Posts in Bishop Eaton
Bishop Eaton's message on COVID-19 racism and white supremacy
Bishop Eaton's message on COVID-19 racism and white supremacy

During the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am encouraged by your resilience and creativity in our witness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I am also inspired by your generosity. This is a trying time for us all.

At the same time, we know that a disproportionate burden of illness, death, discrimination and harassment falls on communities of color. This pandemic has exacerbated racism and racial inequities deeply entrenched in society and across the church. We see this in the growing anti-Asian racism and the disproportionate number of deaths in black, American Indian and Latinx communities.

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Bishop Eaton, LettersBrian Flatgard Comment
2020 ELCA Letter of Solidarity with Jewish Partners and the Asian American Community
2020 ELCA Letter of Solidarity with Jewish Partners and the Asian American Community

Whether born of fear, ignorance, or bigotry, the calumny and actual harm that the Chinese American community has suffered is morally reprehensible. The same is true for those of other communities who are assumed to be Chinese. Any sense of isolation that might be compounded by our silence only adds to the pain and offense.

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ELCA, Bishop Eaton, Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations, LettersBrian FlatgardComment
Bishop Eaton: Freed in Christ
Bishop Eaton: Freed in Christ

In her April column for Living Lutheran, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reflects on this paradox found in Martin Luther’s treatise On the Freedom of a Christian: “A Christian is lord of all, servant of all, completely free of everything. A Christian is servant, completely attentive to the needs of all.” Read her column in English at https://bit.ly/2XkCvqQ and in Spanish at https://bit.ly/3aSOcJ6.

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Bishop Eaton, ELCA, LettersBrian FlatgardComment
Three ecumenical organizations release unprecedented letter
Three ecumenical organizations release unprecedented letter

The National Council of Churches (NCC) joins with Christians Uniting in Christ (CUIC) and Christian Churches Together (CCT) sends a letter to congregations across the United States. View the letter in this post or read at nationalcouncilofchurches.us/holyweek.

The letter states, “Holy Week is April 6-12 for Western Christians and April 13-19 for Orthodox Christians.” Christians are then asked to join in specific acts of worship as they celebrate this unprecedented Holy Week and Easter.

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Bishop Eaton, Holy Week, Covid-19, Ecumenical and Inter-Religious RelationsBrian Flatgard Comment
Bishop Eaton issues Holy Week invitation
Bishop Eaton issues Holy Week invitation

As three ecumenical organizations unite in an unprecedented way, Bishop Eaton invites us to visit nationalcouncilofchurches.us/holyweek, and join in specific acts of worship with other Christians as we celebrate this Holy Week and Easter in time of pandemic.

View Bishop Eaton’s video, visit the Holy Week page, and read the letter and share.

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Bishop Eaton, Holy Week, Covid-19, Ecumenical and Inter-Religious RelationsBrian Flatgard Comment
Church Together: Pray the Lord's Prayer at noon, 3/25/2020
Church Together: Pray the Lord's Prayer at noon, 3/25/2020

ELCA presiding bishop Elizabeth Eaton extends an invitation to join in the Lord's Prayer on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at noon local time.

I am writing to extend an invitation we have received from Pope Francis, through the Lutheran World Federation and the World Council of Churches, to join in the Lord's Prayer on March 25, 2020 at noon your local time. Please share this invitation through your synods, congregations, ecumenical communities and individual networks.

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Bishop Eaton, Prayers, Covid-19, LettersBrian FlatgardComment
Bishop Eaton's March letter: Take and eat
Bishop Eaton's March letter: Take and eat

This Lent, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reflects on Paul’s stormy journey to Rome and the Lord’s Supper. In her March column, she reminds us that our Lord’s holy meal is an act of faith, trust, love, strength for the journey, forgiveness and resistance—it’s an intimate communion with God and each other. Read her column in English at https://bit.ly/3cKxNIc and in Spanish at https://bit.ly/2xnTn54.

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Bishop Eaton, ELCA, LettersBrian FlatgardComment
Bishop Eaton addresses concerns about COVID-19
Bishop Eaton addresses concerns about COVID-19

In 1527 the plague returned to Wittenberg, Germany. Two hundred years earlier the plague had swept across Europe killing up to 40% of the population. Understandably, people were anxious and wondered what a safe and faithful response might be.

In answer to this, Martin Luther wrote "Whether One May Flee From a Deadly Plague." In it, he emphasized the duty to care for the neighbor, the responsibility of government to protect and provide services to its citizens, a caution about recklessness, and the importance of science, medicine and common sense.

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ELCA, Bishop Eaton, Covid-19, LettersBrian FlatgardComment
Bishop Eaton: We are broken
Bishop Eaton: We are broken

In the February issue of Living Lutheran, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reminds us of our uniquely Lutheran understanding of the gospel and renews her call for studying Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. “Luther said he needed to study it every day—and he wrote it! Let’s do the same.” Read her column in English at https://bit.ly/2uhqshX and in Spanish athttps://bit.ly/2vXv90F.

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Bishop Eaton, ELCA, LettersBrian FlatgardComment
Bishop Eaton issues statement on new travel ban
Bishop Eaton issues statement on new travel ban

Dear Church: Last week, on the third anniversary of the original executive order, the administration extended the travel ban to the United States from seven majority Muslim countries to thirteen. The ban suspends the issuing of immigrant visas that can lead to permanent residency for those from Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Nigeria, as well as visas available through a diversity lottery for applicants from Sudan and Tanzania.

As Lutherans, these actions should concern us. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God has set us free from ourselves to serve our neighbor.

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Bishop Eaton, ELCA, Advocacy, LettersBrian FlatgardComment