Ben and Keith summarize two important reports that were published for and about the ELCA in the first few months of 2025. The Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church's report and recommendations come from inside our house. A report from Barna and Fuller Seminary was made to give a perspective from outside. Links abound below.

Catechism Question:

What are the three “expressions” of the ELCA?

• Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, & Almsgiving
• The Local Congregations, The Synods, & The Churchwide Organization
• The Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed, & The Lord’s Prayer
• Frowning, Sneering, & Glaring

(Bonus points for texting us your answer.)

Links

• Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church
• Report of the Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church
• Strategic Recommendations for the ELCA from Fuller Seminary and Barna
• Episode with information about the CRLC (with Pastor Elizabeth Friedman)
• Episode about Campus Ministry (with Pastor Elizabeth Friedman)
• Episode about Camp Ministries (With Pastor Drew Tucker)

• Episode about Deacons (with Deacon Chelle Huth and Sister Marianne Brock)

• www.mainstreetlutherans.com

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Threads
• YouTube
• ‪(734) 250-9554‬

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Ben & Keith discuss Episode 36 in which Keith talked with Pastor Imad Haddad from Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church in Amman, Jordan. They also discuss the ELCA's 1989 Social Message on Israel and Palestine.

Catechism Question:

What is the meaning of the word Sumud?

• Steadfastness
• Faithfulness
• Smelling Good
• Special Undertaking for Mid-East Unifying Diplomacy

Links

• 1989 Social Message “Israeli Palestinian Conflict”
• Peace Not Walls video
• The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
• Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Amman, Jordan

• ELCA Sumud

• www.mainstreetlutherans.com

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Threads
• YouTube
• ‪(734) 250-9554‬

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Keith has a conversation with Pastor Imad Haddad, pastor of Church of the Good Shepherd in Amman, Jordan. They discuss living in the region as a Palestinian Lutheran and how The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and the ELCA relate.

Catechism Question:

What are ways to get involved in advocating for justice through the ELCA?

• Join the ELCA e-Advocacy Network.
• Invite your officials to visit your congregation’s ministry or project.
• If you have a Lutheran State Public Policy office in your state, get involved in this ministry.
• Contact the ELCA Advocacy Staff when you or a group from your congregation visit Washington, DC.
• All of the above. (and more)

Links

• The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
• Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Amman, Jordan
• ELCA Social Message on the Israeli Palestinian Conflict (1989)

• ELCA Sumud

• www.mainstreetlutherans.com

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Threads
• YouTube
• ‪(734) 250-9554‬

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Ben & Keith discuss the new shirt. We hope it sparks conversations about our faith. The episode covers how one might explain Lutheranism to someone who wants to know because they read your t-shirt.

Catechism Question:

Martin Luther disliked the idea of this new church body being named after himself. What name did he prefer instead?

• Evangelisch Kirche (Church of the Gospel)
• The Melanchthonist Church
• The Church for Saints and Sinners
• Those Heretics Who Got Themselves Excommunicated (THWGTE)

Links

• The Main Street Lutherans Store

• The Shirt

• www.mainstreetlutherans.com

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Threads
• YouTube
• ‪(734) 250-9554‬

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Ollie Bergh joins Ben and Keith from Fairbanks, Alaska to talk about Matins (Morning Prayer) and all of the Daily Prayer (or Daily Offices) services in the ELW, our hymnal. Pastor Ollie hosts the Psalmcast Podcast. Give it a listen.

Sorry for some of the cuts. The audio files were corrupted and Ben stitched it together as best he could on the schedule we have. We'll try not to let it happen again.

The Catechism Question:

What are the names of some of the divine office liturgies:

• Matins, Ford, Sext, Vespers
• Lauds, Prime, Nome, Vespers
• Chevelle, Compline, Sext, Lauds
• Matins, Lauds, Vespers, Compline

Links

• Fairbanks Lutheran Church
• Psalmcast
• The Grail Psalms

• Evangelical Heritage Bible

• www.mainstreetlutherans.com

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Threads
• YouTube
• ‪(734) 250-9554‬

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David Lose, Senior Pastor at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, MN, joins us for this episode. We start out with a broad topic, how do our churches move forward in our time and place. We talk about He Gets Us and what it means to be Lutheran.

In the A Segment, Ben and Keith discuss what it means to be "Unapologetically Lutheran".

Catechism Question:

What happened to the prodigal son when he returned home?

• His father sent him back to the pig farmer
• His father welcomed him, and his brother threw a party for him
• His father took him back as a hired servant
• His father welcomed him and killed the fatted calf

Links

• David Lose
• Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

• Books

• www.mainstreetlutherans.com

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Threads
• YouTube
• ‪(734) 250-9554‬

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Dr Granquist joins us to continue our exploration of the history that leads up to the ELCA being what it is.

The Catechism Question:

Where did the majority of Lutherans immigrate to North America come from? A. Germany, Norway, and Sweden B. Germany, Norway, and France C. Austria, Australia, and Antarctica D. Wittenberg, Wartburg, and St. Olaf

Links

• Our First Episode wth Dr Granquist
• Lutherans in America: A New History by Dr Mark Granquist
• www.mainstreetlutherans.com
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Threads
• YouTube
• ‪(734) 250-9554‬

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Pastor Dave Daubert joins the show to talk about the critical parts to understand about Lutheran faith and how theology we use in the ELCA is our best hand for living the Christian Life.

Links

• Day 8 Strategies

• Dave Daubert's books on Amazon

• www.mainstreetlutherans.com

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Threads
• YouTube
• ‪(734) 250-9554‬

Music by Viktor Hallman Find it at https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/jcOQ6kY2Cy/ Through Epidemic Sound

Support Main Street Lutherans by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/main-street-lutherans

Read transcript