Announcements

Join us for a festive and fun Secret Santa gift exchange—open to all students, faculty, and staff of the Luther Seminary community. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the Christmas season together and spread holiday cheer. Participants will be randomly assigned a person for whom to purchase a gift, keeping the recipient a secret until the big reveal at our gathering on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at noon. The gift limit is set at $15, making it a thoughtful yet affordable way to share joy. To join in the fun, simply fill out this online form. Let’s come together to make this holiday season special by sharing gifts and celebrating community spirit. For any questions, email communitylife@luthersem.edu or ateter001@luthersem.edu. Don’t miss out—sign up today!

In this devotion, Emily McQuillan ‘19 M.Div. reflects on the tender mercy of our God. Read today’s God Pause.

What happens to us after we die? How do people in your ministry context respond to the foundational yet often confusing Christian conviction that we will be resurrected bodily with Christ after death? And how does this belief shape Christian life and ministry in the present? Professors Pietz and Padgett invite you to explore such questions in “Resurrection,” a new cross-divisional course offered spring term on Thursdays, 12:30–4:20 p.m. in a hybrid format. For course description and other details, see the Spring 2025 course listings in MyLutherNet. Please contact Professor Padgett (apadgett@luthersem.edu) or Professor Pietz (jpietz002@luthersem.edu) with questions.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 12–1 p.m. on Zoom (link in email)
As we continue to think about the US elections, we are aware of heightened anxieties and disparate hopes surrounding them. We pledge to bear one another’s burdens, share in one another’s joys, and walk the extra mile for one another’s sake (Gal. 6:2; 1 Cor. 12:26). We commit to robust, passionate, and respectful dialogue with one another—both those with whom we agree and those with whom we disagree. Please join us one week after the election for circle conversations to express what you are feeling in this context. Rooted in communal forms of knowing and learning, circle conversations are opportunities to listen deeply, share from the heart, and engage in what Martin Luther once called “mutual conversation and consolation.” This is not a moment to try to change people’s minds but rather an opportunity for the Spirit to soften our hearts. Rolf Jacobson and Mary Hess will be co-keepers of this and subsequent circles.

ELCA Horizon is hosting a general info session on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. central (link in email). If you are interested in learning more about Horizon internships in 2025-2026 or beyond, consider attending this session. The Luther Seminary Horizon Internships webpage has all application materials and an explanation of the timeline and process. For the 2025-2026 year, all application materials are due January 10, 2025. Thank you all for your partnership!

In this devotion, Emily McQuillan ‘19 M.Div. helps us turn to God’s peace when the night feels too long and the joy of the season seems out of reach. Read today’s God Pause.