In her August column in Living Lutheran, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton writes: “This is the faith which declares that through pandemics, droughts, floods, famines, deadly bigotry, war, all the death-dealing things in nature and the human heart, life—the abundant life that Jesus promises—will prevail. Plant something in the summer.” Read her column in English at https://bit.ly/3CGLepk and in Spanish at https://bit.ly/3iDH4qd.
Read MoreFor over two decades, the ELCA has been present in southern Haiti. Lutheran Disaster Response is working in those communities to meet relief needs. In this post we share a letter from The Rev. Daniel Rift, Director of ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response Fund.
For many Haitians, their only source of aid throughout their lives has been the church. After the earthquake, presidential assassination and storms, many of those churches are in ruins, as we learn in this article and podcast from the New York Times.
Read MorePresiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton wrote to the church, “With much sadness and shock I share with you the news of the sudden passing of Bill Horne, my friend and Vice President of the ELCA. He died Saturday afternoon of a suspected heart attack, according to the city press release. Please join me in praying for his wife Loretta and the rest of his family during this difficult time. We will always remember Bill as a faithful servant of God.”
Read MoreAs design thinking is utilized to solve big-problems and ultimately redesign systems, the process of design thinking itself must be examined closely to mitigate the causes of inequity. Design thinking as a field often refuses to acknowledge power imbalance or the exclusive nature of many design processes. That is where equity design comes in.
Read MoreIn this episode of ELCA World Hunger’s Hunger Policy Podcast, Patricia Kisare, international policy advisor for the ELCA, and Kaari Reierson, the ELCA’s associate for corporate social responsibility, join Ryan Cumming, the program director for hunger education, to break down some of the myths and realities about US aid and the church’s witness when it comes to this part of the federal budget.
Read MoreEspecially as temperatures and wildfires are soaring all over the country, it is clear that our climate crisis is reaching a tipping point. Our Christian call and vocation include caring for creation, and Bishop Eaton encourages us to find ways to be part of the solution to this dire situation. Start with a read or re-read of the ELCA Social Statement, Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice.
Read MoreAfter reflecting on the 10,000 Year Clock and speaking with a prominent Lutheran theologian, Elise Seyfriend anticipates the future with optimism.
Read MoreThe Lutheran World Federation Council has elected Estonian theologian Anne Burghardt as the next general secretary of the global communion of Lutheran churches. We share her Living Lutheran profile in this post.
Read MoreJoin the discussion on the next Connections Call sponsored by Lutherans Restoring Creation, which will advocate for the reduction of greenhouse gases for the health of all. Tuesday, 8/17/2021, 5 pm MST/PDT.
Join them as they discuss the development of a Sample Memorial to go to Churchwide Assembly 2022 asking our ELCA Advocacy office to specifically advocate that government leaders and public servants prioritize a reduction of greenhouse gases by 50% no later than 2030. More info here.
Read MoreKelly Sherman-Conroy writes, “As the Team Leader of MYLE (Multicultural Youth Leadership Event) and group of amazing leaders of color who I am graciously working alongside, we want everyone to know what MYLE is so that this life changing opportunity for our youth of color can experience a Beloved Community like no other.”
Read MoreRev. Dr. Megan Rohrer will be installed as the fifth Bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod on Saturday, 9/11/2021 at 2 pm MST/PDT Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, CA.
Your prayers and presence are requested at the livestream on this special site: spsbishopinstallation.com. Read their profile at Living Lutheran.
Read MoreMany bishops have had interesting and varied career paths to their current calls. But most of those paths don’t travel through Hollywood. But before entering ministry, she spent 18 years working in production for Warner Bros. Television.
Brenda Bos of Glendale, Calif., was elected June 5 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Southwest California Synod.
Read MoreJust as the Olympians are surrounded by family, friends, mentors, and entire countries, we too are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. This week, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton encourages us to "run like the wind."
Read MoreAll Creation Sings includes several short songs that can be taught “paperlessly,” that is, singing together without printed or projected words or music for worship.
This kind of singing is often ideal for small retreats or outdoor settings in addition to weekly worship. This post guides you to several audio-video resources.
Read MoreOn Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will join together for “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday.
Bishop Eaton invites your congregation to join this annual day of service and celebrate who we are as the ELCA ― one church, freed in Christ to love and serve our neighbor. Learn more and plan your day at ELCA.org/DayofService.
Read MorePeople are lonely. A January 2020 survey from Cigna found that three in five US Americans are lonely, and we know loneliness only got exponentially worse during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, what does that mean for a church that believes in a relational God?
Read MoreJesus taught us that when we welcome the stranger as a person made in God's image, we also welcome God. Our lives, ministries and congregations have been blessed by many immigrants and refugees over the years — from many of our ancestors to those we welcome among us today.
Read MoreAs cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19 increase, it may seem like we are in a never-ending wilderness. Bishop Eaton reminds us of the exodus of God’s people, who wandered in the wilderness for forty years searching for the land that God had promised them. God never left them, and God has not left us.
Read MoreIn this letter, the American Indian Alaska Native Lutheran Association invites congregations to hang orange banners in solidarity with Indigenous people throughout North America and in remembrance and lament of Native children that never made it out of residential schools. View the letter in this post or as a PDF.
We also encourage you to learn more about Orange Shirt Day (September 30), a Canadian statutory holiday. Religion News Service also provides these articles on US churches reckoning with the traumatic legacy of Native schools and the new spiritual movement aiming to recognize the official US apology to Native American people.
Read MoreEvery year, churches incur significant losses due to vandalism. Vandals often act impulsively. In other cases, vandals are seeking an easy target for their mischief, such as a building often empty at night. Read the article from Church Pension Group.
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