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El Salvador... stealing our hearts once again [El Salvador Thrivent Builds 2012]

The Thrivent Builds Teams have arrived safely at our hotel at Apaneca and are anxious to start our week of service work tomorrow! We worshiped at Bishop Gomez's church in San Salvador this morning,...

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No Dumb Questions [Devotional]

Then the Jews began to complain about Jesus because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." They were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How...

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Building Tomorrows [El Salvador Thrivent Builds 2012]

Here we are, nearing the middle of our week in El Salvador, and no one is talking about leaving. Instead the conversations center on our work in the Getsemani community: how high the bricks are...

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Community as we see it [El Salvador Thrivent Builds 2012]

Today we felt the effects of Hurricane Ernesto as rain pelted the roof of the Gethsemane Community Center during our lunch hour and into the afternoon. We were reminded of El Salvadoran flexibility,...

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A House for Milagro - submitted by Jerry Paulson [El Salvador Thrivent Builds...

Wednesday, August 8, 2012 We are in day three of our five day build. Our seven member multi-generational team is working together on a house for Milagro and her three children, Claudia (17), Benjamin...

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Serving God with Zeal... and Playing Soccer [El Salvador Thrivent Builds 2012]

Today proved there are some things that transcend language barriers: love, laughter, friendship, soccer and serving God. After a busy morning working on the houses, everyone gathered together for a...

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A Visit to San Pablo Church [El Salvador Thrivent Builds 2012]

On Thursday afternoon, Ruth, Melanie and I had the opportunity to visit the San Pablo church near Santa Ana. We left the Getsemani community accompanied by Tania, the project manager from the Habitat...

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Disparities [Devotional]

 ...he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. Luke 1:53 Bitter Grounds is a story of inequality and injustice, of resiliency and strength, following three generations of...

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Children of the World [Devotional]

There is a growing sense that ‘our’ world – which of course, actually belongs to God - has its place in the final scheme of things. This should be a source of joy to us. For much of Christian history,...

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Living Your Theology [Devotional]

Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you . . . —John 12:35 Beware of not acting upon what you see in your moments on the mountaintop with God. If you do not obey the light, it will...

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Back to School! [Devotional]

This morning when I was having my coffee the local news was showing first-day-of-school pictures that both grateful and anxious parents had sent in.  I also saw probably twenty facebook posts of the...

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Responsibility [Devotional]

Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, "What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care...

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Balance [Devotional]

Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy.  Leviticus 5:12 Healthy Practices for Practicing Balance by David Edman Gray (from Albin Institute, link from  Live Well ELCA facebook page) Achieving a...

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The Parable of the Good Samaritan: Learning About Our Malaria Work [Devotional]

  A Global Community Gathered by Christ: From Stranger to Neighbor Through our malaria work, the people of the ELCA join the global movement to diminish deaths due to malaria in Africa by 2015....

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Why go to church? [Devotional]

I spent last week on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai with my husband.  We were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary.  We had a wonderful week on the beach in the sun.  On Tuesday, we had the special...

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What happened on Sunday [Devotional]

There weren't very many people in church on Sunday, so I though I would share my sermon.  Blessings on your week, Pastor Carrie The Highest Places of Honor James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came up to...

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Hope Heals [Devotional]

     In the realm of human experience, death seems to be the one thing that has the power to make us feel powerless.  Whether it is the end of a physical life or the end of a situation which has meant...

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Would Jesus Vote? [Devotional]

Choose for each of your tribes individuals who are wise, discerning, and reputable to be your leaders." (Deuteronomy 1:13) While listening to the last (thanks be to God!) of the election coverage on...

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Armistice/Veterans Day [Devotional]

Today in honor of Veteran's Day, I share with you a letter from Bishop Anne Svennungsen, Minneapolis Area Synod ELCA Psalm 91 Assurance of God's Protection You who live in the shelter of the Most...

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Giving thanks? [Devotional]

It is the week of Thanksgiving.  A time to give thanks for sure, but this week I am thinking of and praying for at least five of my friends who have lost loved ones in the past two months.  How do we...

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Waiting for the Light [Devotional]

But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness,...

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Advent in 2 Minutes [Devotional]

The fun and informative video below comes from the creative folks at Busted Halo, a Roman Catholic (Paulist) group that seeks encourage and support Christians of all ages with the depth of faith. It...

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'holy catholic church' [Devotional]

I am often asked why we confess belief in the holy catholic church during our confession of our faith in the ancient words of the Apostles' Creed.  The article below by WINSTON D. PERSAUD, from The...

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Bendecida Navidad [Devotional]

This busy week before Christmas, I share with you the Christmas greetings from our partners in mission in Argentina: San Pablo Congregation and Emanuel Mission, San Miguel, Buenos Aries, Argentina....

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Epiphany: A Dangerous Journey [Devotional]

Epiphany: A Dangerous Journey Ruth Haley Barton | eReflections Lectionary readings:  Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12 This Sunday officially marks the end of the...

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Pure in Heart [Devotional]

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Ps 51:10   Pure in Heart   If you're honest with yourself, you'll probably admit that you care what other people think...

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Inaguration Week Food for Thought [Devotional]

Food for thought in the week following the Second Inaugural Address of President Obama.    Abraham Lincoln used his Second Inaugural Address  - often called his greatest speech - to touch on the...

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Temptation [Devotional]

 My child, when you come forward to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for temptation. —Sirach 2:1 Don’t tempt me. We usually say these words facetiously—as in “Don’t put that 1,400-calorie piece of...

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Lent: A Season of Returning [Devotional]

Scripture for Ash Wednesday: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Psalm 51:1-17; II Corinthians 5:20-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 “‘And yet even now,’ says the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart . . .’” —Joel 2:12...

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Self Denial: Setting Our Minds on Things Above [Devotional]

Come my heart says, “Seek his face!”  Your face, Lord, do I seek.     —Psalm 27:8 Most years I don’t feel quite ready for Lent with all its demands and disciplines—especially the call to self-denial...

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Repentance: Cleaning Our Messy House [Devotional]

Lectionary Readings for Third Sunday in Lent Isaiah 55:1-9; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9 Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let us return to the...

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Interim Time [Devotional]

It was March 4 yesterday and here in Minnesota we still have four to six inches of snow on the ground. But temps have been above zero for a week or so and more importantly – or at least more inspiring...

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Suffering: Dying That We Might Live [Devotional]

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”...

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Her Extravagant Holiness: Reflections on John 12:1-8 [Devotional]

Her Extravagant Holiness: Reflections on John 12:1-8In anointing Jesus' feet with expensive oil, Mary teaches us a simple message about extravagant holiness.By Alyce M. McKenzie, March 10, 2013Six...

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What can seperate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus? [Devotional]

Reflection on John 13: 1-17, 31b-35 What is it that makes us worthy to receive the love and grace-filled forgiveness that God provides?  Who do we have to be in order to be one of Jesus’ disciples in...

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2013 Easter Message from The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA Presiding Bishop...

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,Easter. It is about more than an open tomb. It is the good news of the risen Christ who opens lives.Think about Jesus' friends after his death. Their lives were...

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Why Don?t We Read the Bible More? [Devotional]

Now that "the holidays," Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and Easter, are over for this season, we're looking ahead to our next program year.  We've decided as a staff that it would be well and...

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"Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name..." [Devotional]

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…”In the Lenten devotional, 40 Days with the Lord’s Prayer, Henry French reminds us of the importance of the little words that we find in the bible. Take a...

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Your Will Be Done [Devotional]

"With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?  Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with...

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God's economy [Devotional]

This week, Carla Thompson Powell, pastor of Salem Lutheran Church on Chicago's South Side, reminds us of God's grace-filled economy. She and her husband, Darryl, also an ELCA pastor, have three kids...

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faith reflections: our mothering god [Devotional]

Café is an online magazine for young adult women who identify as Lutheran or not.  The following faith reflection was contributed by The Rev. Angela T. Khabeb I just got back from the dentist with our...

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Scattered and Gathered [Devotional]

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba!...

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Pentecost is the season of the Holy Spirit [Devotional]

Yesterday was the day of Pentecost, and now we begin the long season in the church year which is sometimes called "ordinary time." But Pentecost is far from ordinary.  It is the season of the Holy...

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Sleeping Through Storms: Rethinking Theodicy, Natural Disasters and God?s...

(adapted from an article written on May 28, 2013 By David R. Henson) God is not all-powerful.At least, not in the ways we tend to define power.For us, power means that we get our way, that we can...

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A Rainy Day Psalm [Devotional]

A Rainy Day Psalm(from Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim: A Personal Manual for Ritual and Prayer by Edward Hayes)I greet you, Pilgrim Rain, mystic, ancient traveler,       visiting me today, washing...

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A Vote of Confidence [Devotional]

Something to think and pray about this weekThe Jesus of the gospels was always surprising people. He constantly cut across expectations. He was never dull or bland. Someone recently expressed this...

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Rules for the New Life [Devotional]

So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make...

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Planting Season [Devotional]

Mary stood weeping outside the empty tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the...

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To Forgive? [Devotional]

Something to think and pray about this weekAnd forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. Luke 11:4Wanting to ForgiveIf I refuse absolutely even to want to forgive, I...

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Another Royal Birth [Devotional]

A facebook friend of mine posted this status today, referring to the future king born this week in England.  "Am I the only one who doesn't really care about his royal highchairness?And then, at our...

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