Announcements

Join our chapel staff for a text study today at 11:00 a.m. CT on Zoom (link in email). We will study the Revised Common Lectionary texts for this coming Sunday.

You are invited to join in community faith formation every weekday at 11:00 a.m. central. 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, March 24, 11:00 a.m. CT
Text Study with the chapel staff via Zoom.

Tuesday, March 25, 11:00 a.m. CT
Contemplative Practice in the OCC Meditation Chapel and via Zoom.
Facilitator: Steve Thomason, Dean of the Chapel

Wednesday, March 26, 11:00 a.m. CT
Contemplative Service of Holy Communion in the Chapel of the Incarnation and livestreamed.
Preacher: Steve Thomason, Dean of the Chapel

Thursday, March 27
—11:00 a.m. CT. Lunch Church in the OCC Dining Room
Topic: Song Circle
Speaker: Erin DeBoer-Moran, Director of Music
—7:00 p.m. CT. Virtual Vespers via Zoom.

Friday, March 28, 11:00 a.m. CT
Intercessory Prayer via Zoom.
Share your prayer requests.

In this devotion, Dirk G. Lange, professor of worship and Frederik A. Schiotz Chair of Christian Missions, reminds us that God’s promise holds us through all wilderness journeys and periods of crisis. Read today’s God Pause.

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. These 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 2024 and May 2025 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 Prof. Kathryn Schifferdecker, the chair of the Bible Division, by Wednesday, April 16 (the deadline has been moved up this year). Learn more about the criteria the Bible Division uses to judge the papers: Milton Prize in Old Testament, Bruce Prize in New Testament. Winners of the Milton and Bruce Prizes have bragging rights. (Did we mention there are monetary awards?) Talk with your Bible professors or Prof. Schifferdecker for more information.

Step into what’s next with a heart full of faith and head full of questions. Lay leaders are the heart and soul of today’s church, carrying out vital ministry work and shaping the faith communities of the future. The School for Lay Ministry is a year-long program designed to provide theologically sound training and leadership development for lay leaders. The next cohort begins May 17, and the program includes on-demand lessons, live cohort meetings, and expert guidance from experienced instructors.
– Participants gain skills in preaching, pastoral care, and more.
– Program supports a lay-led, clergy-supported model of ministry, empowering lay leaders to lead confidently and effectively in their churches and communities.
Share this opportunity with your lay leaders. Together, we can strengthen the future of the church by investing the people who share the good news. Learn more and register today.

In this devotion, Mark Granquist, Svendsbye Professor of the History of Christianity, notes how fortunate we are that God is so incredibly patient. Read today’s God Pause.