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.
Read MoreThe last few weeks have brought worry and panic to the banking world. The panic began with the sudden collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank over a three-day span. These bank closures led anxious customers to withdraw their money from other smaller regional banks and place it with bigger institutions that are better capitalized.
Read MoreSomeone said to me just the other day, “The church mayyyyy be broken.”
I can’t say I totally disagree, as there is so much about our church that simply doesn’t work anymore, or that sorta, kinda works, but desperately needs transformation.
Read MoreIt has been a difficult few weeks for me, particularly as I watch the civil rights of my LGBTQ siblings stripped away. It has been difficult to assure my children that it will be ok when they saw the news report of Russia’s downing of a US drone when I have no power to give that assurance. Or to again think of the thousands living in the aftermath of earthquakes and war, to hear stories of Afghani women and girls still banned from education and work.
Read MoreThe 40 days of Lent are drawing to a close, and so, too, is our journey through the psalms. From the plaintive cries of Psalm 32 to the quiet comfort of Psalm 23, we have glimpsed the spiritual depth of these hymns and reflected on what they might mean for us today, centuries after they were first recorded.
Read More[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.”
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