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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.

The Internal Revenue Service has updated the standard mileage rates for 2026 with a mid-year increase. Effective July 1 through December 31, 2026, the business mileage rate is now 76 cents per mile. The updated reimbursement request form is available on MyLutherNet under the Finances tab in the Business Office Forms area. Questions can be directed to the Business Office at busoffice@luthersem.edu.

Next Monday (8/24), we expect to begin the process of removing two fuel tanks from behind Bockman Hall. This will occur directly in front of the north exit and also between the central and east wings. As a result, we are requesting that—next week—everyone move their cars to the west lot of the OCC and the westernmost side of the Bockman lot. This will allow the contractors to set up the crane needed for this project. —Facilities and Operations

In this devotion, Mark R. Peterson ’81 M.Div., considers who we really are and who the Son of Man is. Read today’s God Pause.

My beloved godmother/aunt, Monica Shikwambi, passed away at the age of 84 on Monday in Namibia. She was a survivor of the Cassinga massacre of 1978, where over 600 Namibian men, women, and children were killed during the liberation struggle against apartheid South Africa. She also lost her husband in the massacre. She carried that history with strength and resilience. Please keep me and my family in your thoughts as we grieve the loss of this giant of a woman in our family and history of Namibia. —Shamani Shikwambi, Dean of Students and Vice President of Inclusion and Belonging

The new academic catalog has been published. It is available on MyLutherNet under Academics. The new policies in the catalog are effective beginning with the Fall term of 2026. There are several major policy changes in this catalog.

• Degree Requirements are always defined by the catalog for the year of your enrollment in your current program.
• Academic Policies are always defined by the current catalog.
• Capstone – Many clarifications have been made to the capstone process for M.A. degrees.
• Drop/Withdraw – Students may no longer withdraw from a class at any point in the term. Withdraw decisions must be made by the end of the 8th week of the term. If at the time of withdrawal a student is deemed to be failing the class, a WF will appear on their transcript.
• Holds – Guidelines around writing holds have been added. Descriptions of other holds have been added.
• Incompletes – The timeframes for incompletes and incomplete extensions have been shortened significantly.
• Probation – Conditions around academic probation have changed significantly.