Category: Protestant

Prepare (This section is preparation for the leader, not content meant for the group.) In this passage, we find the Israelites deep in the Babylonian Exile. The Assyrians had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. The southern kingdom, Judah, held out a little longer. However, the Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezzar, came along and conquered the Assyrian territory and the remaining Israelite lands. This was a huge blow to the Israelites. The temple was destroyed, the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins, and the people were forced to leave the promised land. As the years dragged on in exile, the generation that…

Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources and events from other organizations and institutions. These Lutheran and ecumenical partner organizations work alongside the ELCA to support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church. ELCA Worship also features resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers in a monthly blog post. Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival Transforming and connecting lives through faith and music since 1981. Youth Musicians Invited to Lutheran Summer Music 2026 Enrollment is now open for Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) 2026 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN! LSM is a faith-based residential music…

“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 an end to war and conflict, especially in Gaza, South Sudan, Myanmar, and Ukraine… For lasting…

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month which is celebrated in the United States September 15- October 15, we share this message from the Associate of Latino Ministries of the ELCA. Credit: This image is from the October 10, 2024 Living Lutheran Magazine online post entitled “Thoughts for Thursday during National Hispanic Heritage Month” which can be found here. For more information on the Association of Latino Ministries of the ELCA:  AML de la ELCA For more on the Latino Community of the ELCA:  Latino For more on Hispanic Heritage Month from Living Lutheran, check out these recent articles:  2025,…

Prepare (This section is preparation for the leader, not content meant for the group.) The first part of this week’s gospel lesson is a familiar passage—though most of us probably recall its counterpart in Matthew 17:20, where faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, rather than uproot a mulberry tree as we see in Luke 17. Either way, the point is not meant to be taken literally. This chapter is full of hyperbolic language meant to drive a lesson home. In verses 1–4, Jesus says it would be better to have a heavy stone hung around…

Augsburg Fortress is the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers that support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church. ELCA Worship also features resources from other partners in a monthly blog post. Together by Grace – Webinar, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 11:00 a.m., central time Join authors Amy Lindeman Allen and Phil Ruge-Jones as they discuss the development of the new “Together by Grace: Bible Conversations” series of small group resources by Augsburg Fortress Publishers. The authors will describe the…

“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 an end to war and conflict, especially in Gaza, South Sudan, Myanmar, and Ukraine… For all…

The U.S. government could run out of funding on Oct. 1, 2025, if Congress does not pass new legislation to fund its operations. A government shutdown would occur at midnight on Sep. 30, the end of the 2025 fiscal year, if no agreement is reached. On Sep. 24 the ELCA advocacy staff advanced the following message to members of Congress and The White House Faith Office.   September 24, 2025 ELCA Urges Immediate Return to Negotiating Table The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), a denomination of 2.7 million members who span the ideological and partisan spectrum, strongly urges the…

By the Rev. Justin Eller, Assistant to the Bishop for Care and Community with the Southeastern Synod If advocacy means loving our neighbors and working for justice with the “least of these” (all who are hungry, thirsty, newly arriving, vulnerable, sick or imprisoned – Matthew 25:40) then advocacy can be both general and particular. The Southeastern Synod of the ELCA consists of congregations and faith communities across four states: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Each state has their own unique particularities and priorities, state legislative session dates and rhythms, and contextual challenges and opportunities. Instead of being a single ELCA-affiliated…

“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 an end to war and conflict, especially in Gaza, South Sudan, Myanmar, and Ukraine… For all…