The Bridge in Plain Text
Issue To Be Used Any Time After
March 1, 2008
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The Bridge
A monthly publication of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, ELCA
Connecting the congregational, synodical, and churchwide expressions of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Palms for Justice
Each year congregations
throughout the world gather in joyous celebration the Sunday before Easter.
A common part of Palm Sunday celebrations is the palm fronds waved in
remembrance of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem.
Though joy and celebration are
central to Palm Sunday for most Christians, life for the people who harvest
the palms is not so festive. In the communities in Mexico and Guatemala
where palms are grown, workers are typically paid by the volume of fronds
produced, leading to overharvesting in rainforest areas. During processing,
more than 50% of the fronds are discarded because of poor quality. Besides
threatening an important ecosystem, the harvesters are often paid very
little for what they produce, keeping them in poverty.
Lutheran World Relief is
working to improve the practices of the palm industry through sales of
Eco-Palms. Programs working in Mexico and Guatemala now help palm workers
grow their palms using sustainable methods, harvest the good quality fronds,
and do more of the sorting and packaging to reduce payment to a middleman.
In Guatemala, harvesters have received Smartwood certification, a
recognition by the Rainforest Alliance indicating their dedication to
protect the rainforest. Some areas have reduced the amount of discarded
fronds from over 50% to just 5-7%. In addition to the direct benefits, five
cents from each palm sold by Lutheran World Relief goes to community
improvement projects, including supporting education and aiding the elderly.
Eco-Palms is just one way that
Lutheran World Relief is working to battle injustices in our world. By being
intentional about the purchases we make, our spending can make a huge
difference in the lives of our brothers and sisters in all corners of the
world. With U.S. palm sales totaling more than $4.5 each year, largely for
Palm Sunday celebrations, a once-a-year purchase decision from each
congregation can add up to one big difference.
Featured Resource
Monthly Bible Verse
This Bible verse was selected by Harold Usgaard, bishop of the
Southeastern Minnesota Synod, for everyone in the synod to study.
““So they took branches of
palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one
who comes in the name of the Lord - the King of Israel!’” John
12:13
About Our Synod
The Southeastern Minnesota Synod is a faith community of 130,000 baptized
people in 184 congregations as well as related institutions of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Its geographic area includes
15 counties in the southeastern corner of Minnesota.
The Bridge is a monthly
publication of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, ELCA. For more information,
contact the synod office:
Southeastern Minnesota Synod,
ELCA
1001 14th St. NW, Suite 300
Rochester, MN 55901-2551
(507) 280-9457
www.semnsynod.org
This issue is designed to be
used any time after March 1, 2008.
Graphics from this issue
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are in high-resolution tiff format. If you require another format, please
call 507-280-9457.
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