X-Default-Received-SPF: pass (skip=trusted (res=PASS)) x-ip-name=66.37.65.234; Received: from smtp5653.redcondor.net (unverified [66.37.65.234]) by swva.net (SurgeMail 7.2a) with ESMTP id 34657548-1865996 for ; Wed, 15 Jun 2016 11:09:18 -0400 Return-Path: Received: from ccm182.constantcontact.com ([208.75.123.182]) by smtp5653.redcondor.net ({a5eaad14-3aa8-497e-94e9-4f6d15909e53}) via TCP (inbound) with ESMTPS id 20160615150917172_5653 for ; Wed, 15 Jun 2016 11:09:17 -0400 X-RC-FROM: X-RC-RCPT: Received: from p2-jbsvcs5192.ad.prodcc.net (p2-pen7.ad.prodcc.net [10.252.0.107]) by p2-mail125.ccm182.constantcontact.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 322F27F6327 for ; Wed, 15 Jun 2016 11:09:11 -0400 (EDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; q=dns/txt; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; s=1000082303; d=vasynod.ccsend.com; h=date:mime-version:subject:X-Feedback-ID:message-id:from:reply-to:list-unsubscribe:sender:to; bh=k6uAj23cIe9N8UefZZzU+YvqGqHKA8AWmXFh3YomhKo=; b=bfndLg7QzWWr/fEDZMYCTx77GkHwQTpBEFFi9WdiQaC9RsRKKtBRq3z5DLnTMZqKYUxpKW0e8slfqUGmr+q3dMXsA+jNkaovICNIoqFpiV7NVxpuYcLI41WTpIBR7L6tKf//CnpXy7atkonbZaVtWkQmCsPT8Ngl6mIoqgdrq7Q= Message-ID: <1125020437649.1101896013264.2074.0.211108JL.1002@scheduler.constantcontact.com> Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2016 11:09:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Bishop Mauney Reply-To: bishopmauney@vasynod.org Sender: Bishop Mauney To: lindamotley@swva.net Subject: Bishop Eaton's Letter Addressing Orlando Shooting MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_Part_589115347_346798576.1466003351189" List-Unsubscribe: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001dtzTGvGyLByqp3uEJeerdQ%3D%3D&se=001NVCWBEtas2k%3D&t=001EkZLEx15CcE%3D&llr=qov6bhcab X-Campaign-Activity-ID: 1ac50214-987f-4fce-acce-11340b9396a3 X-Channel-ID: 6f1ed100-ddb0-11e3-a9b0-d4ae529ce48a X-Mailer: Roving Constant Contact 2012 (http://www.constantcontact.com) X-Return-Path-Hint: AGsUCFJh/T86szhE0C5OWow==_1101896013264_bx7RAN2wEeOpsNSuUpzkig==@in.constantcontact.com X-Roving-Campaignid: 1125020437649 X-Roving-Id: 1101896013264.2074 X-Feedback-ID: 6f1ed100-ddb0-11e3-a9b0-d4ae529ce48a:1ac50214-987f-4fce-acce-11340b9396a3:1101896013264:CTCT X-CTCT-ID: 6e64a8c0-ddb0-11e3-a98c-d4ae529ce48a X-Rcpt-To: X-Mash: sameip X-LangGuess: English X-IP-stats: Incoming Outgoing Last 0, First 1372, in=95533061, out=862355, spam=0 Known=true ip=66.37.65.234 ------=_Part_589115347_346798576.1466003351189 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The Virginia Synod, ELCA [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001mITf2hR0qq8X00bR3qiqwZKLLmarUTjUHhlY016A7Jnrftv6eez7wP_dl8Nj2kcxI8zPmCIGNAKdZwHEYZv9Z78iLx_Sh-gdz3WXUixhG-DqSk1hkL-0S0Zpcy328tGS_h6hDdcMtOVT2eScrK2gkL_ZRzyRzTSjuh_fO44EOas=&c=4GgoztAZ7X2s4QiQlrGUFzd0Wt-XZM7v1Ux0EoqGE9vR1qpPemHPNA==&ch=LrUBwubXrbN12U7vxIEDyhqMFJt8KFk1FRUrf6MQDGPBdVfOF8o5-A==] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has issued a letter in response to the June 12 shooting that claimed the lives of 49 people at a nightclub in Orlando, Fla. This is the deadliest mass shooting in U. S. history. In the letter Eaton states, "We must speak peace and reconciliation into the cacophony of hatred and division. We must live the truth that all people are created in God's image." Eaton's letter follows: Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, "So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them." Genesis 1:27 We are killing ourselves. We believe that all people are created in God's image. All of humanity bears a family resemblance. Those murdered in Orlando were not abstract "others," they are us. But somehow, in the mind of a deeply disturbed gunman, the LGBTQ community was severed from our common humanity. This separation led to the death of 49 and the wounding of 54 of us. We live in an increasingly divided and polarized society. Too often we sort ourselves into like-minded groups and sort others out. It is a short distance from division to demonization. Yesterday, we witnessed the tragic consequences of this. There is another way. In Christ God has reconciled the world to God's self. Jesus lived among us sharing our humanity. Jesus died for us to restore our humanity. God invites us into this reconciling work. This must be our witness as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The perpetrator of this hate crime did not come out of nowhere. He was shaped by our culture of division, which itself has been misshapen by the manipulation of our fears. That is not who we are. St. Paul wrote, "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ" (II Corinthians 5:17-20). Our work begins now. We need to examine ourselves, individually and as a church, to acknowledge the ways we have divided and have been divided. We must stand with people who have been "othered". We must speak peace and reconciliation into the cacophony of hatred and division. We must live the truth that all people are created in God's image. This morning your churchwide staff came together to mourn and to pray. We prayed for those killed in Orlando and remembered the Charleston Nine killed only a year ago. We prayed for the family of the shooter, for our LGBTQ brothers and sisters and for our Muslim brothers and sisters who now face the threat of retaliation. And we prayed that the Prince of Peace will bring us to the day when we stop killing ourselves. Your sister in Christ, Elizabeth A. Eaton Presiding Bishop Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - - - About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with more than 3.7 million members in more than 9,300 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther. For information contact: Candice Hill Buchbinder 773-380-2877 or Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org http://www.ELCA.org/news Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Lutherans ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ See what's happening on our social sites Like us on Facebook [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001mITf2hR0qq8X00bR3qiqwZKLLmarUTjUHhlY016A7Jnrftv6eez7wItr1iuPh0fuBk6U18JgaVRGt5n0Ut3WSkPpwaQqutjDM03_qqrvGqTJmiCa5QnrRq3pGyi7tfwciy52iP6gSfHn95U6nlxROk-35NbYuwNMNeoE7wnthd0gu31QMZv5lwE5nI6gw0yX&c=4GgoztAZ7X2s4QiQlrGUFzd0Wt-XZM7v1Ux0EoqGE9vR1qpPemHPNA==&ch=LrUBwubXrbN12U7vxIEDyhqMFJt8KFk1FRUrf6MQDGPBdVfOF8o5-A==] Follow us on Twitter [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001mITf2hR0qq8X00bR3qiqwZKLLmarUTjUHhlY016A7Jnrftv6eez7wFKgY4oQPRqtV9WFEja1yz3N-54sXMrqEV4Yqy2W_8fNRj2SHiGVtl4VP_CGt9dzv0IZ5ZKEyFMmDhyqCnWrrGabViHmh5z1xSV9Pr-vcqLBSPhZE8SmmPCzgReegrowxg==&c=4GgoztAZ7X2s4QiQlrGUFzd0Wt-XZM7v1Ux0EoqGE9vR1qpPemHPNA==&ch=LrUBwubXrbN12U7vxIEDyhqMFJt8KFk1FRUrf6MQDGPBdVfOF8o5-A==] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forward this email http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=qov6bhcab&m=1101896013264&ea=$lindamotley@swva.net$&a=1125020437649 This email was sent to lindamotley@swva.net by bishopmauney@vasynod.org. Update Profile/Email Address http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001dtzTGvGyLByqp3uEJeerdQ%3D%3D&ch=6f1ed100-ddb0-11e3-a9b0-d4ae529ce48a&ca=1ac50214-987f-4fce-acce-11340b9396a3 Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(TM) http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001dtzTGvGyLByqp3uEJeerdQ%3D%3D&ch=6f1ed100-ddb0-11e3-a9b0-d4ae529ce48a&ca=1ac50214-987f-4fce-acce-11340b9396a3 Privacy Policy: http://www.constantcontact.com/legal/service-provider?cc=about-service-provider Online Marketing by http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/CC_Footer_Logo_New.png http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?pn=acstechnologies The Virginia Synod, ELCA | P.O. Box 70 | Salem | VA | 24153 ------=_Part_589115347_346798576.1466003351189 Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical L= utheran Church in America (ELCA), has issued a letter in response to the Ju= ne 12 shooting that claimed the lives of 49 people at a nightclub in Orland= o, Fla. This is the deadliest mass shooting in U. S. history. In the letter= Eaton states, "We must speak peace and reconciliation into the cacophony o= f hatred and division. We must live the truth that all people are created i= n God's image."  

Eaton's letter follows:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

"So God created h= umankind in his image, in the image of God he created them." Genesis 1:27

We are killing ourselves. = We believe that all people are created in God's image. All of humanity bear= s a family resemblance. Those murdered in Orlando were not abstract "others= ," they are us. But somehow, in the mind of a deeply disturbed gunman, the = LGBTQ community was severed from our common humanity. This separation led t= o the death of 49 and the wounding of 54 of us.

We live in an increasingly divided and p= olarized society. Too often we sort ourselves into like-minded groups and s= ort others out. It is a short distance from division to demonization. Yeste= rday, we witnessed the tragic consequences of this.

There is another way. In Christ God has = reconciled the world to God's self. Jesus lived among us sharing our humani= ty. Jesus died for us to restore our humanity. God invites us into this rec= onciling work. This must be our witness as the Evangelical Lutheran Church = in America. The perpetrator of this hate crime did not come out of nowhere.=

He was shaped by our cul= ture of division, which itself has been misshapen by the manipulation of ou= r fears. That is not who we are. St. Paul wrote, "So if anyone is in Christ= , there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything = has become new. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through = Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ= God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses ag= ainst them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are a= mbassadors for Christ" (II Corinthians 5:17-20).

Our work begins now. We need to examine ourse= lves, individually and as a church, to acknowledge the ways we have divided= and have been divided. We must stand with people who have been "othered". = We must speak peace and reconciliation into the cacophony of hatred and div= ision. We must live the truth that all people are created in God's image.
This mornin= g your churchwide staff came together to mourn and to pray. We prayed for t= hose killed in Orlando and remembered the Charleston Nine killed only a yea= r ago. We prayed for the family of the shooter, for our LGBTQ brothers and = sisters and for our Muslim brothers and sisters who now face the threat of = retaliation. And we prayed that the Prince of Peace will bring us to the da= y when we stop killing ourselves.

Your sister in Christ,

Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

- - -
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:

The ELCA is one= of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with more tha= n 3.7 million members in more than 9,300 congregations across the 50 states= and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands= ," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Chris= t, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in= the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinde= r
773-380-2877 or Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org

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