Prepare

This well-known psalm is a song about the pilgrimage to Jerusalem the Israelites would have taken multiple times per year. I would caution leaders (including myself) against assuming that our youth/young adults know this psalm. Depending on the rhythms and practices of your congregation, they might. But, in my experience with youth/young adults, Psalm 121 is more of a “that sounds familiar” kind of recognition, not something they are able to recite all the way through. Nevertheless, this psalm is intended to carry one through a long and difficult journey, making it very helpful for any of us to know as we navigate the world.

The pilgrimage journey of returning to a place where you know you will meet God is reflected in the structure of the psalm. That makes reciting or singing the psalm itself a pilgrimage, returning us to what we know about who God is and where God shows up in the world (with those in sticky, terrifying, impossible situations, and also with each of us).

This psalm names the fear of the psalmist’s current situation: the journey they are in the middle of is scary and difficult. The hills in question are likely both a nod to the landscape along the journey of their pilgrimage and also a metaphor for the large challenges ahead of them. The middle section of this psalm is both a statement of trust in God and a request. “God will not let your foot be moved” is a statement of trust in God’s power and care for those singing the psalm. It is also a plea to God that God would continue to provide stability and safety for those on this treacherous journey.

Opening Exercise

Is there a song or an artist that you listen to when you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed? If so, what about that song/artist comforts you? If not, what do you do to comfort yourself when life feels overwhelming?

Read Aloud

• Psalm 121
  

  A familiar song for the soul’s journey—lifting our eyes, finding help, and trusting the rhythm of God’s care along the way.

Songs for the Climb

One of my favorite indie artists, Marielle Kraft, has a song about navigating difficulties in life. This line gets stuck in my head over and over again:

• “Future pebbles are present boulders, it’s a moment, not forever, we’ll make it through together.”

Marielle’s song is about a romance in her life and the courage she finds to overcome difficulty because she is in a loving relationship.

Originally, the Psalms were sung as songs, and sometimes still are today. This makes them great at getting stuck in our heads whether we like it or not. While Psalm 121 focuses on our relationships with God, the message that whatever challenges we are currently facing will become much smaller in the future with the perspective of having made it through a difficult time, stands. Psalm 121 starts with an acknowledgement that there are “hills”, or difficulties, in life that face us head on. The Psalm continues then to point us towards God’s power when we feel weak or unable to accomplish something on our own. Verses 3-8 all repeat the same idea: God is powerful enough that we don’t need to worry about whatever scares us.

Verse 8 says God will keep us in our going out and coming in, declaring God present in each aspect of our day. Do you go to school, work, or a friend’s house? God is there, blessing those actions.

Of course, we all know that danger doesn’t stop at our doors. Plenty of hurt can happen in our homes through broken relationships and the power of the internet. It can feel as though we aren’t safe anywhere.

The psalm tells us that God will keep us from all evil. Oftentimes, we can see how we are protected from hurt or pain or discrimination or other forms of evil in the world. And sometimes the world looks evil, and we can have a difficult time seeing God. This psalm is both a declaration of God’s goodness and a prayer. The psalmist is trusting that God will be with them and comfort them no matter what happens, AND they are asking God to protect them from evil in the future. This psalm shares the same hope we find in Christ, that God will not abandon us even on our worst day. God keeping us from evil is God sitting with us on our darkest day and by being present with us, not allowing the darkness or difficulty of life to overcome us.

It is because we know God is with us whether our life is perfect or a total mess that we can declare “My help comes from the Lord.” We pray that truth, like the song or artist we turn to, is what gets stuck in our heads next time life feels overwhelming.

Reflection Questions

• In Psalm 121, what does the author need God to protect them from?
• Why do you think the Israelites sang their prayers in this way?
• Do we still sing our faith/prayers today? How might it be helpful to do so?
• What might change about how we face overwhelming/difficult situations if we always remembered and trusted that God was with us?

Closing Activity

• Have folks write out their own Psalm 121, following the structure of naming something overwhelming and listing ways they need God to protect them.
• If your congregation has a song or two that the youth enjoy singing, sing those songs together! Remind them of God’s presence with music and send them into their weeks with that truth stuck in their heads. Some suggestions:
  • “I Lift my Eyes” by Ellie Holcomb,
  • The Doxology
  • “Waymaker” by Leeland

Final Prayer

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

Bio of the Author

Lindsay Batesmith is the pastor of Rejoice Lutheran Church in Erie, CO. She is consistently in awe of the power of vulnerability to connect us to each other and invite the Holy Spirit to transform lives. When not at Church or her favorite coffee shop, Lindsay is usually playing with her dog, Echo, or watching the Great British Bake Off with her wife, Tillie.

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 2024 Farm Bill that promotes:

• 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 hunger and conservation in the U.S. and around the world.

Our 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 2024 Farm Bill that reflects these faith-based values.

 

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Status on Capitol Hill

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Action Alerts

UPDATE 9/26/25 – As the House of Representatives aspires to schedule a late committee vote at the end of October, lawmakers should know that any farm bill should restore recently cut food assistance, meet demand for over-subscribed conservation programs, bolster our capacity to fight global hunger and be adequate for farmers across the nation. The current extension expires soon, and further delays only increase uncertainty for farmers and families alike.

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.

 

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Resources & Webinars

From the ELCA Witness in Society advocacy team

ELCA advocacy has produced resources stemming from ELCA Farm Bill Listening Sessions held last year.

Farm Bill Leave Behind – This summation of themes heard in listening sessions groups important priorities. Our ELCA advocacy staff has been sharing this with lawmakers, and you can too.

• It reads in part: “We heard from hundreds of Lutherans across the country who asked that their voices reach policy makers in the farm bill reauthorization process. Members brought their vocational, ministerial and civic experiences from varied parts of this country to ELCA listening sessions. They emphasized their deep concern for neighbors at home and abroad — especially the most vulnerable — and for faithful stewardship of God’s good creation.“

Farm Bill Reauthorization – Invitation to Action – At the request of state partners, this overview of the Farm Bill and template letter was prepared and can be used in various settings.

From other sources

• WEBINAR | Why is the Farm Bill Important to Us?
  • Thu. June 13, 6-7:30 p.m. PT
  • Presented by Faith Action Network, an ELCA-affiliated state public policy office in Washington state, with the ELCA.
  • This presentation was recorded and uploaded to YouTube, where it can be viewed in its entirety at this link.

 

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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 this August Recess 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.

 

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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Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival

Transforming and connecting lives through faith and music since 1981.

Youth Musicians Invited to Lutheran Summer Music 2026

Enrollment is now open for Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) 2026 at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN! LSM is a faith-based residential music academy for high school students who come together to immerse themselves in musical excellence and build a supportive and fun community. Musical experiences include large ensembles (band, choir, orchestra), chamber music, private lessons, and electives like handbells, jazz, musical theatre, composition, conducting, church music, and more.

Priority enrollment deadline: December 1
Standard enrollment deadline: March 1

Learn more at LSMacademy.org/program

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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: at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.
Registration opens in October.

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Vi Messerli Memorial Lectures in Church Music

For All the Saints
October 19-21
Concordia University Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Join us for another exciting year of celebrating the Church’s song at the Vi Messerli Memorial Lectures in Church Music. This year’s presenters include: John D. Witvliet, founding director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI, and currently professor of theology and worship at Belmont University; noted organist and composer John Behnke, a Festival of Hymns by David W. Rogner, presented by Concordia-Chicago’s Kapelle, and the choirs of Grace Lutheran Church and First Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church, and organist and composer Brenda Portman.  Register today for this and much more!

 

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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

SAVE THE DATE!

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.

For more information, add yourself to the mailing list here.

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Music that Makes Community

Rooted in Christian contemplative and activist traditions, Music That Makes Community envisions a liberative culture that empowers individuals and communities to claim and use the power of singing to heal our spirits, nurture our common lives, and work for justice.

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

• November 7-9: Workshop in Waco, Texas
• February 6-8, 2026: Two-Day Retreat in Raleigh, N.C.
  Details and more in-person events are being planned. Please stay tuned!

Resources – Read the MMC blog for articles on a variety of topics.  The latest presents Songs for Justice.

Job Postings on Music That Makes Community website.

Sign up for Monthly Newsletter for regular updates on resources and events.  Read recent issues here.

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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.

You are invited to visit the re-designed website to learn more about who we are and how to can assist you with resources, training, and other information about how we may work with you to connect through your commitment to the movement of faith through the sacrament of baptismal living as disciples of Christ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prepare (This section is preparation for the leader, not content meant for the group.)

In this passage, we find the Israelites deep in the Babylonian Exile. The Assyrians had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. The southern kingdom, Judah, held out a little longer. However, the Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezzar, came along and conquered the Assyrian territory and the remaining Israelite lands. This was a huge blow to the Israelites. The temple was destroyed, the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins, and the people were forced to leave the promised land.

As the years dragged on in exile, the generation that remembered Jerusalem was getting older. The people had been waiting for deliverance a long time. They were hoping for a leader like Moses to come and lead them back to the promised land. They were waiting for God to punish the Babylonian king like Pharaoh with the 10 plagues. But it still hadn’t happened. Those who remembered Jerusalem were fading. The community was wondering if God was still with them, or even strong enough to save them.

These words from Jeremiah were reassurance that God was watching over them right where they were, even in exile. God wanted them to thrive right where they were – building homes, starting families, growing gardens. This did not mean they should stop longing for or expecting liberation, which would one day come. But thriving in exile was itself an act of resistance and faith; preparation for the liberation for which they longed.

Opening Exercise

Think of a time when you were impatient for something to happen. Has it happened? How long did it take?

Text Read Aloud

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

Thriving in Exile

The people of Israel were tired of living in Babylon. They had been forced to leave the promised land behind when King Nebuchadnezzar swept through with his army. Babylon was a wealthy kingdom, but the Israelites lived on the margins: powerless, poor, and heavily taxed. They wanted to go home.

Jeremiah was a prophet, a messenger sent to take God’s words to God’s people. When they received his letter, they probably hoped for news like Moses once gave their enslaved ancestors in Egypt—news like, “Liberation is at hand! Keep your shoes on, don’t bother baking raised bread, be ready to go!”

But what does Jeremiah tell them? Build houses—and make them homes. Plant seeds and watch them grow. Create families and new generations. Even pray for the city where they live!

This message of putting roots down in Babylon probably felt jarring, like a betrayal of the God who brought them to the promised land, or a concession to the oppressor who had taken it away. Yet God isn’t telling them to give in or become Babylonians. God wants them to thrive as Israelites, investing in their community so that when liberation comes, they will be ready to take their place as God’s beloved people.

Thriving in exile is an act of faith, and that same faith shows up today in communities still fighting to belong. Here in the U.S., October 11th is National Coming Out Day. In Atlanta, where I live, this is also Pride weekend. There will be parades, festivals, and marches celebrating the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community. As an ally, I feel lucky that the parade passes right by our church’s front doors. We get to support our queer members and neighbors as they celebrate who they are.

However, this year feels different. Local organizations remain enthusiastic, but we expect fewer floats with corporate sponsors amid increasing political pressure. While some leaders stay supportive, others are pushing for laws that would harm our queer neighbors, especially those in the trans community. Even as the trans community grows in strength and visibility, so too does the backlash.

I don’t know what it feels like to come out, but after listening to the stories of queer friends, authors, and speakers, I know it takes courage, even in a supportive environment. And it’s only the beginning of learning how to embody your truest self in public. Finding safety, community, and family can be a lifelong journey.

Hopefully this backlash will be short-lived, and our society will continue toward full rights for all people. Still, this kind of ‘exile’ can feel endless to our neighbors experiencing oppression, much like the Israelites in Babylon. The good news, as Jeremiah reminds us, is that God’s faithfulness doesn’t dependent on the whims of empire. God has not forgotten God’s promises, and the future is in God’s hands.

This doesn’t mean we stop longing or working for liberation. Thriving itself is an act of resistance. Even when the promise of a world where all people are equally valued, supported, and celebrated feels far away, build community wherever you can. Create a home and fill it with family, biological or chosen. Invest in your education or training in the field of your dreams. Plant seeds and watch them grow. Live into God’s vision for your life, regardless of what the society says you deserve.

And, if you’re an ally like me, keep learning about the issues your queer family members, friends, and neighbors face. Ask them how you can help make God’s promises real, so that together we’re ready to take our places as God’s beloved people.

Reflection Questions

• In the Jeremiah passage, what are the ways God tells the Israelites to invest in their future in Babylon?
• Why would Jeremiah’s words be difficult for the Israelites to hear?
• This reflection focused on Queer communities in the US. What other groups do you know of today who are experiencing oppression? What barriers do they face to living the full lives God intends for them?
• The last, and perhaps most difficult, instruction God gives the Israelites is to pray for their oppressors. As our society feels increasingly divided by political issues, how does it feel to pray for the ‘other side’? Why do you think God wants us to?

Closing Activity

Jeremiah’s letter wasn’t exactly what the Israelites wanted to hear, but it gave them a vision of a brighter future despite their current situation. Sometimes, that vision can give us the peace and hope we need to keep going.

• Sit comfortably. Then close your eyes, or keep them open, whatever is comfortable for you. Next, take three deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. As you inhale, silently recite the words ‘come Holy Spirit’.
•  Return your breathing to a normal rhythm. Imagine a thriving future for yourself as the person God created you to be:
  • Where do you live- in a city, town, rural area?
  • Who’s in your family? Your community?
  • What does your daily life look like?
  • What are your goals?

Final Prayer

Gracious God, you see us both as we are and as you intend us to live. Thank you for the hope of a future where all people can fully live as you created us to live. Give us the courage to thrive where we are and the vision to make your promises come true for all in our community. Amen.

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month which is celebrated in the United States September 15- October 15, we share this message from the Associate of Latino Ministries of the ELCA.

For more information on the Association of Latino Ministries of the ELCA:  AML de la ELCA

For more on the Latino Community of the ELCA:  Latino

For more on Hispanic Heritage Month from Living Lutheran, check out these recent articles:  2025, 2024, 2023

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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Humble and Holy: Devotions for Advent and Christmas 2025-2026

Humble and Holy continues a centuries-old Christian tradition of setting aside time to prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth and to anticipate his return. The Advent season of preparation then unfolds in the joy of the twelve days of Christmas and the day of Epiphany. This devotional offers daily devotions for the first Sunday of Advent (November 30, 2025) through Epiphany (January 6, 2026). These devotions explore the humble and holy in year A scripture readings (in the Revised Common Lectionary) for Advent and Christmas, as well as for the festival days and commemorations in the Advent and Christmas seasons. Available in pocket-sized, ebook, and large print versions.

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Word of God, Word of Life: Understanding the Three-Year Lectionaries

Gail Ramshaw provides ten insights into the three-year lectionaries to guide all who are interested in exploring the meaning and importance of the Revised Common Lectionary and the Lectionary for Mass. Ramshaw combines deep historical, biblical, liturgical, and ecumenical knowledge with a keen perspective on the contemporary church to show us all the value and wisdom of these lectionaries.

 

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Music Sourcebook: All Saints through Transfiguration

This second Music Sourcebook greatly expands the repertoire of resources for the song of the assembly and its leaders from All Saints through Transfiguration including the Advent and Christmas seasons. Most materials are reproducible and are newly composed in a broad range of styles.

Prepare (This section is preparation for the leader, not content meant for the group.)

The first part of this week’s gospel lesson is a familiar passage—though most of us probably recall its counterpart in Matthew 17:20, where faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, rather than uproot a mulberry tree as we see in Luke 17. Either way, the point is not meant to be taken literally.

This chapter is full of hyperbolic language meant to drive a lesson home. In verses 1–4, Jesus says it would be better to have a heavy stone hung around your neck and be thrown into the sea than to cause one of God’s children to stumble. He then calls us to forgive others, even if they sin against us seven times in a single day, echoing his words to Peter in Matthew 18 to forgive not just seven times, but seventy-seven.

In this light, it’s clear that Jesus is leaning on exaggerated, even humorous, imagery to make his point.

That perspective also reshapes how we hear verses 7–10. At first, Jesus seems to call us slaves, even using the word “worthless.” But in John 15, he says we are no longer slaves, but friends. Again, it’s an overstatement meant to jar us. The picture of a servant demanding that the master serve them dinner is both shocking and, in a way, funny. The lesson, though, is serious: we still have work to do on Earth. Our reward will come later, but for now we are called to serve the Lord faithfully, using the gifts God has given us (as Paul reminds Timothy in 2 Timothy) and persevering even in hard and uncertain times (as reflected in Habakkuk 1 and 2).

Opening Exercise

What chores do you have to do around the house? Does your family have rules like No TV, No Video Games, or No Social Media until you finish your chores, homework, or other responsibilities? Have you ever broken those rules? What happened?

Text Read Aloud

• Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
• 2 Timothy 1:1-14
• Luke 17:5-10

The Faith to Do What Needs to Be Done

The apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. Not an unreasonable request. Who among us couldn’t do with more faith?

But notice how Jesus responds. Does he say, “Sure, your faith has now been doubled”? Does he say, “Here’s what you need to do to get more faith”? No. He tells them that even the tiniest speck of faith is enough to uproot a mighty tree with just a word.

This is an exaggeration on Jesus’ part. If you started talking to trees, it’s doubtful they would do anything. So what is he trying to say?

He’s telling the disciples that they already have faith, and that what they have is enough for what God is calling them to do. The mere fact that they ask Jesus to “increase our faith” shows that they already trust God and believe Jesus is the one who can help. Do they really need more faith than that? Do we?

Then Jesus goes on to describe servants who shouldn’t expect to sit down at the master’s table before their work is done. But wait a minute… doesn’t Jesus also say we’re not servants but friends, with a place already set at God’s table? Yes, but in this moment, Jesus is stressing something else: we still have work to do.

Paul echoes this in this week’s New Testament lesson. He tells Timothy that he has great faith and comes from a long line of people with great faith. What does that mean for Timothy? It means he’s going to suffer. Jesus abolished death and brings us eternal life. But first, there will be suffering. Faith is the gift that will sustain him throughout the suffering.

Habakkuk talks about this same struggle in the Old Testament lesson. He’s been called by God to be a prophet. Yet, as he looks around, he sees nothing but violence, destruction, and injustice. He cries out to God, “How much longer?” God replies in chapter 2, giving Habakkuk a job to do: to write out the vision that God gave him on a tablet, so large and clear that even someone running past it can’t help but see the message. God then tells him that the promised end is coming—it just requires a little longer wait and some trust.

The work we are called to is difficult. Sometimes it may seem impossible—as impossible as uprooting a tree and throwing it into the sea just by speaking to it. Yet the same God who gives us these tasks also gives us the tools to carry them out. Chief among them is faith. And even if that faith seems small and insignificant in comparison to the work we have before us, God promises it will be enough to do what we’re called to do—even if it seems impossible.

Reflection Questions

• In Jesus’ example, what does the master expect the servant to do before the servant can eat and rest?
• What do you think Jesus is trying to teach the apostles by comparing them to servants who must finish their work before they rest?
• How can we make sense of being called both servants of God and friends who are welcomed at God’s table?
• What kinds of things are we called to do in service to the Lord?

Closing Activity

Write down one problem in your life right now that seems impossible to overcome. Then, write a statement of faith trusting that God will see you through it. You don’t have to share it with the group if you’d rather not. Keep that statement with you, though, throughout the week as a reminder that with God, all things are possible, and that the faith already given to you is enough.

Closing Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of Your will, to do the things that you have planned for me to do, even when they seem impossible. Remind me of the faith that you have given me in this life and of the place I have at your table in the life to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Bio of Author

Steven W. Alloway is a writer, worship leader, and lifelong Lutheran living in Los Angeles. He’s also co-director of a theater group called Spirit OnStage, which does plays for all ages, including a series of children’s plays based on Bible stories. When not on stage or in front of his computer, he can be found baking delicious desserts for friends and family.

The following post is a news release from Living Lutheran online. The original post can be found here. The photo was taken from this Living Lutheran post.

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Yehiel Curry will be installed as presiding bishop of the ELCA on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m. Central time at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. Curry will be the first Black presiding bishop of the ELCA.

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will preside at the installation and present Curry with the pectoral cross, the common symbol of the office of bishop in the ELCA.

Kevin Vandiver, a pastor of Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Washington, D.C., will deliver the sermon. Members of the ELCA Conference of Bishops and other invited leaders will participate in the processional.

In celebration of the ELCA’s many partnerships, several ecumenical, interreligious and global partner representatives are invited, including Henrik Stubkjaer, president of the Lutheran World Federation; Sean Rowe, presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church; Jihyun Oh, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); and Larry Kochendorfer, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.

Music leadership for the worship service includes the National Lutheran Choir and musicians from St. Olaf College and the ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod.

The installation is a public worship service, open to all who wish to attend. The service will also be available via livestream.

Curry was elected to serve a six-year term as presiding bishop on July 30, during the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Phoenix. He has served as bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod since 2019 and previously served as mission developer (2009-2012) and pastor (2012-2019) of Shekinah Chapel in Riverdale, Ill. Curry’s first day in office will be Oct. 1.

Curry received a Bachelor of Arts from Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill., in 1995 and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) in 2013. LSTC is one of seven ELCA seminaries.

More information about the installation service is available here.

By the Rev. Justin Eller, Assistant to the Bishop for Care and Community with the Southeastern Synod

If advocacy means loving our neighbors and working for justice with the “least of these” (all who are hungry, thirsty, newly arriving, vulnerable, sick or imprisoned – Matthew 25:40) then advocacy can be both general and particular.

The Southeastern Synod of the ELCA consists of congregations and faith communities across four states: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Each state has their own unique particularities and priorities, state legislative session dates and rhythms, and contextual challenges and opportunities. Instead of being a single ELCA-affiliated state public policy office (SPPO), we strive, as a four-state synod, to journey with residents, congregations and leaders as we navigate a wide variety of challenges.

 

OUR APPROACH TO ADVOCACY

In lieu of attempting to respond to every particular state legislative item, our Southeastern Synod’s advocacy work usually focuses on broader issues impacting our entire synod territory. Whether it’s marriage equality, food and medical insecurity, or supporting immigrant and refugee communities, our approach to advocacy, loving our neighbors, and working for justice, is to engage, equip, and empower.

Engage: We work with our congregations and leaders to engage in advocacy action and understand how advocacy is part of our baptismal growth in Christian faith and life, “to care for others and the world God made, and to work for justice and peace” (ELW, p.228).

Equip: We work to equip our congregations and leaders with quality information and training on advocacy-related issues as well as how to advocate at the local, state, and federal level. We have an Advocacy Policy Committee with representatives from our four states who help us put into motion ways we can advocate across our synod.

Empower: We work to empower our congregations and leaders to be active advocates in their context, to contact their elected officials and to speak with communities who are vulnerable and not speak for them.

The Southeastern Synod grounds our advocacy work in:

1. Scripture that calls people of faith to care for the most vulnerable;
2. Values of Accompaniment in the ELCA: mutuality, inclusivity, vulnerability, empowerment and sustainability; and
3. ELCA’s MERGE Justice foci: Migration justice, Economic justice, Racial justice, Gender justice and Environmental justice.

 

WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE IN ACTION?

So what does this style of advocacy look like?

• It looks like working with congregations and communities in our four states in emergency/disaster preparedness, whether from a hurricane, tornado or immigration enforcement action.
• It looks like the Southeastern Synod being the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee over a new law that could put rostered ministers and congregations at risk for providing food, shelter or resources to undocumented immigrants.
• It looks like hosting virtual Lunch-and-Learn events, “Know Your Rights” and “Support Your Community” workshops and trainings to address root causes of systemic injustices.
• It looks like creating a network of congregations who have Matthew 25-like community-engaged ministries (such as ministries of feeding, clothing and shelter).
• It looks like participating as speakers at public witness events like the “Witness for Creation” event organized by Creation Justice Ministries

 

THE EXPERIENCE OF ADVOCACY

As we have experienced it, advocacy can be big and bold and as simple as showing up, listening to an adversely impacted community, and committing to walk with them in solidarity and love as they address their challenges. Advocacy can be expressions of social action and practices of faith.

Yet, in all of this faithful work, advocacy is what we get to do together and is our grateful response to God’s grace in Jesus Christ to love and serve our neighbor.

The U.S. government could run out of funding on Oct. 1, 2025, if Congress does not pass new legislation to fund its operations. A government shutdown would occur at midnight on Sep. 30, the end of the 2025 fiscal year, if no agreement is reached. On Sep. 24 the ELCA advocacy staff advanced the following message to members of Congress and The White House Faith Office.

 

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September 24, 2025

ELCA Urges Immediate Return to Negotiating Table

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), a denomination of 2.7 million members who span the ideological and partisan spectrum, strongly urges the members of Congress and President Trump to return to the negotiating table now and work in a bipartisan manner to fund the government.

Actions by this country’s elected officials jeopardize good government and the well-being of all that good governance facilitates. These actions include:

• • recurring government shutdown fights,
  • continual deepening of our nation’s unsustainably high debt, and
  • replacing normal bipartisan appropriations with unilateral reconciliation or rescissions.

This church understands government as a gift from God intended to promote the common good. This gift is a vital piece of God’s provision for the world God so loves (John 3:16) and especially for the hungry, sick, and poor with whom Christ identifies himself (Mathew 25:40).

Our government must do better. Failure to negotiate with one another and with the president will lead to a government shutdown that will hurt all Americans and harm the most vulnerable members of society first and worst of all. Likewise, failure to address healthcare premiums will result in over twenty million Americans facing dramatic increases in their healthcare costs starting in January 2026. Neither of these outcomes is acceptable.

We are deeply concerned by the breakdown of bipartisan governance, and we strongly urge the leaders and members of both major parties to govern for all their constituents, not just their supporters.

The Rev. Amy Reumann
Senior Director, Witness in Society
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

 

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TERMS: More about reconciliation is available from Congress.gov. The Bipartisan Policy Center offers a “Rescissions 101” with more information.