Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center offers special Daily Advent Devotions free by email this year. Subscribe on this page and opt in to the Advent Devotions from Pastor Steve Holm.
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Isn’t that the easiest question in the world to answer? Actually, it can be one of the hardest. When someone asks, “Who are you?” how do you respond?
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The fifth 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. Read on for testimonials from participants.
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Pray for patience, caution and concern for our neighbor during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic; pray that the Spirit and our siblings in Christ will help us cope with and adjust to the implications of the pandemic for this season in which we are accustomed to gathering in person for meals, celebrations, worship, family gatherings and community events.
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Give thanks for caregivers, staff and nurses in senior communities, nursing homes, rehabilitation hospitals, and memory-care and assisted-living facilities. Ask God to grant them strength, wisdom, skill and a spirit of hope and joy as they go about their difficult and often tiring work.
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Join Presiding Bishop Eaton as she lights the candles and says a prayer for the second week of Advent.
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Earth Ministry (earthministry.org) is a faith-based organization in Washington state committed to engaging the Christian community in environmental stewardship.
Resources include a handbook for congregations engaging in creation care ministries.
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Pray that the Spirit will give us a measure of John the Baptist’s boldness, commitment, humility and resolve as we share the good news of Jesus Christ and the promise of God’s love and mercy with everyone we encounter or approach throughout our baptismal journey.
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As we are immersed in the joy, festivities and busyness of Advent and Christmas, pause to pray for our global neighbors who have suffered through devastating natural disasters and need our support, generosity and assistance. Pray particularly for the many nations that have experienced drought and for those impacted by the earthquake in Turkey and Greece, Typhoon Goni hitting the Philippines and multiple hurricanes impacting Mexico, the Caribbean region and the United States.
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What do you anticipate and watch for during this season of Advent? Pray for what you yearn and hope for, and give thanks that God is faithful to God’s promises, especially through the gift of life to the world through Jesus Christ.
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On December 6 the church commemorates Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, or as he is more commonly called, St. Nicholas.
In this time when we are often worshiping at home, it is very fitting to find ways to mark St. Nicholas Day at home.
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ELCA Mission Support unveils a brand-new digital platform for Stories of Faith in Action, featuring content in a modern, dynamic format, mixing video and visual elements with stories to take you further into the work of Mission Support.
This site is a fantastic tool to include in your next stewardship communication or as part of your annual meeting materials.
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Give thanks for the new ELCA social message “Government and Civic Engagement in the United States: Discipleship in a Democracy.” Pray that it will help us understand how government is a gift from God but can also be abused and misused. Ask the Spirit to guide us as we prayerfully reflect on how we can view civic engagement as Lutherans.
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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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The Spirit is at work in times of anticipation and yearning, reminding us of God’s promises and activity, helping us stay calm and patient, and redirecting our attention from ourselves to our neighbors in need ― nearby and around the world.
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We invite annual meeting organizers to an information session in which we will share best practices for your online annual congregation meeting: Monday, 12/14/2020, 7pm MST, 6 pm PST. Click here to register in advance.
Please join attorneys Peter Westby and Bryan Daum, synod council secretary Pastor David Brandfass, and the Office of the Bishop staff in a review of constitutional requirements, state regulations, technical aspects of a Zoom meeting, resource review, and Q&A.
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World AIDS Day Pray for compassion, understanding and healing for individuals, families and communities worldwide that are living with or affected by HIV and AIDS. Give thanks for the dedicated service and skill of doctors, pastors, public officials, health care educators, care providers and researchers who treat the infected, bring hope to the discouraged and weary, and respond to the disease’s spiritual, physical, emotional and social impacts.
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These petitions are offered as guides to prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world.
Download a Word doc, or PDF for letter size printout or legal size printout, or view the ELCA resource page.
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