Archives for September 21, 2023

In this devotion, Luther Anderson ’76 writes that God calls us to work alongside and not over or above our fellow travelers. Read today’s God Pause.

Here’s the schedule of RFS activities for today and tomorrow. For complete details, see the 2023 Fall RFS Schedule.

Thursday, September 21, 2023

• 8–10:50 a.m. RFS 2 classes                                
• 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Chapel: Lunch Church with Tessa Pinkstaff    
• 12:30–4:20 p.m. RFS 2 classes        
• 5:30–7:30 p.m. Sci-Fi Spiritual Care: Pubs & Profs with Cody Sanders. Station 280, 2554 Como Ave (appetizers provided by Community Life)

Friday, September 22, 2023

• 8–10:50 a.m. RFS 2 classes                                
• 11–11:30 a.m. Chapel: Opening Convocation with President Robin Steinke
• 11:40–12:20 p.m. Picnic Lunch with Community Meal 
• 12:30–4:20 p.m. RFS 2 classes

If you did not register for meals during RFS but are now interested, we ask you to wait until all those who did order a meal get theirs and then see if there are leftover meals to claim. Thank you.       

Lunch Church (Lunch + Spiritual Practice + Conversation).
OCC Dining Hall at 11 a.m.

Join us tonight, September 21, for our first Pubs and Profs of the year with our new Congregational Care Professor Cody Sanders! We’ll gather at Station 280 (2554 Como Ave #7, St Paul, MN 55108; walking distance from campus!) at 6 p.m.! Appetizers will be provided. Entrees and alcoholic beverages will be on your own.

Topic: Sci-Fi Spiritual Care

How can ministers develop speculative futurist frameworks to cultivate caring communities for potential futures filled with both promise and peril? Can we engage in mental-spiritual time travel to visit possible futures? How do we discern God’s call from the pluriverse toward practices of feral hope amid myriad possibilities for flourishing among our human and more-than-human kin?

Reach out to communitylife@luthersem.edu or Natalie Wussler (nwussler001@luthersem.edu) with questions or carpool needs.

Dear Luther Community, 

It has been wonderful to see you come together this week through the RFS. I want to apologize for a significant challenge that arose in the Service of Holy Communion on Wednesday: it was unclear to many that wine would be present at the service, which is problematic as we welcome people with a variety of health concerns, sobriety practices, and personal faith practices. I am sorry and we will do better. 

In the past we have used bulletins that include language/instruction about Communion, notably that there are options for bread or gluten free crackers, wine (red) or grape juice (clear). That language was lost in our shift to using the projector. I apologize. That was an oversight that was not intentional. I deeply regret it. 

Going forward, we will have more clear signs and instructions. 

If you would like to talk more, please know you can share your frustration or disappointment openly with me by emailing sempastor@luthersem.edu or, if you feel more comfortable, you can email our Director of Inclusion and Belonging, Samuel Zalanga, at abide@luthersem.edu. 

Jeni Grangaard
Luther Seminary Pastor

The Drop-In Choir is offering their voices on September 22 during Chapel. Please come sing with us, we promise that the pieces will be easy and that it will be a blast! No prior rehearsal is necessary. All staff, faculty, and students are welcome to participate. Contact choir director Lucas Byl (LByl001@luthersem.edu) with any questions. Hope to see you there!