What can we say as a public church centered in Jesus Christ? What do we value as a denomination? A great place to begin when addressing these questions is with our ELCA Social Statements, based on scripture and Lutheran teachings.

The process for writing the statements involves reflection, prayer, dialogue with experts and theologians, and input from every ELCA congregation that choses to respond. As a result, we have some wonderful writings about how we as church body speak to contemporary challenges and suffering in our society. However, many people are not very aware of our social statements.

Thanks for former LOPPW Director Cindy Crane and the LOPPW Policy Council, we are able to offer an opportunity to engage with the social statements as a devotional. You could, for example, use this booklet for devotions at council meetings or for committee meetings. You might gather a group together specifically to study the social statements, pray, and create dialogue about how your church speaks to injustice in response to the abundant grace in our lives. The booklet could also be used when envisioning new directions your congregation might take. If you have other ideas, please let us know.