We pray for Rev. Brian Cain and the people of Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church in Gilbert, part of the Rio Salado Conference. Visit their site at spiritofjoygilbert.org, and their Youtube page.
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Give thanks and praise that God knows intimately our complexities, failures, accomplishments, questions, goals and hopes, and still looks upon us with loving kindness, newness and a desire for us to thrive as individuals and communities.
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New Year’s Eve A new year can offer hope and enthusiasm for starting anew, or it can bring fear and despair stirred by our human weaknesses and failures. Ask God to help us achieve our new endeavors and resolutions and reground ourselves in God’s grace, forgiveness and newness when we fall short of our expectations and goals. Ask the Spirit to help us encourage, assist and surround with grace people who stumble or whose confidence is unsteady.
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As we begin a new year, we thank you for the ministry we share as the Grand Canyon Synod. We thank you for the honor of serving you. We give thanks for God’s creation and new creation.
Sovereign of the universe, your first covenant of mercy was with every living creature. When your beloved Son came among us, the waters of the river welcomed him, the heavens opened to greet his arrival, the animals of the wilderness drew near as his companions. With all the world’s people, may we who are washed into new life through baptism seek the way of your new creation, the way of justice and care, mercy and peace; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
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We end our year grateful for all of the leaders of the Grand Canyon Synod, and especially celebrate those with ordination anniversaries in 2020, as well as the newly ordained, in this video from earlier in the year.
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California Lutheran University’s 6-week FAB Winter Session begins on Jan. 19, and registration is now open! For more information visit: callutheran.edu or this PDF.
Courses include: History of Women Artists, America and the Cold War, American Life Through Broadway Musicals, Pioneer Women of the Movies, and more!
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The Grand Canyon Women of the ELCA present the Winter Gather Bible Study on January 23rd, 2021 from 9am to noon MST.
We invite you to join us and Rev. Christa von Zychlin to “Journey with Angels” by exploring the Bible in search for angels and God’s calls to action. Register here for this free event. Registration open through Jan. 21, 2021. English-to-Spanish closed captioning available.
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Listen to devotional music available through Augsburg Fortress: “On Hills of Bethlehem;” “This Little Light of Mine;” “O Laughing Light.”
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Herod has a way to see the world: it is centered on himself, his power, his privileges, his city. We may often be like Herod, centered on ourselves, using religion only for our own purposes.
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Tony and Tabby reflect on their international service year in the Central Europe country program with Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM). If you are a young adult ages 21 to 29, you can apply for YAGM. The deadline to apply is Jan. 15, 2021, for service beginning in August 2021. Learn more at ELCA.org/YAGM.
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As we wrap up 2020, we highlight asubmission to the 2020 Generosity Film Festival.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chandler, Arizona, shares a story of generosity in the form of a music video. This video won awards for Best Neighborly Generosity Story and a technical award for Best of Music and Score.
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We give thanks to the conference deans who have been crucial to the good health of our synod in this year of change and challenge. Their wisdom and knowledge are gifts.
We thank Rev. Sharon Brown (High Country), Rev. Donald Lorfing (Colorado River), Rev. David Pavesic (Sunrise and Santa Cruz), Rev. Peter Perry (Cactus), Rev. Christine Stoxen (Fiesta), Rev. Sarah Stadler (Capital), Rev. Adele Resmer (Northeast Valley), and current dean Rev. Steven Crittenden and former dean Rev. Chon Pugh of the Rio Salado Conference.
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We lift up our deacons in this video, part of our 2020 Bishop’s Fall Gathering Worship service.
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Pray that the light, celebration and blessings of community we experience as followers of Christ will continue far beyond the Christmas holidays and permeate our daily lives as we participate in God’s life-giving work and witness in the world.
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You’re invited to attend the virtual Training Course in Community Organizing for Transformational Ministry offered by Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminar, January 19-23, 2020. Register here, view info PDF.
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Lutherans Restoring Creation provides a 2020 Impact Report, which also highlights the history of the 10-year-old organization. You can also browse all of their Connection Calls in 2020, which have a wide variety of presenters making the Lutheran and climate connection.
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Listen to devotional music available through Augsburg Fortress: “A Babe Is Born;” “O God of Light;” “Now the Heavens Start to Whisper.”
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This year on the Tenth Day of Christmas we keep Sunday once more, and the whole mystery of the incarnation of God in Christ washes over us again. Of course, we are often part of that world that does not know him, his own people who do not accept him. But the Word is given to us in these readings. Receiving it, the Spirit of God comes to us and we are brought to faith again.
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Sometimes parents resist the news that their child is, or may be, autistic. Why do we need to label children so young? What good could possibly come of it?
As an autistic adult who was diagnosed at age 22, I wish my diagnosis had come much earlier in my life, because so much good has come of it. Getting diagnosed with autism is, quite simply, one of the best things that has ever happened to me.
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