A Good Friday worship service—premiering April 2, 2021, at 6pm MST/PDT—is available on the synod’s YouTube channel and in this post. It is a service of Tenebrae, with reading of the passion by leaders from the Colorado River Conference, a message from Bishop Hutterer, and special music. Download the order of worship in PDF or as a Word doc.
Our thanks to Pastor Jason Adams, (Reformation Lutheran, Las Vegas) for heading up this project.
Read MoreAs part of ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving, this post and accompanying video continue a series weekly reflections.
Thus far this Lent, we have heard stories of God working through this church, our companions and our neighbors to end hunger. Here, in this last week, companions from Colombia will help teach us about the final tool: action.
Read MoreELCA Worship provides resources for worship in the home for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Vigil of Easter.
Read MoreThe Grand Canyon Synod Covid Service of Lament is available in this blog post and on our Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo. Download available on Vimeo.
We thank our participants: Rev. Alan Field; Carol Paulsen; Diakonia participants, Bill Aurand, Tina Gilson, Cheryl Pridgeon, and Cindy Stein; Bishop Hutterer; music from organist Lars Andersen and vocalists Sherri McClellan and Jennifer Wortman from Tanque Verde Lutheran in Tucson; and Pastor Sarah Stadler from Grace Lutheran in Phoenix.
Read MoreSave the date for two upcoming services, available for use on Monday of Holy Week, March 29, 2021. We’ll share additional details as we receive them.
In the Grand Canyon Synod, a Good Friday service is in the works, a project led by Pastor Jason Adams, Reformation Lutheran, Las Vegas.
A Region 2 worship for Easter 2 will be available, with Dr. Shauna Hannan, Professor of Homiletics at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, as the preacher.
Read MoreThe Asian and Pacific Islander Association of the ELCA recently issued a statement, affirmed by the ELCA Conference of Bishops, calling on the church to declare a day of lament during Lent to express solidarity with, help in healing and support Asian American victims of violence.
Sunday, March 21, has been named as the common date, though worshiping communities may choose a different date as appropriate for their context. Worship resources are available in this PDF.
Read MoreA recent episode of NBC’s Zoe’s Extraordinary Playlist contained a conversation between Mo (Alex Newell) and Max (Skylar Astin) about the menu for their new restaurant. Mo asks Max to help decide on a font, saying the font needs to be something that both shows whimsy and strength. Max responds, “Like Cambria?”
Read MoreAs we approach the time last year when we ceased in-person gathering, we take time to lament: an opportunity to express deeply held grief and frustration. Through Scripture, music, and prayer, we invite you to allow yourself to lament our life under COVID.
This service premieres on March 14th, 5pm MST, and will be available on our Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo pages. Featuring Bishop Hutterer, Rev. Alan Field, Diakonia participants, and music from Tanque Verde Lutheran in Tucson as well as Pastor Sarah Stadler.
Read MoreAs part of ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving, this post and accompanying video continue a series weekly reflections.
The direct service of providing filter pitchers and the organizing work of bringing demands to our alderpersons, health department and mayor all lead us back to the font, where we stand with people at the holy water that makes us God’s children and sends us out to serve God’s justice.
Read MoreAs part of ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving, this post and accompanying video continue a series weekly reflections.
If we are going to end hunger, we have to start by being honest about the stories of pain, exploitation, injustice and violence that lie behind it. We must start with honesty about what hunger is and what it is not.
Read MoreAccording to a recent article, by Ruth Graham of the New York Times, there has been a big surge in the popularity of prophecy among some Evangelical Christians.
While it’s true that God is always listening and cares deeply about our prayers, God is not an automated service that caters to our desires like Siri or Alexa.
Read MoreNew Fire. Easter Proclamation. Ancient stories. Baptismal waters. Bread and wine. This is the night. As you plan worship for the Vigil of Easter, All Creation Sings offers many and various ways for us to sing the centrality of our faith.
2021, like its 2020 counterpart, will be unique in how the Easter Vigil liturgy is offered.
Read MoreWhy a lament, as opposed to a prayer or litany? This lament is intended as an action that acknowledges what has been broken in our relationship with our neighbor – the neighbor that we as the ELCA are called to love as we love ourselves. Specifically this lament is a way to recognize points of brokenness in the relationship between the ELCA and African Americans.
Read MoreIn 2014, during the lead-up to the commemoration of the Reformation’s 500th anniversary, a group of African descent Lutheran theologians gathered to explore and reflect on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. While affirming the catechism’s gift in the life of the church, they recognized the importance of broadening its explanations of Christian faith to address the experience of Lutherans of African descent.
Read MoreAs part of ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving, this post and accompanying video begin a series weekly reflections.
Ending hunger means seeing what unjust power tries to keep hidden. It means defining “we” in a way that threatens the principalities and powers — including our own privilege — that make everything about “I.”
Read MorePhotographer Libby Oliver has a portrait series called “Soft Shells,” which explores people’s personalities through the clothes and accessories they wear. Libby asks subjects to collect every piece of clothing they own and then photographs them underneath their huge pile of clothes. In all the photographs the person’s identity is completely covered up.
Read MoreThis sold-out devotional returns to stock at Augsburg Fortress today, February 10, 2021. Quantities are limited. Order today to ensure timely arrival.
A Story to Tell: Devotions for Lent 2021 is a beautiful, full-color Lenten devotional highlights readings from the gospel of Mark with 46 entries, one for each day from Ash Wednesday to Easter.
Read MoreThe prophet Isaiah provides a beautiful column of words from which to build a thoughtful sermon, but truly on this Ash Wednesday the sermon will not be built by words, but by the world that is still trying to stop the hemorrhaging of our much loved friends and family. Truly we sit upon an ash-heap of tears and unrealized hopes in this pandemic.
Read MoreAs congregations and worship leaders prepare for Ash Wednesday in this most challenging year, the ELCA Worship team offers this set of reflections by those serving the church as scholars, pastors, and bishops. Our hope is that their perspectives will provide thinking points as you reflect and prepare worship in your context.
Read MorePastor Steve Springer, Dove of Peace, Tucson, reminds us that January 15 is the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the day he’s on our Lutheran calendar. As Dr. King is a martyr, the liturgical color for today is scarlet red.
Pr. Springer shares five petitions, each beginning with "We remember" and a verbatim citation from "Letter From a Birmingham Jail."
Read More
