ProtestantBeliefs.com

from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: February 2024 CHILD TAX CREDIT EXTENTIONS | WIC FUNDING RUNNING LOW | FEMA INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM UPDATES | HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS BILL INTRODUCED IN SENATE | PUSH FOR CEASEFIRE BETWEEN ISRAEL & HAMAS CONTINUES | SUPPLEMENTAL BILL MAY REWRITE IMMIGRATION LAW   CHILD TAX CREDIT EXTENSION: The House of Representatives on a 357-70 vote passed a bipartisan tax package, including a modest expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC), added housing development incentives and tax relief for people…

Some jackalope came at me on X/Twitter a few days ago. He said he has been a reader of mine for years; even praying for me (which apparently makes him all knowledgeable on my life and motivations). He appears to be an Orthodox person, with a foul and aggressive mouth (behind the keyboard). His main attack on me was based on the premise that I don’t start what I finish: that I, “bail.” You cannot be more absurd and presumptuous. One of the things he said that I consistently bail on is my education; starting but never finishing. Assertions abound…

The following is taken from the 2024 ELCA World Hunger Lent Study. The full resource can be ordered as a hardcopy or downloaded as a PDF in English or Spanish at the link here. Week 2 — Transfiguration ••• Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 Psalm 22:23-31 Romans 4:13-25 Mark 8:31-38 or Mark 9:2-9 This week in Lent we continue exploring the places and moments in which we encounter God, reflecting on transfiguration as recounted in Mark 9:2-9. Here God’s manifest presence before the disciples demonstrates God’s presence in the life of creation, especially in times of injustice. “Transfiguration” is an odd word…

“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 peace among nations where war and violence rage, especially Palestine and Israel, Syria, Myanmar, Russia and…

The Lord seemed to be pressing me last night to dig even deeper. I had already given it my best shot to punch holes through the credibility and viability of the institution I was getting, or had gotten the ThD from (I had thought). It’s an absolute quagmire, and news worthy. In fact, it is in the news in Maryland. I was working with Dr. Fred Macharia and Dr. Enrique Ramos, particularly through a connection Fred had made with the University of America Curacao. It was through this University (and a subsidiary school called Salt Lake Bible College) that I…

Cee Mills, Burlington, NC Warm-up Questions What’s the biggest thing you have sacrificed in order to get to do or have something else? What’s the biggest thing you have gained by being a follower of Jesus? Lose Your Life? The idea of losing is counter to what American culture defines as good. When you think of sport teams, contests, or any effort you make, the idea of losing is the opposite of what you expect or want. I remember the first time I played an organized sport. All of us had a lot to learn and were not proficient at…

Joshua Serrano, San Carlos, CA Warm-up Question Who is your favorite celebrity and why?  Dealing With Highs and Lows There is an interview popping up on different social media sources between Brad Pitt and Adam Sandler. Pitt recounts a story he heard about Sandler.  In the story, Sandler was in college at NYU and had been taking acting classes. His theater professor took him out for drinks one night, but it wasn’t to tell Sandler what a great job he was doing. The theater professor was trying to let Sandler down easy, telling him that he didn’t have the ability…

Definitions are important; if for no other reason but to understand what something means. Context provides meaning, and thus definition, for words; whether that is in sentences, paragraphs, chapters, books, so on and so forth. When attempting to understand where a particular theologian lies, as far as classification, within the alternative types of being a theologian, it is important that we get a handle on the definitions used to ascertain that. In the medieval period, generally, a theologian could be classified as a scholastic theologian, or a Christian humanist; or potentially, both, depending on the way someone enters into 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 peace among nations where war and violence rage, especially Palestine and Israel, Myanmar, Russia and Ukraine,…

by Tomo Duke, Faith Action Network in Washington [about the author] I visited the Washington State Capitol a few times this legislative session to advocate with our elected officials. I walked through buildings filled with elegant marble and golden interiors and observed many people dressed in fancy suits. I thought the grandeur created an illusion about elected officials’ status and power. In a culture that tempts us to fall into idolization of elected officials or political apathy, what kind of power and accountability do we share?   POWER IN A UNIFIED COMMUNITY In his Epistle to Ephesians, Paul reveals a…