My heart was troubled by the recent proposal to livestream an execution in the United States.  I am thankful that this plan has now been cancelled. The deliberate taking of a human life should never become a public spectacle. Such actions risk deepening the wounds of victims’ families, loved ones and communities while further desensitizing us to violence. Our society is diminished when violence is conflated with entertainment. Because of our ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:16-21), this church opposes the death penalty and the recent plans for public display of the execution of Nidal Hasan.

Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry issues his third in a series of monthly messages that continue through the end of this year, titled "All Together in One Place."  Each message will share a pastoral word, rooted in Scripture, that witnesses to God’s presence today, our rich theological tradition and the social teaching that connects us.

Recently, the Supreme Court issued a decision that will allow this administration to proceed with terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 330,000 people from Haiti and 3,800 from Syria, many of whom have lived in this country for decades. They are not strangers. They are part of the fabric of our whole society. The termination of TPS threatens to separate families, destabilize local economies and force people to return to countries where they may face severe humanitarian crises, violence and threats to their very lives.

Not all memories come flooding back because of photographs. Sometimes they can be a song, a word or phrase, or even a smell. For me, it’s barbecue. One whiff and, in an instant, I’m transported back to my youthful summers with barbecues across the street in the park, with sights of fellowship, family reunions and church gatherings. That smell has a way of lingering. It settles into your clothes, into your skin. Even after the fire has died down, it stays with you. Fire does that often. It marks you, sticking with you longer than you expect.

Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry and ELCA synod bishops from Minnesota share a joint pastoral video message condemning aggressive immigration activity.