"... If we believe in the power and the authority of Jesus, then we believe that Jesus can cure us of these demons. We can listen and believe Jesus’ words and actions about how we are to be neighbor to each other; how we are to love and care and advocate for those the world deems other. We can, as a church, ask forgiveness and seek reconciliation to those who have been harmed by our death inducing customs; our platitudes and ways of doing things that leave God’s people writhing in pain.
We, as church, must denounce and work to eradicate systemic racism, homophobia, with education and a willful turning away from these things.
We, as church, must denounce hunger and poverty and the lack of healthcare and advocate for policies that remember the dignity and worth of every human being.
We, as church, must denounce factory farming, and a way of producing our food that dehumanizes the workers, doesn’t deliver a healthy product to us, the consumers, and kills and maims the creatures God has created and calls good.
The demons that inflict us corporately and individually can be, as Luther says in the hymn A Mighty Fortress is our God,
Though hordes of devils fill the land all threatening
to devour us, we tremble not, unmoved we stand,
they cannot over power us. Let this world’s tyrant
rage; in battle we’ll engage! His might is doomed
to fail; God’s judgment must prevail! One little word
subdues him.
And we know that word. It comes from Jesus. The word made flesh and pleased to dwell among us
Amen"
The Reverend Patt Kauffman, from her sermon on Sunday, January 31, 2021.
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"Human “dominion” is a call to serve creation as Christ serves us."
Link to the ELCA Church statement, Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice statement on their website - HERE
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A humane and caring service we can call when homeless or wild animals are in distress!
(201) 229-4616
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Blessing of the Animals, 2021.
Farm Sanctuary
Belle and Jennifer. Photo: William Kauffman
Jennifer Mishler is Pastor Patt and Bill's daughter.
Jennifer is a writer and editor based near Washington, DC. Her background is in communications in the animal protection movement. She is also a staff writer with Farm Sanctuary.
This button is a link to some of her articles for Farm Sanctuary.
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Photographs by Bill Kauffman