Be the blessing
Voices of Faith

Be the blessing

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…

Reimagining faithful witness
Voices of Faith

Reimagining faithful witness

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…

The stories are still relevant
Lectionary Blog

The stories are still relevant

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…

Study guide for “The honesty of Ash Wednesday”
Spiritual Resources

Study guide for “The honesty of Ash Wednesday”

“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,…

Study guide for “Innovations in rural ministry”
Spiritual Resources

Study guide for “Innovations in rural ministry”

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…

Waiting with hope
From The Presiding Bishop

Waiting with hope

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…

Advent Series: Week Four
Faith in Action

Advent Series: Week Four

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…

Hymn of the Month – Go Tell It on the Mountain
Theology & Beliefs

Hymn of the Month – Go Tell It on the Mountain

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.

A dangerous time for a baby
Lectionary Blog

A dangerous time for a baby

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…

Bishop Curry issues statement on Brown University shooting
From The Presiding Bishop

Bishop Curry issues statement on Brown University shooting

December 14, 2025 As students prepared for finals yesterday at Brown University, they found themselves a part of the ever-increasing epidemic of gun violence in the U.S. and globally. We…

Bishop Curry issues statement on terror attack on Jewish community in Australia
From The Presiding Bishop

Bishop Curry issues statement on terror attack on Jewish community in Australia

December 14, 2025 Many of us awoke today to the horrific news of yet another deadly attack on the Jewish community, gathered for a Menorah lighting ceremony marking the beginning…

Advent Series: Week Three
Faith in Action

Advent Series: Week Three

During Advent on Living Lutheran, there will be a weekly prayer, Scripture and accompanying activity. Each week’s Advent activity can be completed with a group or as a solo project….