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Rachel Larson, Blacksburg, VA Warm-up Questions When you are complimented for something you’ve done, how does that feel?  Why? When you are criticized, how does that feel?  Why? Affirmation A dictionary definition of “affirm”:  “to offer (someone) emotional support or encouragement.”  I received a letter from a member of the congregation I served.  In it she thanked me for my ministry, complimented something I had done, and said she was happy that I was her pastor.  Though I don’t remember exactly what she wrote, I do remember the feeling I had.  I felt happy and encouraged—proud that I was a…

Telford Work in his chapter on mapping a modern view of the Holy Spirit offers a really nice index of how that gets expressed under the pressures of secularism. Let me share how he sketches that; this is under a section he calls a Dysteological Pneumatology (think something like a Dystopian doctrine of the Spirit). For Nietzsche these spirits are individual wills vying for power. For Freud they are the dark psychological forces that drives single minds and whole civilizations. Among humanity’s countless groups and subgroups they are the countless human structures that Paul calls stoicheia or “elements” of 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, especially between Israel and Palestine, Russia and Ukraine… For victims of violence in Myanmar,…

In honor of Black History Month, ELCA Racial Justice Ministries invited Seminarian Clair Minson to share some thoughts about this topic with our readers.   What began as “Negro History Week” in 1926 — created by historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson out of his concern that young African Americans lacked an education about their own heritage and ancestors — has since expanded to what we now know and observe as “Black History Month.”[1] Woodson, a life-long educator, understood the power of knowing one’s history and one’s ancestral heritage. Knowing that you are part of a long legacy of people who…

The following is a highly overlooked point, particularly with reference to Christian theology. What, or more pointedly, Who is theology’s control? The answer to this question drives what I attempt to be all about, when it comes to doing prayerful and dialogical theology. We could ask this question another way: is there an order, a taxis, to doing Christian theology; an order that takes into account a thoughtful and intentional theological ontology? These are important questions, and ones that I rarely see engaged with within the received theologies of much of evangelical Lutheran and Reformed theologies. It is just presupposed…

by William Milner, ELCA Witness in Society [about the author] As I consider candidates vying for public office, it’s crucial that their discussions align with my values and concerns. In a world inundated with political discourse, I find myself among young voters seeking leaders who address the issues that matter most to us. I envision a political landscape where leaders prioritize values that resonate with our generation’s aspirations. “In 2024, Gen Z youth alone will make up over 40 million potential voters—including 8 million youth who will have newly reached voting age since 2022—making up nearly one fifth of 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, especially between Israel and Palestine, Russia and Ukraine… For relief and recovery efforts…

I think part of the problem is that there is a lot of theological insecurity out there, so there is a desire to find stability and safe-haven in a bulwark of theological enterprise that has time and development behind it. The problem with that approach, though, is that time isn’t God. A major aspect of the incarnation of God in Christ is the Revelation that God’s stability is filial and vulnerable. There is a sense of vulnerability and nakedness before God that characterizes God’s relationship with us, and thus ours with Him. Attempting to find repose in the God who…

by Autumn Byars, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Arizona [about the author] There is so much noise around the federal election cycle. Op-eds, debates, primaries, public feuds, scandals, caucuses, social media exchanges, exclusive interviews and on and on take up so much of our time and attention. As often as not, public discussions around pressing issues devolve into arguments about rhetoric and attempts to assert the superiority of any given campaign. Even though this is only the second presidential election I am able to participate in, I, like most people, find myself exhausted at the thought of going through it all…

Lutherans Restoring Creation and ELCA World Hunger are eager to share a resource faith communities can use to start discussions and inspire community-based-solutions to grow climate justice, as part of the One Home, One Future collaborative. Regenerating Life: How to Cool the Planet, Feed the World, and Live Happily Ever After offers attainable solutions to the climate crisis through an ecological approach that unpacks the social and environmental crises confronting us. Join us Tuesday Feb 27th at 8:00 pm ET/7:00 CT/6:00 MT/5:00 PT/4:00AK for film highlights & discussion with the filmmaker, John Feldman. You can view the trailer here. Register now (click here) to gain free temporary access to this…