Advent & Christmas

As wildfires devastate Los Angeles, we are reminded of our call to step in during times of need, just as Jesus did at the wedding in Cana. Whether through prayer, financial support for Lutheran Disaster Response, or opening our homes to those displaced, our actions embody God’s abundant love. In this week’s Faith Lens, explore how this week’s Gospel inspires us to act with grace and compassion in the face of crisis.

The Epiphany of Our Lord reminds us that God’s love is for everyone, from Magi following a star to seekers across the globe. This Sunday, as you gaze at the heavens, consider how God is revealed in creation and what it means to share Christ’s universal love.

In this Christmas message, the bishops and synod vice presidents of Region 2 reflect on Howard Thurman’s poem, “The Work of Christmas,” calling us to embrace God’s grace and live out Christ’s liberating love. Representing over 500 congregations, they invite us to join in justice, service, and joy, embodying the good news of Christ in our communities and the world.

Merry Christmas from Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in Carefree, Arizona! This year, Spirit welcomed diverse groups seeking healing and renewal while continuing to provide exceptional hospitality and spiritual connection. Looking ahead, Spirit offers retreats and programs to deepen faith, including Centering Prayer, contemplative Zoom services, and a Spring Training baseball retreat. Discover how Spirit continues to serve as a haven for peace and renewal.

2024 was a year of remarkable advocacy through the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Arizona (LAMA), with record participation at Lutheran Day at the Legislature and impactful work in areas like hunger, housing, and international aid. As we celebrate Christmas, we reflect on the Nativity’s call to care for the vulnerable and recommit to advocacy in 2025. Read more for highlights from LAMA Director Solveig Muus and an inspiring message from Hunger Advocacy Fellow Autumn Byars.

How do we define success? As college football celebrates a new twelve-team playoff, Advent invites us to reflect on a very different kind of victory. Mary’s song in Luke 1:39–55 reminds us that God lifts up the lowly so that all may share in divine blessings. As we approach the manger this week, let us celebrate the true meaning of success: God’s victory for all.

Rick Steves, a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Seattle, has shared a beautiful 2-minute video of the Christmas story from Luke, illustrated with stunning European art. Offered as a free gift to the ELCA, the video can be used in worship services, concerts, or celebrations with no need for attribution. Watch the video on YouTube here or download it here and enrich your community’s celebration of this holy season.

Join beloved 1960s TV icons Davey and Goliath for their 1965 Christmas special. Davey learns the real meaning of Christmas when he gives his part in a Christmas play to another boy.

View the message on YouTube here or download the video here We invite you to pause with us during this holy season to celebrate the miracle of Emmanuel: God with us. From all of us at the ELCA Foundation, thank you for your generosity and partnership. Merry Christmas.

Martin Luther’s Christmas sermon challenges us to look at our own lives this season. While Bethlehem had “no room” for Christ, we are asked: Do we make room for our neighbors in need today? God entered the world in love, and Luther calls us to respond with that same love for those around us.

This Advent season, as we wait in hopeful anticipation for the gift of Christ’s birth, I find myself reflecting deeply on gifts and generosity. Not just the kind we wrap in paper and ribbons, but the kind we experience through the Spirit—the gifts of love, grace, and community that bind us together as one church, one body of Christ.

In the past months, I’ve been blessed to witness firsthand how the Holy Spirit moves through our shared ministry, both within our synod and across the globe. During recent visits to two of our companion churches—the Lutheran Church of Senegal (LCS) and Iglesia Luterana Mexicana (ILM)—I saw acts of generosity that have left me humbled and inspired.