At the 2009 ELCIC National Convention, delegates approved a motion calling for the development of prayers for peace in the Holy Land for a designated Sunday each year. The Seventh Sunday of Easter was chosen and coordinates with the date also chosen by the Anglican Church of Canada. It is a day to learn more about ELCIC's partner church in the Holy Land - the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) which has 3000 members across six congregations and operates four K-12 Schools in Bethlehem, Beit Sahour, Beit Jala, and Ramallah. It also is leader in the region in promoting creation care through its Environmental Justice Centre.

     Another important area of ministry is promoting gender justice within the church and the society at large. The oppression of women and patriarchal structures continue to be significant cultural challenges in Palestine and throughout the Middle East. Palestinian women face many unique challenges living under occupation:  checkpoints, permits, other restrictions of movement, and the separation wall closing them off from schools, medical care, family, and friends. The ELCJHL Women’s Desk is a direct response to these challenges. The aim of the Women’s Desk is to achieve full equality for women by empowering them to take leadership positions in church and society, qualifying them for full participation in the workplace, and increasing public awareness of women’s rights and gender justice. The ELCJHL "walks the talk" and in January of this year celebrated the ordination of Sally Azar, the first Arab Christian woman to be ordained in the Holy Land.  

Photo Credit: Bishop Susan Johnson

Photo Credit: Lutheran World Federation

     It is also a day to celebrate the mission of the Augusta Victoria Hospital located at the top of the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem. The hospital is operated by the Lutheran World Federation and was established in 1950 to care for Palestinian refugees frollowing the 1948 conflict. Today it serves all 5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. It is the only hospital offering radiation therapy for Palestinian cancer patients and hemodialysis for Palestinian children from Gaza and the West Bank. You can learn more about the hospital's mission in this video

Tomorrow May 20, 4:00PM - Service of Confession and Reconciliation in Nanaimo.  Our Bishop, Kathy Martin and Bishop Jason Zinko (MNO Synod) will offer a public apology to Pastor Bill Fehr, his family and friends during this service of confession and reconciliation, for the injustice he suffered 33 years ago when our church decided it was inappropriate for gay persons to serve as ordained clergy.  The congrgtion of Hope, Nanaimo is making the service available via Zoom. 

            There is no passcode, only a waiting room. The host will let people in as they arrive. The Zoom will open at 3:30. 
            Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85641481455
 
           Meeting ID: 856 4148 1455
           By phone
                      +1 778 907 2071 Canada
                      +1 204 272 7920 Canada

This Sunday - May 21 - We commemorate Jerusalem and Holy Land Sunday - A day to lift up the Lutheran Church in the Holy land and its minsitries. 

Pentecost Sunday - May 28 - A Festive Service with Holy Communion, with prayer in the many languages represented in our congregation. 

Celebration of 65th Anniversary of Ordination - May 28 - We will celebrate Rev. Dr. Larry Denef's 65th Anniverary of Ordination on Pentecost Sunday with thanksgiving and prayer, as well as a celebratory cake following the service. 

- We have received a request from our Ukrainian friends. A newly arrived Ukrainian mother and her 9 year old son are in need of a bed. Please contact Pastor Vida if you can help. 

- Please continue to pray for Gail and Jim. Gail underwent cranial surgery yesterday. The surgeons reported that all went well . . . and they need our continued support for the days and weeks ahead.

- The BC Synod Council gathers from May 19 - 21 in Nanaimo. Your prayers are appreciated for a time of deep discernment, creative visioning and spirited discussion

- Continue to pray for all affected by the wildfires in Northern Alberta and BC.

Did you know that the Canada Lutheran is now available in digital format? 

When 5 or more members from a congregation subscribe the subsciption is 50% off the regular rate of $31.41/year for either the print or digital version.  

Please contact Shelley to send in your $18.56 congregational subscription rate plus applicable GST and PST. 

This Prayer is adapted from a Litany of Reconciliation written by Ralph Carl Wushke on the occasion of his installation as pastor of First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Toronto and re-instatement to the roster of pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Canada on Jan. 18, 2020, The Confession of St. Peter.

We confess that many who were baptized into Christ were rejected by the church and did not experience
the promise that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female because of their
sexual orientation or gender identity. 

We confess that same-sex relationships were neither honoured nor blessed obscuring God’s vision that
humans should have partners fit for them. 

We confess that many who were called to be prophets and evangelists, pastors and teachers were not
allowed to live into their callings, thereby impoverishing the lives of saints and weakening the whole body.

We confess that scripture has been used as a club rather than a friend, and that we have limited the
reforming vision of justification by grace through faith. We confess that we did not always listen with open
hearts nor let charity with love prevail.

For all this we are sorry. Forgive us. Renew us. Make everything new. Reconcile us to one another, even
as God has reconciled Godself to us in Christ Jesus. Make your church a place where the lives and gifts of
people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are celebrated.

God works all things together for good to them that love God. Rejoice in the gift of
reconciliation made known in the Word made flesh, through whom all things are still coming into being.
Celebrate the harvest of the seeds that were sown by prophets, teachers and justice seekers. Work boldly for
gender and sexual justice where the gospel is not fully realized. Live your calling as a reconciled and
reconciling people. AMEN