On October 31st, 1517, Martin Luther nailed ninety-five theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. The very first one of the ninety-five reads: When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. Repentance (both sincere sorrow over sin and […]
Each season of the Lutheran School of Theology has been filled with providential events. Such is the story of the Kingdom of God. Come what may, the Triune God orders all things according to His will, for the sake of the Gospel, for the growth of His Church, and for our eternal good. So also […]
Part of the site plan for the Lutheran School of Theology is to construct a dedicated church building for the Masai community. In the past, the staff, students and community surrounding the LST have worshipped in makeshift spaces on the campus (under acaia trees, in classrooms, side rooms of the library). In the future, Lord […]
Rev James May, the director of Lutherans in Africa, was called to Kenya because it was a transportation hub. Each month he was traveling to other African countries to organize training seminars. Over time, several bishops repeated the same comment, “These seminars are great but they are not long enough to train pastors. You need […]
The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! This past Holy Week we began by singing our Palm Sunday “hosannas” on one side of the equator. After traveling north of Nairobi to Meru on Maundy Thursday, we celebrated our Lord’s victory over sin, death, and the devil and his resurrection from the dead on […]
In Africa, the lack of resources available for education, coupled with traditional beliefs and practices, leads to misunderstandings of the Living Word. From the congregational level to the national church body, an overwhelming need exists for basic doctrinal teaching for Lutheran pastors and evangelists. Martin Luther in his preface to the Large Catechism, urged pastors […]
The Challenge in Africa There is a severe shortage of trained pastors in Africa. In Tanzania, for instance, there is on average 1 pastor for every 3,500 members. The Lutheran Church in Tanzania alone has over 10 million members, but the struggle is to equip each congregation with a trained and ordained pastor. The average […]
The Triune God Gives Himself to Us Completely Martin Luther writes that the Triune God gives to us all gifts needed for this life, our salvation, and the eternal life to come. In Christ Jesus, He gives Himself completely (entirely) to us and holds nothing back. … here we see that God gives Himself entire […]
“Po-le, Po-le” In Africa, most things happen “po-le, po-le” (Swahili for “slowly, slowly”). “Po-le, pole” applies to the cadence of conversation, the speed of the internet, the rhythm of the day, the tempo at which tasks get assigned, the rate in which they are accomplished, and even the pace by which the Triune God’s Kingdom […]
Not soon after I wrote about Martin Luther’s Evening and Morning prayers and the daily spiritual exercise of “commending all into the Lord’s hands”, we were given ample opportunities to practice it. Such is the life of the Christian. Confessing the faith and living it out, walk hand in hand. No matter how thorough one […]
Finally! After, a busy and bustling number of weeks, we’re on our way to the Lutheran School of Theology in Kenya to serve with Rev. James May and Lutherans in Africa. The preparation for a trip to the African continent is controlled chaos. It’s filled with scattered and coffee stained sheets of lists, tedious double, […]
We’re soon heading back to Lutherans in Africa to teach with Rev. James May at the Lutheran School of Theology in Kenya. The mission of the school is to “form African Christians to be teachers of the faith”. I helped establish the school during my trips in 2016 and 2017 and now, after seven years, […]
“I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills.” Out of Africa, Isak Dinesen There is a school in Africa nestled on the edge of the great Rift Valley, at the foot of the Ngong Hills. Here students come from across the African continent to study at the Lutheran School of […]
Blessings to you as we enter the Advent and Christmas season of 2023 and a new year in 2024. How quickly the years pass! The grass may wither and the flowers may fall but the Word of the Lord and the Lord of Word remain forever. (Isaiah 40:8) It is hard to believe that this […]
With Intrepid Hearts is an in-depth study and practical application of the Formula of Concord (the Epitome and Solid Declaration) and it will help Lutheran Christians … … the Truth of the Word of God (in the Scriptures and incarnate in Jesus) in an anti-Christian world. As the Lutheran Confessors declare: … we wish to testify to those […]
