This Lenten season especially, we were reminded that sin and evil in this world are real. We repent of the sin in our own hearts and are so grateful that our Lord Jesus Christ took not only our sins upon Himself but also the grief, sorrow, and fear that has spread across much of Europe, … Continue reading Lent and Easter 2022
What can be finer than getting up at 3:20 AM to catch a 6:00 AM flight? Well, that’s exactly what I got to do recently, flying from Hamburg, Germany, to Riga, Latvia, to attend a one-week in-person Intensive with our international seminary students at Luther Academy. So, I climbed into my taxi. At that wee … Continue reading Just Tell the Good News
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod supports Riga Lutheran Academy, Latvia—an online seminary offering a four-year Bachelor of Theology program in the English language. As one of RLA’s docents, last week I had the privilege of attending the semi-annual one-week Intensive in that Baltic country. 26 students from 13 different countries are enrolled in the rigorous program, … Continue reading The Average Lutheran
The Church is a body, working *together*. Today I was privileged to meet yet another mother and daughter from Ukraine. A few weeks ago, LCMS had informed me that they were headed towards Hamburg. Where to find housing? I contacted a local Lutheran (SELK) pastor who emailed his congregation for help. Many replied. At first, … Continue reading Welcoming Strangers as Family
The war in Ukraine has catapulted many of us into untrodden territory, forcing millions of people to flee westward to escape the bombs and missiles being launched on them. Last Thursday the LCMS requested me to provide pastoral care to three Ukrainian refugee families heading toward Germany and provided me with their contact info. The … Continue reading Ukrainian Refugees Arriving in Germany
Every Saturday I teach at a local Lutheran (SELK) church in Hamburg: first, a new member class for a German baptismal candidate and then three hours of German for Persian migrants. And every Saturday I find the fellowship hall spotlessly clean, with the table set with various kinds of sparkling water and snacks. During each … Continue reading The Lord’s Work
There are more Iranians and Afghans living here in Hamburg than in any other city in Germany–and many of them are converting to Christianity. I live in a part of town that is predominantly Persian. In fact, walk down one street and you will not hear any German whatsoever. Practically every shop there sells Iranian … Continue reading The Persian Copy Shop
You may recall how I recently shared about my Iranian language teacher with whom I have been going over the Lord’s Prayer and various Biblical texts in our Zoom classes—in Farsi. Would the Holy Spirit, I wondered, who inspired the prophets and writers of Holy Scripture, also knock on the door of her heart? Last … Continue reading The Word Never Returns Void
In the dining car. A young soldier sits down across from me. I nod and thank him for his service, noting the three stripes on his sleeve. We’re both in “uniform” (camo/clerical). Finishing my meal, I get up to leave. “Blessings on your journey,” he offers. “Hauptgefreiter…,” I note (Petty Officer, Third Class). “I used … Continue reading No Match for Nature
In 2015 Germany opened its borders to take in Syrian refugees fleeing from the civil war in their homeland. Countless Syrians arrived, but so did many others, with over one million people—most of them from various Muslim countries—arriving within months. While the German population initially had welcomed the refugees, popular sentiment changed. This caused the … Continue reading Refuge
The Tiews in Germany 