While immigration debates rage in Washington, we as Lutherans work both within and outside the church to find our place in the discussion of an ever-complicating issue. And matters are not helped by the growing list of difficult facts and harsh realities which make opinions and positions difficult. We are witnessing the lines between national and international economies blur and our diverse cultures and traditions interact on global scales, all of which make questions concerning national-identity even more pressing. What does it mean to be a citizen? What should it mean to be a citizen? How do our political boundaries of “citizen” and “alien” affect the Body of Christ? With a growing number of international affiliations and memberships, the ELCA’s investigation into the way we look at nationhood is all the more pressing. (The Journal of Lutheran Ethics on the ELCA website)At the ELCA Churchwide Assembly this last year, voting members overwhelmingly voted to urge comprehensive reform of U.S. immigration policies and processes, and to call for a suspension of immigration raids until such reform is enacted. Here at Christ the King Church we will have an opportunity to discuss the topic of Immigration and how we may be called to respond to the newcomers among us during two Adult Forum sessions. On Jaunuary 31, we will discuss what scripture has to tell us about the topic and look at the recommendations of the ELCA Task Force on Immigration. On February 7, we will be joined by guests from Houston Interfaith Worker Justice to learn about the challenges that immigrants, both documented and undocumented, face when they arrive in the U.S. Please join us as we delve into this complicated issue and learn how we might respond as people of faith.