Listen to devotional music available through Augsburg Fortress: “It is Well With My Soul;” “Rejoice and Let Your Lights Appear;” “The Beautiful Land.”
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Lutherans Restoring Creation shares resources and processes for acknowledging native land. Native-Land.ca provides a searchable map.
Read their full list of resources and listen to their Nov. 12th Connections Call for more information.
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Pray for people and communities in the western states that are fighting wildfires, recovering from the devastation left by recent fires and worrying about the increased threat of wildfires and longer fire seasons. Ask God to protect the firefighters, emergency responders and volunteers who work tirelessly and at great personal risk to protect lives and property.
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O God of justice and love, you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, and awaken us to the needs of others, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
When we come before God in worship, we bring our whole selves. What does that actually mean? For many people in the ELCA it means coming to worship with the assistance of a mobility, audio, visual, or sensory device.
Unfortunately, in many of our churches or places of worship, it is our siblings in Christ who have disabilities and need such devices who feel the least welcome at the table.
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As congregations across the ELCA creatively find new ways to worship online and in person, and continue to support the work of important ministries including ELCA World Hunger, we want to equip leaders with useful resources this season.
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We are called to be disciples and students of Jesus, to study Scripture and to learn from the bearers of faith who live by what they teach. Pray that the Spirit will open our hearts and sharpen our minds to distinguish between those who are trustworthy and those who use their position and powers of persuasion to tempt us from the truth and ways of God.
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Have you ever known a “prepper”? Preppers are people who prepare for emergencies or disasters by storing large quantities of items they might need.
Being prepared is an important life skill all can develop. It goes beyond having what you need and extends to planning the response you’ll make when something unexpected happens.
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Last week, Mikka McCracken, Director of the ELCA Innovation Lab, spoke about our call to “fail boldly” and what it means to ABIDE in failure.
Check out this video which explores the importance of taking risks in service to our neighbor, and remembering that our worth is not defined by our success or failure but rests in our identity as loved children of God.
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Because of the increased threats to cyber security, the Grand Canyon Synod will be hosting a Zoom presentation with Anthony Cicero, CISSP, Professor of Cyber Security at Scottsdale Community College. Monday, November 9 at 6 pm MST. Please register for the meeting here by November 6.
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Pray for the Spirit to grant us wisdom and courage in our discernment and decisions as we elect leaders for our nation, states and communities. Pray that those chosen to serve will do so with compassion, justice, concern for people with critical needs and a commitment to the well-being of all people and communities.
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In this session, Wednesday, November 4, 12 pm MST, Rev. Solveig Nilsen-Goodin will invite us into a prayer practice based on Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Links to the meeting at elcacoaching.org.
To watch the previous two sessions, visit Rituals of Renewal and Everything We Love, We Will Lose.
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The fourth session of the Beginning a Culture of Generosity fall stewardship program is available for review. It’s available here for those who missed it or are curious about the program.
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Native American Heritage Month Lutheran witness of the gospel with American Indian and Alaska Native people stretches back more than 350 years. The ELCA’s American Indian and Alaska Native membership is around 4,850, and American Indian and Alaska Native Ministries works with 30 native congregations around the country. Pray for the ministry and witness of native congregations and the work of the American Indian and Alaska Native Lutheran Association, that they might flourish and grow.
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Carmelo Santos asks: What does a treatise written by a German monk 500 years ago have to say to us today as we navigate a pandemic, Black Lives Matter, climate change, sexism, white supremacy, the plight of migrants and asylum-seekers—in addition to our personal struggles with health, work and relationships?
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Interfaith Power and Light, interfaithpowerandlight.org, is a faith-based response to climate change, helping congregations to respond through the promotion of energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy and people of faith raise their voices in the policy-making arena to advance clean energy and limit carbon pollution. Info on their Arizona chapter at: azipl.org.
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All Saints Day Give thanks for everyone God has gathered in the body of Christ — those who are living and those who have passed. Praise God for the diverse talents given to us that the Spirit uses to encourage faith in others, strengthen the community of believers and do God’s work in the world.
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Reformation Day Give thanks and praise to God for the ministry, teachings and impact of Martin Luther and other church reformers, who took great risks to refocus our faith, institutions and practices on the word of God and the good news of Jesus Christ. Pray that we will continue to be a reforming church, mindful of the Spirit’s guidance as we discern how to follow Christ ― now and in the future.
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Pray for people who are recovering from hurricanes, storms and flooding here and in other countries. Ask God to displace their grief and despair with hope, their feelings of loss with comfort and wholeness, and their isolation and loneliness with the reassurance that people, congregations and ministries such as Lutheran Disaster Response will stand with them now and for the long haul of recovery and healing.
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Pray for the Spirit to guide and inspire our discernment and decisions in the upcoming presidential election, and to help us prioritize the needs of our neighbors, the well-being of communities in turmoil and the task of healing the deep divisions in our society.
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