Tag: Devotional

By Daniella Garber [About the author] I grew up in a small city nestled in the Allegheny Mountains. As a small child, I was fixated on a rock formation on the side of one of those mountains that, to me, looked exactly like Noah’s ark. I was certain that was where the ark had landed after the flood, and that it had been there so long it had disintegrated in a way that prevented any trees from growing where it had sat. Eventually, my brain caught up with my imagination, and I let go of that particular belief. To this…

By Jeffery Jordan II [About the author] The halls of power can feel strangely dim. Not because of a lack of chandeliers or marble floors, but because of how easily human stories can be reduced to policy numbers, legal categories, and political calculations. Yet on an advocacy day on Capitol Hill this winter, representing the ELCA and walking alongside members of the National TPS Alliance, I realized some profound things. Light does not need permission to shine. It only needs to be present. In the words of Jesus to his disciples from Matthew 5:14–15, he does not say you should…

by Zachary Olson, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow [About the author] In October 2025, I had the opportunity to take part in a national gathering of the Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) community of practice in our nation’s capital. Over 70 people from across the country came to Washington, D.C., bringing their stories, their experiences and their. In the midst of a federal government shutdown, these brave Lutherans were a public witness and shined a light to the members of Congress. They shared their experiences in the offices of Senators and Representatives in boldly advocating for laws that would reform emergency management…

Dismantle: An Anti-White Supremacy Lenten Devotional This devotional was created in response to the call of the 2019 Churchwide Assembly to condemn white supremacy and racist rhetoric. As you journey through Lent, this resource will challenge you and bring you closer to the radical neighbor-love that Christ demands in the Gospels. DOWNLOAD | DESCARGAR ELCA Blogs

By Courtney Hall, Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California [ABOUT THE AUTHOR] In all honesty, I feel I have lost sense of what the phrase “common good” even means today. In a world so divided, what I view as the common good may be the antithesis of my neighbor’s beliefs; so, who decides? Is it those with power, is it a popular vote, is it those with the most influence? As I try to understand how my role as a faith-based advocate contributes to the common good, I am left with more questions than answers.   It is in times…

By Jake Summerville, Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota [About the Author] In a time as tense and divided as ours, ideas like a united church working together toward a common good feel more and more idealistic. Our neighbors are hurting, yet barbs of hatred and division wound. How can we expect to take any meaningful action? The Corinthian church faced a similar problem. As the early church began to grow, theological and ideological differences began to drive wedges into budding Christian communities, threatening to destroy them before they could truly begin. Paul’s letter in 1 Corinthians served as a stern reminder…

by Emily Ahern, ELCA Advocacy [About the Author] As a young person, I am more than familiar with the concept of living in unprecedented times. In fact, I yearn for times which are precedented. As the prior U.S. presidential administration has left, and the new administration takes hold, the future feels uncertain. In my personal life, I am blessed to live in what I lovingly call a bubble – a pocket of peace and wholehearted acceptance. In my public life, such peace and acceptance feel wavering, and can feel like a precipice of something foreboding. In the past few weeks…

by Sagi Rudnick, Kansas Interfaith Action [About the Author] I am a Jewish progressive young adult who immigrated to the United States from the Holy Land as a child. Since my teenage years, I have felt a particular draw to political activism as a path for goodness to prevail. I also knew from that point that I wanted to build my career around that path. Since then, I have been fortunate to be able to lend my talents to a variety of causes. Last summer, about a year after graduating from undergrad, I found myself looking for an opportunity where I…

by Joey Chin, Hunger Advocacy Fellow – ELCA Advocacy Communications [About the Author] A remarkably powerful windstorm known as a bomb cyclone devastated parts of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California about a week before Thanksgiving this past year. As I saw videos on the news of trees falling and power lines collapsing in the area I call home, I contacted family and friends to see if they were safe. Many people I knew were without power for almost a week but thankfully did not experience anything worse. Nevertheless, many homes, families and communities had to contend with the irreversible damage…

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…