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Bob Chell–Sioux Falls, SD Warm-up Question Where do your encounter Jesus in your life? Glimpse of the Kingdom TV stations like to run feel good stories.  Sometimes it is about neighbors who harvest the crops of a sick or disabled farmer.  It may celebrate a high school athlete with developmental or health challenges who scores a touchdown.  Maybe it highlights a basketball game when opposing coaches and players conspire to allow a student with special needs  to score.  Often  a raucous celebration follows with fans and athletes of both sides celebrating the special moment. We cherish such stories because they…

What is it about the decretum absolutum (absolute decree i.e., predestination in determinist mode) that sinks the classical Calvinist understanding of a doctrine of God in a God-world relation? It’s that it operates from an instrumentalist understanding of the Son’s relationship to the Father; it ruptures the eternal bond between the Father to the Son by the Spirit as the Son incarnates and becomes human. Under such conditions the work of Jesus is no longer essential to the being of the Son (and thus the Father), as such He simply becomes so much a demi-urge carrying out the dictates of…

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in the ELCA Advocacy Network this month. Full list and map of sppos available. U.N. | Colorado | New Mexico | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Washington | Wisconsin   U.N. Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC), United Nations, New York, N.Y. – ELCA.org/lowc Dennis Frado, Director   The sixty-sixth session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) took place from 14 to 25 March 2022. The Priority Theme was achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women…

from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director, ELCA Witness in Society Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: April 2022 CRITICAL HOUSING INCREASES IN BUDGET  |  CLIMATE AWARENESS IN BUDGET AND BEYOND  |  RESPONSE TO MYANMAR (BURMA)  |  END IN SIGHT FOR TITLE 42  |  FAIR HOUSING MONTH   CRITICAL HOUSING INCREASES IN BUDGET:  Since original overdue deadline of the budget passed last October, hundreds of Lutherans contacted their members to end the inaction and include increases in critical needs such as housing aid and homeless assistance. In the final version, advocates…

One thing that gave me the final push to pursue the PhD where I am is seeing where the PhD in theology leads, even from prestigious schools. I cannot justify going into exorbitant amount of debt (which I already have from undergrad and seminary) to earn a degree even from a prestigious school with so-called “funding” (and most UK schools don’t even have that) that will not finally result in landing a career that 1) fits naturally with the focus of the degree (like being a full time prof), and 2) doesn’t provide a job that will pay enough to…

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. Worship resources for the crisis in Eastern Europe: Follow this link to access resources to assist worshiping communities as they respond to the crisis in Eastern Europe. Several prayers are provided that could be used during the prayers of intercession or at other…

Jason Fisher, Champaign, IL Warm-up Question Name some reasons someone might lock themselves in their room? What would it be like to live your whole life without leaving that room? What would you miss? Opening Doors and Hearts Kristen Berthiaume and her family live in Alabama.  They wanted to promote racial justice in their community. Seeing that  nationwide protests and demands for justice were often met with open racism and ignorance, the family decided to create an Anti-racist Little Library in front of their home. Kristen noticed that books about racial justice were high on bestseller lists.  So, she stocked…

I have decided to go ahead and pursue the PhD in theology (Reformed Dogmatics) with Martin Luther School of Bible and Theology. It has taken me time to process, research, pray, and reflect how I should go about this. In the end this PhD is what the Lord has set before me. Martin Luther School of Bible and Theology is the Divinity School (we could say) of the General Lutheran Church (denomination) based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The denomination itself has existed since 2014, and claims to be the offshoot of the descendants from the former Evangelical Lutheran General…

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. Worship resources for the crisis in Eastern Europe: Worship resources are available to assist worshiping communities as they respond to the crisis in Eastern Europe. Visit this link to access a wide variety of resources and prayers for general use. Additional newly-composed worship…

By Kristen Opalinski For the first time in decades we are witnessing a confluence of significant religious holy days and cultural traditions during the month of April. As Christians move through Holy Week, we do so knowing that many of our neighbors of other religions are also journeying through their holy days, including Vaisakhi, Mahavir Jayanti, Passover, Ramadan, and Theravada New Year. For Muslims, Jews, Christians, Baha’is, Sikhs, Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and others, this moment of convergence serves as a reminder of our interconnectedness. As members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America this is also a time to remember…