosted a "Liturgy of Lament" in order to name and make space for the plethora of grief and emotions we are individually and collectively feeling in response to all that's going on in the world: ICE raids, the separation of children and parents at our borders, of gun violence, of racism, and on and on. It was an opportunity for all of us to come together, to pray for strength and guidance, and to lament the times in which we live, a time when many of us are feeling as if Nothing Is Normal. To view the complete liturgy, click on the link at the bottom of this page.
After our gathering, many of us wondered: What Next?
Below is a starter list of where to take it from here:
Give your time:
Speak your voice:
Donate your blessings:
After our gathering, many of us wondered: What Next?
Below is a starter list of where to take it from here:
Give your time:
- Tutor a refugee through the KC public library kclibrary.org/community-services/immigrant-services;
- Mentor a refugee through Jewish Vocational Services (jvskc.org/volunteer);
- Volunteer at KC for Refugees kcforrefugees.org or Missouri Immigration and Refugee Advocates (mira-mo.org);
- Purchase food from KC-based New Roots for Refugees (newrootsforrefugees.org);
- Send a card to a child separated from their parent at UAC/ORR Program - ATTN: Cards for Kids - 330 C Street, SW - 5th Floor - Washington, D.C. 20201
Speak your voice:
- Join the local movement through organizations such as Indivisible KC (Indivisiblekc.com);
- Send a message to your local and state representatives via ResistBot - a free service: text "Resist" to 50409 to get started, or visit resist.bot;
- E-mail Congress via Unicef unicefusa.org;
- Join others in advocating for families in a variety of meetings and gatherings via familiesbelong.org);
- Learn about and share the truth about causes important to you at actionbutton.org.
- Call Congress at (202) 224-3121 and demand that they reject any legislation that threatens to ramp up enforcement and deportations, and that they instead fight to end family separation.
Donate your blessings:
- Donate gently used items to catholiccharitiesks.org/refugees;
- Donate food to Della Lamb dellalamb.org;
- Sponsor a child through Compassion International compassion.com ;
- Purchase items for migrants in shelters (that cross borders at legal locations) through an Amazon.com registry;
- Help fund assistant efforts through:
- Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service: lirs.org;
- Together Rising togetherrising.org;
- BorderAngels borderangels.org;
- Refugee and Immigration Center for Education and Legal Services raicestexas.org;
- Texas Civil Rights Project texascivilrightsproject.org;
- American Civil Liberties Union aclu.org;
- National Immigrant Justice Center immigrantjustice.org
- National Justice for our Neighbor njfon.org
| nothing_is_normal_service_of_lament.pdf |
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