History

Learn from these stories and reflections about our ancestors in the church and the bold witness of those who’ve come before us.

Called to heal: The journey of Clara Maass

Called to heal: The journey of Clara Maass

Late-nineteenth century New Jersey could be a difficult place for a young woman from a poor German-immigrant household to gain a foothold. Clara Maass was the eldest daughter of a large, economically struggling family. She needed to work hard from an early age....

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Serve, learn, grow: Make a difference this March

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...

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The hour is coming . . .

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...

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A recipe for welcome

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...

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Let’s make time to celebrate

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...

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Who would want a wreath of cotton?

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...

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Esther is an unlikely hero, but one we need

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...

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Celebrate women’s strength

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...

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The work of repentance

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...

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Sainthood of sinners

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,...

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Sojourner

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...

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Our next of kin

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...

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Getting to know Katharina von Bora

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...

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Defined by hope

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,...

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