Reflections from the Interim Dean - August 25, 2025
Gifts of Cloud and Fire
In so many ways, the first newsletter of a leader’s tenure feels like A Big Deal. It sets the tone; it introduces one to one’s constituents; it signals the directions and hopes that will guide our upcoming time together.
It is, in a word, stressful.
Two anchors grounded me as I wrote this letter: a deadline (friend and bane to writers everywhere) and the biblical book which the Spirit gave us to guide our interim year.
Let me explain:
I began my ministry career after graduating from Luther Seminary as a pastor at a five-point parish in Southwest Minnesota. It was a wonderful introduction to ministry in so many ways. At one point, as I was experiencing the growing pains of a first-call pastor, I was blessed by a conversation with the retired bishop of South Dakota Synod, Bishop Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl. After describing the season I was experiencing and asking for her advice, Bishop De-Groot Nesdahl said, “Pick a biblical book to dwell in, and ask the Spirit for guidance from that book.” (It was a wonderful tip, and I highly recommend it, especially those who may be new to a call.)
One is never too old to follow good advice. In this new season here at TLS, we will be dwelling together in the book of Exodus – hence the name of this newsletter, “By Cloud and Fire: Guided by God’s Presence in Times of Change.” I invite you, dear friends of Trinity, to join us in this adventure. Read along with us of the early days of God’s people. Walk with us as we journey through the incredible story of God’s loving liberation. Reflect with us on what it means to be God’s people in an unfamiliar landscape. Listen with us as the Spirit offers guidance through these ancient and devastatingly beautiful stories. With our eyes firmly fixed on a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, let us see together where Jesus’ gospel as found in the book of Exodus leads us this year.
Finally, a word on what these newsletters will look like. Some newsletters will feature my thoughts and musings; some will come from others. If you are not aware, we have a dynamic faculty and staff here at Trinity. I have been blessed by the brilliance, spirituality, and faithfulness of each of them. I want you to get to experience their gifts as well. This newsletter will be a way for you to get to know the leaders whom God has brought to this place and the ways in which God is using them to cultivate gifts of cloud and fire.
May God’s blessings precede you,
Dean Wrenn
Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Capital University
PS: If you are interested in experiencing the landscape of Exodus, think about joining myself and Head Librarian Elli Cucksey on a pilgrimage to Egypt from Jan 6-16, 2026. Spots are going quickly!
Announcements
Join Team Trinity! Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Capital University has begun a search for a Graduate Admissions Counselor for Seminary Discernment. If you or someone you know has the gifts to help prospective students discern how God’s call is at work in their lives and to shepherd them through the seminary admissions process, please direct them to the online job posting here.
Trinity Day 2025 is scheduled for Thursday October 23-24, 2025,in conjunction with Capital’s homecoming that weekend. The speaker will be Bishop Leila Ortiz, outgoing bishop of the ELCA Metro DC Synod. Look for registration information on our website soon. The 2026 Nelson W. Trout Lectures are scheduled for April 23-24, 2026. Speaker and preacher will be the Rev. Traci Blackmon, Founder and Lead Consultant of HopeBuilds, LLC, and an early leader in the Black Lives Matter movement.