Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 
Hebrews 13:2
For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3:26-29
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’
Matthew 25:35-40
ELCA advocacy works for change in public policy based on the experience of Lutheran ministries, programs, and projects around the world and in communities across the United States. Our faith calls us to learn more and speak out on issues affecting our vulnerable neighbors and the forces threatening creation.
The Hunger Network in Ohio is a faith-based nonprofit network that believes we can end hunger in Ohio by addressing the root causes of poverty through public policy advocacy.

Current ELCA Amicus Brief Activity:

  • Apache Stronghold/Oak Flat.  We have joined an amicus brief with the Episcopal Church, the UCC, and the Methodist Church asking the Supreme Court to grant certiorari and hear this case in which the federal government has sold sacred Apache land to a mining company.  The brief can be found here.
  • Roarke v. Brumley (Louisiana Ten Commandments Case).  We have joined an amicus brief with the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, the UCC, the Episcopal Church, and the Presbyterian Church (USA) urging the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to affirm the lower court’s decision blocking the state of Louisiana from requiring public schools to post the ten commandments on the wall of every classroom.  The brief can be found here. 

Presiding Bishop Eaton: Faith, fear, and the call to community - February 21, 2025

A prayer for healing from breaches of trust (from All Creation Sings)
God of endless love, ever caring, ever strong, always present, always just: In Jesus Christ you join to your own suffering the pain of all who have been hurt in body, mind, and spirit by those who betrayed the trust placed in them. Hear the cries of our neighbors who have been gravely harmed, and the cries of those who love them. Soothe their restless hearts with hope, steady their shaken spirits with faith. Grant that all who have been harmed may find peace in justice. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton speaks to the church about the need to check in on one another during this time of great anxiety and fear for so many members. "We may not know what tomorrow brings, but we have each other. And we have the promise of a God who meets us in our fear, who walks with us in our struggles, and who calls us to be bearers of hope.” ​

Defending the Dignity and Presence of the People of Gaza - February 14, 2025

A prayer for peace (from All Creation Sings)
You calm and quiet us, eternal God, as a mother holds her children close; all people have refuge in the shadow of your wings. Spread over us the shelter of your peace. Hold before us the wisdom of your cross, where we are drawn to you not by might or power, but by your boundless love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Freed by the transformative life of Christ, the ELCA is committed to accompaniment, advocacy and awareness-raising with our partners in the Holy Land and in the United States. For the past two decades that work was organized through the ELCA Peace Not Walls campaign. In October 2023 the ELCA announced that, following an in-depth review by ELCA staff and leadership from the Palestinian Lutheran church, Peace Not Walls would be renamed and reconfigured as a new initiative, Sumud: For Justice in Palestine and Israel.

ELCA Presiding Bishop Responds to Executive Orders on Immigration - February 14, 2025

A prayer for refugees, migrants, immigrants (from All Creation Sings)
Holy God, as you have accompanied your people through times of captivity, wilderness, and exile, shelter and sustain all those who flee persecution, oppression, warfare, violence, hunger, and poverty. Open our hearts and homes, our gates and doors, so that they find safety, peace, and welcome—a place to live in freedom and without fear; through Jesus Christ, our refuge and our hope. Amen.
CHICAGO (Feb. 14, 2025) — ​​ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has issued a video message in response to the executive order on immigration that rolled back guidance to immigration authorities in protected areas such as places of worship, schools and hospitals.
 
Eaton spoke out against the order and urged members and others to add their voices. “You are a superpower. They don’t expect thousands and thousands of ordinary people in our pews and in our communities to join together for this action. So, get motivated and get organized. We are church together, and together we will continue to defend the most vulnerable communities and people among us as Jesus taught us.” 
 
Eaton also addressed the numerous lawsuits challenging this action. “Given the ELCA’s polity and denominational structure, the churchwide organization would not be an appropriate plaintiff in these actions,” she said. “But congregations can demonstrate that they could be harmed by the recission, and they would have standing in this lawsuit. We will continue to speak out against harmful policies and in support of our marginalized neighbors.”

False statements posted on X about federal funding received by Lutheran entities - February 2, 2025

A prayer for the mission of the church (from Evangelical Lutheran Worship)
Draw your church together, O God, into one great company of disciples, together following our teacher Jesus Christ into every walk of life, together serving in Christ’s mission to the world, and together witnessing to your love wherever you will send us; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Founded in 1969, the mission of Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM) is to challenge systemic injustices faced by those who are oppressed, forgotten, and hurting by providing responsive solutions, advocacy, and hope.

Executive Order Response on Immigration - January 24, 2025

A prayer in time of conflict, crisis, or despair (from Evangelical Lutheran Worship)
O God, you form all humanity to bear your divine image, and you intend for everyone to live together in harmonious dignity. We pray for all people, whether ourselves or others, who suffer the cruelties of racial or ethnic prejudice. Grant your Spirit of power to all who are oppressed. Give healing to victims of violence, protection to the vulnerable and abused, better housing and worthy employment to the mistreated, courage to the fearful, a remedy for rage, strength to parents and caregivers, and hope to children and youth. Purge the privileged of their sense of superiority, and lead church and society to foster communities of equity and diversity; through Jesus Christ, our loving Savior. Amen.
Accompanying Migrants with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities 
​AMMPARO is a holistic, whole church commitment by the ELCA, as a church in the world, to accompany migrant families today and in the future.
Formally known as Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)
As a witness to God's love for all people, we stand with and advocate for immigrants and refugees, transforming communities through ministries of service and justice.
Prayer texts from All Creation Sings and Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
From sundaysandseasons.com.
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