Posts in Letters
A Cup of Generosity: August, 2022
A Cup of Generosity: August, 2022

I read an article the other day that suggested that generosity is an early sign of Alzheimer’s. My first reaction was to laugh, because I have often told people that God has early Alzheimer’s. I say that because it tells us in the psalms that God not only forgives our sins, but also forgets them. That is one way that God is generous to us. And that is a good thing.

After I stopped laughing however, I decided that this is something I should think about seriously. Read more in this post or view as PDF.

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Letters, Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardStewardship, A Cup of Generosity, GCS Stewardship TeamComment
Bishop Hutterer: Pray as the ELCA gathers for Churchwide Assembly
Bishop Hutterer: Pray as the ELCA gathers for Churchwide Assembly

The ELCA gathers for its Churchwide Assembly next week, August 8–12, 2022. As I travel to Ohio to attend this gathering, I invite you to pray for all 900 voting members are attending, including ten others who will represent the Grand Canyon Synod: Glenn Austad, Roger Bailey, Pastor David Brandfass, Barbara Carl, Laura Hollengreen, Hannah Manzanares, Pastor Matthew Metevelis, Pastor Charles Newman, Sarah Morris, and Pastor Christine Stoxen.

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Bishop Hutterer, Letters, Grand Canyon Synod, PrayersBrian Flatgard2022 Churchwide Assembly, Bishop Hutterer LettersComment
Rev. Peter Heide: Our wholeness is in Jesus Christ
Rev. Peter Heide: Our wholeness is in Jesus Christ

I remember a particular Sunday in October 1962. It was the first anniversary of me being blind, and I was pretty proud of myself. I remember this Sunday so specifically because the sermon text was on the healing of Blind Bartimaeus, and the import of the sermon was, “If you believe strongly enough God can do anything.”

After worship, for the first time I remember, but certainly not the last, I remember the man who came up to me and said, “I know that if you believe enough God will heal you.”

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ELCA, LettersBrian FlatgardDisability Ministries, ELCA Disability MinistriesComment
Bishop Eaton issues thank you letter to President Biden
Bishop Eaton issues thank you letter to President Biden

In a July 18, 2022 letter to President Joseph R. Biden, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), expressed gratitude for his July 15 visit to the Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) in East Jerusalem and his announcement of a $100 million multiyear commitment to the East Jerusalem Hospital Network (EJHN), of which AVH is a member.

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Global Church, ELCA, News, LettersBrian FlatgardAugust Victoria Hospital, Lutheran World FederationComment
Rev. Howard Wennes: A season of lament
Rev. Howard Wennes: A season of lament

We share a Living Lutheran post from Rev. Howie Wennes, written at the start of the pandemic.

Once a month I do a Bible study for inmates at the Ventura County Jail. I once asked them, “Do you know where the ‘Complaint Department’ is in the Bible?” Surprised to hear that, they asked, “Where?”

I told them that the best example is in the book of Psalms. There are 150 psalms and 50 of them fit into the lament category. Laments are cries of pain and pleas for God to notice and help.

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ELCA, LettersBrian FlatgardHowie Wennes, Living LutheranComment
Linda Post Bushkofsky: Relearning our shared history
Linda Post Bushkofsky: Relearning our shared history

On this Independence Day, I encourage us all to spend some time relearning our shared history. Take time to read through five reflections written by Women of the ELCA participants as part of a study of the ELCA Declaration to People of African Descent. Review the Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery, adopted by both the ELCA (in 2016) and affirmed by Women of the ELCA (in 2017). It’s a start.

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ELCA, LettersBrian FlatgardRacial Justice, ELCA Racial Justice Ministries, Women of the ELCA (WELCA)Comment
2022 Beautiful Savior Lutheran assembly report
2022 Beautiful Savior Lutheran assembly report

In this report, Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Tucson shares an update on their GRACE Center which serves multiple organizations that the congregation supports through its Community Connections Team (LSS-SW, TIHAN, ICS, YOTO, etc.) as well as adding the Golden Ranch and NorthWest Fire Community Assistance Program, made possible partially with help from a Grand Canyon Synod Grant.

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Grand Canyon Synod, LettersBrian Flatgard2022 Assembly Reports, Grants, GCS Grants Program, Kino Conference, Beautiful Savior TucsonComment
A Cup of Generosity: July, 2022
A Cup of Generosity: July, 2022

“Has all this inflation made you nervous and maybe made you think about pulling in and not being quite so generous so that you will have enough for yourself? I think that's only natural but often when we think about something being natural, it's really sin. By our own nature we don't tend to do good. But when the spirit gets a hold of us it can do great things through us.” Read in this post or view as PDF.

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Letters, Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardStewardship, A Cup of Generosity, GCS Stewardship TeamComment