In Him No North or South

Gabriella’s Trip to the Jordan

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The following is a letter I wrote to my daughter to celebrate her Baptism a couple of weeks ago. It’s based on baptismal imagery used both by Luther and the early Church fathers, of the Baptismal font as the Christian’s “little Jordan”.[1]

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My daughter’s “Little Jordan” at the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus, St. Louis, MO (Photo: Michelle Knauss)

Dear Gabriella Joy,

I’m writing you this letter to tell you about a very special trip you took when you were a baby. On May 7, 2016, when you were only a couple of weeks old, your mommy and daddy took you to a river. It wasn’t just any ol’ river, though. This was a life-giving river, rich in grace and overflowing with forgiveness.

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Vicarious Atonement in Peru

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Jamie, Katie and I at the Huaca del Sol y la Luna (The Temple of the Sun and the Moon) in 2011.

Facebook recently reminded me of a fun trip Jamie and I took five years ago to Peru’s Northern Coast. While there, we had the opportunity to visit the ruins of two pre-Columbian civilizations, the Mochica (100-800 AD) and Chimu (900-1470 AD). Recent huaca (sacred temple) discoveries have revealed that both were theocratic civilizations led by a class of priests that represented the people before their pantheon of gods, the most prominent of which were the sun and the moon. Continue reading →

It Doesn’t Get Much Clearer!

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Español | On April 23rd, the Spanish-speaking world celebrates the Day of Language, in which they honor the famed Spanish novelist, Miguel de Cervantes (author of Don Quixote and arguably the most important and celebrated figure in Spanish literature). In commemoration of Cervantes’ contribution to the Spanish language, the University of Chile published a report based on a 2013 survey which sought to answer the question, “Who speaks the best Spanish of Latin America?” Continue reading →

The Key to Success on the Mission Field

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After Bible Study in Lunahuana, Peru.

After Bible Study in Lunahuana, Peru.

Español | This past Sunday I had the privilege of teaching about Lutheran missions at our fieldwork church for the quarter, Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church in Freeburg, Illinois. I was especially excited for the opportunity because I had recently stumbled upon a quote from Martin Luther which I think sums up perfectly the key to success on the mission field. Continue reading →

The Hardest Job You’ll Ever Love

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Lutheran missionaries bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus and are merciful in His name all across the globe. From Macau to Malawi, from the Philippines to Papua New Guinea, Lutheran missionaries in various contexts throughout the world are privileged with the task of gathering God’s people around His Word and Sacraments to receive His wonderful gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. I was privileged to do so in the South American country of Peru.

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Come, Lord Jesus!

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I always found it difficult to watch the local news in Peru. What seemed like daily stories of fatal car crashes, confrontations between police and protestors, and political corruption would leave me with a giant pit in my stomach. Back here in the United States, the story is not much different. Stories of school shootings, riots in the streets, and officers being killed left and right make it hard to watch the news here, too. The local news is hard to watch no matter where you find yourself! Continue reading →

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

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December 12th is the Roman Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe). On this day, millions of faithful followers from all over the Americas (particularly in Mexico and the North American Southwest) celebrate the apparition of the Virgin Mary to the amerindian, Juan Diego, on the hill of Tepeyec in 1531. Continue reading →