May 2024 Newsletter
Lutheran Day in the Capitol
The theme for this year's Lutheran Day in the Capitol was "Church Together for the Sake of the World God Loves." Organized by Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa), this event brought together over 200 Lutherans, both lay and clergy, from the seven Pennsylvania synods of the ELCA.
We began our day at Trinity Lutheran, Camp Hill with a variety of workshops and presentations about important issues, including hunger and climate change, the two focal issues for legislative visits this year. After lunch, we joined in worship. Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton was the preacher for the Ascension Day service, which included the installation of the Rev. Erin Jones as Communications and Advocacy Engagement Manager of LAMPa. View the service here.
Following the day of learning, worship, and legislative visits, there was a celebratory gala for LAMPa's 45th anniversary. The "Serve. Pray. Speak." recognition was presented to an honoree from each of the Pennsylvania synods. Our recipient from SWPA was Rev. Martin Rafanan - congratulations, Martin, and thank you for sharing your gifts and your voice in so many ways!
Attendees from the SWPA Synod, plus LAMPa Director Tracy DePasquale and Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton.
AAPI Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the culture, achievements, history, and traditions of AAPI individuals in the United States.
From Broadleaf Books, contributions of AAPI authors.
From Asian and Pacific Islander Ministries of the ELCA, the Minneapolis Area Synod, and the St. Paul Area Synod - a program "honoring our diverse heritage, creating a community of belonging, and embodying faith of grace and justice", on Thursday, May 23 at 7pm on Zoom (Meeting ID: 979 2805 8371 & Passcode: 931787).
Synod Assembly
If you're attending synod assembly June 14-15, look for the ADJ display! Our table will also include information about Sumud: For Justice in Palestine and Israel, a reconfiguration of the ELCA "Peace Not Walls" campaign.
Juneteenth Celebrations
Pittsburgh's Juneteenth Celebration will be held downtown from June 14-16, 11am-10pm daily. See a schedule of events here.
Bethel AME Church will host two worship services on Sunday, June 16. Bishop Kurt Kusserow will preach at 11am, and Bishop Errenous E. McCloud, Jr. will preach at 2pm. The worship services will be streamed on Bethel's Facebook page.
Emanuel Nine Commemoration Resources
As part of the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, voting members adopted a resolution designating June 17 as a commemoration of the martyrdom of the Emanuel 9—the nine people shot and killed on June 17, 2015, during a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C.
Resources are provided to help synods and congregations mark this commemoration. These resources can be adapted for virtual worship, online conversation, or individual reflection and devotion. You are invited to use them in whatever ways are most helpful for your local context.
Our relationship to the shooter, as well as two of the slain, reminds us of both our complicity and our calling. Together we confess that we are in bondage to the sins of racism and white supremacy and, at the same time, we rejoice in the freedom that is ours in Christ Jesus who “has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us” (Ephesians 2:14). May God continue to guide us as we seek repentance and renewal, and racial justice and reconciliation among God’s precious children.
ULS Series - ELCA Social Statements
Join presenters from across the ELCA for a series of Zoom lectures about some of our most timely ELCA Social Statements as we ponder the question "What does it mean to be Lutheran in a crucial election year?" The series begins on June 25 with Introduction to Social Teachings led by Dr. Roger Willer, Director of Theological Ethics for the ELCA. View the flyer here.