Scandalous!

I’m in Wausau, Wisconsin where I’ve had the great pleasure of hearing Pastor Lisandro Orlov speak today. Pastor Lisandro is from Argentina and is the Latin American regional coordinator for the Lutheran World Federation HIV/AIDS campaign. He said a lot of intriguing and challenging things about the relationship between the church and those in the world who are stigmatized and excluded. A few statements, in particular, really stood out for me. These aren’t exact quotes, but they are close:

• Be more than the boundary established in your culture.
  
• My job each Sunday is to scandalize my parish.
  
• Be a sanctuary for the dignity of all people.

Pastor Lisandro was emphasizing that living the Gospel is not easy. It can mean walking with people and in places that are unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and sometimes unacceptable to people around you. But it’s also incredibly important, enriching, and ultimately just.

I love these ideas and how they relate to our work in World Hunger. Building relationships with those who live in poverty is not particularly comfortable to many of us who live in relative wealth. But our lives are enriched through such relationships. And a mutual, real understanding of each other is critical for building the trust and structures and processes necessary for ending poverty. We also need to get more people involved. To get the attention and support we need to make real changes, we often have to push others out of their comfort zones, too. Sometimes, we must speak truth to power, which is not easy or safe. But in doing these difficult things, what if we, by our actions, become a sanctuary for the dignity of all people? Picture that: sanctuary for the dignity of all people. I can’t imagine a better legacy for a life, or a better display of the divine.

Do you need a drink?

I had two opportunities to reflect on "going to the well" this weekend. On Saturday a good friend and I spent the day at the "Global Luther" conference held at Northwestern University. I followed most of the academic presentations and panels and my notes reflect aha moments, questions, and flashes of inspiration. The agenda allowed good breaks for lunch and dinner, and my friend and I made good use of them in Evanston. I arrived home after 10 p.m., feeling refreshed.

Sunday morning I served as lector at church...and the Gospel lesson, about the Samaritan woman who encounters Jesus at the well, was read by Pastor Kristi (narrator), Alpha (Jesus), and me (the Samaritan woman). It was a renewing service from start to finish.

Going to the well. Life-giving water. In the middle of hard, good work, sometimes we forget to take a drink. Sometimes we don't realize that we are parched.

For me "going to the well" meant attending a conference outside of my work life, having lovely meals with a friend, and soaking up the Spirit during Sunday morning worship. What does it mean for you? Are you in need of a drink?

Eco-Confusion

I read with interest Chris' post about eco-overload. I think I suffer from one of eco-overload's close cousins; I'll call it eco-confusion. I want to engage in some more environmentally friendly behaviors, but I'm often unsure of what they are. It can be easy to change nothing for fear of doing wrong. For example, lists of ways to go green such as this one include the tip to use cloth napkins rather than paper napkins. Makes sense. After all, you can use the cloth over and over and not add to the landfill. But then I've also heard the arugment that using cloth napkins mean using more water, detergent, and electricity to wash them. And what about the bleaches, chemicals, trees, and fibers used to make either paper or cloth? Does it change the equation if you use paper napkins made of recycled paper? All this over napkins! I want to make good choices, but there seem to be so many variables. How do you make the right choice? Can you do it without dedicating your life to research?

In searching for some guidance, I kind of liked the advice I found at ECOnomically Sound. After they posed several both-sides-of-the-argument issues I hadn't thought of (and thus reinforcing my confusion!), they recognized that making green decisions isn't easy. They advised to do the best you can, and suggested that if everyone makes choices thoughtfully and with good environmental intentions, we're bound to make improvements. It's not an excuse for skipping research, but I do find it reassuring.

Ballroom dance lessons raises money for ELCA World Hunger Appeal

How fun! Paul E-S found this video on youtube. Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlcHxNIOPw4

"About the video" written by the producer :
Pastor Erwin Roux (aka 'PR') is the Pastor at the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Turbotville Pa. He and his wife Beth teach ballroom dancing lessons on selected Friday evenings. These classes were originally started at the Hidlay Parish Lutheran Church in Bloomsburg about 10 years ago. In 2005 when PR relocated to the Church in Turbotville, the classes were continued at the new location.

[===]All proceeds from these dance classes are donated to the Lutheran {ELCA] World Hunger Appeal. So far about $30,000 has been raised and donated since the dance program was started. The Pastor generously pays the operating expenses (printing, postage, and domain registration) out of his own pocket.

[====]RELATED LINKS:
http://ParishHouseDance.org - The Church's ballroom dance lessons program http://ELCA.org/hunger - Lutheran World Hunger Appeal
http://Zion-ev-Lutheran.org - Main website for Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Turbotville, Pa.

[=====]This iMovie video was assembled 2/14/08 by JamesRobertIngram.com, aka Track2.com .

Overloaded?

I live in Chicago and ride the CTA to work everyday. I take a bus, train, and then a short walk to get to the office. All in all it’s about an hour commute each way, maybe an hour 10 if I stop at the coffee bar. Most mornings I read the Red Eye, a free local paper published by the Chicago Tribune. It gives me a decent dose of local, national, and international news and all that celeb gossip that I don’t really care about but some how end up reading first.

A feature article a few weeks ago was about eco-overload. An idea that today, we (consumers in the United States) may be overloaded by messages to be environmentally friendly, to recycle more or to reduce our carbon footprint. The article goes on to say that this eco-overload can cause “eco-anxiety” and there are even “eco-therapists” popping up to help folks deal with the stress of being “green”.

I was shocked! The entire idea seemed so absurd to me and I felt like it was really being used as a way to justify excessive lifestyles and an excuse to not be good stewards of the planet. The article went on to say that this surge in “green” messages could cause “green-fatigue”, thus loosing the message altogether.

Interesting I thought? What other important messages might get lost in the din of all the other messages we receive daily and could cause fatigue? The fight to end hunger, the quest for peace, clean drinking water for all, what else? I suspect that there are not many people who would say these things and the preservation of the planet are not worthy goals to achieve, but the question is what are we each doing about it?

I think we should be more curious and learn about the root causes and solutions to these matters. Then act. Start with some small changes in our lives. Small things really do add up. Be generous and make regular financial gifts to organizations that do good work. Tell others what you have learned, are doing, and encourage them to join you.

The world and those most in need can not afford for us to be overloaded and fatigued. For me doing something, even something small, helps me to know that I am making a difference and by making a difference I am combating fatigue and changing the world.
What about you?

The Road Untravelable

This winter has been brutal for the roads in Chicago. Huge temperature swings and plenty of snow and ice are crumbling the concrete. My commute to work has become an obstacle course of potholes. There are two strategies for navigating the course: 1) slow down and drive through the potholes, hoping you're not causing too much damage to your suspension and tires, or 2) slow down and weave around - in your lane and out of it - to avoid hitting them. In the end, you do both, and so does everyone else. The main results are that it takes longer to get anywhere, and all the swerving makes driving scarier than usual. I'm guessing the mechanics are doing a better business than usual, too.

Winter-ravaged roads are a great illustration of their importance. If you don't have good roads, life is harder. Poor road conditions mean it's difficult to receive or send goods. Remote villages the world over experience poverty and hunger, partly due to the roads. When roads are badly rutted, frequently muddy, washed out, or in some other form of disrepair, vehicles trying to pass will have to go slowly and are likely to sustain damage. If you're a business person trying to deliver goods, you'll have to raise your prices to compensate for the time, fuel, and maintenance costs. Schedules may be irregular depending on when you can get through and how long it takes. If the goods being delivered are perishable, and if delivery schedules are dependent on road conditions and whether or not a truck breaks down, villagers may face perpetual shortages. And to top it all off, once the goods arrive, villagers may not be able to afford them. The suppliers must raise prices to cover their transportation costs, which may make the items too expensive for the small incomes of remote villagers. If suppliers are unable to sell their goods, they are likely to stop coming altogether.

This road is a two-way street (a little infrastructure humor, there). The transportation challenges are true for the villager trying to sell outside the village, too. The costs required to get goods or people to other markets may raise prices to such a degree that the villager can't compete. The remote village is cut off from larger markets that can increase incomes, create jobs, and improve standards of living. Poverty and hunger become more common.

All of this about roads, and they are only one aspect of infrastructure! It still amazes me, sometimes, how many factors contribute to poverty and hunger. But if there's a bright side, it's that all these factors mean there are lots of ways to approach solutions, too.

Worth considering

"The Church of England is urging people to cut down on carbon, rather than chocolate, for Lent this year..." Check out the article, which includes 40 ideas for reducing your carbon foodtprint.

Kathleen Kastilahn's recent post on The Lutheran's blog, "Cookies for Sale" ties cookies (literally) made of mud and eaten in Haiti to our rite of Spring, Girl Scout Cookies...and in the process helps connect our wealth and our concern for the poor.

Blessings,
Sue

Love your neighbor as yourself

This Valentine's Day give gift-donations to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal and send your sweeties ELCA World Hunger e-cards to announce your donation in their honor. Visit www.elca.org/giving or call 800/638-3522
to donate and visit www.elca.org/ecards to choose your "save a tree and make a life-saving difference" greeting.
Have you given WHA donations as gifts and sent WHA gift cards? Tell us about it! Add a comment below. Blessings of the heart, Sue
P.S. Don't miss Nancy M's post below...wowzer, Bowzer.

$35.9 BILLION spent on pets. Seriously!

Talk about an affluent society! According to the February 4th edition of Time Magazine, Americans spent $35.9 billion on their pets in 2005. $35.9 billion! I contributed to that, and I don't even own a pet! (My brother-in-law's dogs get Christmas presents, too.)

I've got nothing against pets. I can understand that Fluffy has an important place in the family, and deserves to be fed and vaccinated. It's just that, so do people. My point is simply this: If we can fork out $35.9 billion for our pets - just one category of discretionary spending - can't we do better in making sure everyone has enough to eat? And if so many of us are willing to take on the responsibility of caring for pets (and, boy, are we willing!), can't we do the same for people?

Just think about it. If Americans gave as much money to one poverty-fighting group (may I suggest the ELCA World Hunger Appeal?) as they spent on their pets in a year, it would create an organization nearly the size of the Gates Foundation. Think what we could accomplish...

Fasting and Feasting

Lenten Thoughts:

Jesus "fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished." Matthew 4:2

A God who experiences the pain of hunger!

This is an amazing image of God -- a God who enters fully into the life of humanity--sharing our pain and celebrating our joys. A God who cries out with those who are oppressed, who is present with those who are forgotten, a God who feels the hunger pangs of each starving child, and who grieves with parents who are denied the abundance of this rich earth. This is not a distant immovable God who feasts while creation is groaning. This God, the God to whom we pray, is here with us, fasting with us.

Share your totals on www.souperbowl.org

Remember to report your Souper Bowl of Caring totals at www.souperbowl.org and check out this "souper" story!

Pastor Megan from Grace Lutheran (Lexington, Nebraska) writes:
Hi World Hunger Appeal,
We just wrapped up our 2008 Souper Bowl Sunday effort led by our 8 Confirmation youth. They ordered the ELCA World Hunger Appeal change collection boxes, folded them and handed them out last week for people to bring back this week. We had soup pots out and they were overflowing with the little boxes! As of this morning, we received $331.75 to be contributed for the World Hunger Appeal. Most likely we'll receive more throughout the week. Like the loaves and fishes, we hope God will bless our small efforts. Thanks for being God's instrument to multiply all our efforts!

Pastor Megan and I e-mailed back and forth a bit. I asked her for pictures, and she re-created the display above (and yes! their display included the "hunger" issue of The Lutheran). The youth also created "God's math" posters to display around the congregation on Souper Bowl Sunday. Fun!
If you have Souper Bowl stories and pictures, share them by replying to this note, or send them on to hunger@elca.org Blessings! Sue

Vote!

If you're in one of the 24 states with elections on Super Tuesday and eligible to do so, please go vote tomorrow. Yes, there are lots of reasons to be cynical about politics. Yes, I am annoyed by the seemingly endless rhetoric and finger-pointing. (And isn't it paradoxical that politicians often reach their highest level of annoying when they're trying to get you to vote for them?!) But like it or not, laws are created and money is spent through the political process. Important laws and lots of money. Legislation that affects employment, trade, povery, health, peace. Wouldn't you prefer that the people making proposals and decisions reflect your values and interests?

We're lucky to live in a place where we are not only allowed, but actually begged, to have our say about who runs our government and how they do it. What so many people in the world would give to have the same! Our system isn't perfect, but governing is a complex matter - especially when millions of citizens are expected to participate, all with differing opinions. Don't take for granted this very prized right. Be grateful that your opinion is wanted. Go vote! And if you choose to not vote, to remain quiet when asked, then understand that I won't be listening when you complain later.