Stories, reflections and perspectives from diverse range of voices across the ELCA.
Editor’s note: This entry is the first in a multipart series on white fragility. Every other Tuesday through mid-May, look for new posts from Martin Zimmann on this topic. Why…
I sometimes think of a backpacking trip with a now-deceased friend on the Appalachian Trail in western North Carolina’s Nantahala Range—early February, 75 miles, eight days. Rain the entire week…
As the elderly woman lay on her bed with death very near, her 4-year-old granddaughter asked, “Why are those ducks flying near your bed?” Her grandmother replied simply, “Oh,…
Editor’s note: The following article is based on a true event. Names and locations have been changed to protect privacy. Take a deep breath, Angela. You can do this. Simply…
Work. Home. The kitchen. The couch. My life sometimes seems like a dull routine, yet the Spirit breaks through. I almost never turn on my television with the expectation of deepening my faith…
“I ate so much I’m about to burst.” All of us have either heard someone at a gathering or restaurant use that phrase or have used it ourselves. But how…
When I was 10 years old, my family switched congregations, and it was an event that changed my life forever. I started my life at an all-black Lutheran congregation in…
Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary (Isaiah 40:31). The 2018 Winter…
Every night it’s the same. I give my 4-year-old daughter a bath. I help her get into her pajamas. She says goodnight to Mommy. Then she gets in bed and…
Growing up during the Great Depression in a family that believed in giving back shaped Ordean Oen’s life. When the native North Dakotan retired in 1989 as a research physicist…
This year we’re putting an emphasis on stories that highlight leadership and leaders from around the ELCA. “I’m a Lutheran leader” is an online feature that highlights the many ways…
My pastor and I had finished our lunch meeting to put the finishing touches on the congregation’s strategic plan for the following year. As we each enjoyed that last cup…
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