April 2024 Newsletter
SWPA Synod MLK Event
It was a wonderful day of learning, conversation, and worship as we gathered at House of Prayer Lutheran Church in Aliquippa on Sunday, April 7 for the third annual event honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The theme this year was "Fires of Freedom and Cloud of Witnesses", lifting up the often hidden work of women throughout history who worked for freedom and justice.
From left to right: Bishop Abraham Allende, Mayor Dwan Walker, Rev. CeCee Mills, DaNia Childress, Bishop Kurt Kusserow, and Rev. Prudence Harris
The afternoon opened with a welcome from Pastor Erin Jones, Communications and Advocacy Engagement Manager at LAMPa and member of the planning team. The panel discussion that followed was moderated by our guest preacher, Rev. CeCee Mills, joining us from North Carolina where she serves as Assistant to the Bishop for Call Process and Shared Ministry in the NC Synod of the ELCA. The panelists, pictured above, were Mayor Dwan Walker of Aliquippa; DaNia Childress, Associate Curator of African American History at the Heinz History Center; and Rev. Prudence Harris, pastor at Bethel AME Church in Pittsburgh.
In their conversation, the panelists highlighted the importance of listening to one another's stories and the value of paying attention to history so that, in understanding the past, we can move forward. In sharing their own stories, the panelists named important women in their lives, who influenced their faith and their pursuit of their vocation.
Watch the full panel discussion on YouTube here.
Following the panel discussion, we moved to the social hall for dinner. The Little Free Food Truck prepared a delicious meal, and good conversation filled the room! During the meal, participants in the youth breakout event interviewed some attendees - look for recordings of those interviews in the future. Thank you to Pastor Chris Rotella and Deacon Anaïs Hussian from Abiding Missions for their leadership of the youth breakout time.
After dinner, we gathered again in the sanctuary for a powerful worship service. Posters on the walls highlighted the "cloud of witnesses" - women from history and the stories of Scripture whose witness, words, and actions kindled and tended the fires of freedom. The women whose stories were shared on the posters and in an accompanying booklet included Sara Breedlove, Toni Morrison, Stacy Abrams, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Pastor Carla Christopher Wilson, among others. During the Prayers of Intercession, the crucifer and assisting minister moved to each station as we prayed and sang together.
During her sermon, Pastor Mills wove together the stories of the Hebrew midwives, the women at the tomb, Claudette Colvin, and her own experiences to share how God is calling each of us to do God's work in the world, through our ordinary lives and daily rituals. The work of justice is not usually comfortable, or safe - but God's Word never promises that it will be. She mentioned the book A Call to Allyship as a valuable resource for all people to prepare for diversity in your setting, saying, "We can't prepare for leaders or members of color after they get here. We need to do that now."
We gathered offerings totaling $482 to support the ministry of Uncommon Grounds in Aliquippa.
Watch the full worship service here.
Thank you for your support of this event in our third year! If you would like to be involved in planning, or your congregation would like to host next year's event, please reach out to Kerri Clark at adj@swpasynod.org.
April & Autism
by Diaconal Candidate Amy Kelly
As April hits, those of us in the neurodivergent community start to be flooded with information, debates on puzzle pieces or infinity symbols, and whether we should be wearing red, gold, or blue. When we talk about how to recognize and celebrate Autism, our realization of the complications of intersectionality becomes glaring. Advocates call for acceptance, awareness, and empowerment—so which should we celebrate?
Many autistic adults will argue for acceptance, because as a whole society, we are aware of Autism, but we struggle to embrace autistic individuals for who they are. There are then additional voices who argue we should be working to empower autistic individuals, and that acceptance isn’t enough - what are we doing to bring autistic individuals into leadership? How are we celebrating their achievements?
All of this is good, except that it leaves many behind. Women and BIPOC are less likely to be diagnosed and often have less access to support systems. Autistic adults often lose their needed supports they received as children from school and governmental services. In many ways, our awareness still needs to grow. How can we do this?
Our priority should be to learn more, especially from Autistic adults. Here are a few of my favorites:
Chloe Hayden - Author, Actress, and Advocate: https://www.instagram.com/chloeshayden/
Tiffany Hammond - Author: https://www.instagram.com/fidgets.and.fries/
Lamar Hardwick - Author, Pastor, PhD Student: https://www.instagram.com/lamarhardwick/
Danny Whitty - Author and Advocate: https://www.instagram.com/dannywithwords/
Rep. Jessica Benham - Local State Representative: https://www.instagram.com/repbenham/
Neurodiversity & Coaching
For Autism Acceptance Month, ELCA Coaching shared an article about Neurodiversity and Coaching, which includes a video from Pastor Anna Gordy sharing some of her experiences as pastor, mission developer, ELCA coach, and an Autistic adult.
Sisters Celebrating Diversity
Sisters Celebrating Diversity is a local group whose mission is to promote healing and unity in the body of Christ by providing training, education, and opportunities for fellowship as we embrace and celebrate racial, ethnic and cultural diversity. Their events are open to all; registration information can be found here.
Our Neighbor’s Experience with “Everyday Racism”: Thursday, April 25, 6:15-8:30pm at MACS Museum Lab (6 Allegheny Square, Pittsburgh) - Join SCD to hear stories from Dr. Beverly Harris-Schenz, author of Living While Black: My Experience with "Everyday Racism" and Mary Martin: Black Government-Girl from Hillsboro.
LAMPa Lutheran Day in the Capitol
Join LAMPa and advocates from across the Commonwealth in Harrisburg on Thursday, May 9 for Lutheran Day in the Capitol and Gala Celebration of Advocates. Participants will also be celebrating the 45th anniversary of LAMPa and 50th anniversary of ELCA World Hunger. Registration is available here.
Folks from our synod are attending Lutheran Day, and there are spots available at tables for the gala celebration. Email adj@swpasynod.org to get connected.