As you make final preparations for the festivals of Pentecost and/or Holy Trinity, I commend to you the Lutheran-Orthodox Joint Statement on the Filioque: A Study Guide from the ELCA. In addition to history, theology, and a Bible Study, the resource contains suggestions for hymns and language for liturgy.
Wellspring of God's Love from Bishop Meggan Manlove
Time For Stories
Stories and storytelling can be tools for so many facets of ministry. Stories can help people heal from wounds, even trauma. Stories can help with financial stewardship. Stories can help us teach lessons or learn. Stories can be incorporated into the proclamation of the gospel. Stories can help us build new relationships and strengthen old relationships. Stories can give us hope and help us in imparting hope. Stories invite us to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
Grief and Gratitude
My deepest gratitude comes from the well of faith, sometimes my own and sometimes the faith of another human. Memory is powerful--memories of and stories about God who is faithful, who keeps showing up with grace and mercy for the entire world. The psalmist’s words become my own again, “I trust in your unfailing love…I will sing to the Lord, who has dealt with me richly.”
Caring for our Kids and Youth in this Chapter
Misinformation Targets Lutheran Organizations - Here is the Truth
On February 1, 2025, misinformation spread on X (formerly Twitter), falsely accusing Lutheran organizations of financial misconduct. A post from "General Mike Flynn" implied that Lutheran groups like Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service) and Lutheran Services in America receive excessive federal funding without transparency. Elon Musk then amplified the claim, suggesting that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a new government office under the Trump Administration, was shutting down "illegal payments."
See Bishop Eaton’s video.