April 1, 2025
Called to Action for Earth Care
Tamela K. Walhof
St. Paul, MN
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Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for loving the world so very deeply. Help us to see the brokenness that now mars what you created as perfect, and the struggles of people you created in your image. Help us to reflect your love by loving and serving our neighbors and our vulnerable planet. Please help us be your advocacy ambassadors, bravely lifting our voices with, and for, those whose wellbeing is threatened. Give us the right words to share with our leaders, so that they, too, may see and hear and understand the brokenness, as well as how you are calling them to respond. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Lutheran Tradition
We know the challenges our world faces. The Lutheran tradition is steeped in both Christ’s care for the marginalized and Luther’s active, disruptive stance against injustice and exploitation. We have a long history of bringing the radical love of Jesus to people and places that are neglected and forgotten, speaking truth to power, and welcoming those who society has left behind. We are, as beloved children of God, called to be good stewards of the gift of creation, to be a voice for those who have had their voices stifled, and to advocate for our neighbor regardless of who that neighbor is. In a world that seeks to divide us, to hide our light under a bushel, the love of God binds us to one another irrevocably and makes us bearers of a light that cannot be covered. With this as our foundation, being God’s hands and feet to the world becomes a lifestyle we cannot resist living. Whether we are worshipping within the walls of our churches, serving our communities, or writing to our legislators, this deep love disrupts our patterns of division and gives us common ground on which to stand. Most importantly, we must remember that this is not our work but God’s work through us to draw us, and all of creation, toward resurrection and restoration.
Advocacy (Our advocacy seeks to influence public policy toward justice for all that God has created)
Advocacy, as defined by the dictionary, is “to speak or plead on behalf of another.” We ourselves are beneficiaries of advocacy. Jesus is our advocate (1 John 2:1), as is the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).
Throughout history, we see examples of God’s people acting as advocates by calling upon their leaders to act justly and protect the most vulnerable. Moses was an advocate for his people with Pharaoh, who was the most powerful political leader of his day. The Old Testament prophets were consistent advocates as they called the leaders and the people back to right relationship with God, which includes seeking justice.
Motivated by God’s love for us, we carry on that tradition. We can share a vision of the world as God wants it to be and help shape the laws and policies that define how we live together in God’s world. We can contact our leaders and lift our voices with, and for, those whose voice is not usually heard in the halls of power. Advocacy is an extension of the church’s practice of loving our neighbors and being good stewards of God’s creation.
We Need YOU!
We need you – your congregation, campus, youth group, confirmation class, WELCA group, church committee, or whatever – to write letters and be in contact with your lawmakers! Your group’s action will accomplish what staff cannot. Staff can help those in your group be effective citizen advocates. Staff can also follow up with members of Congress, but it is their own constituents that representatives and senators REALLY want to hear from.
Find your Members of Congress:
https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Letters to Congress (including email letters)
We need you – your congregation, campus, youth group, confirmation class, WELCA group, church committee, or whatever – to be in contact with your U.S. representative and senators! Letter-writing is one of the most accessible ways for many people to participate in advocacy action. Letter campaigns begin to create relationships with lawmakers, and it is in relationship with their constituents that our Members of Congress know what we care about, and why.
Letters can be written during a special time in worship, before or after a meal, as part of a forum or in small groups. It is effective to collect the letters as an offering to God, and to pray that lawmakers will be moved by them. Remember that we do this as part of our faith, acting as God’s advocacy ambassadors for love of neighbor and creation. Notecards or stationary, rather than big impersonal pieces of paper, help make the letters/notes feel more personal to and assist in the relationship-building process. Use the following pages, which can be printed back-to-back by issue, to organize letter offerings with your group. Or send the pages out in advance and encourage people to bring their letters to your next meeting or gathering to dedicate them jointly.
Phone Calls & Emails
When events are unfolding quickly, phone calls to members of Congress are an easy and effective way to take action. With a couple days leeway, emails can also be a quick way to reach lawmakers. Lutheran Advocacy-MN provides Action Alerts that include the Action requested, the Main Message, and various Talking Points - the caller (or emailer) is encouraged to choose one or two points or share briefly why they care about the issue. Usually, a message can be left with a staff person. Ask them to record your contact information and tell them you want to know later what the legislator did on the issue; instead of just being a “for” or “against” mark in their tally, the communication may have more of an impact.
Meetings with Lawmakers (in-person or virtual)
Magnify the impact of letters or emails by arranging group visits with your members of Congress. Our leaders want to hear from us and they rely on us to help inform them on issues that are pertinent to their districts. Constituent visits have been identified as the single most influential way to make a difference on an issue. When it is possible to refer to several previously written letters and emails by your group, the visit is even more powerful.
Letters to the Editor
If you can write a letter to a representative or senator, you can also write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Tie your comments to a recent article. Letters to the editor need to be very short and concise–no more than 200-300 words. The first sentence should engage readers immediately.
Social Media
Tagging lawmakers on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Blue Sky, or other platforms can be a good way to get their attention. Also, thank you messages can be helpful in relationship building. Photos of a person with a brief, specific action or message written on a whiteboard can be a very effective post – be sure to include your first name, last initial, and the community you’re from.
Thank Lawmakers
Most important – Don’t Forget to thank Members of Congress when they support the position you advocate, or if they take time to meet with you and your group. This helps build relationships!
The Situation: The clean energy tax credits passed under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) (Public Law 117-169) are essential. Tax credits support transition to more sustainable energy investment and the meeting of power requirements of a growing economy, including a U.S. manufacturing revival, building and transportation electrification, AI technology and next generation data centers.
Before the IRA, these credits’ predecessors enjoyed long-standing bipartisan support for their benefits to communities around the country.
Recent research has shown that the threats to the U.S. economy posed by repealing the IRA’s energy tax credits include:
$336 billion in less investment over the next 15 years;
97,000 fewer American energy jobs created; and
an average 10% increase in electricity bills.
Action Needed: Please urge Congress to oppose the repeal of IRA investments in affordable clean energy, American jobs, and economic development in the upcoming budget reconciliation bill. Examples of tax credits which meet this nation’s needs are:
Energy Investment Tax Credit (IRC Sec. 48E): Lowers the cost of building clean energy infrastructure.
Production Tax Credit (IRC Sec. 45Y): Provides credits per kilowatt hour of clean energy.
Advanced Manufacturing Tax Credit (IRC Sec. 45X): Lowers the cost of making solar, wind, and battery components as well as producing power inverters and critical minerals.
Electric Vehicle Tax Credits (IRC Sec. 30D and Sec. 25E): Sec. 30D provides up to $7,500 for qualified new EV purchases. Sec. 25E provides up to $4,000 for pre-owned EVs.
Residential Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Tax Credits (IRC Sec. 25D and Sec. 25C): Sec. 25D lowers the cost of home projects like rooftop solar, battery storage, or geothermal heat pump installation. Sec. 25C lowers the costs of projects like home weatherization, heat pump installation, or electric water heater installation.
As you try to get the attention of your members of Congress, you’ll want to use your own words and personalize your letter as much as possible. They want to know what YOU think. Notecards or stationery can make the letter feel even more personal. A simple personalized letter, note, or email is usually worth more than hundreds of form letters. Contact Lutheran Advocacy-MN or ELCA Advocacy for updates.
A good letter will also include the following elements:
Your Name & Address on Envelope & Letter: Leaders want to know that you are their constituent and where you live (or where you go to church, if you are writing to the lawmakers from that district).
Who You Are: Mention something about yourself, like what church you are from, and if you have first-hand experience with the issue.
Ask for Specific Action: “Please support…” If there is a bill number, this is the place to include it.
Give a Reason or Say Something About Why You Care: Speak from your heart, elaborate from the talking points, or tell a story.
Example (please use your own words)
Mail the letters to these addresses:
The Honorable Senator __________, United States Senate. Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Representative ____________, U.S. House of Representatives. Washington, DC 20515
Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota, ELCA
105 University Ave. W, St. Paul, MN 55103
ELCA Advocacy: https://www.elca.org/our-work/publicly-engaged-church/advocacy
Questions? Email: tammy@lutheranadvocacymn.org, jacob.summerville@elca.org
Call/Text: 651-238-6506
Tamela K. Walhof
Lutheran Advocacy - Minnesota
St. Paul, MN
Tammy Walhof's passion for justice has led her to volunteer with low-income families in the U.S., work for 6 years in organizing and development in Latin America, travel to various African countries, and work in faith-based advocacy for more than two decades. Tammy’s background in public policy analysis has served her in state government, in her previous positions at Bread for the World, and as Director of Lutheran Advocacy-MN since 2014.