One of the most common questions people ask pastors is: “Why does God allow evil in the world?” There seem to be only two answers: either God is powerless to stop evil, or He doesn’t care. In last week’s Baptismal preparation class, the catechumens raised this issue, complaining that in the court hearings to determine … Continue reading Doesn’t Jesus Care?
Last week a young Iranian man I know asked me to accompany him to his asylum hearing and provide pastoral counseling. I visited with “Mohammad” and his attorney in the waiting room for a few minutes before we were called up by the state official and interpreter. The atmosphere in the hearing room was quite … Continue reading From Iran to Germany – From Islam to Christianity
Lula and I got back to Hamburg from Dubai last night, having spent over a week there providing pastoral and logistical support for the lady in the local hospital, as reported last week. But there remained one problem; every Monday night from 7:00 to 9:30 PM Latvian time I teach a “Luther Academy” class over … Continue reading Indian Underwear Salesmen and the Augsburg Confession
Dear friends and supporters of our ministry to Germany—and across Eurasia In the Christmas season, our lectionary readings demonstrated our Lord’s human nature—as He manifested Himself as a baby in a manger. Now, in the season of Epiphany, our focus expands: the lectionary readings illustrate how the Lord manifests His divine nature by working a variety of miracles—for instance, … Continue reading It’s 2023 – Expect Miracles!
Last Sunday in Bible class we discussed the Gospel lesson of that morning’s Divine Service—Jesus turning water into wine (John 2:1-11). My Iranian parishioners asked me why the Lord hadn’t prevented that embarrassing crisis from occurring in the first place, with the host running out of wine. I explained that this is the first miracle … Continue reading Mullahs for Christ?
Last week in Bible class for our Persian friends at Zion Lutheran in Hamburg: While enjoying German stollen cake, lebkuchen, chocolate Santa Clauses and Iranian chai, we discussed the Old Testament lesson of that morning—Isaiah 40:1-11, which opens with those beautiful words of “‘Comfort, comfort my people,’ says your God.” Here the Lord promises consolation … Continue reading Babylonian Captivity
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities…over this present darkness…” (Eph 6:12). This past year, Reverend Doctors J. Bombaro, A. Just, G. Martens, and I—along with some very talented people in the LCMS International Center—have been working on a stunning project, to produce three ten-minute videos … Continue reading The Good News in Persian
In Bible class we recently discussed how amidst the tumult of Jesus’ arrest our Lord rebuked Peter for cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant (Jn 18:10). Applying this to the ongoing revolution in Iran, I showed that we need to remain peaceful and pray not only for the protesters but also for … Continue reading The Mullah Question
Yesterday one of my Iranian parishioners asked me: “The Prodigal Son…who is Jesus talking about?” “ I replied: “The Prodigal Son in Luke 15 is you, me, and every Christian who recognizes his or her sins and repents. But the main character here is the father who had been waiting for his son to return. … Continue reading The Perfect Father
Thanksgiving Day, a quintessential American holiday, is not celebrated in Germany—and certainly not in Iran (although one of my Iranian parishioners texted me “Happy Thanksgiving” this morning!). Even though this man lives in a crowded room with several other Iranian migrants, he is still grateful for how richly the Lord has blessed him. For starters, … Continue reading Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!
The Tiews in Germany 