Announcements

The Bible Division invites graduating M.Div. and M.A. students to submit papers for the Milton Prize in Old Testament and/or the Bruce Prize in New Testament. Prizes will be awarded at commencement to the students submitting the best papers in the areas of Old Testament and New Testament studies. The prizes include monetary awards. Papers written by graduating M.Div. or M.A. students during their seminary careers are eligible (both December 2025 and May 2026 graduates). These may be course papers, independent study projects, or papers written for this occasion. Papers should not exceed 6,000 words in length. Papers are due by email to Kathryn Schifferdecker, chair of the Bible Division, by Wednesday, April 15 (kschiffer@luthersem.edu). Learn more on these webpages about the criteria the Bible division uses to judge the papers: Milton Prize in Old Testament and Bruce Prize in New Testament. Winners of the Milton and Bruce prizes will be recognized at the commencement ceremony. (And did we mention there are monetary awards?) Talk with your Bible professors or Kathryn Schifferdecker for more information.

All faculty, staff, and students are invited to join for a trip to see the St. John’s Bible and St. John’s Abbey on Saturday, May 9 with professors Cody Sanders and Kathryn Schifferdecker. Transportation will be provided from Luther Seminary—leaving at 8:45 a.m. and returning to campus at around 4:15 p.m. More details on how to register will be out soon. In the meantime, reach out to Cody Sanders (csanders001@luthersem.edu) or Kathryn Schifferdecker (kschiffer@luthersem.edu) with any questions.

For an easy way to stay informed about upcoming events, check out the Luther Seminary Community calendar. The calendar shares information about any seminary event open to the entire Luther community, to all students, or to all faculty and/or staff. Examples include chapel, community meals, social events, and important dates like upcoming Residential Focus Sessions. You can add the calendar to your regular Google calendar view and submit events via the community announcements submission process. (Note this calendar is for informational purposes only and does not reserve a room for you—use Coursedog to reserve a space on campus. Contact communic@luthersem.edu with questions.

Come experience one of the vibrant churches of the Global South—the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania—one of the fastest-growing and largest Lutheran church bodies in the world with 8.5 million members. Students will participate in a conference with ELCT pastors, learning from them about topics like evangelism, women’s leadership, poverty and the prosperity gospel, and church-sponsored development work. There will be much singing (and some dancing) involved. We will be based in the small city of Iringa, Tanzania, and will also stay in rural villages for a weekend. There will be time at the end of the trip for relaxation at a safari camp in Ruaha National Park and on the island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean. The cost will likely be around $4600, depending on the price of airline tickets. This cost includes airfare, lodging, transportation, and many meals. There is financial aid available through the St. Paul Area Synod of the ELCA for students under the age of 36—interested students should apply as soon as possible. This is a CD course but can also count as a Bible elective. Likely, other financial aid will be available for all students too. If you are interested in this trip, contact Kathryn Schifferdecker, kschiffer@luthersem.edu, by early May, as space is limited. Also note that the dates may change by a day on either end but will be set by early summer. The dates for the course as currently planned are January 16-31, 2027.

In this devotion, Mercedes Roesch ’24 M.Div. wonders what it might mean to live as children of the light. Read today’s God Pause.

Join us at 11 a.m. CT in the Chapel of the Incarnation for a student-led service of holy communion. M.A. student Peter Okeyo will be preaching. Come explore our Lenten theme—Encounter with Christ—when Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well. The service will be livestreamed.