Bishop Ortiz shares the scripture of the three magi who come to visit the new born Jesus as we celebrate Epiphany. Also known as "Three Kings' Day", epiphany is a special time of celebrations, music and fellowship for the people of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Bishop Ortiz shares her love for this special day and what it means to come together because of our differences, not in spite of them.

Bishop Ortiz leads us in devotion based on the scripture of 1 Kings Chapter 19-Elijah Flees. This year, and even the last 5 years, may have been filled with grief, loss, trauma, and frustration so the temptation to figuratively lay under the broom tree and simply give up is great! We have all understood this temptation firsthand.

Yet we also understand the Lord’s imperative, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” Time apart in prayer is like bread and water in desert land. You are invited to be nourished by coming to the One who holds our days and tomorrows in their hands.

The Gospel of Matthew begins with a family tree from Abraham to Jesus. Between the recitation of names, we also hear the story of God at work in our world from generation to generation. The Advent and Christmas seasons highlight the significance of family and chosen family who support us through it all.

These organizations are building healthy families by providing accessible housing, outdoor programs & family retreats, as well as emergency shelters for those experiencing domestic violence. Through education and funding, families can truly thrive as they loved on and provided a safe space to live out their call.

Guests on this episode:

Hope is not passive, it is active. Hope is also not an individual act but communal call.

In the prison system which can seem so incredibly hopeless, the Community of St. Dysmas works to share the gifts of hope and forgiveness for all of God's beloved people. Rev. Beck shares actual responses from the congregation about what they believe hope is and can be.

Langley Park, Maryland has become a safe haven for migrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and other countries of Central America. Several organizations are sharing resources to serve this community through many meals, ESL classes, and worship to offer a new home of faith and hope.

Encountering the angel of the Lord, Zechariah was struck speechless. His imposed silence became a time to reflect on the wonders of God. Like Zechariah, we are called at times to be silent and listen, at other times to shout with joy. In their ministries with refugees, asylum seekers and low-income elderly, our partners share why it is incredibly necessary to listen to those we advocate for FIRST before we lift up our voices for justice and peace on their behalf.

Guests on this episode:

Waiting is hard. We eagerly anticipate the desires of our hearts and want them to come soon. We wait for the first day of school or the first snowfall. We wait to see a loved one or to hear a doctor’s news. We are reminded how patience can be a gift to those around us and how we are called to pause and wait for the coming of our Savior.

Guests on this episode:

In the final episode of the series focusing on the Metro D.C. Synod mission statement, dive into the symbiotic relationship between caring for creation and caring for humanity. Natalie Cain, Director of Gifts of Hope, and Brother Ken Taylor, Pastor of Saint Nicholas Lutheran Church, join Bishop Leila Ortiz to discuss the responsibility we have as followers of Jesus to care for all of creation and what that looks like in our daily lives.

Natalie shares that she’s always felt a profound connection to God in the natural world causing her to care deeply for all life. Her study of zoology led to an understanding that faith and science are not contradictory, as often believed, but instead intertwined and complimentary. 

Brother Ken’s journey through learning about what we put into our bodies led him to lean into the teachings of the Lutheran Franciscans and the realization of how destructive many daily practices are to all that God has given us. 

Explore how we are called to care for the earth and that while our individual actions may seem too insignificant to have an impact, if we join together, even over something small like water bottles, the collective actions of our faith community can make a difference.

Where do you see Jesus and His bold and boundless love? For Deacons Deb Haynes and Dave Larrabee who are called to serve at the Lamb Center, a day shelter for people experiencing homelessness, they see Jesus’ love through the incredibly generous spirits of their guests. Even the most cantankerous of guests have shown grace to the staff and volunteers at the Lamb Center when the team needed a reminder of Jesus’ love the most. 

Knowing that poverty is the fourth greatest cause of death in the United States, Pastor Betty Landis is passionate about and involved with the Poor People’s Campaign. She is currently living out her call to serve immigrants and marginalized people at Saint Stephen Lutheran Church. Saint Stephen is located in the White Oak community of Silver Spring, MD where more than 13% of the population lives below the poverty line and about 45% of its residents were born outside of the United States. 

Hear how these leaders have engaged with someone as if they are not a stranger, offering true welcome and love for people who have been marginalized and are regularly outcast by society. Despite what the world tells us, we need Jesus’ love to be bold and boundless in our work to live out the Gospel each and every day. We cannot do this Holy work alone.

God’s invitation into this holy work is also an invitation to boldly be ourselves and to be boundless in our love for Christ. Pastor Ben Hogue and Jennifer Slagle Peck share how they have been inspired by the authentic acts of others throughout their faith journeys to boldly follow Christ in and through their leadership roles within the Metro D.C. Synod. 

Jennifer serves as the synod council vice president and reflects on the council’s bold and necessary decision in 2021 to address systemic racism in this country and the Church through the implementation of a racial justice plan. Transformation and liberation only happens when we are in relationship with one another. Pastor Ben Hogue reminds us that sharing our stories is so powerful and allows people to relate in new and different ways.

Sometimes being bold in our discipleship looks like the small but impactful steps we take every day to “call people out or call people in” to the work of the Holy Spirit. We must be bold enough to disagree, yet boundless in our love for God’s people that we continue in relationship with one another for the sake of the Gospel.

What would it look like for you to truly be bold and boundless in your daily life?

When you hear the word “cultivate” you may think of a farmer or planting seeds and watching them grow. But not everyone believes they have a green thumb, in a garden or spiritually! 

Rev. Dr. Carmelo Santos and Deacon Julie Stecker share with Bishop Leila Ortiz the ways they have found the Holy Spirit cultivates incredible things with and through us even in the midst of “poor” growing conditions and the brokenness within our communities. They also share what needs to die, what we need to let go of, so that God can grow more fruit for the sake of the entire garden to flourish.
Guests:

The Rev. Dr Carmelo Santos is a pastor with the Metro D.C. synod who is currently serving as Director of Theological Diversity and Ecumenical and Theological Engagement at the ELCA Churchwide Organization in the Office of the Presiding Bishop. Prior to this call, Carmelo served as senior pastor of Hope Lutheran Church, in Annandale, VA and as associate pastor at St Mark’s / San Marcos Lutheran Church in Springfield, VA. He was also a professorial lecturer at Georgetown University where he taught courses on Neuroscience and Theology; on the Problem of God; and on Latinx Theologies. Presently he is working on a book with Fortress Press on: Neuroscience, Theology, and Decolonizing Emotions: Sketches for a Liberation Theology of the Brain.

Deacon Julie Stecker (she/her) serves as the Assistant to the Bishop for Youth + Family Ministry, in partnership with the Delaware-Maryland Synod. Deacon Julie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministries with a concentration in Youth Ministry from Messiah College (now Messiah University) in Grantham, Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts in Ministerial Studies in Christian Education with a concentration in Youth and Young Adult Ministry from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (now United Lutheran Seminary) in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the Delaware-Maryland Synod staff in 2014 as the Director of Communications, she served as the Associate Director of Admissions at the seminary in Gettysburg.

Deacon Julie makes her home in Baltimore with her twin toddlers, Harrison and Thomas. Her late husband, Matt Herzberg, was her very favorite person (well, tied with the twins). In her sabbath time, she enjoys reading (especially coming-of-age stories and literary fiction, if you have any recommendations!), sewing and crafting, expanding her Owala water bottle collection, and analyzing Taylor Swift Easter eggs.