Embracing Diversity Celebrating All Abilities and Identities
Thanksgiving brings us together to express gratitude for our diverse community. At Perry Highway Lutheran Church, we cherish each individual’s unique strengths and perspectives. This November, we focus on gratitude for our indigenous neighbors, neurodiverse individuals, and those in recovery. Their presence greatly enriches our faith journey.
Celebrating Indigenous Heritage
Thanksgiving urges us to honor the indigenous peoples of this land. We cherish their rich cultures, traditions, and histories. They form a vital part of the American narrative. Our church commits to learning from and respecting the wisdom of our indigenous neighbors. We ensure their voices and stories gain the recognition they deserve.
Indigenous belief systems revered the natural world. They saw themselves as part of a larger ecosystem. This view fostered a deep respect for the environment. Their spiritual practices often centered around gratitude.
The Native American tribes in the Pittsburgh region saw every aspect of nature as spiritually significant. They lived in harmony with the land. A rich tapestry of spiritual beliefs guided their respectful, symbiotic relationship with nature. We can learn much from these traditions as stewards of this land.
Understanding and Valuing Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity celebrates the variations in human brains. Conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD fall under this umbrella. Our church works to create a welcoming environment for neurodiverse individuals. We adapt our services and programs to ensure everyone can worship and participate uniquely. We welcome them with gratitude, valuing the gifts they bring through their unique perspectives.
Supporting Recovery and Renewal
Recovery from addiction is a transformative journey. Many in our community embark on this path, seeking healing and wholeness. We embrace those in recovery with Christ’s redemptive love. Our church offers a safe space for sharing struggles and triumphs. Here, God’s renewing love is ever-present.
Gratitude for our diversity
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s acknowledge diversity as God’s gift. Diversity teaches us, helps us grow, and lets us embody Christ’s love. We continue to embrace every individual, whether indigenous neighbor, neurodiverse individual, or person in recovery. This inclusive approach builds a more compassionate and understanding community.
We are thankful for the diversity enriching our lives and faith this Thanksgiving. Let’s commit to learning, understanding, and embracing all abilities and identities. Together, we walk in love and solidarity. Please see our land acknowledgment below.
Land Acknowledgement
As we live, work, and worship in the land that is now called the United States, Perry Highway Lutheran Church recognizes that we do so on land that was stolen from Indigenous peoples. As we are called to restore creation, we are also called to restore right-relationship with one another. As we join in this holy vocation of loving our neighbor, we honor all our Indigenous siblings who have been companions of Turtle Island’s lands, waters, and beings since time immemorial.
We charge our community to learn about the original and continuous stewards of the land upon which we exist- especially in this part of the world, the Osage, Seneca, Lenape, and Shawnee peoples. We lament legacies of violence, cultural genocide, and displacement of Indigenous communities, committing ourselves to hearing and speaking the truth of that history and its ongoing effects. May we gather faithfully in mind, body, and spirit to mend what has been broken and embody Christ’s gospel of abundant life.
Download the ELCA Declaration for Native Americans.
