Faith and Society
|
“Faithful participation in society is integral and vital to the mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.” - Social Statement Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective |
As Lutherans read and study the Bible, roll up their sleeves and collect food, sew quilts, clean up after Tsunamis, and provide shelter for people fleeing war, we hear God's call into the world. As part of this call, we seek the common good for society, provide moral vision and are committed to addressing social and cultural injustices and issues. In response to God’s gracious love that seeks justice, the ELCA equips and nurtures us for our callings in the world. Here you will find various social messages and statements from the ELCA, other resources and ways that FULC is learning to seek justice in society as a congregation.
|
The ELCA is in the process of developing a social statement on Civic Life and Faith, the relationship of church and state and related matters, as called for by the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Click the buttons below for more information about this process and access to the study curriculum including PDF's and videos. |
|
A Social Message on Government and Civic Engagement in the United States: Discipleship in a Democracy
This message was adopted in June 2020 by the ELCA Church Council. It is a good tool to help us navigate through elections. It’s not about whom we vote for, but how we make our decisions. Click the buttons below for the message and a study guide to help you dig through the text. |
|
|
AUTHENTIC DIVERSITY
The ELCA and our own Southeastern Synod are challenging congregations such as ours to better reflect the diversity of the people who live in the surrounding neighborhoods. This is part of a strategic initiative toward "Authentic Diversity", which asks our denomination to take steps to help realize God’s vision of a kingdom reflective of the diversity of humanity and justice for all. |
In 2020/21 FULC members and friends met on Zoom to discuss different aspects of Racial Justice using various curriculum, books, videos and other resources. We compiled a list of helpful resources below.
|
ELCA RESOURCES
ELCA Anti-Racism Pledge African Descent Lutheran Association ADLA Website Declaration of the ELCA to People of African Descent Strategy for Authentic Diversity ARTICLES "Why It's So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism" by HuffPost "The Daughter of a Slave Who Did the Unthinkable: Build a Bank" The Wall Street Journal PODCASTS/WEBINARS/VIDEOS Black Christian Woman’s Survival Guide from Truth's Table on Apple Podcasts Worship and Justice from a DC area pastor (Bev Metcalf suggests especially listening to minutes 12:30-12:37 & 50-58) Racial Justice & the Environment Webinar by Carolyn Finney, UGA school of Forestry & Natural Resources with UGA's Diversity Committee Diversity in the Church Advanced Ministry Lectureship Series: Christina Cleveland, Multnomah University |
BOOKS
Dear Church. A love letter from a Black Preacher to the whitest denomination in the U.S. by Lenny Duncan Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancester by Layla F. Saad CLICK HERE for PDF Format Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder Religion by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove MISCELLANEOUS Unconscious Bias Training Website Implicit Bias Testing Project Implicit |
