On Saturday, November 23, the church commemorates Miguel Agustín Pro, martyr, died 1927. Pro grew up in a time when the Mexican revolutionaries accused the church of siding with the wealthy. He became a Jesuit priest, and worked on behalf of the poor and homeless. Falsely accused of throwing a bomb at a government official, he was executed, but not before crying out "Long live Christ the King!" (From sundaysandseasons.com.)

I invite your prayers for the church in Mexico.

The holidays should be a magical, wondrous time, but this year in America, hundreds of children and families will be spending the holiday behind bars — because they crossed the United States border seeking protection.

You can bring joy and hope to families in immigration detention, and to children who crossed our borders alone, by joining Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) Hope for the Holidays annual campaign to send cards and gifts to families impacted by immigration detention. For more information visit www.lirs.org/take-action/hope-for-the-holidays.

To ensure delivery to children and families in time for the holidays, cards and donations must be sent in by December 6, 2019.

In 2019 and 2020, the ELCA is celebrating 50 years of Lutheran women being ordained in the United States, 40 years of women of color being ordained, and 10 years of LGBTQIA+ individuals being able to serve freely. Congregations are encouraged to recognize and honor these anniversaries throughout the year. Resources, including Bible studies, banners, worship materials and more, are available. Read more about the anniversaries and download resources.

At this time of Thanksgiving, we give thanks to God for all that we have and all that we are. We remember that God is the source of abundant life for us all. Living in this thanks, we share generosity with others. The Generosity Project is an intergenerational, household-focused approach to stewardship. Its goals are to connect generations, create centers for the faith practice of generosity, and grow in God’s grace, generation to generation.