Sadly, my eight-month deployment in “K-Town,” Germany—serving as vacancy pastor at Kaiserslautern Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC)—has ended. Last Sunday, October 17, KELC’s permanent pastor, Rev. Nathaniel Scott Jensen (center, in chasuble) was installed. But also what joy—not only because that loving congregation now has a permanent pastor but also because Rev. Jensen and his wife … Continue reading Farewell Kaiserslautern, Hello Hamburg
A German lady sat down next to me on a recent train ride. Once again, my Persian textbook served as a wonderful ice breaker. “Why are you learning Persian?” she asked. “Because I love the people of Iran and Afghanistan, and want to share Jesus Christ with the immigrants from there.” She noticed my clerical … Continue reading Don’t Look at Christians
Lula and Lilly were recently at a pumpkin market out in the country and took this picture. The first thing we notice is the bright orange harvest crop. Then the crucifix jumps out at us. But look closely: Jesus has only one arm! Is this a damaged family heirloom? Or perhaps the owner of the … Continue reading The One-Armed Jesus
Sometimes the Lord uses secular circumstances—past and present—to draw His chosen people to Himself. Last Sunday I had a fascinating conversation with “Hans,” a young leader in the local German congregation. I mentioned in passing that I would soon be leaving Kaiserslautern to share the Gospel with Afghan and Iranian migrants around Hamburg. “I’ve actually … Continue reading He is My Shepherd
“For I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed Me,” says our Lord in Matthew 25:35-36 (ESV). Words that are 2,000 years old—yet with laser precision apply to our time and place in the 21st century. In Sunday School at … Continue reading For I was hungry, and you gave Me food
I recently had a long Internet conversation with a dear friend of mine, Dr. Uwe Siemon-Netto, a renowned Lutheran theologian and journalist. We talked at length about the deplorable situation in Afghanistan and he suggested that we might be entering the Apocalypse. While this term might conjure images of the sky falling and the Earth being … Continue reading The Gospel to Every Tribe and Nation
I am currently back in the States on a 12-day whirlwind tour through the Upper Midwest, networking with several delightful congregations who have asked me to share how the Lord is growing His Kingdom among Persian speakers in Germany and through Riga Luther Academy.My travel plans last week were to take a train from Kaiserslautern … Continue reading Transportation Miracles
Rev. Christian Tiews, who serves the Lord in Germany, joins KFUO’s The Coffee Hour to talk about the community where he serves, his background that led to serving in Germany, the focus of his service as a missionary pastor with the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK), the challenges he and his family have faced during … Continue reading KFUO Coffee Hour Talk
God controls all of human history. As such, He has seen fit to give Ramstein Air Base, Germany (shown here, courtesy https://www.ramstein.af.mil/ U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kiaundra Miller)—a major US Air Force installation located only about ten miles west of Kaiserslautern where I currently serve the local LCMS church—a key role in … Continue reading Evacuation of Afghans
This morning I had another biweekly Persian lesson with my Teheran-born tutor—a normally bubbly elderly lady. Her native tongue is Persian—a language spoken in both Iran and Afghanistan. But as soon as her face popped up on Zoom, I could tell that something was amiss. There was a sadness to her eyes. I asked her, … Continue reading Pray for Afghanistan
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