Cover story:

Lasting learning

What's the lasting and most helpful thing you learned in seminary?

The Lutheran asked readers: What is the lasting and most helpful thing you learned in seminary? Below are some responses. If you haven’t done so, join the conversation in our discussion forums.

At the Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia: Professor Timothy Wengert’s illustration of “grace” as an arrow pointed downward. “God always comes down,” he said, reminding us that there’s nothing we can do to earn our way “up” to God. It’s all grace!

Ruth T. Miller
Retired associate in ministry, member of St. James Lutheran Church, Coopersburg, Pa.

On March 17, 1997, my first year at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., I had a major stroke that affected my speech and comprehension. When I went back in the fall, I faced some major hurdles. While all of my doctors and speech therapists tried to talk me out of going back and seeking another career, I still felt a strong call .... Professor Jim Nestingen came to my rescue. His compassion for me will forever shape my ministry and as a person serving God.

Steven G. Blair
Pastor, St. James Lutheran Church, Hanford, Calif.

The rest of this article is only available to subscribers.