Thursday, May 21, is the Ascension of Our Lord. This festival, which occurs 40 days after Easter, commemorates Jesus' ascension into heaven - as told in  Acts 1.6-11 . As we praise God this day, let us pray:

Almighty God, your only Son ascended into the heavens and in your presence intercedes for us. Receive us and our prayers for all the world, and in the end bring everything into your glory, through Jesus Christ, our Sovereign and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

TONIGHT- Thursday, May 21st, at 7:00 PM join in an ELCA Webinar on Racism being offered by the Southeastern Synod and featuring ELCA Presiding Bishop Eaton and several experts to guide conversation as we learn more about what it means to be “working toward a deeper understanding of slavery and its legacy, of institutional and structural racism, of white privilege, and of attitudes and foundations of white supremacy.” (2019 Declaration of the ELCA to People of African Descent). Register at:  www.elca-ses.org

On June 17, 2020 our Synod, along with the ELCA will commemorate the 5th Anniversary of the murders of the “Emmanuel Nine” in Charleston, SC. Our Virginia Synod TAPESTRY Team is planning an online conversation and other resources for your use. We will be sharing information on how to join the conversation soon.

Dear church,

The idea of government was already very much in focus because this was an election year, and the pandemic has focused it more so. But what does the ELCA teach about the nature and function of government in relation to God’s purposes? What is a faithful Lutheran response regarding citizenship and civic engagement?

To help guide our church on these questions, the 2019 Churchwide Assembly asked for the preparation of a social message. At this time, the message is in draft form. Through May 27, you are invited to provide feedback on how to strengthen the message.

I invite you to click   here   to read “A Draft Social Message on Government and Civic Engagement: Discipleship in a Democracy.” To offer feedback, please fill out the  survey . You may also choose to email comments to   draftsocialmessage@elca.org . The comment period ends May 27. To learn more about what social messages are, click   www.elca.org/socialmessages .

ELCA World Hunger has created new Guides for Finding Community Assistance Resources by States to help potential applicants get started in applying for benefits they and their families may need. Each one-page guide has links to information and applications for each of the following programs for all 50 states and Washington, DC:

In addition, each sheet has contact information for the National Suicide Hotline, the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the Farmer Crisis Hotline.

Last year, I and folks from all over the United States signed up to ride buses to Washington DC.on June 20th. We planned to participate in the Mass Poor People’s Assembly, the Moral March on Washington. The Poor People’s Campaign organized this march to bring attention to the poverty and inequality in America and to advocate for justice. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we now will have a virtual gathering On June 20th, 2020 . Because of the pandemic, poverty and inequality are now even more obvious. We can do better and we have this opportunity. Please join us for the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.

-Merrie Jo Milner

For more information on the , visit www.poorpeoplescampaign.org. You can also view an introduction video.