Leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Anglican Church of Canada, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church issued a call to peace and prayer for Ukraine.

View the letter online: https://www.elcic.ca/Documents/documents/2014PrayersUkraine.pdf

The text of the letter follows.

A call to peace and prayer for Ukraine
from the heads of The Anglican Church of Canada, The Episcopal Church, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Ash Wednesday 2014

We have watched with dismay, along with the rest of the world, as tensions rise and peace is jeopardized in Ukraine. Recent dangerous developments in the Crimean region of the country put the lives of many innocent people at risk, and threaten peace and security far beyond that region of the world.

As Christians in the western tradition, Anglicans/Episcopalians and Lutherans today enter the season of Lent, a time of repentance. In the Ash Wednesday liturgy we repent of our blindness to human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty. We cannot remain indifferent in the face of the injustice befalling the people of Ukraine, nor toward the potential suffering and cruelty further military intervention might bring.

In the name of the churches we serve, we join our voices in solidarity with those of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches in pleading for an end to military aggression in that land. We call on all of those involvedwhether governments, movements, or individualsto repent of aggression and violence, and turn instead to the way of peace through dialogue.

We also call upon the faithful people of our churches to pray throughout the season of Lent for wisdom, peace, and justice to prevail in Ukraine.

Bishop Elizabeth Eaton
Presiding Bishop Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate The Episcopal Church

The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz Primate
Anglican Church of Canada

Bishop Susan C. Johnson
National Bishop Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,376 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop Blank, Director of Communications 600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5 204.984.9172 tgallop@elcic.ca Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The February issue of E-Communique is now available!

Access your copy of this resource online: February E-Communique

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson invites ELCIC members to observe World Interfaith Harmony Week, February 1-7.

“We join with others around the globe in this week of reflection and public witness on what it means to be people of faith, regardless of religious affiliation,” says Bishop Johnson. “Being in dialogue with people of other faith traditions enriches our own mission and ministry, and helps us create a climate where we can work together for peace and justice.”

World Interfaith Harmony Week was proclaimed by the UN General Secretary on October 20, 2010 as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.

At it’s September 2012 meeting, the ELCIC’s National Church Council endorsed a request from The Lutheran World Federation to observe World Interfaith Harmony Week.

In Canada, World Interfaith Harmony Week has been observed by Lutherans, Presbyterians, Uniteds, and Roman Catholics, together with Muslims, Jews, Baha’is and many others in secular, civic and religious contexts. This year, there will be Canadian public observances at many locations throughout the country.

ELCIC congregations and worship leaders may choose to augment the Prayer of the Day or Prayers of Intercession on February 2 (Epiphany 4/Presentation of Our Lord) with one of the following:

• For the Human Family: “O god, you made us in your image…” (EvLW, pg 79)
• A Prayer attributed to St. Francis: “Lord, make us instruments…” (EvLW, pg 87)

Additionally, people may be invited to pray one of these prayers as part of their daily devotions.

For further information on World Interfaith Harmony Week, visit: http://worldinterfaithharmonyweek.com/

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,376 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop Blank, Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

On February 23, 2014 congregations and members of the ELCIC are invited to celebrate Diaconal Sunday and raise awareness of diakonia (service) as a vital dimension of the church’s witness and of rostered diaconal ministry as a valuable expression of church leadership.

Resources for worship and study are available on the ELCIC website and include a new hymn written by a diaconal candidate and generously shared with the church for this occasion.

Since 2012, the ELCIC National Church Council has designated the last Sunday of February to be celebrated as Diaconal Sunday within the church.

View the resources for Diaconal Sunday 2014.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson invites church members to join a Monthly Day of Fasting for the Climate on the first of each month.

“This fast is a simple, regular and spiritually renewing expression of solidarity with those most vulnerable to climate change and prayerfully connects me to the global Lutheran family,” says Bishop Johnson.

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), together with many other global organizations, launched a Monthly Day of Fasting for the Climate on January 1, 2014. The LWF encourages member churches to be advocates for climate justice in the context of climate change and says the fast is a way for Lutherans to express their common faith, spiritual and ethical values.

The call for fasting for the climate comes as a lead up to the Conference of the Parties (COP 20) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations in Lima, Peru, in December 2014.

The LWF delegation to COP 19 in Warsaw, Poland (November 11-22, 2013), which included seven young adults, initiated a fast that was supported by many different faith representatives.

“It is inspiring that it was Lutheran young adults who led this call to pray and fast,” says Bishop Johnson. “Their witness points us to the profound importance of relying on our faith in God as we face all of life’s challenges.”  

“For me, fasting is something new,” says Bishop Johnson. “As I participate in the fast on the first of each month, I will be learning what it means to embark on this discipline in the name of prayer and solidarity. By focusing on this new practice for spiritual renewal, it will serve as a reminder to me of the importance of climate justice issues.”

The fast takes place on the first day of every month until December 1, 2014 when the COP 20 meetings begin. To follow and support the campaign, use the hashtag #fastfortheclimate.

Fasting may take a number of different forms, depending on an individual’s context. Fasters who refrain from food for one day are advised to continue drinking water. Some may choose to fast for one or two meals, or limit food intake to a simple diet such as rice or bread. Others may consider a “carbon emissions” fast, choosing to not take a car or not using electronic devices, or by intentionally choosing to consume eco-friendly products and food.

Climate change is an ongoing concern of the LWF and the ELCIC. In 2007, the ELCIC committed to intentionally working on a Stewardship of Creation initiative. In 2013, the ELCIC and the Anglican Church of Canada adopted the Joint Assembly Declaration, which begins by stating that, “Responsible and sustainable relationships to water, land, home, and each other are part of realizing our full humanity.”

For more information on the Monthly Day of Fasting for Climate, visit: http://www.lutheranworld.org/news/lwf-launches-day-fasting-climate

For more information on the ELCIC’s Stewardship of Creation activities, visit: https://elcic.ca/Stewardship/Stewardship-of-Creation/default.cfm

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,376 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop Blank, Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The roots of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity go back to the 1800s; it is one of the oldest, most widely observed ecumenical events in the world.

Beginning with the feast of St. Peter and ending with the feast of the conversion of St. Paul, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes place this year from January 18-25.

ELCIC members are encouraged to find ways to pray together during this week.

By participating in Week of Prayer for Christian Unity gatherings we join with all who are praying, reflecting, studying, and even eating and drinking together to celebrate and pray for Christian unity.

Resources for individual or group reflection, and for worship are available on the Canadian Council of Churches website. These resources are based on this year’s theme, “Has Christ been Divided?” and include an introduction to the theme, ecumenical context, worship service, planning tips, and a Biblical commentary and study.

Are you or your congregation hosting Week of Prayer for Christian Unity activities? Please let us know on Facebook, Twitter or by email.

National Bishop Susan Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, share a New Year’s greeting with Lutherans and Anglicans across Canada.

This joint New Year’s greeting is a first for the churches, which are full communion partners.

In their joint message Johnson and Hiltz reflect on highlights from 2013, including Joint Assembly, the Anglican-Lutheran gathering in Ottawa this past July-particularly on the Joint Declaration on homelessness, affordable housing, and responsible resource extraction.

Johnson notes the importance of the public witness event, which took place on Parliament Hill in at the foot of the Peace Tower.

"We were excited that we were led by the youth of our two churches," said Johnson. "It helped us focus on the important issue of access to clean water."

Hiltz also recounts how blessed the churches were to have guests from the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Council of Churches, and their two American sister churches at Joint Assembly.

"They reminded us of the challenge that our relationship holds," says Hiltz, "and the hope and potential for similar conversations in other churches around the world… in the interest of Christian unity."

The video closes with a challenge to both churches-"individuals, congregations, parishes, dioceses, and synods"-to consider ways that Anglicans and Lutherans can work together to advance social justice and Christian unity "together, for the love of the world."

Watch the New Year’s message online. (https://elcic.ca/From-the-Bishop/default.cfm or on the ELCIC’s youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8BOeJy4wd4&feature=share&list=UU7TbNRwJpSuURcW0HZ9F6cQ)

Read more about the full communion relationship (https://elcic.ca/ecumenical/anglicans.cfm)
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,376 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop Blank, Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

Continuing a yearly tradition that has become a warm reminder of the full communion partnership enjoyed by their two churches, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), and National Bishop Susan Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) share a joint Christmas video message with Lutherans and Anglicans across the country.

In their 2013 Christmas message, Johnson and Hiltz speak about the connection between Christmas and God’s mission to the world. Hiltz connects the theme of the carol “Joy to the World” to that of this year’s Joint Assembly—“Together for the love of the world.”

Both reflect the core of our Christmas observance, says Hiltz, “that great truth that ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.’” The celebration of Christmas is “a wonderful reminder” that God wills hope, peace, and love for all people.

Johnson shares a Christmas hope for all Anglicans and Lutherans that, as they celebrate with their loved ones, they be “rekindled in love, joy, peace, and hope…and recommitted to share that love, joy, peace, and hope with a world that is so desperately in need.”

The ACC and the ELCIC have enjoyed a full communion partnership since 2001. Each church maintains its own autonomy but cooperates in many ways, including using each other’s liturgies and serving as clergy in each others churches. Several joint Anglican-Lutheran parishes and cooperative ministries have sprung up across Canada.

Watch the Christmas message online. (https://elcic.ca/From-the-Bishop/default.cfm and on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Uu1XSfTQk&feature=youtu.be)
Learn more about our full communion relationship. (https://elcic.ca/ecumenical/anglicans.cfm)

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,376 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop Blank, Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson has prepared a special message for the church inviting ELCIC members to pray for peace in the Middle East this Christmas season.

In a pastoral letter written by National Bishop Susan C. Johnson, she invites members of the church to remember the present residents of Bethlehem, Palestine, Israel and the region, especially those living in Syria and Syrians living in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. She invites the church to include a prayer for peace in the Middle East in their Prayers of Intercession on Christmas Eve.

The text of the message is shared below. National Bishop Susan C. Johnson’s message can also be viewed here: pastoral letter inviting members to pray for peace in the Middle East

Advent greetings of hope as you journey in this season of spiritual renewal and prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

This December 24th marks the first anniversary of a global ecumenical prayer vigil, initiated by ACT Alliance, inviting people to pray peace in the Middle East on the 24th of each month. The vigil is intended to be a monthly reminder to pray for the Christian communities in Palestine and Israel, for all those who are suffering in the Holy Land, for Palestinians and Israelis, and for peace in the Middle East and the world. The ELCIC formally joined the prayer vigil on Palm Sunday, March 24, 2013.

Additional prayer resources and information about the vigil are available at:  http://actpalestineforum.org/vigil/

I pray for God’s blessing on you all as you gather in congregations, from coast to coast to coast, to worship God and to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. And I thank you this and every day for partnership as a church In Mission for Others.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,376 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The December issue of E-Communique is now available!

Access your copy of this resource online: December E-Communique