Then he said to them all, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.” –Luke 9:23-24 We should not be surprised that Jesus’ call to discipleship is challenging—our biblical counterparts also struggled to follow this life-changing, world-altering summons. In recent months, I’ve been sharing my thoughts about the key “pivots” Luther Seminary is living into this year and beyond. Our third pivot is one of focus, from the idea that we s ..read more

The texts we read during Lent, Holy Week, and into Easter remind us that Jesus is all over the place. He’s in the wilderness and up to Galilee and in Jerusalem and over to Bethany. He talks to the poorest of the poor, the richest of the rich, and everyone in between. And throughout his journey from Gethsemane to Golgotha to the Emmaus road, he’s constantly on the move—here, there, and everywhere. The same can be said for us—the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is on the move not only through churches with wood doors and big basements but in house churches, spirit-led businesses, informal Bible ..read more

Lent has begun, and many of us will have heard the words of Psalm 51: “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.” You may be reading this message weighed down with the worries of the day, or struggling with health or family concerns. Perhaps you are wondering, as we all do at times, if the new life Jesus promises is for you too. The invitation of Jesus to a life of discipleship is to confess, repent, and indeed to receive the promised new life in him. We praise God for this goodness. Our community prays and worships together, and we create many devotional materials that we s ..read more

With Christmas, New Year, and Epiphany observations behind us, Christians are now on our way to a Lenten journey that will take us to the cross, an empty tomb, and a future full of God’s promises. In this bleak midwinter, however, it can feel as though these promises are so far off, distant, and abstract that they cannot possibly give us hope today. But through the words of Isaiah, God tells us to look through the brokenness around us, through the pain of the former things, to a future so remarkable we cannot imagine it. “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive ..read more

Ryan Panzer ’19 M.A. is the author of “The Holy and the Hybrid: Navigating the Church’s Digital Reformation,” published by Fortress Press in September 2022. It was only a few years ago that digital ministry seemed like an uncertain reality. But following the shifts to online worship experiences during the pandemic, Christian leaders and faith communities have realized that there is no going back to a previous normal, to a time of mostly in-person faith communities. In “The Holy and the Hybrid,” Panzer helps church leaders develop hybrid ministries through aligning the shared mission of the chu ..read more

One of the reasons I’m filled with deep gratitude these days is a growing sense of abundance at Luther Seminary around new ways to connect with and accompany Christian leaders.  In addition to the full-tuition Jubilee Scholarship initiative and an updated curriculum in our M.A. and M.Div. programs, we are listening and learning about what the church needs in this time of change and how the Holy Spirit is calling us to lead and adapt. Across the seminary, we are opening doors to theological education more broadly in ways that are life-giving for our community as well as for the church as a ..read more

Join us on January 9, 2024, for an evening with renowned New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine. Professor Levine will deliver Luther Seminary’s 2024 Fretheim Lecture in Biblical Theology, “The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector: Why Knowledge of Jewish History Matters for Christian Preaching and Teaching.” Event Details  Fretheim Lecture in Biblical Theology with Amy-Jill Levine Tuesday, January 9, 2024 7 p.m. Location: Chapel of the Incarnation, Olson Campus Center 1490 Fulham Street, St. Paul, MN 55108 Prior to the public lecture, Professor Levine will offer a free workshop f ..read more

Watching the news in recent weeks, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the heartache and trauma in our world. From all injustice that seeks to oppress God’s beloved children to violent conflicts spiraling ever deeper, the weight of human suffering in the present can feel unbearably heavy and the future can feel precarious and uncertain.  In times like these, I find myself humbled and grateful that the love of God and the promise of a hopeful future reaches into the most desperate and difficult places of heartache, trauma, despair and conflict. God has promised to be present in precisely the p ..read more

Luther Seminary will not move forward with an agreement to sell a portion of the Lower Campus to United Properties after the purchase offer was withdrawn. United Properties had previously considered a multi-family housing development on the property.  At this time, there are no pending offers on the Lower Campus property, which includes Lauderdale and St. Paul parcels encompassing Northwestern Hall, Stub Hall, and Breck Woods. Given challenging market conditions, the seminary’s Board of Directors voted in early October to remove the property from active sale and to explore rental agreemen ..read more

Thank you for joining us in a celebration of Luther Seminary’s mission on this year’s Give Day! We are filled with gratitude for the way our extended seminary community comes together for this annual tradition. Give Day gifts are a valuable investment in the future of the church, its congregations, and our faith communities. Here is what we were able to accomplish this year: 451 total gifts from 445 donors were given towards the Give It Back Challenge. 109 graduates gave a gift towards the Graduate Challenge. 65 faculty or staff gave a gift towards the Faculty/Staff Challenge ..read more