At least it will have been by the time I return. Today I head out for a three-week stint abroad. Traveling in and out of Kuala Lumpur with buffer time for some catechesis with a young teacher there, the bulk of my time will be spent in the Philippines. The Lutheran seminary I visited in… Continue reading Long Time Gone
Category: Bible
Good News and No News
The good news is three-fold. The first part is that I’ll be catechizing James in Kuala Lumpur towards baptism, and will be able to bring him the Eucharist as I’m passing in and out of KL on future trips. That’s very exciting, and I think a relief for James who has struggled as to where… Continue reading Good News and No News
KL Visit
People here refer to Kuala Lumpur as KL. Much easier to say, for sure. That’s where I’ve been so far this week. It’s my first extended time in KL in several months and I used the opportunity to catch up with James. James reached out to the LCMS last year, wanting to have conversations about… Continue reading KL Visit
Ministry of Presence
Many Christians I talk to worry about their faith. The primary worry they express is feeling ill-equipped to minister to others. They are firm in their faith but worried somehow the Holy Spirit has neglected to give them what they need to minister to others. They oftentimes discount or ignore or are unaware of the… Continue reading Ministry of Presence
Teaching in Sri Lanka
This week I had the opportunity to meet again with the five evangelists of the Ceylon Evangelical Lutheran Church (CELC) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Last month I led them through a discussion on Luther’s Large & Small Catechisms. This week I led them through a discussion on the Augsburg Confession (AC). As before, they were… Continue reading Teaching in Sri Lanka
Baguio City
We had the opportunity to celebrate Matins with the seminary community this morning, and afterwards sit in on several of their classes. The professors are knowledgeable and the students are eager to learn. One student has traveled all the way from Mongolia to study here. Another student is from North Sumatra, Indonesia! I had the… Continue reading Baguio City
Time in Phnom Penh
We’re staying in the heart of Phnom Penh in one of the few hotels capable of handling a group of our size while located nearby a plethora of places to eat and things to see and do. It’s a bustling, big city. It reminds us somewhat of Medan, though the feel (as a capitol city)… Continue reading Time in Phnom Penh
Christ the King
We worship at an English-speaking congregation that isn’t Lutheran. Given the choice between attending a more Lutheran service in Bahasa Indonesia when we can’t understand it at all, or dealing with doctrinal and traditional differences where we could hear the Word and be part of Christian community, we opted for the latter. It has been… Continue reading Christ the King
God and Covid
I like to try and apply theology to actual life as much as possible. It disturbs me when these two things that are naturally and unavoidably related appear separated. Sermons and Bible studies should not serve as merely intellectual grist for the mental mill but guideposts and signposts in daily life. Failure to make this… Continue reading God and Covid
Practicing Language With My Grab Driver Who Is Also a Charismatic Pastor
Grab is the Indonesian (Southeastern Asia, really) equivalent of Uber. It’s practically pennies to get back and forth to most anywhere in the sprawling city of Medan and a lifesaver when every day the temperature and humidity wrestle with one another for dominance. I was invited by the waitress at the restaurant across the street… Continue reading Practicing Language With My Grab Driver Who Is Also a Charismatic Pastor
The Nelson Family Indonesia 