Why we should welcome refugees; LSTC mourns death of Albert "Pete" Pero Jr.; ELCA seminaries explore Learning Exchange

December 2015 E.pistle
Read on for hope

What is it about Advent? At this time of year, the world always seems to be in turmoil. Any newscast plunges us into it, nearby and far away. Even the readings we hear in worship tell of a world groaning, in need of hope.

Keep reading for some hope: in the life and work of Albert "Pete" Pero Jr.; through the voice of alumnus Emmanuel Jackson; in Michael Shelley's call for us to stand with our Muslim friends and neighbors; and in an emerging vision for a new kind of collaboration among the ELCA seminaries.

God is at work through them and through us to bring hope, peace, and justice in these times and in the seasons to come.

May you be filled with hope as we celebrate God coming to live among us in Jesus.

Jan Boden, Director of Communications and Marketing, jboden@lstc.edu
Albert "Pete" Pero Jr. in 2006.
Photo by Dirk van der Duim
LSTC mourns death of Albert "Pete" Pero Jr.

The Rev. Dr. Albert "Pete" Pero Jr., professor emeritus of systematic theology at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, died on November 18 in Chicago, Illinois. He was 79 years old. Pero became the first African American professor at a US Lutheran seminary when he joined the LSTC faculty in 1977. He was also the first African American to earn a PhD in theology.
 
A funeral service was held at noon on Tuesday, November 24, 2015, at the Augustana Chapel at LSTC, 1100 East 55th Street, Chicago, Ill.
Listen to Bishop Wayne Miller's sermon. 

Emmanuel Jackson is Lead Pastor at Living Word Lutheran Church, Katy, Texas
My Story, My Voice

by Emmanuel Jackson (2008, MDiv; 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award)
 
I am a refugee.
 
I was born in Liberia, West Africa. I went to school, played soccer, hung out with my friends and went home at night to a loving family. It was unthinkable that war would come into my life. But it did come. Horrible, painful, devastating. Family and friends gone forever. We walked for months to reach the border and then spent years at the Buduburum Refugee camp in Ghana, West Africa. The vetting process to be considered for immigration is a long and thorough test. 

Read more
A Message from Dr. Michael Shelley

We mourn for those who lost their lives and those injured in the attacks in Paris, Beirut, Baghdad and San Bernardino. Our prayers and condolences go out to all those affected by these acts of violence, which we condemn.

At the same time, we deplore language that suggests Islam and all Muslims must be held accountable for such attacks, . . . . Read more
Lutheran seminaries explore Learning Exchange

More than 70 representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) eight seminaries convened near Chicago on November 1, 2015 for a two-day session of envisioning what a "common learning exchange" could mean for the church's theological education network.

The unprecedented two day meeting of seminary presidents, board representatives, faculty and staff focused on the feasibility of the eight seminaries, each with a unique history, operating model and culture, to join in a common project to deliver a richer learning experience to current students and rostered leaders and broader ELCA audiences. 

Read more
Exercise hope
by Clyde A. Walter, Campaign Director and
Major Gift Officer
 
Hope, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, is a virtue not principally of the mind that believes in God's faithfulness, but of the will that longs for heaven with a desire that propels it forward to ever greater spiritual growth. Hope takes action.
 
Hope also takes practice. It is a spiritual muscle.  Like all muscles, it must be exercised just to survive. Though our society has made this time before Christmas into a season of indulgence, Advent is meant to be a season of training. It's time to blow on the spark of spiritual desire within us until it bursts into flame. Christmas lights are nice, but it is we who are supposed to be the light of the world.
 
This Advent season, consider exercising your hope by making a gift to LSTC. This may seem like a stretch (pun intended) but sharing God's abundance with LSTC's mission of forming leaders to spread the good news of Christ is exercising hope. From the many stories we hear of where our students go out to serve in the church, giving to LSTC's mission is a way of being light in world. This month, consider giving out of hope.

Go here to give online. Thank you!
Easter Morning by Sadao Watanabe
Watanabe calendars

The 2016 Watanabe Calendars have arrived. Your purchase of a calendar supports the William J. and Elizabeth M. Danker Fellowship awarded annually to international Ph.D. students at LSTC.
 
The calendar measures approximately 16.5" by 23" and features a stencil drawing titled "Easter Morning" from 1988. The artwork is by Sadao Watanabe, a well-known Japanese Christian print artist.
 
The cost of the calendar is $20 each, covering shipping and a small portion to the Danker Fellowship. Please consider a gift in support of the Danker Fellowship in addition to your calendar purchase.

How to order
Support LSTC and get a year-end financial benefit

Making a charitable gift before the end of the year can help you realize tax benefits you may be looking to earn. In addition to giving cash gifts, either here online or by check, you may want to consider the benefits of giving gifts of securities or other property. Persons over the age of 70 may especially want to consider giving out of their IRA. All gifts postmarked by December 31 will be counted for the 2015 tax year. We encourage you to submit gifts of securities by December 28. For questions or to explore these options further, please contact Jessica Houston in the Advancement Office at jhouston@lstc.edu or 773-256-0697.
Listen to faculty and student sermons

Hear recent sermons by Jan Rippentrop, Axel Jacob and Gerda Maria (Swanson) Carlson Chair in Homiletics; James Nieman, president; Harvard Stephens Jr.; dean of the chapel and pastor to the community; Klaus-Peter Adam, associate professor of Old Testament, and other faculty. Hear some fine sermons by senior MDiv students, too: Stacy Gahlman-Schroeder, Nathan Klein, Dave Elliott, and more.
Opportunities at LSTC

All opportunities are held at LSTC, 1100 E. 55th St., Chicago, and are free unless otherwise noted.

Manz Organ Series Concert - Jan. 5
Daniel Schwandt, LSTC cantor to the seminary community and cantor at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Chicago, presents a free half-hour organ recital on Augustana Chapel's Ruth and Paul Manz pipe organ at 12:15 p.m.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration - Jan. 18
On Mon., Jan. 18, come for worship at 11 a.m. and stay for lunch and discussion. The Rev. Said Ailabouni will preach and the Rev. Melody Eastman will preside. Let the Pero Multicultural Center know if you plan to attend by emailing mc@lstc.edu.
 
Trinity Institute at LSTC: Listen for Change: Racial Justice - Jan. 21-23
LSTC will be a partner site for the Jan. 21-23 Trinity Institute Conference "Listen for Change: Racial Justice." Speakers include Anna Deavere Smith, Nicholas Kristof, Emilie Townes, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Michele Norris, and others. Visit here for more details and contact Dr. Richard Perry Jr. at rperry@lstc.edu. 
 
Manz Organ Series Concert - Feb. 2
Dr. Stephen Schnurr, director of music, Saint Paul's Catholic Church, and instructor of music, Valparaiso University, presents a 30-minute free recital on the Ruth and Paul Manz Organ in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC at 12:15 p.m.
 
Workshop with Dr. Ysaye Barnwell - Feb. 13
Former member of Sweet Honey in the Rock Dr. Ysaye M. Barnwell leads "Building Vocal Community" on Feb. 13 in the Augustana Chapel at LSTC. The all-day workshop offers singers and non-singers the chance to learn the oral tradtion and singing rhythms, chants and songs from Africa and the Diaspora and African American culture. This unique opportunity runs from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The entrance fee is $20. For more information, please contact Francisco Herrera, fherrera@lstc.edu.


Events and opportunities
What do you think?

Being responsive, learning the context. Those are hallmarks of LSTC's new curriculum and it's time this publication caught up. I'm testing a different layout that is simpler and more mobile-friendly. Let me know what you think. Jan Boden, Director of Communications and Marketing, jboden@lstc.edu
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago | 773-256-0700 | www.lstc.edu 
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