Voices of Faith

Voices of Faith

John Chrysostom

Tucked in our Evangelical Lutheran Worship is a list of commemorations (page 15). Though such observances aren’t as prominent as feast days and lesser festivals, they do have a role…

Voices of Faith

Henry Melchior Muhlenberg

Henry Melchior Muhlenberg (1711-1787) was a prominent American Lutheran pioneer pastor, church planter, organizer, administrator, liturgist and chronicler. Sent by Halle Pietists in 1742 to counter Moravian incursions among German…

Voices of Faith

My take: Why in the world would anyone get ordained today?

On a Tuesday night at the end of summer, I participated in an ordination. Ordination, the act of consecrating someone as a member of the religious clergy, is sort of…

Voices of Faith

A story of faith with no easy answers

Jen Jensen’s life changed forever late one night in 2012. She awoke to find her husband Mike—then a worship and music director at Nazareth Lutheran Church, Cedar Falls, Iowa—having a…

Voices of Faith

My take: On the church that harms and heals

The church of Christ in every age,  beset by change but Spirit led, must claim and test its heritage and keep on rising from the dead. —Fred Pratt Green In…

Voices of Faith

Waiting on truth

Editor’s note: On Oct. 18, the church commemorates the Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist.  In 1959, Philip Roth published “The Conversion of the Jews,” an amusing short story about Ozzie…

Voices of Faith

Finding home: A story of adoption

She sat at my table surrounded by friends before taking a long, deep breath. “I don’t want to dominate the conversation,” she said, “but there are some things I’d like…

Voices of Faith

I’m a Lutheran: Bettye Olson

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Minn. Artist and retired art teacher  I believe art has been my passion, my work, my inspiration and sometimes my healer. It has always…

Voices of Faith

Looking for the Word

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through…

Voices of Faith

Seen and unseen

Editor’s note: On Sept. 29, the church commemorates the Festival of  St. Michael and All Angels.  The book of Daniel is filled with wonderful stories concerning a fiery furnace, mysterious…

Voices of Faith

Answered prayers in yellow shirts

“OK,” I said, “now it’s time to model them.” Each kid took the fleece hat they were tying together to donate at the ELCA Youth Gathering and put it on….

Voices of Faith

Prayer without words

My lifelong experiences of prayer were formed when I was very young. They began with learning to pray—always with words—in all the places young children are wont to do: prayers…