Bearing witness by serving my neighbor
Theology & Beliefs

Bearing witness by serving my neighbor

Series editor’s note: The 2026 theme for “Deeper understandings” is faithful witness in challenging times. This year, various authors will explore what it means for the ELCA, and each of us as Lutherans,…

Journeys of blessings
Lectionary Blog

Journeys of blessings

Lectionary for March 1, 2026 Second Sunday in Lent Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17 I used to run a small boutique tourism company, guiding tours for…

The most honest church festival day
Voices of Faith

The most honest church festival day

One blustery Ash Wednesday, some pastor colleagues and I went downtown to distribute “ashes on the go.” We spread on sidewalks that ran along towering office buildings and bustling restaurants, dressed in clergy wear…

Facing temptation
Lectionary Blog

Facing temptation

Lectionary for Feb. 22, 2026 First Sunday in Lent Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Psalm 32; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11 I grew up in a church culture that made frequent reference to…

Love and stardust
Voices of Faith

Love and stardust

You are dust and to dust you shall return (Genesis 3:19). Atoms in our bodies trace to the remnants of exploded stars. We are stardust. We are alive in the universe. And the…

The divine process of compost
Theology & Beliefs

The divine process of compost

All of creation has embodied experiences and revelations of God—they are our greatest source for knowing God. Human beings, along with all of God’s created, participate in theopoiesis—making and being…

Mountaintops and valleys
Lectionary Blog

Mountaintops and valleys

Lectionary for Feb. 15, 2026 Transfiguration of Our Lord Last Sunday after Epiphany Exodus 24:12-18; Psalm 2; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9 When I was a teenager, I went to…

Celebrating our neighbors
Living Faithfully

Celebrating our neighbors

Focal verse “Little children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18). Reflection There’s an unwritten rule in rural America—at least in…

Good news to the poor, foreigner, sick and incarnated
Lectionary Blog

Good news to the poor, foreigner, sick and incarnated

Lectionary for Feb 8, 2026 Fifth Sunday after Epiphany Isaiah 58:1-9a; Psalm 112:1-9; 1 Corinthians 2:1-12; Matthew 5:13-20 I don’t know about y’all, but the start of 2026 has been…

Bearing witness: “Get curious. Speak truthfully. Act boldly.”
Theology & Beliefs

Bearing witness: “Get curious. Speak truthfully. Act boldly.”

Series editor’s note: The 2026 theme for “Deeper understandings” is faithful witness in challenging times. This year, various authors will explore what it means for the ELCA, and each of us…

Prayer for Jan. 25
Prayer Ventures

Prayer for Jan. 25

Every day, Living Lutheran offers a prayer for the day from the ELCA resource “Prayer ventures,” which can be downloaded here. These daily petitions are offered as a guide for your own prayer…