March 30, 2025–Coming Home
Catalyst Question What was the last trip that you went on? How did it feel to come home after being away? A Surprising Homecoming After nine months, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are home. These two are the astronauts who were originally supposed to spend a week at the International Space Station. What was meant to be a short, joyous journey toward the stars became a months-long stay in the vacuum of space. They returned to great fanfare and, of course, to some well-deserved time off. This week’s Gospel tells of another homecoming. Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 includes the parable we often…
For what shall we pray?
“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 areas of the world impacted by ongoing war, conflict, and violence: Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and…
“Making All Things New”: A Brief Reflection on an ELCA World Hunger Leader Retreat
This is a re-post of an article by Rev. Sarah Stadler, originally published in the Northeast Minnesota Synod Enews, covering the the March 7th – 8th gathering of hunger leaders from across Region 3. On March 7-8, 2025, over 20 people from across Region 3 of the ELCA – Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota – gathered at Camp Onomia for a Hunger & Justice Leaders Retreat under the theme Making All Things New. The group built relationships, discerned how God is calling hunger and justice leaders to better work together in our region to end hunger, and learned how…
Disallowing Secular Unbelief to Dictate the Terms of God
Secular, worldly unbelief. I think Christians often allow the bar to be set much too low. Much of Christian theology, for example, especially those that have taken shape in the natural theology forest, allow the skeptic’s unbelief to dictate the types of questions the theologians seek to answer. Primary of which are observed in Thomas Aquinas’ Prima Pars (first part) of his Summa Theologiae. Here, Thomas seeks to answer the questions of God’s existence, and whether or not it is coherent to believe that God exists (like a generic God; albeit, in Thomas’ context this would be applied to the…
SPPO Spotlight: A Faithful Response to Christian Nationalism
By the Rev. Erin Jones, Communications and Advocacy Engagement Manager, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania A deep exploration of the signs and dangers of Christian nationalism, and ways we as disciples of Jesus are called to confront and counter those forces, took place on March 7-8, 2025, co-hosted by Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa), an ELCA-affiliated state public policy office (SPPO). LAMPa was delighted to co-host “Hope in a Divided World: A Faithful Response to Christian Nationalism” alongside Kindling Faith at United Lutheran Seminary at the Gettysburg Campus with nationally renowned scholars and speakers such as Dr. Lori Brandt…
March Update: Advocacy Connections
from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: March 2025 FEDERAL STAFF WORK REDUCTIONS | BUDGET RESOLUTION CUTS IN ENERGY PROGRAMS | U.S. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE FREEZE | AUGUSTA VICTORIA HOSPITAL | IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ROADMAP FEDERAL STAFF WORK REDUCTIONS: The Trump administration is implementing widespread workforce reductions across federal agencies through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk. Not only are many in ELCA congregations who have been employed in public service positions reeling from changes, these cuts directly impact vulnerable populations served…
On a Doctoral Degree Program
I have just been accepted into what is called a Doctor of the University in Theology program at Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi Christian University (located in both Vienna, Austria and Miami, Florida). My supervisor for the program is Dr. Craig Paterson (PhD, St. Louis University). It should take about a year to complete. Below I will copy and paste JHPCU’s description of the degree and its requirements. Very excited about this! Doctor of the University by Assessment Degree Requirements The Degree of Doctor of the University (D.Univ.) by Assessment is awarded by the University. D.Univ. candidates are assessed via a process built around prior experiential learning…
March 23, 2025–Repentance, Fertilizer, and Faith
Catalyst Question Share about a time when, even after you made a mistake, someone gave you a second chance. Repentance as the Fertilizer of Faith This week, the annual NCAA basketball tournaments begin. Dubbed “March Madness,” two tournaments seek to crown the respective men’s and women’s team champion for Division 1 basketball. While there’s plenty of controversy coming for missed foul calls questionable decisions from coaches and players alike, controversy always begins with Selection Sunday. On this day, when the teams are chosen to participate in the tournament, there’s always someone left out. This year, both West Virginia and Indiana had…
For what shall we pray?
“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 areas of the world impacted by ongoing war, conflict, and violence: Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and…
‘At any rate, it is not at all clear that He controls dogmatic thinking concerning Himself.’
It is time to break my blogging fast. It is fitting, the topic of this post, because I am nearing the end of my Philosophy of Religion class at the University of Oxford (next week is the last). There is one unit left, it is on Faith, Prayer, and the Spiritual life. The class is largely populated by atheists and agnostics. The text we used for class (which was augmented by many other readings and lectures) was written by an Oxford philosopher named T. J. Mawson, Belief in God. He is a Christian theist, but a panentheist who holds to…