May we dwell in the story of Jesus’s birth in new ways, remembering the small intimacy of that night and the gathering of a family of three. May we be as surprised and astonished as the shepherds in the fields.
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The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and leaders of The Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada have joined together to offer the following Advent message: Churches Beyond Borders, Advent Call to Address Racism and White Supremacy.
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Bishop Eaton shares a video message as we recognize World AIDS Day on December 1, 2020.
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Bishop Sani-Ibrahim Azar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land writes asking for help providing Christmas gifts to 500 children. View the letter in our blog post or view as a PDF.
To give, visit community.elca.org/givenow, and click on the red + sign at the top, and select “Lutheran Schools in the Holy Land.”
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I encourage you to take advantage of this year’s limited gathering ability to focus on what is most important to you and the ones you love as you enter these holidays.
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Presiding Bishop Eaton reminds us that during this holiday season, even though we may not be traveling to be with family, we are all gathered at one table. She also asks us to reach out to someone who is alone this year.
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What has this full communion agreement meant for our churches over these twenty years?
We’ve worshipped together in joint celebrations and shared liturgies and developed a deep familiarity and appreciation for each other’s liturgies and confession of the faith.
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Rev. Stephen Herr writes about the Lament and Repent Prayer Vigil sponsored by the Gettysburg Area Ministerium, which corresponded with the commemoration of the 5th anniversary of the shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Gettysburg is home to a number of Lutheran institutions, including two congregations.
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Rev. Rodger A. Babnew, Jr., with Cruzando Fronteras, shares this letter asking our help in celebrating Christmas with families waiting in Nogales.
We also share his September 2020 video report.
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ELCA Lutherans have taken to heart “that energetic civic engagement is part of their baptismal vocation, both as individuals and through the church’s corporate witness.”
Americans turned out to vote in record numbers last week, reaching the highest voting rate in 120 years.
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It was a privilege to be one of the contributing writers for Hear My Voice: A Prison Prayer Book. As a person in prison, it has been a joyful satisfaction to see how valuable and much appreciated the book is among the incarcerated men I have come to know.
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In her weekly video, Bishop Eaton asks that we give thanks for the service of all our veterans and pray that we never take for granted the privileges they secured for us all.
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The first thing that comes to mind when I think about volunteering with the Youth Gathering is stepping outside of my comfort zone.
It was an unexpected invitation that pulled me out of my day-to-day cycle and reminded me of the variety of talents and gifts God creates in me to love, support and connect to my neighbors.
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We are tired. We're exhausted. But, as Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton reminds us, we need to remain vigilant. Wear your mask and wash your hands.
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The theme for the November issue of Living Lutheran is “Together at the table.” In keeping with this theme, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton shared her favorite food and faith story, which originally appeared in her September 2017 column. Read her column in English at https://bit.ly/3eJf7Ki and in Spanish at https://bit.ly/3pcjt1r.
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I encourage you to take advantage of this year’s limited gathering ability to focus on what is most important to you and the ones you love as you enter these holidays.
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Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton calls for prayers and patience as the election process continues in the U.S.
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When we come before God in worship, we bring our whole selves. What does that actually mean? For many people in the ELCA it means coming to worship with the assistance of a mobility, audio, visual, or sensory device.
Unfortunately, in many of our churches or places of worship, it is our siblings in Christ who have disabilities and need such devices who feel the least welcome at the table.
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To celebrate Pr. Johnson’s life and service to ELCA World Hunger, we share words from his book, No Time for Silence:
I have Alzheimer’s disease. Nothing to brag about, nothing to be ashamed about, and I see no reason to be silent about it. My brain served me well for eighty-five years … I want to give people resources that will help them think and act critically in an age of confusion and conflicting voices.
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In observance of All Saints Day, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton recalls the lives of two notable saints in the ELCA and reminds us that on this day we give thanks to God for the lives of all who have died this year and for the promise of the resurrection that is sure to come.
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