ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry issues his third in a series of monthly messages that continue through the end of this year.  Each message will share a pastoral word, rooted in Scripture, that witnesses to God’s presence today, our rich theological tradition, and the social teaching that connects us.

  
Dear church,
 
From its earliest days, the United States has been shaped by religious diversity. Indigenous peoples sustained diverse spiritual and religious traditions long before the nation’s founding, and successive waves of settlers, including Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and others, brought a variety of beliefs that helped define the nation’s unique and vital religious landscape.
 
Throughout the church today, many are struggling with debates regarding the religious identity of our nation. While religious diversity did not begin with the Constitution, the Constitution’s framers recognized an important truth: the future of our nation could not be tied to a single religious identity. By rejecting religious tests for public office, the Founders created space for people of any or no faith tradition to participate in public life together. That commitment continues to be foundational to our nation’s vitality, especially at a time when people are tempted to identify love of the nation, or the government itself, with a single religion. No one faith tradition should rule the United States, just as the framers desired.¹
 
As the apostle Paul writes, God has given us “the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). Reconciliation involves living in God’s future — including through renewed interreligious relationships.
 
Religious diversity is the reality of the world we live in. Recognizing this, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America adopted “A Declaration of Inter-Religious Commitment,” which affirms that mutual understanding with other faith traditions can deepen our own faith. Through encountering neighbors and working side by side in shared commitments to love and compassion and community, our own Christian faith is strengthened. This conviction means that through my call as presiding bishop of the ELCA, our church develops and maintains relationships with Jewish, Muslim and many other faith communities. Like personal friendships we hold, these relationships do not require us to set aside Christian faith. Rather they reaffirm that in a nation as diverse as ours, being a good neighbor across religious differences is not optional. It’s a part of the shared American experience. It is an experience we can support as everyday Lutherans in God’s call to reconciliation.

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“The ELCA will explore and encourage inter-religious friendship, accompaniment, and partnership with all who seek justice, peace, human wholeness, and the well-being of creation (ELCA Constitution, Chapter 4.03.f).” —“A Declaration of Inter-Religious Commitment,” p. 10
 
“The ELCA will defend the full participation of all in our religiously diverse society, ‘strengthening public space as a just place for all’ regardless of religion or worldview (‘The Church in the Public Space: A Statement of The Lutheran World Federation,’ 2016).” —“A Declaration of Inter-Religious Commitment,” p. 11

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The ministry of reconciliation is both local and national. God invites us to love one another across differences. Trusting in God’s grace, we boldly form relationships with neighbors of all faiths who share a commitment to justice, peace and the flourishing of all creation. I encourage you to engage in this essential ministry, which offers a powerful opportunity to heal divisions, deepen respect across differences and strengthen the bonds of our common life.
 
In Christ,

The Rev. Yehiel Curry
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America  
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[1] The ELCA social statement Faith and Civic Life, Seeking the Well-being of All states, “The Establishment Clause is cut from the same cloth as the Constitution’s prohibition against religious tests for public office. Government is not the church, and the church is not the government. The intent of the Establishment Clause clearly is that government must not promote a particular faith or religion in general” (45).

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1).

Every day, I receive emails and messages from members across this church. Many of you share concerns about the state of the world and how faith informs your response to troubling or perplexing events. Sometimes you ask me to speak out more often regarding current affairs, and sometimes you ask me not to speak so much. I cannot answer every message, yet I am learning from you and feel the heartbeat of this church through the concerns, fears and hopes you share with me.

To continue our conversation and respond to what I am hearing from you, I will issue a monthly message through the end of this year in a series called “All Together in One Place.” Each message will share a pastoral word that witnesses to God’s presence today, rooted in Scripture, our rich theological tradition and the social teaching that connects us for life together.

At the first Pentecost, the disciples were guided by the prophet Joel’s assurance that, even in troubling and perplexing times, God is faithfully present.

Our baptismal vocation together is to serve God and neighbor in daily life, fostering “a faith that is active in love, a love that seeks justice, and an insight that strives to discern what is right, good, and fitting” (ELCA social statement The Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective, 1991, p. 6). Baptism invites us to love our neighbor, to steward creation, to advocate justice and mercy in situations of brokenness, and to seek peace.

As much as we strive to be “all together in one place,” we may not agree on how to do this. The letters I receive testify that we span a beautiful and God-given diversity that invites Lutherans into deep listening, moral deliberation and a certain humility as we seek the common good.

In our differences, we can still be together in one place, when that place is connection in the unity that only Christ gives us (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). We stand in one place when we embrace the dignity of every human being by engaging others with curiosity and respect. We stand in one place when we shake off the immobility of fear to nurture connection in diversity. Our witness to the world embodies 2 Timothy 1:7: “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”

Just as those early followers of Jesus Christ experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, may we also trust when the Holy Spirit comes blowing into our lives to connect the body of Christ.

In peace,

The Rev. Yehiel Curry
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 

As people of faith, we are called to give of our time, talent, and treasure for a greater purpose. Bread for the World invites you to use your voice to help end hunger.

Every year, Bread for the World (BFW) organizes churches, community organizations, and people of faith from across the country to write letters and emails to their members of Congress who have the power to impact the policies and programs that can end hunger.

Your letter matters. Your letter, joined with the voices of thousands of advocates across the country, is an expression of faith and hope, urging U.S. decision makers to pursue a world without hunger. These letters to change hearts and minds, and again and again, Bread for the World wins help and opportunity for our neighbors who face hunger.

Millions of children in the U.S. live in households facing food insecurity. Globally, almost 45 million children suffer from severe hunger, and nearly half of all preventable deaths among children under five are attributed to malnutrition. Child hunger is a local and a global problem, but together, we can make a difference. 

Despite progress over the past few decades, the world continues to lose more than two million young children to malnutrition every year.¹

Click Here to Urge Congress to Protect and Strengthen Vital Nutrition Programs.
Then it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Enter your address [ title, first name, second name, address, city, state, zip code, email address].

2. Click yes: this e-mail is part of an Offering of Letters.

3. Write Message (prewritten, and you can edit if you like).

Click Here to Urge State Legislators to Protect SNAP and Help End Hunger.
Then it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Enter your address [ title, first name, second name, address, city, state, zip code, email address].

2. State Action Information:
If you live in New Hampshire, click Yes.
If you live in Vermont, DO NOT click “Yes, this email is part of a state action.”

3. Write Message (prewritten, and you can edit if you like).

Please email Paul or Wendy Manganiello or the church office after you email your letters so that we can report back to Bread for the World.  Thank you.

 

In his Easter message, Presiding Bishop Curry says that even though we consider ourselves to be an Easter church, we must remember that we are also a Lenten church, a time when we live in uncertainty, waiting and hoping for renewal. Curry reminds us that in the midst of that uncertainty comes God’s promise of reassurance and hope. Death does not have the final word. “Yes, we are Easter people. Even when the ground below us is shaking, we will not grow weary. We know that Jesus is our foundation. Christ is risen, and that truth strengthens us. It gives us courage to live, to hope, and to proclaim joy. Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!”

We’re excited to announce a new development in our faith formation program! With our younger children thriving in Kid’s Club Sunday morning classes, we’re creating special classes designed to meet the needs of our older children. These new classes will offer a deeper exploration of our faith, tailored to their growing age and understanding. They can discuss important topics, ask questions in a safe space, and strengthen their connection to our faith community.