Announcements

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.

In this devotion, Joe Jorgensen ’23 M.Div., reminds us that love is always what the rules are pointing to. Read today’s God Pause.

Is your Luther internship on the horizon? Do you have questions about where to start or what to expect? Join our Contextual Learning team on Tuesday, September 22 from 4–5 p.m. in OCC 213 or via Zoom (link in email) for an info session about internships. This session is intended for ELCA candidates in both the ‘Word and Sacrament’ and ‘Word and Service’ paths.

Students, faculty, and staff—join us Tuesday, September 22 on the Luther Seminary online (registration for the in-person event is now full) for the 2026 Fretheim Lecture in Biblical Theology with Craig Koester—The Death of Jesus and the Message of Life: According to the Gospel of John. This year’s Fretheim Lecture on Biblical Theology explores how, through the crucifixion, God conveys the fullness of his love for the world in order to evoke the faith that gives life. “Life” is the heart of the gospel John proclaims, Koester says, and it defines who God is and what God gives. Learn more and register at luthersem.edu/fretheim/26.

In this devotion, Joe Jorgensen ’23 M.Div., says we might ask to be shown the way rather than expecting a script. Read today’s God Pause.

Mussie Temnewo, Ph.D. Candidate
Tuesday, September 1, 2026 | 1–3 p.m., Gullixson Hall 103
The oral examination is a public event open to faculty, students, and staff. However, other than the candidate, only faculty members have speaking privileges. What is a Ph.D. oral defense? The oral defense is the final step before graduation for Ph.D. degree candidates. The student has finished all research and is presenting a thesis that is an original contribution to the field of scholarship. A copy of the completed thesis is available prior to the defense for those in the Luther Seminary community. Read “Church and State during Haile-Selassie I’s Imperial Period: Historical Review”