Nothing else reminds me what our mission is all about more than Commencement weekend. It’s my honor each year to confer degrees to the next generation of leaders. It was very special to have a father and son each receive degrees. Jeff Eisele received his Doctor of Ministry in preaching, and his son, Ben, received his Master of Divinity. Ben received a call to a congregation in the South Dakota Synod and begins his pastoral ministry in the coming weeks.
Impact. This is what Luther Seminary is all about as we prepare leaders for God’s transforming work in the world. On May 22, we celebrated with 157 graduates—some of whom have already been called to serve as a pastor or diaconal minister. Our Ph.D. graduates are preparing to return to their home countries or elsewhere in the United States to take up significant leadership and teaching responsibilities. Other graduates are moving into professional work as they use their deepening understanding of God’s call to bear witness to God’s love and grace for the world.
Resiliency. Commencement is always a mixed blessing for me. Yes, I celebrate the accomplishments of these students—but I also grieve their departure. This group of seniors began at an institution which looks very different than the one in which they enrolled. Through the ups and downs of their journey, they developed or deepened their resiliency, leaning into change. They will lead this church clinging more tightly to Jesus Christ rather than to established patterns, habits and practices of “the way we always did things.” They give me hope and deep joy for what God is doing in the world and in the church.
Gratitude. Above all, I am deeply grateful for these students’ willingness to say yes to God’s call. They are now prepared for leadership in an unknown location, with people whom they have not met and with unknown resources. But they trust God to provide, as God has promised. As these graduates depart, there is more room for a new group of students discerning what God is up to and to test if they might be called to serve the gospel of Jesus Christ and the mission of the church as a pastor or other church leader. I invite you to invite someone to consider preparing to serve as a pastor or diaconal minister. “The harvest is plenty and the laborers are few.” Send them our way for conversation.