From the Bishop

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...

Sermon for Tool Kit for Congregational Leaders Shepherd of the Valley, Apple Valley John 1:40-42 Grace and peace to you in the name of the Living God. Amen. I moved to Minnesota 24 years ago this month. One of my first days in St. Paul I received a phone call from a...

Some in our synod have asked for guidance on how to respond to the possible presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities at your church or ministry site. Our synod attorney, Sarah Crippen, has prepared this guidance to help you refine your...

Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27 As ELCA bishops in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota we serve in contexts that...