“No, we don’t answer the phone or text during meals; we are present to each other.” “Yes, we are still going to pray before meals when friends are over.” “No,…
Editor’s note: Our June cover story, “Worship 101,” examined the “whats, whys and hows” of ELCA worship. We now continue the story as a monthly online series further exploring what Lutheran worship is, how…
Strewn across our bed were the remnants of our toddler’s Christmas haul—stacks of new outfits, empty cardboard boxes, a tower of books, a stuffed reindeer. I turned to my husband…
Every day, Living Lutheran offers a prayer for the day from the ELCA resource Prayer Ventures, which can be downloaded here. These petitions are offered as a guide for your own prayer life…
Last summer, during a special week for families at Outlaw Ranch in Custer, S.D., a small group of campers decided to cook tamales for everyone at camp—about 120 people. The…
One of my 4-year-old son’s favorite pastimes is putting together his jumbo jigsaw puzzle depicting a dramatic NFL touchdown. On any given day, you’ll likely find him splayed out on…
James Hazelwood didn’t grow up in the church. Still, the directors at El Camino Pines, a Lutheran outdoor camp north of Los Angeles, took a chance on this “unchurched guy,”…
Sometimes it seems like all we do is shush them, or maneuver snacks to avert a meltdown during worship, send “the look” or a pointed finger at them during a…
Editor’s note: Todd Buegler, an ELCA pastor and the executive director of the ELCA Youth Ministry Network, offers suggestions for congregations as they consider Vacation Bible School curricula. Last month,…
Here’s a familiar Sunday scene: Before worship begins, a baby wearing a white gown is passed around between parents, grandparents and godparents. Noticing the baptismal party, parishioners check the bulletin…
“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he is wrong.” —Charles Wadsworth My friend Dan once told me,…
I was curled up in my assigned bed in the mental hospital—ready to go to sleep for the night—when a nurse came in to tell me I was pregnant. The…
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