Tag: February

Prepare To begin, let’s admit that the Transfiguration is a weird story. We’ve got heroes from the Bible’s past. There are voices from heaven. People faint from fear. Jesus transfigures, whatever that actually means. This story is just weird. There are a few things to keep in mind about Moses and Elijah that might be helpful for understanding this story. First, no one saw Moses and Elijah die. When Moses dies, God grants him, alone, a glimpse of the promised land and then God buries Moses, but no one knows where (Deuteronomy 34). Elijah ascends into heaven by means of…

Prepare As Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount, he shifts his focus from God’s character and wide blessing to the character of disciples. He proclaims they “are the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” and encourages them to act accordingly (Matthew 5:13-14, NRSVue). Verse 16 is commonly used in Lutheran baptismal liturgies as a way of proclaiming that this same identity and calling, first given to Jesus’s earliest followers, now belongs to those who are newly baptized and to us as his followers today. But Jesus also reminds his disciples (ancient and modern) that what…

from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: February 2025 DOMESTIC SERVICES AND GRANT ACCESS | PRESIDENT TRUMP WITHDRAWS FROM THE PARIS AGREEMENT | FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS | USAID IMPACTS | IMMIGRATION IMPERATIVES This month has seen rapidly developing impact of executive actions from President Trump, jolting a vast array of government agencies and the people who intersect with related vital supports. All Witness in Society staff have been active with ELCA colleagues and partners to discern and advocate in the rapidly evolving, complex political climate,…

Catalyst Question How do you define the word “mercy”? Mercy Meant for Today This devotion is based on The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). A lectionary is a set of scripture readings assigned to different days throughout the year. Right now, we’re in the third year (known as Year C) of the RCL’s three-year cycle, which was assembled in 1983 by leaders of many denominations. That’s important background because, today, many congregational leaders are being accused of manipulating the biblical selections for worship to fit their own political or social agendas. If the congregation is using the Revised Common Lectionary, that’s…

Catalyst Question What’s your least favorite chore to do in your home? Why is that? “In God’s Economy… …nothing is wasted.” This quote was popularized in the 1990s by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), an organization that supports people living with addiction to alcohol. Within that context, it addressed how even the most dire of circumstances can become a cocoon for growth. Such succinctly stated wisdom soon became contagious and spread far beyond AA. It also resonates with many stories from scripture. Consider Luke 5:1-11. In that story, Jesus meets a few fishers at a lakeshore. They’ve had what felt like a…

Catalyst Question Where have you noticed God in your everyday life? God is Still Near In Luke 2:22-40, we find the story of Mary and Joseph bringing Jesus to the Jerusalem temple. This act of dedication of their firstborn son was fairly common amongst Jews of the day. What was abnormal was the response. Two prophets, Simeon and Anna, each praise God for Jesus’ presence. Why celebrate this otherwise apparently normal boy? Because, by meeting Jesus in this very ordinary ritual, they encounter the extraordinary: God’s redemptive presence. God is near, and so they celebrate! Finding the extraordinary amidst the…

from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: February 2024 CHILD TAX CREDIT EXTENTIONS | WIC FUNDING RUNNING LOW | FEMA INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM UPDATES | HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS BILL INTRODUCED IN SENATE | PUSH FOR CEASEFIRE BETWEEN ISRAEL & HAMAS CONTINUES | SUPPLEMENTAL BILL MAY REWRITE IMMIGRATION LAW   CHILD TAX CREDIT EXTENSION: The House of Representatives on a 357-70 vote passed a bipartisan tax package, including a modest expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC), added housing development incentives and tax relief for people…

Cee Mills, Burlington, NC Warm-up Questions What’s the biggest thing you have sacrificed in order to get to do or have something else? What’s the biggest thing you have gained by being a follower of Jesus? Lose Your Life? The idea of losing is counter to what American culture defines as good. When you think of sport teams, contests, or any effort you make, the idea of losing is the opposite of what you expect or want. I remember the first time I played an organized sport. All of us had a lot to learn and were not proficient at…

Joshua Serrano, San Carlos, CA Warm-up Question Who is your favorite celebrity and why?  Dealing With Highs and Lows There is an interview popping up on different social media sources between Brad Pitt and Adam Sandler. Pitt recounts a story he heard about Sandler.  In the story, Sandler was in college at NYU and had been taking acting classes. His theater professor took him out for drinks one night, but it wasn’t to tell Sandler what a great job he was doing. The theater professor was trying to let Sandler down easy, telling him that he didn’t have the ability…

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…