Tag: Days

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is what all of history is contingent upon. All that we experience, linearly, has a ground behind, underneath, and after it that is in fact the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without that centraldogma there is no history; there is no nothing. I think we, especially as Christians of all people, really need to get our heads around this reality. When we do we start living as those who have the hope of Christ in us, the purifying hope. We have a critical valence to look at the world from that is not purely conditioned by…

As you are planning for Lent, the Three Days, and Easter, All Creation Sings provides several resources for your assembly’s worship. Lent Explore the collection of “short songs” in All Creation Sings. These could be incorporated into a weekly Service of Word and Prayer (ACS pp. 42-25) for a Lenten midweek service or during communion, gathering, or other times in Sunday worship. This blog post provides video links and tips for using these songs in ACS.  Enrich your use of Setting 12 in All Creation Sings with the Ensemble Setting arranged by Anne Krentz Organ. You don’t need a full…

Session 5 — Psalm 130 “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in [God’s] word I hope.” —Psalm 130:5 The 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. The psalms can often seem dated, repetitive or obscure. Many of them originated from liturgies or festivals long since passed from…

Session 4 — Psalm 23 ‘“You prepare a table before me.” —Psalm 23:5 The community of Cataño, Puerto Rico, is vibrant, with residents talented in music, art and sports, yet it also faces a number of challenges. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income is about $ 18,600, nearly 12% lower than the average in Puerto Rico. 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. Leaders of Tu Puedes, a project based at Iglesia Evangélica Luterana del Divino Salvador, recognized the…

Session 3 — Psalm 95 “For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” —Psalm 95:3 Let’s get this out of the way: Psalm 95 is a weird psalm. It’s so odd, in fact, that choosing a single verse to use as an epigram for this session was difficult. Yet even from its most perplexing language we might still be able to glean insights that help us better understand the work of God in the world. In The Social Visions of the Hebrew Bible: A Theological Introduction (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2000), J. David Pleins…

Session 1 — Psalm 32 “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. As early as the second century, theologian Irenaeus of Lyons wrote of a time of penance and prayer leading up to Holy Week when Christians and those seeking baptism should fast for a period of 40 days or 40 hours (the translation is unclear) while reflecting…

Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) is an annual gathering of Christian advocates and activists. People attending EAD worship, review advocacy best practices, dive deeper into issues of their selection around the central theme, take Lobby Day action, and network with people of faith passionate about the difference policy can make in peoples’ lives. Lutherans in attendance have denomination-specific opportunities to get to know one another and vision what we can do together! #EAD2022 is a virtual gathering, held Wednesday through Friday, April 25-27, 2022. The schedule is posted to advocacydays.org.   THEME IN 2022 This year’s theme, “Fierce Urgency: Advancing Civil…