Jesus’ simple life, focus on what was most important, and trust in God to provide testify to his minimalist lifestyle. The minimalism movement offers that attending to what matters and eliminating things and ideas that distract can provide “meaning” to our lives. Pastor Becca Ehrlich of Philadelphia, author of the Christian Minimalism blog, writes in...

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Bishop Davenport and the Synod staff express their thanks to the Rev. Sue Lang for her significant work as Events Coordinator over the years. Pastor Lang chose to step away from this position in December to attend to other responsibilities. Pastor Lang is a gifted writer and a certified ELCA coach, and we trust that...

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Holy Closure of Grace – Norristown on January 12, 2020 Remembering in prayer the saints at Grace Lutheran Church – Norristown. Grace Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Lower Montgomery Conference, will hold their final worship service on Sunday, January 12, 2020 at 3 PM with Bishop Davenport presiding. Rostered ministers and members of the SEPA...

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The SEPA Anti-Racism Team will host the third in a four-part series of educational events for rostered and lay leaders on Feb. 8, 2020, 9 am to 5 pm, at the Brossman Center on the ULS Philadelphia campus. This part, Connection, examines how our (mis)perceptions of others can be due to a lack of connectiveness....

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The Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod’s Nominating Committee is asking for your help in identifying gifted and qualified persons, both clergy and lay, to serve as nominees for election at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod Assembly on May 1-2, 2020 Every year the Synod Assembly elects members of the Synod Council, which serves as “the board of directors...

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Elise Seyfried “felt strongly about emphasizing Jesus’ humanity” when she started her job as director of spiritual formation at Christ’s Lutheran Church, Oreland, in 2002. The congregation was used to a pageant featuring a pink, plastic baby Jesus. “I decided to take a chance and add an element of surprise: a real baby. A possibly...

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  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13       Beloved, “It’s about Jesus!” That was the theme for the ELCA’s exciting Congregational Vitality gathering this year. And it could...

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“Our Advent lectionary readings this year are a rich tapestry. In Matthew’s Gospel, we are swept up together in the comforting but challenging reality of the “already” and the “not yet.”” Read the full reflection In Living Lutheran, Angela T. Khabeb writes: “This thing called Christianity often beckons us to places we may not want...

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Through baptism, we are called to serve our neighbors and steward God’s good creation. As Lutherans, our attention turns to the policies that make a broader difference in our lives and the lives of our vulnerable neighbors. It is important that we add our voice into the process. In this video presented by Lutheran Advocacy...

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Yes, after Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday,  society has finally gotten to Giving Tuesday.  And, if your mailboxes, email boxes and social media sites are like mine, they have already been inundated with multiple requests from every organization you ever donated to (including church related sites) and many more to whom some...

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