WEBVTT

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And it came to pass in those days.

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That a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should

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stay home because of covid. No it didn't happen that way. The way it did happen that God came into our world of hurt and hopelessness that shows you and I can depend upon God to be with us. He is Immanuel especially in times of trial.

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Welcome to Mission Works

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thanks to donors. After the Thanksgiving break Concordia Seminary went

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back to virtual instruction. In this to Immanuel is with us. Saint Paul

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says in Romans chapter 5 we rejoice in our sufferings knowing that

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suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and

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character produces

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hope and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been

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poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to

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us.

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Here's what first-year seminarian Aaron Levenhagen wrote. The Seminary

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is so well prepared to make the best of the difficult situation

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because of generous donors.

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We have state-of-the-art means to continue to be taught and formed by

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the faculty and to interact with each other, even when we can't

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physically gather together. Of course, there is disappointment at

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having our time at the Seminary disrupted. But perhaps our Lord has

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provided this time of online learning as a way to uniquely prepare for

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each of us as future pastors or deaconesses to serve his church in a

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time where online communications in emerging technologies continue to

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open new pathways to creatively communicating the Gospel.

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Student Samuel Eisenberger shared this.

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One way I have seen God work during this time of remote instruction is

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my fieldwork transferred for the time being to my home church in Las

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Vegas. As of yesterday,

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I sat down with all three of our pastors and they are giving me so

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many unique opportunities to serve, grow and be mentored in ways that I

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would not be able to back in St.

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Louis. When I eagerly return to my field work congregation in

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Illinois,

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I will be able to take the skills

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I learned from being at home and apply them there.

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Dr.

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Julie Gary are coordinator of Health and Wellness has a PHD in

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epidemiology.

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She writes. In this Advent season, as we wait for the birth of Jesus,

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we have been awarded extra time to reflect on our lives as we have

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recently moved to online classes for the rest of the semester. In

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addition many of our employees are now working from home. Our strategy

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for fighting the pandemic (tracking cases, contact tracing, communication)

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has not changed. Our hope,

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peace,

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joy and Love remain with our Lord and Savior.

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And it came to pass in our own days that God continues to give us

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Grace and blessing. Thank you for supporting Concordia Seminary.This

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mission of Immanuel God truly is with us.