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This Tuesday in Holy Week, I invite you to consider the times God's resurrection life has surprised you, or how out of a grief experience God created something new.
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As we move through our Lenten journey into Holy Week, I find myself thinking of the theme of our spring gatherings: From Worry to Wonder.
The journey of the church involves becoming something new, not returning to the past. The path forward is to move together, exploring worries and shifting from a posture of worry to a posture of wonder.
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We pray for the people of Emmanuel Sudanese Lutheran Church in Glendale, part of the Cactus Conference. Visit their site at stjchurchaz.org, and their Facebook page.
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The Spirited Book Club's April selection is Neighbor Love through Fearful Days: Finding Purpose and Meaning in a Time of Crisis by Jason A. Mahn. Click here for book details & to register. Thursday, 4/13/2023, 2 pm MST/PDT, 3pm MDT.
Neighbor Love through Fearful Days is a reflection on the Covid-19 pandemic, the accompanying economic collapse, a summer of climate chaos, and the pandemic of white supremacy, as well as on the calling to “serve thy neighbor” and work toward the common good.
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What is this week all for? Many of us look at the weekly schedule and see… so many things, and a few worship services on top of them. It can sometimes seem like it’s a bit overkill to do these services.
Yet this is the week. THE week which celebrates God’s unrelenting love, Christ’s solemn unity with humanity and unspeakable suffering, and the Holy Spirit’s persistent gentleness, breathing life again.
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As we prepare to enter into Palm/Passion Sunday, I invite you to reflect on the ways that this day encompasses a wide spectrum of human experience: from praise to denial, joy to fear, and palm waving to stone throwing.
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Jesus did not have to suffer. He did not have to endure the mocking, the betrayal, the shame, and injustice of it all. He, though he was God, emptied himself and became obedient to the point of death. And the beauty of this reality about the God whom we worship is that this is the truth of love.
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Start reading your copy of US: The Resurrection of American Terror, and be ready to join Simon’s Project for discussions with Rev. Kenneth W. Wheeler about his new book. Reading the book is encouraged, but not necessary.
Our first discussion is Tuesday, 4/4/2023, 10am MST/PDT, 11am MDT. Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
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On March 26, 2023, Mount Olive Lutheran Church held a commemorative mortgage burning ceremony at all three of its worship services to celebrate the milestone accomplishment of paying off their building loan.
They share their history and how this came to be in this post.
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Linda Staats’ story, centered on children, bears striking similarities to the biblical story of Sarah, who was 90 years old when God surprised her with a child.
Linda, who currently serves on the Grand Canyon Synod stewardship team, is featured in this Living Lutheran story of an ELCA family who helps settle a Kenyan family through the green card lottery.
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For some of us, the phrase “sermon prep” can create a sense of panic. It seems like there’s never enough time to give planning, writing, and revising your undivided attention. Besides, your work is among the people, and that’s hard to do if you’re holed up in your office.
Sermon Camp offers preachers the chance to refresh and be empowered for a better way forward.
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Thank you, to those of you who have already registered! For those who haven’t, you can still register and receive the early-bird rate of $245 through April 21, 2023. You will need to book hotel and travel separately. Highlights of the gathering, and more information are available at elca.org/rmg.
If you like to welcome people, help with registration, or have the gift of hospitality, please connect with Pastor Doug Dill: pastordoug@centrallutheranaz.org or 402-235-6969. Click here to register as a volunteer at elca.org.
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I find this Jesus, the suffering servant, to be welcoming and comforting – one who stretches his arms wide on the cross, willingly bearing suffering and evil knowing that the resurrection dawn will certainly come.
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The Office of the Bishop participates in the Installation of Rev. Dan Potaznick, (Apr 1, 2023, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM, St. John’s, Glendale) in multiple ways, and continues to prepare for assembly and other meetings. We also share photos from the High Country Conference Spring Gathering, as well as the Installation of Rev. Scott Klimke.
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Other than Apache, which is at a medium level, all of our synod’s counties are at at low levels.
Note: our updates can be a week behind due to our news cycle overlapping with Thursday updates. View the latest CDC and NYTimes updates here.
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This week we celebrate the following ordination anniversaries:
Deacon Glenda Blegen, who celebrates 17 years on April 2.
Rev. Adele Resmer, who celebrates 36 years on April 5.
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This year the suffering servant text struck me differently – struck me almost in the way Rocky Balboa gets struck over and over in the famous movie franchise Rocky.
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In anticipation of Palm Sunday, and in the aftermath of yet another shooting, today’s devotion is a poem written b Pr. Katy Stenta. Hosanna, a dangerous prayer indeed.
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We pray for Rev. Kevin Meyer and the people of Covenant Lutheran Church in Quartzsite, part of the Cactus Conference. Visit their Facebook page.
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We welcome Rev. Dr. Anthony Bateza as our special guest at the 2023 Grand Canyon Synod Assembly. Dr. Bateza is a specialist in Martin Luther, moral theology and Christian ethics.
At St. Olaf College, he is the: Associate Professor of Religion; Department Chair of Race, Ethnic, Gender and Sexuality Studies; and Director of Race and Ethnic Studies. Learn more in this post or on our 2023 assembly special guests page.
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