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CONNECTED IN PRAYER: STATIONS OF THE CROSS

This is an opportunity to pray with the Lord and Journey with Refugees during Holy Week.

The ‘Way of the Cross’ is a stations of the cross series allowing you to follow Jesus on his journey to the cross and the Resurrection, whilst praying for refugees around scripture, followed by a reflection, and culminates with a prayer to say together. These reflections were written by the Jesuit Refugee Service UK. They are designed to help your prayer during Holy Week.

Each has been kindly voiced by Omolola and Gabriel, refugee friends of JRS UK, recorded safely during COVID restrictions during Lent 2021.d the world. Each station begins with a piece from sc

Click on ‘The Way of the Cross’ to go to the PRAY AS YOU GO site and experience the stations. Blessed Holy Week.

 

CONNECTED IN PRAYER: Watch Night December 31st


Watch Night is a jubilant African American service on New Year’s Eve. While New Year’s Day is a secular holiday, historic events have forever instilled sacred significance into the African American celebration of the New Year.

On Sept. 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued a preliminary proclamation, declaring that one hundred days later, Jan. 1, 1863, slaves would be free in those states rebelling against the Union in the Civil War. On December 31, 1862, also known as “Freedom’s Eve,” large groups of African Americans, along with white abolitionists, gathered in meeting halls and churches across the county to watch for news that the President had formally enacted the Emancipation Proclamation. More than 140 years later, African American Christians continue to gather in churches on New Year’s Eve to thank God for the blessings of the Old Year and to seek God’s favor for the New Year.

Our synod has several congregations that celebrate Watch Night including People’s Community, Loch Raven; St. John’s, Pimlico; Faith, North Avenue and Holy Trinity, Laurel. As we review and consider the many issues and actions that have “enslaved” us during this year, perhaps a Watch Service would be an appropriate way to end 2020 and welcome 2021.

CONNECTEDNESS STORY: Mar-Lu-Ridge Busy During This Pandemic

As this pandemic continues through the fall, Mar-Lu-Ridge, our outdoor camp and retreat center, has been surprisingly busy! Hear from Sarah Lefler, Executive Director about what has been going on!

We continue to offer cabins for rental to families and have been full each weekend and often during the week as well. To check into this respite away from home, click https://www.mar-lu-ridge.org/2020/08/25/fall-family-camping/

Our MountainService days have been well attended and we have made 4 quilts and 24 Health kits for Lutheran World Relief so far. This gathering is a controlled number of participants, and we wear masks and use distancing as we work. It has been a safe and fun way to serve others.

A few smaller retreat groups and several Scout troops have come for their retreats. Again, we ask that all honor our policies for masks and distancing, self-monitoring before arrival, and we have had no incidents. Everyone has appreciated their time at MLR and have happily followed our guidelines. We operate at 50% capacity, following the state of MD guidance. Our food service plan keeps everyone well fed and safe, too. We will host a one-day Confirmation retreat on Nov. 21, including online and on-site folks and pastors.

We have been honored to serve as the site for two ordinations and two confirmation services, with a third planned in November. The chapel is large enough that groups of up to 40 people can spread out safely to worship and enjoy the majestic view.

In October, we successfully hosted a Family Camp fall overnight, gathering the families who would have attended Family Camp. It was a joy to be together safely, and we look forward to next summer when the friendships continue to grow.

Our virtual Walkathon and Cookie Run events were very successful, thanks to our community of supporters. I think people really appreciated the opportunity to participate virtually for the 5K, and we had a group of 40 on-site for the Walkathon, which was done safely and with great enthusiasm to be together on the Ridge.

Our first ever online Giving Thanks Auction will take place Nov. 19-22 with a Facebook Live wrap up celebration Nov. 22 at 6:30 pm. We are gathering donations from local artisans and businesses and have MLR packages and handcrafted items as well. We feel this will be fun and successful as a new fundraiser and community building event. Learn more here: https://www.mar-lu-ridge.org/2020/08/25/giving-thanks-auction-november-16-22/

Then in December, we will host our Advent Family Gathering for a limited number of registrants on Dec. 6, some more retreats and rentals, and our year-end appeal will be sent to congregations, alumni and donors. It is a joy to still be in community and look forward to continuing our work in 2021.

To learn more about Mar-Lu-Ridge or give a donation, check out: https://www.mar-lu-ridge.org/

 

CONNECTED IN PRAYER: GOD’S PRESENCE IN LAMENT AND LOVE

 This prayer practice comes from the Rev. Brenda Smith, ELCA Spiritual Renewal Team Leader. She believes too many of us are struggling with lament as a result of all that is happening in these times. As Dr. Phil says, one of Brenda’s mentors, “You have to name what you are going through, in order to work on making it better.” So let us focus is on naming the lament and then reflecting on God’s presence and love while praying.

1. Get a notebook or writing pad that will be used only for this prayer practice.

2. As you feel called during the week, write down something that is causing you deep pain. It can be something from your personal life or events that are happening in the world.

  • 3. Read a Psalm that is relevant to what you are feeling.
    a. If it is personal struggle, the following psalms might be helpful: Psalm 13; Psalm 25; Psalm 31:1-5 and 9-16; Psalm 86: 1-4 and 14-17
    b. If your pain (lament) is related to all of the challenges we are facing in today’s world, the following psalms might be helpful: Psalm 44; Psalm 60; Psalm 74; Psalm 85.

4. Then read a psalm that reminds you of God’s love and presence. The following psalms might be helpful: Psalm 100; Psalm 103; Psalm 117; Psalm 139.

5. Write down a prayer that comes to your heart; or pray silently; or pray aloud your prayer.

6. Close with the Lord’s Prayer, either silently or aloud.

May this prayer bring you hope in Jesus Christ!

CONNECTED IN PRAYER: RESILIENCY

Our ELCA has a treasure of faith practice resources and this month, we encourage folks to be CONNECTED IN PRAYER by exploring RESILIENCY. Resiliency includes others, hope, and meaning! That’s nothing new to God. Jesus lived it. The Holy Spirit provides all three on a continual basis. These new resources use the Five Gifts of Discipleship as a framework to explore resiliency in these times through .hearing the word, exploring meaning, praying and silent mediation.

Resiliency: Setting Free our Lament
Resiliency: Faith Practices in Tough Times
Resiliency: Parent’s Guide

We are living in unprecedented times—a health pandemic with economic uncertainty and unresolved racism. There is much that we cannot control, but we can control our choices of behavior. Now is the time to intentionally choose healthy patterns to offset the grief and lament related to these times as we shift to a new normal.

Healthy choices includes faith practices. The Affirmation of Baptism provides five faith practices to integrate into our daily life. Receive each as a gift from God:

live among God’s faithful people
hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper
proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed
serve all people following the example of Jesus
strive for justice and peace in all the earth

(Affirmation of Baptism, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 236) 

CONNECTNESS STORY: Youth & Family Ministry in These Times

 do This summer has our Delaware-Maryland Synod Youth and Family Ministry looking different in a number of ways. Deacon Julie Stecker, Assistant to the Bishop for Communications and Youth + Family Ministry is on a much deserved sabbatical, and we are delighted to have Adam Fairchild serving with us as the Interim Coordinator for Youth & Family Ministry. Adam comes to us with years of experience as a Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO) Leader Among Leader as well as a current campus ministry leader with The Humble Walk at University of Maryland, College Park. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed what our synod’s Youth & Family Ministry programming looks like, but we are excited to be doing ministry in new ways.

Earlier this summer, we accepted new applications for LYO from high school youth across our synod. We are happy to have over 60 youth involved again this year, with 20 of them being new. Despite changes with school, extracurricular activities, and other commitments, we are thrilled that so many older youth in our synod have chosen to continue in faith formation by making LYO a priority this year (2019 photo). 

 Since we cannot gather as we normally do for our annual LYO Organizing Retreat at Mar-Lu Ridge at the end of August, we are gathering for our retreat in a new way. We are meeting for our retreat mostly utilizing Zoom, with an option for in-person gatherings for each LYO Team at different congregations across our synod. In the LYO, we feel that God is calling and nudging us to explore new possibilities to ensure that LYO continues to play an important role in the faith formation for our synod’s youth (2019 photo). 

 One of the most exciting things that happened this summer was our synod’s digital, at-home VBS. Throughout this spring and summer, a group of Youth Ministry professionals, Pastors and Deacons developed an online VBS program, available for free, that families from across our synod used in their homes. Our VBS included skits produced by counselors at Mar-Lu Ridge, along with various activities, games, and service projects for children and families to do at their own pace in their own way (Summer 2020 photo). 

So August 3-7, over 150 children from more than 30 of our synod’s congregations participated in our synod’s VBS program – now that is being church together! It was such a blessing to see pictures posted on social media from families that showed children enjoying VBS activities. We are incredibly grateful for support from our DE-MD Synod that helped us to provide print materials to all families who registered, along with DVDs and USBs of the skit videos for families who wanted them.

In a summer that has felt overwhelming with what we cannot do due to COVID-19, our synod-wide VBS program stands out as an example of how God has continued to be present and at work among us (Summer 2020 photo).

As we continue to plan for the rest of 2020 and into 2021, we are envisioning different opportunities for youth and families to stay connected while we cannot gather in-person. Although we do not yet know what Youth + Family Ministry programming will look like for the foreseeable future, we will communicate information about new opportunities in the coming weeks and months. One thing that we do know is that the ELCA Youth Gathering has been postponed until July 2022. The 2022 ELCA Youth Gathering will take place from July 24-28, 2022, in Minneapolis, with the two pre-events, the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) and the tAble, scheduled for July 21-24, 2022. The theme is “Boundless: God Beyond Measure,” and we are grateful that Pastor Naomi Hartman has agreed to be our Gathering Synod Coordinator. Stay in touch to learn more!

If you have any questions or thoughts about Youth + Family Ministry in this time, please feel free to touch base with Adam through August. You may email him at afairchild@demdsynod.org.