The Beacon Messenger November 2015

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The Beacon Messenger November 2015 A publication of Bethesda Lutheran Church and East Church Congregational From the Pastor Welcoming the Stranger: The Church and Immigration This issue is in the

1 The Beacon Messenger November 2015 A publication of Bethesda Lutheran Church and East Church Congregational From the Pastor Welcoming the Stranger: The Church and Immigration This issue is in the news every day. We see thousands of refugees fleeing from deplorable conditions in Syria. See we many dying on their trip north. We see European countries struggle to absorb them and refugee agencies struggle to meet the enormous humanitarian crisis. I am the Lutheran representative on the Social Justice Commission for the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts. We recently completed a paper Welcoming the Stranger: The Church and Immigration which is printed below, with the permission of Bp. Douglas Fisher. Welcoming the Stranger: The Church and Immigration A statement issued by the Social Justice Commission and The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas John Fisher, IX Bishop of Western Massachusetts September 21, 2015 Feast of Saint Matthew For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.--matthew25:35 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.-- Romans 15:7 Immigration is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Millions of people worldwide are on the move. Some are migrants, moving from place to place in search of work; others are refugees, forced from their homes because of war, political or religious persecution, extreme poverty, drought, rising seas, natural disasters, or other causes. Often risking their lives in their quest for safety, security, and a better life, waves of men, women, and children many of them lacking proper documents stream across national borders and enter the United States, hoping for refuge. What is our Christian responsibility to the strangers in our midst? Back in 2006, the Episcopal Church s General Convention passed a resolution that recognizes the right and duty of a sovereign nation to protect and defend its borders (2006-A017). Yet in the same resolution the Church also recognized the plight of refugees, immigrants, and migrants, and committed itself to welcoming strangers as a matter of Christian responsibility, to advocate for their wellbeing and protection and... to resist legislation and actions which violate our fundamental beliefs as Christians. What are our fundamental Christian beliefs about immigration? Christians in the United States begin by remembering that we ourselves are immigrants. This is true for most of us on a literal level: unless we are Native American, our ancestors came from other places. But even more important, this is true for all of us on a spiritual level: as Christians, we trace our heritage back to a wandering Aramean who went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien. You shall make this response before the LORD your God: A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien...when the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing harsh labor on us, we cried to the LORD, the God of our ancestors; the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm...and brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. --Deuteronomy 26:5-9 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. --Romans12:13

2 We know what it is to be aliens to be outsiders who are vulnerable and oppressed for the Exodus story is our story. Scripture repeatedly enjoins us to treat aliens and outsiders with justice and kindness, because we ourselves have been aliens. We identify with them. We understand their situation from the inside. Our salvation is bound up with theirs. When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. Leviticus19:33-34 Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews13:1-2 Scripture is full of stories about the blessings that come from welcoming the stranger. Abraham and Sarah welcomed three strangers with generous hospitality and received a gift beyond their wildest dreams (Genesis18:1-15). Ruth recognized that divine love called her to join anew people, and Boaz welcomed her with kindness and generosity (Ruth1:16, 2:8-9, 14). Moses encouraged his alien father-in-law not to return to his homeland but instead to stay with him (Numbers 10:31-32). Our desire to create a society in which immigrants are treated justly springs not only from an external sense of right and wrong, but also from an interior understanding of what it is like to feel anxious, unsettled, hungry, homeless, vulnerable and at sea. Empathy, imagination, and our own experiences of loss help us to understand the heart of an alien. Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, experienced the life of a refugee. He and his parents were forced to flee to Egypt when King Herod sought to kill Israelite children under three years old. Jesus also lived out is ministry as someone on the move, without a settled home. Foxes have holes, he said, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head (Matthew 8:20). Jesus felt such deep solidarity with the homeless, the itinerant, and the stranger, that he considered welcoming the stranger to be a sign of entering his Kingdom: I was a stranger and you welcomed me. (Matthew 25:35). The Risen Christ invites us to experience our essential unity with each other even as we honor and respect our differences. Through the power of the Spirit that he has given us, he draws us into a divine love that transcends differences and yet also honors the particularity of every person and every culture. Christianity has a long tradition of welcoming the stranger, extending pastoral care to the vulnerable, and working to build a just society. In a world in which people often compete for scarce resources, hoard the best for themselves, reject those in need, and fear those who are different, Christianity offers a radical vision of hospitality that is based on God s creative, redeeming love for all people, everywhere. You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Exodus23:9 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. Luke10:27 The Episcopal Church has spoken clearly about the need for just and compassionate policies regarding immigration. For example, General Convention has passed resolutions that urge the humane enforcement and extension of immigration law. Among other actions, it has condemned the use of racial profiling to question immigration status, has urged the equal application of immigration law to same-sex partners, and has advocated for comprehensive immigration reform. (To study these resolutions, visit:

Then Peter began to speak to them: I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to God.

3 Then Peter began to speak to them: I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to God. Acts10:34 And through Christ God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:20 In January 2015, over 100 bishops (including Bishop Douglas Fisher) joined the Presiding Bishop in welcoming the executive action that grants relief from deportation for nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants. The letter expressed thanks for President Obama s announcement that nearly five million undocumented immigrants will soon be eligible for relief from the threat of deportation. The letter called the executive action a constructive step toward a system that honors the dignity and intrinsic value of every human being. It will immediately strengthen our nation s communities by allowing immigrant families much fuller participation in American civic and economic life. (see As Christians, we believe that when we treat refugees, migrants, and immigrants with justice and kindness, when we seek to reform and heal our country s broken immigration system, and when we advocate for public policies that treat immigrants fairly and with respect, we are ministering to Christ himself. Paradoxically, by seeing Christ in the alien and the stranger and by extending compassion to them, we are drawn into the life of the Trinity, in which no one is an alien or a stranger. As we learn to cherish the alien within ourselves and in our midst, we come to discover that all are welcome and all are loved. As individuals and as a society, we become a dwelling place for God. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas John Fisher, IX Bishop of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts Members of the Social Justice Commission: The Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Missioner for Creation Care Ms. Lee Cheek, Grace Church in the Southern Berkshires The Rev. Lisa Green (Co-Chair), St. John s, Sutton The Rev. Dr. Harvey Hill (Co-Chair), St. David s, Agawam and St. Andrew s, Longmeadow The Rev. Lauren J. Holm, Bethesda Lutheran Church and East Church, Congregational, Springfield The Rev. Deacon Beatrice Kayigwa, Good Shepherd, Clinton The Very Rev. James G. Munroe, (Retired) Christ Church Cathedral, Springfield The Rev. Dr. Richard Simpson, Canon to the Ordinary The Rev. Peter Swarr, St. Mark s, East Longmeadow Ms. Maggie Sweeney, St. James, Greenfield Dr. John Zeugner, St. Luke s, Worcester In Christ s love, Pastor Lauren Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. Matthew25:40 You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and as members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God. Ephesians 2:19-22 For more information about the Episcopal Church s position on immigration issues, contact Katie Conway, Immigration and Refugee Policy Analyst, kconway@episcopalchurch.org Change your clocks Sunday November 1 st Daylight Savings Time ends. Please remember to turn your clocks back one hour.

Thank You!!!!! Carol Haglund washing the curtains in the Pearson room Frosty Robbins for cleaning chairs in the South room. Mike Dufault playing while Joe was away.

Carol Haglund and Marybeth Lewison for defrosting the refrigerators in the South and Pearson room. Jay Cleaveland for programming the heat for the building.

4 Thank You!!!!! Carol Haglund washing the curtains in the Pearson room Frosty Robbins for cleaning chairs in the South room. Mike Dufault playing while Joe was away. Springfield college for weeding the yard, pulling the garden, cleaning window wells and washing windows. Carol Haglund and Marybeth Lewison for defrosting the refrigerators in the South and Pearson room. Jay Cleaveland for programming the heat for the building. Mike Dufault for changing the banners Jay Cleaveland for fixing the phones so we did not need a repair call. Thanksgiving Dinners It is the time of the year to think about Thanksgiving meals for those without adequate food. Bags with the list of needed non-perishable food items will be given out on November 1 st. They are to be returned by November 22 nd so that they can be delivered in time for Thanksgiving. The need is even greater this year so your help would really be greatly appreciated. Emergency Fuel Assistance The Social Ministry Team is collecting donations to help those who cannot afford to heat their homes. The fund is administered through the Council of Churches of Greater Springfield. Please help as you can. Bible Study We Make the Road by Walking We will look at scripture from a very different perspective using We Make the Road by Walking by Brian McLaren. Join us Sunday s at 9am behind the organ. Bring your coffee and perhaps a friend. Glove Tree In Advent, please bring hats, gloves/mittens & scarves for adults. Hang them on the Christmas tree in the back of the church. Advent Folders Advent Folders will be available. Following Jesus example to serve others we are pleased to provide a folder that contains a slot for each day of the Advent Season to hold your daily offering. You may either place a coin in each day or make one contribution at the end of the season. Scholarships Students who have received a scholarship will need to provide their grades from the first semester to receive the second half of their scholarship. On All Saints Day On All Saints Day, November 1, 2015, we remember our sisters and brothers who have died this past year, who now rest in God s perpetual care. During each worship service each name will be read and a bell will be rung. People are invited to also name people outside our churches. We remember: Margaret Carlson, Jim Etter, Steven Flanders, Trevor Gayle, Christina Hartley, Don Neill, Rebecca Prout, and Marjorie St. George.

Save the Date Christmas Get Together You are invited to attend the 55+ group s Christmas Get Together on Friday December 11 th at 6 p.m. at Figaro s Restaurant in Enfield, CT.

5 Save the Date Christmas Get Together You are invited to attend the 55+ group s Christmas Get Together on Friday December 11 th at 6 p.m. at Figaro s Restaurant in Enfield, CT. We will order off the menu and have separate checks. Remembering in Prayer We all share in the ministry of intercessory prayer. We are called individually to pray each day and as a gathered community of faith in worship. If you have someone we need to include in our prayers please notify our church office. Board Game and Card Night Saturday, November 7th Bring your favorite games and a dessert to share. Coffee, tea and cold drinks will be provided! The fun starts at 6:00 P.M. SEE YOU THERE! Important Item for Bethesda s Annual Meeting On October 21, 2015 the council voted to make a change in our bylaws. Current wording C The annual meeting shall be held on the third Sunday of January. Proposed wording C The annual meeting shall be held between the last Sunday of January and the second Sunday of February.

The Beacon Messenger November 2017

The Beacon Messenger November 2017 A publication of Bethesda Lutheran Church and East Church Congregational From the Pastor A Sabbath s Worth of Gratitude The other day I found myself telling my phone