From the Bishop

Sermon for the Spring Ministerium 2026 Luke 4:16-21 St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church, St. Paul Grace and peace to you in the name of the Living God. AMEN. Jesus never imagined that two thousand years later we would still critique his first sermon. Did he fiddle...

Dear Friends in Christ, When news of the war with Iran broke on February 25, I posted a brief word on social media, encouraging us to pray attention to the events in the Middle East. In the week since tensions and military strikes have continued. That is the reality...

Sermon for Conference Assemblies 2026 Matthew 17:1-9 Christ the King, New Brighton Grace and peace to you in the name of the Living God. AMEN. When I moved to Minnesota in 2001, I learned that the phrase “ice out” referred to the first day when there was open water...

Dunrovin Retreat Center, Marine on St. Croix Mark 4:35-41 With the retreat theme, “Discipleship in Risky Times,” this homily was preached by Bishop Lull at the First Call Theological Retreat on January 5, 2026. Grace and peace to you in the name of the Living God....

This Advent I have been singing to myself the Cameroonian hymn He Came Down (ELW 253), which is one of the loveliest hymns for the Advent season. It might also be a wise hymn choice for Christmas Day in those congregations with a service on December 25th. Amid the...

Bishop’s Theological Conference 2025 Arrowwood Resort, Alexandria Matthew 3:1-12, Romans 15:4-13 Bishop Patricia Lull For the reading of the Gospel, I had the conference attendees read with dramatic flair the line – “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from...

Throughout the busy days of the 2025 Churchwide Assembly there were often other things happening at the edges. One lunchtime, there was an impromptu photo shoot of all the women bishops present in Phoenix (above), which included women concluding their terms and new...

Sermon for the 2025 Synod Assembly St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi John 1:35-42 Grace and peace to you in the name of the Living God, Christ Jesus, our Lord. AMEN. I don’t know if I made it to church the first few weeks of my life, but when I was six weeks...

Spring Ministerium 2025 Beaver Lake Lutheran, Maplewood John 21:15-17 Bishop Patricia Lull Grace and peace to you in the name of the Living God. AMEN Today, I want to start with a little exercise. I want you to remember a time when your call from God seemed crystal...