Dear friends in Christ,

Today, as I write this report, children at "Ground Zero" in lower Manhattan
are reading
the names of parents killed in the terrorist attacks.  Today the words of
Martin Luther's
hymn, "Mitten wir im Leben sind," echo in my ears: "In the midst of life, we
are
surrounded by death. To whom shall we go for help and to find grace? To you,
oh Lord,
alone."

On this day, which has significantly changed our lives, our words cannot
erase the power
of death.  But today our faith has a message that raises us up beyond death
to new
purpose and confidence.

Today our faith leads us to remember.  We remember the enormous loss of life
in New
York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.  We remember dust-covered
firefighters
climbing stairs to rescue people from burning towers.  We remember exhausted

emergency workers climbing huge piles of rubble searching for survivors.  We
remember
pastors and chaplains offering words of hope or consolation to stunned and
shocked
survivors. We remember impromptu, hand-written notes of love and loss in
city parks
and firehouse doors. We remember congregations gathering for worship, and
neighbors
praying with neighbors. We remember offers of help and generous donations.

Today our faith leads us to rededication.  Remembering how lives have been
touched and
changed by faithful acts of love, today is a day to rededicate ourselves to
bringing faithful
acts of love to others.  Today is a day to express love to those nearest and
dearest, to our
families, friends, colleagues, neighbors, to those in sorrow, to those in
need.  Today our
faith leads us to rededicate ourselves to the task of making the lives of
those around us
better and stronger and blessed in Jesus' name.s

Today our faith leads us to resurrection.  "I am the resurrection and the
live," Jesus
promises.  "Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live; and
everyone who
lives and believes in me will never die." At many funerals in our
congregations a lighted
candle at the head of the coffin reminds us that when we are baptized we are
baptized
into our Lord's death and resurrection.  Our baptismal faith in Christ makes
it possible for
us to change, to be given a new nature by God's grace, to be reborn each
day.  And that
same faith also assures us at death that we are at rest with our Lord, with
the promise of
our own resurrection and life with God forever.  Today, in the midst of life
surrounded by
death, our grief is tempered by the knowledge that God's word of life and
victory in Jesus
Christ is stronger than the forces of death.

On this day I want to express deepest thanks to thank you on behalf of
thousands of
people in New York, New Jersey, and Washington D.C. Your prayers and
generosity
enable Lutheran Disaster Response, the cooperative ministry of the
Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, to provide
sustaining
ministry, help and hope, to those directly impacted by September 11, 2001.
As we
remember that sad day, we also rededicate our church's ministries.
Spiritual and
emotional support is provided for caregivers and first responders.  LDR-NY
is working
directly with the "9/11 Widows and Victims" organization.  Project LIFE is
providing
"care" management to help hundreds of people connect to the myriad of
available help
and benefits and assistance. "New Ground" day camps again helped hundreds of
children
in New York and New Jersey process their feelings and emotions in a Biblical
context.
Tuition assistance for Lutheran schools is available to children whose
parents lost jobs.
Emergency cash assistance is provided to soup kitchens, food pantries, and
programs run
by Lutheran churches or organizations to help meet increased demand.
Counseling
continues for individuals, groups, and congregations.

This day, September 11, is an annual reminder that "In the midst of life, we
are
surrounded by death."  It is a day to remember, to rededicate, and to
celebrate
resurrection.  Because of your generosity, much ministry has been provided
these past
two years.  Much more awaits to be done. God is here; God's people the
church are here.
And because of you, the church will be here for the long haul, providing
compassion,
help, and hope in the name of the Lord, in whom we find help and grace.

Yours in Christ,
Gil Furst

GILBERT B. FURST (written on Thu, Sep 11, 2003, 10:50 am). Director for
ELCA DOMESTIC DISASTER RESPONSE (Division for Church in Society) and
LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE (a cooperative ministry of the ELCA and LC-MS)
8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago 60631 PHONE: 773-380-2822 FAX: 773-380-2493
Please visit our websites:     www.led.org     www.elca.org/dcs/disaster