Fear not
From The Presiding Bishop

Fear not

I’m leaving for my first trip to Holden Village, a retreat center near Chelan, Wash. I’ve heard about this Lutheran Shangri-La for years. I have sung and played the Holden…
We are the branches
From The Presiding Bishop

We are the branches

Is it possible to be Lutheran and an ecumenist? Of course, the answer is yes. The ELCA has continued the work of our predecessor churches—the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches,…
Serving the neighbor in need
From The Presiding Bishop

Serving the neighbor in need

Editor’s note: This is a reprint of the June 2017 column from the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. These are politically charged times. This very sentence…
God loves
From The Presiding Bishop

God loves

During a recent chapel service at the Lutheran Center, Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director for Global Mission, shared his favorite Bible verse with us: “Now before the festival of the…
April fools
From The Presiding Bishop

April fools

It all started with such promise: The angel announcing to Mary that the child she would bear would be called Son of the Most High; Mary’s conviction that this child…
God’s irresistible call
From The Presiding Bishop

God’s irresistible call

When first elected presiding bishop, I was often asked what it meant to be the first woman entrusted with this call. I didn’t like that question then. I’m still ambivalent…
A valentine gift from God
From The Presiding Bishop

A valentine gift from God

“Love means never having to say you’re sorry” (Love Story). “Forgiveness guaranteed. Repentance optional” (sign in front of a Lutheran church).   This year Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day fall…
Church speak
From The Presiding Bishop

Church speak

A colleague at the Lutheran Center related this story. An unchurched friend of hers was visiting and noticed her Advent calendar. “What is Advent?” she asked. A simple question. But…
Disengage the autopilot
From The Presiding Bishop

Disengage the autopilot

I was driving to work one day thinking about my schedule—the meetings I needed to attend, reports I needed to finish, preparations still to be completed for upcoming travel, email…
Oct. 32 and beyond
From The Presiding Bishop

Oct. 32 and beyond

This is the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. For the past year it has been “All Reformation All the Time!” Everything Martin Luther. The really observant have branched out to…
At the table together
From The Presiding Bishop

At the table together

Old recipes are precious things. They give instructions about how to prepare a dish, but they are so much more. They are filled with memories. They connect families as they…