Category: News

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has issued a message on the war in Gaza. We invite you to read it here. 

Say Their Names! Clementa C. Pinckney, Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lee Lance, DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel Lee Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, and Myra Thompson were murdered by a self-professed white supremacist while they were gathered for Bible study and prayer at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (often referred to as Mother Emanuel) in Charleston, South Carolina. This martyrdom happened on June 17, 2015. Pastors Pinckney and Simmons were both graduates of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary.

A resolution to commemorate June 17 as a day of repentance for the martyrdom of the Emanuel Nine was adopted by the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on August 8, 2019. Congregations and synods of the ELCA are encouraged to reaffirm their commitment to repenting of the sins of racism and white supremacy which continue to plague this church, to venerate the martyrdom of the Emanuel Nine, and to mark this day of penitence with prayer and calls to action.

On Sunday, June 23, we remember Juneteenth (June 19), the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

We reflect on the vision of hope that filled the newly freed people in this country who began new lives by creating schools and colleges.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stressed that education is one of the pillars of equity. We are invited to act by directly supporting Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, one of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We encourage you to invest now at: www.htu.edu

On Sunday, June 23 we remember the Emanuel Nine martyrs and reaffirm our commitment ending racism. 

Gretchen Olson Kopp has been called as Senior Pastor of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Spokane, Washington,  stmarks-Spokane.org. Gretchen will be ordained into the ministry of Word and Sacrament on Sunday, June 9, 2 pm,  at Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church, 2650 Farnam St, Omaha, Nebraska. The service will be live-streamed and may be attended through the church website, kmlchurch.org. 

Gretchen, her husband Sacha, and their children Eleanor and Eli, were members  of First English from 2000-2014.  Gretchen is grateful for the love that has sustained her and her family and helped to form her for ministry. They will forever consider the people in the FELC community as family.  

The church season after the 50 days of Eastertide and Pentecost Day celebrations is half of the year, yet it has no “official” name. It is called “Time after Pentecost” or “Ordinary Time” because of the numbering (ordinals) of the Sundays. It includes the distinct natural seasons of summer and fall, which have different themes emphasized. The primary color is green. This highlights the first part of Ordinary Time with themes of  growth and celebration in community, and the renewal of faith and discipleship in the ministry and teaching of Jesus. 

On Sunday we celebrate the Centennial of Native American Citizenship. On June 2, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signed the “Indian Citizenship Act” into law. As part of this celebration, we will offer a revised version of our “Land and Water Acknowledgement:”

We acknowledge the presence of God’s people living on this land long before European
conquest. These lands and waters have sustained the Coahuiltecan, Comanche, Jumanos, Lipan, Apache, Sana, Tonkawa, and other indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Gathering to worship on ancestral homelands, we acknowledge and honor our indigenous sisters, siblings, and brothers who continue to care for the land and water and call this land home. 

Meet at the home of Anne Wiebe, 1 – 3 pm, for potluck lunch and discussion of The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, by James Weldon Johnson. 

The author, the first Black executive secretary of the NAACP, offers a fictionalized account of his life and looks at the consequences of denying one’s heritage. James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) was a successful lawyer, educator, social reformer, songwriter, and critic. But it was as a poet and novelist that he achieved lasting fame. Among his most famous works, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man in many ways parallels Johnson’s own remarkable life. First published in 1912, the novel relates, through an anonymous narrator, events in the life of an American of mixed ethnicity whose exceptional abilities and ambiguous appearance allow him unusual social mobility — from the rural South to the urban North and eventually to Europe.

Austin Public Library has five copies on the shelves, e-books and audiobooks. Available on Amazon for $5.49. Book Club typically meets on the second Sunday of each month.

LOOKING FOR A SUMMER READ?   On the shelves facing the stairs in the hallway going into the Fellowship Hall are 47 books on all facets of racial justice!  To check one out, sign the list on the shelf.  Click here for a list of the complete library with author notes and links to descriptions. 

Please return books within a month. Check your shelves and return to FELC if you have any of the following: 

The Beloved Community; Between the World and Me; The Cross and the Lynching Tree; The Fire Next Time; Just Mercy – A Story of Justice and Redemption; Learning in Public; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass; Raising White Kids; There is a Balm in Huntsville; The Water Dancer; We Do This Til We Free Us

We’ve all grown from reading these books.  Nancy Neuse said this about There is a Balm in Huntsville: “A friend gave us a copy and I quickly read it.  Written by T. Carlos Anderson (Tim) of Austin, I remember the accident this story is based on.  Tim preached at First English, last summer I believe, and his work with restorative justice is to me, very hopeful.  Forgiveness, redemption, change—all can occur.  Just my emotional riff on this book.”  

NOT ONE OF US knows all we need to know about the history and status of racial injustice in America.  Join us in facing the facts.

Racial Justice Task Force:  Barbara Wiederaenders, Leigh Northcutt-Benson, Mari Ward, Barbara Schutz, Nancy Baden, Derek Bridges, Charlotte Gillman, Randy Baden

On Tuesday night strong winds caused major damage to the trees on the FELC property. The large tree on the playground was completely knocked down with additional damage to other trees on the grounds.

The amazing Property Team went into immediate action! The tree service company was contacted and a crew was on premise working early in the morning.  Our thanks go out to Terry Porter, Heidi Goebel, Gwen Flory and the rest of the Property Team. And a big shout out to Julio’s Tree Service and all of his crew for their quick response.

The FELC team gathered last Saturday to provide the meal at the Micah 6 drop-in center at University Baptist Church.  A steady stream of hungry diners lined up for full plates of cheesy beef enchilada casserole, rice, pinto beans with vegan chorizo, roasted corn salad, and chips with guacamole and salsa.  Brian Neidig provided the entree.  Jackie Chuter, Kristin Mondy and Heidi Goebel pitched in with sides and Marilynn Olsen made sopapilla cheesecake bars for dessert. Brian, Jackie, and Andy Maclaren (Micah 6 Board member) stayed to serve the meal.

First English has been an enthusiastic participant with this ministry for many years.  Young people have been touched by God’s love through appetizing and nutritious food, friendly smiles, and unconditional care.  To learn more or participate in the next meal, contact Heidi Goebel, heidigoebel@sbcglobal.net. It’s easy, fun, and provides a meaningful service to young people in the Austin area. 

After receiving a wonderful home-cooked meal, youth/young adults can visit the supply closet to get pants, shirts, socks, shoes, and jackets. Donations of women’s and men’s short sleeved shirts, small women’s clothing and larger men’s clothing are needed at this time.  Thanks for helping!  Contact Andy MacLaren, 512-947-4186, Andymaclaren@cs.com.

FELC volunteers will provide and serve a meal  this Saturday at the  University Baptist Church Micah 6 drop-in center. The center serves young adults [up to 30 years old] who are street dependent.  Facilities at UBC include computers, TVs,  laundry machines and comfy couches in an air-conditioned lounge.  Visitors can also pick up clothing and toiletry items.

This Saturday is the second of five dates in 2024 that FELC is scheduled to provide the meal.  Brian Neidig is head chef this time around and he will be preparing a hearty, cheesy beef enchilada casserole.  And we’ve got folks signed up to bring sides: beans, rice, corn salad, and of course – chips, salsa and guacamole.  And don’t forget about dessert!  Provisions are made for  vegetarians as well.  Diners often come back for seconds and even thirds. Many young people have been touched by God’s love through appetizing & nutritious food, friendly smiles and unconditional care.

 First English has been an enthusiastic participant with this ministry for many years.  If you would like to know about the next opportunity to prepare and / or serve the Saturday meal, contact Heidi Goebel heidigoebel@sbcglobal.net , and she will add you to the list. It’s easy, fun, and provides a meaningful service to young people in the Austin area.