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Autumn 22: The Austrian Border, Mushrooms, Ministry Updates

The fall is well advanced, I know, nevertheless what follows is an autumnal update on our activities here in Augsburg, starting with here at Koinonia. You see, we of the Koinonia ecumenical community have a “Gemeinschaftswochenende” , “community weekend” once a year, a retreat that has brought us all to various Christian retreat locations over„Autumn 22: The Austrian Border, Mushrooms, Ministry Updates“ weiterlesen

An Anxious Autumn Reminder: This World is Not Your Home

We’ve been back in the Federal Republic now for most of a month, and the anxious mood of the country seems to have gotten worse. Before the headlines here were taken over by news of Queen Elizabeth’s death and of the startling Ukrainian successes in the Russo-Ukrainian war (update as of September 12th, here), the„An Anxious Autumn Reminder: This World is Not Your Home“ weiterlesen

A Long-Overdue Visit Home

Before this August, we had not been to the U.S. for three years. Yeah. Three years of not seeing family, close friends and associates from the homeland in person. And as much as I would like to blame all of it on the panicked and irrational overreactions of international governments to the COVID-19 wave (and„A Long-Overdue Visit Home“ weiterlesen

Against the Spirit of Angst

Angst is one of those lovely German words that has made it into the English LexiCon. Like FLAK, Weltschmerz, EKG, Schadenfreude and Bratwurst. It is generally translated as „fear“ or „anxiety“, but in my not at all humble opinion as professional translator and holder of a Doctorate in Germanic Languages and Literatures, it would be„Against the Spirit of Angst“ weiterlesen

Christians, Science and Reconciliation

If you have a lively interest in the intersection of the Christian faith and the natural sciences, you should, if you have not already, familiarize yourself with the ministry Reasons to Believe. Founded by astrophysicist Hugh Ross in 1986, the ministry aims to fulfil a part of the Great Commission by demonstrating the harmony between„Christians, Science and Reconciliation“ weiterlesen

Three Holy Trees and a Stump

My friend has a problem. It is a contemplative problem and a landscaping problem at the same time. She has been given a plot of land with which she can do as she likes—planting a garden or building a rustic seat—but in the middle of the plot there is a large stump. She is philosophical„Three Holy Trees and a Stump“ weiterlesen

Faith, Healing and Medical Conditions, Past and Present

Back in 2019, I broke my left leg. It was a vertical fracture of the tibia. The fun part? This happened about fifty hours before we were to fly to Indiana and Texas on a „U.S. Tour“. The subsequent immobililty the broken leg imposed on me caused a deep vein thrombosis to form, a very„Faith, Healing and Medical Conditions, Past and Present“ weiterlesen

Summer 2022, Seven Years in Germany

Since it has been over six weeks since I wrote a blog post and ministry update, here are the highlights quickly: The Ukrainians we took in at Koinonia have adjusted well to life in Germany. They are looking for work, and their children are in school. There has been less casual, daily contact with them„Summer 2022, Seven Years in Germany“ weiterlesen

Ukrainian Guests, Old and New Missions in Translation

It has now been two months since the Russo-Ukrainian War began. And it has been two months and a piece since refugees from Kiev arrived in our little Christian community outside of Augsburg, Koinonia. There are thirteen of them total: three small families and a single woman in her 40s. One of the family fathers„Ukrainian Guests, Old and New Missions in Translation“ weiterlesen

Helping Ukrainians in Augsburg

The initial shock of Russia’s attack on Ukraine was still very fresh here when Germans churches, along with Christian charitable institutions both Catholic and Protestant, organised to provide what humanitarian aid they could send themselves to the people fleeing the war and being housed in temporary shelter in western Ukraine and Poland. Here in Augsburg,„Helping Ukrainians in Augsburg“ weiterlesen