Watch Kevin J. O’Brien, professor of Christian and environmental ethics at Pacific Lutheran University, talk about the column he wrote on creation care for “Deeper understandings.” And read his…
Many ELCA congregations, synods and households reflect on how their budgets reveal their values and priorities. As the U.S. federal budget is finalized for fiscal year 2026, it, too, reflects…
I have served the HKBP California Batak Lutheran Church in Claremont, Calif., for the past eight years. At this time, HKBP California desires to become part of the Pacifica Synod…
Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, has issued a pastoral letter on the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV. “We of the Evangelical Lutheran Church…
On May 8, 1945, Europe emerged from the devastation of World War II. Eighty years later, the scars of that conflict and the subsequent occupation of Eastern Europe are still…
Focal verse “Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10). Reflection As the sun set on an unusually warm spring day, our small town…
When ELCA staff and donors arrived in Colombia last October, they were ready to learn. This made the group stand out for one of their guides, Kaitlynne Larson, an ELCA…
Five years ago, the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic marked incredible upheaval in almost every aspect of our lives. At the time, many Christians reflected on how the pandemic was…
Epiphany Lutheran Church, Pickerington, Ohio College advising manager, I Know I Can My husband and I connected with Epiphany Lutheran in 2018, when we first moved to Pickerington. Initially, driving…
We’ve all seen the graphs tracking the decline of U.S. Christianity, with a trendline plunging downward. But a new study from the Pew Research Center, “Decline of Christianity in the…
Series editor’s note: In 2025, “Deeper understandings” is focusing on the ELCA social statements. We hope to reintroduce them to readers as a means of provoking fruitful, enriching conversation between Christians with different…
Marhaba (mar-huh-bah or mar-ha-bah). A simple word, ancient and powerful. Rooted in Aramaic and Syriac languages of early Middle Eastern Christians. It means more than just “hello.” It means God…
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