November 29 2020 First Sunday of Advent
Pastor Janet Hansted
Saturday, September 19th Day #7 of “God’s work, Our hands” Week
God's Work, Our Hands!
Dear St. Luke Friends,
Day #7: Friday, September 19, 2020
God’s Work, Our Hands Week!
Learn, Grow, Serve – Setting Aside an Hour a Day to serve God and our Neighbors!
THEME:
Serving God by Caring about Gun Violence and Gun Safety
BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: Ecclesiastes 9:18
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.
Reflection:
Anyone of us can hurt another, with or without weapons of war. There are no guarantees of safety in this life; we are vulnerable to each other’s choices, daily. For this reason, every person’s wellbeing is tied up in that of our neighbors. The best way to stay safe is to work to ensure that everyone around us is safe. Still, knowing the brokenness any of us can embody, we can take steps to manage the depth and breadth of our vulnerability. We paint lines on freeways to limit collisions, we license drivers so that we can ensure a baseline of skill, -- thousands of additional examples are all around us. When it comes to who may have access to what kinds of weapons and at what age, and under what conditions, we, as a society, are still struggling to find a plan that prioritizes the lives of those most vulnerable to gun violence and suicide. Today we pay attention and seek wisdom; may we take loving actions to choose life-saving guidelines for the sake of the greater good.
LOVE ACTIONS:
Start small, learn more, invest yourself!
God’s Work in 3 Minutes:
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Watch: “Moments that Survive” – how gun violence survivors and their families find support and hope and honor their loved ones.
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Read: “Gun Violence is a Public Health Crisis” American Public Health Association
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Forward the Weekly Word to a friend–or post an invite on Social Media – invite neighbors/friends to join us for worship on Sundays: (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/995878026)
God’s Work in <30 Minutes:
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Watch: The State of Gun Violence in the U.S., explained in 18 Charts
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Read: ELCA Resource-- Gun Violence and Christian Witness, by Katie Day
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Read: Armed and Misogynist: How Toxic Masculinity Fuels Mass Shootings
God’s Work in 1-3 Hours:
Watch a Movie!: “Under the Gun” Documentary with Katie Couric (on Amazon Prime);
"Bowling For Columbine" (on Amazon Prime)
Read: In Pursuit of Peace--Building Police-Community Trust to Break the Cycle of Violence (a long, but very comprehensive review of Communities changing the cycle of gun violence.)
God’s blessing to you.
Pastor Janet
Rev. Janet L. Hansted
St. Luke Lutheran Church
5312 Comercio WayWoodland Hills, CA 91364
FB: StLukeWoodlandHills
818 436-2850 ch. ofc.
(*All suggestions for movies and books are intended to acquaint the faithful with some aspects of the theme of the day. Should there be aspects of the movie or specifics associated with content, actors, production or other aspects of the movie/book which are objectionable, please note St. Luke is not endorsing all aspects of each resource listed, only making suggestions for potentially helpful experiences in focusing on the themes for the day.)