Day in the Life, 2/18-19/2007

Twice a year (spring and fall) the admissions office invites groups of prospective students to come and visit our campus. The spring event, called, "Day in the Life," has just concluded.

Ten individuals had the opportunity to be a part of the campus community and get a taste of what it is like to be a student at Luther Seminary. They ate, slept, worshiped, attended classes, enjoyed the fellowship of current students and got an overall feel for the place. They also had the opportunity to meet with professors and other administrative departments to talk about degree programs, financial aid, applications, housing, and candidacy. Most importantly, they had time to talk with one another about their journey of discernment regarding seminary study and ministry. It was a full and busy time, but an important time as well in the process of deciding if this is where God is calling.

One of my favorite moments of "Day in the Life" was when I sat down with two of the prospective students and asked them how the event was going, and both of them responded with much enthusiasm. "How soon can we start?" They wished they could skip over the last months of undergrad and come right to seminary. It's wonderful when the call to ministry comes with such certainty and joy.

If the Holy Spirit is working in your heart and mind to consider seminary study, come and visit us. Immerse yourself in campus life and meet with current students, professors and staff, and see what is possible. You can schedule an individual visit or come during one of our group events. The fall event is called, "Ventures in Vocation" and is very similar to "Day in the Life." Perhaps your visit will end with the certainty and joy you are seeking.

Meeting with the BLOC Heads, 02/15/07

Who are these BLOC Heads, you ask? They are youth ministers serving in Southeast Minnesota Synod of the ELCA, and I attended one of their monthly meetings in Rochester, MN. I'm not sure I was ever told where the name BLOC Heads originated, but one thing is certain, it's creative.



I met with this group to alert them to a program opportunity for their high school youth in conjunction with an upcoming Sr. High Youth Gathering happening in St. Paul, MN this spring. Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, CA and Luther Seminary are sponsoring an intensive theological experience for high school youth on the campus of Luther Seminary and we want to invite youth from Southeast Minnesota to be there. Many such programs will be offered in Regions 1, 2, and 3 of the ELCA from 2007-2009 for both high school and college age individuals. These programs are part of a grant both seminaries received from the Lily Foundation to provide opportunities for high school and college age individuals to explore the topics of discernment, call, vocation and church professions.

Also on the meeting agenda for the BLOC Heads that day was Paul Hill, adjunct professor in the Children, Youth and Family program at Luther Seminary. Paul was there to talk about the many opportunities available within the Children, Youth and Family degree at Luther including a new focus in outdoor ministry, which will be piloted this fall.

I think when Paul and I left, the BLOC Heads were swimming in ideas for opportunities not only for their youth, but for themselves as well. It's great when people come to know all the ways the seminary can provide help and support to them in their ministry.

Augustana College, 02/13-14/2007

As always it was a delight to be back on the campus of Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD to meet with prospective students and be hosted by the campus ministry staff. Augustana is actually an internship site again this year for Luther Seminary, providing the teaching context for one of our Master of Divinity students, Chris Matson. I would consider Pastor Paul Rohde, campus pastor at Augustana, to be among the finest internship supervisors.

During the visit to Augustana, my colleagues (admissions representatives from the other ELCA seminaries) and I had many opportunities to meet with prospective students, from one-on-one interviews to breaking bread together.

A question that students frequently asked was, "What can I do with a seminary education if I don't feel called to be a pastor?" This is a good question, because so often people don't know much about what a seminary offers besides the training to become a pastor. But there are many other ministry vocations! Youth minister, church musician, professor, parish nurse, chaplain, missionary, Christian education director, outdoor ministry leader...any ministry you can think of, the seminaries will do what they can to equip you. Check out this link on our Luther Seminary Web site to read what some of our alumni are up to in ministry.

If you have a passion for a particular ministry vocation but just are not sure how or where to take the next step, let us help you. Together we can explore the possibilities.

Front Range Youth Directors, 02/08/07—NOT!

There were two appointments in Denver I had while attending a continuing education event in Winter Park, CO with my husband last week. I made it to the wonderful gathering with individuals volunteering with Urban Servant Corps. The other event, I missed. I was supposed to meet with the Front Range Youth Directors at the ELCA synod office on Feb. 8th; that didn't happen...

As those of you who have driven from Denver to Winter Park know there is a mountain pass that separates the two cities called Berthoud Pass. Basically it is 15-20 miles of either ascending or descending a mountain on a curvy road with hairpin turns. The road is well paved, well marked and wide, so on a good day is very drivable. But there are two things a driver always keeps in mind while maneuvering through the pass: 1. road conditions (caused by weather or traffic) and 2. making sure you have good breaks.

When I made my appointments in Denver, knowing I would be staying in Winter Park, I was more concerned about having to cancel because of bad weather then I was because of the brakes on my rental car, but as it turned out the later became my problem. To make a long story short I stopped along the pass not far from Winter Park because my front driver's side break/wheel was making a funny noise. A Good Samaritan came to my rescue and let me follow his vehicle (which happened to be a tow truck) through the pass to Denver, I exchanged vehicles at the rental car company (no hassles) and was again on my way. In the mean time, I missed my appointment with the Front Range Youth Directors, but I was safe.

However, I did stop at the ELCA synod office and was able to speak with Assistant to the Bishop, Pastor Dan Bollman, who passed along some information to the youth directors on my behalf, and who is willing to help facilitate more conversation with them electronically and in person; for all his help I am grateful. I also was able to get reacquainted with Cheryl Almquist, the woman who was the secretary at my internship church in Arvada, CO, and who has been working with the synod now for 14 years (see photo).

It was a day full of blessings and woes but, all in all, it turned out A-OK. Thanks be to God!

Urban Servant Corps, 02/05/2007

On Monday evening, Feb. 5th I met with a wonderful group of individuals spending a year volunteering with Urban Servant Corps (USC) in Denver, CO. As their web sight states, this organization is "a Lutheran volunteer program involved in ministries serving inner-city Denver. The USC works in cooperation with community agencies, churches, and individuals in the city as channels of God's love and concern."

My time with the group that evening was spent sharing a meal, hearing a little about each of them and their particular ministry with USC, celebrating and thanking them for that ministry and being in conversation with them about how the seminary might be of service to them as they think about their future beyond their USC experience.

There are two things I hope the group took away with them that evening: 1. helpful answers to their many and varied questions about seminary study; 2. a sense of importance and purpose to the ministry in which they find themselves engaged with USC as they fulfill Christ's mandate to be about the needs of the "least of our brothers and sisters." (Matthew 25:31-46)

Almighty God, by the power of the Spirit you have knit these your servants into the one body of your Son, Jesus Christ. Look with favor upon them in their commitment to serve in Christ's name. Give them courage, patience, and vision; and strengthen us all in our Christian vocation of witness to the world and of service to others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (ELW, Affirmation of Christian Vocation, pg. 84)

Colorado, 2-5-07

I bring you greetings from Winter Park, Colorado, 9,000+ feet above sea level. I am here with my husband John at a Kairos sponsored course called TheoProbe.

TheoProbe brings together who great concepts — skiing and theology. The daily schedule begins and ends each day with theological study which opens the rest of the day for skiing or some type of wintery activity. Two professors from Luther Seminary, Lois Malcomb (Systematics) and Michael Rogness (Preaching) are leading the theological discussion on the topic of the lectionary texts for Lent. Professor Malcomb is focusing on the "theology of the cross" in the gospels and the writings of St. Paul, and Professor Rogness is highlighting numerous aspects of preaching that need to be taken into consideration not only in Lent, but whenever a preacher steps into the pulpit.

This is the first time my husband or I have attended this event and we are really enjoying ourselves. Those in attendance embody what it means to play hard and work hard. Actually it is nice to come to a conference where your body is as physically challenged as your mind is mentally. Though I will admit my legs are sorer then my brain, obviously the one is a bit more in shape then the other, but it feels good to exercise them both.

I am also taking advantage of my time in Colorado by meeting with two other groups. Tonight I will host a dinner for the Urban Servant Corps, (www.servantcorps.org), young adults serving in Denver; and on Thursday, I am meeting and having lunch with the Front Range Youth Directors at the ELCA Rocky Mountain Synod office in Denver. Stay tuned for blog postings for my visits with these two groups!