History
Learn from these stories and reflections about our ancestors in the church and the bold witness of those who’ve come before us.
Serve, learn, grow: Make a difference this March
MARCH HAS ARRIVED. That means it’s time to celebrate women! Women’s History Month provides an opportunity to pause and reflect on the contributions women have made to our nation over time. And Bold Women’s Day, observed on the first Sunday in March, commemorates...
The hour is coming . . .
Jesus said it is now by Lindsay Hardman Freeman Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? John 4:11 SO SAYS THE SAMARITAN WOMAN—a skeptical, assertive, bright soul— who argues with Jesus as do few others in the Bible. Authentic...
A recipe for welcome
She escaped Saigon, found a home in Ohio and today teaches Sunday school in Texas. by Kathryn Haueisen HOURS BEFORE SAIGON FELL in April 1975, Eva Nguyen’s family crowded into the last C-130 cargo plane to airlift people out as the North Vietnamese approached the...
Sister Elisabeth Fedde brought God’s good news and mercy.
by Laura J. Gifford— The funny thing about angels is that we paint them as lovely and sweet, charming and even cherubic, yet whenever they appear in the Bible, their first words tend to be “Do not be afraid.” Sometimes we see artistic depictions of a fierce Gabriel or...
Let’s make time to celebrate
by Linda Post Bushkofsky— 2020 is quite the year of celebration! ELCA congregations are commemorating 50 years of Lutheran women being ordained in the U.S., 40 years of Lutheran women of color being ordained and 10 years of LGBTQIA+ individuals being able to serve...
From playing church to leading it: Fifty years of ordaining Lutheran women
by Anne Basye—Some girls play house. In the 1960s, Joan* played church. She would line her friends up on the sofa, set little glasses of cranberry juice in front of them and repeat the words she heard every week: “This is my body, given for you. This is my...
It’s something you live: An interview with Marilyn Nelson
Since the release of her first book in 1978, Marilyn Nelson has given voice to history. A three-time finalist for the National Book Award, she is an accomplished poet and children’s author, a professor emeritus of English at the University of Connecticut and a former...
Who would want a wreath of cotton?
by Venice R. Williams— All I was interested in were a few, small chalkboards for my farmers market displays. I had no idea that a brief shopping outing would evolve into a journey of healing when I entered the huge craft and home décor store. I did not grab a shopping...
Esther is an unlikely hero, but one we need
by Debbie Blue— While I love the VeggieTales version of the book of Esther, this biblical woman’s story is more R-rated comedy than child-appropriate. If you’re looking for a woman role model to include in the children’s Sunday school curriculum, Esther may not be the...
Symbols of the resurrection: The true story of the Easter egg
by Heidi Haverkamp— An egg doesn't seem like much. Small enough to sit snugly in your palm in a plain white or brown shell, available to buy in any grocery store, convenience store and even some gas stations, an egg is one of the most unassuming, common foods we know....
Celebrate women’s strength
by Linda Post Bushkofsky— It's a little thing, really. Every time I change a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer, I think of my mother. This thought connection goes back 40 years or so. I must have been a college freshman, home with a trimester of learning...
The work of repentance
—by Katrina Browne When I was in my late 20s, my grandmother revealed something to me about my ancestors. They were slave traders. The DeWolfs from Rhode Island sent ships to Africa. They sold people at auction. They did this throughout the Caribbean and the American...
Sainthood of sinners
—by Elizabeth Hunter We church people are flawed, stumbling, redeemed saints. But can we handle that fact? What do we do when our church has deeply hurt people or creation? Apologize? Admit that we’re missing something? In this final issue on the topic of repentance,...
Sojourner
by Sojourner White— Growing up with the name "Sojourner" is a lifelong ice-breaker. People say: “What a beautiful name! What does it mean?” Or “I love your name. Where have I heard it before?” I’ve come to embrace their questions. I’ll tell you what I tell them. My...
Our next of kin
by Cindy Novak— Jews and Christians have a unique bond—and are even described as being “siblings” and “next of kin” in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America resources. Since the 1960s, the ELCA and its predecessor church bodies have striven to nurture that bond by...
Getting to know Katharina von Bora
by Mary Helene Rasmussen Jackson— During my years researching the Reformation, I quickly learned that most people know three things about the event: Martin Luther had something to do with it; he pounded the 95 Theses (whatever they are!) on a church door; he married a...
Defined by hope
by Meghan Johnston Aelabouni Three friends sat together one day, reflecting on their lives and imagining their legacies. “At my funeral,” the first said, “I hope people say that I worked hard all my life and that I never let people down.” The second friend replied,...
Singing our faith
by Scott C. Weidler Worship is powerful—more powerful than we realize. As we gather around Jesus Christ, present in God’s word and the sacraments, to be sent out into the world, are we fully cognizant of our words, actions and songs—especially our songs? I can’t help...