Today I returned to Hamburg from Islamabad, Pakistan, where I spent the last ten days with my friend and colleague Rev. Dr. John Bombaro. My assignment there was to preach at local churches (see picture) and to teach a ten-hour class on “Law and Gospel.” While the key to understanding Holy Scripture is Jesus Christ, … Continue reading Law and Gospel in Pakistan
I am currently in a Central Asian country, teaching local seminarians one of the fundamental tenets of Christianity: the proper distinction of Law and Gospel. Things have come full circle because twelve years ago Concordia Publishing House asked me to translate from German into English C.F.W. Walther’s seminal work, “Law & Gospel—How to Read and … Continue reading Law and Gospel around the World
A project to reach Farsi speakers energizes experts from both sides of the Atlantic. Have you ever noticed how a red-hot charcoal briquette will lose its heat quickly if separated from the other coals? But if it’s surrounded by a pile of other briquettes, it will stay hot for a long time. After serving as … Continue reading Keeping the ‘Missionary Briquette’ Hot
I had a small procedure done today, which took all of five minutes. They sent me back to the waiting room and said they would call me up again in ten minutes to check for any bleeding. Sure enough, they soon led me to a small room, where two med techs assisted me. As I … Continue reading Life is Change
Today is exactly one year since I touched down at Frankfurt/Main, Germany, kicking off my five years (God willing) of missionary service for the Lutheran—Church Missouri Synod. This is my boarding pass from back then, along with a beautiful reminder of God’s protection, given to me by a dear church member in my last stateside … Continue reading The Lord’s Church
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
The Tiews in Germany 