Category: Protestant

By Ashley Chepkorir [About the author] International Women’s Day, observed on March 8, is a moment to celebrate the existence, resilience and potential of women everywhere. It is also a reminder that every girl deserves the chance to imagine a future that may seem impossible in the moment. When I was 12 years old, my grandmother, who had shielded me from a lot, passed away. Around the same time, I was beginning to notice something else in my community: girls were not always encouraged to dream as boldly as boys. Education and opportunity did not always reach us equally. At…

“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, conflict, and uncertainty, especially in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, South Sudan, Ukraine, and…

By Daniella Garber [About the author] I grew up in a small city nestled in the Allegheny Mountains. As a small child, I was fixated on a rock formation on the side of one of those mountains that, to me, looked exactly like Noah’s ark. I was certain that was where the ark had landed after the flood, and that it had been there so long it had disintegrated in a way that prevented any trees from growing where it had sat. Eventually, my brain caught up with my imagination, and I let go of that particular belief. To this…

As the United States has begun military combat operations in Iran, we are called to pray and ask for God’s mercy.  Several resources are available to assist you.   Below are three prayers from the resource Prayer Book for the Armed Services. (In addition to the print resource, PBAS is available digitally through Sundays and Seasons.)  Time of war Eternal God, whose steadfast love never ends, we ask that you look upon the nations now engaged in war and hasten the day of peace. Look in mercy on those exposed to peril, conflict, sickness and death; and show compassion to the dying. In your good providence, remove…

“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, conflict, and uncertainty, especially in Gaza, South Sudan, Ukraine, Iran, and Venezuela……

Prepare  As a Pharisee, Nicodemus would have been respected and educated, one you would go to with questions and hope for answers. And yet, he came to Jesus under the cover of night, confused about the teachings he’s heard and wanting some answers. Jesus tells him he must be “born from above.” The Greek word anōthen means both “again” and “from above.” Nicodemus hears it literally, but Jesus is pointing to something deeper—a spiritual rebirth initiated by God. Being “born from above” isn’t being morally superior or getting everything right. It’s about the identity we receive that is rooted in…

By Jeffery Jordan II [About the author] The halls of power can feel strangely dim. Not because of a lack of chandeliers or marble floors, but because of how easily human stories can be reduced to policy numbers, legal categories, and political calculations. Yet on an advocacy day on Capitol Hill this winter, representing the ELCA and walking alongside members of the National TPS Alliance, I realized some profound things. Light does not need permission to shine. It only needs to be present. In the words of Jesus to his disciples from Matthew 5:14–15, he does not say you should…

In celebration of Black History Month which is celebrated in the United States in February, we share the following article which is cross-posted from Living Lutheran. The original post can be found here. VOICES OF FAITH THE TIMBRE OF BLACK JOY The timbre of my voice rumbles at the back of my throat, and my mouth opens as a roar of laughter fills the space. Laughter is good for the soul. Too often, our brown bodies feel the tension of the world, and it dulls us. It quiets us, and its load weighs our shoulders down. Time and time again, the…

In 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed findings regarding greenhouse gases under Clean Air Act, including what is known as the Endangerment Finding – focused on the conclusion that current and projected concentrations of the certain greenhouse gases in the atmosphere threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations. This finding served as the legal basis on which the federal government can regulate greenhouse gas emissions based on public health. In July 2025, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a proposal to rescind that finding. The ELCA gave testimony at an EPA public hearing in support of…

“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, conflict, and uncertainty, especially in Gaza, South Sudan, Ukraine, Iran, and Venezuela……