A couple of days ago Pastors Neuendorf, Maita, and I went to visit a member of la Iglesia Luterana Fuente de Vida in Ponce. Like so many others on the south side of the island, he had been sleeping outside of his home in a cardboard box since the earthquakes began a couple of weeks ago.
Christ the Redeemer looks out over Brazil, the country that has the most Catholics in the world. Photo: http://interlochenpublicradio.org
There are a whopping 425 million Roman Catholics in Latin America – almost three-quarters of the region’s total population. Of the globe’s estimated 1.2 billion Catholics, more than 40% call Latin America their casa. This raises the question: why do Lutherans bother sending missionaries to the most Catholic region in the world? Continue reading
Our youngest preparing for missionary service at his Baptism on July 8th. Photo Credit: Christel Neuendorf
Remember Your Baptism– When you were baptized “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” you received the most important things you’ll need on the mission field. At your Baptism, God gave you an identity as His precious and dearly loved child. He gave you His Name to call upon in every trouble. He gave you faith to trust in His promises. He gave you His Holy Spirit to sanctify you in the one true faith. Your Baptism is the single most valuable thing you’ll take with you on your journey. Don’t forget it! Continue reading
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]
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.
From my daughter’s “My First Hymnal” by CPH.
I was in the check out lane at the local grocery store a couple of days ago when my two year old happily blurted out, “I like to drink beer sometimes!” Continue reading
Cristus am Kreuz by Cranach. Photo: gnesiolutheran.com
Español | Regardless of the particular capacity in which they serve or the amount of formal theological training they’ve received, every missionary operates with a certain theology that profoundly affects everything they do. What sort of theologians are Confessional Lutheran missionaries? Continue reading
In conversation with Lutheran World Relief’s Andean Region Director.
Español | It normally doesn’t take more than a minute or two of conversation in Spanish with a Latin American or US Latino before they ask me, “where did you learn Spanish?” Continue reading
Photo from www.peruthisweek.com
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
Photo from Concordia Seminary’s Facebook Fanpage.
Español | Last month Pastor Tullian Tchividjian spoke at Concordia Seminary as part of the annual speaker series, Reformation500, which commemorates the Quincentenary of the Reformation. In his lecture, the best-selling author and lecturer spoke about both the challenges and opportunities that the theology of the Reformation brings to the current American religious landscape. As the grandson of world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham, Pastor Tchividjian is able to offer a unique, first-hand perspective on the state of American Evangelicalism. Continue reading
In Him No North or South 