Public figures, from social media influencers to celebrities to politicians, talk about how “woke” they are. The term has developed more layers of meaning in the past few years.
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ELCA Worship shares their news for November, 2022, featuring: Prompts for Prayers of Intercession, Readings for the Assembly (Emended) is available for provisional use; All Creation Sings; Resources for multi-religious ministry; Common prayer at the World Council of Churches, 11thAssembly; Lutheran Summer Music Program; Music that Makes Community, and worship resources from Augsburg Fortress.
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Taking Faith Home (TFH) is an annual resource that provides a weekly guide for faith-filled conversations during the church year. Here are some of its key features:
Based on the Revised Common Lectionary used by many congregations
Gives examples of each of the Four Key faith practices (caring conversations, devotions, service, and rituals and traditions)
Includes a weekly prayer, Bible verse, mealtime prayer, and blessing
Offers suggested daily Bible readings and Hymn for the week
According to Wikipedia, politics, from the Greek politika (“affairs of the city”), is the set of activities associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. It’s jarring to see such a definition because politics is currently far from what it was intended to be.
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Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center offers an Advent-specific daily devotion via email beginning Sunday, November 27, 2022, and ending on Christmas Day. If you would like to receive a special devotional reflection by Pastor Steve Holm in your inbox each day during Advent, register here.
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A common challenge regarding stewardship is finding organic ways to speak about it. The following upcoming readings this Advent and Epiphany are just a few hooks on which a stewardship thought might hang: Matthew 24:36-44, Nov. 27; Matthew 3:13-17, Jan. 8, 2023; and Matthew 5:13-20 | Feb. 5, 2023.
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Join facilitator Sheri Brown this Advent to explore what faith is making of you this Advent season … and to practice making a few gifts for the world in response. Our Advent of Making will be a season of making peace, making hope, making comfort, and making joy.
Join the Spirit community for a scant hour on Sundays at 4pm MST, 5pm PST. Weekly themes and program details here. The four programs are free of charge, but donations are welcome.
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The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all have sections where Jesus makes dramatic predictions about things that will happen in the future. Because these things seem to be hidden from general knowledge and are being revealed as special information to Jesus’ followers, they are called “apocalyptic” sayings. These terms “apocalypse” and “apocalyptic” are Greek words meaning “uncovering” or “revealing.”
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The ELCA provides this PDF resource, provided to assist congregations in this time surrounding a national election. The readings, prayers, and assembly song suggestions could be used in settings such as prayer vigils, as part of Morning or Evening Prayer, as part of regular weekly worship in the weeks preceding or following an election, or devotions at home or in other settings.
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Mountain View Lutheran Church, Ahwatukee (11002 S. 48th Street Phoenix, AZ 85044) is hosting a German-language Christmas Service on Sunday, 12/18/2022. Singing of Christmas songs begins at 4:10 pm, with the Christmas service starting at 4:30 pm. Watch the live-stream here.
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I’ve lived in both cities and in the country–and in a few different states. There are commonalities among people everywhere I’ve lived. Most people want the best for themselves, their families, and the world. But we disagree on what that looks like and how we can bring it about.
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I am in awe of the Muslim women involved in protests surrounding the wearing of the hijab. They are heroes who are showing strength and resilience in the midst of persistent pushback.
One of the things that has struck me is that there is no one, universal stance. Women are asking for the power to choose how to live out their faith. There are women in Iran who refuse to be forced to wear a hijab. And at the same time there are women in India who wear their hijabs despite being banned from doing so.
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Sometimes we experience a tension in life. We want to see ourselves in a position of superiority, thinking of ourselves as better than “other kinds of people”. But we also feel a pull toward humility and a stance of shared humanity with all people. Resentment may come into play. We are tempted to dehumanize those we resent, maybe even punish them.
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I keep thinking about the people’s determination in the Ukraine. It has been nearly eight months since the invasion began. Ukraine’s population is forty-four million compared to Russia’s one hundred forty-four million. This giant has attacked them, and it has not been as easy as Russia had hoped. What makes the Ukrainians continue to resist?
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Many physical places serve as a transition between two other spaces. In locations where outdoor temperatures can be frigid, some homes have a vestibule, which is an enclosed entryway that serves as a buffer between the warm interior and the cold exterior. Architects and other designers will often refer to transitional zones as “liminal spaces,” which means being at the threshold of something new but not quite there yet.
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"ELCA Guidelines for Ministry in a Multi-Religious World" provides general guidance for occasions when Christians and people of other religions come together. Included are recommendations for prayer services, crisis and tragedy response, social ministries, pastoral care, weddings and funerals.
"Preaching and Teaching with Love and Respect for the Jewish People" explores challenging topics, lectionary selections, and Bible passages to inform Christian preaching and teaching so that they respect the integrity of the Jewish tradition and avoid anti-Jewish interpretations of New Testament texts.
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John Stewart is an actor, comedian, and talk show host. He is probably most famous for hosting The Daily Show, a comedy news show, for many years. Stewart is also a well known advocate for 9/11 first responders and the military.
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Right before today’s assigned Gospel reading, Jesus clearly says “you cannot serve God and wealth” (Luke 16:13, NRSV). And in the following verse, the Gospel of Luke tells us that the Pharisees, “who were lovers of money” were upset and “they ridiculed him” (Luke 16:14, NRSV).
And then in this morning’s pericope, Jesus offers this parable about a chasm—the chasm between the rich man and Lazarus. This is the chasm between those who have a hard time seeing past themselves and those who go unseen, the chasm between the lovers of money and those who lose their lives as a result.
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ELCA Worship shares their September, 2022 newsletter, including:
Readings for the Assembly (Emended) is available for provisional use
Upcoming ALCM Webinar, “Tried and True—With a Twist!”: Friday, Oct. 7, 2 p.m. Eastern time
Music that Makes Community: Advent Planning workshop and other events and resources
Journey to Baptismal Living: North American Association for the Catechumenate
Mackenzie Scott, novelist and former wife to Jeff Bezos, both of Amazon fame, is increasing her reputation for generosity with a significant donation to the California Community Foundation. This week she donated two mansions in Beverly Hills estimated at worth around $55 million. The foundation announced that 90% of the proceeds will go toward providing grants for affordable housing. The remaining 10% is slated to be used for programs for integration of immigrants.
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