St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Silver Spring

St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Silver Spring St. Stephen Lutheran Church is a member of the Metro DC Synod of the ELCA. You are welcome! Sunday worship is at 10:00 AM.

The people of Saint Stephen believe that God calls us to be servants to our diverse community. We reach out to all people, and we especially welcome those who do not have a church home. We seek to grow in our understanding of God's love, and we invite others to learn and grow in faith with us.

06/04/2026

For-profit immigration detention is rapidly expanding across the U.S. On June 24 at 1-1:30 p.m. ET, hear from , Theological Discernment, and Witness in Society staff about the history of immigration detention and the theology and biblical witness that can inform churches’ response, as well as ways to engage
To register, visit https://bit.ly/ELCAwebinarForProfitDetention

06/04/2026

UPDATE 6/11/2026: Thank you for the thousands of emails and calls on this issue. Nearly 2,500 messages were sent to Congress through the ELCA Advocacy Center. This action alert is no longer active as on June 9th, the reconciliation package passed Congress and was signed into law. We will continue to advocate for reforms, oversight and welcome for our immigrant neighbors.

ORIGINAL POST: Congress is debating a reconciliation package that includes $38 billion in additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and $26 billion for Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). To read more and take action from the Action Center or directly go to Action Alert linked in comment.

06/02/2026

“I am a Christian.” - Blandina (162-177), Martyr at Lyon

Wherever the early church was planted, rumors arose about the practices of the mysterious new group of people called “Christians.” Some said that the Christians were cannibals, because it was overheard that they were eating someone’s body and drinking his blood as a central act of worship. Others said that they were practicing in**st and gross immorality, because their “love feasts” involved a “kiss of peace,” shared among all members. Others suspected that the Christians were insurrectionists, because they spoke of their Lord and His kingdom and did not sacrifice to Caesar. In the 2nd century in Lyon, France, the populace of the city fell into a frenzy, demanding that Christians be rounded up and eradicated. One Christian arrested during this period was a slave girl named Blandina. Before a riotous crowd, she was first tied to a stake and wild beasts were set upon her. She prayed for her captors and the animals refused to touch her. Her furious tormentors then subjected her to many cruel tortures and were bewildered that her faith remained resolute and her life persisted, despite their cruelty. Tied in a net, she was thrown to a wild steer and thrown savagely into the air. To everyone’s astonishment, she survived, praising God. She was finally killed with a dagger. Blandina’s memory was cherished by the early church, and her story remains one of the most emblematic witnesses of the faith from the church’s earliest centuries.

Almighty God, you gave your servant Blandina boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Art and history by Ben Lansing

ORDER the book 📚 ourchurchspeaks.com

06/02/2026

Trinity Sunday

From the Athanasian Creed: “We worship one God in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity; Neither confusing the Persons, / nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, / another of the Holy Ghost; But the Godhead of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one, / the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal.”

On the Sunday after Pentecost, the church devotes its attention to the mysteries of the Trinity. In both the Old and New Testaments, God reveals that he is One God in three persons and throughout Scripture we are given insights into the eternal relationship of love within the Godhead. Christians since the 1st century have marveled at this intricate revelation and have carefully defined what Scripture says about this loving God we worship. In the Nicene Creed, the word ‘Trinity’ is used to describe God’s revelation of himself and, later, the much longer Athanasian Creed was written to elaborate on the truths defined by the Nicene Creed. In many churches, the Athanasian Creed is read or sung in the Sunday liturgy as an act of praise and recognition of the profound and glorious nature of the God we serve.

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Art & history by Ben Lansing

Book and prints available now - ourchurchspeaks.com

Listen to the Our Church Speaks podcast for a two-part series on the Nicene Creed and the theology of the Trinity.

Time to start planning, raising $$ and praying for our 2027 ELCA Youth Gathering travelers!!
06/02/2026

Time to start planning, raising $$ and praying for our 2027 ELCA Youth Gathering travelers!!

06/02/2026

Happy Trinity Sunday!
“God for us, God alongside us, God within us.”

~Fr. Richard Rohr

Designed and Commissioned by Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones.

Signed Giclee Prints, Digital Downloads and Prayer Candles: kellylatimoreicons.com

06/02/2026

“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

06/02/2026

Today we remember Justin, martyr, who died around 165 CE.

A philosopher and early Christian teacher, Justin believed that faith and reason belong together. He sought truth wherever it could be found and boldly shared the good news of Christ in a world that often misunderstood and rejected it.

Justin reminds us that discipleship includes both heart and mind. We are called not only to believe, but also to learn, question, reflect, and grow in wisdom.

May we have the courage to seek truth faithfully and to bear witness to God's love with both conviction and humility.

06/02/2026

The Holy Trinity reminds us that relationship is woven into the very nature of God.

As Creator, God brings life into being. As Savior, God draws near in love and redemption. As Comforter, God remains present, guiding and sustaining us through every season.

At the heart of the Trinity is a relationship of love, shared, given, and received. Created in the image of this relational God, we are called to live in community, practice radical welcome, and care for one another as Christ cares for us.

On this Trinity Sunday, may we give thanks for the mystery of a God who creates, saves, comforts, and continually invites us into deeper relationship with God and one another.



Image: The Trinity by Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev, early 15th century.

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11612 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD
20904

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