[Jesus] cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. - John 11.43
Read MoreYes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world. These words are familiar – the creed we speak in community, boldly proclaimed as one when the body of Christ gathers in worship.
Read MoreToday is the commemoration of Archbishop Oscar Romero, a Salvadoran priest who was assassinated while standing behind the altar as he prepared to preside at mass. He is known as a martyr and prophet, using his voice to speak out against the human rights violations of the people of El Salvador. As we look at Bp. Romero’s life, it is easy to see that indeed the Spirit dwelt within him, and even with the daily threat of death and violence he continued to speak boldly to the powers that oppressed the Salvadorans.
Read MoreCredit cards are a necessary part of today’s world, but not all cards are the same. As a cost-effective alternative to standard corporate credit card programs, consider the ELCA Federal Credit Union’s ministry card program. For additional information or to apply, contact the ELCA Federal Credit Union.
Read MoreHave you ever felt the satisfaction of bringing something to life? Maybe you had an idea that became reality maybe, or a seed (literal or figurative) planted and grown?
I often marvel at the power we humans have to create life, and was struck this year as we have been reimagining different aspects of our faith, how Ezekiel plays a role in this story of the valley of dry bones.
Read More“Where Your Heart Is,” the new stewardship newsletter of the ELCA, continues with their March, 2023 newsletter featuring: words from Tim Brown, Director for Congregational Stewardship; upcoming events, stewardship in the text, and stewardship resources.
Read MoreBack in the days of the pandemic when I had a little more time to sit at home and watch TV, I found myself drawn to a show called “Good Bones,” a show about a mother/daughter duo who buys dilapidated houses with ‘good bones’ and rehabs them – transforms them – into beautiful places for others to make a home.
Read MoreIn the city of Dumaguete, Negros Oriental Island, in the Philippines, groups of people have come together to fight against a proposal that they believe will severely impact their community. This proposal, P23-B, is a land reclamation project that seeks to develop the coastlines of the city.
Read MoreIn a recent episode of the podcast Hidden Brain, researcher, and author Dacher Keltner talks about what happens when we experience awe. It turns out that stopping to look at nature creates deep joy and happiness in human beings.
Read MoreELCA Worship shares their news for March, 2023.
We enter these latter weeks in Lent and anticipate the Three Days, attentive to the depth of human experience these days bring. Amid deep grief and great joy, pain and pleasure, quiet prayer and jubilant praise, God is with us. In this and every season the ELCA Worship staff note resources and events that can be helpful to you in your ministry.
Read MorePortico Benefit Services provides ministers and congregations participating in the ELCA benefit program with no-cost access to annual tax guides. For ministers, Clergy Tax Return Preparation Guide by Richard R. Hammar gives special attention to tax-related topics most relevant to ministers.
For congregations, Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches by Richard R. Hammar helps congregations understand their federal tax-reporting requirements.
Read MoreThe community of Cataño, Puerto Rico, is vibrant, with residents talented in music, art and sports, yet it also faces a number of challenges. Forty-six percent of people in Cataño live in poverty. So when Hurricane Maria passed through, the devastation compounded ongoing challenges and added new ones.
Read MoreBuried with Christ in death, joined to him in the waters of baptism, and raised with him to new life every day by default means that we are ‘in the Lord.’ And being joined to God in Christ Jesus means that God’s vision of mercy, justice, and love become our own vision…
Read MoreThe Lord will preserve you from all evil and will keep your life. The Lord will watch over your going out and you're coming in, from this time forth forevermore. —Psalm 121.7-8
Read MoreThe [formerly blind] man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.”
Read MoreCatching a new vision can be messy business. In Jesus’ case in John 9, it was a muddybusiness, that included literal dirt, bathing, and neighbors arguing. Do you ever get the sense that we are living this story?
Read MoreBeing open to God’s vision can be something of an enigma for me. I don’t know about you, but I often start to dream, plan, pray about, and imagine how a certain thing might turn out.
Read MoreThe March, 2023, bimonthly e-newsletter for ELCA congregational and synodical leaders is here, featuring: updated tax guides, Rostered Ministers Gathering early registration, ELCA Federal Credit Union ministry card, unemployment exemptions for churches, and how to keep your building safe from wayward vehicles.
Read MoreI can really sympathize with Samuel . He was called by God to anoint Saul as king over Israel, only Saul disobeyed God – and God decided to go another route. Reading 1 Samuel 15-16 over again, it doesn’t even seem like Samuel and Saul were good friends, and yet Samuel grieved that what was potentially going to be a good thing never panned out.
Read MoreYvonne Shortt is an artist who uses grasses, clay, moss, and other natural materials to create beautiful sculptures of people’s heads. Slowly over time Yvonne began losing her eyesight because of a rare genetic disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa. Her story is part of a documentary called Adapt-Ability by filmmaker James Robinson which highlights how her limitations are really a gift to her art.
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