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.

2024 LSM Musical Advent Calendar

Join Lutheran Summer Music, December 1-24, for their fourth-annual Musical Advent Calendar–a daily moment of music and reflection on their Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages as well as archived on their website at LSMacademy.org/acal

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Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

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

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

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

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

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

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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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Institute of Liturgical Studies

An ecumenical conference on liturgical renewal for the church today.

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

The American religious landscape is characterized by declining participation in religious institutions, increasing uncertainty about matters of faith, and a growing population identifying as non-religious. Nevertheless, many people continue to turn to churches at some of the most significant moments in their lives—such as the birth of a child or the loss of a loved one—and many others show up to support them. At last year’s Institute, Rev. Dr. Sarah Kathleen Johnson introduced the idea of occasional religious practice to describe a way of relating to religion that is characterized by participation in religious practices occasionally rather than routinely, most often in connection with certain types of occasions, including holidays, life transitions, and times of crisis. She encouraged us not to rush to judge occasional practitioners’ lack of involvement or to come to hasty conclusions about why they are seeking out these practices but instead to listen to and learn from them.

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

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

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Music that Makes Community

Music that Makes Community (MMC) practices communal song-sharing that inspires deep spiritual connection, brave shared leadership, and sparks the possibility of transformation in our world.

Music that Makes Community invites you to consider the following events and resources for continuing education, community building, professional development, and celebrating this practice of paperless communal song-sharing.

Communities around the nation gather together to sing and build bridges of connection. Be sure to go to our events pages for information on Workshops and Retreats, Community Events and other gatherings in your area. Join one of these regular groups, if they aree near you or start your own (we can help you with that; just reach out!):

Albuquerque, New Mexico – 1st Tuesdays
Brownsburg, Indiana – 1st Tuesdays
Chicago, Illinois – 3rd Wednesdays
Ellensburg, Washington – 2nd Thursdays
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota – varies

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Resources from the Center for Church Music

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

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

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Augsburg Fortress Events and Resources

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

Ordinary Blessings for the Christmas Season

For so many of us, the season leading up to Christmas is a time of overwhelming expectations, busyness, and often grief. From gifted poet and empathetic pastor Meta Herrick Carlson comes a beautiful collection of prayers, poems, and meditations to help us recognize the holy beneath the hustle and hibernation of the holidays. The book includes blessings for all the ordinary and not-so-ordinary moments of the season, like addressing Christmas cards, setting boundaries with family, shoveling snow, and the first Christmas without a loved one. Also included are blessings dedicated to beloved nativity characters like Mary and the magi, blessings for each of the twelve days of Christm as, and a beautiful collection of sacred-word-inspired blessings that readers can use as daily Advent readings. Let this beautiful little book be a reminder that the holy can be found in the routine and the ritual of the holiday season.

Martin Luther’s Christmas Book

Martin Luther’s conception of the Nativity found expression in sermon, song, and art. This beautiful gift edition of a classic collection combines all three. In thirty compelling Christmas excerpts from his sermons, Luther vividly portrays the human realism of the Nativity: Mary’s distress at giving birth with no midwife or water; Joseph’s misgivings; the Wise Men’s perplexity; and Herod’s cunning. Throughout, Luther suggests the question: If we had lived in Bethlehem when Jesus was born, would we have believed that this newborn baby was God in human form? With these musings and more, Luther reminds us that Christmas is a year-round mission for caring for those in need. Nine elegant illustrations by Luther’s contemporaries—including four by noted engraver Albrecht Durer—capture timeless scenes from the Christmas story.

 

Washed and Welcome Living the Promises of Baptism: 101 ideas for parents

In the service of baptism, parents and guardians of the baptized are asked, “Do you promise to help your child grow in the Christiam faith and life?” The answer of “I/We do” affirms that this newly baptized member of the church will continue to learn about and experience faithful living. But how does one do that? The 80 pages of Washed and Welcome are filled with concrete ideas for celebrating with your children the gifts of baptism in daily living. Meals, bedtime, play, seasons, milestones, transitions—all these occasions and more become opportunities for practicing faith. The ideas in Living the Promises of Baptism are for children from infancy through the upper elementary years. Whether your child is a newborn, a preteen, or somewhere in between, you will find yourself returning to this book again and again for support, encouragement, and inspiration.

ELW Hymnal Companion

This Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship will help pastors, church musicians, and others who plan the assembly to understand the context, origins, and characters of the hymn text and tunes, allowing them to craft cohesive and intentional services. Comprehensive and practical, this essential reference resource also contains a glossary, chronologies, bibliography, and several indexes to provide additional help for the user. The companion is a valuable resource for all who care about the church’s song.

Also available is Assembly Song Companion to All Creation Sings, the hymnal companion to the recent All Creation Sings ELW supplement.”

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Warm-up Question

• What is your favorite building? Do you like it because of the architecture? Because of a memory that occurred there? Because of the feelings inspired by the space? Something else?

Who Is Displaced?

This summer, there was a fire in the electrical room at Christ Lutheran Church in Baltimore, MD. Fortunately, no one was injured. Smoke damage occurred from classrooms to worship spaces to fellowship halls. Major renovations and utility upgrades are underway that cost millions of dollars. There are still major utility wires running through every floor and most spaces. From the bathrooms to the sanctuary, it’s obvious that the congregation is still recovering in many ways. While the congregation also hosts many other organizations on its property, only some of the buildings–and therefore some of the ministries–were affected.

While some interrupted ministries have resumed, others still await for the completed electrical upgrades and facility repairs. Unfortunately, one of the buildings affected was a shelter for houseless women and children. The fire displaced at least 17 residents that night and has closed the shelter until further notice. Of course, the congregation worked with local officials to find other temporary solutions, providing a continued witness of care in the midst of such facility devastation.

Let us continue to hold the members, ministers, and ministry partners at Christ in prayer as they continue to restore facilities to support ministries like the women’s shelter.

Discussion Questions

• Experiencing a loss like the one at Christ Lutheran Church in Baltimore is a traumatic experience for individuals and the entire community. When you’ve had such challenging experiences, what kinds of support do you find most helpful?

25th Sunday after Pentecost

• Daniel 12:1-3
• Psalm 16
• Hebrews 10:11-14 [15-18] 19-25
• Mark 13:1-8

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year A at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Reflection on the Gospel

This week’s Gospel talks about the destruction of another building, the Temple of Jerusalem. This foreshadowing of Christ’s death and resurrection is also a foreshadowing of the very real collapse of the Jerusalem Temple. Rather than an accidental fire, this damage came from Roman soldiers, who tore the temple to pieces during a Jewish revolt against Rome in the 1st Century CE. Often, readings of this story focus on the theological witness of both the biblical prophecy and historical occurrence.

As Christianity evolved with Judaism in the 1st Century CE, those evolutions occurred in the wake of the temple’s destruction. It’s also important for us to remember that people were displaced by the temple’s destruction. This was a very real historical event. People who gathered for worship lost their sanctuary. People who worked there lost their livelihood. People who received support services lost their safety net.

What we read about in scripture isn’t simply ancient history or disconnected theology. It’s a witness to the real lives of real people. Even as Jesus predicts this future of destruction, he doesn’t celebrate it. Instead, he looks to life beyond its destruction without ignoring the suffering that happens in the midst of such great change.

Discussion Questions

• Jesus describes the fall of the Jerusalem Temple and the associated prophecy as the beginning of “birth pangs.” How does this image of birth connect to themes of pain, loss, and new life?

Activity Suggestions

• Play Jenga with a twist. Get a bowl of candies and place it alongside the tower. As each wooden piece is moved, have a player collect candy into a pile in between themselves and the tower. When the tower falls, each piece that was touched by the destruction must go back into the bowl.
  • Afterward, reflect about the experiences of loss. Note that this can happen even in the midst of fun, or even because of someone else’s mistake. Explore how you might support those who experience such losses.

Closing Prayer

God of New Beginnings, remind us not to ignore the pain of endings. Inspire us to care for those whose loss is real in the wake of your transformation. Equip us, as your disciples, to bring good news to those who suffer without ignoring the reality of the suffering itself. In your time, raise us all to new life with Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord: Amen.

This is a re-post of an article by Rev. Taryn Montgomery, originally published in the Northeast Minnesota Synod Enews, covering the October 12th “Walking Together” celebration of ELCA World Hunger’s 50th anniversary. Note: this article was written on October 29th, before the November 5th election, which Rev. Montgomery references in the piece as an upcoming event.

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“For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.” -Matthew 26:11

“Pastor Taryn, why are we gathering again?” asked the 13 year-old usher, as we prepared for worship at the Walking Together event earlier this month.

“Because we’re marking the 50th anniversary of world hunger and how we as a church have been able to help those who experience food scarcity,” I responded.

“Um, I’m pretty sure world hunger has been around longer than 50 years,” she said deadpan.

Touché.

I left out the ELCA part of World Hunger when responding to Lila that morning, but she is right. Jesus was right. People have been hungry for centuries upon centuries. The poor have been among us from the very beginning. And let’s be clear, “the poor” is not a “them”. It can be our neighbor, our family, even ourselves.

It’s in this spirit that we gathered on Saturday, October 12th at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa to straddle the line between celebrating a ministry milestone and being inspired to “keep on” in our work of ending hunger. Both/and.

And it was a great event! We gathered in worship, confronting a scripture that both challenged and stirred us. We experienced a poverty simulation, walking through a month in the life of a family trying to make ends meet. We learned how hunger interacts with issues of climate change, racism, and conflicts in the Middle East. We wore party hats and blew noise makers, and we gathered in silence for the people of Gaza. We enjoyed a delicious Caribbean lunch, and we remembered those who went without a meal. We made art together, bid on baskets together, and rallied around a common mission together – to give thanks for the past 50 years and to keep working long into the future.

One week from today our polls will open. Some of you have already filled out your ballot. As a nation we will cast our vote, a kind of faith statement. A statement of what we believe, what we value, what we hope for. We won’t all vote the same way and that’s okay. But may we vote in the spirit of reaching across the table, of extending the table. In the spirit of invitation for the hungry, the poor, and those on the margins – those we will always have with us. May we cast our vote recognizing the both/and experience of our faith.

Lila was right, world hunger has been around far longer than 50 years, and it doesn’t have to be that way in the future. It might be – history has shown that to be true. But it doesn’t have to be. Because we are people of faith, followers of Jesus. And, if there’s one thing we’re really good at, it’s hoping for things as yet unseen.

Warm-up Question

• What is a small action you can take that makes a big difference in your, or someone else’s, life?

Give a Little Bit

People–especially young people–often want to make positive difference in their community. Whether relieving hunger or ensuring civil rights or others, people often seek positive change.

Sometimes the job is so big that the change seems unlikely, if not downright impossible. There is so much hunger and inequality that making those positive differences appears too much for us. The weight of the world, and the distance from here to the change we want for the world, can be exhausting. So, when the odds seem stacked against us, sometimes we freeze because we believe our little action won’t make any difference.

Research suggests that sometimes our smallest actions have much larger consequences. For instance, this article details how the simple actions of spending quality time with children reinforces positive relationships throughout their lives, while playing make believe increases a child’s capacity for social, emotional, and intellectual learning. In other words, this apparently innocuous actions have incredible positive impacts on a child’s life. Rather than an adult’s escape from reality, such behaviors promote a more positive experience of reality for the child and the society in which they live. Even giving just this little bit of time, energy, or creativity can change the world for the better.

Think about it this way: it’s like climbing a staircase. Just because you can’t climb an entire floor of stairs in one leap doesn’t mean you can’t make progress. Even if you can only take one step today, you’re already one step closer to the change you want to make.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever felt such exhaustion or despair that you also felt you had nothing left to give? What was that like for you?
• What is one step that you could take–one thing that you could do every day–that would make a positive impact?

25th Sunday after Pentecost

• 1 Kings 17:8-16
• Psalm 146
• Hebrews 9:24-28
• Mark 12:38-44

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year A at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Reflection on the Gospel

There’s woman in today’s Gospel who gave just a little bit. At the temple, while rich people gave massive sums of money for their tithes, this woman put in a couple of coins barely worth a penny. That can seem like an inconsequential amount, but in Jesus’s words, “this poor widow has put in more” than all the others. How is this so?

Because while this seemed like a minuscule offering, her gift represented a major effort on her part. This single cent seemed small to others because of their big bank accounts, but for her, this reflected a significant sacrifice. Rather than give in to the feeling that she had nothing to give, this widow gave what she could. In the eyes of Jesus, that was a great gift.

Discussion Questions

• This widow took the step that she could take and Jesus honored her for that. What are the little steps that you could take?

Activity Suggestions

• Purchase cut or potted white flowers. Add one tiny drop of food coloring to the water you use to feed the flowers. Notice how, over the coming days, the flower’s petals are now tinted that same color. Reflect on how this small addition made a significant impact.
• Talk openly about what change you hope to see and the hurdles you face in pursuing that change. Ask others both for prayer and for suggestions of small, simple actions you could take to pursue that change.

Closing Prayer

God of the Possible, you remind us that nothing is impossible with you. We entrust our fears to you. Inspire us to act in the ways that we can. Remind us that, when nothing seems like enough, you are enough and you are making all things new. We pray this in the name of the one whose actions in life, death, and resurrection changed the world, Jesus Christ: Amen.

by the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director, ELCA Witness in Society

High anxiety around the possibility of political violence has been with us before, during, and likely following the 2024 National Election. The images of the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol are fresh in our minds, making calls by public figures for violence against political opponents or disruption of election processes even more worrisome. Election activities that used to go largely unnoticed, such as election certification or routine actions by poll workers, could now be targeted as high-risk moments. Polling reveals that two-thirds of Americans fear violence following the election. Many municipalities and communities have prepared for disruptions pre- and post-election.

 

THE CALLING OF THE CHURCH

The church has a “calling to proclaim the Gospel of God’s final peace and to work for earthly peace” (ELCA social statement For Peace in God’s World, p. 1). We witness to God’s resolve for peace rooted in the cross and resurrection of Christ and by incarnating in our lives and actions Jesus’ command to love one’s enemies and Paul’s instructions to be ambassadors of reconciliation. The Church breathes life into this calling when we share responsibility for the wellbeing of our neighbors and nation. Informed by Christ’s gift of peace, ELCA ministries and faith leaders have a unique opportunity to promote reconciliation, model peace and respond to violence. Much of this can and will take place at the local level. These resources can equip us for faithful reflection and action.

 

REFLECTION AND GUIDANCE IN ELCA SOCIAL TEACHING

The ELCA social statement on Peace provides guidance for ministry and advocacy in global conflicts and everyday struggles. The church contributes to earthly peace by equipping the faithful to act for peace within the Christian community and the broader society. It presents four distinct ways for the church, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to be “a presence for peace that disturbs, reconciles, serves, and deliberates” (p. 5).

• The Church is a disturbing presence when it refuses to be silent and speaks the truth, names false idols and calls for repentance.
• The Church is a reconciling presence by countering religious movements – including ones claiming to be Christian –that preach, and practice hate and violence, by challenging stereotypes of the “the enemy” and by encouraging imaginative solutions to violence.
• As a serving presence the Church holds power accountable, advocates justice, provides sanctuary and meets human need.
• The Church’s deliberating presence creates opportunities for moral deliberation that promote freedom and respect.

 

The statement urges churches to nurture a culture of peace through actions to:

• Foster a dynamic vision of difference in unity. The hope for earthly peace challenges people to strengthen their local communities in ways that promote respect and appreciation for people in other communities, for all share a common humanity.
• Promote respect for human rights based on the image of God in every person, as reflected in the Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [UN, 1948]: “Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”
• Strengthen the will and ability to resolve conflicts peacefully. Disagreements, conflicts, and competition among nations, groups, and individuals are inevitable, but wars are not (ELCA social statement on Peace, pp. 13-15).

 

Additional social teaching on violence and non-violence offers guidance. The social message on “Community Violence” urges ELCA ministries to join with faith partners to “offer vital spiritual and moral resources for replacing fear and violence with hope and reconciliation in our homes, communities, and nation” (p. 6). It lays out three ways for the Church to act on our commitments to counter societal violence:

• As a Community of Worship – One place to guide our worship is the ELCA “Worship Resources for a National Election.”
• As a Community of Education and Service – The ELCA social statement on Peace is resourced with a Study Guide which can be a useful tool.
• As a Community of Advocacy – Encourage your faith community to get updates and Action Alerts when they are available through the ELCA Action Network from ELCA.org/advocacy/signup.

 

WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE IN ACTION?

Affirm the vocation of civil servants and leaders through prayer and education. Lutherans recognize public service as a worthy calling and a means by which all individuals may serve the common good. Studies demonstrate that abuse leveled at public officials across the United States is negatively affecting how they do their jobs, making them less likely to engage with constituents, hold public events, advocate for policies that could lead to blowback, or run for re-election. Beyond the well-publicized attacks on high profile leaders in the news are reports from officials in local and state government who face harassment, intimidation or physical attacks.

Educate and equip members for nonviolent action and promote healing and reconciliation. ELCA social teaching recognizes that “citizens and residents also have an obligation to seek reform through the procedures of democratic self-rule, which may include nonviolent protest,” (ELCA social message “Government and Civic Engagement in the United States: Discipleship in a Democracy,” p. 12) particularly “in situations where it holds promise of being an appropriate and effective way to bring about greater justice” (ELCA social statement on Peace, p. 20). Local ministries are engaging through learning about violence interruption through active bystander and conflict de-escalation training and encouragement of civil discourse.

As centers of spiritual life, religious institutions are regarded as trusted messengers who offer reliable information and community guidance in an anxious time. Be informed about groups in your area who promote who promote violence, white supremacy and Christian Nationalism. The Episcopal Church Series on Deradicalization offers resources from two organizations known for doing this work on the largest scale – Life After Hate and the now retired Free Radicals Project. Much of the work done is through individuals who have disengaged from radical groups or ideologies and use their experience to work directly with radicalized individuals. The Southern Policy Leadership Center tracks hate and antigovernment groups. The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, ELCA presiding bishop, has named Christian Nationalism as “a persistent threat to both our religious communities and our democracy.”

 

ADDING OUR WITNESS

In October 2024, ELCA bishops jointly issued a statement emphasizing the need to be speakers of truth. It reads, “Emboldened by the Holy Spirit, may we resist deception and lift up the truth that all members of humanity are created in the image of God.” The Dignity Index is an interesting tool to draw our attention away from the biases of partisan politics and toward, what they call, the power we each have to heal our country and each other. It invites reflection on elements of speech, not the speaker, on a scale of communicating contempt to dignity. Our ELCA AMMPARO colleagues have refreshed a resource called “Words Create Worlds,” an exploration of the power of language in shaping perceptions on migration.

In her statement addressing political violence in July 2024, Bishop Eaton wrote: “Our inevitable future belongs to God. In this certainty and bound together in Christian hope, consider how you can join me in ongoing prayer and actions for our nation, a peaceful election season, the safety of candidates for office, and a bold and life-giving witness of our church in the time ahead.”

 

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In the United States, November is Native American Heritage Month. Racial Justice Ministries would like to elevate the voices and work of our Indigenous siblings by bringing attention to the multitude of events by the ELCA’s Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations. A full list of offerings for this month can be found here, but there are three events that we would especially like to highlight:

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This blog post is part of a series designed to spark conversation! To read future posts in the series, you can view all ELCA Innovation Blog posts here.

Parents under pressure

This past summer, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory on the mental health and well-being of parents. A Surgeon General’s Advisory is “a public statement that calls the American people’s attention to an urgent public health issue and provides recommendations for how it should be addressed. Advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action.” In short, an advisory is serious.

The advisory paints a picture of an interconnected web of issues that contribute to parental and caregiver stress, loneliness, and mental health conditions. Some of the stand-out figures include:

• Nearly 3-in-4 parents are extremely or somewhat worried that their child will struggle with anxiety or depression.
• School shootings, or the possibility of one, are a significant source of stress for 74% of parents.
• Approximately 65% of parents and guardians, and 77% of single parents in particular, experienced loneliness, compared to 55% of non-parents.
• In the last decade, childcare prices have grown by approximately 26% in the U.S.

How can the church respond?

In his foreword to the advisory, the surgeon general states, “Raising children is sacred work. It should matter to all of us.” The advisory makes it clear that the church can take action to respond to this challenge with faith leaders and communities being called out specifically to:

1. Foster open dialogue about parental stress, mental health, and well-being in culturally appropriate ways.
2. Create opportunities to cultivate supportive social connections among parents and caregivers.

But how might the church and other faith communities respond to this call for action? Last year, the ELCA Innovation Lab partnered with Try Tank Research Institute and the Presbyterian Church (USA) to conduct a national research study that sought to understand shifting trends in the faith lives of young adults, with a particular focus on young adult parents or prospective parents (those hoping to have children).

This study revealed more about shifting spiritual and religious practices, identities, and affiliations. It also dug into parents’ worries and priorities. Over the next few weeks, we’ll post brief insights and reflections based on this research that we hope will spark conversation, ideas, and action in your community. You can read the full report any time and direct your questions, comments, and reflections to Lab@elca.org!

Further Reading

1. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health & Well-Being of Parents.
2. An opinion column from Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, featured in the New York Times.
3. Resources from UNICEF that explore and provide tips for talking about mental health with young people and tips for caregivers and parents as they care for themselves.
4. The ELCA’s social message on The Body of Christ and Mental Illness which was adopted in 2012 by the ELC Church Council.

Warm-up Question

• What are some of the easiest things for you to remember? This might be something like information on a certain school subject, pop culture trivia, or peoples’ names.
  • Why do you think you remember these things so easily?

Practicing Remembering

There’s a glut of information online about memory improvement. Some articles, like this one, detail the value of certain games to increase your brain’s health. At other times, phone applications promise a boost in your capacity to remember information. Websites like Quizlet offer resources to reinforce data memorization for school or work.  Everyone, it seems, knows that memory is important and that it’s not always easy to remember everything we want to remember, even the things most important to us.

Discussion Questions

• What are some practices or tricks you use to help you remember things?

All Saints Sunday

• Isaiah 25:6-9
• Psalm 24
• Revelation 21:1-6a
• John 11:32-44

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year A at Lectionary Readings.)

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Reflection on the Gospel

Memory isn’t just important for school quizzes or group trivia nights. Memory is essential for faith. On the Festival of All Saints, we remember the saints who’ve passed on from life to death and again into new life with Christ.

Like Jesus, who wept at Lazarus’ death, we too grieve the loss of our loved ones who’ve died before us. Memory like this brings emotions that are sometimes difficult to carry. It’s also true that memory brings hope. People often tells stories of a lost loved one in ways that inspire smiles, spark laughter, and even foster hope.

On his own way to death, Jesus told his disciples to practice Holy Communion as a way of remembering him. Though not many people laugh at the communion rail, many will smile as they receive this gift of life in their palms. Hope glistens in many eyes as they taste God’s embodied goodness in the simple elements of bread and wine.

When we remember the saints who’ve died before us, it’s normal to have the combination of grief and hope, of sadness and smiles. After all, unlike Lazarus’s sisters, we haven’t yet experienced the resurrection of our loved ones. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen. It simply means that, until then, we have a memory trick of sorts: ritual. Communion is a ritual to remember Jesus. All Saints is a ritual to remember our loved ones. In these rituals of memory, we hold close not only the hope of our own resurrection, but the hope of resurrection of all those we remember in the love and light of Christ.

Discussion Questions

• Who are the saints that you remember today? Share a story about how they made a difference in your life.

Activity Suggestions

• Carry on the memory tradition after Sunday’s worship concludes. Set aside time for journaling or group conversations to remember loved ones who’ve died. Describe the ways their memory makes you feel and what you hope for in our reunion with God.
• Many struggle with loss around the holidays. Take time to make a collage of saints who’ve died in your community and place it in a public place. Share brief quotes or anecdotes that highlight the role each person played in your lives.

Closing Prayer

God of our Ancestors, we remember before you all the people who we love that have died. Please hold them, and us, in your care. Encourage us to hope in your resurrection promise, and until then, help us to recall the ways their lives inspire our faith in you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord: Amen.

Even as National Election Day on Nov. 5, 2024, approaches and beyond, our congregations, synods, rostered leaders, ELCA-affiliated state public policy offices and members are guided by faith to acts of non-partisan civic engagement. Thank you for sharing your local activity in previous months with others through this ELCA Advocacy Blog post.

There are still new things to highlight and refresh.

RESOURCE HIGHLIGHTS | HEIGHTENED CONCERNS | FAITHFUL INSISTENCE | ACTIVATORS

 

RESOURCE HIGHLIGHTS

📌 “Sacred Crossroads: The Intersection of Faith and Immigration in the 2024 Election” was made available by ELCA AMMPARO in October 2024. Use this nonpartisan resource to explore key facts about immigration (one of the most important issues informing the upcoming U.S. national election) and reflect on how Christian values compel us to pursue justice, help the oppressed, promote human dignity and human flourishing, and pray for a government that serves all neighbors.

📌 The ELCA maintains a new resource page at ELCA.org/civicengagement, “Faith in Action: Our Call to Civic Engagement During the 2024 Election,” which includes videos from the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, ELCA presiding bishop; Living Lutheran articles; ELCA advocacy resources and more.

📌 “Guía de compromiso cívico de la ELCA” is available – the “ELCA Civic Engagement Guide” in Spanish.

 

HEIGHTENED CONCERNS

In the closing days of the election season through the presidential inauguration, anxiety surfaces frequently around possible reactions to the presidential election outcome. As spoken in the video ELCA Advocacy: Set free to do justice, “Our commitment to every human being and [creation] that Jesus cared about doesn’t sway with one election or another. Those values remain constant.” Yet facing concerns may be happening in your locality.

📌 The Episcopal Church has prepared an “Addressing Political Violence” page, which encourages: “we can prepare by being familiar with the threats of political violence, practicing de-escalation in tense moments, and having a response ready to share with your community if political violence continues.”

📌 An “Elections Dashboard” is maintained by the organization National Task Force on Election Crises which compiles election-related developments. Clicking on your state or searching other keywords can be a helpful, sourced current information.

📌 LifeAfterHate.org offers resources affiliated with envisioning a safer society in which compassion and accountability enable change.

📌 In multiple languages, Election Protection hotlines are staffed through the national, nonpartisan Election Protection coalition information and assistance at all stages of voting – from registration to absentee and early voting, to casting a vote at the polls, to overcoming obstacles to their participation.

 

FAITHFUL INSISTENCE

📌 “Worship Resources for a National Election” includes new elements from ELCA Worship.

📌 Ideas as we come together in prayer are available from many sources, including “Election Season Prayers” from the Kansas Interfaith Action in the ELCA-affiliated state public policy office network.

📌 With proximity to the Capitol in Washington, D.C. and a faithful focus, the ELCA Metro D.C. Synod held a Pre-election Prayer Service at Lutheran Church of the Reformation. Many ELCA congregations are hosting vigils and similar reflection times.

📌 Commitment to see one another as neighbors include member or faith community initiatives like Love Anyway Feasts and stepping forward with aims at “Addressing Polarization and Building Cohesion in Your Community” like those described in the blog post among others.

 

ACTIVATORS

Thank you to the nearly 300 of us who were part of the ELCA Election Activator Network, including many who participated in support and resourcing non-partisan civic engagement as people of faith. As Activators, you have made a difference in your localities and inspired others – and will continue to do so.

🔎 Some of the resource which had previously been referenced include the “Resources & Reflections” below.

 

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RESOURCES & REFLECTIONS

“Creating Space for Conversations: Resources and Inspirations for Reaching Common Ground“ – ELCA Grand Canyon Synod (shared 5/21/24)

🔎In response to the turbulent times we face and the heartbreaking events that have transpired recently, we are creating this special section on our site devoted to promoting understanding, dialogue, and unit. Whether you are seeking guidance on how to approach sensitive topics, or looking for ways to connect with others across divides, this page will be your go-to source.

“Fair Wisconsin Maps“ – Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (recorded 4/6/24)

🔎 What the heck just happened with Wisconsin maps? was among questions posed in this “Wednesday Noon Live” interview in a state with maps WUWM reported were “recognized as among the most gerrymandered in the country.”

“Solveig’s Day as a Poll Monitor” – Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona – authored by Solveig Muus, director (originally posted 3/19/24)

🔎 “I was to observe whether the polls opened on time, whether there was adequate parking, adequate signage, easy access for voters with disabilities, ensure voters people are receiving provisional ballots if indicated, ensure any activists stayed outside the 75-foot perimeter, answer questions, etc. I received another quizzical look…”

“Autumn’s Day as a Greeter” – Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona – authored by Autumn Byars, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow (originally posted 3/19/24)

🔎“My job today was not to proselytize or advertise our services, but by volunteering at our welcome cart and offering refreshments to all our voters, I had the privilege of representing our congregation to the outside world— which is always a good opportunity.”

“In a pivotal state, ways to serve our neighbor in an election year“ – Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (originally posted 2/29/24)

🔎Facing “overwhelmed or inexperienced county elections officials” in the state, through love of neighbors we can “step up… We encourage anyone of good will, but especially our eligible teens and young adults, to get trained and serve as official poll workers on Election Day.” Offering our facilities as polling sites if needed in its neighborhood also “can be a big service to our communities.”

 

 

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BLOG PAGE LAUNCH DATE: Mar. 15, 2024

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in the ELCA Advocacy Network this month. Full list and map of sppos available.

UN | ARIZONA | COLORADO |MINNESOTA | OHIO | PENNSYLVANIA | TEXAS | VIRGINIA | WISCONSIN

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y. – ELCA.org/lowc
Christine Mangale, Director

Summit of the Future/Pact for the Future: Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) was a strong presence at the Summit of the Future, which occurred in September, where a Pact for the Future was produced. The Pact for the Future outlines a roadmap for global collaboration in six key areas: Global Governance and Multilateralism Reform, Climate Action and Sustainability, Digital Governance and Innovation, Peace and Security, Equity and Social Justice, Financing for Development. LOWC hosted from the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) the General Secretary Rev. Dr. Anne Burghardt, Head of Advocacy Isaiah Toroitich, and Head of Communications Arni Danielsson, as well as from the ELCA the Executive for the Service and Justice Home Area Rev. Khader El-Yateem, Senior Director of Witness in Society Rev. Amy Reumann and a representative from the ELCA office of the Presiding Bishop Kristen Opalinski.

LOWC, LWF and other ELCA staff were well-represented at several events, including “Interfaith Youth Responses to the Century’s Biggest Challenges: Faith Based Contributions to the Summit of the Future” (Lutheran Delegate Speaker: Rev Amy Reumann), “Migration for the Future” ( Lutheran Delegate Speaker: Rev. Khader El-Yateem), ”Toward Transformative Peace: A Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Transformative Peace” (Lutheran Delegate Speakers: Rev. Dr. Anne Burghardt & Rev. Khader El-Yateem), as well as Jazz Vespers and more.

The ELCA has invested heavily in both programs and advocacy that work towards common aims that we share with the Pact. Faith based organizations, including the LWF and ELCA, have a critical role to play in this work, not the least of which is to inspire hope for a more dignified and right’s-based future. The Pact of the Future is a politically binding (non-legally binding) agreement. This means that it will take civil society, including LWF and ELCA, to hold states accountable to their commitments.

 

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona – lamaz.org
Solveig Muus, Director

Voter Engagement: As part of our congregational engagement work around voting, we’re promoting voter registration and tracking, election monitoring, early voting, and plenty of prayer. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) developed a Voter Guide to help faithful voters as they consider Arizona’s 13 ballot propositions.

In addition, LAMA produced a series of video clips featuring people of faith expressing their feelings about the upcoming election. Filmed at the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans, these 90-second clips can be an excellent resource for congregations. For easy sharing in your own social media channels, you can find them on LAMA’s Facebook page or YouTube.

Video #1: Does your faith influence your political opinion?
• Taina Diaz-Reyes, Savannah Jorgensen, Dcn. Becca and Addison Graf.

Video #2: Is voting important to you?
• Rep. Lindsay James (D-Iowa), Pastor Khader El-Yateem, Rev. Ismael Calderón and Whitney Apel.

Video #3: How can people with differing opinions work together during election season?
• Silas Kulkarni, Giovana Oaxaca and Frances J. Dobbs.

Video #4: What is your advice for someone who is on the fence about voting?
• Rev. Evie Landrau, Rev. Amy Reumann and Cathy Jacobs.

Video #5: Why should Lutherans vote?
• Will Milner, Zaya Gilmer and Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

Video #6: Do you think you would vote differently if you weren’t a person of faith?
• Caroline Graff, Ethan Roberts and Autumn Byars.

Video #7: What are your hopes post-election?
• Kayla Zopfi, Maya Goehner, Alexandra Murcia and Samantha Boyer.

 

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado – lam-co.org 
Peter Severson, Director

LAM-CO VOTER GUIDE RELEASED: Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado (LAM-CO) has released our 2024 Voter Guide. This year, Coloradans have fourteen ballot measures to consider on their statewide ballot. That’s not even including any local measures! It’s a lot to take in, but our Voter Guide is here to help. We’ve distilled all the measures into an easy at-a-glance table, with brief analysis and summaries of everything you’ll see.

We also have taken positions on four of these ballot measures:

• NO on Prop 128, Parole Eligibility: This measure extends the length of time people must be incarcerated before being eligible for parole while removing incentives like earned time for good behavior. It’s overly punitive, expensive, and offers no net public safety benefit.

• YES on Prop JJ, Retain Sports Betting Revenue: Colorado should be able to keep the revenue it’s collected from sports betting to support water infrastructure and projects. If this measure fails, “excess” tax revenue will be refunded to casinos.

• YES on Amendment I, Bail Exemption: For public safety and with care and consideration for victim families, we should restore the bail exemption for persons arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder with evident proof and/or a greater degree of presumption.

• YES on Amendment J, Remove Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: Same-sex marriage became legal de facto in Colorado in 2014, and this would remove old constitutional language. The ELCA’s social statement Human Sexuality uplifts marriage as the highest context for trust and mutuality in human relationships, and nearly 15,000 married same-sex couples now reside in Colorado.

 

Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota – lutheranadvocacymn.org
Tammy K. Walhof, Director

Hunger Advocacy Fellow: Lutheran Advocacy-MN (LA-MN) welcomed Jake Summerville in September. He is already a very valuable part of the LA-MN team, creating election materials (see below) and providing leadership in recruitment of Poll Workers. Jake comes to LA-MN with several years’ experience in youth ministry, a seminary degree (plans to be ordained as Deacon), and a background in communications.

Election Materials & Recruitment: LA-MN created election resources in the form of fliers/posters, postcards, and stickers for synods and congregations to use (available here). LA-MN also sent poll worker recruitment information to 169 churches in Greater Minnesota, and many more in the two Metro Area synods.

Graceful Conversations: A 1.5 hour workshop Tammy developed almost 10 years ago has been turned into a 5 session workshop series with videos, worksheets, and facilitator guide with the help of Rev. Emily Meyer (Director, Ministry Lab). Instead of teaching how to be and act, it now helps develop skills to make Graceful Conversation and Action part of our core being. This series doesn’t negate the value of other trainings (Braver Angels) but uses a faith lens and is meant to have a shelf life far beyond our current contentious election cycle. (Available here).

Out & About: In addition to finishing Graceful Conversations and welcoming Jake, Tammy attended a screening of the Plastic People documentary, participated in a Synod Theological Event (short presentation & display), and played a key role in a synod/region event celebrating the 50th Anniversary of ELCA World Hunger (Poverty Simulation, 2 workshops, & display).

 

Hunger Network in Ohio – hungernetohio.com
Deacon Nick Bates, Director

To End Hunger in Ohio, We Must End Gerrymandering:
The Hunger Network continues to talk with community groups and congregations on the importance of a YES VOTE on State Issue 1. State issue 1 will create a 15 member citizens commission – 5 democrats, 5 republicans, and 5 independents – to oversee the drawing of legislative maps. Sadly, our current process is marred and bi-partisan courts have declared our current maps are unconstitutional multiple times. The new process will create a way to avoid conflict of interest that hurts our democracy. When elected officials are accountable to the public, we can guide them towards prioritizing their communities and not special interests.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Annual Celebration: Nov. 10 3:30 All Saints Lutheran Church
Advocacy in Advent: Dec. 10 at the Ohio Statehouse

 

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Pennsylvania – lutheranadvocacypa.org 
Tracey DePasquale, Director

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) continued equipping disciples for peacebuilding and faithful civic engagement in September-October. Working with Common Ground – USA, LAMPa offered webinars on digital peacebuilding, active listening , difficult conversations and managing conflict. Find recordings and links to resources. LAMPa activated our election support network to share accurate information, respond to needs of elections officials, and prepare to defend vulnerable communities or address attempts to undermine elections. Nearly 350 people received daily devotions through LAMPa’s 40-day Reflections Before an Election.

LAMPa Director Tracey DePasquale joined Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) Synod in the launch of their Love Revolution initiative. We look forward to accompanying congregations as they live into God’s call to love our neighbors.

The Rev. Erin Jones, LAMPa Communications and Advocacy Engagement Manager, attended the annual In God’s Image gathering in Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, helping to lead an advocacy workshop there and sharing LAMPa’s legislative efforts to advance equality and oppose discrimination and hate.

LAMPa was thrilled to announce recipients of the Isaiah 58:12 fellowship, supported by the inaugural Jackie Maddox Racial Justice Grant, as they began a year of transformative learning in their communities.

In the final weeks of the legislative session, LAMPa advocates pressed their senators to protect health care in Pennsylvania by strengthening reviews of proposed hospital and health system mergers.

DePasquale joined the task force working on the new social statement on civic life and faith in Chicago as they reviewed feedback on the draft statement.

 

Texas Impact – texasimpact.org 
Scott Atnip, Director of Public Witness

The Texas Impact Board of Directors recently released their biennial legislative agenda, entitled “Free, Safe, and Flourishing: A Faithful Agenda for Texas.”

Texas Impact is coordinating a Houston Faith Votes cohort to engage in civic engagement work to demonstrate the impact congregations can have in engaging voters. The fifteen congregations are joining with many other congregations using Texas Faith Votes resources.

Congregations are participating in the Vidas Robadas (Stolen Lives) displays, displaying the names of victims of gun violence on t-shirts.

An increasing number of congregations are signing up to participate in Texas Impact’s Courts and Ports program, traveling to the Texas-Mexico Border to experience public policy issues being lived out on the border.

Finally, the Weekly Witness podcast continues, and we were fortunate to have Robert Rivera, Vice President of the Synod Council of the Gulf Coast Synod, join the program to discuss immigration issues.

 

Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy – virginiainterfaithcenter.org
Kim Bobo, Co-Executive Director

October has been an especially busy month for the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. The organization finished the last of five regional celebrations that honored legislators, volunteers, and congregations. It hosted three Faith and Housing workshops around the state helping congregations learn how they might use their buildings or land for affordable housing. The organization also held its first Interfaith Souls to the Polls event encouraging congregations to caravan to Sunday polling locations for early voting. Registration opened for the organization’s annual lobby day, which will be Jan. 15, 2025 in Richmond. Register here: https://virginiainterfaithcenter.org/day-for-all-people-2025/

 

Lutheran Office for Public Policy – Wisconsin – loppw.org
Rev. Cindy Crane, Director

Wednesday Noon Live: We had two interviews on the first Wednesday of October rather than our usual single interview for Wednesday Noon Live, because of the significance of the upcoming election.

 

We need poll workers! Hear from Delaney Zimmer, Voter Services Coordinator at the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin.

 

Watch for misinformation (intentional and unintentional), know where to check out the facts about the voting process. In addition, learn about important details about absentee ballots. Hear from Riley Vetterkind, Public Information Officer at the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

 

Congratulations to the La Crosse Area Synod on their ComFest for confirmation students! There were meaningful speakers and a lot of activities. Many took the advocacy quiz and posted their advocacy interests at the Lutheran Office for Public Policy – Wisconsin (LOPPW) table.

 

 

 

Additional Activities Engaging with the Church: Between mid-September and mid-October, LOPPW’s director also led three workshops on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his context, one workshop on human trafficking, one workshop on advocacy, and one on the draft social statement on Civic Life and Faith. We also broadly advertised the showing of the film, “Bad Faith” about Christian Nationalism, which was attended by several ELCA members beyond and around the state.

LOPPW hosted the Raise the Age Coalition (returning 17-year-old youth to the juvenile justice system) annual strategy planning meeting in October. We will regroup after the elections as well as meet with the entire coalition soon.