When a building collapses, there’s an estimated 48-hour window during which trapped victims might be rescued. More generous estimates expand that to five or six days, maximum. Beyond that, the odds of survival decrease significantly. But after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey on February 6th, rescue teams were still pulling survivors from the rubble nearly 10 days later!
Read MoreFor survivors, victims, and loved ones of those involved in the train crash in Greece…
For victims of school gas poisonings in Iran…
For all affected by tornados, blizzards, and other significant weather events across the United States…
For safety and protection for all migrants…
In lament over the significant death toll and casualties on both sides of the Russia/Ukraine conflict…
For all those forced into war, conflict, and violence; and in fervent hope that all war should cease…
For all affected by the COVID-19 virus in the United States and around the world, and for continued mitigation and treatment efforts…
For those facing food insecurity, and for compassionate policies to address hunger…
In thanksgiving for the contributions of women to politics, the arts, science, education, advocacy, technology, medicine, administration, and the church; especially for women serving as bishops, pastors, chaplains, and deacons…
If faith for Abram looked like taking the next right step into an unknown future, then Nicodemus coming to ask about Jesus was certainly a great act of faith – stepping out in the dark of night to learn more about who Jesus was.
Read MoreHow much did Abram lose when he responded to God’s command to leave his home and family, trusting that ‘the land God would show him’ would provide a future? I imagine the grief was palpable, and the fear great. Yet, in faith, Abram did the next right thing. He took the first step, then the next, and then the next. He couldn’t see the future, didn’t know what it held, but he knew who held it.
Read MoreJoin us as we celebrate the beginning of the upcoming month of Ramadan with an Interfaith Iftar Dinner, inviting teens of many faiths to come together in peace to learn about each other to build communities of mutual respect. Monday, 3/13/2023, 5pm, at the Islamic Center of the Northeast Valley (12125 E Vía Linda, Scottsdale, AZ 85259).
Register at isb-az.org/iftar by March 8, 2023. Contact: iftar@isb-az.org for more info.
Read MoreExplore the economic, cultural, political, and ecological contours of the systemic crisis we face, and grow in the knowledge, skills, spiritual strength, and community that are so vital to forging the paths toward climate justice.
Register here for this event facilitated by Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda at Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center, Friday, March 10 - Sunday March 12, 2023.
Read MoreI was recently at worship and noticed that the series of stained glass windows in the sanctuary highlighted several important stories from the Hebrew scriptures. What struck me about the image of Adam and Eve in the garden was that the only things visible were their hands, and the serpent’s body was wound around them like shackles, resulting in the poignant picture of what it is to be ‘bound to sin.’
Read MoreOne Sunday a parishioner came to me and said, “I don’t think our worship is very welcoming. We say, ‘Good morning!’ and then proceed to talk about how awful we are with the confession and forgiveness. What must visitors think when we force them to talk about how bad we all are?”
Read MoreThe next Simon’s Project is ready to get started! Join Pr. Jacqui Thursday once per month to discuss the ways you get encourage your community to celebrate diversity. The first info and get-to-know-you session is Thursday, 3/16/2023, 1:30pm MST/PDT, 2:30 MDT. Register here.
Read More“You are a hiding place for me.” —Psalm 32:7
Psalm 32 is a fitting way to begin the season of Lent. The season has most commonly been understood through the centuries as a time of fasting and preparation for Easter, a time when new Christians were often baptized.
Read MoreFor many months we have seen an alarming spike in anti-Jewish, anti-Muslim and white supremacist hate. It has been reported that extremist groups are planning a national "Day of Hate" tomorrow, targeting Jews. This evening, as the sun sets and Shabbat begins, our Jewish neighbors are living in fear.
As Christians, we are called to love our neighbors and to be peacemakers.
Read MoreLent calls us to repentance, to turn from that which does not give life. This week I invite you to write or make a list of all that is getting in the way of you experiencing the fullness of life in Christ. What are those things in the congregation that no longer give life?
Read MoreWhat defines you? What defines your faith community? Or rather, who defines you? In the gospel lesson for Sunday, the tempter tries to identify Jesus as the Son of God by the acts he performs rather than simply by who he is.
Read MoreWhat are the objectives of democracy in the United States?
The ELCA invites you and your congregation to explore this and other questions by using "A Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith." View a video on this question in this post, along with a PDF guide.
Read MoreIn this article in Living Lutheran, a Colombian camp counselor reflects on serving in South Dakota.
Read MoreThe Richard R. Hammar Clergy Tax Guide and the Federal Reporting Guide for Churches are both available on myPortico at no cost to you.
Read MoreAs part of the latest Stories of Faith in Action, we share a story about the United Evangelical Church in Cuba Lutheran Synod (view online or as PDF). “Yamilka Hernández Guzmán always loved education and had a talent for teaching. A psychologist in an oncology hospital in Cuba, she looked for answers to the daily struggle for life she witnessed.”
View all the Stories of Faith in Action here, and how your offering becomes mission support.
Read MoreA new cohort of Excellence in Leadership will begin Sunday, March 12, 2023. Classes will run approximately every two weeks and end on April 28, 2024 with a Commissioning Ceremony. Starting in the Spring and finishing in 13 months is an opportunity for councils and ministries as they begin to reorganize early in the year. Learn more on the Rocky Mountain Synod website.
Read More“In these post-COVID years, I find myself wondering if church is experiencing just such a wilderness. Everything has changed, and our communities are doing their best to pick up the pieces and carry on, only the pieces we have don’t seem to fit our world anymore.”
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