The Deaconess Community/ELCA

The theme of the 2021 ELCA Deaconess Community Assembly was “Love, Walk, Flourish.” Sister Noreen Stevens was re-elected to her second four-year term as directing deaconess at the 2021 Deaconess Community Assembly, held April 7-10. “As a Community called to prophetic diakonia and compelled by the love of Christ, we will continue to listen and act on the Spirit’s disruptions that open our hearts and minds to the broken, beautiful world and faithfully act on new opportunities, build on the strength of partnerships, work for justice and the flourishing of all God’s creation,” said Sr. Noreen.

The Assembly was held electronically this year, which enabled many of the Community's partners to attend. 

The Community welcomed guests: 

Diaconal Minister Ted Dodd, President of DIAKONIA of the Americas and the Caribbean; 

Deaconess Lisa Polito, Executive Director of the Lutheran Diaconal Association; 

The Rev. Crista Schrauf, general secretary of Kaiserswerth General Conference, Kaiserswerth Germany, 

members of the Maine Poor People’s Campaign and 

Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis to lead us through a study of Micah 6:8 at a pre-assembly learning event.

“We seek to practice the best of Community as we celebrate our faithful, intentional connections with one another and our partners,” said Sr. Noreen.

This Zoom event enabled many Sisters, Candidates, and guests to attend for the first time in years. Days filled with worship, plenary sessions, breakout room discussions, elections, resolutions that call for intentional engagement of our vision, and celebrations, ended with social events, such as an interactive CLUE game, pub-style trivia, and BINGO, designed to cultivate community time for those who attended.

 

Sisters in Rwanda - newsletter May 2021

SISTER COMMUNITY

We are grateful that it is possible to have regular contact with the sisters via social media. They are doing well, so far none of the sisters have become infected with the coronavirus! However, they notice that there is a lot of need in their environment, because people do not have a job and therefore no income. Because donations came in from various sides, they were able to help many people with food.

SCHOOLS OPEN AGAIN

Unfortunately, all schools in Rwanda went into lockdown, also the primaryschool, which opened last year, the kindergarten and technical school,. There was no question of homeschooling, because most pupils at home do not have a computer and often even no electricity. Fortunately, the schools are now open again and work can be done to make up for the backlog.

EXPANSION SCHOOL

When primary school opened in February last year, the sisters said that this building did not contain all the necessary spaces and that expansion was therefore urgently needed. Especially the lack of a kitchen and dining room was a problem. Moreover,  the former orphan village that serves as a kindergarten no longer meets the requirements. In this way, a plan was made for a new building on the site of the orphan village. Much to the delight of the sisters, the funding soon came to an end, so that hopefully construction can start this year!  

RUBENGERA TECHNICAL SECONDARY SCHOOL

The technical school is also back in full operation. Last year, a dorm for girls could be put into use. For the boys this is also urgently needed, they now live in a house that is far too small. 

Since January, Sr. Emilienne is leader of the school. For the time being, she will continue to take care of the children of the orphan village. With great commitment and ingenuity she combines these tasks: when for a boy from the orphan village was bought a cottage, she had the furniture made by students of the technical school, who earned their school fees in this way!

BABY PROJECT

The baby project was also stopped for a while because of the lockdown, but now the mothers can come again, while respecting the rules: face masks and distance. Sr. Marthe is happy to be helping the mothers and their babies again! Especially now that poverty has increased so much, this aid is literally vital for the little ones.

WATER PROJECT

Last year, construction began on site of its own water source for the sister community and buildings on site. That was quite difficult, because the ground turned out to be so hard that a few times the drill gave out. Finally a depth of 7 meters could be reached, where – as it stands – there is enough water to be found.

Now the final phase has yet to be carried out: the construction of 800 meters of pipe from the source to the grounds of the sisters! Once that is done, hopefully enough water will flow to provide the mother house, the guest house and the schools!

AGRICULTURAL PROJECT

Improvements have been made to the irrigation system in the field of the agricultural project, so that harvesting can be carried out more frequently. Church in Action regularly calls attention to this project. On their website there is a lot of information about it; it's worth taking a look at it.

We would like to draw your attention to the website, which is faithfully maintained by volunteer Rachel Pekkeriet. Together we try to keep the site as up-to-date as possible. You can also order postcards made by the sisters via the site.

On behalf of the board of the St. Friends of Sisters in Rwanda, I warmly greet you and wish you God's blessing!

Zr. Dorien Peet

DIAKONIA World Federation Executive and other Committees

 It's been a busy few months for the DIAKONIA World Executive. 

The DIAKONIA World Federation Executive Committee now meets regularly via Zoom instead of once a year face to face. And a number of new committees have been set up in the last few months. 

Upcoming meetings in June include (the two dates indicate that members of the Committees live in many times zones around the world)

DIAKONIA Communications Committee on Friday 4/Saturday 5

Ad hoc meeting of a few of the DIAKONIA Executive Committee to discuss possible timing for the next World Assembly - Monday 7/Tuesday 8

DIAKONIA Justice Committee 22nd June

DIAKONIA Membership Committee Friday 25 June/26 June

DIAKONIA Executive Committee 29 June/30 June

(there may be meetings of other Committees - these are a few)

The DIAKAID Committee has been discussing DIAKAIDS grants that may be available in the future. 

We appreciate your prayers as we continue to give intentional attention to diverse foci, and to be intentionally inclusive of a wider range of people in our member associations. 

UN World Oceans Day - June 8

                                                (photo: Mark Tipple, The Underwater Project)

Sing a new song, for God has done wonderful things! Sing to God all the earth, sing praise and songs of joy! Let the oceans roar and all the creatures that live within it give praise! (Psalm 98 adapted)

The 2021 theme for World Oceans Day is The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods. The focus is on how the ocean is our life-source and supports humanity and every other organism on Earth. It reminds every one of the major role the oceans have in everyday life. They are the lungs of our planet and a major source of food and medicine and a critical part of the biosphere.

The purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world's oceans.

The ocean covers over 70% of the planet. It is our life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on earth. The ocean produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen, it is home to most of earth’s biodiversity, and is the main source of protein for more than a billion people around the world. Not to mention, the ocean is key to our economy with an estimated 40 million people being employed by ocean-based industries by 2030.

Even though all its benefits, the ocean is now in need of support. With 90% of big fish populations depleted, and 50% of coral reefs destroyed, we are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished. To protect and preserve the ocean and all it sustains, we must create a new balance, rooted in true understanding of the ocean and how humanity relates to it. We must build a connection to the ocean that is inclusive, innovative, and informed by lessons from the past. 2021 also launches a decade of challenges to get the Sustainable Development Goal 14, “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources”, by 2030. 

The call extends to all of us to become highly protective of our seas and waterways in order to help ensure a healthy home for all! 

The Pacific region, known also as Oceania, is sometimes referred to as the “Liquid Continent”, acknowledging that the Pacific Ocean, the largest ocean in the world, is not what separates the island communities, often seen on maps as green specks on a large blue background. For Pacific Islanders, the ocean is what connects our islands. It is our highway, where canoes travelled weaving relationship and sharing stories, knowledge, food and gifts and has done for many millennia. It is mother, nurturing, source of life, home to fish and shell and mighty whale. (Rev James Bhagwan, Fiji, reflections for WCC Ecumenical Water Network). We remember our Deaconess sisters and their communities in Fiji as they deal with rising ocean tides. 

Prayer
Swirling God, who at the dawn of creation swept over the face of the waters, hover over our oceans and all waterways with your blessed presence.
May each droplet of mist and sea be clean and fresh for all life who come in contact with these holy streams.
Bless each cell and molecule of life below the surface of the waters who trust in you and us to create a prosperous world.
Continually nudge us to nurture creation, joining together with humans all over this planet to covenant with one another and celebrate the gifts of water, air, fire, and land that you have given us. Amen.
(Source: Michelle L. Torigian, God goes pop)

World Toilet Day - November 19

November 19 is World Toilet Day. It’s a United Nations observance to highlight a serious problem that 4.2 billion people in the world living without safely managed sanitation options. More people in the world have access to a mobile phone than a toilet. More than 840,000 people die every year from diseases related to lack of access to water and sanitation. It's the reason why the Sustainable Development Goal 6 of the UN’s Global Goals is clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.

This year the World Toilet Day 2020 focuses on sustainable sanitation and climate change. Climate change is getting worse. Flood, drought and rising sea levels are threatening sanitation systems – from toilets to septic tanks to treatment plants. Everyone must have sustainable sanitation, alongside clean water and handwashing facilities, to help protect and maintain our health security and stop the spread of deadly infectious diseases such as COVID-19, cholera and typhoid. Sustainable sanitation systems also reuse waste to safely boost agriculture, and reduce and capture emissions for greener energy.

So, what does a sustainable sanitation system look like? Sustainable sanitation begins with a toilet that effectively captures human waste in a safe, accessible and dignified setting. The waste then gets stored in a tank, which can be emptied later by a collection service, or transported away by pipework. The next stage is treatment and safe disposal. Safe reuse of human waste helps save water, reduces and captures greenhouse gas emissions for energy production, and can provide agriculture with a reliable source of water and nutrients.

Learn more about this year’s theme and how to engage in the World Toilet Day 2020 campaign here.

In the parable of the sheep and the goats the King says to the sheep: ‘I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Perhaps today we could add ‘I was without a safe and private toilet and you helped to provide me with clean sanitation’.

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

The World Council of Churches asked Carolyn Winfrey Gillette to compose lyrics for a hymn for World Toilet Day. Great lyrics. 

More resources on the Pilgrim Uniting Church website. 

Prayer: Lord for people who have no access to clean sanitation today we pray. May we who have everything take one small step today to aid those who have nothing, Amen.

DOTAC Board meeting

DOTAC Board - representing the 12 communities/associations of DOTAC, met via Zoom in the week of November 16-20. They all agreed that it was not the same as meeting in person but as a second-best meeting via Zoom enabled them to connect, make some decisions and stay safe.

Some highlights:

The representatives from the region's 12 communities and associations shared updates about the effects of COVID for their groups.  Nine projects related to the region have been funded by special DIAKAID grants; everything from food security pressures to addictions recovery support, from educational technology to sick bay construction, from resilency training to mental health first aid, from an on-line women's community to aid for migrant workers.

In preparation for Advent worship and check in times focused on Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.  

A new Social Justice Committee is being initiated.  And for one of the sessions Board members attended the second Racial Justice learning and discussion group with almost 30 participants.

A task group to examine and imagine the future of DOTAC was commissioned.  The Board hopes to have a final report with ideas and concrete recommendations by July 2021.

DOTAC Monthly Prayer gathering has been happening on the first of every month since June.  Other ideas were shared and considered for supporting the spiritual practices of our communities.

The Board brainstormed in the area of the Theology and Scholarship of Diakonia, Diaconal Formation and Membership Connections

Gathering God, 

you call the DOTAC Board members 

from their individual lives and their separate communities

to be your people meeting online. 

May your Spirit presence refresh and renew them. 

Affirm in each one the good that you have created in them. 

Remove all those things that seek to distract from the tasks at hand. 

In all the tasks before them, 

enable them to listen to each other,

that they may discern your leading, 

and thus join in your transforming mission in the world. 

May all they do be in response to your challenge: 

to 'love God, and to love your neighbour as yourself'. 

This we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

World Council of Churches Prayer Cycle - North America (25th-31 October 2020)

We remember Canada and the member associations in  Canada

(the next post will feature other member associations in Canada and the U.S.A.)

* Order of Diaconal Ministries -Presbyterian Church in Canada

* Association of Anglican Deacons in Canada

* Deacons of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

* Diakonia of the United Church of Canada

Focus 1: DIAKONIA OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA (DUCC)

Diakonia of The United Church of Canada was formed in the early 1980s as an association of diaconal ministers.  However, diaconal ministry has roots in our church dating back to 1890s and the formation of the deaconess communities of the Presbyterian and Methodist churches.  Diaconal ministers are commissioned to a ministry of Education, Service and Pastoral Care.  With ministers who are ordained to Word, Sacrament and Pastoral Care, diaconal ministers constitute one of two streams of ministry in the United Church.  In 2018, DUCCs gathered for a national biennial meeting in Winnipeg.  The theme was taken from the DUCC Vision Statement “Courageous Risking.”  The  biennial national gathering was to be held May of 2020 in the nation’s capital, Ottawa, and the focus was to be “Faith Inspiring Power and Politics.”  Instead we met by Zoom. Work has been completed on renewing the DUCC website.  We share news in the community through regular mailchimp connections.  Our database has received much attention and now in good shape.  We have also participated in a recruitment video from the national church which highlights ministry options. DUCC is a member in Affirm United, a alliance of GBLTQ+ positive ministries.

WCC prayers

Intercessions

We are thankful for:

the vast expanse of North America with its resources and varied landscapes; may they be preserved, enjoyed and used wisely;

those who were its original inhabitants – First Nations and Native Americans;

church-related organizations that strongly advocate for justice, and those that provide for new immigrants and refugees today, as well as for others who are poor and vulnerable; 

ecumenical and interfaith engagements which are occurring in many communities that previously were mainly white and Christian.

We pray for:

churches facing new challenges, that they may continue to witness boldly to the gospel in evolving multicultural, multireligious and secular contexts;

indigenous peoples in their long struggles for survival, land and rights; and for ongoing healing and reconciliation with those who have come after them;

new immigrants, that they will continue to be welcomed in these countries, and that policies will serve the common good;

effectively countering systemic greed that exploits communities and natural resources;

government leaders that they would advance justice, human rights, and peace for all within these countries and in the rest of the world.

New Web Manager for DIAKONIA World Federation

Web Manager Diane Kaufmann has been the DWF Web Manager since 2012 and has indicated she plans to hand over responsibilities by the end of 2020. Thank you for your years of faithful and dedicated service, Diane.  

Welcome to her successor, Deaconess Student, Sara Manning. We look forward to the redesigned web sites coming soon.  

DIAKONIA Executive Committee meeting by Zoom July 2020

The DIAKONIA World Federation (DWF) Executive Committee met online via Zoom this week. Ordinarily, we would have gathered for a face to face meeting, but travel plans had to be cancelled with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We had to arrange a narrow window of time over 4 days for our meeting, as members of the Executive live in many different time zones around the world - from Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Nigeria, Scotland, Germany, Winnipeg in Canada, and Wisconsin and Seattle in the U.S.A. So it was very early morning (5.30am) for two members and 10pm at night for many others. Those in North America were in the early afternoon - so much more civilised!
There was a good sense of community built over the 4 days of our 'virtual' meeting.
Thank you for the prayers which sustained the Executive for the fairly concentrated time as we discussed important matters for DIAKONIA.
(Draft) minutes from the meeting will be available in a couple of weeks.

World Council of Churches Ecumenical Prayer Cycle: Tanzania and Kenya

The WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle focusses on Tanzania and Kenya, 21-27th June.
(Our day of prayer for DIAKONIA is on the 26th of each month)

There is a Deaconess Association in Kenya, part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya. And there are 4 associations in Tanzania, all connected with the Lutheran Church in Tanzania. As part of your prayers, consider writing or emailing to say you're praying for their association and their ministry. Let's stay connected in our prayers and ministry.
(Really interesting to find out more about the Associations. Still scouting around for some more. I hope you enjoy reading, learning - and then praying for our sisters and brothers in Kenya and Tanzania). 
Please click on the link for more information, and prayers, on this post. 

Prayers for Zambia

The World Council of Churches Ecumenical Prayer Cycle this week (June 14-20) includes Zambia, where there is a DIAKONIA member association - Deaconesses of the United Church of Zambia (UCZ).

The UCZ is the largest Protestant church in Zambia with coverage of all the ten provinces of the country The church formed in 1965 as a result of the union of 5 churches including the Church of Central Africa, Rhodesia (a mission work of the Church of Scotland). The Deaconesses of the UCZ are a vibrant group of women serving their communities through community development and practical support. In April 2018, 3 more Diaconal workers were Commissioned at the Diakonia Centre in Kabwe. In total there are about 50 UCZ Deaconesses.

The context for ministry is challenging. General Secretary of the United Church of Zambia, Rev Dr Peggy Kabonde, said in a statement in 2019 that she observed with serious concern the levels of animosity and violence in the country. The Church urged all Zambians to embrace unity, tolerance and patriotism as critical values and virtues for co-existence. She emphasised that violence and attitudes that promotes tension and divisions should not be condoned at any cost. The church urged the general public to unity and to grab every opportunity that promotes peace and unity for the well-being of Zambia. Nevertheless, this year 2020 has seen fresh violence, with ritual killings, gassing and mob violence resulting in the loss of innocent lives. The UCZ has condemned this in the strongest terms.

Human trafficking and modern day slavery is an issue in Zambia that is dehumanizing, commodifying and stripping of a person’s God-given human dignity. The UCZ has called on religious and political leaders to take appropriate measures to protect vulnerable groups in Zambia whether they were a source, in transit or have reached their destination.

Deaconess Mable Sichali

New Deacons in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts

New deacons have been ordained in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, on June 5 & 6. Because of current public health circumstances due to COVID19, the ordinations have taken place in a new way this year. The Liturgy of the Word portion of the ordination service, including presentation of the ordinands and sermon by Bishop Alan M. Gates, was conducted as an online gathering via Zoom on Friday, June 5 at 7 p.m. The examination and laying on of hands for the ordinands took place at separate events at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston on Saturday, June 6.  Only the primary participants were able to be present in person, to accommodate physical distancing protocols.  Family members, friends, sponsors and the wider diocesan community watched via live webcast.

Of the nine ordained, four were ordained to the diaconate: Marilee Comerford (Trinity Church, Marshfield); Valerie Cowart (All Saints’ Church, Chelmsford); James Thomas (St. John’s Church, Sandwich); and Natalie Thomas (St. Christopher’s Church, Chatham). (The other five were ordained to the transitional Diaconate, a step towards priesthood, in separate online services).

Those ordained to the diaconate chose to be ordained together, serving as each other's supporters, a wonderful affirmation of their sense of community and belonging in the diaconate.

Blessings to Marilee, Valerie, James and Natalie on their ordination.

newly ordained Deacon Natalie Thomas

Natalie's morning prayer on the day of her ordination (published on her Facebook page)
God, make me worthy of the ministry you have entrusted to me.
I want to stand in the gap – a reminder of injustice, suffering, and pain in the church and a sign of love, endurance, and promise in the world.
I want to love the gap.
I want to remember that church and world are more wrapped up than we ever know.
I want to love the things that are uncomfortable,
help me make my home in the questions that aren’t easily answered.
Help me to push myself and the people who seek to follow you to be discontent
with what feels good enough and to push on towards your way of wholeness.
Help me to remain, to remain steady for those who cannot feel you in the moment.
Help me to remember that you show up to all of us in our own ways
and in our own time and all I am called to do, is love.
Help me to forgive, over and over and over again,
to remember that I get to choose what I hold on to and what I release.
Help me to believe in who you have called me to be.
Help me to run your race with all you have given me,
please God give me glimpses of you along the way.
Help me to stay grounded in your truth – remind me that I am dependent on your love
and without your guidance and your word, the word, as my light and lamp, I will falter.
Hold me when I don’t think I’m held.
Keep me humble, aware that I never know the full picture,
remind me that you are bigger than any of us can understand,
keep my ears open to year ever active truth.
Anger me and embolden me when our world doesn’t look like what you imagined for us –
stir up in me a longing for equity, justice,
and liberation that cannot be diminished by worldly comforts
May I go to places where I can be among those who know your way,
the way of exclusion and suffering.
Remind me that you lived your life among those the world deemed sick –
help me do the same.
May this ministry transform and challenge me.
Every. Single. Day.
Most of all, may I always remember that this is not my path to carve out, you have gone ahead, Holy Spirit, Miriam, Mary, Sarah, Hagar, Bathsheba, Mary Magdalene, Sedonia, Phoebe, Elaine, Dorothy, Annette, Sojourner, Rosa, Barbara, Pat, Esther … the Spirit has gone ahead and I am never ever ever alone on this path.

It's a prayer that we can all pray!

This is not a moment, this is a movement

On the tragic death of George Floyd, and the subsequent global protests....

Amid the riots of 1967, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “A riot is the language of the unheard. What is it that America has failed to hear?” The question confronting us today may be not only what America has failed to hear, but what has the world failed to hear?

A time for confession, lament, repentance, reconciliation and resolve.....

Black Lives Matter
God,
Your love encompasses all people.
To you all lives matter,
For all life matters,
And the way that we live life matters,
But at this time,
When the light of truth shines on particular injustice,
And draws our attention to the inequity of racial prejudice and discrimination,
We unite in solidarity to declare that black lives matter.
We proclaim this not at the exclusion of the lives or value of other groups of people,
But, because we seek to address this serious and unresolved issue,
Which is one of the many problems in society,
We intentionally single out those who have faced and continue to face
the effects of entrenched and longstanding racism.
We acknowledge hurt
We understand anger.
We feel frustration.
We grieve for the loss and suffering.
We stand alongside.
We kneel in solidarity .
We reject violence.
We reject persecution.
We reject empty words and promises.
In this time of trouble,
We call for peace,
But we call for change.
We call for justice, not revenge.
We call for action and transformation,
Of attitudes and behaviour,
And strategies which seek to address the core of the problem,
Rather than Band Aid fixes to placate the crowd.
In this we need your help and guidance
For, in our flawed humanity, there is some hope,
But equal failure,
So, only in your wisdom will we find a way forward.
As Christ, you lived compassion and taught is the way.
As Spirit, you work for reconciliation and healing.
Be with us now,
And with all people.
Soften hearts that are hard.
Strengthen wills that are weak.
Change minds that are set
Reshape anger into positive action,
That we might end racial injustice,
And in doing so, create space to address other issues.
This we kneel to pray.
Amen.
(Source: Jon Humphries, Uniting Church in Australia, June 2020)

“I used the phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ in a social media post earlier this week. As happens each time I use the phrase, someone asks, ‘Why not just say “all lives matter?”’ Here is my quick response: When one of my four kids got hurt, it didn’t seem to make sense to say to them, ‘All my kids matter.’ In that moment, I embraced them and said, ‘You matter. Your pain matters. Your healing and return to health matters.’ That doesn’t diminish my love for my other kids. It expands my capacity to love as I live with another person’s pain.
Jesus did the same thing in his ministry. He didn’t say, ‘all people matter.’ He went to those who were hurting, who’d been denied a place at the table, who had been cast out of community and said ‘You Matter.’ Samaritans matter. Women matter. Tax collectors matter. Lepers matter. Did that mean he loved other people less? By no means. His life and ministry expanded the vision and capacity of his followers to love as they broke down the religious and cultural walls that had long divided people.”
(Source: Kai Nilsen, circulating on Facebook)

Video of thousands of protestors singing 'Lean on Me' by the late Bill Withers, in Washington.
Also this video of the same event with the crowd singing on its own.

Praying for South Africa

The World Council of Churches Ecumenical Prayer Cycle highlights southern Africa (Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland) from May 31st to 6th June, 2020.

We are invited to pray for our diaconal sisters and brothers in South Africa - the Highveld Deacons, and the Methodist Diaconal Order. They are member associations of DIAKONIA World Federation and DRAE (DIAKONIA Region Africa Europe).

Cyclones, Heat and Climate Change

(May 22) Super Cyclone Amphan with sustained winds of 170 km/h and gusts up to 190 km/h has left more than 80 dead in India (and Bangladesh) as a trail of destruction was left behind. Cyclone Amphan intensified from a category-1 cyclone to a category-5 cyclone in a span of only 18 hours. It has caused widespread flooding, and millions are without power. Coastal villages have been devastated, and mud houses knocked down. Roads were littered with uprooted trees and lamp posts, electricity and communication lines were down and centuries-old buildings were damaged. Hundreds of villages were flooded and shelters were unable to run at full capacity in many places due to the coronavirus. Some people were too scared about the risk of infection to go there. The pandemic also will affect relief efforts and the recovery. Damage from the storm is likely to have lasting repercussions for the poor, who are already stretched to the limit by the economic impact of the virus.

Meanwhile Chennai (Madras, Tamil Nadu) is bracing for a heatwave. The sudden change in weather is attributed to westerly winds bringing dry land breeze, and super cyclonic storm Amphan, which has taken away all the moisture from the region. Cyclones are fuelled by available heat. Warming seas can make cyclones more powerful, by increasing the potential energy available to them, effectively increasing their power ceiling or speed limit. Higher sea-surface temperatures mean that cyclone wind speeds can increase. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology reported, "High ocean temperatures are conducive to rapid intensification of cyclones.  Some of the buoys in the Bay of Bengal have registered maximum surface temperatures of 32-34 degrees Celsius (~90 degrees F) consecutively for the first two weeks of May. These are record temperatures driven by climate change".

Three Deaconess associations in India are members of DIAKONIA World Federation.
* CSI Order of Women in the Church of South India, Women's House (Karnataka)
* TELC Bethania Deaconess Home (Andhra Pradesh)
* The Methodist Church in India, Deaconesses Order

Please remember them in your prayers.

A prayer in the aftermath of severe weather
Comfort your people who have been torn by the winds,
made homeless by the waters,
injured by falling buildings and debris,
the bridges washed away, coast ravaged,
roads blocked, trees ripped up by their roots.
Comfort those who grieve,
give strength to those who are rescuing
those not yet secured,
and searching for survivors.
Guide those who care for the injured,
and shelter the evacuated,
fearful of Covid-19,
which has already taken so many.
Lead those who try to bring in
food and medicine and relief supplies
where ways are impassible.
And as people emerge, seeking what is left of their lives,
connecting with family, hunting for home -
in the midst of the rains that continue,
give, O God, hope,
tenderness in loss,
companionship in rebuilding
and the compassion of the world. Amen.
(adapted, Maren Tirabassi, Gifts in Open Hands, 21 May 2020)

Mothers Day 2020

God Be With the Mothers and Motherers
God,
Be with the mothers and motherers,
Those awesome women,
Who play such a significant role and part in our lives,
Who embody for us so much of your love and character.
Gift them patience,
As they wait and hope for us to discover our potential.
Gift them grace,
As we so often take them for granted or abuse or disrespect their love.
Gift them forgiveness,
For us and themselves as we all make mistakes and fall short in our love.
Grant them strength,
For their load is heavy and the burden of their care for us unrelenting.
Gift them persistence,
For theirs is an ever unfinished work.
Gift them rest,
For their efforts and concern for our wellbeing and prospering is unceasing.
Gift them tears,
As they weep for our hurting and failing in their empathy and compassion.
Gift them grieving,
For love is full of loss
And they lose much as we grow into our independence.
Gift them insight,
The wisdom to see the best way of being.
Gift them gentleness,
To speak guidance to us who so want to be independent.
Grant them space,
To be themselves and chase their own dreams and goals.
Grant them peace,
Knowing that like you, we are our own selves,
Who make our own choices,
In our own way and time,
Carrying the consequences that come,
Hopefully shaped by their love and care,
But not always in the way that they would have us,
For in the end we are our own people,
As they nurtured us to be.
May we in return,
Treasure their part in our lives,
Be grateful in real and practical ways,
Honour their legacy to us by becoming our best selves,
And love them as they have loved us,
Just as we have been loved by you.
Be with the mothers who cannot be,
Who long for the children they cannot have.
Be with the mothers who have lost their children,
Whose souls have been tom and the ache of their grief is incessant.
Enfold them and all in your mothering love.
God,
Be with the mothers and motherers.
In gratitude we pray.
Amen.
(Source: Jon Humphries, Sydney, Australia)

Deaconess Albertino Muwowo, Zambia

Deaconess Albertina Muwowo, from the United Church of Zambia, visited the Salisbury United Reformed Church in March. She is a member of Jordan United Church of Zambia, a congregation of 8,000 members in Lusaka.
Deaconess Muwowo is this year’s Research Grant recipient, spending 3 months in the UK, primarily at Westminster College, exploring intergenerational expressions in worship and church life. (The Salisbury URC minister, Revd Ana Gobledale, received the same grant in 2019, which allowed her to study in Zambia for three months.)

Ecumenical prayer cycle - Indonesia and Philippines

This week's ecumenical prayer cycle (World Council of Churches) includes a focus on Indonesia and the Philippines (17-23 Nov). We remember our diaconal sisters in the Philippines and in Indonesia, and hold them in prayer.

We are thankful for:
* the vital witness of churches in this region
* the diversity of ethnicities, cultures and religious beliefs, and especially those in Indonesia who have built bridges between them
* those who protest exploitative mining, deforestation and other environmental damage.
(did you know that deforestation is the greatest risk factor for orang-utans, and that suitable habitat for them has declined in Indonesia and Malaysia by 80% in the last 20 years)
* those who have resisted bravely and worked for human rights, justice, peace and reconciliation, especially the National Council of Churches in the Philippines
(note: recently the Duterte Government in the Philippines named the National Council of Churches in the Philippines as a front for local communist terror groups. The government action has been widely condemned by Christian leaders globally including the Uniting Church in Australia, with the heads of the Christian Conference of Asia and the World Council of Churches speaking out against the listing.  In a statement by the Episcopal Church, Bishop Rex Reyes said “The trail blazing efforts of the NCCP for peace and justice in this country is an open book. 1 am proud to say that among the councils of churches worldwide the NCCP is yet reckoned as a vibrant, enduring, leading and recognised ecumenical formation. This is so because the NCCP sees its life and work from the perspective of the vulnerable, oppressed and marginalised.” He went on to highlight corruption in high places and said: “There is nothing wrong when Christians point out that there is so much corruption… What is wrong, if not downright subversive, is when a mindset that kills, persecutes and name calls suppresses those who espouse principled dissent and activism. One should know how principled dissent and activism have made this world more peaceful and just. … What is right is standing up for human rights, justice and peace. I stand with the NCCP.”

We pray for:
* governments in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Timor Leste, that they will eradicate corruption, establish justice and peace, and work effectively for the wellbeing of all their people
* victims of violence, torture, drug and human trafficking, and human rights violations, that those responsible might be held accountable
* all those affected by earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters, and for the rebuilding of communities afterwards
* ecumenical and interfaith cooperation to bring justice, peace and sustainability to these lands.

DIAKONIA World Executive - meeting in Neuendettelsau

The DIAKONIA World Executive is currently meeting in Neuendettelsau, Germany, for its annual meeting. As well, DRAE have changed their domicile from Switzerland to Germany.

On Thursday night, the Executive was invited to Heilsbronn, and the old monastery (500 years old) and the Cistercian Church, where 3 singers led us around a candle lit church, explaining the history and offering music at each point.

In the monastery chapel

chapel

The 3 singers in the Cistercian Church 

Candlelit church

On Thursday the Executive Committee wore the Thursdays in Black badges.

Marianne Uri Overland, DRAE President

Gwen Sayler

Held in the loving embrace of God
Today we received this very sad and unexpected news about Gwen Sayler's passing. Gwen will be known by those in the DIAKONIA World Federation who attended the Chicago Assembly where she led the Bible Studies. Please uphold our friends in the Lutheran Diaconal Association, who will be in such grief and shock.

A message from Deaconess Lisa Scherzer Polito
In sure and certain hope of the resurrection
It is with great sadness that I tell you of the death of our beloved sister Gwen Sayler.  This morning she left Jan Janzow's after the Centennial weekend.  She stopped at a McDonald's near Madison, WI, and was staggering as she was leaving and an ambulance was called.  There was still a faint heart-beat but they were not able to resuscitate her.
Gwen was consecrated as a deaconess in 1971 in the Valparaiso Lutheran deaconess community, and was ordained in the ELCA in 1982. She lived in Americas masterpiece on the Mississippi, metro Dubuque, Iowa.  Tonight I'm with Louise Williams, Karen Melang and Phyllis Kersten.  We are remembering, laughing and crying together.
Deaconess Lisa Scherzer Polito
Executive Director
Lutheran Diaconal Association

A message from Louise Williams (to the Wartburg Theological College community where Gwen served as a Distinguished Professor of Hebrew Bible)

From: Office of the President <OfficeofthePresident@wartburgseminary.edu>
Sent: Monday, November 11, 2019 6:50 PM

Dear Wartburg Community,

We have sad and unexpected news to share.  This afternoon, we received news of the death of our beloved colleague, teacher, and friend, The Rev. Dr. Gwen Sayler.

In this time of grief, we draw near to God who is the source of all life and hope. And we draw near to one another as we grieve, remember, celebrate, and hold fast to the resurrection promise. Please hold Gwen’s family and all who grieve her loss in your prayers, as we hold the whole Wartburg Theological College Community in prayer this night.

We will release a public statement as we know more information about arrangements.  If you have questions or concerns, please contact the President’s Office.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of all mercy and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrows so that we can comfort others in their sorrows with the consolation we ourselves have received from God”
Evangelical Lutheran Worship

God’s peace be with you,

The Rev. Louise Johnson                                       The Rev. Dr. Craig Nessan
President                                                                  Academic Dean

E Louise Williams
Part-time Adjunct Instructor of Theology, Valparaiso University
Executive Director Emeritus, Lutheran Deaconess Association
Former President, DIAKONIA World Federation of Diaconal Associations and Communities