About
Gather, the magazine of Women of the ELCA, offers a mix of articles, theological reflections, devotions and stories of comfort and challenge that help readers grow in faith and engage in ministry and action.
Purchase our award-winning Bible studies!
Gather has a selection of past Bible studies available for purchase from the ELCA e-store.
Join for free!
Sign-up for Gather’s free monthly e-newsletter and receive thought-provoking articles, online exclusives and bonus offers in your inbox!
Summer 2025: “Where two or more are gathered: Flourishing in relationships” by the Rev. Dr. Brooke Petersen
(June) Session One: Relationships that form us: All in the family Some of our most beloved Bible stories involve siblings and the trials and tribulations of relationships within families. We’ll examine the stories of Jacob and Esau, as well as Mary and Martha, while...
July 2025: “Where two or more are gathered: Flourishing in relationships” video supplement 2
Watch the video. (July) Session Two: Relationships that sustain us: Where you go, I will go One cannot get far in this life without encountering suffering. Loss, betrayal and tragedy show up in our own lives and in the lives of those we love. In this Bible study, we...
Dog days of summer
Shu-shu sprawls at my feet. She exudes a jolly, earthy grace. What a happy accident (or is it divine humor?) that “dog” is “god” spelled backwards! This dog keeps me in the now. This wasn’t my idea. She’s a 2020 COVID puppy. Our family had just moved to Albuquerque,...
Conflict and boundaries
One of the first words that toddlers learn is “No,” which I used to think this was a bad thing. After all, I’m more of a “yes” person. I want to be helpful. I want to be of service. I don’t want to let people down. I learned this in my family of origin. In some ways,...
And God saw Hagar
I did not expect to hear from the women seated in a makeshift tent at Arkoum refugee camp in eastern Chad, 43 miles from the Sudan border. On that 86-degree day last December, we met with several leaders of newly arrived Sudanese refugees. Many of these leaders were...
A priceless gift
In 1993, my husband and I moved from Southern California where I’d grown up to Berkeley, where I would begin graduate school. I was excited to be on this new adventure with the man who had been my high school sweetheart. We were off on our own, and anything was...