“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.

 
Prayer prompts:
For areas of the world impacted by ongoing war and conflict: Ukraine, Syria, South Sudan…
For ceasefire in Gaza…
For victims, evacuees, and firefighters facing wildfires in California…
For victims, survivors, and rescue workers involved with the mine disaster in South Africa…
For immigrants and all who travel for stability, opportunity, and safety…
For peaceful political transitions in the United States and around the world…
For the continued work of antiracism…

Events and observances:
Martin Luther King Jr., renewer of society, martyr, died 1968 (Jan 15)
Antony of Egypt, renewer of the church, died around 356 (Jan 17)
Pachomius, renewer of the church, died 346 (Jan 17)
Confession of Peter (Jan 18)
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan 18-25)

Prayers from ELCA resources:
A prayer for peace (ELW)
O God, it is your will to hold both heaven and earth in a single peace. Let the design of your great love shine on the waste of our wraths and sorrows, and give peace to your church, peace among nations, peace in our homes, and peace in our hearts; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer for the nation (ELW)
Holy Trinity, one God, you show us the splendor of diversity and the beauty of unity in your own divine life. Make us, who came from many nations with many languages, a united people that delights in our many different gifts. Defend our liberties, and give those whom we have entrusted with authority the spirit of wisdom, that there might be justice and peace in our land. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our sovereign and our Savior. Amen.

A set of worship resources for the crisis in the Holy Land is available on ELCA.org. Several prayers are provided that could be used during the prayers of intercession or at other times, in public worship or for devotional use at home or in other settings. PDF DOC

A set of worship resources for national elections is available on ELCA.org. Scripture readings, prayers, and assembly song suggestions are offered, to be used in settings such as prayer vigils, Morning or Evening Prayer, regular weekly worship or personal devotion in the weeks preceding or following an election. PDF DOC

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ELW = Evangelical Lutheran Worship
ACS = All Creation Sings: Evangelical Lutheran Worship Supplement

Additional topical prayers are found in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (pp. 72–87) and All Creation Sings (pp. 46–55), as well as in other resources provided in print and online at sundaysandseasons.com.

Crafted intercessions for every Sunday and festival are provided in the Sundays and Seasons worship planning guide published in-print and online by Augsburg Fortress. Further assistance for composing prayers of intercession can be found here: Resources for Crafting Prayers of Intercession

Prayer Ventures, a daily prayer resource, is a guide to prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world.

Note: This is an update to the November 2020 post “When Trust Is Broken: A Response to Allegations against Musician David Haas.”

When planning worship, pastors and musicians make important decisions about what their assembly will sing. What is sung is both an expression of the writer/composer and an act of faith by the singer. What we sing is linked to our memories and understanding of who God is and who we are as children of God.

For that reason, navigating choices become especially difficult when the composer or writer has been suspected of or accused of abuse. See the helpful article, “Hymns by Abusers, Cancel Culture, and Pastoral Responsibility” from the Center for Congregational Song.

In 2020, musician David Haas was accused of sexual misconduct by several women spanning many years. Although Haas is not a member of an ELCA congregation, Evangelical Lutheran Worship includes four hymns by him: “Blest Are They” (ELW 728), “Now We Remain” (ELW 500), “We Are Called” (ELW 720), and “You Are Mine” (ELW 581). Several institutions have requested congregations to no longer sing works by Haas pending an investigation. Those who plan worship in the ELCA are strongly encouraged to discontinue use of these hymns and other compositions in worship. Both the ELCA and Augsburg Fortress have taken steps to discontinue suggesting hymns by Haas in worship planning resources for this church and to amend existing resources currently available online. The ELCA and Augsburg Fortress Publishers have no plans to include his works in future resources and publications. The ELCA and Augsburg Fortress Publishers do not tolerate sexual misconduct or abuse.

Some have also raised concern regarding composer Cesáreo Gabaráin (ELW 817) and several hymns included in Libro de Liturgia y Cántico (LLC)). Gabaráin died in 1991 before allegations of abuse against him became public. His publisher in the United States, Oregon Catholic Press (OCP) released an updated statement on these allegations in November 2024. The update noted that OCP is reinstating Gabaráin’s music in their catalog because their investigation did not find credibility in the accusations. However, due to concern, you will not find his hymns suggested in Sundays and Seasons at this time. Those who plan worship in the ELCA may want to consider not including hymns by Gabaráin.

This church believes that God’s intention, revealed through the Scriptures, is for all of creation to flourish (Faith, Sexism, and Justice, p. 14). As the ELCA Social Message on “Gender-based Violence” declares, “God calls us to love. Gender-based violence is not love…. Simply stated, gender-based violence in all its forms is a sinful rebellion against the triune God and a rejection of God’s good work in this world” (p. 6). All forms of violence interfere with God’s beloved creatures flourishing. And when people abuse power and authority to break trust, they must be held accountable (“Gender-based Violence,” pp. 1-3, 6-7). This is particularly important when the people with power and authority serve in the church (Human Sexuality, p. 35).

Although these particular circumstances do not directly involve the ELCA, we as a church know we participate in the sin of gender-based violence. Through our own teaching documents, we have declared,

As a church of Jesus Christ, we deplore this suffering and we confess our collective and individual complicities in this violence in both church and society. The complex factors that contribute to the prevalence of this sin are deeply woven into society and into individual lives. As a member of Christ’s body, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) shares in the brokenness and judgment brought on by gender-based violence. This church’s members are survivors, perpetrators and bystanders. (“Gender-based Violence,” pp. 2-3).

As you plan music for worship in your context, we encourage decisions that uphold God’s call to love the neighbor, especially those who have been harmed by gender-based violence. The ELCA resource, Principles for Worship, states that “assembly song forms memory and nurtures faith” and that “planning for worship calls for careful attention to the people’s memory” (Principle M-5; Application M-5C). When we become aware of songs that have positive associations for some are associated with painful memories and deep trauma for others, our concern for any who have been traumatized must be the church’s first priority. As noted in a recent document by the Mennonite church,

For survivors, singing a song of a known abuser can cause the traumatic harm of sexual violence to viscerally rush in. This is especially true when the abuser is alive or recently deceased. When people directly injured by the abuser’s violence experience a song as inseparable from its source, communities of faith cannot claim to make such a separation without doing harm to survivors.
Show Strength: How to Respond When Worship Materials Are Implicated in Abuse.

The same document outlines specific steps in a survivor-centered response and provides suggestions for how to address this issue in your community. While certainly challenging, we cannot shy away from these difficult conversations and turn from our responsibility to show solidarity with those who are abused.

As a church, the ELCA continues to learn, to act, and to trust God’s promise of presence, forgiveness, and guidance. As church together, we are always being made new to serve the neighbor in love, to end gender-based violence. To spread the word about this love for neighbor, join the World Council of Churches in Christ #ThursdaysinBlack, a global ecumenical campaign to prevent and end gender-based violence.

Anyone with knowledge of sexual misconduct or abuse in the ELCA should report it to their synod or to ELCA Safe Place. If the misconduct or abuse relates to children, it should be reported immediately to law enforcement.

 

Additional Resources

• Hymns by Abusers, Cancel Culture, and Pastoral Responsibility. This blog post was written by Brian Hehn, Director of the Center for Congregational Song
• Report from Into Account
• Gender-based Violence, ELCA Social Message adopted by Church Council in 2015
• Faith, Sexism, and Justice: A Call to Action, ELCA Social Statement adopted by the 2019 Churchwide Assembly
• Lowe, Mary Elise and Mary Streufert. ReEngaging ELCA Social Teaching on Faith, Sexism, and Justice (Augsburg Fortress, forthcoming in 2025).
• Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust, ELCA Social Statement adopted by the 2009 Churchwide Assembly
• #ThursdaysinBlack, a global ecumenical campaign to prevent and end gender-based violence.
• Research conducted at the 45^th Anniversary of the Ordination of Women includes rates of sexual and gender-based harassment and violence.
• ELCA Principles for Worship
• ELCA Safe Place to report misconduct
• Lutheran World Federation 2017 Assembly resolution for every member church to work within their church to address gender-based violence
• Show Strength: How to Respond When Worship Materials Are Implicated in Abuse, This resource from the Mennonite church offers a survivor-centered perspective on how individuals and communities of faith can respond when it is discovered that beloved songs and prayers were written by a person who has perpetrated sexual violence.

 

Catalyst Question

What do you remember of your baptism, if anything? If you aren’t baptized, or if you don’t remember yours, then share a memory of a baptism you witnessed. 

The Baptized Life

This week is President Jimmy Carter’s funeral. As people share memories, you might notice that many reflect not only on his presidency, but on what he did with life after he completed his only term as the leader of the United States of America.

There’s lots of reasons for that. Chief amongst them is that, after he left the White House, President Carter committed to continued service. This happened in his local Georgia church where he served as a Sunday school teacher. His influence helped to kickstart the housing movement that became Habitat for Humanity. He worked globally to reduce poverty and locally to inspire people of faith to live out Jesus’ compassion.

Political junkies might also know that President Carter’s single term was controversial. People remember economic turmoil at home and the the Iran-Contra Affair abroad. Fortunately, like any baptized child of God, President Carter knew two things. First, no one is perfect. Whether due to mistakes in his leadership or powers beyond his control, President Carter admitted his limitations. Second, he knew that mistakes don’t need to end your influence, even if they bring a change in the way(s) that you serve.

That’s the baptized life. We, who are not perfect, live in light of Christ’s perfection. We, who cannot save ourselves or everyone else, are saved by the grace of God.

This week, as we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord, we read about the baptism of the only one perfect among us, Jesus (Luke 3:15-17, 21-22). Jesus submits to baptism as a sign that God, in becoming human, also accepted limitation. All of us who follow him in baptism, join in that miraculous life, death, and resurrection. Our human limitations and our sinfulness alike are not the end of our story because, in Christ, we live resurrection life.

President Carter’s legacy reminds us that, long before death, Christ invites us to participate in resurrection life. It also reminds us that, even if we don’t remember our own baptisms, we are living our baptism every day as we emulate Jesus in word and deed. May we live that life today and every day, until death comes, when we will join in that final promise of everlasting life.

Ask Yourself: When things don’t go the way you want them to, how might you remember your baptism in ways that inspire new ways of living more abundant life? 

Ask a Friend: Who is someone you witnessed live a resurrection life? It could be a personal connection, a public figure, or even fictional character. 

Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources and events from other organizations and institutions. These Lutheran and ecumenical partner organizations work alongside the ELCA to support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church.

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Institute of Liturgical Studies

An ecumenical conference on liturgical renewal for the church today.

Rites of Passage: Engaging Occasional Practitioners in a Secular Age
Valparaiso, Ind.
April 28–30, 2025

Registration is open! Register before Jan. 31 for the early bird discount to receive $100 off your registration fee. 

The American religious landscape is characterized by declining participation in religious institutions, increasing uncertainty about matters of faith, and a growing population identifying as non-religious. Nevertheless, many people continue to turn to churches at some of the most significant moments in their lives—such as the birth of a child or the loss of a loved one—and many others show up to support them.

At last year’s Institute, Rev. Dr. Sarah Kathleen Johnson introduced the idea of occasional religious practice to describe a way of relating to religion that is characterized by participation in religious practices occasionally rather than routinely, most often in connection with certain types of occasions, including holidays, life transitions, and times of crisis. She encouraged us not to rush to judge occasional practitioners’ lack of involvement or to come to hasty conclusions about why they are seeking out these practices but instead to listen to and learn from them.

Most of our planning resources are directed at the Sunday assembly. Yet, baptisms, weddings, and funerals are liturgical events rich in their potential for service and outreach. How might we more fully consider the possibilities of these occasions to be better prepared to serve a decreasingly churched culture?

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay up to date on the 2025 conference.

 

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Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival

Transforming and connecting lives through faith and music since 1981.

Nominate a Young Musician

Enrollment is filling fast for the LSM 2025! Students come together in an immersive musical community that connects the pursuit of musical growth with the joy of Lutheran church music traditions. LSM welcomes musicians of all kinds: brass, woodwinds, strings, percussion, piano, organ, voice, harp, guitar, handbells, and more. Know a young person (grades 8-12) who would benefit from this life-giving and joyful musical community? Nominate them for LSM today at LSMacademy.org/nominate. LSM 2025 takes place at Valparaiso University from June 22-July 20 (Half Session through July 6). Standard Enrollment is open now through March 1.

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Music that Makes Community

Rooted in Christian contemplative and activist traditions, Music That Makes Community envisions a liberative culture that empowers individuals and communities to claim and use the power of singing to heal our spirits, nurture our common lives, and work for justice. We offer resources, training, and encouragement to individuals, organizations, and communities in the dynamic power of singing to connect others and ourselves.

Training Events – Join us for the following events for continuing education, community building, professional development, and celebrating this practice of paperless communal song-sharing.

• Saturday, February 1:  1-Day Workshop at Pilgrim Lutheran, St. Paul, MN
• April 4-5:  1-Day Workshop and Community SING in Waco, TX
• October 10-12:  3-day Retreat in Albuquerque, NM

More in-person events near Kansas City, Detroit, Lexington (KY), Raleigh (NC), Atlanta are being planned.  Please stay tuned!

Monday Morning Grounding – This weekly online touchstone continues to offer song, silence, sacred text, and community connection.  Mondays at 10 a.m. Eastern / 7 a.m. Pacific until April 7, 2025.  Register for the zoom link here.

Resources – Read the MMC blog for articles about …

• starting a local paperless singing gathering,
• stories about using paperless song with unhoused neighbors
• and in airport customs lines,
• reflections on leadership influences over time (by the Rev. Liesl Spitz),
• a vision of “A Songleader in Every Household/Family” (psst!  It means “Multiple Songleaders in Every Community”!),
• and a list of Songs for Fractured Times.

There are also new Job Postings (including one ELCA) on our website.

Please join our monthly newsletter for regular updates and we’ll see you at an event soon!

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Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

ALCM nurtures and equips musicians to serve and lead the church’s song.

ALCM is excited to offer a composers symposium, Where Do We Go from Here, to stimulate conversation among composers regarding our efforts to be faithful, creative, and nurturing stewards of the church’s song – even where gatherings have limited human and material resources. Registrants will also have the opportunity to explore newer music software. For a more detailed look, visit the symposium website. More information is added regularly, so check back often for more.

ALCM is especially grateful to the hosts for this symposium, Bob Hobby and Trinity English Lutheran Church. Generous donations from the Fred Jackisch Memorial Fund as well as from Trinity English Lutheran have helped to maximize the benefits of attendance while minimizing costs to registrants. Registration rates go up after January 14th. Those who register for both the 2025 Symposium and Raleigh-Durham Conference will receive a $70 dollar refund at the close of the conference.

ALCM Conference 2025
Aug. 4-8
Raleigh-Durham, N.C.

The conference theme, For all that is to be, describes our effort to equip people in all stages of their love for music of the church. Whether you are a volunteer, part-time or full-time employed, a student, newly employed, or retired, this conference will nurture your passion for the many ways in which we continue to share the gospel message.

Now is a great time to register and get the best rate. If you get continuing education funds, maybe you have some money left in your budget this year that you can put toward this opportunity. Registration is live – visit the conference website to register now. We look forward to seeing you in Raleigh!

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The Hymn Society & The Center for Congregational Song

The mission of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada is to encourage, promote, and enliven congregational singing. The Center for Congregational Song is the resource and programmatic arm of The Hymn Society, connecting resources, leading deep and vital conversations about the church’s song, and collaborating with our partners.

Back in 2020, The Center for Congregational Song hosted a 12-hour broadcast of music and pastoral moments on Election Day in an effort to provide a space for peace in a time of great anxiety. Four years later, the political discourse in the United States is not all that different, and, in some ways, even more charged than it was before. If you find yourself in need of a break from the news, we invite you to recharge by watching our broadcast from four years ago.

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Resources from the Center for Church Music

The Center for Church Music is a place where one can tap into an expansive library of resources and perspectives on the music and art of the church, with a focus on a Lutheran context.

“Profiles in American Lutheran Church Music” presents video conversations with prominent church musicians “Beyond the Children’s Choir: Focused Experiences for Children in Worship: Emily Woock, Elmhurst Ill., Oct. 2023 and the Rev Paul D. Weber, (interviewed by Barry Bobb, April 2024) as well as many other Lutheran Church musicians.

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 Journey to Baptismal Living: North American Associate for the Catechumenate

An ecumenical community seeks to support seekers and those who accompany them. The process is an enlivened journey of spiritual formation for those either exploring Christianity or seeking to renew their faith.

The board of Journey to Baptismal Living, formerly North American Association for the Catechumenate, has been very busy, during and since the pandemic, working on producing updated catechetical and liturgical resources as well as updating our website.

Now we would like to connect with parishes interested in the catechumenal process. If you already have a process, we would like to discuss our new resources and also learn from you about your experiences. If you are interested but not active, we are available to do online training. Our new website can provide you with information about who we are and what we do. Or contact us for further information.

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Augsburg Fortress Events and Resources

Augsburg Fortress is the publishing ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Daily Bread, Holy Meal: Opening the Gifts of Holy Communion
In Daily Bread, Holy Meal, Samuel Torvend invites Christians to reconsider the significance of eating and drinking with Jesus in a world of great need. Drawing on biblical and historical studies, this exploration of the Eucharist asks the seeker in every Christian to consider the ecological, theological, communal, and ethical dimensions of the Lord’s supper. Through a careful weaving of biblical passages, medieval poetry, Luther’s writing, familiar hymns, and liturgical texts, each chapter unfolds another “gift” of Holy Communion and the sometimes–troubling questions each one raises for individuals who live in a fast–food culture yet seek community around a gracious table.

The Music Sourcebooks for Lent and the Three Days
An essential companion resource to the Worship Guidebook, this collection greatly expands the repertoire of resources for the song of the assembly and its leaders during the days from Ash Wednesday to Easter. Most materials are reproducible and newly composed in a broad range of styles. Spiral-bound, includes a CD-ROM with assembly and instrumental parts. Order the Worship Guidebook and the Music Sourcebook as a Set.

 

Singing Church History: Introducing the Christian Story through Hymn Texts by Paul Rorem
Christianity is a “singing church,” with biblical foundations and centuries of examples in the Psalms and canticles, favorite hymns, and gospel songs. And this singing church has a history. Through engaging tales of the stories behind this music and its authors, Rorem makes church history come alive. Singing Church History journeys through an ecumenical history of church music from early and medieval times through the Reformation and the early modern world, into American and World Christianity. Throughout, Rorem shows us how these familiar hymn texts have us “singing church history” on Sunday mornings without even knowing it.

 

A Different Kind of Fast: Feeding Our True Hungers in Lent
Fasting is not just the physical practice of giving up food. Fasting can also be a way to combat our culture of endless distractions and busyness. Fasting is an act of letting go, of making more internal space to listen to the sacred whispers of our lives. Join Christine Valters Paintner on a spiritual journey through seven different kinds of fasts, including fasting from control, from our attachments, from our grasping, and more. Perfect for Lent, or any period when a deeper intention to clarify your true hunger is needed, this book helps us enter our hearts, stripping away old patterns and habits.

“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.

 
Prayer prompts:
For areas of the world impacted by ongoing war and conflict: Gaza, Syria, Ukraine…
For evacuees and all threatened by the Pacific Palisades fire in California…
For earthquake victims in Tibet…
For political transitions and the advancement of peace across the world…
For severe winter weather affecting areas of the United States…
For refugees, migrants, and all who journey for safety…
For daily affirmation of our baptismal calling: to live among God’s faithful people; to hear the word of God and share in the holy supper; to share the good news of God in Christ through word and deed; to serve all people, following the example of Jesus; and to strive for justice and peace in all the world…

Events and observances:
Martin Luther King Jr., renewer of society, martyr, died 1968 (Jan 15)
Antony of Egypt, renewer of the church, died around 356 (Jan 17)
Pachomius, renewer of the church, died 346 (Jan 17)
Confession of Peter (Jan 18)
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan 18-25)

Prayers from ELCA resources:
A prayer for those affected by natural disasters (ACS)
Holy God, in you alone we find safety and shelter. Be a sure refuge to all suffering from wildfires. Grant courage, protection, and favorable weather to firefighters and emergency responders; embrace with supportive communities all who are newly displaced or homeless; comfort those grieving all that has been destroyed and give patience to those who are anxious, not knowing when relief will come. Heal your whole creation, that out of flame and ashes new growth will spring forth. We pray through Jesus Christ, our life and our strength. Amen.

A prayer refugees, migrants, immigrants (ACS)
O God, as you guided the Israelites to a new land by pillars of cloud and fire, now travel alongside all people who seek safety from persecution and a better life. Provide them with what they need as they travel, and guide them to places of welcome and sanctuary. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

A set of worship resources for the crisis in the Holy Land is available on ELCA.org. Several prayers are provided that could be used during the prayers of intercession or at other times, in public worship or for devotional use at home or in other settings. PDF DOC

A set of worship resources for national elections is available on ELCA.org. Scripture readings, prayers, and assembly song suggestions are offered, to be used in settings such as prayer vigils, Morning or Evening Prayer, regular weekly worship or personal devotion in the weeks preceding or following an election. PDF DOC

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ELW = Evangelical Lutheran Worship
ACS = All Creation Sings: Evangelical Lutheran Worship Supplement

Additional topical prayers are found in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (pp. 72–87) and All Creation Sings (pp. 46–55), as well as in other resources provided in print and online at sundaysandseasons.com.

Crafted intercessions for every Sunday and festival are provided in the Sundays and Seasons worship planning guide published in-print and online by Augsburg Fortress. Further assistance for composing prayers of intercession can be found here: Resources for Crafting Prayers of Intercession

Prayer Ventures, a daily prayer resource, is a guide to prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world.

Catalyst Question

What constellations, comets, or other celestial objects can you identify?

Signs in the Skies

Happy New Year! Last year, many in the United States experienced a total solar eclipse. As this article details, 2025 forecasts a number of different events involving the sun, moon, stars, comets, and more.

We’re not the only ones who look to the heavens with interest. In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 2:1-12, Magi from Persia follow heavenly body to Bethlehem and visit Jesus. Magi were priests and scholars who looked to the stars for divine wisdom. They asked questions about anything from the best time to plant and harvest crops to whether a natural disaster might visit their region. Magi sought the sacred in the stars. While Lutherans don’t typically look to the stars in exactly the same way, we do look to the heavens because we believe they reveal God’s wisdom and might.

This Sunday, we celebrate The Epiphany of Our Lord. The word epiphany means “reveal.” This festival celebrates that, in Jesus, God is revealed to all people. Jesus is not just for the polite, religiously acceptable people, but for the people who look for God in ways that seem strange to others. Jesus is not just for the insiders, but for the outsiders. In Jesus, God is revealed to all nations, all peoples, all sorts of all of us.

This year, as you look to the sky, remember that many other people will be looking at the same stars, the same comets, the same sun and moon. They might be very different from you, but the God in Bethlehem’s manger came for them, too.

Ask Yourself: Epiphany reveals that God for everyone. Who is it hardest for you to believe Jesus is here for? Why is that?

Ask a Friend: When you look to the stars, what do you learn about God?

“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.

 
Prayer prompts:
For areas of the world impacted by ongoing war and conflict: Gaza, Syria, Ukraine…
For the family of Jimmy Carter and all those who mourn…
For the families of those killed in the Jeju Air plane crash…
For those affected by tornadoes in Texas, North Carolina, and Louisiana…
For those experiencing homelessness in the US…
For Trinidad & Tobago in the face of rising violence…
For victims of violence in New Orleans…
For the new year and transitions of all varieties…

Events and observances:
Name of Jesus (Jan 1)
New Year’s Day (Jan 1)
World Day of Peace (Jan 1)
Johann Konrad Wilhelm Loehe, renewer of the church, died 1872 (Jan 2)
Epiphany of Our Lord (Jan 6)
Orthodox Christmas (Jan 7)

Prayers from ELCA resources:
A prayer of good courage (ELW)
O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer for the oppressed (ELW)
Look with mercy, gracious God, upon people everywhere who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Rouse us from our complacency and help us to eliminate cruelty wherever it is found. Strengthen those who seek equality for all. Grant that everyone may enjoy a fair portion of the abundance of the earth; through your son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer for faithful living in society (ACS)
God, our gracious giver, your Song Jesus taught us that where our treasure is there our hearts will be also. Tech us to love people more than money, relationships more than things, and you above all, that the way we live will reflect what we truly value and believe. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who emptied himself in love for us, and now reigns with you and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

A set of worship resources for the crisis in the Holy Land is available on ELCA.org. Several prayers are provided that could be used during the prayers of intercession or at other times, in public worship or for devotional use at home or in other settings. PDF DOC

A set of worship resources for national elections is available on ELCA.org. Scripture readings, prayers, and assembly song suggestions are offered, to be used in settings such as prayer vigils, Morning or Evening Prayer, regular weekly worship or personal devotion in the weeks preceding or following an election. PDF DOC

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ELW = Evangelical Lutheran Worship
ACS = All Creation Sings: Evangelical Lutheran Worship Supplement

Additional topical prayers are found in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (pp. 72–87) and All Creation Sings (pp. 46–55), as well as in other resources provided in print and online at sundaysandseasons.com.

Crafted intercessions for every Sunday and festival are provided in the Sundays and Seasons worship planning guide published in-print and online by Augsburg Fortress. Further assistance for composing prayers of intercession can be found here: Resources for Crafting Prayers of Intercession

Prayer Ventures, a daily prayer resource, is a guide to prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world.

Catalyst Question

When you think of words like “education” or “school,” what comes to mind?

Witnessing a New Era

Merry Christmas!

Now, you might be thinking, “How was Jesus forn was just a few days ago, and now already he’s a 12-year-old?!” Rather than a mutant-like growth pattern, a la Marvel’s X-Men, this is simply a reflection of how little scriptural material addresses Christ’s childhood.

Even so, it’s remarkable how normal this childhood appears. In Luke 2:41-42, we find Jesus in school. Not exactly like the middle school that today’s 12-year-olds attend, but a school quite common for the day: religious instruction. At the temple, Jesus learns from the teachers, probably rabbis with the possibility of priests chiming in as well. He both listens and asks questions.

One fascinating thing about this story is that, apparently, the adults welcome Jesus as a student. They gave Jesus the gift of time. Jesus finds welcome and support amongst his elders as he seeks to grow. Today, we might call that mentorship. It sounds like this article, which describes how having mentors increases the likelihood of success among adolescents as they grow intellectually, socially, and psychologically. Similarly, research from the Springtide Institute found that an interested adult in an adolescent’s faith life led to a more robust spiritual experience for the young person.

This Christmas (and don’t forget, Christmas lasts for 12 whole days), give the gift of time to someone younger than yourself. To mentor someone can be as simple as knowing their name, taking an interest in their life, sharing your passions, and taking their questions seriously. It made a difference in Jesus’ life and can make a difference for people today, too.

Ask Yourself: Who is someone older than me that took an interest in my life? Take a moment to reach out to that person and thank them for the impact they made.

Ask a Friend: Jesus, our greatest teacher, took the time to learn. How can we help one another stay humble enough to learn as we grow in our own callings?

Catalyst Question

How do you define success?

Witnessing a New Era

This week, a new era in began in college sports: a twelve team playoff to name the national champion in collegiate football. For many years–in fact, for more than a century–champions were determined through voting of either coaches or media professionals. In 2014, a four team playoff format began. This week, this playoff expanded to include twelve contenders, with teams from Indiana University and the University of Notre Dame inaugurating this new era.

With more games, there will be more fans who witness the plays on the field, and likely more who will watch on television as well. Given the size of these stadiums, hundreds of thousands of people will experience this first playoff in person, and millions more at home. At the end of the whole process, we’ll witness one winner amongst the field of 134 contenders.

It’s odd that this new method of crowing a champion begins during Advent. Advent is also a new era of victory, but one where God prioritizes a very different sort of success. As we hear in this Sunday’s reading from Luke 1:399-55, God isn’t interested in crowing one winner. Mary’s song reminds all who hear, or read, that God lifts up the lowly, that all might become winners. Rather than a playoff to crown one true champion, Jesus arrives in Bethlehem to share divine success with all who play the game of life.

It’s interesting that, rather than a stadium full of adoring fans, God arrives among us through a backwater town. Born into a feeding trough, there was no live stream to witness Christ’s arrival. Especially because Jesus is God’s victory for all people.

In Advent, we await the successful culmination of Emmanuel with God’s arrival among us in Jesus. Jesus is the victorious presence of God in Christ. This divine arrival, which successfully brings divine blessing to all creation, is starkly juxtaposed this week with a very different kind of winning.

Let’s remember, as we approach the manger this week, that Mary reminds us God’s success is defined in profoundly different ways than our own. There is no tournament to God’s blessing, for in Bethlehem, God chooses to bless us all.

Ask Yourself: How can I encourage others with the Christmas reminder that there is no competition needed to earn God’s blessing?

Ask a Friend: Who are the “lowly” people, mentioned by Mary, who God lifts up? Who are those that the world looks at as losers but God welcomes into the winners’ circle?

Finally, this is the last week to take this survey and give your feedback about Faith Lens as we determine the format for the next season of this resource!

Asia is one of the most disaster-hit regions in the world, with floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. Unplanned urbanization, a steep increase in population, depleting forest green cover, and environmental degradation trigger the most severity and complexity.

The impacts are on the day-to-day lives of people, affecting their resources and disrupting earning sources, and delays in service delivery, poor health status, and loss of assets contributing significantly to acute food insecurity, inadequate access to safe water, sanitation, and hygienic conditions, loss of shelter, and settlements with increased health care risks.

Attendees of the humanitarian response training in Sidhikalang, Indonesia

Women and girls are always disproportionately affected, as in most disasters, loss to women/girls’ lives is greater. Lack of opportunities to learn, poor access to engage in the planning process, lack of care at the family level, gender-based violence(GBV), discrimination to exercise their human rights in different platforms, and overall recognition of gender roles in nation-building initiatives, increase their exposure to disasters. In our counts of countries in Asia that are hit by disasters every year, Indonesia is always in the news due to high frequency and multiple occurrences of hydro-geo-meteorological hazards.

As these recurring events target communities multiple times, it is very difficult for people to recover their losses and improve their resilience. Without strategic support, it becomes more challenging for the communities to plan for their future needs. When a disaster strikes in Indonesia, it depletes economic assets and breaks the sociocultural fabric of the society.

Subhashis Roy and Chandran Martin teaching in Sidhikalang, Indonesia

In such difficult situations where we witness the loss of life, livelihood, infrastructure, household assets, and environment, the role of Lutheran Churches in Indonesia has been widened being first responders to disasters. Lutheran Churches are strategically placed to address “people in need.” High risk with low coping capacity makes Indonesia more exposed to disasters and demands a strategic move to increase resilience toward disaster impacts.

Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) is one unique flagship program of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America(ELCA) that contributes to global, regional and national efforts in reducing the suffering and enhancing accountability for those affected by disasters.

Attendees from the humanitarian response training in Mentawai, Indonesia

ELCA acknowledges the role of Lutheran churches in Indonesia in saving lives, spiritual care, and leading life with dignity. Recognizing the role of Lutheran Churches in Indonesia, the ELCA contributes to increasing capacity through its multi-faceted and multi-sectoral support that help ELCA companion churches and ecumenical partners response to immediate and medium-term needs and spreads God’s love to people most in need.

Since 2023, ELCA has been accompanying the Komite Nasional Lutheran World Federation (KNLWF) in Indonesia to reach some of the most remote areas and increase their capacity to prevent, prepare, mitigate, recover, and build back better from disasters. In this journey, a successful accompaniment model has emerged that truly shares, learns, spreads, and transfers knowledge and resources for people to recover early. Based on the positive feedback and recognition of ELCA-supported capacity-building events in Indonesia, ELCA-KNLWF organized the 2nd phase of the training events in November 2024 in the Sidhikalang and Mentawai islands of Indonesia. More than 40 participants have actively engaged in such sharing and learning events.

Participants expressed very positive and overwhelming views on the significance of such events and preparing church members with tools and techniques that ease their role in disaster management.