Dear friends in Christ,

We are living through “interesting” times, “tumultuous” times, “challenging” times, and it can feel truly overwhelming. Emotions are running high in the world, especially in the United States of America.

Our outgoing Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton issued a statement last month following the murder of Charlie Kirk, which is reproduced below. I am writing to commend Bishop Eaton’s statement to you. 

At Christ Lutheran we pray every Sunday for peace in our world, our nation, our homes, and our hearts. America is a country where we are free to discuss, debate, agree or disagree. And these conversations can take place in an atmosphere of mutual respect and forbearance. 

The Deaconess Community of the ELCA has also spoken about political violence:

Violence is never inevitable. It is not the final word.

As followers of Christ, we are called to resist the cycle of harm and to sow seeds of peace. Rooted in the living Word, we cling to the vision of a world where every person is safe, welcomed, and cherished.

We pray and act for communities free from fear, where justice rolls down like waters and compassion reshapes the world.

Together, let us be courageous leaders—choosing love over retaliation, partnership over division, hope over despair.

Jesus calls us to love our neighbor. Who is our neighbor? The stranger, the friend, and the enemy. I pray that the coming weeks bring us renewed courage, joy, and a deeper sense of community with each other: gifts of the Spirit rooted in God’s Word and shared with the world.

In Christ’s peace, Pastor Susan Shelhart

The 16th Week after Pentecost

September 11, 2025

As presiding bishop of this church, I want to address yesterday’s shooting in Utah. Charlie Kirk, known by millions for his views and videos supporting right-wing ideas, died by another senseless act of political violence. He was exercising his First Amendment right of free speech when he was shot and killed. This continues a long streak of political violence that shows no sign of subsiding. We’ve witnessed an attack on the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, two attempts to assassinate President Donald Trump during last year’s campaign, the murder of two Minnesota state lawmakers, an arson attack on the home of Pennsylvania’s governor, a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor, and too many more.

As I wrote last year, after the attempt on President Trump’s life in Butler, Pa., “God calls this church to say a definitive ‘no’ to political violence now and in the future. Political violence has a long history but no place in democracy. This church belongs to God, and our unity in Christ is a grace-filled and healing gift in a fractured society.”

This church teaches that disagreement is healthy and can lead to greater understanding and cooperation. But we have lost that sense of respectful debate and have degenerated into a society that treats differing opinions as personal attacks, erasing the humanity of some and abandoning the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must recommit ourselves to reflecting what Christ taught us through acts of forgiveness, healing and new life. I continue to hold that “God’s resolve for peace in human communities is unshakable.”

In this moment, I urge all of us in this church to embrace God’s call, to hear and embody the good news of Jesus Christ and to fulfill our roles as peacemakers through active civic engagement.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton

Presiding Bishop

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 

About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.7 million members in more than 8,400 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.