Letters
Naysayers miss the positives Lutheran
FEBRUARY 2014
www.thelutheran.org $2.50 ® Justice
STORY PAGE 16
24 26 30
for women:
STUDY GUIDE PAGE 22
Why not child sponsorship? Congregation creativity In praise of digital evangelists
examining the work of the church, and for the wonderful February edi- tion centered around a call for justice for women (page 16). Finally, Presid- ing Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton’s col- umns have been frank, delightful and filled with sparkling prose. Thanks for all you are doing to provide this gift to the church. The Rev. Donna Simon Kansas City
In and out of the church
I was saddened by all the negativity in the “Letters” of the February issue (page 48). As a graphic designer and seminarian, I love the new flag/logo, fonts and paper upgrade. I also con- tinue to appreciate the quality and diversity of the content. It was hard to read the negative opinions, whether finding fault with the use of certain theological words in an article or the removal of the cross incorporated in previous flags. Instead of looking for the positives in the work that The Lutheran produces, too many choose to focus on what is negative to them. Scott Nellis Columbus, Ohio
A good gift In an age in which one rarely finds substantive discussion of faith mat- ters in the larger media, The Lutheran is a welcome infusion of salt and light. Your articles about our living faith and tradition have been bold and deeply thoughtful. Thank you for inviting us into biblical fluency, for
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www.thelutheran.org
Yes to sponsorship The article on child sponsor- ship (February, page 24) showed exactly why someone might prefer to sponsor a child, as I do. Words like “accompaniment” and phrases like “we uphold values of mutuality, inclusivity, vulnerability, empower- ment and sustainability” mean vir- tually nothing to the average person. Sponsoring a child is a very personal and tangible experience. The tone of the article is every bit as distant and uninspiring as meeting a sponsored child face to face is intimate and life- changing. Charitable giving is and should be a personal experience. Carl Korfmacher Evansville, Wis.
It doesn’t work The article on child sponsorship was on target. A child is part of a child-parent unit, family, neighbor- hood, community and society, not a freestanding person. I am the U.S. coordinator for Canyon Scholars, a program in the Copper Canyon of Mexico that provides scholarships to help the kids learn how to man- age money and supports their fami- lies through community meetings, gardening, sustainable agriculture
Child sponsorship, justice for women, diversity, Xmas, ad spark comments
and water containment, the latter is critical in the current drought. ELCA Global Mission operates in the same way and has our full support. Although the face of a needy child has great emotional appeal, the “save the children” movement spawned in the early 1900s did not work in the U.S., and it does not work in the rest of the world. Jack Westman, M.D. Madison, Wis.
Something missing There was no mention in any of the “Justice for women” articles (Febru- ary, page 16) of the pioneering work done by the predecessor communi- ties of the Lutheran Deaconess Com- munity of the ELCA. The deacon- ess community is alive and well and changing the world in myriad ways. We are not simply a photo of quaint old women in odd dress (page 5). Those women were breaking molds before any of us were born. We hold dear the work and vision of our ancestors in community. But please, do not make an icon of us to be rev- erenced and ignored. Honor the past, name the names, and join our quest into the future with ministry that touches the bodies and souls of many. Sister Davia Evans Carlisle, Pa.
Don’t worry Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton made some good points in her Febru- ary column (page 50), but she fails to understand the tribal nature of reli- gion. I am a Lutheran but I am also a member of a larger church, the Chris- tian church, which is very diverse. We can’t bemoan the fact that Chris-
The
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