SEPANews Update / February 2, 2016
It's the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord. Also known as Candlemas, this time for blessing of candles traditionally marks the halfway point of the winter season. 
Mission in ACTION
Celebrating God's Grace
Congratulations to God's Grace Lutheran Community. The three-church collaboration in Northeast Philadelphia celebrated its cooperation with a festive worship service and lunch Sunday (Jan. 31). Bishop Burkat blessed the new trustees and the pastoral team, Revs. Dee Emmert, Dana Heiserer, and Tricia Neale who serve St. John's, Redemption, St. Petri-Hope and Feast of Justice Ministries in the Northeast. 
Honoring Dr. King in Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Chapter of the African Descent Lutheran Association hosted their national president, Rev. Lamont Wells, who preached at the annual Martin Luther King Day service Jan. 18 at Reformation, Mt. Airy. Worshippers also participated in a discussion on the state of Black Lutheranism. 

 

Lutherans and the Mayor
As part of the inauguration of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, nearly 100 faith leaders joined his honor for an inspiring interfaith prayer service. Pastors Patricia Davenport and Brad Burke of Synod staff, Dean Carlton Rodgers, and Pastor Jay Mitchell were among the Lutherans representing us. 
Masterfully retelling the story of the prodigal son, Kenney applied the lessons of that story to the current crisis of welcoming formerly incarcerated persons into our society. Insisting that it is our communal responsibility to care for these vulnerable neighbors, he lifted up the welcoming love of the father in that story, saying, "That is how we need to be welcoming these prodigal neighbors of ours back into our society, with a ring and a robe as the loving father in that story welcomed his son back home."
Still Reforming...
Building on a path toward greater unity, Pope Francis; the Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and Lutheran World Federation president; and the Rev. Martin Junge, LWF general secretary, will lead a joint ecumenical commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation on Oct. 31, 2016, in Lund, Sweden. 
You could spend Saturday, June 25 in Leipzig as part of our 2016 Lutherland tour. You'll see where the first demonstrations of the 1989 Peaceful Revolution took place, and enjoy an organ concert at the 14th Century St. Thomas Church, where Luther preached and where Bach served as cantor and choirmaster. 
There's still room for you... The early-bird deadline for the ELCA Grace Gathering, Aug. 10-13 in New Orleans, has been extended to Feb. 9. Get more information at http://www.elca.org/gracegathering or contact GraceGathering@elca.org. 
"Our God" and "Your God": Christian Faith Among Others 
LTSP offers a lifelong learning course online or on campus, with The Rev. Dr. J. Paul Rajashekar. Five consecutive Thursdays, February 18-March 17, 2016, 7 pm-9 pm. Learn more and register at http://ltsp.edu/ourgodyourgod 

 

Protect Yourself from Identity Theft 
Identity theft can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Join Urban Seeds & Thrivent to learn how to protect yourself, your small business, and your loved ones in this digital age. FREE workshop, Saturday, Feb. 27, 10 am at Faith-Immanuel Lutheran Church. Download a flyer on our website.
 
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Bob Fisher

Assistant to the Bishop, Mission Interpretation and Communication

267.323.3743

sepanews@sepa.org