Archives for January 2021

Elizabeth Schoenknecht will continue hosting our weekly yoga class via Zoom so that we can be present with one another while we move our bodies through the winter months. You can come to any or all of the classes, and all abilities and levels of experience are welcome and encouraged to come.

These classes will be held on Fridays at 10:15 a.m. Central. Our winter session dates are as follows:

February 5
February 12
February 19
February 26
March 5
March 12
March 19
March 26

The spring session will begin following Easter break.

A reminder with the Zoom link will be sent out every Thursday prior!

It is Ordinary Time, a time between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday. Our readings turn to the call of the disciples, Jesus’ ministry in the Galilee region, and Jesus’ human life amidst his divine action. We call it ordinary, but it is the extraordinary love of Jesus that heals, feeds, and raises us from death. We call it ordinary, perhaps, to remember that Jesus comes into our everyday ordinary lives and calls us into mercy and peace right where we are.

Green Bouzard, Michael Morris, and Jaime Benson offer this week’s prayer. Listen on the episode page or wherever you get your podcasts.

Come together today to check in. Grab a beverage and Zoom in for community, conversation, and care at 11 a.m. Central. Follow this Zoom link. See this Google doc for the password. You must be logged into your luthersem.edu account to access the document.

Effective February 1, Terri Elton, professor of leadership, will take on an additional role as director of Faith+Lead Academy, where she will oversee the development of non-credit digital courses accessible to leaders beyond Luther’s degree programs. Faith+Lead Academy builds upon Luther’s growing digital reach to provide just-in-time courses and learning modules to leaders anywhere in the world when they need them. In this role, Terri will work closely with Luther’s faculty as well as Dawn Alitz, director of communities and coaching, and Katie Langston, director of digital strategy, in shaping a strategy and pedagogical design. Please join me in congratulating Terri on this new leadership role. Questions? Contact Dwight Zscheile, vice president of innovation, dzscheile001@luthersem.edu.

It is time to mark your calendars for the annual Clergy Tax Law Short Course/ELCA Benefit Introduction on Saturday, February 13. The morning course will serve as a brief primer to the intricacies of clergy tax law. All M.Div. students who graduated in December 2020 or who will graduate in winter term, spring semester, summer term, or December 2021 are encouraged to attend. The morning session is not denomination-specific.

The afternoon session will introduce the benefit package offered for employees in the ELCA. The afternoon session would be appropriate for any M.Div. or M.A. student who will be seeking employment with an ELCA organization.

If you missed this session in the past and would like to attend, you are more than welcome. If you are a local pastor and need a refresher, you are also welcome.

Register by Tuesday, February 9, 2021.

To register, visit the Clergy Tax/ELCA Benefit Workshop 2021 page.

8–8:30 a.m. Central – Set up and system testing

8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. – Clergy Tax Law Short Course, provided by Clergy Financial Resources

12–12:30 p.m. – Break for lunch

12:30–2:30 p.m. – Portico Benefits Introduction (future ELCA employees)

Seminary students, faculty, and staff are invited.

Spouses/partners are welcome and encouraged to attend (even if student cannot attend).

Prior to the event, those that have registered will receive course materials and a Zoom link via email. The sessions will be recorded for those that cannot attend on the scheduled day.

Please note: If you will be doing a final year internship in 2021-22 and will not be on campus, this would be the year to attend.

Questions? Contact finaid@luthersem.edu.

Join us for chapel at 11 a.m. Central on the Luther Seminary Chapel Facebook page! Joe Davis and Dave Scherer will be leading us.