As I approach the end of my Lenten journey, I see the Grand Canyon Synod has many places of holy ground. I have experienced holy ground when in conversation with candidates hoping to enter seminary and with candidates near graduation, waiting to interview with a congregation.
I am on holy ground when I visit our various congregations to preach, preside, meet church leaders, and participate in conversations in special congregation meetings.
Read MoreIn this post we share an update from Rev. Kyle & Ånna Svennungsen, ELCA missionaries in Slovakia.
We are writing to you from Bratislava, Slovakia. At Bratislava International Church, our theme for Lent is ‘Walking with Jesus: Repentance, Reconciliation, Restoration.’ This theme was chosen before the war in Ukraine began and it has taken on a whole new meaning in these last four weeks.
Read MoreFrom the first-fruits offering of Deuteronomy to the teaching of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, our reflections have pointed to how God continues to “make a way in the wilderness” and calls us to be part of that journey for ourselves and our neighbors. Read more in this post in English and Spanish.
Read MoreLent is a practice of pouring myself out. An act of emptying out all I have collected in my heart.
Well, at least this is what I am praying for: that I might pour myself out before God and the World, and then be filled up through the promise of Easter.
Read MoreThe #NoPlasticsforLent initiative, led by young adults across the church, calls us to prayer for creation, to lament the ways we have been complicit in the degradation of the earth, and to take action to care for our neighbor in fasting from the things that are hurting our planet. For more info, view the ELCA Young Adults Facebook page or the No Plastics for Lent website.
One of the discussion group leaders is Tiana Diaz-Reyes, a student in our synod’s Lutheran campus ministry. She is working toward her PhD in Sustainability at ASU.
Read MoreIn this sacred season, we turn inward, reflecting on our dependence on God’s grace. Marked by ashes at the start, we enter the 40 days of Lent with penitent hearts and awareness of our need for God’s mercy. Repentance and self-reflection are important practices, but it’s easy to stay here, forgetting that the season is about so much more than our own self-examination.
Martin Luther captured this well. Luther defined repentance in two ways: “contrition…and in taking hold of the promise.” Read more in this post in English and Spanish.
Read MoreThe prophet Joel doesn’t hold back when sounding the alarm about the coming Day of the Lord in our Ash Wednesday reading. This year Joel’s alert sounds above the horror of the Putin regime’s invasion of Ukraine, a great and powerful army conducting an unprovoked attack against a neighboring state.
Read MoreWe have a curious set of readings for this first Sunday of Lent. Biblical scholars believe that Deuteronomy 26:5-10 is a script for someone making an offering of what was called the “first fruits,” a religious practice for farming communities. These verses fit well with this somber season. Lent is, if nothing else, a time of looking backward and a time of looking forward.
Read MoreWe share Pastor Sarah Stadler’s letter to the Grace Lutheran congregation in Phoenix. We appreciate the letter’s thoughtfulness on the Ukraine conflict as we enter Lent, and the specific calls to action from Grace members’ brainstorming sessions.
Read MoreBishop Eaton provides a prayer as we enter Lent, and invites us to explore Now Is the Time: A Study Guide for ELCA Declaration to People of African Descent and ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving at ELCA.org/40Days.
Read MoreWorshipWell offers a Turning, worship resources based on the Gospel of John. “Poring over the Lenten texts from John’s Gospel, we are dizzied by all of the turning: God turning toward humanity’s pain as Jesus weeps at raw and unbearable grief; Jesus turning Lazarus’ death into something confusingly hopeful; Jesus turning into a servant, turning clear water brown with the disciples’ gathered dust, turning them toward loving their neighbor.” Read an overview here and visit worship-well.com where this series is available at no cost.
Read MoreAs we prepare to enter the season of Lent, we want to invite you to join ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving. At ELCA.org/40Days, you’ll find these downloadable resources to enrich the life of your congregation and family this season.
Read MoreLutheran Social Services of the Southwest has compiled a calendar (PDF) and resources to support LSS-SW clients and your broader community throughout the season of Lent. Each day, you'll find a way to participate and be involved in making a difference. Learn more at lss-sw.org/lent-with-lss.
Read MoreJoin Rev. Rodger Patience in this webinar as we explore how the journey of addiction and recovery helps us better understand Lent. And, how the spiritual practices of Lent can be a part of our journeys of recovery.
Thursday, 2/24/2022, 10-11am MST, 9-10am PST, with follow-up 30-minute Zoom discussion. Register here.
Read MoreELCA Hunger invites you to continue your work by connecting your congregation to the church’s global work to end hunger and poverty during ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving, which begins on Ash Wednesday, March 2.
To prepare, visit ELCA.org/40Days and download or order resources today. You’ll find free resources including a daily devotional calendar, a weekly study guide, an action guide for congregations, and weekly Lenten email series.
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