Jesus Escamilla knows the power of prayer. For the past 15-plus years, the pastor has seen God answer prayers repeatedly for his congregation, San Gabriel Lutheran in Alvarado, Texas. “What…
Working alongside the United Nations’ “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” campaign, the four member churches of Churches Beyond Borders have compiled a 16-day devotional focusing on the campaign’s…
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…
Series editor’s note: Throughout 2021, “Deeper understandings” will continue to engage the ELCA’s commitment to authentic diversity. Abraham Allende will carry on this theme next month. —Kathryn A. Kleinhans, dean…
It’s a sunny day in the Wind River Range of Wyoming. A group of Indigenous people and I form a circle to burn tobacco and offer a prayer of thanks…
When Kevin T. Jones of Mason City, Iowa, was elected bishop of the Northeastern Iowa Synod on June 12, the thought that everything had just changed hit him with a…
Each morning I face a choice. Do I go for a long walk, knowing that it might plunge me into the depths of some unsettling symptoms? A walk reduces my…
The month of November in the church year calls to mind deeply meaningful aspects of what it means to be people of faith. On All Saints Day, we remember in…
William “Bill” Horne, beloved ELCA vice president William “Bill” Horne II, vice president of the ELCA, died Aug. 14 of a suspected heart attack. Horne was a member of St….
Some of my earliest memories of church are infused with song: “Amazing Grace,” “A Mighty Fortress,” “Lamb of God.” Bright melodies and full, rich chords—the sound of my mom playing…
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…
You have been cooped up in this place for far too long, and it’s starting to show. Rough stubble has started to grow where before you kept your skin smooth…
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