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Index of the May 2025 Issue

Issue 99 of Administration Matters

Online Bible Studies — 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly

Join ELCA Churchwide Assembly voting members in preparing for the assembly! All are welcome to participate in the online Bible studies that will be held Wednesday evenings in July (July 9, 16, 23). Each session will focus on the assembly theme “For the Life of the World” through one of three lenses: climate justice, gender justice, and war/conflict and reconciliation, followed by engagement with these Bible study presenters:
•    July 9 — Willie Korboi (climate justice lens)
•    July 16 — Deacon Clare Josef-Maier (gender justice lens)
•    July 23 — Rev. Atahualpa Hernández Miranda (war/conflict and reconciliation lens)

More information about registering for the webinars will be posted at www.ELCA.org/cwa. The 2025 Churchwide Assembly will take place July 28–Aug. 2 in Phoenix, Ariz. Watch the live video of worship and plenary sessions at www.ELCA.org/cwa.

Supporting ELCA Leaders: Mental Health Resources

As we observe Mental Health Awareness Month this May, it’s crucial to recognize the unique challenges faced by ELCA congregational and synodical leaders and staff. Prioritizing mental health not only enhances personal well-being but also strengthens our capacity to serve effectively. Portico Benefit Services offers a comprehensive suite of mental health resources tailored to support its plan members’ well-being:
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Six counseling sessions per issue every 12 months at no additional cost, available by phone, by video or in person.
• Learn to Live: Self-paced, coach-supported cognitive behavioral therapy programs, addressing anxiety, depression, stress and more.
• Mental Health Services: Evaluation, assessment, counseling, medication management and addiction treatment.

For a comprehensive overview of these resources, please refer your plan members to Portico’s mental health benefits and support programs.

Determining Worker Classifications

When individuals perform work for an organization, there are several specific, defined ways for them to be classified in the organization’s payroll and accounting systems, depending on the nature of their work. Errors in these classifications are common, especially in nonprofit organizations with small back-office teams. Classifying workers correctly is important because errors have tax implications for both the employee and the employer. >More

Benefits reExamined: Evolving Our Health Plan for a Stronger Future

As part of its ongoing commitment to our community, Portico launched Benefits reExamined—a deep look into how the ELCA Health Plan can continue to provide flexible, affordable benefits in a sustainable way. In response to rising health care costs and declining church resources, updates will take effect starting Jan. 1, 2026, to preserve what’s valued most and strengthen the plan for the future. Visit https://porticobenefits.org/about-us/benefits-reexamined to learn more.

React Quickly to Flooding and Hail

Flooding is the deadliest type of natural disaster in the United States, whether it’s caused by a hurricane, heavy rainfall or some other calamity. Take steps to protect your building. >More

Church Income Isn’t Keeping Pace With Inflation

How can churches increase their income in the face of inflation and manage funds for necessary expenses and programs? Faith leaders can encourage their communities and congregations to think about online giving. Other funding sources may include fundraisers, space rental, investments, endowments, capital funds or school tuition, yet participant giving remains a key income source for churches across the country. >More

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May Update: Advocacy Connections

from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: May 2025

BUDGET RECONCILIATION ADVANCES VIA COMMITTEE | FEMA THREATS | ADVOCACY WITH COMPANION CHURCHES | HUMANITARIAN AID TO GAZA | TAX REFORMS | MIGRATION POLICY UPDATES

 

BUDGET RECONCILIATION ADVANCES VIA COMMITTEE: Individual committees in the House of Representatives have scheduled “mark up” dates to write up budget reconciliation text, with much happening the week of 5/12/2025. This comes after the House and Senate passed a shared budget resolution “blueprint” Apr. 14, which instructs committees to find “up-to” 2 trillion dollars in “pay-fors” for a wider tax cut package. A Call In Action Alert has been released to facilitate time-sensitive comments from the ELCA Advocacy Network to their representatives in this significant moment.

House and Senate Republicans have been at odds for weeks over the size of a tax cut package and whether it must be paid for with offsetting spending cuts. This intersects with several priority concerns in the ELCA, including:

  • Considered cuts to Medicaid, including increasing work requirements for Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents, increasing federal-state cost-share for the program, or capping assistance for expanded Medicaid states.
  • Potential reductions to SNAP and hunger federal funding, with some reports of seeking $230 billion in this area, possibly neutralizing future growth of the Thrifty Food Program and increasing the age limit for work requirements.
  • Discussed $330 billion cut to federal student loan programs.
  • Potential additional cuts to environmental programs that would roll back certain climate regulations (such as the fee on methane emissions and Environmental Protection Agency’s tailpipe emissions rule).
  • Changes to Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits intended to slow climate change and boost clean energy such as wind and solar power.
Why It Matters in the ELCA:

There are many reasons Lutherans are attending to our shared economic life. For example, the ELCA social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All distills: “Government is intended to serve God’s purposes by limiting or countering narrow economic interests and promoting the common good… Governing leaders are to be held accountable to God’s purposes: ‘May [they] judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice… May [they] defend the cause of the poor of the people’ (Psalm 72:2)” p. 11. Also, the ELCA social statement Caring for Creation states, “This church will favor proposals and actions that address environmental issues in a manner consistent with the principles of participation, solidarity, sufficiency, and sustainability” (p. 11).

What’s Next:

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated hopes that the House and Senate will find some compromise for a wider tax bill and send it to the president’s desk by July 4, but the GOP conference remains divided on whether they should cut spending even more or avoid cuts to critical low-income programs. ELCA advocacy staff shared Action Alerts on hunger, education, Medicaid and more over the last month, and will continue to encourage calls to action on priorities that impact the mission of our ministries as the committees deliberate text.


FEMA THREATS: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reportedly created a plan to dismantle critical disaster response, recovery and resilience operations at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The reported plan comes after the administration paused $700 million in resiliency funds from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. Media reports indicate that the agency will be decimated with the Atlantic hurricane season just six weeks away.

Why It Matters in the ELCA:

With extensive experience and investment through Lutheran Disaster Response and local involvement, the ELCA advocacy team issued an Action Alert to mobilize members to call upon their elected officials to express concern about cutting or dismantling federal disaster response.

What’s Next:

The FEMA Council the administration established through Executive Order remains active. According to a DHS press release (4/28/25), President Trump has appointed 13 new members to the Council. Membership of the committee is centered around Gulf Coast states, and several members have some form of emergency management experience. Overall, ELCA advocacy staff and partners assess that this shows our advocacy and organizing against the dismantlement of FEMA is working, which can be counted as a positive development. The existence of the council will, at least, slow the dismantling process down. Regardless, the existence of this council means that our advocacy around the recent FEMA Request for Information are going to be a lot more impactful.

  • This situation is constantly evolving; on 5/8/25, acting FEMA chief Cameron Hilton was forced out after breaking rank with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trump, and new FEMA head David Richardson told FEMA staff he would “run right over” anyone that resists changes, and that all delegation of authority in the agency is immediately suspended according to Reuters.

 

ADVOCACY WITH COMPANION CHURCHES: This month, Dr. Paul Mmbando, the Director of Health Programs of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), was hosted by ELCA D.C.-based staff and met with several congressional offices and committee staff to discuss the lifesaving importance of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). He spoke of ways ELCT’s PEPFAR project known as Kizazi Hodari, funded through USAID, was instrumental in helping orphaned and vulnerable children in northern Tanzania thrive. The ELCT’s Kizazi Hodari project is one of many that has been prematurely terminated by the Trump administration due to change of U.S. policy.

  • Through facilitation of Daudi Msseemmaa, ELCA Regional Representative to East Africa, Dr. Godson Maro, Chief of Party for the ELCT’s Kizazi Hodari program shared insights on the lifesaving ministry and it’s truncation through present U.S. policy in Episode 4 of Here I Pod from ELCA Advocacy.
Why It Matters in the ELCA:

Companion churches are a critical part of our church and of our advocacy efforts. They bring unique voices and perspectives to policy decisions. Many members of Congress are eager to hear from partners on the ground, who are often the ones experiencing the impact of policy decisions made far from their own communities. Dr. Mmbando found an audience that was keen to hear of ELCT’s experience with U.S. government foreign assistance programs as Congress charts a way forward. As a church that fosters relationships based on accompaniment, such connections are critical to faith-based advocacy.

What’s Next:

Since Dr. Mmbando’s visit, there have been follow-up conversations with congressional staff about ways Congress can continue supporting global health programs like PEPFAR and restore projects that have been abruptly terminated. ELCA advocacy staff will continue to engage these offices to ensure sustainability of these programs and encourage our advocate network to message Congress to restore funding. An Action Alert is available.


HUMANITARIAN AID TO GAZA: Since Mar. 2, after the collapse of the ceasefire, the Israeli government has continued to block humanitarian aid and most provision of water into the Gaza Strip. At this juncture, most food stocks at UN and International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs) warehouses inside the Gaza Strip are depleted, and obtaining water is becoming extremely difficult.

The UN now estimates that Gaza is facing its worst humanitarian crisis since the start of the conflict on Oct., 2023. Provision of healthcare and emergency medical assistance in Gaza is now at its lowest ebb, with key medical supplies depleted and a lack of blood supplies. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bombing of the Episcopal affiliated al-Ahli Arab hospital on Apr. 13, 2025, further degraded the ability to provide healthcare services in North Gaza. Evacuation orders and the imposition of “military zones” in the Gaza Strip by the IDF has put 70% of the strip off limits to Gaza residents, cramming the Strip’s entire population into the remaining 30% of available land. It is estimated that at least 420,000 Gazans have been displaced since the ceasefire collapse in March.

Why It Matters in the ELCA:

The critical situation in Gaza and the ongoing conflict continues to directly impact the ELCA’s Lutheran siblings in the Holy Land, in addition to putting the wider Christian community of the Holy Land at further physical risk. The conflict is also further eroding and destroying the interfaith relationship between all three Abrahamic faiths, which is impacting the ELCA’s interfaith relationships here in the United States.

What’s Next:

ELCA advocacy staff accompanied an U.S.-Egypt Dialogue delegation to their congressional and State Department meetings during the week of Apr. 28. During these meetings ELCA staff including the Executive Director of ELCA Service & Justice brought up the need for the United States to put pressure on the Israeli government to lift the blockade on Gaza and allow humanitarian aid into the enclave. Additionally, the issue of the bombing of the al-Ahli Arab Hospital on Palm Sunday was news to several members of Congress who requested additional information about the situation with the hospital and about the overall situation with healthcare in Gaza. ELCA advocacy staff will continue to follow up and provide this information and work to pursue a bipartisan letter from Congress to the White House demanding to understand the White House’s strategy for protecting the Christian community in the Holy Land moving forward.


TAX REFORMS: As Congress considers cuts to programs, House Ways and Means and Senate Finance is simultaneously considering tax cuts to bundle together in a wider reconciliation bill.

Why It Matters in the ELCA:

The social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All references the need for a just tax code: “Paying taxes to enable government to carry out these and other purposes is an appropriate expression of our stewardship in society, rather than something to be avoided. Government often falls short of these responsibilities. Its policies can harm the common good and especially the most vulnerable in society. Governing leaders are to be held accountable to God’s purposes: “May [they] judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice… May [they] defend the cause of the poor of the people” (Psalm 72:2).

What’s Next:

Though the majority of tax relief is expected to benefit businesses, committee leaders have been approached by a large variety of proposals, including expanding the Child Tax Credit and passing new perks to low-income housing development. Earlier in April, Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) reintroduced legislation to expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, estimated to help create up to 1.6 million affordable homes over a decade by increasing the total tax credits allocated to states and easing some public financing requirements. Meanwhile, GOP lawmakers continue to debate the inclusion of an expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC), which could involve an inflation value increase which would make the credit permanent, adding a baby-bonus (an explored way by the administration to increase the country’s birth rate), and more. A variety of lawmakers are hoping introduced tax bills from this spring will be included in the wider reconciliation package. ELCA advocacy staff shared an Action Alert on the CTC last month and will continue to track these bills as they advance in Congress.


MIGRATION POLICY UPDATES: While the position of ELCA Program Director for Migration Policy is unfilled, monitor @ELCAammparo on Facebook and the ELCA AMMPARO Blog for current activity.

 


Receive monthly Advocacy Connections directly by becoming part of the ELCA Advocacy network – http://elca.org/advocacy/signup , and learn more from elca.org/advocacy .

 

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For what shall we pray?

“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.
 

In the coming weeks, those in the United States will mark two significant anniversaries: five years since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota (May 25, 2020) and ten years since the murder of the Emanuel Nine at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina (June 17, 2015). Click here to access prayer resources for these anniversaries.

Prayer prompts:
For justice and peace among nations where war and violence rage, especially Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel, Haiti, Sudan, Myanmar, Yemen, India and Pakistan…
For de-escalation of hostilities and a lasting peace between India and Pakistan…
For all affected by wildfires in Minnesota and Arizona, and flooding in Maryland…
For all in need of affordable and accessible healthcare…
For the financial well-being and sustainability of social service agencies, feeding programs, and anti-poverty initiatives…
For the vocation of colleges and universities, and for all faculty, staff, and students…
For Pope Leo XIV and the global Roman Catholic church…
For synods of the ELCA as they gather in their assemblies…
For graduating students in this season of transition…

Events and observances:
May Observances: Mental Health Awareness Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Julian of Norwich, renewer of the church, died c1416 (May 8)
Victor the Moor, martyr, died c303 (May 8)
Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, renewer of the church, hymnwriter, died 1760 (May 9)
Vesak (Buddha Day) Buddhism (May 12)
Matthais, apostle (May 14)
Erik, martyr, died 1160 (May 18)
Helena, mother of Constantine, died c.330 (May 21)
Declaration of the Bab, Bahá’í (May 22-23)

Prayers from ELCA resources:
A prayer for pastors and bishops (ELW p.73)
Ever-living God, strengthen and sustain pastors and bishops, that with patience and understanding they may love and care for your people. Grant that together they may follow in the way of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

A prayer for schools (ELW p.78)
Eternal God, bless all schools, colleges, and universities, that they may be lively places for sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom; and grant that those who teach and those who learn may find you to be the source of all truth; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

A prayer for the public church (ACS p.47)
Mighty and merciful God, lover of justice and equity, you call us to support the weak, to help those who suffer, and to honor all people. By the power of your Holy Spirit, make us advocates for your justice and instruments of your peace, so that all may be reconciled in your beloved community; through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Amen.

The following topical resources are available from resources.elca.org for use in public worship and personal devotion:
Worship resources and prayers in response to wildfires
Worship resources for the crisis in the Holy Land
Worship resources for the Eastern Europe Crisis
Worship resources for and following national elections

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.

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May 18, 2025–The Good News Commandment

Catalyst Question

H0w do you understand the word “gospel”? More than just a definition, what does the Gospel of Jesus mean to you?

Gospel in the Law

It’s official: commencement season has officially started. Across the country, many high schools and colleges have already held their graduation ceremonies. From South Cameron High in Louisiana, where the entire graduating class was 1 person, to the University of Texas at Austin, where more than 11,000 students are receiving diplomas, there are many people of various ages who are culminating education careers with earned degrees.

What’s fascinating is that graduation isn’t required. Most laws require education until a student turns 18. School attendance doesn’t equal graduation; after all, it’s possible to attend classes without passing and it’s possible to withdraw from school prior to completing coursework. Collegiate education isn’t required at all. Yet, there’s something about the mandate to learn that leads people to follow through to these experiences that recognize the effort they’ve put into their educational journey. This education requirement helps people discover academic passions, develop professional skills, and learn social responsibility. At some point, rather than being forced to learn, we choose to keep learning. Hopefully, this lasts for the rest of our lives!

In this way, graduation–both the earning of the degree and the experience of commencement–offers a good example of the Gospel within the Law: how we can experience good news in something we’re initially told we must do.

In John 13:31-35, Jesus gives his disciples a commandment to love. In some ways, this is strange. After all, Jesus came to fulfill God’s law on our behalf, ensuring we can share in the resurrection to eternal life. If that’s completed, then why is he doling out new laws?

It’s because this law of love directs us toward something that we all desire, and even need: love itself. A commandment to love one another isn’t about forcing us to do something unrelated to our own benefit. Instead, it fosters a world where we are loved by others, even as we love them, too. There is Gospel–good news–in this law because a world where we love one another is a world where everyone is loved.

That’s no useless law. It might just be the best news of all.

Ask Yourself

What are things in your life that someone has told you that you must do and that you know are also good for you? Name at least three.

Ask a Friend

What are two new ways that you can show love for someone else? What are two different ways that you want others to show their love for you?

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Partner Organization Resources and Events

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. ELCA Worship also features resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers in a monthly blog post.

Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival

Transforming and connecting lives through faith and music since 1981.

Lutheran Summer Music 2025
Valparaiso University,Valparaiso, Ind.
June 22–July 20

Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) is delighted to announce the 2025 Worship Faculty of The Eugene and Mary Sukup Church Music Program, led by Cantor Chad Fothergill (LSM 2000). These gifted and highly respected leaders will guide students and the broader LSM community through a rich tapestry of sacred music experiences during morning and evening prayer, rehearsals, concerts, and more.

Whether you can join us in person or tune in from afar, we invite you to be part of this vibrant, creative community that nurtures the next generation of church musicians and breathes new life into the future of sacred music.

Learn more about LSM@LSMacademy.org


Let It Be With Me According to Your Word
Seminar on Lutheran Liturgy
Minneapolis, Minn., August 13-15

Registration is open now at www.seminarliturgy.org.


Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

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

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

There is still time to register for this conference!  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.

Registration is still available  – visit the conference website to register now. We look forward to seeing you in Raleigh!


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.

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. Register for the Zoom link here.

Resources – Read the MMC blog for articles a variety of topics.

Job Postings on Music That Makes Community website.

 Monthly Newsletter for regular updates on resources and events.


Journey to Baptismal Living: North American Associate for the Catechumenate

An ecumenical Christian community seeking to support seekers, whether baptized or not,  and those who accompany them on their journey of faith through the catechumenal process.

 

 

 

 

 


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 The Life and Career of Richard Proulx, a conversation with Bob Batastini and Michael Silhavy, editors at GIA and The Current Scene, a conversation with Nancy Raabe, president of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, March 2023.


Sundays and Seasons: Guide to Worship Planning Year A

Sundays and Seasons supports comprehensive week-by-week planning with content and ideas for liturgy, music, preaching, and visuals that are shaped by the Revised Common Lectionary, the church year, and the assembly gathered around word and sacrament. Worship planners and leaders, preachers, presiding ministers, worship committees, musicians, visual artists, sacristans and altar guilds, and those who create congregational worship folders will find an indispensable companion in Sundays and Seasons as they prepare for worship each week. Sign up for a print subscription to receive your subsequent S&S materials when they are released!

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Prayers for the anniversaries of the murders of George Floyd and the Emanuel Nine

In the coming weeks, those in the United States will mark two significant anniversaries: five years since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota (May 25, 2020) and ten years since the murder of the Emanuel Nine at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina (June 17, 2015).

The collects and petitions for the prayers of intercession provided below could be used as desired in worship on the Sundays closest to these dates. As with all prayers crafted for assembly worship, they may be adapted as needed for local use. The responses to the petitions match those provided in Sundays and Seasons for that Sunday and can be updated to fit your local practice.

 As the church marks the 5th anniversary of the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2025:

Collect
God of justice, the breath choked from George Floyd still haunts our streets and sanctuaries. We remember his name, his cry for mercy, and the uprising of sorrow and truth his death unleashed across the world. We confess the sin of racism—not only in systems and structures, but in the habits of our hearts and the silence of your church. Trouble our hearts until they break open with compassion. Strengthen us to labor for what still remains undone. Breathe your Spirit into your people, until all can breathe free, through Jesus Christ, our crucified and risen Lord. Amen.

Petition to include in the Prayers of Intercession
God of justice, the breath choked from George Floyd still haunts our streets and sanctuaries. We remember his name and his cry for mercy. Trouble our hearts until they break open with compassion. Strengthen us to labor for what still remains undone. Breathe your Spirit into your people, until all can breathe free. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.

 As the church marks the 10th anniversary of the murder of the Emanuel Nine on June 17, 2025 (or the previous Sunday, June 15):

Collect
God of mercy, ten years have passed, but the wounds of that night still cry out. We remember the slain of Mother Emanuel and grieve the hatred that desecrated their sanctuary. We confess the racism that endures in our nation and in your church. Turn our sorrow into repentance and our repentance into action. In our grief, show us the cross of Jesus Christ, your beloved, who has dismantled death in his dying. Though he still bears the wounds of our violence, he wears the crown of glory with all your martyrs, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

Petition to include in the Prayers of Intercession
God of mercy, ten years have passed, but the wounds of that night still cry out. We remember the slain of Mother Emanuel and grieve the hatred that desecrated their sanctuary. We confess the racism that endures in our nation and in your church. Turn our sorrow into repentance and our repentance into action. In our grief, show us the cross of Jesus Christ, your beloved, who bore the wounds of our violence, and now wears the crown of glory with all your martyrs. God of grace,
hear our prayer.

 Additional resources for the anniversary of Emanuel Nine, including worship resources, are available at ELCA.org/EmanuelNine.

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For what shall we pray?

“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 justice and peace among nations where war and violence rage, especially Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel, Haiti, Sudan, Myanmar, Yemen, India and Pakistan…
For the Roman Catholic Church and for the College of Cardinals in their deliberations during this papal conclave…
For all in Europe affected by power failures last week…
For safety, protection, and compassion for all migrants…
For the emotional and mental health of all who work in stressful vocations, especially public servants, political leaders, and military personnel…
For farmers and farm laborers during the shift in seasons…
For all who approach Mothers Day with joy, and for all who approach Mothers Day with pain…
For bold witnesses to justice, compassion, and freedom…
For synods of the ELCA as they gather in their assemblies, that the Spirit would enliven and guide them…

Events and observances:
May Observances: Mental Health Awareness Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Julian of Norwich, renewer of the church, died c1416 (May 8)
Victor the Moor, martyr, died c303 (May 8)
Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, renewer of the church, hymnwriter, died 1760 (May 9)
Vesak (Buddha Day) Buddhism (May 12)
Matthais, apostle (May 14)

Prayers from ELCA resources:
A prayer for families (ELW p.83)
Triune God, whose will it is that humans live in community, bless family life everywhere and fill all homes with respect, joy, laughter, and prayer. Strengthen the commitment of [spouses] to one another, that they may mirror your covenant faithfulness; pour out your Spirit on parents, that through them their children may taste your unconditional love; and empower all family members to live in your grace and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer of Pope Francis (ACS p.48)
Enlighten those who possess power and money that they may avoid the sin of indifference, that they may love the common good, advance the weak, and care for this world in which we live. The poor and the earth are crying out. O Lord, seize us with your power and light, help us to protect all life, to prepare for a better future, for the coming of your kingdom of justice, peace, love, and beauty. Amen.

A prayer for faithful living in society (ACS p.50)
God, our gracious giver, your Son Jesus taught us that where our treasure is there our hearts will be also. Teach 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.

The following topical resources are available from resources.elca.org for use in public worship and personal devotion:
Worship resources and prayers in response to wildfires
Worship resources for the crisis in the Holy Land
Worship resources for the Eastern Europe Crisis
Worship resources for and following national elections

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.

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Dignity of Work Historically and Today

By Emily Ahern, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow [About the Author] 

On May 1st, many observed the public holiday May Day, otherwise known as International Workers’ Day. This day is set aside specifically to commemorate working class people and to shed light on the demands made by people involved in the labor movement. Christians have intertwined with this movement, historically and today, and Lutheran teaching shapes our point of view. 

 

A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE 

May 1 was specifically chosen to commemorate the strike which would culminate in the Haymarket Riot, a clash between labor protesters and police on May 4, 1886 which led to the deaths of at least eight people and brought increased attention to the American labor movement.  White text on purple background with a black curly brace and quotation marks design.

From the turn of the 19th century up until the Great Depression, labor organizers found allies in religious Americans, particularly those of Protestant affiliation. An influx of Protestant immigrants saw workers entering the “craft” trades (supported both by what is known as the Social Gospel and the Protestant Work Ethic). With significant representation in the largest group of unions in the country, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) (the largest group of unions in the country), Protestants felt a pull to adhere to the Social Gospel’s call to social justice and often both turned to union work and supported the rights of others to unionize. 

The Great Depression saw the integration of many religious, racial and ethnic groups in union spaces. The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), which first broke away from the AFL due to disagreements over their belief in the organization of all industries (craft and non-craft alike), reintegrated with the AFL after its leadership was ousted in droves due to allegations of communist affiliation. Together, the AFL and the CIO formed what is now known as the AFL-CIO, and those who were once part of the CIO took to organizing laborers in non-craft trades, who were often Catholic or Jewish, in droves. Soon, the labor movement became a monolith composed of different identity groups – racial barriers began to be broken down, and workers of a number of faith traditions worked together on issues related to workers’ rights. 

 

LUTHERAN SHAPING OF VIEW ON LABOR

In my reflection, I think it is in our marrow to work. Genesis 2:15 says that humankind was placed in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. Perhaps most importantly, Colossians 3:23-24 says that “Whatever task you must do, work as if your soul depends on it, as for the Lord and not for humans, since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ.” Our Christian tradition teaches the inherent dignity of all human beings, as we are made in the image of God. Our work can express this dignity; however, work is not all that we are as humans.1 Purple background with a quote about Luther's perspective on work in white text, framed by curly brackets.

With this understanding of human dignity, it is essential that employers treat their workers with respect. This includes being compensated fairly, given good benefits and treated fairly. The ELCA social statement on Economic Life calls us as a church to “commit ourselves to… cultivate participatory workplaces, support the right of employees to organize for the sake of better working conditions and to engage in collective bargaining, and refrain from intentionally undercutting union organizing activities, or from permanently replacing striking workers” (p. 10). 

This idea goes back to Martin Luther’s original understanding of vocation. He made clear that all vocations – from working in farms to working as a minister – please God. For Luther, all work is an opportunity to praise God and shine our light as people of faith. As we are all redeemed through faith, any work conducted in faith is an opportunity to spread the gospel and show kindness and goodness to our neighbor. Martin Luther’s radical understanding of vocation and its foundations in Colossians shape our Lutheran attitude toward labor today. No form of labor is above another – therefore, we are called to support each other in our vocations, including supporting the rights of all workers, union or nonunion, high-wage or low-wage.  

 

CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS

Today, the dignity of work experiences new challenges that should concern us as Christians and workers across the United States. Recently, the National Labor Relations Board, the quasi-judicial body which litigates labor disputes and investigates companies and corporations alleged violations of labor law, has been functionally frozen. In an Executive Order, the White House asked the Department of Labor (DOL) to halt all workplace discrimination investigations. Meanwhile, policymakers are also considering cutting essential programs such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) which ensures workplace safety standards. In another Executive Order, the President restricted or eliminated employment protections for workers in numerous federal agencies. These agencies– including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration–were questionably declared “to have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work,” and therefore were rendered ineligible for these labor protections. As Christians with a history of upholding the whole needs of the human person, including essential elements of work, these developments should concern us.   

 

CALL TO REFLECTION TODAY

Labor in the United States would not be nearly as strong, nearly as effective, or nearly as safe without people of faith. As we as Lutherans reflect on our commitment to work and human dignity, I encourage us to reflect as Lutherans on our commitment to work and human dignity not just historically but also today.  

 


1 See also the ELCA social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All: “Although our identity does not depend on what we do, through our work we should be able to express this God-given dignity as persons of integrity, worth, and meaning. Yet work does not constitute the whole of our life” (p. 9).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Emily Ahern (she/her) is the Hunger Advocacy Fellow – Federal Policy with ELCA Advocacy. She is originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania, and a lifelong member of congregations of the ELCA. She graduated from American University this past spring with a degree in Political Science, and graduated (once again) from American University this May with a Master’s in Public Administration. Ahern is so excited to research and advocate for policy which will alleviate the effects of hunger and poverty for all Americans! In her free time, she can be found collecting vinyl, going to concerts and watching Star Wars.

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May 11, 2025–Who Are You?

Catalyst Question

When someone asks “who are you,” who do you typically respond to that question? What are 3-5 things that you share about yourself to indicate who you understand yourself to be?

Who Are You?

Last month, news broke that dire wolves had been brought back to life. Colossal Biosciences, the company behind the animal’s reintroduction, used DNA from well-preserved fossils to give these old creatures new life. Though only puppies right now, these canines will grow to become the largest wolves on the planet, not only by heigh but also by muscle mass. Though they won’t be as big as those depicted by HBO’s Game of Thrones, they’ll still be impressive specimens.

Certainly, this is an incredible feat. Yet, not all scientists agree that these are dire wolves. Some argue that these are, in fact, grey wolves with genetic modifications rather than true dire wolves. Rather than a true rebirth of an ancient species, they consider this a hybrid creature. Impressive, to be sure, but not an exact replica of the dire wolves of old. In their eyes, this is a case of mistaken identity.

Another case of identity confusion–or better yet, conflict–appears within John 10:22-30. There, Jesus is confronted by the religious leaders of his day, demanding to know whether he is the Messiah. “If you are the Messiah,” they demanded of him, “then tell us plainly!” Of course, he’d already told them plainly. By this point in John’s Gospel, he’d performed many miracles, accepted others claims that he was the Christ, and even used the “I AM” language reserved only for God. There was certainly identify confusion, but not because Jesus hadn’t shared his true self.

This was a classic situation of people seeing what they wanted to see; or perhaps, not seeing what they didn’t want to see. If Jesus was really the Messiah, and not some imposter, then that would challenge the authority of these religious leaders. It would shake the foundations of the very temple in which this conversation occurred.

Sometimes we struggle to acknowledge the truth that’s right in front of us. When it comes to the dire wolves, the jury is still out. When it comes to Jesus, though, the truth is clear: he’s saying he is the Messiah.

Are we listening?

Ask Yourself

Take some time to read all of the assigned lectionary readings for this Sunday. You can find them all here. What does God’s Word say about God’s self? How might that challenge your conception of who God is?

Ask a Friend

What’s something extinct you’d like to see brought back to life? How do you see God’s handiwork in that creature?

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Worship Resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers

Each month ELCA Worship highlights resources from Augsburg Fortress Publishers that support worship leaders, worship planners, musicians, and all who care about the worship of the church. ELCA Worship also features resources from other partners in a monthly blog post.

A Three-Year Banquet: The Lectionary for the Assembly

A Three-Year Banquet by Gail Ramshaw invites the entire worshiping assembly, lay and clergy, to understand and delight in the three-year lectionary. This study explains how the Revised Common Lectionary was developed and how the gospels and the first and second readings are assigned. Further chapters describe the many ways that the three readings affect the assembly’s worship and the assembly itself. Like food at a banquet, the fare we enjoy in the lectionary nourishes us year after year.

 

 


Using Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Vol 3: Keeping Time

This title in the Using Evangelical Lutheran Worship series delves into why Christians have different ways of looking at time. Explore how the life of the church is ordered and organized by days, weeks, seasons, and years. It provides detailed information about Sundays, festivals, seasons, and commemorations, as well as daily prayer.

 

 


Lutheran Study Bible, Second Edition (NRSVue)

Read and explore scripture with Lutheran Study Bible, Second Edition (NRSV Updated Edition). More than 70 Lutheran theologians and biblical scholars guide this exploration and provide new and updated study notes, articles, and charts. These beautiful tomes also include a section on Martin Luther and the Bible, a 52-week Bible reading plan, and 15 full-color maps. Hardcover and paperback editions are available for preorder now! Publication date is July 1.

 

 


Sundays and Seasons: Guide to Worship Planning Year A

Sundays and Seasons supports comprehensive week-by-week planning with content and ideas for liturgy, music, preaching, and visuals that are shaped by the Revised Common Lectionary, the church year, and the assembly gathered around word and sacrament. Worship planners and leaders, preachers, presiding ministers, worship committees, musicians, visual artists, sacristans and altar guilds, and those who create congregational worship folders will find an indispensable companion in Sundays and Seasons as they prepare for worship each week. Sign up for a print subscription to receive your subsequent S&S materials when they are released!

 


Summer Music Clinics

Join us this summer for our annual music clinics. This year’s phenomenal clinicians are Jennaya Robison (choral) and Jan Kraybill (organ). Check out our website to read more about these talented practitioners, explore the daily schedule, and register for a clinic in your area!

  • July 18–19, Columbia, S.C.
  • July 21–22, Columbus, Ohio
  • July 24–25, Philadelphia, Pa.
  • August 11–12, Twin Cities, Minn.
  • August 14–15, Chicago, Ill.
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