But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
2 Peter 3:13 (NRSV)
This time of year is full of small but notable events in the wider Lutheran world. Within the ELCA, many Synods have their annual assemblies, while a number of ecumenical and interfaith events and dialogues tend to release statements in May. With that in mind, I thought it might be a good week to pass along some snippets of “church news.”
- The New Jersey Synod Assembly was held May 6-7. Among the more notable reports was the one from the Jehu Jones Mission team. As part of the Bishop’s Challenge over the past year, Bishop Tracie Bartholomew invited New Jersey Lutheran congregations to educate ourselves on the issues, accept our responsibility to respond in faith, and work to address racial inequity and injustice in our world. There have been 75 congregations participate in a variety of ways, including contributions of $84,000 to support emerging leaders of African descent in our church. The quilt was on display during the assembly, including the square from Saint Matthew!
- In much of April, Lent, the Christian season of fasting, coincided with Ramadan, the time of fasting for Muslims. During this confluence, the ELCA church council unanimously adopted “A Declaration of the ELCA to the Muslim Community” affirming our friendship and solidarity with Muslims, nurtured over time through meaningful cooperation, dialogue, and common action. This statement stands along with the previously adopted “A Declaration of the ELCA to the Jewish Community” as commitments to concrete interfaith friendship and positive relationships, including working together on common goals.
- Planning materials and toolkits for the ELCA’s annual day of service, “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday. It will be held on September 11 this year. As the announcement puts it: We are a church energized by lively engagement in faith and life. As we continue our tradition of service to our neighbor, we remember the words of Martin Luther: “Our faith is a living, busy, active, mighty thing.” With our hands, we do God’s work of restoring and reconciling communities in the name of Jesus Christ.
If you would be interested in helping plan the day or have ideas of what we might do, please let me know!
These are but a few of the many ways that we as church can continually reach out into the world, on the local, state, and national levels (let alone international!)