Demonstration a sign of hope

A few of the "Walk Out/Hands Up" demonstrators

LSTC takes seriously its call to be a public church. On the first Monday in Advent, about 50 faculty, staff and students from LSTC and other Hyde Park seminaries walked with their hands up to the corner across from President Obama's house. Senior MDiv student Kwame Pitts organized the protest in solidarity with Ferguson, Mo.

 
Several police cars and officers on foot escorted us. Our chants of "No justice, no peace" and "Hands up, don't shoot!" echoed off the apartment buildings that line Woodlawn Avenue. One woman joined our chanting from her third-floor window.

Pitts spoke first when we reached our destination. "We're here today because we believe the gospel calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are tired of the violence that is taking place against the people we are called to serve," she said. Others spoke of racial profiling by University of Chicago police. Others read from their denomination's statements of solidarity.

The most poignant words that day came from a female African American Chicago Police officer who stood with us. "I support what you're doing. I live this mess every day. I pray that I don't lose my mind," she said. We laid our hands on her shoulders and prayed for her.

Reporters from the local public radio station and several local newspapers showed up to find out why we were doing this. Read the Chicago Defender blog story. And listen to the WBEZ story by scrolling down to "Chicagoans show solidarity with Ferguson" on the Afternoon Shift Soundcloud. 

You can also hear more from Kwame on her December video blog.

That short walk, that brief hour together, filled me with hope. I don't know if our demonstration, itself, will make a difference but I know that the seminarians will.

Blessings to you as we wait for the one who fills us with hope,

Jan Boden

Director of Communications and Marketing

jboden@lstc.edu

Uncovering family secrets, forgiveness and healing  

Nancy Goede's book, Uncovering Lives: Discovering One Immigrant Generation's Secrets and Lives of Forgiveness, Grace, and Healing, traces her 20-year journey to learn about the lives of her ancestors.

Goede (1994, MDiv) was still a student at LSTC when she started to work on her family history. When her first child was born, she tried to fill in the family tree in her son's baby book. After adding the names of her grandparents to the chart, Goede stopped. That was all she knew. It was hardly the deep sense of connection she was hoping to map out.

Goede turned to her parents. They provided a few old photos of relatives but few details of who they were. Goede decided to find out. With a detective's persistence, she pursued her ancestors in Iowa, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany.

"I didn't just want to fill out the family tree. I wanted to know more about their lives," Goede says. "It's the stories about people who changed their lives or who forgave and cared for others that I wanted to share."

Using stories from the Bible, Pastor Goede reflects on the lives of her ancestors through the lens of faith. "I hope that this book will inspire others to consider forgiveness within their own family stories and secrets," she says. "I also hope it will inspire others to write similar books."

Many of those stories were ones that Goede used in the sermons preached at the congregations she served in Chicago and its south suburbs.

Six years ago she began to think those stories could be a book. In 2010, Goede received a Lilly Clergy Renewal Sabbatical grant and spent five weeks visiting family sites and checking parish and municipal records in Sweden, Denmark, and Germany.

Goede offers this advice to anyone interested in discovering their own family stories, "Talk to the people who are still alive and then check out all they say. We all have different memories of what happened or what others told us about their lives. It's possible to do some research online, but there's no substitute for going to the place and checking the church, city, or county records. It's hard work, but it's worth finding out more than just names and dates."

Her next book project is completely different. Goede is working with a Muslim colleague on an interfaith book about conversion.

To learn more about Uncovering Lives: Discovering One Immigrant Generation's Secrets and Lives of Forgiveness, Grace, and Healing, an ebook published by Shook Foil Books, visit the publisher's website. 

Richard A. Jensen, Carlson Professor Emeritus of Homiletics, dies

The Rev. Dr. Richard A. Jensen, Axel Jacob and Gerda Maria (Swanson) Carlson Professor Emeritus of Homiletics at LSTC, died on November 19 in Lakeville, Minnesota. He was a missionary, scholar, teacher, and author who, with his wife, Bonnie, worked for the Lutheran church throughout his life.

"We at LSTC who had the privilege of working with Dick over the years are deeply saddened by news of his death, even as we are heartened by the memory of his profound witness," said James Nieman, president. Read more. 

News from LSTC

More than 30 new and returning students receive full-tuition scholarships

This fall, more than 30 new and returning LSTC master's level students received full-tuition scholarships. These include Presidential, Bridges, and Hope Scholarships awarded by LSTC; ELCA Fund for Leaders Scholarships, and one Veterans' Affairs Scholarship. Read more.   

Iris and Fred Whitehouse of the Munderloh Foundation, Kyle Severson,   President James Nieman

Kyle Severson receives Munderloh Foundation Award of Excellence

Student Kyle Severson, a senior in the master of divinity program at LSTC, has received a Munderloh Foundation Award of Excellence. The $3,000 award is given annually to a student nominated by the faculty for excellence in scholarship. Read more.    

Thank you for your generosity! You made LSTC's first annual #GivingTuesday a success. People gave online and in response to the phone calls we made that day to alumni.

You may make a gift online any time here. Gifts to LSTC are tax deductible to the extent of the law. You may also make a gift in honor or memory of a loved one. Contact Mark Van Scharrel at  mvanscha@lstc.edu or 773-256-0676.

LSTC's 2015 Leadership Conference will take place on campus June 16-18. The topic is inclusivity in the ELCA. After more than 25 years, we are still far from the vision of being a diverse denomination. What are the barriers to being a more inclusive church? What are the challenges? And what are your ideas for overcoming them? Watch for details in early 2015.

M. Wyvetta Bullock

The Rev. Dr. M.Wyvetta Bullock will be the preacher for the Fifth Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration at LSTC. The celebration begins at 11 a.m. with worship in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC. A luncheon and lively discussion follow in the LSTC Refectory. It's free, but please RSVP to Dr. Cheryl Pero, director of the Albert "Pete" Pero Jr. Multicultural Center at LSTC,  cpero@lstc.edu.

Also in January

Manz Organ Series Concert

Andrew Schaeffer, DMA candidate, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla., is the recitalist for the Jan. 6 Manz Organ Series Concert in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC. The concert begins at 12:15 p.m.

Chaplaincy workshop, "Spiritual care of Muslim patients"

A two-day workshop for non-Muslim chaplains to learn about and gain confidence in working with Muslim patients and families facing illness or death will be offered Jan. 7 and 14, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at Midwest Palliative & Hospice Care Center, 2050 Claire Court, Glenview, Ill. The $95 fee includes breakfast and lunch. Register online. For more information contact Sara Trumm at  strumm@lstc.edu or call 773-256-0708.

Trinity Institute at LSTC: Economics and the Common Good

LSTC will be a partner site for the Jan. 22-24 Trinity Institute Conference "Creating Common Good" which focuses on economic inequality. Learn more on Trinity Institute's Website. Sessions at LSTC will run from Jan. 20-24 to prepare for and reflect on the conference sessions. For more information, contact Dr. Cheryl Pero, director of the Pero Multicultural Center, at cpero@lstc.edu.

View the full list of J-Term and Spring semester opportunities on the  events page.

Making a significant gift to ministry can increase your bottom line!

As you review your investment, giving, and estate plans, consider a gift to benefit LSTC. Make a gift of appreciated securities or cash and you can receive an income tax deduction and payments at an annuity rate based on your age. To find out more about charitable annuities, contact Mark Van Scharrel at mvanscha@lstc.edu or call 773-256-0676.

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