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Living Faithfully

Assembly: Grace Gathering spirited from the beginning

As the Grace Gathering opened in New Orleans, participants sang “I Know That My Redeemer Lives,” with guitar and fiddle music accompanying the traditional Easter hymn with a rapid beat…

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Living Faithfully

Assembly: Horne elected vice president

William B. Horne II was elected to a six-year term as ELCA vice president, the denomination’s highest lay office. The vice president chairs the Church Council, which meets twice a…

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Living Faithfully

Assembly: A new, unified roster for lay professionals

The Churchwide Assembly voted 864-32 to create a new category of lay professional leaders, to be called deacons. There was no floor discussion of the change in how the church…

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Living Faithfully

Assembly: Interfaith, global leaders bring greetings

Of the many visitors to bring greetings to the Churchwide Assembly, arguably the most poignant came from Rabbi David Sandmel, director of interfaith affairs for the Anti-Defamation League, and Sayyid…

Assembly: On the way
Living Faithfully

Assembly: On the way

Embracing what many called a special moment in ecumenical history, the Churchwide Assembly endorsed a document listing 32 points of agreement with the Roman Catholic Church, declaring that some issues…

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Living Faithfully

ELCA assembly marked by unity

The New Orleans nickname, “The Big Easy,” may have influenced the voting members of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, which met here Aug. 8-13. Most major decisions, including a breakthrough ecumenical…

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Living Faithfully

Holy trek to college

As my daughter Junie prepares to go to college this fall, I think of our journey over the last year as a sort of spiritual pilgrimage. By naming the college…

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Living Faithfully

Called to redemptive, resurrecting activity

Like many cities, Portland, Ore., grapples with a lack of affordable housing. Members of Salt and Light Lutheran Church recently worked with the Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good (MACG),…

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Living Faithfully

Tablets for tots

Tech-savvy youth and the latest in tablet technology have connected Trinity Lutheran Church in Tullahoma, Tenn., and the children of the Tullahoma Day Care Center. The congregation’s “Mentoring Ministry” project …