jmessner002

We encourage faculty and staff to be part of Winter RFS 2 at Mt. Olivet (January 14–16, 2026), even if you are not teaching. There are multiple ways to participate:

• Join us any day for worship at 8:00 a.m. in Serley Chapel, to the right of the main sanctuary.
• Join us any day for lunch at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. In particular, faculty are encouraged to attend on January 14 and staff are encouraged to attend on January 15.
• Sign up for a support shift to help make RFS a success. Check out available roles and sign up for a shift by adding your name to the support schedule.

Contact academicdean@luthersem.edu with any questions.

In this devotion, Cody Sanders, associate professor of Congregational and Community Care Leadership, considers the difference between patience and complacency. Read today’s God Pause.

In this devotion, Cody Sanders, Associate professor of Congregational and Community Care Leadership, prays that God would be our help and our hope as we move through the shadows of this season toward the light that is beginning to dawn. Read today’s God Pause.

In this devotion, Elizabeth Schoenknecht ’04 M.Div., says that all weather and seasons are reminders of God’s work in this world. Read today’s God Pause.

The annual Do-It-Yourself Nativity Extravaganza is fast approaching—on Wednesday, December 17—and the Luther Seminary Players are in desperate need of a few hearty souls with the musical chops to support the assembled revelers in the singing of well-know carols. At the moment, the orchestra consists of an amazing tuba player, and while we’re certain he could carry the show, we’d especially like to snag a piano player if at all possible. If you’re willing to contribute your piano playing skills to this theatrical endeavor, please have your agent contact Dale Dobias (ddobias001@luthersem.edu). As for the the rest of you musical types, feel free to show up a few minutes before curtain, with your instrument of choice: Guitar? Great! Banjo? Wonderful! Washboard, fiddle, kazoo? We’d love to have you! There will be no rehearsal prior to the show. Come join the DIY Nativity Orchestra as we tell the Christmas story one more time together.

Join us January 25–27, 2026, for a 3-day retreat that explores God’s call on your life. We will explore the biblical witness on divine calling and God’s ongoing calling in our lives. There will be time for rest, play, worship, and prayer. Throughout the retreat we will use storytelling and the witness of community and faith practices to dig deeply into our stories and the story God is unfolding in each of us. We will gather at Shores of Saint Andrew Bible Camp in New London, Minnesota. Participants will have the opportunity to carpool to/from campus or meet at the retreat center. The cost of the retreat including 2 nights lodging and 6 meals is $200—thanks to the support of a Luther Seminary grant. Scholarships are available for current Luther Seminary students thanks to the Stewardship Leaders Endowment Lab grant—email Ashley Wheeler (awheeler002@luthersem.edu) for more information. Retreat enrollment is limited, so register soon. Registration closes Monday, December 15. The retreat is led by Steve Thomason, Dean of the Chapel and Faculty, Ashley Wheeler in Candidacy and Contextual Education, and Jen Gruendler in Admissions.