Prepare

Samuel thinks he knows what a king should look like: strong, tall, impressive. Yet, God challenges him on this notion, declaring, “The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” This same theme of seeing beyond appearances in John 9 emerges when Jesus heals a man born blind and invites everyone present to reconsider what true sight really means.

What should be a moment of joy becomes a debate. The disciples assume someone must have sinned. The neighbors doubt what they see. The religious leaders question the miracle itself. Everyone believes they understand the situation; however, Jesus suggests they may be the ones who cannot see.

Blindness in this Gospel is not just physical. It is spiritual; certainty that closes off curiosity, and assumption that prevents compassion.

Lent invites us to examine our own vision. Where might we be confident in what we see — yet missing something deeper? What assumptions do we hold that shape how we view others? What would it mean to let Christ reshape the way we see?

Opening Exercise

Tell of a time you formed a quick opinion about someone but later realized you were wrong.

• What changed your perspective?
• Why do we tend to make snap judgments?
• In what ways are people judged by appearance today? (Clothing, social media, background, politics, ability, reputation.)
  • Transition to the text: In today’s Gospel, many people think they see clearly — but Jesus reveals something deeper.

Text Read Aloud

1 Samuel 16:6–7, 11–13;

John 9:1–7, 24–25, 39–41

Remembering Rev. Jesse Jackson: Seeing the Whole Story

When news spread of the death of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., people across the country began sharing memories. Political leaders, clergy, activists, and community members reflected on his decades of advocacy and his call to “keep hope alive.” Many lifted up his work for voting rights, economic justice, and human dignity. Others remembered moments of controversy or disagreement. As often happens when a public figure dies, stories surfaced: some celebratory, some critical, many complicated.

Public leaders rarely remain just people. Over time, they become symbols. Headlines reduce long lives into a few defining moments. Social media compresses decades into a sentence or a meme. It becomes easy to see only one angle of a life.

But every human story is more than a headline.

Rev. Jackson was shaped by the Black church and the civil rights movement. He preached before he organized. He marched before he ran for office. His faith fueled his public life. Like any leader who speaks boldly about justice, he experienced both admiration and criticism. His life, like all lives, held courage and imperfection, conviction and growth.

Moments of remembrance invite us to pause and ask: What do we choose to see when we look at someone’s life? Do we focus only on the moment that confirms what we already believe? Do we allow space for complexity? Or do we prefer a simpler version?

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In John 9, a man’s healing should have been simple good news. Instead, it becomes interrogation. People question the man, his parents, and even Jesus. Everyone seems certain about what they are seeing. Yet, they miss the deeper truth unfolding before them.

The irony is sharp. The man who once could not see begins to recognize who Jesus is. Those who claim spiritual clarity refuse to see at all.

Blindness in this story is not about eyesight. It is about assumption. It is about protecting our version of the story rather than remaining open to transformation.

When we remember leaders like Rev. Jackson, we are invited into that same self-examination. It is easy to reduce a life to a headline or a meme. It is harder to hold a whole story with humility.

In 1 Samuel, we are reminded that “the Lord does not see as mortals see.” God looks deeper — into motives, into wounds, into growth, into the long arc of a life.

To live as “children of light,” as Ephesians says, is not simply to shine. It is to see clearly. It is to allow Christ to challenge our assumptions and widen our vision.

The miracle in John 9 is not only that a man gains sight. The greater invitation is that we might, too.

Reflection Questions

• Who do you identify with most in this story and why?
• In John 9 who do you think is blind? 
• What shapes how you see public figures or leaders? How do media and culture influence your view?
• Where do you see spiritual blindness today?
• What might it look like to see others the way God sees them?
• Where in your life are you asking Christ for clearer vision?

Closing Activity: If God Made the Meme

In the article, we noticed how lives can be reduced to headlines — even memes. Memes are quick and shareable, but they simplify something complex into one image and one caption. Sometimes we do the same thing with people.

For this activity, imagine God creating a meme about you.

• Not your friends.
• Not social media.
• Not your worst day.

God.

If God were the author — looking at your whole story — what would the caption say?
Remember: God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16). God sees the full story, not just a single moment. God sees courage forming, kindness growing, gifts emerging.

Create a simple meme on paper or your phone. Draw a quick image or write a caption.

Examples:

• “Still growing. Still loved.”
• “Braver than you think.”
• “Work in progress. Masterpiece in motion.”
• “Light shining, even on hard days.”
• “Beloved. No filter needed.”

Afterward, invite volunteers to share if they are comfortable. Ask:

• Was it hard or easy to imagine God speaking kindly about you?
• How is God’s view different from the world’s quick judgments?

Prayer

God of light,

You see what we cannot. When we reduce ourselves or others to simple labels, YOU see the whole story. Open our eyes. Clear our vision. Help us see others – and ourselves – through your mercy and truth. Teach us to live as children of your light. Through Jesus, the Light of the world. 

Amen.

Bio

Rev. Michael Jannett serves as pastor of Community of Grace Lutheran Church in Grayson, Georgia. He brings 25 years of experience in youth ministry and faith formation.

By Ashley Chepkorir [About the author]

International Women’s Day, observed on March 8, is a moment to celebrate the existence, resilience and potential of women everywhere. It is also a reminder that every girl deserves the chance to imagine a future that may seem impossible in the moment.

When I was 12 years old, my grandmother, who had shielded me from a lot, passed away. Around the same time, I was beginning to notice something else in my community: girls were not always encouraged to dream as boldly as boys. Education and opportunity did not always reach us equally. At that age, I could not have imagined the path my life would take.

But I decided to keep chasing my dreams anyway.

That decision led me to the Mpesa Foundation Academy, a leadership high school in Kenya, where I received a fully funded scholarship. From there, I was able to attend Concordia College, Minn. on a full scholarship as well, studying political science and global studies on the pre-law track while developing my leadership and advocacy skills. Today, as I prepare to graduate from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in just a few months, I often think about that 12-year-old version of myself.

I would tell her that anything is possible.

The ELCA’s social teaching reminds us that every person is created with dignity and that society flourishes when everyone has the opportunity to contribute their gifts. Supporting women and girls is not only about fairness, it is about building communities where everyone can thrive.

The good news is that the world is changing. I now see more communities investing in girls’ education, leadership and potential than ever before.

My hope is that younger girls see stories like mine and realize that their dreams are not too big. They are exactly the size the world needs and that one day, they too will get to do what they love.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ashley Chepkorir is an Advocacy Intern with the ELCA Witness in Society staff in Washington, D.C. Chepkorir is a graduate student at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where she is pursuing an MA in International Relations with a concentration in Governance, Politics, and Society and a regional focus on Africa. She holds a BA in Political Science and Global Studies (Pre-Law) from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., graduating magna cum laude. She is passionate about advancing equitable global policy and strengthening partnerships that support humanitarian, development, and governance outcomes.

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.

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Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

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

ALCM  2026 Conference “Now and Forever”

St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.
Celebrating the 1986 ALCM Constituting Convention
Overlapping with Lutheran Summer Music’s Festival Week!
Featuring Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Bach Collegium Valparaiso, Christopher M. Cock, artistic director. (Made possible through generous support provided by Pauline and John Kiltinen.

Registration is open.
Early Bird registration deadline is March 17!

The emphasis of this conference is on practical skill-building. Check out the nearly complete list of presenters and workshops on the conference website. Reasonably-priced, air-conditioned dormitory housing is still available and can be booked at time of conference registration or at a later date. Register now and make plans to envision the future of Lutheran Church music.

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Institute of Liturgy Studies

An ecumenical conference on liturgical renewal for the church today.

The Feast of Creation – liturgy as creation groans
Valparaiso University, Ind.
April 13-15, 2026

Registration is still open with a small number of spaces available.
Regular Registration: $450
See website for other registration categories.

The 77th meeting of the Institute of Liturgical Studies will consider the possibilities of such a festival and season. We will reflect on creation, incarnation, and Jesus’s death and resurrection, all received by us through the created materiality of our sacramental life together. Furthermore, we will examine how petroleum culture has influenced our sacramental life and begin to envision ways to counter its impact. A model lectionary will be used, and sample liturgies will be celebrated.

The schedule, plenary speakers and workshop information are now available.

To receive notifications when new information is added to the site, add yourself to the mailing list here.

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Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival

Transforming and connecting lives through faith and music since 1981.

Youth musicians from across the country are headed to St. Olaf College this year for the 2026 Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival (LSM). Students in grades 8-12 will be immersed in a supportive community, that nurtures their musical growth, and invites them to share their musical gifts in performance and in worship. The Standard Enrollment deadline is March 1, and spots are filling fast. Do you know young musicians who would thrive at LSM? Nominate them today at LSMacademy.org/nominate, or remind them to submit a free application by March 1 at LSMacademy.org/apply.

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The Hymn Society

The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada encourages, promotes, and enlivens congregational singing by building supportive relationships and enabling networking and ecumenical cooperation which providing experience in performance practices to help in the introduction and leading of the congregation’s song.

Hymn Society Annual Conference
Rebirth: Singing Death, Singing Life
Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, N. J.
July 19-22

For eighteen years, we have seen Lutherans lead ecumenical worship with theological depth and musical excellence. This tradition continues at The Hymn Society’s 2026 Annual Conference in Princeton, NJ, from July 19–22.

The event features a strong Lutheran roster, including Marcell Silva Steuernagel, Gracia M. Grindal, Maren Haynes Marchesini, Lola Bobrow and Adan Fernandez. From veteran scholars to rising students, our voices are shepherding this year’s song.

Join your colleagues for a week of professional growth and spiritual renewal. Let’s show up and sing together. Watch this video announcement and visit The Hymn Society website to register. Information about registration fees, accommodations, meal plans and other important details are available on the website.

Early registration through March 15
Advance registration through June 1
Regular registration starting June 2

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Center for Church Music

The Center for Church Music, on the campus of Concordia University Chicago, provides ongoing research and educational resources in Lutheran church music.

 2026 Awards for College and Seminary Students

THE 2026 WILLIAM WOLFRAM STUDENT AWARD IN LITURGICAL ART
Recognizes student artists who evidence:
* Commitment to Christian faith and practice
* Excellence in artistic expression
* Commitment to creating pieces purposed for use within worship settings
$1,000.00 prize

Deadline: May 1st, 2026  Submit a single PDF with quality images of your work, one full image and one or two detail images along with title, media, dimensions, year created, and anything else you want the judges to know.  Send to Barry.Bobb@CUChicago.edu  (Recent grads—since May 2024—may also apply.)

THE 2026 RICHARD HILLERT AWARD IN STUDENT COMPOSITION
Submitted piece must be a church music composition (3-5 minutes in length) – suitable for a liturgical service.
$1,000.00 prize

Deadline: June 1st, 2026   Submit two copies (one with your name and one unattributed). Recordings are encouraged but not required. Send to Barry.Bobb@CUChicago.edu   (Recent grads—since May 2024—may also apply.)

STATUS ON CAPITOL HILL | ACTION ALERTS | RESOURCES AND WEBINARS | OUR COLLECTIVE VOICE

The Farm Bill, which guides much of U.S. agriculture, rural and food policy, is currently being debated in Congress. The ELCA urges Congress to pass a 2026 Farm Bill that promotes priorities consistent with our advocacy during 2023-24 Farm Bill reauthorization discussions:

• food for hungry neighbors at home and abroad,
• healthy rural and farming communities,
• inclusion of people of all backgrounds,
• care of creation to feed future generations

In a world of abundance, we strive for an end to hunger and poverty, and towards a just world where all are fed. Additionally, we are to work with each other and the environment to meet needs without causing undue burdens elsewhere. The Farm Bill is one of the most influential pieces of legislation affecting farmers, hunger and conservation in the United States and around the world.

ELCA social statements call for policies that provide adequate nutrition for all and create livelihood opportunities that are genuinely sustainable. We urge lawmakers to pass a 2026 Farm Bill that reflects these faith-based values.

 

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Status on Capitol Hill

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Action Alerts

Future Farm Bill Action Alerts will be added to this page – but you can be notified directly by signing up for the ELCA Advocacy Network. New Action Alerts and monthly updates are sent to the network, which you sign up for📝here.

CURRENTLY ACTIVE:

Strengthen Hunger Provisions in Farm Bill [Posted 3/5/2026]
Urge a bold, efficient Farm Bill which supports both hungry families and vital rural communities.

 

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Resources & Webinars

• VIDEO: “Farm Bill Conversation” with presenter Alex Parker, ELCA Advocacy Coordinator (Recorded 6/19/24). ELCA Region 1 Conversation about the 2024 Farm Bill.
• RESOURCE PAGE: “H.R. 1 and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): What Counties Should Know” (Oct. 31, 2025). From the National Association of Counties.

 

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Our Collective Voice

By raising our collective voice, we can help enact a more just Farm Bill that leaves no one hungry. In your location and federally, let’s act boldly to end hunger and poverty in our time and ensuring healthy creation to feed future generations.

Here are some other ideas for making your voice heard.

• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper on the importance of anti-hunger and pro-farmer policies in the Farm Bill.
• Attend town halls or public events with your members of Congress to ask questions about their Farm Bill priorities.
• Pray for those experiencing hunger and for our elected officials to have wisdom and compassion.

 

By Daniella Garber [About the author]

I grew up in a small city nestled in the Allegheny Mountains. As a small child, I was fixated on a rock formation on the side of one of those mountains that, to me, looked exactly like Noah’s ark. I was certain that was where the ark had landed after the flood, and that it had been there so long it had disintegrated in a way that prevented any trees from growing where it had sat. Eventually, my brain caught up with my imagination, and I let go of that particular belief. To this day, however, when I visit my family in that city, I always take note of the formation. It brings me a sense of peace and comfort to see it there, unmoving and unobscured on the hill.

That is what mountains do. They never move. Driving down any road, you can always find them on the horizon, always get your bearings. Their steady visibility is a gift.

Jesus describes a city on a hill that cannot be hidden, existing faithfully in plain sight. I think that image has something to teach us about what it means to be advocates for our neighbors and for God’s creation. This work is long. We don’t always see immediate results. Our advocacy can feel invisible, and progress is not always linear. But we are called to remain steady and unhidden, a constant presence of hope.

The mountain doesn’t move. It does not hide or disappear. Neither should we.

To be a faithful advocate is to be uncompromising on what we know to be true: that every neighbor bears the image of God, that creation is sacred and worth protecting. Sometimes being a light to the world means staying on the hill, not because the view is always encouraging, but because someone in the valley is looking for us. Someone needs to find us there, steady and unhidden, the same place we were last time they looked up.

When I was a kid, that rock formation brought me wonder. Now it brings me peace. The mountain never moved, but what it meant to me changed. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. As advocates and Christians, we are called to be that city—unhidden from the world and consistent in our values and our faith.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniella Garber is the ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow placed with the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Pennsylvania. Garber graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a math major and religion minor. Her background includes internships in data analytics and policy research focused on hunger and food access, as well as interfaith community building at Bryn Mawr College, and is excited to bring these experiences together in this faith-based advocacy role.

 Prepare 

In John 4:5–42, Jesus travels through Samaria and stops at Jacob’s well. The location is important because Jews and Samaritans shared ancestral roots, but had centuries of religious and ethnic conflict. They worshiped the same God but disagreed about the proper place of worship and the authority of certain Scriptures. Many Jews would have avoided traveling through Samaria altogether.

At the well, Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman – crossing multiple social boundaries at once. In the first century, Jewish men did not typically initiate public conversation with women who were not family. Add to that the deep hostility between Jews and Samaritans, and this interaction becomes even more surprising.

The time of day is also significant. Wells were communal gathering places, usually visited during cooler hours. Her arrival at noon suggests isolation, though the text does not explicitly explain why. Be cautious not to speculate beyond what Scripture says, but notice how the detail invites reflection.

This passage contains one of the longest recorded conversations Jesus has with anyone in the Gospel of John. It moves from physical thirst to spiritual thirst, from personal history to communal worship, and finally to public witness. Jesus reveals knowledge of the woman’s life without condemning her, and she becomes the first person in John’s Gospel to openly share news about him with her community.

As you guide discussion, pay attention to themes of belonging, truth, vulnerability, and invitation. Where do participants see barriers being crossed? What changes in the woman between the beginning and the end of the story?

Opening Exercise 

You know your context best – so choose based on your students (and even the vibe of the day).

Either have students split into pairs or small groups OR give them something to write on to reflect independently. 

Reflection: 

• Think of a time you felt like you didn’t belong or had to hide parts of yourself. 
• How did that feel:
  • Physically
  • Emotionally
  • Spiritually
• What was your reaction afterwards? (Close off, isolate, snap-back, try harder)

After a few minutes, invite volunteers to share themes they noticed – or even just answer the questions: What did that feel like? What was your reaction?

• Connect this / Transition to today’s scripture: Today, we’re hearing a story of someone who may have felt out of place, but finds themselves fully seen by Christ – and what that teaches us about belonging. 

Text Read Aloud 

Read John 4:5-42

• Invite participants to listen for anything that stands out to them or instances of transformation.
• Since this is a longer passage, you may want to just read it through in full once. The article focuses on verses 5-26 and 39-42

Belonging 

There are parts of Jesus’ world that feel distant from ours. In 2026, most of us aren’t walking into a new town at noon, tired and thirsty, with no gas station or coffee shop in sight.

But Jesus does. 

Fully human, weary from travel, he sits beside a well in the heat of the day. And a woman approaches alone.

Wells were typically social spaces. Women gathered in the cooler hours of the morning or evening. Coming alone at midday suggests she wanted to (or was forced to) be alone. Maybe she is avoiding whispers, tired of explaining herself, or she simply doesn’t feel like she belongs with the others.

If we’re honest, that feeling isn’t foreign to any of us. 

We all thirst for belonging. We want to know we fit somewhere – not because we’ve performed well or curated the right image, but because we are wanted. And yet, so much of our world teaches us that belonging must be earned. 

• Be impressive and successful, build that college application.
• Be agreeable, yet have opinions, but not too strong.
• Be fun, but not too fun. 
• Be someone your friends love, and their parents approve of.

It can feel like constantly editing yourself – showing certain parts and hiding others – just to fit the mold of who you’re “supposed” to be.

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Jesus begins by asking the woman for water. But then he offers her living water, the gift that satisfies more than just physical thirst. She wants this. In fact, don’t we all want something that will cure our desire to BE what we feel we have to be?

Then things turn personal. Jesus names her story: her relationships, her complicated past, the parts she might prefer to stay hidden. This would be the moment she expects rejection. When someone knows too much about us, we brace for distance.

 But Jesus doesn’t name these to shame her. And he doesn’t withdraw. He stays. 

She is fully known, and he stays. 

Much to the woman’s credit, instead of hiding, she leans in. She asks questions, she learns, she feels the change. Then she leaves. 

After being fully known and not pushed away, she runs back to the very community she may have been avoiding and says, “Come and see.”

She doesn’t offer a polished testimony nor pretend her story is tidy. She simply tells the truth: he knew everything about me. And still, he stayed.

The woman who came to the well alone becomes the one who invites others in.

Belonging with God is not something we earn by fixing our stories. It is something we receive in the middle of them. In Christ, we do not audition for love. We are met in our thirst and told we already belong.

And when we begin to trust that, we stop chasing acceptance everywhere else and we become people who make room at the well. For our own messy stories and for the messy stories of others, all of whom belong to Jesus, the one who doesn’t turn away.

Reflection Questions 

1. What does Jesus notice about the woman at the well? How does he respond?
2. Why is it significant that Jesus crosses cultural and social boundaries to speak to her?
3. What does living water represent in this passage? What does living water look like to us?
4. How would our world be different if we didn’t feel like we needed to pretend or be better?
5. How might this story invite us to make room at the well (in our lives) for others – including those who are different, marginalized, or “messy”?

Closing Activity 

We all feel like we don’t belong sometimes – think of things you’ve been told or ways you’ve been treated that help you feel you belong. 

• On a sticky note, write one way you can invite someone into belonging this week: at school, home, online. This can be a phrase you may say to someone or something you do. 
• Place the slips somewhere in your room or in your Bible as a reminder. 

Examples: 

• “Invite someone I don’t know well to sit with me.”
• “Give a genuine compliment to someone.”
• “Thank a teacher or parent for something they do that usually goes unappreciated.”

Final Prayer or Blessing 

God, in our messiness, in our lowest days, when we feel like we don’t fit – we believe we belong with you. Help us to know ourselves as your beloved and to reflect that belonging and love into the world to show others they belong, too. 

Amen.

Bio of Author

Liz Dinkins (she/her) is the Director for Youth and Campus Ministries at Lutheran Church of the Epiphany in Winston-Salem, NC. She’s in her final semester of an MDiv and preparing for call as a Minister of Word and Sacrament (Pastor) in the ELCA. Liz is passionate about helping people discover their identity in God’s grace and live it out in whimsical, courageous, and hopeful ways. When she’s not working, she’s probably discovering new crafting hobbies or hanging out with her four cats, dog, and/or husband, Andrew.

As the United States has begun military combat operations in Iran, we are called to pray and ask for God’s mercy. 

Several resources are available to assist you.  

Below are three prayers from the resource Prayer Book for the Armed Services. (In addition to the print resource, PBAS is available digitally through Sundays and Seasons.) 

Time of war
Eternal God, whose steadfast love never ends, we ask that you look upon the nations now engaged in war and hasten the day of peace. Look in mercy on those exposed to peril, conflict, sickness and death; and show compassion to the dying. In your good providence, remove all causes and occasions of war. Incline the hearts of all people to follow the path to peace and concord, that war may cease and the day of reconciliation may come quickly, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

 Those Who Suffer from War
Merciful God, you grieve amid the pain, fear and suffering of your children. Look with compassion on all who endure the miseries of war. Be mindful, too, of those who day and night face peril in defense of our nation. Guide them in their duties as they seek justice for those subjected to tyranny and liberty for those who are oppressed. Eternal Protector of the helpless, hear the cry of the distressed and grant speedy deliverance in a new day of peace and concord. Amen.

 Those in the country’s service in a time of war
Almighty God, let your protection be upon all those who are in the service of our nation. Guard them from all danger and harm; sustain and comfort those at home, especially in hours of anxiety, loneliness, and sorrow. Prepare the dying for death and the living for your service. Uphold those who bear arms on land and sea and in the air; and grant unto us and all nations a speedy, just and lasting peace, the glory of your holy name. Amen. 

 See also the “Litany for our Nation in a Time of War” on page 75. 

Prayers in Evangelical Lutheran Worship and All Creation Sings include the prayers for Peace; National Distress; Time of Conflict, Crisis, Disaster; The Nation; Those in Civil Authority; Those in the Armed Forces. See pages 76–77 in ELW and pages 48–49 in ACS. 

Hymns and songs, especially of lament, can help voice the stark reality of war and the hope for peace. See especially:

Come Now, O Prince of Peace/Ososǒ, ososǒ (ELW 247)
Bring Peace to Earth Again (ELW 700)
God of Grace and God of Glory (ELW 705)
Dona Nobis Pacem (ELW 753)
When Our World Is Rent by Violence (ACS 1052)
Ayúdanos, oh Dios/Oh, Help Us, Save Us (ACS 1055)
For the Troubles and the Sufferings/Pelas dores deste mundo (ACS 1051)
Let Your Peace Rain upon Us/Yarabba ssalami (ACS 989)
For the Healing of the Nations (Singing Our Prayer 12a)

For many more hymn suggestions and additional prayers, see the ELCA resource, “Worship Resources for Crisis in the Holy Land”. Although this resource was assembled to respond to the immediate crisis in October of 2023, many of these prayers and laments could be slightly refashioned for our current moment. The topical indexes in our worship books can also be very helpful in identifying assembly song. 

Let us pray without ceasing for peace in world, for peace in our homes, for peace in our hearts. 

Almighty God, all thoughts of truth and peace come from you. Kindle in the hearts of all your children the love of peace, and guide with your wisdom the leaders of the nations, so that your kingdom will go forth in peace and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of your love, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. (Prayer of the Day for Peace, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 63) 

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

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.

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That Divine and Most Excellent Gift: Martin Luther, Music, and the Arts

This posthumous compilation of writing by beloved scholar, teacher, and musician Mark P. Bangert explores how, in addition to his other contributions, Martin Luther expressed a theological valuation of music that can inspire and inform today’s understanding and use of music, especially in Christian worship. Luther’s preface to Symphoniae iucundae (“Delightful Symphonies,” 1538) presents the clearest explication of this theology. At the time of his death, Bangert had composed core components of a book on Luther’s preface. Drawing on this work and other writings by Bangert on Luther and music, Martin Seltz has edited a collection that pays tribute both to Luther’s theology and to Bangert’s important body of scholarship.

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All Creation Sings Leaders Edition

The sturdy leaders edition includes everything needed for the worship leader to conduct the services. A section of Notes on the Services offers information and guidance to enhance leadership of the liturgies. Full rubrics and proper prefaces are included for the communion services. Expanded indexes facilitate worship planning. Enlarged print makes for ease of reading.

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A Living Faith: Piano Settings

This second piano collection by John Helgen provides settings of seven familiar tunes that are compelling and exciting as well as useful for worship and easily learned. Included are a delightful and spirited setting of “Angels We Have Heard on High” and an engaging and quiet setting of “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.”

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Sundays and Seasons for Times of Crisis

In times of crisis, we search for words and rituals to ground us. Pastors and other worship leaders are often stretched in too many directions; moments for creativity can be hard to come by. In these times, we can turn to words and liturgies carefully crafted for such moments as these. Sundays and Seasons subscribers have access not only to resources published in current and past Sundays and Seasons volumes but also to numerous prayers and services in All Creation Sings, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, and This Far by Faith, just to name a few. Hymns and songs are available from over twenty-five song collections!

This post published on June, 12, 2025, and was updated on February 27, 2026.

NEWLY UPDATED PREACHING AND HYMN SUGGESTION RESOURCE: To assist worshiping communities using the provisional alternative lectionary texts beginning in year A, a resource with preaching guidance and hymn suggestions is now available. If you accessed this resource previously, please note there have been minor corrections. See especially the corrected First Reading for Easter 6A (Ezekiel 43:1-7a). See below for more information about other available resources and how to give feedback to the Consultation on Common Texts during this trial period.

For users of SundaysandSeasons.com, the provisional alternative readings are listed as options in the Day Texts and as an option in the Planner.

The Consultation on Common Texts (CCT)— a joint American and Canadian ecumenical body—oversees the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), a schedule of biblical passages read on Sundays and festivals in congregations of multiple denominations in North America and other parts of the world. The ELCA is one of more than 20 member denominations.

At its April 2025 meeting, CCT approved a provisional update to the RCL. This update reexamines passages of Scripture that have historically been misused to justify discrimination and violence against the Jews. This process involved extensive study and consultation with biblical experts, church historians, and liturgical leaders, including a forum with consultation and participation of Jewish scholars. The ELCA Consultative Panel on Lutheran-Jewish Relations was among the groups that offered feedback during this process that helped shape this ecumenical effort.

This proposed update is commended by the CCT to the churches for a three-year trial period, beginning in Advent of 2025 (Year A).

Key Areas of Focus

The proposal considers how the passion narrative is proclaimed on Palm/Passion Sunday and Good Friday, offering guidance for preachers and worshipers.

It also includes provisional revisions to the lectionary for the Easter season and the Time after Pentecost. A significant concern raised is the practice of replacing Old Testament readings with passages from Acts during Eastertide. As the proposal notes:

“The RCL lectionary for Easter Season has perpetuated what we also find to be a potentially harmful practice of replacing the first reading from the Old Testament with a reading from Acts during Easter Season. For Christians not to read from texts shared with Jews during any season of the year is inherently problematic.”
…
“Therefore, the Consultation recommends alternative readings from the Hebrew Scriptures during Eastertide, drawing on work from the Church of Scotland as promoted by the English Language Liturgical Consultation.”

The proposal suggests delaying readings from Acts until after Pentecost, using them as a replacement for the second reading.

Next Steps for ELCA Congregations and Worshiping Communities

As a member church of the Consultation on Common Texts, the ELCA encourages use and testing of these materials during these next three years. Feedback may be provided directly to the CCT during this testing phase. Please also consider sharing this feedback with the ELCA Worship team at worship@elca.org.

Available Resources

Several existing ELCA resources can help guide worship leaders and preachers in addressing these important concerns:

• Worship Resource: Provisional Lectionary Proposal Responding to Concerns about Anti-Jewish Interpretation – a resource available from ELCA Worship to assist worship planners. (Updated 2-27-2026)
• Preaching and Teaching “With Love and Respect for the Jewish People” – from the ELCA Consultative Panel on Lutheran-Jewish Relations.
• “The Jews” in John’s Passion – an essay published in the 2020 edition of the Sundays and Seasons worship planning resource from Augsburg Fortress and available for local use.
• Readings for Assembly (Emended) – a provisional emendation of the NRSVue for the entire RCL cycle continues to be available to subscribers to com. Considering Anti-Jewish interpretations is one of several principles that guided this liturgical translation intended for use in worship.

Prepare 

As a Pharisee, Nicodemus would have been respected and educated, one you would go to with questions and hope for answers. And yet, he came to Jesus under the cover of night, confused about the teachings he’s heard and wanting some answers.

Jesus tells him he must be “born from above.” The Greek word anōthen means both “again” and “from above.” Nicodemus hears it literally, but Jesus is pointing to something deeper—a spiritual rebirth initiated by God.

Being “born from above” isn’t being morally superior or getting everything right. It’s about the identity we receive that is rooted in the Divine Spirit. It is something God does, not dependent on anything we can do or achieve.

Jesus compares the Spirit to wind—moving freely, unpredictably, beyond human control. That image reminds us that faith is not something we manage or master. The Spirit is active in ways we may not fully understand.

Then there’s John 3:16, one of the most quoted verses in all the Bible. Often, when it’s quoted or memorized, the emphasis lies on “whoever believes…will have eternal life.” However, there are two things one can easily miss. First, God’s love precedes our belief. It’s important to note that God’s love reaches the whole world—not just the church, our country, the people who look like us, the ones who believe as we do—but the whole world. Secondly, verse 17 reminds us that God sent God’s Son into the world to save it, not condemn it. The two verses should be read and understood together.

FORMAT

This passage invites you and your students to reflect on identity, grace, and freedom. In a culture that pressures us to prove ourselves and draws sharp lines between who belongs and who doesn’t, Jesus points us back to God’s expansive love for the whole world. To be born from above is to see your identity from God—identity that is not built on division, status, or superiority, but on grace. From that grounding, we can see the Spirit at work—moving freely, sometimes wildly and unpredictably, toward life and unity in a world insisting on separation.

Opening Exercise 

You know your context best – so choose based on your students (and even the vibe of the day).

Either have students split into pairs or small groups OR give them something to write on to reflect independently. 

Ask: 

• When have you felt like you needed to prove yourself? Maybe this is a grade to make your parents proud, doing something to feel belonging in a group of friends, wearing or doing something to impress a person you’re interested in. 
• What did that feel like?

After a few minutes, invite volunteers to share themes they noticed – or even just answer the second question: What did that feel like?

Connect this / Transition to today’s scripture:

• Today, we’re exploring whether our identity is something we do/prove or something we receive. 

Text Read Aloud 

John 3:1-17 

• Read it twice. During the first reading, ask them to focus on anything that stands out or confuses them. Then on the second, focus on anything that comforts them. 

Born from Above, Already Loved

Nicodemus is a religious leader, a Pharisee formed in Scripture and familiar with the ways God moves, acts, and breathes. He’s supposed to know the answers, yet Jesus says something he can’t quite understand.

So Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night.

We don’t really know why, only that he’s confused by what he’s heard Jesus teaching. Maybe he comes so no one will see him wondering. Or maybe because night feels safer for asking hard questions.

Jesus says, “You must be born from above.”

I think when a lot of us hear this, we’re thinking, “A restart sounds nice.” This is what Nicodemus hears – a chance to do things over, right the world, improve himself. But Jesus is talking about our identity, not simply a re-do.

In our world, we’re constantly asked to prove who we are. We feel like we have to curate a specific image, defend the things we like or spend time on, market ourselves to look like who we want others to see. Jesus reminds us that being born from above (or born again) isn’t about climbing higher or being more impressive. It’s not something we choose (just like we didn’t choose our first birth). It’s about receiving life rooted in the Spirit of God.

FORMAT

Jesus compares this Spirit of God to the wind – it can’t be contained, predicted, or managed.

That can feel unsettling, right? We like control. We like certainty, especially now when there is so much chaos going on and our world feels divided, loud, and even fragile. In the midst of that, we are constantly told to pick a side.

But then we hear the words in verse 16 – “For God so loved the world…” Not just the polished, faithful parts. Not just the parts I agree with. The WHOLE world. Before any of us believed, before we have anything figured out, even when we don’t agree – God loves. God did not send Jesus here to condemn us, but to love and save us.

So if that’s our identity, if we are born into love and to love, that means a couple of things. First, we are freed from the work of proving ourselves – because God has already told us who we are. Second, we are called to love others, helping them see that freedom.

Being born again (born from above) is not an escape from the world but a deep participation in it. It is seeing ourselves and others as already claimed by God. It is trusting that even when the Spirit is quiet, she is still moving toward life and renewal.

Nicodemus shows up again later in the Gospel of John, reminding us that this work isn’t done overnight. But today we can step into life and courage.

Today, you can start to trust that you, as you are, are already loved.

Reflection Questions 

1. What confuses Nicodemus? How does Jesus explain being “born from above”?
2. Why do you think Jesus compares the Spirit to wind? 
3. What difference does verse 17 make? How does including it change the way we understand God, compared to reading John 3:16 on its own?
4. If your identity begins with being loved by God, how might that change the way you live this week? What pressure might be relieved?

Closing Activity – Breath Prayer Practice

A breath prayer is a short, simple prayer you pray in rhythm with your breathing; slowly inhale while silently praying one phrase, then exhale with the second phrase, letting the words settle in your body as you rest in God’s presence. Invite participants to sit comfortably.

• On the inhale:
  “Born from Above”
• On the exhale:
  “Already Loved”

Repeat slowly for 1–2 minutes. Encourage them to carry this breath prayer into moments of stress this week.

Other breath prayer options that may work better for your context: 

• Inhale: God loves the world
• Exhale: That Includes me 

 

• Inhale: Spirit, breathe in me
• Exhale: Move me towards life

 

• Inhale: Loved by God
• Exhale: Loving the World

Final Prayer 

Loving God, 

You loved the world before we ever knew how to love you back.
Breathe your Spirit into us again and again.
Free us from the need to prove ourselves.
Root our identity in your grace.
Send us into the world, not in fear, but in love. 

Amen

Bio of Author

Liz Dinkins (she/her) is the Director for Youth and Campus Ministries at Lutheran Church of the Epiphany in Winston-Salem, NC. She’s in her final semester of an MDiv and preparing for a call as a Minister of Word and Sacrament (Pastor) in the ELCA. Liz is passionate about helping people discover their identity in God’s grace and live it out in whimsical, courageous, and hopeful ways. When she’s not working, she’s probably discovering new crafting hobbies or hanging out with her four cats, dog, and/or husband, Andrew.