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Winter 2027: A two-part Bible study by the Rev. Heidi Haverkamp
Description to come
Winter/Spring 2024: “Scripture and nature: Teachers of faith” by the Rev. Sara Olson-Smith
Jesus regularly invokes nature in his teaching, drawing us into deeper relationship with the created world. But it’s not just Jesus inviting us to see creation as teacher and kin. The scriptures themselves help us see the important role of the created world in God’s...
Listening to loneliness
I didn’t grow up deprived of opportunities to make friends. I had a loving family. I enjoyed playing with my little brother. Still, I always felt like I was missing something. Whenever a house went up for sale on our block, I would pray that a little girl would move...
2023 Advent devotional: “Topsy-turvy” by the Rev. Hannah Hawkinson
In her song, Mary, the mother of Jesus, praises God for turning the world upside down--or perhaps, turning the world right-side-up! Gather's annual Advent devotional focuses on the Magnificat song of Mary (see Luke 1:46b-55), as well as parallel topsy-turvy stories of...
Fall 2023 “Holy Places” Bible study video supplement Session 3
Holy places: Pilgrimage Pilgrimage, a journey to a sacred place, is a spiritual practice with a long history in Christianity (and many other religions). In the Bible, pilgrimage is not only about the destination, but also about the “holy place” of the journey itself....
Fall 2023 “Holy Places” Bible study video supplement Session 2
Holy places: Sanctuary For thousands of years, physical spaces have been set apart for individual prayer and community worship. “Sanctuary” is one word for such spaces. Throughout history, “sanctuary” has also referred to spaces of safety and refuge. If God is...
Fall 2023 “Holy Places” Bible study video supplement Session 1
Holy places: Home Home can be the place we lay our head and the people we call family. Home can be our community or homeland. Home is also found wherever we truly and fully belong. This month, we consider the complexity and the promise of “home” through the...
Summer 2023 “Salvation Now!” Bible study video supplement Session 3
Needed Salvation Now—A World Wanting Wellness Anyone who’s been to a sports game knows John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Lesser known is John 3:17, which...
Summer 2023 “Salvation now!” Bible study video supplement Session 2
Tangible Salvation Now—Christians Bringing Wellness Following Jesus means expressing our solidarity with Jesus and his mission, in all we do. Because Jesus is the bringer of salvation, in his name, so, too, are we. Where there are wounds and brokenness, we are called...
Summer 2023 “Salvation now!” Bible study video supplement Session 1
This June, we travel overseas to join the Rev. Dr. Anna Madsen, author of the Summer 2023 “Salvation now” Gather Bible study. Dr. Madsen takes us on a walking tour of Regensburg, Germany, where she lived from 1999 to 2004, sharing various legends and sites of interest...
May 2023: Video Supplement to “Love in action: The art of intergenerational hospitality”
In writing to the Romans, Paul advised this early Christian community: “For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.” Yet when it...
Winter 2023 “The Ten Commandments” Bible study video supplement Session 4
Guardrails for love of God and neighbor In this fourth and final session, we will consider sayings from Proverbs and other biblical wisdom related to minding our tongues, integrity in the marketplace, and practical ways to serve our neighbors.
Winter 2023: “The Ten Commandments” Bible study video supplement Session 3
Sanctity of life and love In our third session, we will review some of the major murders of the Bible. We’ll also delve into the scriptural witness to the spirituality of sex and the covenant of marriage.
When we know better, we do better
A while back, one of my children was struggling with some behaviors that I thought might indicate a mental health issue. It created a challenging situation at home; it upset our daily life. I didn’t know where to turn. First, I talked to his elementary school teacher....
Winter 2023 “The Ten Commandments” Bible study video supplement Session 2
Rhythms and respect Some might say the Old Testament commands Remember the Sabbath and Honor Your Folks seem outdated and quaint. After all, didn’t Jesus routinely break the Sabbath? Didn’t Jesus (on occasion) talk back to his mother? Yet these commandments are far...
10 ways to manage your mental health
Felicia Houston, mental health specialist with ELCA-affiliated Advocate Health Care, Chicago, offers tips on how to manage your mental health. “Taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body,” she says. “Protect your mental and emotional...
10 ways to manage your mental health
1. Eat healthy meals on a regular basis. Stay hydrated. By eating healthy foods that are full of vital nutrients, you can increase your overall wellbeing and decrease anxiety and stress.2. Get moving. Staying active is as good for the brain as it is for the body....
Winter 2023 “The Ten Commandments” Bible study video supplement Session 1
Dancing the Decalogue Psalm 19 claims, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” Joy and romance may not be the first images that come to mind when we think of the Ten Commandments. However, a close reading of the first several commandments opens us to a...