Embrace simplicity this Christmas
Voices of Faith

Embrace simplicity this Christmas

Back in 2020, a month into COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, my 5-year-old son already had a sense of what had been lost. He knew about the places we could no longer…
Welcoming Jesus
Living Faithfully

Welcoming Jesus

Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight (Matthew 3:3). My family always visits my parents for Christmas. Before we arrive, my mom asks what food we want….
Seeking and sharing love this Advent
Living Faithfully

Seeking and sharing love this Advent

Focal verse “An angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for…
Dinnertime dilemma
Living Faithfully

Dinnertime dilemma

“I don’t want that!” my 4-year-old said, pouting at the chicken and potatoes I had placed before us. “Jack, we haven’t even prayed yet,” I sighed. “Surely there’s something here…
Prayer ventures: Nov. 20
Prayer Ventures

Prayer ventures: Nov. 20

Every day, Living Lutheran offers a prayer from the ELCA resource Prayer ventures, which can be downloaded here. These daily petitions are offered as a guide for your own prayer life…
Feeding and being fed
Living Faithfully

Feeding and being fed

Focal verse “While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is…
Sharing peace near and far
Living Faithfully

Sharing peace near and far

Hands waving through screens, two fingers in a peace sign, elbow bumps and the nodding of heads are ways we’ve passed the peace during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like so much…
A homegrown faith
Voices of Faith

A homegrown faith

In my home office, directly behind my writing desk, you’ll find a massive Bible that holds much more than Scripture. Inside are the handwritten notes, quips and quick thoughts of…
Memories worth every pedal
Living Faithfully

Memories worth every pedal

On a Monday afternoon in late July, James Colver and Shepherd, 9, were kicking back and relaxing at a hotel. James said he was tired—but a “good kind of tired”—as…
Scripture at the center
Living Faithfully

Scripture at the center

Leighton, an eager third-grader, held up his Bible for me to see. “Look what I did!” he exclaimed, pressing it into my hands. The previous Sunday in worship, third-graders and…
Shining God’s light
Living Faithfully

Shining God’s light

Focal verse “No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same…
Study guide: Generations of faith
Study Guides

Study guide: Generations of faith

It’s no secret that membership in the ELCA is getting older, and many grandmas and grandpas in our churches today lament how few children and young adults are present. What’s…