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You are invited to join in community faith formation every weekday (Monday-Thursday) at 11:00 a.m. CT. 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, April 20, 11 a.m. CT
Text study with the chapel staff on Zoom (link in email).

Tuesday, April 21, 11 a.m. CT
Contemplative Practice in the Meditation Chapel and on Zoom.

Wednesday, April 22, 11 a.m. CT
Service of Holy Communion in the Chapel of the Incarnation. Dwight Zscheile, professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership, will preach, and Danielle Dokman, Ph.D. student, will preside. We will explore Jesus’ community in the Spirit in the context of community today.
The service will be livestreamed.

Thursday, April 23, 11 a.m. CT
Lunch Church in the OCC Dining Room will be led by Arnold Swai, M.A. student.
Share your prayer requests.

Students interested in learning more about the January 2027 Tanzania travel course are invited to a Zoom meeting on Thursday, April 30, 5–6 p.m. CT. Students logged into their Luther Seminary account can use the Zoom link shared in the daily email and on the shared Community Calendar. We will talk about itinerary, costs, travel arrangements, and course learning goals. If you are interested and cannot make the meeting, please email Kathryn Schifferdecker, kschiffer@luthersem.edu.

Luther Seminary students are invited to one of two upcoming spaces to hold conversation with one another about the relocation of the seminary. This is a conversation space to process what we’re holding—personally and as a community—as we approach the move. Many of us are experiencing everything from deep grief to hopeful anticipation, often intermingled and with a lot in between. We invite you to bring all of this into a spacious conversation with one another. There are two opportunities, and you are invited to choose one to attend:

• Tuesday, May 5, 6:15–7:45 p.m. In-Person Only
  —dinner provided, OCC Dining Room (in place of Simple Supper program)
• Thursday, May 7, 6:15–7:45 p.m. Zoom Only (link in email)

We want to be able to speak with one another in a face-to-face way, so we are holding these conversations in one modality at a time. Choose which one works best for you. If you have questions, please contact Cody Sanders (csanders001@luthersem.edu).

On Tuesday May 5 from 11 a.m.–12:20 p.m. in the OCC Dining Room, join the ABIDE Inclusive Campus Climate Committee for a Lunch & Learn celebrating LGBTQ-inclusive ministries, and learning from the wisdom of a panel of LGBTQ+ pastors. In an era when LGBTQ+ rights and wellbeing are under increasing attack, the commitment of faith communities to practice inclusivity, care, and justice for and with LGBTQ+ people is a lifeline to many. This event will help you imagine what those ministries look like in specific communities now and in the days to come. Lunch is provided. All are welcome to attend. If you have questions, please contact Cody Sanders (csanders001@luthersem.edu).

Come experience one of the vibrant churches of the Global South—the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania—one of the fastest-growing and largest Lutheran church bodies in the world with 8.5 million members. Students will participate in a conference with ELCT pastors, learning from them about topics like evangelism, women’s leadership, poverty and the prosperity gospel, and church-sponsored development work. There will be much singing (and some dancing) involved. We will be based in the small city of Iringa, Tanzania, and will also stay in rural villages for a weekend. There will be time at the end of the trip for relaxation at a safari camp in Ruaha National Park and on the island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean. The cost will likely be around $4600, depending on the price of airline tickets. This cost includes airfare, lodging, transportation, and many meals. There is financial aid available through the St. Paul Area Synod of the ELCA for students under the age of 36—interested students should apply as soon as possible. This is a CD course but can also count as a Bible elective. Likely, other financial aid will be available for all students too. If you are interested in this trip, contact Kathryn Schifferdecker, kschiffer@luthersem.edu, by early May, as space is limited. Also note that the dates may change by a day on either end but will be set by early summer. The dates for the course as currently planned are January 16-31, 2027.

In this devotion, Michael DeKraai ’90 M.Div., considers how we respond when we experience God’s unexpected presence. Read today’s God Pause.