I have participated in numerous anti-racism training events over the years, sponsored by either the synod or the churchwide organization. (For those events, I express a profound feeling of gratitude.) But I did not fully comprehend the reality of “white privilege” until I had an unexpected conversation with a fellow pastoral care resident at the...
Care for and by children of God in Black skin has a long history in the Lutheran church, despite the impression one might have of the ELCA as currently a predominantly “white” denomination. The Rev. Richard Stewart, associate professor emeritus of communications and parish administration at ULS, gives a glimpse of significant early Black Lutheran...
On a local community website, I read a post that said signs have been popping up in my community that say “No White Guilt”. A lively discussion followed in replies to the post. My mostly white neighbors had varied reactions, and some of them were apparently too much for the moderator of the site, because...
A message from our Synod Secretary, the Rev. Karl M. Richard: Grace and peace from Jesus Christ, the redeemer of the world. I was horrified by the events that took place in Washington DC on January 6th when armed rioters stormed the capitol building in an attempt to overturn the election. It made me ask,...
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 18- 25) whose cry for unity is “That they all may be one” John 17:21 and whose theme this year is: “Abide in my love…you shall bear much fruit.”, begins this week. We also celebrate on Monday, January 18th the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his...
Greetings Beloved, As we prepare in our nation’s capital for the historic inauguration of Joe Biden, as our 46th president, and Kamala Harris as our first African America-South Asian American woman, vice president, we must not forget the fury, violence and vitriol unleased in our capitol on January 6th, for many it was truly an...
As we reflect on the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and look toward the inauguration, and share concern about possible violence at our state and national capitols, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton offers the following prayer: The psalmist reminds us that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm...
No thoughtful citizen of this country can look at the violence and systemic racism under which Black Americans live and fail to be outraged. The brutal deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and countless others call us all—both as Americans and as Christians—to stand in solidarity with those who have been denied justice...
The committee of Deans of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod express their deep concern for the ongoing racism and racial injustice that is deeply embedded in the fabric of our society. We have chosen to respond with words of Holy Scripture, knowing and trusting that God’s Word brings both comfort and challenge. Pastor Erika Wesch,...
Dear Beloved, The question has been posed, “Is the bishop going to respond to the horrific death of Mr. George Floyd?” “What is the bishop’s response to the protesting, the rioting and looting throughout the city of Philadelphia?” I do have a response, and it is not unlike that of Rachel: “A voice is heard...
The riots and protests in the United States, following the killing of a black man by a police officer, are an opportunity for people of faith to “live what we profess, to stand behind our statements and to walk according to the teachings of Jesus Christ.” Many pastors and deacons are “on the front line”...
June 5, 2020 “Out of my distress I called on the Lord” (Psalm 118:5). We are a nation in distress. We are a church in distress. The coronavirus has killed 103,000 of us. The virus of racism has taken hundreds of thousands more throughout our history. Now these two deadly viruses converge. Under...
At Lutheran Settlement House, we believe that Black lives matter. We share in the love, heartache, and anger of protesters in Philadelphia, and across the country. On Sunday night, the protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd came to the block where our family shelter is located. The building next to ours caught fire and...
The season of Pentecost begins with a remembrance of the early Church gathered in Jerusalem, not long after their leader Jesus was executed by the Roman state and three days later was alive again. When the disciples were in one place there was suddenly a “sound like the rush of a violent wind” and “divided...
Three years ago our Synod Assembly focused on racial justice. As part of the Assembly’s opening worship there was an order of Anti-Racism Confession and Reconciliation, which was also shared for use in congregations. Today our city, region, and nation are rocked by the ongoing tensions painfully exposed in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna...
May 29, 2020 What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8). The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) reaffirms its commitment to combating racism and white supremacy following the recent murders of Black Americans. Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor,...