New Students, Fall 2004

Captivated by God:
Cora Lazor

Cora Lazor of Greenville, PA, is a lifelong Lutheran who has enjoyed participating in church life at the congregational, synodical and church-wide levels. She became captivated by and curious about the work of the church while attending a three-week vocational program for high school students at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH. "I talked with rostered leaders in the church about their vocation and took mini-courses in theology and Bible," she recalls. She also participated in several social ministry initiatives. "It's really because of this program I am a seminarian," she says. "Through faith, I experience a captivation with a God who never fails to intrigue me. My vocation is shaped and guided by a curiosity to learn more about this God. For me, growing in relationship with God means continually participating in a dialogue involving faith and learning." Attending Thiel College in Greenville, PA and serving as a summer, 2002, communication intern for the Division of Higher Education and Schools of the ELCA "made me appreciative of a tradition that engages in that same dialogue," she says. "While I continue to discern where God is calling, I know that call will always include education, and I know theological and contextual education are what I am supposed to be doing right now. I am grateful for the programs and institutions of the church that foster learning, including LTSP, and I look forward to participating in the ministry of teaching."