Announcements

With the death of Wendell Berry this week at age 92, Luther Seminary Library has assembled this brief bibliography of his works. Besides links to Berry’s books, it highlights several articles and online pieces about his thoughtful contributions to faith, literature, and theology.

In this devotion, Joe Jorgensen ’23 M.Div., says that Jesus’ goal was never to win but to restore broken relationships. Read today’s God Pause.

Students, Fall RFS (September 19-25) is on campus at Luther Seminary. As you make final preparations for travel and learning, please review these reminders and resources: Fall 2026 RFS schedule | Fall 2026 Moodle site. Contact academicdean@luthersem.edu with any questions. Sign up for free, professional headshots on this spreadsheet (must be logged in to your luthersem email).

Pastoral intern Kari Takahashi invites the Luther Seminary community to a special program event on Saturday, September 19 from 1-2:15 p.m.—“Stitches and Stories: Exploring Native Culture and History through Quilt Art”—that will also serve as her internship project at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hayfield, Minnesota (​104 1st Street SE). A dessert reception will follow. Nationally-recognized and award-winning quilter and historian Tamara Carter, along with her husband and co-presenter Joe Gaines (of the Choctaw Nation), will share quilts inspired by Indigenous American history, culture, and lifeways in an educational and inspirational program. Contact Kari (ktakahashi001@luthersem.edu) for more information.

Registration is now open for the 2026 Minnesota Mockingbird conference in Bloomington on October 2 and 3. Mockingbird is an ecumenical, grace-focused ministry devoted to “connecting the Christian faith with the realities of everyday life.” This year’s conference theme is “Grace for the Ages,” exploring what grace looks like at different stages of life. There will be talks on everything from grace in parenting adult children, lessons from the last third of life, the relief that can come from realistic depictions of imperfect people in middle-grade novels, how a church focused on consolation rather than happiness seeking could benefit a generation of stressed-out young people, how God actually shows up in the young adult years, and more. Speakers include Paul Zahl, Gretchen Ronnevik, and Luther Seminary’s Andy Root and Joey Goodall. Click here to view the full schedule. Student tickets are available at a discounted rate. Feel free to reach out to Joey Goodall (jgoodall002@luthersem.edu) with any questions.

National Service Dog Month shines the spotlight on the contributions of service dog. This month-long observation honors the highly trained canines that have a profound impact on their handler’s lives and educates the public about proper etiquette when encountering a service dog. A service dog is a dog that is trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability. Unlike an emotional support or therapy animal that provide companionship, a service dog performs tasks directly related to the disability of the handler. This includes assisting people with physical disabilities, such as balance, blood sugar changes, mobility, and even seizures. Service dogs also provide assistance for people with invisible disabilities, such as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). For more information, contact disability@luthersem.edu.