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Economic materialism, more commonly known as Marxism is, of course, the philosophy/ideology that Karl Marx constructed; that is, to the world’s demise. It’s doubtful that Marxism is actually at play in what we are currently seeing take place at America’s Universities; that is, in regard to the recent and ongoing protests. There are clearly ideologues behind the scenes who are pulling strings in a way that might be somewhat Marxist in orientation, but I’d say that really it is just straight anarchic action with the goal of creating some type of internationalist revolution (which of course is pretty Marxist, eh)….

Church culture isn’t the Gospel. Even so, it is what we most tangibly experience as Christians in the world. That kind of experience, as with any experience, can be either good, bad, or indifferent. Unfortunately, many these days (and in days past) are deconstructing. They are claiming to have this ‘come of age’ moment wherein they’ve finally come to realize that their respective evangelicalism[s], the cultures therein, have misrepresented God to them. The early mistake most of these folks make is to conflate their experience in various church cultures with God Himself. This represents some form of functional pantheism for…

CONTENT UPDATED: May 10, 2024 Civic engagement is happening this election year in many diverse communities and contexts—and being activated and led by congregations, rostered leaders, ELCA-affiliated state public policy offices and members. Here’s a sampling of INITIATIVES & TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES and RESOURCES & REFLECTIONS. Consider taking part or taking inspiration for your locality! Also check out: ELCA Civic Engagement Guide Guidance for churches and clergy participating in the electoral process Plus resources at ELCA.org/votes and ELCA.org/civicengagement   INITIATIVES & TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES Jun.-Oct. 2024 6-session, monthly ONLINE SERIES | What does it mean to be Lutheran in a crucial election…

Updated 5/8/2024 STATUS ON CAPITOL HILL | ACTION ALERTS | RESOURCES AND WEBINARS | OUR COLLECTIVE VOICE The Farm Bill, which guides much of U.S. agriculture, rural and food policy, is currently being debated in Congress. The ELCA urges Congress to pass a 2024 Farm Bill that promotes: food for hungry neighbors at home and abroad, healthy rural and farming communities, inclusion of people of all backgrounds, care of creation to feed future generations In a world of abundance, we strive for an end to hunger and poverty, and towards a just world where all are fed. Additionally, we are…

The biblical book of Job, literarily, operates with what is called dramatic irony. Here is how the Oxford Dictionary defines dramatic irony: a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character’s words or actions are clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.[1] As a reader, or even movie-watcher, we the audience have the capacity to read or watch with this type of ‘irony.’ We can skip to the end, and then read the beginning to the end, knowing what the final outcome is. Or we can read through a…

*Editor’s Note: Due to a family emergency, our originally scheduled author for today needed to postpone their writing to a later date. Fortunately, Faith Lens has a long history of relevant content. The devotion below, originally shared in May 2018, is one of many that reflect on the assigned lectionary texts. You can always use the search bar at the top right of this page to look through our catalogue for content based on specific scriptures or specific topics. Kris Litman-Koon, Mt. Pleasant, SC Warm-up Question Think of someone who is not a member of your immediate family yet who…

“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.   Prayer prompts: For justice and peace among nations where war and violence rage, especially Palestine and Israel, Iran, Myanmar,…

What is man, O LORD? Since man has Him, the Spirit is certainly in man—in his soul and through his soul in his body too. It is the nearest, most intimate and most indispensable factor for an understanding of his being and existence. But while He is in man, He is not identical with him. We have seen already that this would imply a transformation of man into God, which is excluded by the fact that Spirit is a conception of activity. The Spirit is not transformed into the soul of man, although He first and supremely creates the soul…

May 5 is Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s (MMIW) Awareness Day. In 2021, as a follow-up to the 2016 Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery, the ELCA Church council adopted the Declaration to American Indian and Alaska Native People by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It reads, in part: “…We commit to advocacy for and being in solidarity with Tribal Nations, MMIWGR organizations, families, and friends who have gone missing or who have been murdered. “Indigenous women and girls go missing at a much higher rate than any other group in the United States. Indigenous men also disappear at…

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in the ELCA Advocacy Network last month. Full list and map of sppos available. U.N. | CALIFORNIA| COLORADO | MINNESOTA | PENNSYLVANIA| WASHINGTON |WISCONSIN New York Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC), U.N. – ELCA.org/lowc Christine Mangale, Director   Lutheran Advocacy during CSW68: At the sixty-eighth session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), 37 clergy, lay-leaders, staff and expert delegates joined the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in New York from Mar. 8-22, especially for the first week. Delegates came from 20 countries on five continents….