We don’t usually put the words “shrewd” and “grace” together. They aren’t compatible. Rather, they are opposed in character, each carrying its own connotations that divide them into separate categories….
Lectionary for Jan. 4, 2026 Second Sunday of Christmas Jeremiah 31:7-14; Psalm 147:12-20; Ephesians 1:3-14; John 1:[1-9]10-18 Can you remember a time when things might have been a little too…
A tiny baby Jesus, watched over by Mary and Joseph, would be easily identifiable to members of St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hilltown, Pa., as a nativity scene celebrating…
My daughters are 2, 4 and 6 years old, so bedtime is still a full-contact sport for me most nights. Between begging them to eat dinner, washing three squirming bodies and finally dressing them in their beloved pajamas, I am more tired by bedtime than they are. Yet somehow the last two…
Series editor’s note: This article kicks off the 2026 theme for “Deeper understandings”: faithful witness in challenging times. In the coming year, various authors will explore what it means for…
Lectionary blog for December 28 First Sunday of Christmas Isaiah 63:7-9; Psalm 148; Hebrews 2:10-18; Matthew 2:13-23 My “side hustle” is sometimes teaching Hebrew Bible classes at ELCA seminaries. One…
“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,…
Innovation is in bloom across the rural reaches of the ELCA, and perhaps nothing exemplifies that better than a new food ministry in Iowa. The Western Iowa Synod calls it…
I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:19). What does it mean to wait with hope? The upcoming months…
During Advent on Living Lutheran, we shared a weekly prayer, Scripture and accompanying activity for you to complete with a group or as a solo project. In weeks one through…
Each month, Living Lutheran will share history and fun facts behind some hymns beloved by Lutherans. This month’s hymn is Go Tell It on the Mountain.
Lectionary blog for Dec. 21 Fourth Sunday of Advent Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25 Like many families, my wife and I have a “Covid baby” (a…
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