Our common witness In her August column for Living Lutheran, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton says “We need to ask what it means to be Lutheran in the 21st century.” Read her column in English and in Spanish.
2019-08 Eaton Living Lutheran Read More »
We are church That’s the theme under which 16 voting members (elected at our 2018 assembly) and about a thousand other folks from the other 64 synods of the ELCA gather for the Churchwide Assembly. What’s that about, you say? Well, it happens only once every three years, and it is the highest decision-making body
Our country’s proud tradition: welcoming immigrants and refugees with generosity and grace The United States is the land of freedom and of welcome. Our nation’s history overflows with stories of people relocating to the United States, beginning with the first pilgrims being welcomed by the hospitality and generosity of the Wampanoag and their feast of
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Reading 25—Conclusion I hope that, if not before, you have an appreciation now for the immense depth and breadth of this wonderfully earthy and human hymnbook of the ancient Israelites and for Christians as well. In most congregations that follow the lectionary, the Psalms hold such a revered place that it’s the only book of
Reading 24—The Five Ws Psalm 150 READ PSALM 150 Like many of you, in elementary school, I learned that in order for a story or report to be complete, it had to answer the five Ws: who, what, when, where, and why (and sometimes a sixth question, how, is also needed). My third-grade teacher drilled
Reading 23—A God Who Gets It Psalm 139 READ PSALM 139 Are you running? Are you hiding? GOD understands; He understands the human condition. “Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from Your presence?” Much of life is a mystery to us! We look for answers that will help us
Reading 22—A Cursing Psalm Psalm 137 READ PSALM 137 The psalms are not God’s word to us. They are record of the psalmist’s words to God. Sometimes the words of the psalmist give voice to the darkest emotions of the human heart. In her book, Getting Involved with God—Rediscovering the Old Testament, Ellen F. Davis
Reading 21—God’s Love Endures Forever Psalm 136 READ PSALM 136 Each October for the past several years, on Homecoming Sunday at Mt. Zion in Richfield, we have begun worship with a litany of praise based on this psalm, written by someone in the congregation. Beginning with “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
Reading 20—Look up. Look down. Look all around… Psalm 121 READ PSALM 121 This beloved psalm doesn’t begin with a declaration about the Lord as Shepherd. Instead, with eyes raised towards places up high, the psalmist asks a question as old as humankind: from where will my help come?
Reading 19—God’s Gift of Compassion Psalm 111 READ PSALM 111 This psalm initially brings to mind the awesomeness of God and that God is worthy of praise. I picture people singing hymns during a worship service. I think of breathtaking mountains I have seen and what it feels like to take the time to really