Response to the War in Ukraine

initially released March 18, 2022

As a community, we believe that God’s love is nearest to us in our struggles and our suffering. This takes shape and form often in the ways we support and uphold each other – in real, tangible ways like feeding the hungry, sheltering those without homes, getting clothes and medical supplies to those in need. And working for a true and lasting peace. 

The war in Ukraine is devastating lives, families and communities. Thousands of miles away, we can feel helpless to do anything that makes a difference. But there are tangible ways we can provide support and love.

Pray for peace. We trust in God to be near the brokenhearted, including our siblings in Ukraine. Prayer shapes our hearts and minds and our actions toward generosity and care. This makes a difference as we seek to be peacemakers in our part of the world.

As you are able, give financially to Lutheran Disaster Response. There are many organizations out there doing vital work, but here is one we vetted and highly recommend. You’ll find a QR code to the right as well as a link to their website. One of the great gifts of being part of a larger denomination (ELCA), is that we have long-standing relationships on both a national and global level.  

Already, the ELCA has relationships with churches and other partners on the ground in Ukraine and in its neighboring countries. Because Lutheran Disaster Response is a ministry of the ELCA, the costs of staffing and other administrative needs are covered by the church, so 100% of your donation goes to those working on the ground.  

Lutheran Disaster Response collaborates with local churches and ecumenical partners to offer humanitarian relief for those impacted by the unfolding crises in Ukraine. This means that refugees and internally displaced persons in Ukraine are supported with emergency non-food items such as beds, mattresses, blankets, linens, food, hygiene items, and dignity kits. The churches are coordinating protection and safeguarding of vulnerable individuals and groups, psychosocial care and pastoral support. The churches are coordinating to provide transportation for people from the border, temporary housing, food, and water. Our donations go to the work in these churches. 

Again, this aid has all moved forward rapidly, because the ELCA already had these relationships and connections with the churches on the ground in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. By working with already established capacity and leadership, it has been possible to quickly adapt to a rapidly changing situation. This ability to adapt to the needs of the moment is a crucial element to effective support as this time of crisis in Eastern Europe continues. 

Lutheran Disaster Response is well aware of the long-term impact of this violence, and is committed to continue doing what they do as this unfolds in months, even years to come. They also write:

“We are called and call others to remember, that the life we have together in Christ and the worldwide connection of churches is something strikingly important in this time of estrangement. For many in Russia and Ukraine, the challenge of this time is unfathomable to us. The prayer for peace and the drive toward fellowship with those in Russia and Ukraine, which were transformative in previous times of conflict are of paramount importance now. We continue to pray for the Lutheran community, all of Christ’s followers, all people of faith, and the whole of the nations of Russia and Ukraine.” 

Scripture reminds us that we are one body, and when one part of the body suffers, we all suffer. As we pray for peace in Ukraine and the ceasing of violence by Russian leadership, we join in offering all we can to make a much-needed difference right now.

Thank you to Salt House Church for gathering and sharing this information in its original form

Health Through Housing

initially released February 8, 2022

As a community of faith, we strongly support the purchase of the former La Quinta Inn as a part of King County’s Health Through Housing Initiative.

Woven throughout the scriptures we read and study as Christians is the command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus named this as one of the two most important commandments; the other, he said, is, “to love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul.”

Love of neighbor is not an idea or a concept. It is not someone else’s job. When he encountered people who were hungry, Jesus fed them; when he met people who were wounded, he healed them. When people were cast out or isolated, Jesus brought them back into community. As Christians, we believe Jesus continues to do these things through us.

It is abundantly clear that our region has a housing crisis. Many of our neighbors cannot afford a safe place to live. Solving this is not an idea or a concept, and it is not someone else’s problem; it is our shared work. At stake are human lives, as valuable and beloved to God as every human life – housed or not.

As a congregation, we have been active in supporting our neighbors who experience homelessness. We have hosted Tent City and Camp Unity numerous times; we have built tiny houses; we partner with Hopelink to provide funding which prevents evictions; we host regular community suppers (prior to COVID); we support Helen’s Place, Mary’s Place, Sophia Way, and other organizations which provide shelter; and on a regular basis, we give bus tickets, food, and any assistance we can to the adults and families who come to our door asking for help. We will continue to do this work, as do numerous faith communities in Kirkland, but we cannot solve the problem on our own. It will take commitment and resources from all of us, including governmental entities, to make real and lasting change.

We urge the county to work with the city of Kirkland and its residents in creating a safe, sustainable, and healthy plan for permanent supportive housing at this site. Ensuring the human dignity of those experiencing homelessness is good for the whole community. Individuals and families experiencing homelessness are not our enemies; they are not a reason to fear. We are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, and this project is an excellent way to do just that.

Sincerely,

David Papenhausen, HSLC Council President

Pastor Katy McCallum Sachse, HSLC Lead Pastor                          

Pastor Gina Herman, HSLC Associate Pastor

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If you wish to contact our local representatives to express your comments, the contact information is below:

Councilwoman Claudia Balducci - claudia.balducci@kingcounty.gov

Executive Dow Constantine - kcexec@kingcounty.gov

Mayor Penny Sweet - psweet@kirklkandwa.gov

Senator Manka Dhingra - manka.dhingra@leg.wa.gov

Representative Roger Goodman - roger.goodman@leg.wa.gov

Representative Larry Springer - larry.springer@leg.wa.gov

Anti-Racism Satement from HSLC

initially released June 12, 2020

Recently, we heard the story of Pentecost: the day we remember as the birth of the church. Gathered together, unsure of their future, the followers of Jesus experienced a rushing wind among them and tongues of fire upon them, releasing them from fear and anxiety to tell the story of Jesus in the diverse languages of the people of Jerusalem.

In Genesis, ‘wind’ and ‘breath’ are the same Hebrew word.

A wind from God – the breath of God – sweeps over the chaos of creation and brings life, beauty, variety, and a whole humanity made in the image of God. That same breath and wind moves over the fearful disciples at Pentecost. Wind and fire can be destructive; they can also be signs of new life.

In these past days, we have seen both wind and fire in our life as a nation. We have heard the voice of George Floyd crying, “I can’t breathe,” as he died at the hands of police in Minneapolis. We have heard the chants of those crying his name and the names of far too many black men and women, beloved children of God, whose lives have been taken violently. We have seen fire consume streets and businesses, and tear gas bring choking and sobs.

Though we do not condone violence, we must listen to the anger, fear, frustration, and grief which have brought us to this place. The legacy of slavery has never left our common life. White supremacy is not simply the actions of a few malevolent individuals or groups; it infects every part of our society. It is strangling the life from our brown and black siblings, as it has for hundreds of years. It is sin.

The ELCA Is an overwhelmingly white denomination – by recent statistics, the whitest denomination in the United States. This means we have much work to do. With leaders in the ELCA, we mourn the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and far too many others whose names we have learned because of how they died. We remember how Jesus sought out those who were outcast, disenfranchised, and excluded, and how he demanded justice from the religious and political elite. We remember how he turned over the tables in the temple, demanding that an unjust system of sacrifice, which excluded so many, be brought to a swift end.

Jesus’ way of peace did not come from ignoring problems or silencing people by force.

When his followers offered to save his life by drawing their swords, Jesus told them to stop. And so we reject any language by our political leaders which seeks to inflame violence, to threaten the right to protest, or to silence the voices of dissent. We firmly reject the use of the church and the bible as symbols intended to demean and to dominate.

Our mission statement at Holy Spirit reminds us that we are called to “proclaim and embody the compassionate, challenging, inclusive love of God revealed in Jesus Christ.” This mission is never done, never complete. The Holy Spirit is always rushing in, breathing new life, igniting the fires of justice. This means we will be made uncomfortable, because God is always doing something new; it also means we have courage and strength for the work ahead. To be compassionate, we need to truly hear the suffering and pain of our siblings without trying to defend ourselves. To be challenging, we need to engage the real questions and problems of this time without running away. To be inclusive, we need to ask ourselves why we remain such a homogenous community and be willing to change.

This will not be easy.

It is compounded by our inability to gather together: to mourn, to hope, to pray, to act together. But God’s wind and fire will not wait. As our Bishop said in her address a few days ago, “silence is violence.” We commit to the work of anti-racism and we encourage you to do the same. This will mean listening, learning, and action, for us as leaders, and for us as a community. As we gather resources for this work, we welcome your prayers, your feedback, and your action. This will be lifelong work. And we know that a statement by the pastors and staff is not the church; the church is all of us, following God’s call and working for change.

Pentecost is not over. The wind and fire are still bringing new life.

The Spirit is alive among us, and we have work to do.

In Christ,

Pastor Michael Anderson

Pastor Katy McCallum Sachse

Pastor Rita Anderson

Pastor Mary-Alyce Burleigh

Sean Bendickson, Office Administrator

Marjorie Buchanan, Parish Administrator

Becky Cole, Director of Children and Family Ministries

Danielle Dadashi, Director of Youth and Online Ministries

Ruth Hanley, Director of Holy Spirit Lutheran Preschool

John Sparkman, Director of Music Ministries

Tammie Zarfos, Director of Confirmation Ministries