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At the October synod council meeting, the council passed the following motion:
To follow the bishop’s direction and make land acknowledgments at any synod gathering, including synod council meetings.
Perhaps I should have argued against the motion, not because I disagree with the making land acknowledgments at all synod gatherings, but because of the part that reads, “at the bishop’s direction.” I must admit that making land acknowledgments is something new to me that others have been teaching. An article in the
Living Lutheran, “Telling the Truth about the Lands we Inhabit,”
talks about “this new Lutheran tradition of learning about and honoring the original inhabitants of the land where your church or homes now stand” being a “mighty witness of your commitment to justice.”
The purpose of land acknowledgments is to honor a place’s indigenous people – past and present – and recognize the history that brought us to where we are today. The more I have thought about this, grateful to all those who keep patiently teaching me, the more it made perfect sense, especially in light of what we just celebrated in the church this past Sunday –
All Saints Sunday.
All Saints Sunday reminds us that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, by the communion of saints including both those who have gone before us as well as those who are present now. These saints help us to “lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. . . “
(Hebrews 12:1-2).
Isn’t that also true when we acknowledge the saints, the indigenous people of the lands on which we stand today? They help us acknowledge the truth of this wider communion, that indeed there were people here before us who honored the land, seeing and treating it as sacred. Could they remind us of our connection with the land, inspiring us to run the race of caring for God’s creation, working for justice, and honoring the rich diversity of God’s people?
So, at my direction whenever we gather as a synod, we will be making land acknowledgments. The website
https://native-land.ca
makes it easy to find which indigenous people lived on the land in which we are gathering. I encourage you to consider doing the same when you gather as a church or with family and friends, especially at Thanksgiving. (You will find more resources on the
ELCA’s “American Indian and Alaska Native” webpage.
)
Something else I did not know is that many people do not celebrate Thanksgiving as a holiday but as a day of mourning. Our traditional story of the first Thanksgiving with the pilgrims and native people coming together to feast sanitizes the larger story of the genocide of indigenous people and the taking of their land by the settlers who came to this country. What if on Thanksgiving, instead of ignoring either the celebration of the day or the truth of our history, we came together to truly be thankful, acknowledging and giving thanks for those who have gone before us, and for those who are still with us. Then perhaps we can participate in healing for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and participate in God’s reconciling work.
That is truly something for which we can indeed give thanks.
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Statements of Intent Now Available
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A message from Presiding Bishop Eaton:
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The first chapter of James, verse 17, reminds us
that “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is not variation or shadow due to change.” Yes, this has been a season of change, but Scripture reminds us that we serve a generous, steadfast God.
While we stay rooted in God’s enduring, unchanging promise, God also gives us the gifts of creativity and learning. Across all three expressions of the church (churchwide, synods, and congregations), we have used these gifts to serve God, love neighbor and share the good news of Jesus Christ. In this time of change, we have opening our arms wider to meet people where they are living into the reality that we are not defined or confined by the four walls of our buildings.
Through all this, I am so grateful for your generous sharing of creativity, time, talents, and resources. All good gifts do come from God, and we are called to share and use these gifts. We have and will continue to answer that call. There is still much change and learning to come, but God’s steadfast love energizes us for the work God is still doing in the world through this church.
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Statement of Intent
This form allows your congregation to express your planned support for 2022.
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Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
(Revelation 22:1-2)
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Because of your generous gifts, we have been able to support the work of the synod by:
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Bringing additional part-time staff on board – Rev. Adam Wutka works with our lay ministry, raising up Parish Ministry Associates and Synod Authorized Ministers and Rev. Barb Jones manages our candidacy process raising up more ordained pastors.
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Investing in leadership development training – overseen by Rev. Dave Whetter, who along with other developers, works directly with congregation leadership through transitions, whether that is calling a new pastor or clarifying a new mission.
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Participating in Faithful Innovations – inviting congregations into cohorts to be “innovative” working with one another and coaches through listening, acting, and sharing.
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Embracing the Earth Charter Initiative as we see the need for the healing of our planet.
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Supporting the work of advocacy and justice through our Racial Justice work, Kansas Interfaith Action, and Missouri Faith Voices.
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AND supporting, encouraging, resourcing one another as together, united with Christ in baptism, we participate in God’s reign of justice.
There is still much work to be done and more healing needed as the challenges we face as the church continue. You can visit
www.css-elca.org/give
to read the bishop's letter or give. We hope you will consider making an additional financial contribution.
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Monday, November 15, 2021
7:00-8:00 pm on Zoom
Zoom Login
Meeting ID: 847 0668 5884
Dial by your location: 312 626 6799
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You are invited to the very first
Central States Synod
Food and Faith meeting
,
sponsored by the CSS Hunger Team.
Come learn about two of our Central States Hunger Ministries and how the ELCA Domestic Hunger Grants support ministry in Missouri and Kansas.
No obligation to join a team…just a time of learning about poverty around our synod and ministries to end hunger.
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The Revs. Susan Langhauser and Roger Gustafson to preach on ‘Day 1’
Lutheran pastors in Kansas
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The Rev. Susan Langhauser, senior pastor of Advent Lutheran Church in Olathe, Kan., and the Rev. Roger Gustafson, bishop emeritus of the Central States Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American, are the featured preachers for the second and third Sundays of Advent on
“Day 1” with host Peter Wallace
, the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also accessible online at Day1.org and by podcast.
Langhauser is the author of “
Blessings and Rituals for the Journey of Life.
” Her sermon for
Dec. 5, “Setting the Table for Jesus,”
is based on the introduction to John the Baptist in Luke 3:1-6. “Preparing the way for the Lord included many things,” she says. “And good news! Our contribution to the preparations – our only task is simply to repent.”
Gustafson served as co-pastor of Advent Lutheran Church with his wife prior to his election as bishop. His sermon for
December 12, “The Advent Gift,”
is based on the proclamations of John the Baptist found in Luke 3:7-18. “Frightening, yes,” he says. “But John isn’t simply trying to scare us with turn-or-burn theology. He is getting to the heart of his gift, something substantial and constructive, even life-giving: It’s time to come clean before God.”
The programs include interviews with Langhauser and Gustafson conducted by Wallace, who is also executive producer.
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Sporting shirts with the new synod logo on them, synod staff received many compliments during the recent Fall Theological Conference. Now you too can show your style and order your own apparel, bags and other items from Lands' End with the synod logo. Simply browse the site, select the item you want and when ordering you can apply the logo to it
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Our Collective Healing on this Veterans Day
A worship resource for Veterans Day is available in
PDF format
and includes several prayers and hymn suggestions that may be incorporated in worship on the Sunday closest to Veterans Day, November 11.
Also, on the ELCA Worship blog: "
Our Collective Healing on This Veterans Day
,” Chaplain Aaron Fuller offers guidance for observing Veterans Day following the 20th anniversary of September 11 and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
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Do you come home from a trip with a new best friend? Have you ever prayed with someone in line at the grocery store? Do you know the life stories of all of your Lyft drivers? Do you talk to your neighbors about Jesus? If these scenarios ring true for you, you might be a hidden evangelist! Join us for a virtual gathering and a lively conversation with people who have a similar passion for sharing Christ’s love. Join Rev. Phil Hirsch, ELCA Executive Director for Christian Community and Leadership, and Louise Johnson, ELCA Executive for Administration, on Zoom
Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. Central time
. As the ELCA seeks to engage new people, discern how you can share your gifts of interpersonal connection to help activate your community.
Register today.
Does this sound like someone you know?
Share this invitation with them!
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Young Adults in Global Mission 2022: Community Awaits!
After a two-year pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program is getting ready to send volunteers out into the world again! Applications are now open for the 2022-2023 program year. Young adults aged 21 to 29 can apply for an international service year that will shape their faith, career, identity and understanding of how they fit into God’s work in the world. YAGM volunteers will begin in August 2022 and will be placed in one of nine country programs.
The deadline to apply is Feb. 1, 2022, and priority will be given to those who apply before Jan. 15, 2022.
Read more and apply here.
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If you have questions about the Gathering:
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Let Lutheran World Relief help you this Advent.
Lutheran World Relief has created FREE, easy-to-use resources based on the RCL Advent texts from the Gospel of Luke, all available at
lwr.org/advent
:
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4 weeks of new
sermon illustrations
(complete with photos and video)
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4
powerful videos
to highlight your congregation’s love in action around the world
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4-week
small group Bible study guide
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Candle lighting litany
Invite your congregation to experience
A Season of Hope
this Advent.
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The National Lutheran Choir's 36th Season
Tickets on sale now!
Welcome to the National Lutheran Choir's 2021-2022 season!
We're excited to share that we are planning a return to in-person performances in November
and
are continuing production of virtual programming. No matter where you are or what circumstances you are experiencing, NLC's music will be available to you.
Visit
nlca.com
for info
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