From Words to Action: Congregation joins the Truth and Healing Movement
The following is cross-posted from Living Lutheran. You can find the original post here. From words to action Congregation joins the Truth and Healing Movement By Isabell Retamoza | October 9, 2023 In April, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton launched the Truth and Healing Movement to increase the church’s understanding of the impacts of colonization on Indigenous people in past and present generations. Living Lutheran reached out to Richard A. Magnus, a retired pastor who attends Edina (Minn.) Community Lutheran (ECLC), to hear how the congregation’s work with the movement has affected members and the community. Living Lutheran: Could you tell me a little bit about…
For What Shall We Pray?
“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 victims of the mall shooting in Bangkok, Thailand… For all in the path of Tropical Storm…
On Christian Dogmatics versus evangelical-Reformed Apologetical Theology
… dogmatics offers a means of producing a portrait of the economy of grace, and of humankind and its activities in that economy, free from anxieties about foundations and therefore at liberty to devote itself to the descriptive task with Christian alertness, charity and joy.[1] Christian Dogmatics — the church’s orderly understanding of scripture and articulation of doctrine in the light of Christ and their coherence in him.[2] If the Church is going to do Church theology, what both Webster and Torrance, respectively, are signaling above, is of the upmost importance to grasp. When Christians do theology, by definition, we aren’t…
One Home One Future
Have you ever passed a congregation’s street sign and glanced for a symbol – say, that four-color globe overlaid with a cross that indicates “ELCA”? What you see tells you something about what’s going on inside. Or maybe you’ve seen a symbol on a bumper sticker – say, “26.2”, that once you’re in-the-know indicates the person could tell you something about running marathons. With the launch on October 4 of “One Home One Future”, congregations of many varieties will start popping up with a new symbol that tells you something about what’s going on inside and that can start important…
October 8, 2023–Climate Crisis and Stewardship
Courtney Geibert, Redwood City, CA Warm-up Question What is your relationship with nature and the planet? Climate Crisis and Stewardship In March 2023, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its final report on climate change. Drawing from the research of over 700 scientists, the IPCC spent thirty-five years recording the physical science, impacts, and mitigation of climate change. According to the IPCC, humans have made unprecedented changes to our planet in a short time, resulting in irreparable harm to people and the environment. Today, over 3 billion people live in countries susceptible to climate impacts such…
Giving a Basic Level Introduction to Evangelical Calvinism
The following is a post I wrote over ten years ago, for another blog of mine (back then), in an attempt to help people, at a very basic level, understand how Evangelical Calvinism (Athanasian Reformed theology) is distinct from classical Calvinism and Arminianism (and any other sub-set developments under that). It is very simply stated, but hopefully this will help some understand what the project of Evangelical Calvinism entails in more straightforward ways. The way, when in person with someone, that I have tried to describe what Evangelical Calvinism is, is to contrast it with what most people think of Calvinism…
A Conversation with Rev. Alejandro Mejia: In Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month
The following is cross-posted from Living Lutheran. You can find the original post here. Para celebrar el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre estamos hablando con luteranos de ascendencia latiné para amplificar las voces de nuestros hermanos en Cristo. Hoy estamos hablando con Rev. Alejandro Mejía, director de la misión evangélica del Sínodo de Delaware-Maryland. Las respuestas han sido editadas para su publicación. ¿Cómo está usted conectado a la ELCA? Nací y crecí en Colombia, América del Sur. Mi familia siempre ha pertenecido a la iglesia luterana. Recuerdo estar presente en conversaciones en…
For What Shall We Pray?
“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 those in the path of Tropical Storm Ophelia… For victims of the wedding party fire in…
The Church as Triune Event and not Religious Phenomena
The Church. The Church’s reality is invisible, and only visible to those with eyes to see; with eyes offered by the faith of Christ. The Church doesn’t have a physical address, per se; it can’t be found at 777 Vatican Way or something. The Church’s only physical address is found in the ground of the vicarious humanity of Jesus Christ; but we currently see Him, not with eyes of flesh, but with eyes of faith (just as sure as we love Him, even though we don’t currently “see” Him). The Church is not a result of so-called religious phenomena, but…
Volunteering in the Bayou— volunteer applications extended
The deadline for Gathering Volunteer Corps (GVC) applications has been extended to November 1. The Gathering Volunteer Corps serves in multiple capacities throughout the Gathering. Duties might include ushering and assisting during Mass Gathering, helping with Interactive Learning activities, directing foot traffic in the convention center, staffing the info booth or moving equipment in a Gathering venue. GVCs serve wherever Gathering planning teams have identified the need for additional help. GVCs must be at least one year past high school at the time of the Gathering and commit to being in New Orleans for one week, likely arriving Sunday, July…