By Jessie Goeke I admire those who can embrace the unknown with open arms, though they are a rare and special breed. For the rest of us, transition and change can provoke feelings of fear, discomfort, and uncertainty. Yet, change is an inevitable part of all our lives. When I started working at the synod [...]
By Bob Hulteen When you hang around a lot of Lutheran Christian-types (and their ecumenical friends and allies), you often hear the phrase “spiritual discipline” as a necessary part of following the way of Jesus. The more you poke at what is meant, the more complexity you recognize around not just the phrase, but its [...]
By Nicholas Tangen Last week, I spent three days hiking the Sage Creek Wilderness Area in Badlands National Park, a sharp, winding, and otherworldly landscape. We hiked a trailless loop through the backcountry, over tall geological formations, through knee-high prairie grass, and into concentrated stands of juniper trees. The sky in the badlands was immense [...]
By Johan Baumeister The first time I walked into Salem English Lutheran Church was a cold and dreary day in early 2006. I’d visited the Lutherans Concerned (now ReconcilingWorks) website and found the congregation listed as a Reconciling In Christ (RIC) congregation. While I was hopeful that it would be a place where I would [...]
By Bob Hulteen The group of synod leaders (Vice President Felicia Boone, Pastors Jen Collins, Ryan Fletcher, David Larson-Martinez, and Siri Strommen) who are helping to plan the 2024 Bishop’s Theological Conference (BTC) gathered at the synod office a couple months ago. When the conversation shifted to the kinds of topics or messages that might [...]
By Mercy Zou Taithul Summer season is here! Who doesn’t love summer – the bright sunshine, the extra-long days, green grasses and trees, unfrozen lakes and rivers, gorgeous Golden Hour, and so much more? During summer I love to walk around the lake. People are out with their dogs, family, or friends, or maybe just [...]
By Bishop Ann Svennungsen As I prepare for my final days as your bishop, I want to share a few thoughts about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. As much as ever, I love the ELCA. I believe its distinctive witness is critical, especially today, when so many in America seek to use the word [...]
By Pastor Craig Pederson “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for [...]
By Pastor Wondimu Sonessa Long before the spreading of formal education, the priests of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church were teaching how to read and write. I remember some students joining our second-grade class because the government declared that such instruction was illegal and all children must join government schools. About the same time, I found [...]
By Emilie Bouvier When I lead art workshops with faith groups, one of my favorite activities is to use the Creation image from the Art of the Saint John’s Bible as our launching point. It is such a layered and captivating piece, and I always start by observing the intricate details – from geometric fractals [...]
