Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, ELCA

A prayer: Mothering God…

“Mothering God, you gave us birth in the bright morning of this world. Creator, source of ev'ry breath, you are our rain, our wind, our sun.”* As we celebrate mothers this week, we thank you for all the people who have served as mothers. They have protected and nourished us, defended and loved us, by giving us their very own lives. We repent of the times we have disrespected and abused, enslaved and imprisoned people who have been mothers. Send your fierce love to anyone who is suffering because they care for children. And, help us heal from the times mothers have hurt children. Knit us all together with creative wisdom, feed us with bold compassion, and send us forth with wild courage. When mothers call us to
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Keep it growing

Earth Day lands on Sunday this year, but All Saints Lutheran Church in Bowie, Md. is hosting a 4th annual event on Earth Day that helps maintain year-round momentum of stewardship awareness. Grounded [no pun intended] in verses from the 1st chapter of Genesis, "Then God said, 'Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.' And it was so... And God saw that it was good," the community sets up tables and invites a community exchange on Earth Day. "Share your abundance!" they encourage, such as seeds, divided perennials, bulbs, and seedlings "that were more than enough" in member households. "Everyone is invited to help themselves to whatever you can
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Daily we witness the evidence

On Earth Day 2018, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton shares a message including this claim and prayer. "The present moment is a critical and urgent one, filled with both challenge and opportunity to act as individuals, citizens, leaders and communities of faith in solidarity with God's good creation and in hope for our shared future. We claim God's promise in Revelation 21 for 'a new heaven and a new earth as we pray together: 'Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth, you made us coworkers in your creation. Give us wisdom and reverence to use the resources of nature so that no one may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; through your Son, Jesus
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Take Heart: Getting to Wholeness

Our Synodical Women's Organization (SWO) invites you to an exploration of depression and suicide prevention with the help of presenters from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), who will share their journeys with mental illness in an English and a Spanish session during the SWO's annual convention on Sat. May 5. Other activities include "God, Improv, and the Art of Living," an experience with author Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana about how the principles of improvisation can guide us in our daily lives when we are faced with detours and disappointments - when life doesn't go according to plan. "We will be uplifted by worshiping and celebrating the Eucharist together in a bilingual service, shop our vendors and exhibitors, and
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Vision of reconciliation

Set free as we are because of his death, set free from ourselves and set free from the need to justify our place in the world, we have been claimed by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses for Jesus. Ser liberados como lo somos es por su muerte, ser liberados de nosotros mismos y liberados de la necesidad de justificar nuestro lugar en el mundo; el Espíritu Santo nos ha reclamado para ser testigos de Jesús. All along it was Jesus’ task to be the Father’s witness and to remind the people who believed what he said that they had nothing to fear in this world or the world to come. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you,” says Jesus. Todo el tiempo, la tarea de Jesús fue ser el testigo del Padre y recordar a las personas que
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