A Devotion for and an Open Document from the Coalition of Lutherans in Black Ministry in Response to the Murder of George Floyd, June 6, 2020

Holy Scripture

Psalm 139:13 For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

Amos 5:14 Seek good, and not evil,

that you may live;

and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,

as you have said.

15 Hate evil, and love good,

and establish justice in the gate;

it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,

will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Luke 10:36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Acts 2: 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. …42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

LCMS Theologians

Rev. Donald Anthony (Grace Lutheran, Concord & Crown of Glory, Salisbury)

… If anyone is thirsty…if anyone is in need if anyone is hurting, if anyone is struggling, if anyone has questions about tomorrow, if anyone is having trouble sorting out the challenges of life…He promises to be present. God promises to meet us at our point of need. I am devastated, confused, frustrated, and angry by the death of George Floyd, but I can hear the voice of Jesus saying come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. I can hear the voice of Jesus saying, I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. I can hear the voice of God declaring, I will fight your battles, just be still. I can hear, the voice of God declaring, you are not alone, I have 10,000 reserved who will join you in the battle for justice. …That’s good news right there.

…God promises that He will send His Spirit upon us, He will breath His spirit on us and we will be changed and charged. I thank God for the change He makes in our lives. Because of His change, because of His Spirit at work in us, we respond differently to the violence around us. Because of His Change, the Spirit of God, at work in us, we pray for one another, even those who abuse us, we pray for them, we pray for their restoration and transformation,. Because of His Change, the Spirit of God at work in us, we seek peace and we speak peace. Because of His Change, the Spirt of God at work in us, we trust God and lean not to our own understanding. …

Rev. Warren Lattimore, Jr, Black Clergy Caucus Statement

…But will (George Floyd’s) baptismal identity in Christ be asphyxiated by the world because of the color of his skin? Will he be another statistic to a world that does not even know the number of hairs on his head? …Thank God, we are not alone in our suffering. For the first interaction between God and man was when God breathed life into Adam. The last interaction (before the resurrection) was when man suffocated Jesus, taking the Son of God’s final breath. Jesus died of asphyxiation on the cross. “Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last” (Mark 15:37). We must learn to see how our sin took the breath of Jesus; then we must learn to see how our sin took the breath of George.

When we see life taken, we remember the Fifth Commandment, which states, “Thou shalt not kill.” Yet we minimize our responsibility. Luther’s Large Catechism gives two important insights. First, “we should not use our tongue to advocate or advise harming anyone.” If we advocate violence, on social media or otherwise, then we have broken the commandment. Second, we have broken it, “not only when we do evil, but also when we have the opportunity to… prevent, protect, and save [our neighbor] from suffering bodily harm or injury, but fail to do so.”

…The first act of love is to listen.

“As love of God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them. It is God’s love for us that He not only gives us His Word but also lends us His ear. Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking where they should be listening.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

…To our Black Lutheran churches, this I say to you: Thank you. Thank you for being the Body of Christ in the world. Thank you for showing hospitality even when hospitality is not shown to you. Thank you for your endurance, for we know that, “endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:4-5). Thank you for loving our sons and daughters. Thank you for reminding them of who and whose they are – that they are of ultimate worth to God. I encourage you to talk with your pastor or deacon. To listen to them. To pray for them. To work with them. To let the church be the church, particularly in times like these. And to let God be God.

And to the Black clergy of the Lutheran Church, this I say to you: “Your labor is not in vain.” Continue to care for your local church. Pray for it. Lament with it. Love it. You are the pastor that your church needs. Not another. You are the pastor this Synod needs.

Minister Jerrod Drye, St. Peter’s Lutheran, Concord, NC

Jeremiah 31: 13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,

and the young men and the old shall be merry.

I will turn their mourning into joy;

I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.

14 I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,

and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,

declares the Lord.”

15 Thus says the Lord:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,

lamentation and bitter weeping.

Rachel is weeping for her children;

she refuses to be comforted for her children,

because they are no more.”

16 Thus says the Lord:

“Keep your voice from weeping,

and your eyes from tears,

for there is a reward for your work,

declares the Lord,

and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

1.) Many women are weeping for the loss their children to injustice.

2.) Yet, we are not called to despair. Rachel had a sin, too. She refused to be comforted when God was comforting her.

Rev. Dr. John Denninger (District President, Southeastern District)

A Pentecost Prayer for Minneapolis and Beyond

Holy Spirit – Holy Breath – we remember

How You entered the molded clay statue, lifeless on the ground

Filling Adam’s lungs with his first deep holy breath

As he inhaled this precious gift of love and life and then

He exhaled – waiting the grace of another breath