This Advent brings several reasons for hope: children can soon receive vaccinations for COVID-19, many congregations are gathering again in person, families look forward to holiday celebrations. Yet humanity grieves losses and experiences great suffering and forms of oppression, as does the planet itself.
Two new hymns in All Creation Sings that address this, see “Can You Feel the Seasons Turning” and “Abba, Abba, Hear Us” among others in the “Lament” and “Creation” sections.
Read More“And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.” 1 Chronicles 29:13
With prayers of gratitude and thanksgiving for all who share in our ministry together throughout the Grand Canyon Synod. —Bishop Deborah Hutterer and the Office of the Bishop staff
Read this post for the what’s and where’s of the team in the coming week.
Read MoreFor all who face adverse weather with inadequate shelter or protections…
For the victims of the Christmas parade tragedy in Wisconsin…
For safe holiday travel…
For all who seek justice in the face of unjust systems
For our Jewish siblings as they begin Hanukkah celebrations…
As both a member of the Cherokee nation and a first-generation Mexican American, news stories from the southern border in 2018 were more than just headlines for me.
These stories tap into the deep, largely unacknowledged, pain that Indigenous peoples in the United States have carried for generations around the governmental and the church practice of forcefully removing Native American children to send them to residential boarding schools. The philosophy of one of these institutions, The Carlisle School in Pennsylvania, was “Kill the Indian, save the man.”
Read MoreDuring this Advent season, Lutheran World Federation (LWF) member churches are sharing hymns from their congregations to show how the Lutheran communion regions prepare for Christ’s coming into this world.
The first hymn will be shared on 28 November which is the First Sunday of Advent and the last one on 24 December, Christmas Eve.
Read MoreIn Worcester, Mass., the secondhand goods sold at Emanuel’s Closet represent the first step of a reinvigorated congregation looking for new ways to serve.
“Jesus told us we have a responsibility to our neighbors—feed the hungry, clothe the naked and be a place of shelter,” said Tom Houston, the licensed lay minister of Emanuel Lutheran Church, which houses the thrift store. “We want to be more of a factor in our community, and Emanuel’s Closet is a starting point.”
Read MoreIs your congregation ready to take some steps (even small steps) toward renewal or revitalization? Then, you are invited to attend the 2022 Spring Session of the ELCA Vital Congregations Re-BOOT Camp, which are four sessions, 1/13–2/27/2022.
Registration closes on 1/7/2022. FREE Registration link: Vital Congregations Spring 2022 Session - Google Forms
Please see the attached PowerPoint for more information regarding the Re-BOOT Camp. You can contact our GCS Director for Evangelical Mission, Miguel Gomez-Acosta, for further information or with questions.
Read MoreBishop Hutterer will preach and preside at these upcoming installations:
Pastor Doug Dill will be installed at Central Lutheran in Arizona City during worship, Sunday, 12/12/2021. Time will be confirmed.
Pastor Mari Larson will be installed at St. Andrew Lutheran in Las Vegas, Sunday, 12/19/2021 at the 8:30 and the 10am service (9:30 and 11 am MST).
Pastor Ruby Myers will be installed at Trinity Lutheran in Phoenix on Sunday, 1/9/2022 at 2 pm.
Pastor Naomi Hartman will be installed Lutheran Church of the Foothills in Tucson on Sunday, 2/6/2022, at 2 pm, in Tucson. Clergy will be invited to process.
While megachurches often make headlines, most of the congregations in the United States are relatively small. Read the article from Religion News Service.
According to the recently released Faith Communities Today study, half of the congregations in the United States have 65 people or fewer, while two-thirds of congregations have fewer than 100.
Read MoreWe pray for Rev. Kari Williamson and the people of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Phoenix, part of the Capital Conference. Visit their site at saintandrewaz.org and their social media pages on Facebook and YouTube.
Read MoreThe Center of Addiction & Faith is hosting a one-hour free webinar ‘Addiction & The Science of Gratitude’ next Tuesday, 11/30/2021, 10–11am MST, 9–10am PST, with follow-up 30 minute Zoom discussion. Register here.
Dr. Amy Krentzman will present research on addiction and recovery focusing on the science of gratitude.
Read MoreEach week Religion News Service presents a gallery of photos of religious expression around the world. View the slideshow here.
This week’s photo gallery includes the Hindu sun god festival Chhath Puja, a Mass for migrants in Mexico and more.
Read MoreIn a Dec. 1 2021 webinar, Heidi Hammel, vice president for science at AURA, a consortium that operates large astronomical observatories, explains what the James Webb Telescope will see, and her take on whether it will see God.
This free Zoom webinar is hosted by the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 4-5:30pm MST, 3–4:30pm PST. Register here to receive the Zoom link.
Read MoreWith all eyes on turkeys this week, let’s not forget about chicken women. Check out this new video from ELCA World Hunger about Manna From Heaven, a ministry meeting the needs of its neighbors in Kentucky with support from ELCA World Hunger.
Read MoreCalifornia Lutheran University is rebooting the Executive Skills for Church Leaders program, and hosting an online space for leaders offer feedback to inform their planning on Thursday, 12/9/2021 from 11am-12:30 pm MST, 10-11:30am PST. Facebook Event link here, with RSVPs and questions sent to thriving@callutheran.edu.
Read MoreLooking for something to watch during Thanksgiving weekend? How about the wonderful videos from last year’s Generosity Film Festival? They’re quick, fun, and hopeful. Watch them here.
Feeling inspired? Create your own story this weekend! Visit our film festival web page for tips and guidelines. The deadline for submission is December 8, 2021, with videos premiering Christmas week.
Read MoreIn his book, Silence the Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise, Thich Nhat Hanh talks about two kinds of knots. The first knot is our notions, ideas, concepts, and knowledge. These things are not bad, but when we get stuck on them we miss out on the truth of life.
The second knot is our afflictions, fears, anger, discrimination, despair, and arrogance. Thich Nhat Hanh believes that until these knots are undone we remain bound up and not truly free.
Read MoreThe housing allowance is an important tax advantage for clergy. However, your congregation must officially designate the amount in writing each year, before compensation is earned, that might be used for housing expenses. As you look ahead to 2022, be sure to take action to document this amount. Learn more on the Portico site when you sign in with your EmployerLink.
Read MoreFor most of our lives, we’ve been aware that the promise of Thanksgiving—warm and loving reunions of family and friends around a common table heaped with abundance—can set us up for disappointments.
This year, in our first post-vaccination Thanksgiving, our hopes may even be higher as we finally gather in the larger groups we’ve yearned to be in. We’re striving for a “normal” Thanksgiving.
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