Today we remember those who have died by gun violence, those who have survived gun violence, those who mourn deaths of family and friends by gun violence. Aching with sorrow we grieve this pain and death that surrounds and fills us. Today we remember mass killings in places of prayer and ordinary life, in churches...

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“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?” —Jeremiah 8:22 Our hearts grieve for those who have been killed and our souls cry out against more lives lost to the hatred birthed by racism. As we mourn those lives lost...

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Synod Office Move the Week of May 23 The synod will be moving our offices across campus to Brossman Hall starting May 23. We expect to be fully operational on Monday, June 6.  Staff members will have limited access to phones and email during this transition, and some messages may not be delivered. Please resend...

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The 2022 convention of the Southeastern PA Synodical Women’s Organization of the Women of the ELCA be held on June 4, 2022, at St Matthew Lutheran Church, 400 Lynbrooke Rd., Springfield, PA 19064. (Phone: (610) 543-8700.)  Note: you do not need to be a member of a Women of the ELCA unit to attend. Our keynote speaker is Bishop...

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A task force is at work on a new social statement about civics and faith, and it wants to hear from you. This social statement was requested by the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Join members of the ELCA social statement task force for an ELCA-wide virtual listening event. There are two opportunities to participate: Tuesday, May 24,...

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Bishop Davenport offered words of inspiration and challenge in her sermon at the 2022 Chrism service yesterday, based on Ephesians 5:1-2: Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. “The Apostle Paul encourages us...

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Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence is a partner in the work of addressing gun violence in our communities: Philadelphia: Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence (Heeding), the statewide faith-based organization devoted to reducing and preventing gun violence called for prayer for all those taken by gun murder in Buffalo and Geneva, for...

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A week ago, our Muslim neighbors ended the holy month of Ramadan with the joyous celebration of Eid al-Fitr. For much of April, Christians and Muslims journeyed through their respective periods of fasting, prayer, and reflection, as Lent and Ramadan coincided. During this holy time of confluence between Christians and Muslims, The ELCA Church Council...

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May 9, 2022 On March 8, 2022, I appointed a listening panel to review the interactions of Bishop Megan Rohrer with Misión Latina Luterana leading up to and on Dec. 12, 2021. The panel has thoughtfully and judiciously conducted their listening process as is appropriate for a situation as multifaceted as this. Informed by the panel’s...

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From Sanctuary to Street; From Lament to Action. Thursday, June 9 at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul, 1723 Race Street, Philadelphia 19103. Join the Religious Leaders Council of Philadelphia, Heeding God’s Call, and local faith institutions to honor the memory of those taken by gun murders and work to...

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