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• Watchfulness and Response – A Message from Bishop Rick Jaech
  31 Jan 2025
  

  Watchfulness and Response A Message from Bishop Rick Jaech   January 28, 2025   What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)   Dear Members of the Southwestern Washington Synod,   As citizens of the United States and as followers of Christ, it is our duty to monitor the actions of every leader in order to support them when they are just and ethical and challenge them when they are unjust and unethical. About this Martin Luther was clear: Christians should be outspoken in holding governing officials accountable to serve the good of the common people.  Luther wrote over 1,000 letters to the governing authorities of his day.   As I write to you, I want to be clear that I am not speaking for the entire Southwestern Washington Synod or the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Within these two bodies there are many people with a variety of opinions about the topic I address. I am speaking from my own conscience as a Lutheran bishop and as a committed citizen of the United States.   As President Donald Trump begins his new term of office, I urge you to join me in remaining alert and watchful to his actions as president in the time ahead. I have deep concern that President Trump has shown a pattern of unjust actions both in his private life and in public office. For the sake of our country, we, as citizens, must not let that pattern continue unopposed or uncorrected during his next term.   My family’s origins are in the Lutheran Church of Germany. Therefore, my conscience is informed by the failure of the German Lutheran Church to speak out against the increasing atrocities committed by Adolf Hitler when he came into power in the 1930s. While we are not currently experiencing the same degree of horror as the Hitler regime, the failure of the Church to speak out at that time compels us to be prepared to speak now, when necessary. Within our recent history, it has been necessary to confront two previous presidents, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, who were rightly accused and faced impeachment for lying to the nation.   As I write this, two things are important to clarify:   ·        I am not saying that President Trump’s Inauguration was invalid. The presidential election took place in a lawful way. Fair elections are a central element of our democracy and the outcome of this recent election should be honored.   ·        When I state my criticisms of President Trump, I am not making the same blanket criticism towards those who voted for him. The American public cast their votes based on a variety of viewpoints about many different issues, including the economy, immigration, jobs, abortion, foreign policy, and the environment. All these issues are complex and require continued conversation. I respect the fact that, in a democracy, we will often be in different places on many topics, even as we search for fair and effective ways to walk forward together.   I am deeply concerned, however, about the unethical patterns of behavior that President Trump has shown in the past and I am also concerned about actions that he has indicated he will take in his coming term. For example:   1.     President Trump has repeatedly treated women in cruel, demeaning, and abusive ways in both words and actions. In fact, he has openly bragged about his mistreatment of women. In a public trial, a jury found President Trump liable of sexually abusing a woman. This abusive behavior cannot continue. 2.     On his first day in office, President Trump pardoned roughly 1500 people convicted of violating the law on January 6, 2021, when they forcibly entered the US Capitol. These convicted attackers injured 150 Capitol police and Washington DC police officers, with three police officers dying from causes related to the attack. This violent invasion of the Capitol necessitated Vice President Pence and members of Congress to be evacuated for safety. President Trump’s pardon and praise of these criminals is an attack on our system of law and order. For the record, I also condemn President Joe Biden for pardoning his son, Hunter Biden, of criminal charges.   3.     President Trump has ridiculed and insulted men and women who serve our country in the military. This has been reported by multiple first-hand witnesses. He ridiculed Senator John McCain for being a prisoner of war in Vietnam. When in France, President Trump refused to visit two cemeteries for US soldiers killed in World War I because, he was reported to have said, the cemeteries were “filled with losers.” As Commander in Chief, the President must show respect and support for all military personnel and their families, inclusive of gender and sexual orientation, who serve our nation. 4.     During his first term, President Trump’s administration blocked basic job protections for LGBTQIA+ people, insisting that employers should be free to fire workers for their sexual orientation or gender identity. His Department of Health and Human Services also eliminated basic health-care nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQIA+ people who had received this coverage through the Affordable Care Act. 5.     As I write this letter, ICE agents and vans are patrolling the streets of our cities making mass arrests and deportations of immigrants. Families from Afghanistan and elsewhere, who are here with legal refugee documentation, are being cut off from all further church-agency assistance by order of President Trump. I agree that, as a nation, we need to thoroughly review and revise our immigration laws so that they function in a manageable, effective and compassionate way. However, we must treat all people, including immigrants and refugees, with the respect they deserve as God’s dear ones. “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” (Leviticus 19:33-34) President Trump, in public statements, has repeatedly grouped and labeled the majority of immigrants coming to the US as “terrorists” “murderers”, and “rapists”, and furthermore said that they are “poisoning the blood of our country.”  This broad attack is false and a sin against the Eighth Commandment. People of many different categories and circumstances are newcomers to the US, including immigrants with visas, refugees, …Read More

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• Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
  16 Feb 2025
  

  Welcome to today’s service. If you would like to participate during communion, please have wine and bread ready to do so. https://youtube.com/live/mabZomTj3mY

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• Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
  9 Feb 2025
  

  Welcome to today’s service. If you would like to participate during communion, please have wine and bread ready to do so. https://youtube.com/live/xH4Q1b1gWME

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• Meet New Member Mardene Eldred
  7 Feb 2025
  

  I was born and raised in Blackfoot, Idaho on a dairy farm.  I am the oldest and have 3 younger sisters who live in three different states. I married in 1967. I had two kids, a daughter and a son. My daughter, son-in-law, two grandsons and their wives live in Lacey, WA.  My son lives in Eastern WA, and my stepson and his wife live outside of Yelm. While in Blackfoot ID, I worked for H&R Block for 4 years.  Then I managed the front office and shipping for Kraft Foods cheese factory for 10 years. Next, I moved to Boise ID and went to work for Sunshine Mining’s corporate office for 2 years before moving to Post Falls ID, where I worked at Sunshine Mining’s minting shop managing the office. I divorced in 1988 and moved to Olympia, Washington in 1989 with my friend Ken Hofferber.  After searching for a church, we chose to join St. Mark Lutheran in 1990.  We were married at St. Mark in 1991. We established our own Real Estate office and worked together until his sudden death in 10/2001. We were members at the time of his death.  I continued being a member. I met a friend, David Eldred, on Match.com, a very dedicated 22-year retired Army Chief Warrant Officer 3.  We were married at St. Mark in 3/2003. He worked in security at that time.  I worked in security for a couple of years, then landed a job with the state Dept. of Health where I worked for 10 years. We left St. Mark in 2005 and attended Christ the Servant Lutheran Church until 2010. We then went to several other churches before COVID. I retired from the state in 2016 and am enjoying retirement.  I have lived in an over 55 community in West Olympia for the last 11 years.  It’s like living on a cruise ship without water.  I am very active in our community with activities and events.  I do our monthly activities calendar. I lost my husband and best friend in 5/2024 of cancer. After his death I made the choice to come back to St. Mark and find it feels like home. There are so many friendly people. I look forward to being involved again.

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• Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
  2 Feb 2025

  Welcome to today’s service. If you would like to participate during communion, please have wine and bread ready to do so. https://youtube.com/live/SWmFaUqaVss

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• Presiding Bishop Eaton Issues Pastoral Message on Executive Orders
  26 Jan 2025
  

  January 24, 2025 Dear church, On Monday, our nation witnessed the peaceful transfer of power central to our democracy, followed by sweeping actions by the incoming Trump administration. Facing such changes, we receive guidance through Martin Luther’s words in the Large Catechism. In the fourth petition of the Lord’s Prayer, where we pray “Give us this day our daily bread,” Luther writes about the importance of praying for our leaders, asking God to grant them wisdom and strength. He also speaks to the responsibility of leaders to provide stability, sufficiency and equity, saying, “[I]t would be very proper to place in the coat-of-arms of every pious prince a loaf of bread instead of a lion, or a wreath of rue, or to stamp it upon the coin, to remind both them and their subjects that by their office we have protection and peace, and that without them we could not eat and retain our daily bread.”1 This past week has been one of rapid and cascading change, from the inauguration of a new president and vice president to the flurry of activity in government orders and regulations. The policies and decisions reflected in this week’s executive orders and regulatory changes have the potential to profoundly impact our lives, the well-being of our neighbors and the future of the planet. Therefore, I am concerned about the ways that many of the executive actions have created uncertainty and fear in our communities among neighbors struggling to survive, neighbors struggling to provide for their children, and neighbors struggling to be seen. As a church, we are called to speak up when the government distorts or denies the image of God in each person by endangering access to protection, peace and daily bread. Where harm or inequity occur, we are called by God to respond with love and advocacy. Luther also writes that in asking for daily bread, we are to pray for our leaders. We should pray that they act wisely and justly, protect all people and not cause harm. Prayer is not passive; it’s an act of hope. Prayer reminds us to ground ourselves in God’s promise. We pray for strength, to love unconditionally and to serve one another. As we lift up our petitions, we must also act—advocating for policies that affirm the dignity of every person and standing against actions that demean or exclude. This church is committed to upholding the humanity of everyone, regardless of who we are or where we come from. We are a church called to love our neighbors and accompany all people in their joys and struggles. We must remain steadfast in this calling. As the ELCA, we will continue to proclaim the radical inclusivity of Christ’s love. And we will deepen our local and global partnerships with those working to build a just and compassionate society, especially through our ecumenical and interreligious networks. I commend to you the social message “Government and Civic Engagement in the United States: Discipleship in a Democracy,” which states on page 7: “To evaluate how well agencies of government are doing their proper work of providing for the safety and well-being of those within their borders and/or jurisdiction, Lutherans ask one simple but all-encompassing question: Is the neighbor being served?” I encourage our congregations to use the resources of the ELCA Witness in Society Team with advocacy networks on the state and federal level. And get involved with AMMPARO, the ELCA’s strategy toward just and humane policies affecting migrants. As we move forward, let us hold fast to our faith and to one another. Let us be bold in our witness to the gospel, steadfast in our prayers for those in authority and tireless in our efforts to seek justice for all. May God grant us courage, wisdom and peace in these days. In Christ, The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton Presiding Bishop Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 1The Book of Concord, Kold and Wengert, eds., page 450 About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther. For information contact: Candice Hill Buchbinder Public Relations Manager Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org Original ELCA Posting: Presiding Bishop Eaton Issues Pastoral Message on Executive Orders

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• Third Sunday after Epiphany
  26 Jan 2025
  

  Welcome to today’s service. If you would like to participate during communion, please have wine and bread ready to do so. God’s glory is revealed in the reading of scripture. People stand at attention. People weep. People prostrate themselves in prayer. The unity of the church is another reflection of God’s glory. Most gloriously, the promises of God are fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. Gather round. Listen up. Glimpse the glory of God.

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