Announcements

In this devotion, Elizabeth Schoenknecht ’04 M.Div., reminds us that, in Christ’s community, you are welcome and you belong. Read today’s God Pause.

As previously announced, Rahfat Hussain started this week as chief financial officer for both Luther and Augsburg University. Today is Rahfat’s first day on Luther’s campus. Please give him a warm welcome as he gets to know the seminary community in the upcoming weeks.

Luther Seminary has received a five-year, $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Luther Collective, a seminary-led collaboration that seeks to develop a renewed vision for theological education. The grant will support Luther’s strategic work with five partner organizations to develop a new, networked educational paradigm for leaders of Christian communities that is both sustainable and responsive to local settings. The Luther Collective project is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. This initiative is designed to help theological schools across the United States and Canada as they prioritize and respond to the most pressing challenges they face in preparing pastoral leaders for Christian congregations both now and into the future. Read more.

Mark your calendars for an annual tradition at Luther Seminary . . .
Wednesday, December 17 at 11 a.m. in the Chapel lobby and dining areas (OCC)
Everyone is invited—students, staff, and faculty—as we gather for cocoa, cider, coffee, and treats and enjoy this year’s Do-It-Yourself Nativity and a community lunch from Andiamo Italian. Join us for fellowship and snacks, some light-hearted fun participating in or watching colleagues as we recreate a completely unique nativity, share a community meal, sing carols, and celebrate coworkers who have reached various milestones. Let us know if you plan to attend and how you’d like to engage using this online Advent Open House + Holiday Extravaganza form. Check all columns that apply.
– Treats. Bring a dozen of your favorite Christmas cookies, bars, or other treats to share.
– DIY Nativity. Join the frivolity
– Lunch. Join us for a delicious community meal
– Milestones. Sharing annual employee recognition toward the end of lunch

The annual Do-It-Yourself Nativity Extravaganza is fast approaching—on Wednesday, December 17—and the Luther Seminary Players are in desperate need of a few hearty souls with the musical chops to support the assembled revelers in the singing of well-know carols. At the moment, the orchestra consists of an amazing tuba player, and while we’re certain he could carry the show, we’d especially like to snag a piano player if at all possible. If you’re willing to contribute your piano playing skills to this theatrical endeavor, please have your agent contact Dale Dobias (ddobias001@luthersem.edu). As for the the rest of you musical types, feel free to show up a few minutes before curtain, with your instrument of choice: Guitar? Great! Banjo? Wonderful! Washboard, fiddle, kazoo? We’d love to have you! There will be no rehearsal prior to the show. Come join the DIY Nativity Orchestra as we tell the Christmas story one more time together.

Residential and commuter students, you are warmly invited to join us for a Men’s Cookout in the Bockman Hall basement kitchen as we prepare a special dinner-style meal for our Residential Life Holiday Feast on December 15. Cooking begins at 1:00 p.m. and dinner will be served at 5:00 p.m. This gathering is not only a time of cooking and community but also a moment of cultural learning for some and a significant shift in experience for many. We invite you to come with openness as we share traditions, learn from one another, and build deeper connections. Come and be in community together as we prepare good food from the oven, pray, share testimonies, and celebrate this season. You are welcome to bring a gift for someone of your choosing as we spread joy and fellowship. We are also delighted to share that Shamani Shikwambi, our Interim Dean of Students, will be joining us partly during the cooking and all through the dinner time. All residential and commuter students who are able are encouraged to attend.