From almost the very beginning of our children’s lives, we invite them to make art: crayons, markers, paints and so many pieces of paper. When they get older, we encourage other kinds of creativity, whether in music, dance, writing or something else entirely. Catherine Ricketts’ new book The Mother Artist: Portraits of Ambition, Limitation, and Creativity (Broadleaf Books, 2024) uses her own story and those of other artists who are mothers to explore what art can look like when it’s not only created by the child but by the parent as well. Readers who have felt the tension between their own cr ..read more

Every day, Living Lutheran offers a prayer from the ELCA resource Prayer ventures, which can be downloaded here. These daily petitions are offered as a guide for your own prayer life as together we pray for the needs of the world and give thanks for the ministries of our church. Friday, May 10 We pray for the leaders, voting members and others gathering for the assembly of the Saint Paul Area Synod, that the Spirit will strengthen, guide and inspire them as they reflect on the mission of the church, choose leaders and encourage one another to proclaim the gospel and serve our neighbors i ..read more

In May we celebrate National Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The ELCA’s Asian and Pacific Islander Ministries, in conjunction with the Minneapolis Area Synod, the Saint Paul Area Synod and their Asian and Pacific Islander (API) leaders, will host a four-person panel on May 23 at 7 p.m. to discuss the joys and challenges of being API. The panel will be livestreamed on Zoom; log in by clicking here. For more information about this event contact: Pastor Jenn Luong. To learn more, visit:  Asian and Pacific Islander – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (elca.org) and ..read more

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Every day, Living Lutheran offers a prayer from the ELCA resource Prayer ventures, which can be downloaded here. These daily petitions are offered as a guide for your own prayer life as together we pray for the needs of the world and give thanks for the ministries of our church. Thursday, May 9 We remember in prayer our neighbors in Haiti, who yearn for peace, safety and hope amid persistent suffering and violence. We ask the Spirit to guide us as unwavering advocates for the peace and relief of our neighbors and siblings in Christ. The post Prayer ventures: May 9 appeared first on Livin ..read more

Focal verse “The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore” (Psalm 121:8). Reflection The season of the open door is upon us. With warmer temperatures and longer daylight hours, my children are in and out of our house. They take to the yard for a soccer game or run across the street to the park. My son heads to play with the neighbor and my daughter rides her bike around the block. They come back in for snacks and water. Their voices echo: Can we go to the playground? Watch me swing? Can I go to my friend’s house? Each time the door opens and they burs ..read more

Every day, Living Lutheran offers a prayer from the ELCA resource Prayer ventures, which can be downloaded here. These daily petitions are offered as a guide for your own prayer life as together we pray for the needs of the world and give thanks for the ministries of our church. Wednesday, May 8 We give thanks for the creative gifts of church musicians and music ministry leaders, who enrich the worship experience in our congregations and help us express to God our joy, concerns and praise. The post Prayer ventures: May 8 appeared first on Living Lutheran ..read more

Susan J. Briner, Seguin, Texas, was reelected May 5 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Southwestern Texas Synod. The election was held during the synod assembly, May 3-5, at the Omni Hotel in Corpus Christi, Texas. Briner was reelected on the fifth ballot, with 146 votes. Michael C. Coffey,  interim pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Brenham, Texas, received 104 votes. Briner was elected bishop of the Southwestern Texas Synod in 2018. She previously served as a bishop’s associate in the synod (2012 to 2018) and as pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Summerville, S.C. (2003 to 2 ..read more

Michael Osterholm is a world-renowned epidemiologist. He has served on President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 transition advisory board, as science envoy for health security on behalf of the U.S. Department of State from 2018 to 2019, and as Minnesota’s state epidemiologist from 1984 to 1999. He’s also a Lutheran. A member of Edina (Minn.) Community Lutheran Church, Osterholm serves on the board of regents for Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, people around the world relied on his ability to distill complex and daunting public health concerns into helpful and ..read more

Every day, Living Lutheran offers a prayer from the ELCA resource Prayer ventures, which can be downloaded here. These daily petitions are offered as a guide for your own prayer life as together we pray for the needs of the world and give thanks for the ministries of our church. Tuesday, May 7 We pray that our love for God will move us to seek God’s ways, wisdom and commandments, which exist for the benefit of all humanity. The post Prayer ventures: May 7 appeared first on Living Lutheran ..read more