As we look back, I am grateful for the ways you have embraced the world as it is, not as you want it to be. You ensured that the witness of the church continued even when it was not safe to gather in-person.
Through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you went well beyond what you might have imagined possible. Through uncertainty, you spoke words of hope and offered reminders that nothing will separate us from the love of God.
Read MoreMost Americans incorrectly assume that federal laws will protect someone being evicted from their home or turned away from a place of business for the sole reason of being part of the LGBTQ+ community. There are no such laws.
But there could be. The Equality Act, a landmark piece of legislation which has already been passed in the U.S. House, would add the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the Civil Rights Act, affording protections in employment, housing, public accommodations, federal funding, credit, the jury system and more.
Read MoreThis Pride Month, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton gives thanks for the blessings of our LGBTQIA+ siblings and prays that we will all have a sense of pride in being part of this fearfully and wonderfully made family.
Read MoreThe latest version of the The Official Gathering Handbook: Tips & Tricks for Adult Leaders, a resource filled with helpful resources and guidance for having an amazing Gathering experience.
Read MoreWe’re happy to introduce a new monthly column, A Cup of Generosity, from Pastor Dana Karen Reardon and the Grand Canyon Synod Stewardship Team.
My dad was a drunk. Not a mean drunk, but maybe a cynical one. Then he got sober. And God changed him more than I knew.
Read MoreBishop Eaton offered the sermon for Lutherans Restoring Creation’s Good Shepherd Sunday service in celebration of Earth Day 2021. She also accepted our request to take some follow-up questions collected by the network.
Here are portions of their time with her that we encourage you to share with your congregation as these are questions we are all meant to wrestle with.
Read More'Stories of Spirit' is a video introduction to Spirit in the Desert in Carefree, Arizona. Through testimony from staff and guests, retreat leaders, board members and ministry partners, viewers will learn about the mission, vision and values of Spirit in the Desert, a holy place where people experience the love of God, joyful hospitality and renewal of their callings in the world. Enjoy!
Read MoreLori Jensen writes: “Lord of Life members shared in a Memorial Tribute for all of our members who died while we were unable to gather in person.
After a time of music, Bible reading and a brief meditation, a luminaria bag with each person’s name on it was lit while names were read. It was a way for us to show support for our church family members as they collectively mourned their loss.”
Read MoreIn the story of creation we learn that on the seventh day God rested. From the beginning, God established a natural rhythm of work and rest. Bishop Eaton reminds us that in the midst of our busy days we need to take time for rest, for noticing creation and each other.
Read MoreBishop James Hazelwood and Dave Daubert (Lutheran pastor, author, and consultant) discuss Daubert’s new book, Becoming a Hybrid Church, which doesn’t so much offer answers as it pushes us to consider the questions we need to explore now that Covid-19 has change the world, and the church. Find the podcast on Hazelwood’s site.
The Office of the Bishop team is currently discussing this book.
Read MoreThis week we observe Ascension Day – a time to consider Jesus’ transition from earth to heaven. We are living during a time of transition - in the life of our church, in our personal lives and in a rapidly changing world. But as Bishop Eaton emphasizes, what is steady and certain is God’s presence with us always.
Read MoreIn this video, Bishop Eaton asks for people to write President Biden and members of Congress urging they send a message to Israel to halt the illegal removal of East Jerusalem families from their homes and respect the Status Quo agreement and holy sites in Jerusalem. To show your support, go to: http://bit.ly/ELCASupportPeace
Read MoreDear church, God loves us all. No matter how we are grappling, we are not alone; God is with us. Throughout May and beyond, we must seek ways to erase the stigma surrounding mental illness and continually love everyone compassionately as a child of God.
Read MoreAs part of the Faiths4Vaccines initiative, prominent faith leaders, including Bishop Eaton, explain how receiving the vaccine is an expression of love for one's neighbors. Learn more at faiths4vaccines.org.
Read MoreIn her May column for Living Lutheran, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton notes that music, like God’s love, is at the same time deeply personal, sounding deep within an individual’s soul, and universal, ringing out to an entire community. Read her column in English at https://bit.ly/3uBnRJy and in Spanish at https://bit.ly/3ty0oYb.
Read MoreThis week, Bishop Eaton shares an experience of witnessing true hospitality and generosity from her neighbor.
Read MoreIn the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EPES Foundation initiated a project with community health promoters and nutrition teams to cultivate home gardens. Learn more in this video and blog post.
Read MoreAbide in my love … you shall bear much fruit. It was the theme of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and in turn, became an echo for this year’s National Workshop on Christian Unity (NWCU). After last year’s workshop in Houston was canceled due to the global pandemic, focus turned to 2021, and with it questions of how best to move the work of the NWCU forward.
Read MoreAs Lutherans we believe that science and religion come from the same source and that source is God. Religion and science are both ways of knowing God’s creation. Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine does not mean we are being less than faithful by trusting science rather than God.
Read MoreThe ELCA is a founding organization and sponsor of Ecumenical Advocacy Days, attended annually by many Lutherans for skill building and experience. Rev. Paul Benz, co-director of Faith Action Network in Seattle, WA, highlights central learnings for him about effective and meaningful faith-centered advocacy.
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