Announcements

Two documents are now available to help with planning and preparation for our winter RFS sessions, taking place January 10–12 here on campus and January 14–16, at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church in south Minneapolis. Contact academicdean@luthersem.edu with any questions.

• Winter 2026 RFS schedule
• Frequently asked questions about RFS at Mt. Olivet

We encourage faculty and staff to be part of Winter RFS 2 at Mt. Olivet (January 14–16, 2026), even if you are not teaching. There are multiple ways to participate:

• Join us any day for worship at 8:00 a.m. in Serley Chapel, to the right of the main sanctuary.
• Join us any day for lunch at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. In particular, faculty are encouraged to attend on January 14 and staff are encouraged to attend on January 15.
• Sign up for a support shift to help make RFS a success. Check out available roles and sign up for a shift by adding your name to the support schedule.

Contact academicdean@luthersem.edu with any questions.

Want to share something in an upcoming edition of Inside Luther News, the seminary’s internal e-newsletter? Send your announcement to communic@luthersem.edu. Submit items for the December edition by Wednesday, December 10. Inside Luther News content is meant to be somewhat broader in scope—seasonal announcements, monthly reminders, stories about recent events or news of upcoming projects—than the daily Community Announcements posts and emails.

In this devotion, Elizabeth Schoenknecht ’04 M.Div., writes that, in a world full of distractions, Advent is a time to quiet those distractions and listen closely for the pure voice of God.
Read today’s God Pause.

We gather at 11:00 a.m. CT in the OCC Dining Room for Lunch Church.
Topic: Call Stories, Bold Yeses, and Advent Wonder
Speaker: Jen Gruendler, Associate Director for Enrollment Services
Come explore the several call stories and various bold yeses found in the birth narratives of Jesus and wonder how they might intersect with your own senses of call. Let us immerse ourselves in Advent wonder, good news of great joy, and hope for the weary and afraid. Lunch is provided.
Share your prayer requests.

It seems to be getting harder and harder to live freely and lightly, and I need all the support I can muster to stay focused on learning the unforced rhythms of grace. We are immersed daily in noise, both literal and figurative. Our world is filled with a constant barrage of messages telling us to do more and go faster. We are constantly told of our need to “save time” and be more efficient. But when we find a way to eat faster or get more done in an hour, rather than reclaiming that time for deeply needed restoration or reflection, we often fill every newfound minute with more to-dos. Or others find a way to fill it for us. Be Still is a sacred space curated to help us rediscover the joy and value of quiet stillness in a world that is anything but. We will meet virtually to engage with contemplative practices and each other in ways that encourage noticing how the Spirit is moving in all of creation and guiding us in our daily lives. These practices have a powerful way of slowing us down and opening our eyes and ears to what God’s up to right in front of us when the world seems to be pulling us in multiple directions.

Thanks to the support of the Endowment Lab Grant, I will be offering Be Still monthly for the remainder of the school year, free of charge. We will begin on Thursday December 4 at 6:15 p.m. with a 4-part Advent series centered on slowing down, being present, and exploring ways we can be receptive to hope, peace, joy, and love. I would love the help of the Luther community in making Be Still the best it can be. Come as you are, as often as you are able, at 6:15 p.m. CT on Thursdays 12/4, 12/11, 12/18 and Sunday 12/21 on Zoom (link in email). Email me at awestphal001@luthersem.edu, if you have questions or you’re interested but can’t make these times.
—Alison Westphal