Luther Seminary conferred degrees on 136 newly prepared witnesses of Christ’s gospel at the 137th Commencement, May 28, at Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis.

But what if our identities were bound up less in what we do but in why we do what we do? Bound up less in a specific call and more in the One who calls?

Families are the new mission field. In Africa, mission historians tell us that the most effective missionaries of the 19th and 20th centuries were the ones who could best enter the home with the good news of Jesus Christ. The same is true today.

Every course involves having the students share an autobiography, especially as it is framed by scripture. It’s transformed the atmosphere in the room, he says. “When we tell our stories in class, it breaks down barriers between students. It’s preparing them to be real people in the parish.” And Hillmer includes himself in this assignment. “I tell my story, too. I want them to know I am flesh and blood; I have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.”

Although she said it was “bizarre” to be on campus without her classmates, participating in the program is “very re-energizing.”