“See, that’s your problem. You’ve turned this around and made it about you.” So, for no doubt many appropriate and accurate reasons, I’ve been reminded more than once recently about my “privilege talking.” Yep. Guilty. Let’s start there. And, as we know from our own Lutheran heritage, making it about me or “curving in on self” is the definition of sin.

The NC Synod's Nominating Committee is currently seeking nominees for several positions to be elected at our upcoming synod assembly.

Nominees are needed for SYNOD COUNCIL in several categories: lay male, lay female, rostered male, and rostered female. These will be 4-year terms beginning in August 2021. Synod Council is the governing body of the synod between the times when the synod is gathered in Assembly.

Nominees are also needed for VOTING MEMBERS to the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in several categories: lay male, lay female, rostered male, and rostered female. We will elect 13 voting members. Churchwide assembly is the primary decision-making body of the church.

For all nominees, the committee will address the balance between laypersons and pastors, gender, status of youth/young adult, ethnic background, and will work to achieve geographical diversity of nominees. You may only nominate one person per position. The deadline for submission of the completed form & photo is March 31, 2021.

Is your congregation interested in hosting a community COVID-19 vaccine event OR supporting a vaccine event by contributing volunteers, equipment, or other resources? If so, please complete this survey from the NCDHHS. It will help organizations show their interest in hosting vaccine events and help vaccine providers know which community organizations want to help.

In mid-February, a polar vortex descended over the U.S., and subfreezing temperatures and heavy snow swept across the country. The harsh conditions severely impacted Southern states, such as Texas, which lack the infrastructure to handle the freezing temperatures and record-setting snow and ice. Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) is already working with Texas synods, Lutheran Social Services Disaster Response, and local congregations to provide relief efforts such as supplying water, food, and generators to those in need and opening their doors to serve as shelters.

New Hope Lutheran Church, Missouri City, TX, and Rozella Haydée White have also shared information about how you can help. Learn more.

The Association of Mexicans in North Carolina, Inc. (AMEXCAN) invites you to participate in a Long-Sleeve Shirt Drive. This drive will be held from now until March 25. They are collecting gently used long-sleeve shirts, hats, and gloves. All donations will be distributed during National Farm Worker Awareness Week to farmworkers in rural Eastern NC. If you would like to host a collection box or have questions, call Jailene at (252) 329-0593 or send an e-mail.

There's so much fun to be had at Camp Agapé this summer! Find more information about our programs, our summer schedule, COVID-19 protocols, and where to register on our website. Register and pay in full by May 1 for the best prices.

Imagine all the things you can do and learn while having fun at camp this summer...things like teamwork as you and a friend learn to canoe around the lake! The gifts discovered during a week of summer camp last a lifetime. What will YOU find at camp this summer? Our Early Bird Registration Discount ends on MARCH 15!

Pastor Scott Berry has been called to Our Father, Greensboro, beginning April 11, 2021.

Ruth Conrad, widow of Pastor Dwight Conrad, died this past fall. We mourn with her family. Leave online condolences.

Edith Lerch, wife of Pastor Malcolm Lerch (retired, Conover), was just diagnosed with oral cancer and plans to see an ENT specialist today.

Pastor David Mielke (St. John's, Lenoir) had knee replacement surgery on February 25.

For members of St. Luke, Ocean Isle Beach, and residents of Ocean Isle Beach, Sunset Beach, and Brunswick County who were affected by the deadly tornadoes on February 15.

God of herons and heartbreak,

teach us to love the world again.

Teach us to love extravagantly

knowing it may

(it will) break our hearts

and teach us that it is worth it.

God of pandemics and suffering ones,

teach us to love the world again.

God of loneliness and longing,

of bushfires and wilderness,

of soup kitchens and border towns,

of snowfall and children,

teach us to love the world again.

Amen.

—by Sarah Bessey, from A Rhythm of Prayer: Collections of Meditations for Renewal, p. 105

Established in 1890, St. Philip Evangelical Lutheran Church in Baltimore is North America’s oldest African American Lutheran congregation. This fact is noted in ELCA documents, newspaper articles and The Lutheran Church and the Negro in America by Ervin E. Krebs (Board of American Missions, American Lutheran Church, 1950). These sources mention staff, membership totals and other information from 1889 onward.

Read more from Living Lutheran.

Karagwe District Cooperative Union (KDCU), a coffee cooperative supported by Lutheran World Relief, has been announced as the first-place winner of the 2020 Tanzania Fine Coffees Competition. Taking home a certificate and trophy from the competition held in late November in Kilimanjaro, KDCU received a high cupping score of 80.44% for its Robusta coffee. A cupping score of over 80 is considered “specialty” grade.

Join the National Lutheran Choir and guest artists, the Keith Hampton Singers, for a FREE virtual program blending spoken reflections, songs, and familiar hymns of joy and hope with new music that speaks to our present time, inviting all people of faith to sing in joy together! The hymn festival will be on Sun., March 14, at 5 p.m.; watch on their website.

The George Floyd Global Memorial and the community at George Floyd Square invite individuals and faith communities throughout the world to join in an interfaith Day of Prayer for Justice for George Floyd and Black Liberation on Monday, March 8, 2021. Ring bells, light candles, and pause for 8:46 Moment of Silence at 8 a.m. wherever you are in the world. Watch for Livestreams throughout the day.

Learn more.

The Stations of the Cross is a devotion following the events leading to Jesus’ crucifixion; prayers accompanying it allow time to reflect on the mystery of his death. Busted Halo has created a series of virtual stations designed for personal devotion. These stations relate to Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom of God and the reason his vision of this Kingdom led to his death. Find a quiet place to watch these stations; be open to how God is speaking to you through the Stations of the Cross.

Many of us long to make Holy Week (the days between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday) more meaningful for our families. We want more than gorging on candy and stressing about creating the perfect Pinterest-worthy tablescape. But where do we start? And how do we make time in what is already a busy week? Here are a few ideas for families of all sizes and ages to connect to the Triduum with just a few minutes each evening. Are three nights of activities too many? Don’t worry! Pick the one activity that resonates the most with you.

St. Paul’s, Dallas, is currently seeking a Director of Discipleship Ministries to involve, engage, equip, and nurture its congregation with life-long faith formation across and between generations. Learn more and apply.

Christ the King, Cary, seeks a Youth & Family Minister to plan/coordinate programming with and for children, youth, and families, including Sunday School, youth groups, and other faith formation efforts such as youth mission trips. Learn more and apply.

Directors of Lutheran summer camps from around the U.S. are eager to discuss opportunities for young adults at their camps. Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (LOM) has an app for that! Camp MatchUp connects camps with potential summer staff camp.

Of course, don't forget that NovusWay and AKB Ministries are looking for counselors right here in NC!