—by Laurie A. Jungling Several months ago, some members of my congregation gave me a T-shirt that read, “Prays well with others.” I love the T-shirt, but every time I read that phrase, I wonder: Do I pray well with others? Do I pray well alone? What does it mean to pray “well”? Should I […]
—by Christa von Zychlin Who’s ever heard of the strong, strangely-named Zelophehad sisters: Mahlah, Noa, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah (see Numbers 27:1-8)? Who could possibly wring laughter and empowerment from Tamar’s story (2 Samuel 13:1-22), along with deep, visceral anger? Who would dare declare that God sometimes speaks in a woman’s voice—smack in the middle […]
By Gwen Sayler— To say that we live in anxious times is an understatement. Harsh rhetoric fills our airways, and violent actions our news—often pitting one religion against another or elevating one religion above others. How are we called to respond? Scriptural stories of sibling relationships and rivalries offer helpful resources in our quest to […]
by Laurie A. Jungling— Reading the Bible is a big deal. Whether we’re reading it alone or in community, whether we’re hearing it in worship, engaging in group Bible study or doing personal daily devotions, reading the Bible is important for our relationships with God, neighbors and ourselves. The Bible is the primary way God’s […]
by Meghan Johnston Aelabouni— In the last few weeks of my grandmother’s life, while she was still alert enough to talk with us, she started recalling old memories: her childhood in New Jersey, seeing the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall and a certain snowy night she spent during World War II decorating the church […]
by Cara Strickland— I have never been beaten and left on the side of the road. But I have been hurt, finding myself in need of both practical and emotional help. In my experience, it’s rarely the people I expect to be able to count on who come to my aid. Like the man on […]
by Martha Stortz— Do you remember playing with Russian dolls, those precisely nested toys shaped like bowling pins and painted in bright colors? The largest doll opens to reveal a smaller doll. That doll opens to another. And another. And yet another. Until finally a family of dolls gathers in front of you, smiling happily […]
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 combatting common misinterpretations of Judaism, identifying areas of potential cooperation and fostering […]
by Karen G. Bockelman— Blessed Lord God, you have caused the holy scriptures to be written for the nourishment of your people. Grant that we may hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them, that, comforted by your promises, we may embrace and forever hold fast to the hope of eternal life, which you […]
by Anna Madsen— I’m not saying that I’ve had a lot of “aha” moments in life, but here’s one that happened for sure: My late mentor and professor, Walter Bouman, taught us that the key for some sort of understanding of “Holy Spirit” might be less “Spirit” and more “Holy.” Spirit, he said, is a […]
