In this devotion, Marlene Elmstrom ’94 M.Div. writes about being bold in our petitions to God. Read today’s God Pause.
Archives for November 1, 2022
All Saints Day Services
Dear Luther Community,
You are invited to an All Saints remembrance on Tuesday, November 1 at Luther Seminary.
- 9 a.m. A Service of the Remembrance of the Departed in the Former Garden of the Resurrection, Northwestern Hall (outdoors)
- 10 a.m. Reception for families and those in attendance of the 9 a.m. gathering (please RSVP to briethmeier001@luthersem.edu)
- 11 a.m. chapel in the Garden of the Resurrection (outdoors)
With apologies, we note that we will not be able to livestream this event. We will livestream chapel on Wednesday, November 2 at 11 a.m. central as we remember the saints who have perished in the past year.
Director for Inclusion and Belonging Search Update
Three finalists have been invited on campus and will do a public presentation on October 26, 27, and November 1. The candidates have requested that we hold their names in confidence until the day of the interview. All presentations are scheduled for 12:30–1:30 p.m. in OCC 10. Please come and support the candidates and listen to their presentations. For those who can’t attend in person, Zoom link will be provided in the community announcements email.
Intro to Restorative Justice Training
Fania Davis defines restorative justice in this way: “restorative justice is a proactive relational strategy to create a culture of connectivity where all members of a community thrive and feel valued. It includes: (1) storytelling and relationship building, (2) truth-telling and accountability, and (3) reparative action” (based on Fania Davis, The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice, loc 309 and loc 412)”
Recently the INVITE group at Luther (integrating nonviolence into theological education) and Interfaith Action (a St. Paul nonprofit) held a lunch time webinar introducing restorative justice. We highlighted Brenda Burnside (Let’s Circle Up Restorative Services), Annie Kahn (Ramsey County Attorney’s Office), and Randi Ilyse Roth (Interfaith Action). You can view the recording here.
We hope that these brief notes make you curious! And now, the ABIDE committee at Luther is pleased to invite you to join in a three day in-person training led by Kay Pranis, a nationally recognized restorative justice educator based here in the Twin Cities. The goal of this training is to begin to learn something of restorative justice practices, particularly Peacemaking Circle practices, and then to start to find ways to implement them in your own settings.
The Peacemaking Circle is used to build community, promote healing and transform conflict in educational settings both as a prevention practice and an intervention practice when relationships are disrupted. In a time of deep division and increasing isolation the Restorative Justice vision and the Peacemaking Circle process provide both a profound conceptual foundation and pragmatic process illuminating a path towards a society in which everyone belongs and everyone is valued for their gifts.
The training will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day from January 31 to February 2, and you must commit to attending all three days. All fees for the training will be paid by Luther Seminary, and in addition we will provide snacks and food during the event.
Faculty and staff will be given first priority in this training, but as room permits we will also welcome students. Please register here.
Questions can be directed to Mary Hess (mhess@luthersem.edu)
Fire Alarm Drills
Luther Seminary will be conducting fire alarm drills at 2 p.m. Wednesday, November 2. Fire alarms will be activated in Bockman Hall, Gullixson Hall, and Olson Community Center simultaneously. All occupants will be expected to leave the buildings during the drill and to remain outside until the all clear is given.
OCC Vending Machines
An encouraging reminder to visit our vending machines in the 2nd floor café area of OCC. This Canteen Market features beverages, snacks, and fresh food options! To learn how to set up an account for easy access, check out this link, or find instructions on the side of the machine. If our campus sales of the fresh food don’t increase in the next few weeks, we run the risk of losing these options entirely. So, make your way there and check out the fresh food offerings today!