Day of Lament Against Anti-asian Racism

The Asian and Pacific Islander Association of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America issued a statement on March 4, 2021, addressing the increase in violence directed toward Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The ELCA Conference of Bishops affirmed the statement on March 5, 2021. Read the full statement here: https://elca.org/News-and-Events/8089

The statement calls the church to declare a Sunday during this Lenten season to lament in order to express solidarity with, help in healing, and support Asian American victims of violence. March 21, 2021, the Fifth Sunday in Lent, is named as a common date for this day of lament. However, worshiping communities may choose a different date as appropriate for their context.

The ELCA Worship Office has released worship resources for this Day of Lament

• PDF version 

• Word Document version

Other Resources: 

• Other litanies from ELCA worship

• Condemnation of White Supremacy and Racist Rhetoric: Social Resolution

• Social Statement: Freed in Christ, Race, Ethnicity, and Culture

• One Body Many Members: Multi-part leadership study about race ethnicity and culture