Why are we church in this way?
By Bishop Anne-Edison-Albright
As Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the church enters into a time of “self-examination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial giving and works of love.” (ELW, Invitation to Lent). Aligned with those spiritual practices for the season, Bishop Anne reflects in the blog on how our witness matters and what it means to be called together in God’s mission as ELCA Lutheran Christians.
“If you have ever wondered whether our witness matters–it does.”
Last week my mom forwarded me an email from St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Park Ridge, IL–the congregation that raised me and formed me in faith. Pastor Kyle Severson shared the news that the sign outside St. Luke’s–featuring the ELCA logo and a sign of LGBTQIA+ inclusion–had been vandalized, twice. Pastor Kyle wrote: “It is difficult to know what motivated these acts—whether random disrespect, opposition to our Lutheran witness, which has been vilified on the national stage, or discomfort with our clear and joyful welcome to all of God’s beloved children.”
The church sign for St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Park Ridge, Illinois was vandalized.
Recognizing that such vandalism is disheartening but not permanent (the sign will be replaced) Pastor Kyle continued: “What matters most is our unwavering commitment to the mission of Christ—to love, to welcome, to bear witness to the Gospel. These moments remind us why our work is important. In a world increasingly marked by division and fear, we are called to stand firm in the radical grace of Jesus. If this was meant to discourage us, let it do the opposite. Let it strengthen our resolve to be a beacon of hope, justice, and love. We will continue to proclaim love of neighbor through word and deed, showing with our lives that love is stronger than fear.”
Pastor Kyle closed his letter: “If you have ever wondered whether our witness matters–it does.”
I got permission from Pastor Kyle to share his writing with you; he wrote it for a specific audience facing a specific situation, and it’s important to honor that. I also think that his words to his congregation have resonance to the wider church. I know they connected with me.
Pastor Dara Clifford, our Associate to the Bishop and Director for Evangelical Mission, has worked with many different groups in our synod and in the wider church to engage in faithful, courageous conversations about mission, vision and values. Partnering with her in this ongoing conversation, I’m going to be writing a Lenten series about God’s mission and how we’re called to be part of it as ELCA Lutheran Christians.
Why are we Church, and why are we church in this way? Because our witness matters.
In each post, I’ll share a short text that helps me understand God’s Mission and our call to mission, ministry and witness as ELCA Lutherans. I’ll include some questions for reflection or discussion, a Bible reading, and a prayer.
Our first text is the excerpts from Pastor Kyle’s letter, quoted above. Pastor Kyle’s letter helps me understand God’s mission for the ELCA in terms of proclamation and witness: in everything we say and do, with our lives (and with our church signs) we’re called to proclaim Jesus’ radical grace and witness to love that’s stronger than fear.
Read:
Luke 21:1-19. Key verse: “This will give you an opportunity to testify” (21:13)
Ask:
How do you see the ELCA testifying or bearing witness in the world these days? (You, your congregation, rostered and lay leaders, church-related organizations, etc.) What does this testimony communicate about God, and God’s mission?
Churches that offer a clear and joyful welcome to LGBTQIA+ people have a particularly important witness: this has always been true, but the need for these spaces of genuine full inclusion is particularly clear right now. Those spaces and that witness aren’t found in every ELCA congregation. It can be difficult and painful for people looking for a congregation fully inclusive of LGBTQIA+ people and their families to find a home in the ELCA. Spend some time exploring the website of the nonprofit organization Reconciling Works: Lutherans for Full Participation. Find and explore three things that you’re curious about.
Think of a time when you were with people who were able to both lament–fully experiencing a time of grief or disaster–but also able to express a defiant sense of encouragement and hope. What did you learn from their testimony?
Pray:
Gracious God: hear our prayers. You don’t send anyone discouraging and troubling times, but when those times come, you send encouragement: you give a testimony to bring courage to our own hearts and the hearts of everyone who hears. Thank you for the witness of your Church and for the witness of the ELCA. Thank you for the witness of the people and ministries clearly proclaiming the full, joyful inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people and their families. In your son, Jesus, we know Love that is stronger than death, and stronger than fear. Make us beacons of that love. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
The replaced sign bears the RIC logo and an up-to-date logo for the ELCA.
