In light of the past few days I offer you this devotion which incorporates information from the ELCA Bishops, photos from the web, the list of Bishops and a closing prayer from Bishop Jon V Anderson of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod.
Pastor Tim Huff
ELCA reaffirms commitment to combat racism and white supremacy
5/29/2020 2:45:00 PM
What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) reaffirms its commitment to combating racism and white supremacy following the recent murders of Black Americans. Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Dreasjon (Sean) Reed, and George Floyd were our neighbors. Ahmaud Arbery was chased down, shot, and killed by a retired police officer and his son while jogging in Brunswick, Ga. (Feb. 23, 2020). Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was shot eight times by Louisville Metro Police Department officers who entered her apartment while serving a “no-knock warrant” (March 13, 2020). Dreasjon (Sean) Reed, a 21-year-old from Indianapolis died after being shot at least eight times by an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer (May 6, 2020). George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis while begging for his life, a block away from Calvary Lutheran, an ELCA congregation (May 25, 2020).
As the Conference of Bishops, we condemn the white supremacy that has led to the deaths of so many unarmed Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color in our country. We grieve with, pray for and stand in solidarity with the families and friends of all whose loved ones have been and continue to be victims of injustices run amok, racist violence and the insidious venom of white supremacy.
The ELCA’s social policy resolution, “Condemnation of White Supremacy and Racist Rhetoric,” adopted by the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, states: “As persons called to love one another as God has loved us, we therefore proclaim our commitment to speak with one voice against racism and white supremacy. We stand with those who are targets of racist ideologies and actions.” As church, together we must work to condemn white supremacy in all forms and recommit ourselves to confront and exorcize the sins of injustice, racism and white supremacy in church and society and within ourselves as individuals and households.
On May 21, the ELCA Southeastern Synod hosted a webinar: “Becoming the Body of Christ – Condemning White Supremacy” in response to the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. This is one of many strategic opportunities happening across this church to address white supremacy and racist rhetoric. On June 17, we will gather again as church to commemorate the Mother Emanuel 9 and to repent of racism and white supremacy. An online ELCA prayer service, including leaders from across the church and Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton as preacher, is being planned for June 17, 2020, marking the fifth anniversary of the martyrdom of the Emanuel 9. We encourage congregations to reaffirm their commitment to repenting of the sins of racism and dismantling white supremacy that continue to plague this church by marking this day of penitence with study and prayer leading to action. https://www.elca.org/emanuelnine
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton – Presiding Bishop
The Rev. Tracie L. Bartholomew – Bishop, New Jersey Synod; Chair, Conference of Bishops
Deacon Sue Rothmeyer – Secretary
The Rev. Thomas M. Aitken – Bishop, Northeastern Minnesota Synod
The Rev. Abraham D. Allende – Bishop, Northeastern Ohio Synod
The Rev. Jon V. Anderson – Bishop, Southwestern Minnesota Synod
The Rev. James A. Arends – Bishop, La Crosse Area Synod
The Rev. Daniel G. Beaudoin – Bishop, Northwestern Ohio Synod
The Rev. Susan J. Briner – Bishop, Southwestern Texas Synod
The Rev. Shelley M. Bryan Wee – Bishop, Northwest Washington Synod
The Rev. Michael L. Burk – Bishop, Southeastern Iowa Synod
The Rev. Susan Candea – Bishop, Central States Synod
The Rev. H. Jeffrey Clements – Bishop, Northern Illinois Synod
The Rev. Barbara J. Collin – Bishop, Upper Susquehanna Synod
The Rev. Yehiel Curry – Bishop, Metropolitan Chicago Synod
The Rev. Patricia A. Davenport – Bishop, Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod
The Rev. Suzanne D. Dillahunt – Bishop, Southern Ohio Synod
The Rev. James S. Dunlop – Bishop, Lower Susquehanna Synod
The Rev. Paul T. Egensteiner – Bishop, Metropolitan New York Synod
The Rev. Paul D. Erickson – Bishop, Greater Milwaukee Synod
The Rev. R. Guy Erwin – Bishop, Southwest California Synod
The Rev. Katherine A. Finegan – Bishop, Northern Great Lakes Synod
The Rev. William O. Gafkjen – Bishop, Indiana-Kentucky Synod
The Rev. Michael K. Girlinghouse – Bishop, Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod
The Rev. William J. Gohl – Bishop, Delaware-Maryland Synod
The Rev. James W. Gonia – Bishop, Rocky Mountain Synod
The Rev. Erik K. Gronberg – Bishop, Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod
The Rev. Constanze Hagmaier – Bishop, South Dakota Synod
The Rev. Lorna H. Halaas – Bishop, Western Iowa Synod
The Rev. Regina M. Hassanally – Bishop, Southeastern Minnesota Synod
The Rev. James E. Hazelwood – Bishop, New England Synod
The Rev. Mark W. Holmerud – Bishop, Sierra Pacific Synod
The Rev. Robert F. Humphrey – Bishop, Virginia Synod
The Rev. Deborah K. Hutterer – Bishop, Grand Canyon Synod
The Rev. Richard E. Jaech – Bishop, Southwestern Washington Synod
The Rev. Laurie A. Jungling – Bishop, Montana Synod
The Rev. Donald P. Kreiss – Bishop, Southeast Michigan Synod
The Rev. Wilma S. Kucharek – Bishop, Slovak Zion Synod
The Rev. Kristen E. Kuempel – Bishop, Northwest Intermountain Synod
The Rev. Kurt F. Kusserow – Bishop, Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod
The Rev. Laurie A. Larson Caesar – Bishop, Oregon Synod
The Rev. Michael L. Lozano – Bishop, Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod
The Rev. Patricia J. Lull – Bishop, Saint Paul Area Synod
The Rev. Brian D. Maas – Bishop, Nebraska Synod
The Rev. John S. Macholz – Bishop, Upstate New York Synod
The Rev. Gerald L. Mansholt – Bishop, East-Central Synod of Wisconsin
The Rev. Idalia Negron-Caamano – Bishop, Caribbean Synod
The Rev. Leila M. Ortiz – Bishop, Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Synod
The Rev. Michael L. Rhyne – Bishop, Allegheny Synod
The Rev. Michael W. Rinehart – Bishop, Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod
The Rev. Peter Rogness – Interim Bishop, South-Central Synod of Wisconsin
The Rev. S. John Roth – Bishop, Central/Southern Illinois Synod
The Rev. Craig A. Satterlee – Bishop, North/West Lower Michigan Synod
The Rev. Laurie Skow-Anderson – Bishop, Northwest Synod of Wisconsin
The Rev. Timothy M. Smith – Bishop, North Carolina Synod
The Rev. Kevin L. Strickland – Bishop, Southeastern Synod
The Rev. Pedro M. Suarez – Bishop, Florida-Bahamas Synod
The Rev. Ann M. Svennungsen – Bishop, Minneapolis Area Synod
The Rev. Andrew A. Taylor – Bishop, Pacifica Synod
The Rev. William T. Tesch – Bishop, Northwestern Minnesota Synod
The Rev. Steven L. Ullestad – Bishop, Northeastern Iowa Synod
The Rev. Shelley R. Wickstrom – Bishop, Alaska Synod
The Rev. Lawrence R. Wohlrabe – Interim Bishop, Eastern North Dakota Synod
The Rev. Herman R. Yoos – Bishop, South Carolina Synod
The Rev. Samuel R. Zeiser – Bishop, Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod
The Rev. David Zellmer – Interim Bishop, Western North Dakota Synod
A Prayer
Great God of justice, you make all people in your image and you hear the pleas of the oppressed. Confronted by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, your people stand before you, crying out, “How long, O Lord, will this go on?” Call your church, and all people of good will, to share the outrage that so many feel in these days. Keep us from weak resignation to all that you deplore, especially the privileges of race and distance. Help us pay attention. Help us to speak out. Help us to act. For you, O Lord hear the cries of the oppressed. Tune our ears to hear them as well, now, and always, until that day when your Justice will be fully at work in your creation. We pray in the name of the One who died an unjust death, thirsty and crying out, Jesus the Messiah, your Son. AMEN
