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Dear friends in Christ,

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I fear no
evil; for thou art with me_."

I began and ended this week attending funerals.  On Monday an Illinois
family of faith celebrated the life of George.  On Friday a Pennsylvania
family of faith celebrated the life of Jim.   As I participated in both
services - with friends and acquaintances who surrounded the grieving
families with love and support, I was reminded of how the church comes
together to surround with help and hope people grieving their losses in
times of disasters.

As God's resurrection people, we are not immobilized by the Good Friday
cross of death.  Instead, we are moved forward by the Easter Sunday empty
tomb of new life.  We are empowered to reach out to others with the same
love God has reached out to us.

This past year our country experienced many "no name" storms, quickly out
of the news but leaving the impact of loss and destruction on the lives of
many.  Here are some of the places Lutheran Disaster Response (the
cooperative ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod) continues to bring help and hope to
others grieving the losses of disasters as we move forward into this new
year:

ú Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (1999 tornadoes)
ú Eastern North Carolina (1999 Hurricane Floyd)
ú Los Alamos, New Mexico (fires)
ú Montana (fires)
ú Southeast Florida (floods)
ú Alabama (tornadoes)

So this week I gave thanks to God for the lives of two persons who deeply
loved and served God, their families, their church, and their neighbors.
And I also gave thanks to God for the continuing living witness of all who
love and serve, by responding to those who have walked through the valley
of the shadow of disasters - helping to set aside fear and despair by God's
living love.

Yours in Christ,
Gil Furst

GILBERT B. FURST (written on Sat, Jan 20, 2001, at  6:22 pm)
Director, ELCA Domestic Disaster Response (Division for Church in Society),
Lutheran Disaster Response (a cooperative ministry of the ELCA and LCMS)
8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago 60631   PHONE: 773-380-2822  FAX: 773-380-2493
Visit our website:  www.elca.org/dcs/disaster