The Spirited Book Club's December selection is Joan Chittister's The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully. Sheri Brown facilitates the discussion on Thursday, 12/8/2022, 2pm MST, 1pm PST. Register to receive Zoom link.
Not only accepting but celebrating getting old, this inspirational and illuminating work by Sr. Joan Chittister looks at the many facets of the aging process, from purposes and challenges to struggles and surprises.
Read MoreThe Office of the Bishop will be closed on Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving week, 11/24 and 11/25/2022.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, lift up prayers of gratitude for the blessings and abundant resources we enjoy, and remember the people in our communities and world who suffer food insecurity, hunger and poverty. Ask the Spirit to increase our generosity and engagement with our neighbors in need and to help our communities become more just, generous, compassionate and committed to addressing difficult social issues.
Read MoreA one-of-a-kind research-based, spiritual empowerment program that utilizes mindfulness, neuroscience, storytelling, and experiential exercises to infuse more calm, health, and joy in your relationships and in the world.
The Spiritual Program for Individual and Couple Empowerment (SPICE) Retreat is for individuals and couples seeking more meaning and purpose in their lives and relationships. Whether you’re floundering, fine, or fabulous, SPICE aims to bring you to the next level. Register and view full info on our calendar listing.
Read MoreIn December 2021, western Kentucky was hit by a series of deadly and destructive tornadoes, destroying over 1,300 homes. In July 2022, record-setting floods inundated communities in eastern Kentucky. The flooding caused heavy damage to homes and local infrastructure. Recovery in both areas will takes years.
Read MoreAccording 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.
Read MoreWelcome to the first college baseball game at the cozy diamond built for the movie Field of Dreams, where dead center is barely 350 feet from home plate, 41 feet shorter than the fence at the Luther Norse’s home field.
Read MoreThis morning we received reports of impostor emails from the Bishop with the subject “MANY BLESSINGS.” Ignore them, or take the time to the the spam button and report them.
If you’re ever suspicious of an email, check for “gcsynod.org” in the email address, and contact us directly with concerns. Learn more in this post.
Read MoreI invited the youth to write down all the things they could think of that were good. I told them to keep writing, not to lift up their pens, and to list as many things—big and small—that felt good to them. Once we finished sharing, I asked one question: Did anyone include themselves on the list? I met their eyes and saw surprise and many heads shaking. Not one had added their name to their list of good things.
Read MoreWe continue our series of weekly reflections on the 2022 Churchwide Assembly with thoughts from Rev. David Brandfass, with Christ Lutheran in Sedona.
“When I left the 2019 assembly I felt as though we faced great challenges as a church, and I wasn’t sure we were up to it. Three years later, on my way home from Columbus, it is obvious we face even greater challenges, but now, through the witness of this assembly, I feel we are ready, led by the Spirit and filled with grace, to meet the challenges faced by Jesus’ church in this twenty-first century.”
Read MoreAfter much searching, Jay’s mother Marie found Mosaic, the right place that tailored his supports to his unique needs and wants. Read the full article at mosaicinfo.org.
Read MoreWhen I met Mark, his first marriage had failed, as had mine, but his love and commitment toward his young daughter, Kristen, were unshakable. When we married, she became a full-fledged member of our new family, and I became a stepmother.
The time and increasing closeness Kristen and I shared brought me immense joy. Even so, I often felt insecure as she came and went on a schedule beyond my control, always returning to the care of a woman whose claim and closeness far outweighed my own.
Read MoreWe’ve updated our Congregations in Transition page with an updated manual (PDF, Word) created by a joint effort of the Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountain Synods.
Read MoreWe share the latest newsletter from the Inside Out Network (ION), our synod’s prison and reentry ministry. Read the full newsletter as PDF, featuring what’s next for the Inside Out Network, a service provider spotlight, Arizona and Illinois updates, and an ION intern spotlight.
Read MoreSpirit 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.
Read MoreA 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.
Read MoreELCA worship invites you to give feedback on prayers of intercession by 11/23/2022.
Intercession prompts:
For newly elected and re-elected public officials and a willingness to reach across party lines for the well-being of all people, especially the most vulnerable…
For deepening political divisions within our communities, nation, and families…
For those who are unemployed or underemployed…
For residents of Florida and the Bahamas, as Tropical Storm Nicole makes landfall and intensifies…
For an end to the continued war in Ukraine and all places of war and conflict…
We pray for Rev. David Brandfass and the people of Christ Lutheran Church in Sedona, part of the High Country Conference. Visit their site at christsedona.org, and their social media pages on Facebook and Vimeo.
Read MoreThe Office of the Bishop continues to travel and preach, and prep for 2023. We share photos from the LAMA Summit 2022 featuring Rev. Eugene Cho, Bread for the World.
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