The Weekly Five

Five Things to Know This Week in the Southwestern Texas Synod

Bishop Curry Issues Statement on Iran War

Dear siblings in Christ,

They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more (Isaiah 2:4).

In our Lenten journey, we are reminded of our dependence on God, and we are sustained by hope in the future peace God has promised. As war involving the United States, Israel and Iran intensifies and spreads, we lament how far off that promise seems. We do not know how many people have been killed, but we know the number will continue to grow. Early reports indicate that more than 100 Iranian schoolgirls and several U.S. service members are among them.

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Just Move Racial Justice Cohort for Rostered Ministers

Tuesdays @ Noon, April 7-May 26

During this 8-week experience, participants will:

• Connect with other pastors who are willing to share best practices
• Unpack our own real issues as they arise in real time with real people
• Explore topics of culture, power, and race in a way that doesn’t shut down the conversation
• Learn developmentally appropriate frameworks for leading social change
• Identify goals and next steps for ourselves and our organizations

Learn more and register here.

Accompany and Advocate for our Palestinian Christian Companions

Hear from Palestinian Christians about their faith, life and the latest statement to the global church - KAIROS PALESTINE II: ‘ Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide” - in a webinar Tuesday, March 17, at 6 pm. Learn about their request to advocate for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel for their long-standing human rights violations against the Palestinian people, including an almost 60-year military occupation. Then explore this further in your congregation with a study guide about the statement and another about Advocacy and BDS. Read the Kairos Palestine – The Palestinian Christian Initiative statement here. To register and receive the Zoom invitation, please email David Grafton.

Friends of Sumud team members are available to come and lead (email sumudswtxsynod@gmail.com or revjbr2003@yahoo.com).

Hear Palestinian Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac and his reflections on the Iran War from Friday, March 6. He is the pastor at the ELCJHL Lutheran Church of Hope in Ramallah and Director of the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice. See this video and similar videos on youtube under Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice and Christ at the Checkpoint. 

Register Now for the Eagle Pass/Piedras Negras Border Experience

A Project of PRH and FEAFM 

April 13-16, 2026   

Participants in the upcoming Eagle Pass Border Experience will experience immigration in la Frontera, i.e. the Borderlands, that are found in Eagle Pass, Texas and Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. Texas border visits will include Eagle Pass Frontera Ministries and Iglesia Luterana San Lucas, Mission House of Caridad de Corazón, and areas near the now militarized Shelby Park in Eagle Pass. Piedras Negras visits will include the Frontera Digna migrant shelter, Iglesia de Guadalupe, and prayer with conversation at the Rio Bravo River. For more information and pricing, view the flyer or email prh.be2025@gmail.com.

A Conversation with Jim Harrington

Thursday, March 26, at 7:15 pm

St. Martin’s Lutheran Church

Please plan to join us for this important event and conversation. We will be covering past events, yes, but Jim will also talk about what’s happening today. Are you concerned about the Trump administration’s attack on civil rights and voting rights; and, the current drift away from democratic rule toward authoritarianism? Are you concerned about the growing influence of Christian Nationalism? So is Jim, and he’s more than prepared for this conversation with us. Click here to learn more.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Ministry Partners