“As in the Reformation, our times demand faithfulness and openness to the Holy Spirit’s sending…Discerning the church’s future requires a posture of learning, adaptation and innovation aware of the emerging realities while also recognizing and claiming the central tenets of our Christian tradition.” This statement from our newly adopted strategic plan, is part of our description of the current reality of the church for which we are preparing our students. In this season as we prepare to launch a year of events commemorating the Reformation, we continue to ask what God is up to in the world and endeavor to have open ears and hearts to the work of the Holy Spirit.
We invite you to join us as we listen to God’s Spirit through attending to the beauty of God through singing in our annual event this year featuring my alma mater, Augustana College and President Rob Oliver. Join us also as we listen for God’s Spirit through art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art which is featuring a Reformation Exhibit. And join us too as we pray through Advent together so that in the midst of hectic schedules, disruptive change and a frenzied election cycle we may be drawn close to God’s Spirit which “Helps us in our weakness.” (Rom. 8:26)
Our institutional vision of serving as a catalyst for God’s transforming work through transforming leaders, community and collaborations continues to be our focus. This issue highlights results of our first ever “Give Day” which supports this transforming work. Thanks for your partnership in this experiment. We were recently featured as part of “Seminaries that change the world” which highlights some of the other experiments we have been testing.
How are you “listening to God’s Spirit” in your own community? What kinds of “learning, adaptation and innovation” do you see unfolding for your community? Thanks for joining us in the unsettling work of “listening to God’s Spirit.”