In honor of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (March 21), ELCA Racial Justice Ministries invited the Dr. Robin Lauermann, Ph.D. to share some thoughts about the annual board retreat held in Montgomery, AL of the ELCA Association of White Lutherans for Racial Justice and their work to end racism and dismantle white supremacy.

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In late January, as part of the annual board retreat of the ELCA Association of White Lutherans for Racial Justice, I moved attentively through the Legacy Museum, established in Montgomery, Ala., by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). With my mind spinning from its stark and stimulating exhibits, which present the history of white supremacy from slavery to segregation to mass incarceration, I entered the final exhibit hall to see a familiar face: that of Anthony Ray Hinton. My heart leaped in instant recognition, with a mix of lament and joy.

I had learned about Hinton when I first visited Montgomery in 2016 as part of a multistate civil rights tour, meeting with veterans of the movement and visiting such important sites as the EJI offices. Staff members there explained the initiative’s work challenging injustice in the legal system, through both legal representation and policy advocacy. Their remarks expanded what I had learned from the book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, whose author, Bryan Stevenson, is founder and executive director of the EJI.

Due to mistaken identity, Anthony Ray Hinton was wrongly convicted of two murders and spent 30 years on death row. Ultimately EJI secured his release. Most poignant to me was a video that covered Hinton’s reentry into society: the scope of the years taken from him was shown by his learning to use technology unavailable before he was incarcerated — not a cell phone, not satellite radio, but an ATM. An ATM! As soon as Hinton’s book, The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life, Freedom, and Justice, was published in 2019, I read it and reflected anew on the challenges his story revealed about the criminal justice system.

When I saw Hinton’s face in a museum display, he gazed at me from a row of visitation carrels. He wore prison scrubs and sat in a stark room. I approached the display, lifted a phone handset from the wall and listened as Hinton briefly recounted his story, his gaze never breaking from mine. His visual state contrasted with my knowledge of his freedom, and I thought again of him learning to use the ATM.

I continued around the room, stopping to hear from others. I listened intently to Kuntrell Jackson, who shared how his sentencing to life in prison at age 14; EJI would later represent him before the Supreme Court in a case that would overturn mandatory life sentences for children. Monica Washington told me about her sexual assault by a prison guard; EJI’s complaint would lead to a federal investigation of widespread abuse and to prosecutions of corrections staff. Hinton, Jackson and Washington were just three of the people whose stories were shared in the exhibit and for whom EJI has advocated.

The retreat weekend was both intense and inspiring. In addition to the museum, we visited EJI’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which commemorates of racial terror lynchings that began in the South at the end Reconstruction. These visits renewed my lament at the way white supremacy has dehumanized others, disregarding their creation in the image of God. However, the visit also inspired hope, even amid backsliding government policies designed to protect the rights of marginalized communities.  Encounters with history provide us with models of courage and strategy by leaders. The work of EJI shows the possibility of contemporary nonprofit and other collective efforts to promote change. Hinton’s story likewise stands at the crossroads of two legacies: one of disregard and violence, the other of advocacy and hope.

 

Robin Lauermann holds a Ph.D. in political science and is currently completing a certificate in theological studies at United Lutheran Seminary. She teaches and researches political behavior, institutions and change in U.S. and comparative politics. Robin currently serves as a board member of the ELCA Association of White Lutherans for Racial Justice.

 

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

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: March 2025

FEDERAL STAFF WORK REDUCTIONS | BUDGET RESOLUTION CUTS IN ENERGY PROGRAMS | U.S. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE FREEZE | AUGUSTA VICTORIA HOSPITAL | IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ROADMAP

 

FEDERAL STAFF WORK REDUCTIONS: The Trump administration is implementing widespread workforce reductions across federal agencies through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk. Not only are many in ELCA congregations who have been employed in public service positions reeling from changes, these cuts directly impact vulnerable populations served by federal agencies. The process has been chaotic, with some terminations quickly reversed at agencies like the Indian Health Service and Department of Agriculture. Experts describe the approach as using a “sledgehammer” rather than a “scalpel” to downsize the government.

Why It Matters in the ELCA:

Lutherans recognize public service as a worthy calling and that public servants are to be treated with respect and dignity. People directly impacted by such changes in federal agencies include people experiencing homelessness, those dependent on affordable housing programs, farmers, Native American communities and most groups identified as priorities in social ministry work. These reductions, paired with continued backlogs of frozen grants and federal aid, threaten essential services that align with the church’s efforts to support our neighbors. Ongoing disruptions in federal services continue to cause crises, particularly in rural communities.

What’s Next:

The administration’s workforce reduction efforts will likely continue, but with ongoing reversals where compromise of critical functions is recognized or litigated. Housing and homelessness programs face particular uncertainty with proposed 84% staff reductions in HUD’S Office for Community Planning and Development. Witness in Society staff are connecting with Republican leadership in Congress to push back against the measures, and wider efforts to restructure critical funding streams.

BUDGET RESOLUTION CUTS IN ENERGY PROGRAMS: In attempts to advance the priorities of the new administration, Congress is working on a budget reconciliation package that will include cuts to programs that will significantly impact health care, hunger and other aspects of our communities, including energy programs. The Senate Budget Committee passed a budget resolution that would provide additional funds for defense spending, border security and immigration enforcement, and it would likely repeal many of the energy-related tax credits and other provisions enacted in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). House Republicans are aiming to move one massive reconciliation bill that, in addition to the policies included in the slimmer Senate resolution, would extend the corporate and individual tax cuts in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) and would likely propose significant cuts to safety net programs, including Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as “food stamps”) and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Why It Matters in the ELCA:

Passage of the IRA led to the largest investment the United States had ever made to address climate change and care for God’s creation. Included in the IRA were clean energy tax credits that individuals or churches could use to help the transition to clean energy (solar panels) or more efficient appliances. Various ELCA churches have made investments in these building upgrades while accounting for a 30% financial contribution from the federal government. With the potential for these tax credits to be cut, some congregations could be in the precarious situation of bearing the unexpected burden of climate-friendly technology expenses that were supposed to be covered by tax incentives.

What’s Next:

Congressional leadership will be working to advance some form of reconciliation package since passage in the House of the budget resolution blueprint. With both the House and Senate resolutions passed, committees in each chamber are conferencing legislative language to fulfill the instructions set out in the budget resolution. ELCA advocacy staff will be working with interfaith partners and coalitions to track the measure as it advances.

U.S. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE FREEZE: The Trump administration’s pause of U.S. foreign assistance and stop-work orders largely remains in place. Although some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that implement U.S. foreign assistance programs have received waivers for specific “lifesaving” projects, many of them have not been able to restart these programs for various reasons. Reasons include the fact that their contracting officers at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have been fired in addition to inaccessibility of the payment system used to process funds to these organizations. Moreover, the majority of humanitarian and development programs do not qualify for a waiver because they don’t fit the narrow definition of a “lifesaving” program per the guidance from administration officials at Department of State. As of Feb. 28, 90% of foreign assistance programs have been terminated, including those that received a waiver to proceed with work.

Why It Matters in the ELCA:

The U.S. foreign assistance 90-day freeze has already caused significant harm to people all around the world, including displaced populations living in camps and folks who depend on U.S.-financed medicines to treat conditions such as HIV. As stated in the ELCA social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All, “The world is the whole household of God that economic life is intended to serve. The Spirit of God expands our vision and transforms our priorities,” and we recognize the critical importance of U.S. foreign aid to communities most in need around the world.

What’s Next:

ELCA Witness in Society staff continue to meet with congressional offices to share concerns about the negative consequences this funding freeze is causing around the world, including its impact on the work of our church partners. Recently a federal judge at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the Trump administration could not freeze foreign aid funds that predate his inauguration and instructed Trump administration officials to release frozen funds by midnight, Feb. 26. This was followed by the Supreme Court‘s pause of the lower court order while it considers the Trump administration request to block the lower court’s ruling.

AUGUSTA VICTORIA HOSPITAL:  The U.S. government foreign funding freeze continues to keep monies already appropriated for the Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) in limbo. Additionally, all funding from the U.S. government for Palestine has been suspended, and it is unclear if any new funding assistance for AVH or Palestinian initiatives writ large will be approved by the current administration. Without a solution to this financial issue, AVH will eventually have to reduce the number of cancer patients they can treat this year.

Why It Matters in the ELCA:

AVH, which is run by Lutheran World Federation, has wide support in the ELCA including engagement in advocacy on the hospital’s behalf. Support between ELCA membership and AVH is also evident with many ELCA members aware of the hospital’s work and positive impact on the lives of Palestinians.

What’s Next:

ELCA Witness in Society staff conducted a week of advocacy (Feb. 24-28) on Capitol Hill with a delegation from the LWF that included the CEO of AVH and LWF’s representative to Jerusalem. The advocacy week resulted in meeting with almost 20 congressional offices, including direct engagement with U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and with staff of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office. Building on the work that was done, ELCA advocacy staff will continue to engage with Congress to find a way to unfreeze funding to AVH and work to request additional funding be provided to AVH on a bipartisan basis, as has been done for the past 15 years.

IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ROADMAP: In late February, the House of Representatives and Senate passed budget blueprints to allow trillions in tax cuts and massively increase immigration enforcement spending as proposed by President Trump. The House’s budget resolution proposes more than $300 billion in military and immigration enforcement spending; the Senate’s has $340 billion. The budget resolution lays a roadmap for increases to border wall construction, detention and deportation across the nation. To meet deficit targets, Congress may propose tax-and-spending policy changes such as additional restrictions for safety net programs for which certain immigrants, including children, pregnant people and green card holders aged 5 and older, are eligible.

Why It Matters in the ELCA:

Deliberately removing access to social safety net programs which certain eligible immigrants may make use of in emergencies will leave these persons more vulnerable to food, housing and medical insecurity. Lutherans have consistently advocated for immigration reforms to ensure a balance is met across security concerns and human dignity. The ELCA Economic Life social message affirms the role of government in helping meet the human needs of eligible immigrants.

What’s Next:

Various pieces of legislation have been floated as options during federal budget reconciliation, like the Secure the Border Act (H.R.2). Lawmakers will consider a slate of options in each committee of jurisdiction. Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law a year-long stopgap funding bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to extend funding for the federal government through September, but budget negotiations continue.

 

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Catalyst Question

Share about a time when, even after you made a mistake, someone gave you a second chance.

Repentance as the Fertilizer of Faith 

This week, the annual NCAA basketball tournaments begin. Dubbed “March Madness,” two tournaments seek to crown the respective men’s and women’s team champion for Division 1 basketball. While there’s plenty of controversy coming for missed foul calls questionable decisions from coaches and players alike, controversy always begins with Selection Sunday. On this day, when the teams are chosen to participate in the tournament, there’s always someone left out. This year, both West Virginia and Indiana had men’s teams miss out, while North Carolina barely snuck in. On the women’s side, Virginia had two teams feeling snubbed in Virginia Tech and James Madison. Though it’s too late for these teams to compete for a national championship this year, hope springs eternal for next year’s tournament.

Luke 13:1-9 doesn’t address basketball, but it does address questions like “How late is too late?” and “Who is in and out?” Jesus speaks both of the importance of repentance as well as the possibility of grace. It’s a lot of theology packed into just a few verses. Though a tournament selection process is not a matter of salvation, despite the passion of certain fanbases, it does ultimately ask similar questions. Who is in and who is out of the field is based on many factors, including the performance of more than three hundred basketball teams per bracket, as well as how those teams fared in their own conference play. In other words, the fruit that they bore led to their inclusion–or exclusion–in the tournament. Those teams that are left out, though? It’s not the end of their story. There’s another tournament next year and, depending on how they perform, they could possibly find themselves on the inside next year.

That’s why this language of fertilizing a barren fig tree is so important in Lent. Just because a tree doesn’t bear fruit today doesn’t mean it’s dead. Just because a team didn’t make the tournament this year doesn’t mean they won’t next year. And just because we fell short in our faith life today doesn’t mean we can repent in ways that open up life tomorrow.

In a way, repentance is the fertilizer of our faith, kickstarting our growth after a dormant season. Fertilizer doesn’t bear fruit for a plant, but it does spark its growth. Similarly, repentance isn’t doing better, but it does acknowledge a shortcoming and embrace the opportunity to practice in the offseason rather than just wait for next year.

Ask Yourself

Take some time to reread Luke 13:1-19. Have you ever felt as though you couldn’t do good enough? Imagine that someone defended you, like the gardener defended the fig tree, and asked to spend extra effort preparing you to do better the next time you tried?

Ask a Friend

After reading Luke 13:1-9, write (in a journal or in the notes app on your phone) at least three things that you’d like to know more about in this short scripture passage. Then, ask three different friends what they know about one of these places, people, or practices that you’d like to learn more about.

Issue 98 of Administration Matters

2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly

The 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly will take place July 28–Aug. 2 in Phoenix, Ariz. Under the theme “For the Life of the World,” the assembly will meet around word and water, wine and bread, to carry on its work on behalf of the entire church. Key actions during the assembly will be electing a new presiding bishop and secretary, considering a new social statement on civic life and faith, edits to the social statement Sexuality (2009) and recommendations from the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church. Live video of worship and plenary sessions will be accessible at the Churchwide Assembly page at elca.org.

New 2024 Tax Guides Available for ELCA Ministers and Congregations

Two tax guides are now available for church personnel through Portico Benefit Services, offering support to ministers and congregations in the ELCA benefit program.
• Available on myPortico, Richard R. Hammar’s “Clergy Tax Return Preparation Guide” focuses on tax-related topics most relevant to ministers.
• “Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches” helps congregations understand their federal tax-reporting requirements. It can be found on the Tax Filing Information tab on EmployerLink. Employers and plan members must sign in to their Portico account to access these guides.

Commercial Insurance Trends for 2025

This article summarizes key findings from the white paper “2025 Commercial Insurance Trends and How to Navigate Them.” For comprehensive insights and actionable tips, click here to download the full white paper. The insurance industry has seen a number of changes over the past year, with increased rates, increased deductibles and even decreased insurability. This isn’t because insurance companies are taking more than their fair share — it’s because risk levels have gotten substantially higher. As we begin 2025, it’s important to have a perspective on trends that have caused insurance rates to change so much. Here’s a closer look: 2025 Commercial Insurance Trends.

Frequently Asked Questions About Managing Employee Time

Managing employee time accurately and efficiently is vital to the success of an organization. Though the rules for managing employee time can be nuanced, labor laws must be closely followed to ensure that your organization is complying with them and that employees are appropriately protected. >More

Clergy Tax Issues: Status and Exemptions

This resource, available at elca.org, will help you navigate the intricacies of the clergy tax return as you prepare to file for 2024. There is much confusion around clergy taxes due to the dual tax status that is unique to clergy. Though most clergy are considered employees for the purposes of federal income tax reporting, all clergy are considered to be self-employed for the purposes of Social Security and Medicare tax with respect to services they perform in the exercise of their ministry.

Four Ways to Improve Your Church’s Online Presence

To find information about businesses or service providers, more people now go to the internet than to any other source. This is why it’s important to have a social media strategy and a system in place to provide search engines with information about your church. >More

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

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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

Grades 8-12 | Learn more:
LAST CALL for LSM 2025! Enrollment for this summer is over 80% full, but there’s still time for young musicians to apply and for you to nominate students. Lutheran Summer Music is the nation’s premier faith-based music academy for high school musicians. Students come together from around the country for a joyful summer of music-making through large ensembles (band, choir, orchestra), chamber music, private lessons and elective classes (conducting, composition, jazz, musical theater, handbells, pipe organ) and use their musical gifts in performance, and in worship.

 

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Music that Makes Community

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

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

• April 5: One-day Workshop and Community Sing in Waco, Texas
• October 12: Three-day Retreat in Albuquerque, N.M.

More in-person events near Kansas City, Detroit, Lexington, Ky., Raleigh, N.C., and Atlanta. Please stay tuned!

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

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

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

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

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Institute of Liturgical Studies

An ecumenical conference on liturgical renewal for the church today.

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

There is still time to register!

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

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

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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.

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

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

Hearts • Hands • Voices are local half- or full-day skills-based workshops organized and hosted by ALCM members. These events are opportunities to learn new skills, share best practices, build relationships and support systems among musicians in your area, and introduce others to the ALCM community.

Events are now being scheduled for 2025. If you are interested in hosting one of these events or would like more information, contact Adam Lefever Hughes at education@alcm.org.

NOTE: Additional events will be added throughout the year, so check this page regularly to see if an event has been scheduled in your area. Check out the table below to view events sorted by date or state or check the Calendar of Events to find events scheduled near you.
 

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Resources from the Center for Church Music

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

“Profiles in American Lutheran Church Music” presents video conversations with prominent church musicians 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.

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Journey to Baptismal Living: North American Associate for the Catechumenate

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

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

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

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The Hymn Society & The Center for Congregational Song

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

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

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Augsburg Fortress Events and Resources

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

Music Sourcebook for Life Passages: Healing, Funeral, and Marriage

Once the life of faith is begun through the waters of baptism, no subsequent passage is made alone. The resource assists in planning for services of life passage including marriage, funerals, and healing services. It contains music originating in different cultures, varying accompaniment styles, and includes reproducible pages, an appendix of additional resources, and a CD-ROM of files to assist in the creation of service folders.

 

Using Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Vol 1: The Sunday Assembly

Addresses the general principles that have guided the shaping of Evangelical Lutheran Worship, considering that central liturgy of Christian worship, Holy Communion. This text examines how worship interacts with environment, music, and the preached word, and features useful and practical suggestions for all those who lead the assembly in communion.

 

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.

 

Catalyst Question

What words come to mind when you think of Lent?

Confession and Protest

In Luke 13:31-35, we hear Jesus lament about Jerusalem. It’s quite an odd thing for the Messiah of Israel to lament about Israel’s capital. How strange for the Son of God to weep over the city of God. Yet, it’s Jesus’ love for Jerusalem, for God, and for God’s people that leads him to cry out. Simply put, Jesus is saying that Jerusalem is not living up to its promises. Rather than be a city where the voice of God is welcome, the religious leaders oppress the prophets that speak God’s word. Instead of celebrating God’s presence, the political elite fear it. When Jesus laments over Jerusalem, it comes from a place of love–even of hope–rather than a place of hatred.

Another way to think about this passage is a protest. By naming the difference between Jerusalem’s ideals and Jerusalem’s actions, Jesus protests the difference between the two. Since our primary practice in Lent is to confess sin, it’s not common to consider protest as a practice of the season. Yet, consider that the goal of protest and the goal of confession are both to seek reconciliation. They seek to restore the ideals of life for all people. Confession primarily calls for personal accountability and behavior change, while protest primarily calls for social accountability and behavior change.

Consider the recent marches on International Women’s Day. The goal of these demonstrations was to confront the injustices of things like violence against and exploitation of women, as well as our cultural acceptance of these sins. Similar protests have arisen to defend justice for immigrants in countries across the globe, to name the injustices of war, and more. Such confrontations seek to end the negative behaviors and restore healthy relationships. Like Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem, these cries come from a place of love, even hope, that this confrontation will one day end with restored relationships.

To be clear, protest and confession aren’t the same thing. Instead, this Lent, we should consider what kind of sins protests seek to expose, because Lent is a time of confrontation. We’re confronted by sin, both our own and others. We’re confronted with ruptured relationships. We’re confronted the need for change. Fortunately, in Jesus, God confronts us with both justice and love. Not only do we come face to face with sin, but in Jesus, we also come face to face with forgiveness and a path to reconciliation. Throughout Lent, we will journey further along that path that leads us through death and into the abundant life of Christ.

Ask Yourself

What kinds of sin are keeping you separated from God and from other people? This Lent, consider how confronting those sins can lead to restored relationships.

Ask a Friend

What are the similarities and differences you notice between confession and protest?

Dismantle: An Anti-White Supremacy Lenten Devotional

This devotional was created in response to the call of the 2019 Churchwide Assembly to condemn white supremacy and racist rhetoric. As you journey through Lent, this resource will challenge you and bring you closer to the radical neighbor-love that Christ demands in the Gospels.

DOWNLOAD | DESCARGAR

Cleaning the mud off my boots after a recent flood response, I noticed the grittiness of it.

It reminded me of preparing the ashes for Ash Wednesday. Burning last year’s celebratory palms, sieving them fine, mixing them with oil.

I see the impermanence of things, of even life itself, in the mud and ashes.

Ash Wednesday, a day when we acknowledge our mortality and our own return to dust.

Mucking out after a flood, removing what was once treasure that has now become trash.

Too often we overlook the physicality of the Christian faith in our anticipation of Heaven. We focus on the promise of our spiritual future, and, yes, that will be a wonderful thing. No more tears and reunions of all sorts. Wholeness that we can only wonder and dream about.

And yet, though we worship and celebrate God With Us, a peculiar God that took on the stuff of their own creation to be with their creation, we sometimes forget that there is more to the promise than “pie in the sky, by and by”.

The Kingdom of God is now, in the wine and bread, in the water and ashes, in our call to serve and love our neighbor.

The Kingdom of God is even found in flood mud.

No, really.

When we are more like Christ, do we become more human or less?

I believe we become more human, specifically, we become the humanity that God hoped we would be. Loving, caring, invested in one another’s well-being. Trusting in the abundance of God.

Watch what happens after a flood. Neighbors take each other in and make sure everyone is accounted for. Strangers show up to clean out houses, to offer hugs and listening hearts. Food is shared. Help is accepted and reciprocated. Communities mourn their losses as communities.

To quote a recent Welch, WV flood survivor: “We become human again.”

When we take on the ashes of Ash Wednesday or the mud from another flood, we become human again. We recognize our place in the Kingdom; we accept the invitation to participate in it.

Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return. Now, go out there and get muddy.

 

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Reverend Deacon Mary Sanders and serves as a minister of word and service in West Virginia and western Maryland. Prior to seminary, she served as an environmental inspector for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. Her sense of call is to serve the people and environment of Appalachia. She lives on her great grandma’s farm with two dogs and two cats and is surreptitiously planting a food forest around her cabin.

 

Catalyst Question

Name three things that you’re able to do but should not do. Why don’t you do them?

Fasting for Others

Lent this year begins with Ash Wednesday on March 5th. If you’ve heard of Lent before, you might have encountered the practice of fasting. To fast is to temporarily stop doing something you’re normally allowed to do, like eating sweets or red meat. The purpose of fasting, according to the Rev. Dr. Anne Burghardt, is not just personal sacrifice but also to increase our understanding of others’ needs. Rev. Dr. Burghardt, the General Secretary of The Lutheran World Federation, reminded listeners in a recent sermon that the purpose of fasting is to turn us outward: toward God and toward others.

This Sunday’s reading from Luke 4:1-13 records Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. The Devil tempts Jesus with things that he is able to do, but each time, Jesus avoids the temptation with a focus on God. Rather than take up power in order to serve his own needs, Jesus turns his focus outward. While his responses in this passage focus on God, Jesus’ external emphasis includes both God and others throughout his entire ministry. Throughout his life, Jesus shows us that, by fasting, we can expand our focus in ways celebrate God and serve God’s people. Fasting isn’t a diet or exercise regime meant only for your benefit. Fasting should be a practice that doesn’t just change our behaviors, but changes our relationships, all for the better.

This Lent, consider adopting a fast that puts positive attention on other people. If you give up a food, consider how you can share food with others. If you give up a hobby, consider how you might spend intentional time with others. If you give up buying things, consider how you might give generously to others.

Ask Yourself

If I choose to fast, how will I focus that practice focuses on God and others, rather than myself alone?

Ask a Friend

What are the Lenten practices you’ve experienced that helped you better connect with God or others? If you’ve not practiced Lent before, what changes have you made in your life to create better relationships?

This year marks two years in my role as the ELCA Director of Innovation and Ideas. While I’d love to say I’ve stopped getting this question, the most persistent question remains: What do you do again? The question persists no matter how many conversations I have with partners, colleagues, and friends. So, I’ve decided to reflect on it in this blog post.

When people hear “innovation,” most think of tech startups, Silicon Valley, or the latest app. Rarely does the term conjure up images of church pews, liturgy, “churpreneurs” (church entrepreneurs), or communion wafers (seriously, who decided we should use those?). Yet, here we are, talking about innovation in the ELCA.

Don’t worry—no one’s in a lab tinkering with prototypes for “God 2.0.” The ELCA isn’t trying to “upgrade” Jesus. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Instead, at the ELCA Innovation Lab, we focus on how we experience, communicate, and share the unchanging message of God’s love in ways that adapt to who we are, where we live, and how we see the world.

For centuries, the Christian church has communicated the Gospel in ways that reflect the times and cultures of its people—because that’s what humans do. Luther’s 95 Theses? It was the printing press that made it possible for people to access the Bible in their own language—an innovation that brought both tears of joy and torches of outrage.

People encounter God in deeply personal ways, shaped by their cultural contexts, identities, and experiences. The ELCA understands that innovation doesn’t mean changing God; it means rethinking how we connect with God and one another in an ever-evolving world.

We know that the Gospel doesn’t change. The message remains one of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love. However, we also know that how we communicate that message must be as dynamic as the people we are called to serve.

Our approach to innovation isn’t about marketing gimmicks or trendy buzzwords. It’s about recognizing that God meets us where we are—whether that’s in a small rural congregation, a city coffee shop turned worship space, a barbershop, a community center, an ecumenical Christmas cantata, or even a neurodivergent choir.

It’s about asking the question: What does it mean to create spaces where God’s presence feels tangible, accessible, and life-changing?

Innovation isn’t about manufacturing cookie-cutter experiences of faith. It means truly listening to people’s stories, contexts, and needs. It means asking, How can we make room for God to meet you where you are? God isn’t confined to steeples and Sunday mornings; God is present in the messy, beautiful complexity of our lives.

Innovation isn’t about losing the sacred; it’s about making the sacred relevant. It’s about embracing creativity and laughter because a joyful God delights in our joy.

The Bottom Line: Jesus Doesn’t Need Rebranding. The message of love, sacrifice, and redemption is timeless. How we carry that message into a world searching for hope, connection, and belonging does need rethinking.

The ELCA’s unique ability to innovate lies in its commitment to remaining rooted in tradition while staying agile enough to adapt to the world as it is. God is not a distant relic but a living, present reality, and the work of innovation in the church is to help people realize that.

So, no, we’re not prototyping a new God. But we are reimagining what it means to encounter the God who has always been here—in the beginning. And in a constantly evolving world, that’s an innovation worth celebrating.

Then, let’s reimagine the future of faith together! Contact the ELCA Innovation Lab to explore meaningful ways to collaborate, dream boldly, and shape new expressions of ministry.

Is your synod, church, or community ready and willing to try something new? Let’s connect (Lab@elca.org) and create something new!