Bishop’s Message for All Saints Sunday, 2024

On the Sunday before what is to be one of the most divisive and consequential elections in the history of this nation, the church gathers to hear and proclaim the scripture readings for All Saints Sunday. Isaiah provides the vision of God’s feast for all people, and of the day when God will swallow up death forever and wipe every tear from our eyes. The writer of Revelation echoes this vision. The Psalmist reminds the people to take comfort that finally, the earth is the Lord’s. And at the grave of Lazarus, St. John provides a glimpse of the resurrection for Jesus, and each of us. 

This weekend I get to preach at the Starbuck congregations where some of my teachers and mentors in the ministry are buried: the Forde family, the Ranum family, and so many more. Like you, I am conscious of the weight of the words I speak this weekend: gathering with and preaching to assemblies that include 50% on one side of the election, and 50% on the other. Tough odds. So what are we to preach? 

Well, as always, I hope that we preach Christ crucified and risen. Preach the cross and resurrection. Preach the One who is the Living Word. Preach the One who puts sin to death and raises up new life. Preach Jesus.  Preach God’s presence making all things new. 

The prophet Isaiah also provides a vision of how we might live as we are sent out into daily lives that are challenging, complicated, and beautiful: “You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.” (Is. 58:12). 

Each of us needs to discern what this call looks like in the particular place where God has planted us: “cities, farms, and towns together under one prairie sky.” Even though so much is unclear about where we will be a week from now, right now we can encourage one another to: 

Pray. We pray to elect trustworthy leaders and that those entrusted with authority will lead with wisdom, humility, and peace. We pray for discernment and readiness to be agents of God’s love, healing, justice, and reconciliation—no matter who wins.

Vote. This is an essential step in faithful civic engagement. Our ELCA social message, Government and Civic Engagement in the United States: Discipleship in a Democracy, notes:"Lutherans recognize government as a gift from God to serve the common good" (p.1). 

Have Respectful Conversations. Engage in dialogue with others with empathy, avoiding media hype and political spin in conversations. 

• Ask others about the experiences and values that shape their ideas. 

• Remember that perhaps God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. 

• Try to understand opposing viewpoints while having respectful conversations. This reflects our calling to live out Christ’s love through understanding and reconciliation, as emphasized in the Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective social statement (p. 9). 

• We are called to be both a “prophetic presence” and a “reconciling and healing presence” in the world, both denouncing sin and mediating conflicts to serve the common good (Church in Society, pp. 3-4).  

Commit to Civic Engagement: Involvement in political and nonpolitical community efforts is part of our baptismal vocation. 

As noted in the ELCA's social message, Government and Civic Engagement, this involvement extends beyond partisan lines, contributing to both political and nonpolitical processes for justice and peace. 

501(c)(3) Status and the Johnson Amendment 

The ELCA as a church—encompassing its synods, congregations, and the churchwide organization—is a 501(c)(3) organization and bound by the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits religious organizations from endorsing political candidates or engaging in partisan politics. However, the ELCA can still participate in issue advocacy, such as advocating for the poor, and nonpartisan political activities, such as serving as a polling place or hosting voter registration drives. 

• Ministers can endorse candidates for election when it is clear that they are doing so in their individual capacity and not in their official capacity or on behalf of any organization (congregation, synod, ELCA, etc.) that they currently serve or formerly served. This means that if they are posting or publishing on any social media, it must be on their personal accounts, not church-related, and they should not be using any official titles, emails, or other church-related details that could suggest endorsement. They cannot use church resources, like listservs, to broadcast personal political views or endorsements. 

• That being said, I recognize that most of us as rostered ministers serving in this synod are recognized in our pastoral role across our community, and cannot sluff off that identity. It’s part of what it means to be called and answer a call to serve a congregation and the church. 

• Detailed guidance on permissible political activities for ELCA organizations can be found in Being_A_Public_Church.pdf (elca.org) and Political_Activity_and_Tax_Status.pdf (elca.org). 

Many scenarios could play out on Election Day and beyond. A candidate could win by a considerable margin, or by a narrow margin with the election not being decided for a number of days. Further, we pray there will be no election-related violence. Anywhere.  

Finally, as beloved children of God, saints marked with the sign of the cross, we live out the advice St. Paul gave to the Christians at Ephesus: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32). 

Praying in Christ’s love for you and with you,
+ Bp. Dee Pederson