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These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are prepared by several leaders in the ELCA and reflect current world and national events. You are encouraged to adapt and add other concerns for your local context, including staying informed of events and concerns in your synod. Responding to Turkey/Syria Earthquakes The ELCA Worship blog has complied a set of Prayer Resources in Time of Earthquakes. Intercession prompts: For people of Turkey and Syria who grieve death and destruction following a major earthquake, and for all relief and recovery efforts……

By Jillian Russell, Hunger Network Ohio [about the author] I have always known myself to be a “self-doubter.” I am constantly doubting myself – my ability to lead, my ability to be a good friend, but especially my ability to lead God’s people. I have been a self-doubter when it has come to God’s plan for me. How was I supposed to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with my God if I didn’t even believe I could do so? As much as I have tried to change this aspect of myself in recent years, I constantly…

As I have written previously on Barth’s unrepentant sin, with reference to his relationship with Charlotte von Kirschbaum, it is completely unacceptable. But when it comes to his theological themes, for me, those are loci that bear witness to Jesus Christ in ways that I have never seen any other theologian accomplish in the same type of way (TF Torrance is very close). His doctrine of election, as a reformulation of the classically Reformed doctrine of election, is brilliant; and it solves a gazillion problems that attend the classical Reformed and Arminian versions of the same doctrine. His anti-natural theology…

The African Descent Ministries of the ELCA is celebrating Black History Month with season two of Talks at the Desk, a video series that explores diverse expressions of the church. A new video will premiere each Wednesday in February at 7:30 pm Central time. Watch them live on YouTube or  Click here to watch now. Join us to hear youth, young adults, rostered leaders, elders and friends of our communities share their own sacred stories. For more updates, follow @ELCAADM on Twitter and Instagram or check out facebook.com/elcaadm. ELCA Blogs

These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are prepared by several leaders in the ELCA and reflect current world and national events. You are encouraged to adapt and add other concerns for your local context, including staying informed of events and concerns in your synod. Intercession prompts: For the family of Tyre Nichols and the city of Memphis as they experience the trauma of police brutality… For the city of Jerusalem as it mourns those killed in the recent synagogue shooting… For victims and families following a mosque…

I post lots of things that are full of theological jargon, and I’m sure leave many scratching their heads. But I think it’s elevating. One of my former Bible College profs, Dr. Rex Koivisto, used to say “I like your altitude,” if he could tell you were tracking with things; stretching, and thinking deep thoughts about the Bible and the living God. If nothing else it is important for other Christians to understand that deep thoughts are available, often signified by “precision language,” or jargon. Theological jargon might appear to be merely academic jargon, but it isn’t. The best of…

Mary Ellen Helms, Loveland, Ohio Warm-up Question Describe your favorite food as best you can without naming any of the ingredients. A Matter of Taste The science of taste is fascinating, perhaps because food is a universal part of our daily lives. We eat to live and, for many of us, sharing a meal with others brings a whole new sense of joy to our daily lives. Food tells stories and we use the flavors of food to experience it in all sorts of different ways. The five most common flavors detected by humans are salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and…

These prompts are provided for worship leaders as they prepare the prayers of intercession for weekly worship. The prompts are prepared by several leaders in the ELCA and reflect current world and national events. You are encouraged to adapt and add other concerns for your local context, including staying informed of events and concerns in your synod. Intercession prompts: For the continued influx of asylum seekers entering the United States … For the family of Tyre Nichols and the city of Memphis as they experience the trauma of police brutality… For the city of Jerusalem as it mourns those killed…

Ludwig Feuerbach, a German philosopher (if his name didn’t give it away), offered a critique of religion, particularly the Christian religion, that ought to have weight as we self-criticize our own understanding of God. Karl Barth took Feuerbach’s critique to heart as he saw in it a critique of natural theology. Here is a key passage from Feuerbach that synopsizes his critique: Religion, at least the Christian, is the relation of man to himself, or more correctly to his own nature (i.e., his subjective nature); but a relation of it, viewed as a nature apart from his own. The divine…

Hello Friends! I want to say a HUGE thank you to every person, congregation, and camp that has registered onto GrantMaker and started, even completed, their applications! With just a few weeks left, we currently have 20 applications that have been completed and submitted for review. Overall, the response has been great, and I am so encouraged by your excitement and dreams for your ministries. If you’re still working on your application– don’t be discouraged– there is still time to complete and submit them. When we hit that benchmark of 30 completed and submitted applications, we will put out another update/notice. Please…