In this devotion, Elizabeth Schoenknecht ’04 M.Div., writes that Isaiah here promises relief from the burdens of life—injustice, war, division, abandonment, isolation. Read today’s God Pause.
Archives for 2025
Chapel Schedule for the Week: December 1-5
You are invited to join in community faith formation every weekday at 11:00 a.m. CT. We gather in a variety of ways and places. See the schedule below to see how you can join us in-person and online.
Monday, December 1, 11:00 a.m. CT
Text Study with the chapel staff on Zoom (link in email).
Tuesday, December 2, 11:00 a.m. CT
Contemplative Practice in the Meditation Chapel and on Zoom.
Wednesday, December 3, 11:00 a.m. CT
Service of Holy Communion — Chapel of the Incarnation and livestreamed.
Fall Graduate Recognition and Advent 1
Preacher: Jennifer Wojciechowski, Assistant Professor of Church History
Thursday, December 4, 11:00 a.m. CT
Lunch Church in the OCC Dining Room
Speaker: Jen Gruendler, Associate Director for Enrollment Services
Spring Registration and Advising Support
Spring registration begins Tuesday, December 2 by class. We will host advising sessions to assist with any registration questions you may have. If you have course planning questions, email advising@luthersem.edu. Please include your degree program in your email so the appropriate advisor can respond. Spring registration opens at 9 a.m. CT on these dates:
- Tuesday, December 2: Seniors, Interns, Affiliated, ThM, PhD
- Wednesday, December 3: Middlers
- Thursday, December 4: Juniors and Certificates
- Friday, December 5: Non-Degree
- Tuesday: New Admits – Fall Semester
Advising support will be available 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. via Zoom on December 2, 3, and 4. The advising team and Registrar’s Office staff will be available to answer questions about fall courses and assist if you encounter issues registering.
Welcome Rahfat Hussain, CFO
Please extend a warm welcome to Rahfat Hussain, who starts today as chief financial officer for both Luther Seminary and Augsburg University. Rahfat brings extensive higher education and nonprofit financial leadership expertise, most recently serving as CFO at the Minnesota Historical Society. Prior to that position, he served for 17 years in various financial roles at the University of Minnesota, including being named the inaugural director of the Finance Operations Center, a centralized shared services operation for the university. We are grateful for our collaborative partnership with Augsburg and are thrilled to have found in Rahfat an experienced, energetic leader ready to step into the unique role of CFO for both institutions. His first day on-site at Luther will be Friday, December 5.
December 2025 Employee Anniversaries
Congratulations to our colleagues celebrating work anniversaries in December!
- Jill Kane, 2 years – Seminary Relations
- Sarah Luedtke-Jones, 14 years – Student Affairs
- Jennifer Mullenix, 11 years – Academic Affairs
- Sandy Olson, 4 years – Academic Affairs
- Bethany Riethmeier, 6 years – Seminary Relations
- Jennifer Rowdon, 3 years – Faith+Lead
- Matthew Schutz, 3 years – Business Office
- Ashley Wheeler, 7 years – Contextual Learning
Circle Practice: Engaging with Aging Parents – December 2 [In-Person]
It can be challenging to engage with aging parents. Join us on December 2 at 9:00 a.m. in the OCC Meditation Chapel for a circle discussion as we share with each other the gifts and challenges of doing so. Led by Mary Hess, this will be a time simply to listen to each other’s experiences. We will use a talking piece, and only one person will speak at a time.