The 2024 Lenten Letter Challenge from LA—MN

Prayer

Gracious God, thank you for loving the world so very deeply. Help us to see the brokenness that now mars what you created as perfect, and the struggles of people you created in your image. Help us to reflect your love by loving and serving our neighbors and our vulnerable planet. Please help us be your advocacy ambassadors, bravely lifting our voices with, and for, those whose wellbeing is threatened. Give us the right words to share with our leaders, so that they, too, may see and hear and understand the brokenness, as well as how you are calling them to respond. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Lent
(“For God so loved the world…” John 3:16)

We know the challenges our world faces. The season of Lent emphasizes and helps us remember that God is not through with us, or this world. Our Lenten disciplines remind us that we are called to “pick up the Cross” and follow our merciful God into the neglected, forgotten, broken places where others do not wish to go. It is, as God’s servants and ambassadors, to do God’s work of mercy, justice, and compassion for “the least of these,” those who are vulnerable, who experience hunger, poverty, or homelessness. It is to repent of being destroyers, consumers, and flawed, broken “keepers” of the beautiful life-giving earth God created. Rather, we must heed God’s call to be shepherds of this vulnerable place, following in the steps of the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. We must remember our call to love the earth, its creatures, and its people with the kind of love that God shows each of us. Importantly, we must remember that this is not our work, but God’s work using our hands (and voices, and pens/paper)…and that God is drawing us, and all that has God created, toward resurrection and restoration.

Advocacy
(Our advocacy seeks to influence public policy toward justice for all that God has created)

Advocacy, as defined by the dictionary, is “to speak or plead on behalf of another.” We ourselves are beneficiaries of advocacy. Jesus is our advocate (1 John 2:1), as is the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).

Throughout history, we see examples of God’s people acting as advocates by calling upon their leaders to act justly and protect the most vulnerable. Moses was an advocate for his people with Pharaoh, who was the most powerful political leader of his day. The Old Testament prophets were consistent advocates as they called the leaders and the people back to right relationship with God, which includes seeking justice.

Motivated by God’s love for us, we carry on that tradition. We can share a vision of the world as God wants it to be, and help shape the laws and policies that define how we live together in God’s world. We can contact our leaders and lift our voices with, and for, those whose voice is not usually heard in the halls of power. Advocacy is an extension of the church’s practice of loving our neighbors and being good stewards of God’s creation.

Letters to Legislators
(for Lent or Anytime!)

We need you – your congregation, campus, youth group, confirmation class, WELCA group, church committee, or whatever – to be in contact with your Minnesota state representative and senator! It is in relationship with their constituents that our legislators know what we care about, and why.

Letters can be written during a special time in worship, before or after a meal, as part of a forum or in small groups. It is effective to collect the letters as an offering to God, and to pray that legislators will be moved by them. Remember that we do this as part of our faith, acting as God’s advocacy ambassadors for love of neighbor and creation. Notecards, rather than big impersonal pieces of paper, help make the letters/notes feel more personal to the legislator and assist in the relationship-building process. Use the following pages, which can be printed back-to-back by issue, to organize letter offerings with your group. Or send the pages out in advance and encourage people to bring their letters to your next meeting or gathering to dedicate them jointly.

For the rest of the details on this campaign, including specific letter-writing instructions and information on the two topics to be addressed, please continue reading the full informational document. Links to this document (PDF and DOCX versions) are provided by Lutheran Advocacy—Minnesota and can be found as downloads below or on their website at lutheranadvocacymn.org/action-alerts.