Zechariah’s prophecy in the first chapter of Luke, our reading for this second Sunday in Advent, is sometimes overlooked in favor of the Magnificat of Mary in the same chapter. Mary’s song, which we will read later in Advent, is a theological ode to God, who “lift[s] up the lowly” (Luke 1:52).
Read MoreIn response to the verdicts in the trial of Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William Bryan in Brunswick, Ga., for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, we offer a word of prayer and healing.
Read MoreAnnual report covers are now available online for congregations that are preparing for their annual meetings. The document includes a letter from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, a hymn and litany and a story about how change and creativity have helped shape congregations this past year. The digital covers are available as pages or as spreads and can be found at ELCA.org/SOFIA#relevantresources.
Read MoreThis Advent brings several reasons for hope: children can soon receive vaccinations for COVID-19, many congregations are gathering again in person, families look forward to holiday celebrations. Yet humanity grieves losses and experiences great suffering and forms of oppression, as does the planet itself.
Two new hymns in All Creation Sings that address this, see “Can You Feel the Seasons Turning” and “Abba, Abba, Hear Us” among others in the “Lament” and “Creation” sections.
Read MoreFor all who face adverse weather with inadequate shelter or protections…
For the victims of the Christmas parade tragedy in Wisconsin…
For safe holiday travel…
For all who seek justice in the face of unjust systems
For our Jewish siblings as they begin Hanukkah celebrations…
As both a member of the Cherokee nation and a first-generation Mexican American, news stories from the southern border in 2018 were more than just headlines for me.
These stories tap into the deep, largely unacknowledged, pain that Indigenous peoples in the United States have carried for generations around the governmental and the church practice of forcefully removing Native American children to send them to residential boarding schools. The philosophy of one of these institutions, The Carlisle School in Pennsylvania, was “Kill the Indian, save the man.”
Read MoreIn Worcester, Mass., the secondhand goods sold at Emanuel’s Closet represent the first step of a reinvigorated congregation looking for new ways to serve.
“Jesus told us we have a responsibility to our neighbors—feed the hungry, clothe the naked and be a place of shelter,” said Tom Houston, the licensed lay minister of Emanuel Lutheran Church, which houses the thrift store. “We want to be more of a factor in our community, and Emanuel’s Closet is a starting point.”
Read MoreIs your congregation ready to take some steps (even small steps) toward renewal or revitalization? Then, you are invited to attend the 2022 Spring Session of the ELCA Vital Congregations Re-BOOT Camp, which are four sessions, 1/13–2/27/2022.
Registration closes on 1/7/2022. FREE Registration link: Vital Congregations Spring 2022 Session - Google Forms
Please see the attached PowerPoint for more information regarding the Re-BOOT Camp. You can contact our GCS Director for Evangelical Mission, Miguel Gomez-Acosta, for further information or with questions.
Read MoreWith all eyes on turkeys this week, let’s not forget about chicken women. Check out this new video from ELCA World Hunger about Manna From Heaven, a ministry meeting the needs of its neighbors in Kentucky with support from ELCA World Hunger.
Read MoreIn his book, Silence the Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise, Thich Nhat Hanh talks about two kinds of knots. The first knot is our notions, ideas, concepts, and knowledge. These things are not bad, but when we get stuck on them we miss out on the truth of life.
The second knot is our afflictions, fears, anger, discrimination, despair, and arrogance. Thich Nhat Hanh believes that until these knots are undone we remain bound up and not truly free.
Read MoreThe housing allowance is an important tax advantage for clergy. However, your congregation must officially designate the amount in writing each year, before compensation is earned, that might be used for housing expenses. As you look ahead to 2022, be sure to take action to document this amount. Learn more on the Portico site when you sign in with your EmployerLink.
Read MoreThis study guide for the social statement Faith, Sexism, and Justice: A Call to Action has six sessions that guide participants to engage the social statement and discern ways to take action.
In this post we share Bishop Eaton’s invitation to participate. View the study guide here.
Read MoreAdvent Pilgrimage in Palestine: a four-week virtual pilgrimage from the ELCA’s Peace Not Walls and Young Adult Ministry teams featuring young adult voices from the ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
Read MoreThe Rev. Bertha Godfrey Munkhondya recently became the first woman ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi (ELCM). She studied theology at the Tumaini University Makumira in Arusha, Tanzania, with the help of an ELCA International Leaders Program scholarship. Read more about the Rev. Munkhondya here.
On Oct. 16, the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland (ECACP) voted to allow women to be ordained as pastors. Presiding Bishop Jerzy Samiec of the ECACP said: “I believe it’s a good decision and we will see good fruits come of it. It has been a long process for the church, and now we will find a way of walking together into the future.” Read more about the landmark decision here.
Read MoreFor all affected by flooding in the Pacific Northwest…
For all who are lonely or grieving a first holiday without a loved one…
For those in power, whose decisions effect the well-being of others…
For all who are experiencing anxiety and worry…
For all who struggle with strained family relationships
For lament over injustices perpetuated against American Indian and and Alaska Native peoples…
Wondering how you can make a positive impact in the world right now? With ELCA Good Gifts, you can choose from more than 50 charitable gifts to give in honor of friends and loved ones.
Start your holiday shopping now and order free, customized cards for each gift you give. Print-at-home and online cards are also available instantly at any time. Shop now…
Read MoreELCA World Hunger Education and Networking Grants fund projects that educate participants about hunger — and how to end it. The application for 2021 Education and Networking Grants is open until Dec. 1, 2021. Visit the ELCA World Hunger blog to learn more.
Read MoreA.J. Striffler, a Navy chaplain, served onboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower last year. Because the ship avoided port to prevent spread of COVID-19, it set a record for the longest consecutive time at sea for any naval vessel. Read his letter in this post.
Read MoreAdvent is just around the corner! Have you ordered ELCA World Hunger’s resources for your congregation yet? View online versions of the resources or order them on their website: ELCA.org/HungerAdvent.
Read MoreELCA Advocacy shares their November, 2021 updates. The first is from the ELCA Advocacy office in Washington, D.C., and the second is the UN and state edition, updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in the ELCA Advocacy Network this month.
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