About the Apocalypse and Tolerance

Khabarovsk (Russia)
  Pastor Markus Lesinski came to St. John's congregation on March 13th, one year after his previous visit,  and remained until March 21st.  He lead nightly Bible studies, and this time the congregation was focused on St. John's Revelation. Markus was able to give deep and inspiring answers to the myriad of questions tied with this mysterious and sometimes confusing Biblical book. 
  On March 18th Pastor Lesinski gave a public lecture: “Tolerance. Its Definition, Basis and Effect on Common Life.” More than 100 people gathered in the Far East Scientific Library to learn more about this important theme. “The process of learning tolerance that the Christian churches went through might serve as an example in our contemporary world. It led to such an understanding of the human person which is based on the equal worth of every person regardless of skin color and nationality, age and sex, economic situation and political convictions. This is also the reason while tolerance cannot be indifferent to a a lack of tolerance. It is possible to be tolerant of those who refused to accept that every person is God' creation.” The theses of the paper were very interesting and there were many questions and much discussion afterwards. 
  Pastor Lesinski also led the Sunday worship service before Holy Week. And Easter itself was celebrated a week later with worship led by the congregation's elder and respected preacher, Alexander Okkel. Alexander Hermanovich has led the congregation's worship for the 14 years that have gone by since they last had a permanent pastor; every week he prepares his own sermon and prayers for the Khabarovsk congregation.
  Tatyana Musevich

“The Spiritual Thread” - Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk
  Spring began in the congregation of St. John with a happy event – Pastor Markus Lesinski's visit from March 2 to March 8. Seven days of fellowship breathed new life into the congregation and brought new ideas. During evening lessons the topics of discussion were the Bible and the Koran, Christians and Muslims, Lutherans and Orthodox and where these spiritual paths might intersect in the present or in the future. Pastor Lesinski gave detailed answers to the congregation's questions; he spoke at length about theological questions and about current international affairs. The idea of ecumenism carried through many of these discussions. That was no accident, since  Pastor Lesinski has been a member of the planning team for the EKD Kirkentag for many years. He is always open for discussion with representatives of other confessions from all over the world, for example, his work with Egyptian Copts or singing in an Orthodox choir or taking part in Roman Catholic liturgy in India. It's no surprise, then, that Pastor Lesinksi had contact not only with the congregation, but also with two universities and a school while visiting Khabarovsk. He even received an invitation to give a lecture about Lutherans to the students of the local Orthodox theological seminary; they had a good discussion afterwards. Later a teacher at the seminary invited members of the Lutheran congregation to visit St. Innocent of Irkutsk Church to see its unique frescoes.
  Pastor Lesinski also continued to work with Stas Mel as the latter prepared for baptism; Markus began the classes on his previous visit to Khabarovsk in 2014, and this time they were brought to completion. Stas's baptism was one of the highlights of worship that the congregation celebrated together on the 8th of March.
  For 12 years the spiritual threat that tied the congregation and Pastor Lesinski has held strong; despite his active work in congregations tens of thousands of kilometers away, he continues to remember his former congregation in Russia; he supports them with advice, through material he sends for youth ministry or for use at worship. He always remembers to send cards and letters for special holidays and birthdays...  While the congregation is now small in numbers, both its members and its former pastor are confident that one day the seed of the word that has fallen into the ground will bear fruit and bring a plentiful harvest.

On the Path of Revelation

Khabarovsk, Russia
  Revelations are everywhere. The slogan of the Days of German-Russian culture this year - “On the Path of Revelation” - suggested that we look at the world around us from the point of view of a researcher.  When you see the world with a clear and inquisitive gaze every day is like a journey, full of surprising revelations. The festival invited people on a journey during which each person could become an investigator and make his own discoveries – through movies, exhibitions, lectures, meetings and, of course, in conversation.
  The days of German-Russian culture in Khabarovsk, which were held on October 3-11, took place already for the 17th time. The main organizer of the festival was St. John's Lutheran congregation; they, together with many co-organizers, continue to initiate and to develop creative dialog between the community and artists from Germany and Russia. They invite people to find revelation in  meetings with art, with one another, with other points of view - meetings which widen horizons and open up new paths.
  The festival of new German cinema, organized by the Goethe Institute of Novosibirsk, acquainted people with the best German films of the last couple of years. The movie theater “Sovkino” hosted the opening of the festive, “Measuring the World” (director Detlev Buk), based on the novel by Daniel Kelman. It told about the life of the famous German researchers, Alexander von Humbult and Karl Friedrich Gauss, in an exciting and intriguing way.
  The theme of journeys and revelations was taken up at the exhibition - “Alexander von Humbult – a  man of the universe” in the Grodenkov History Museum. September 14 would have been the 245th birthday of this leading German scientist. His American and Russia-Siberian expeditions were an example for other scientists-explorers. Thanks to Humbult contacts between scientists throughout Europe were made more active. He believed that in the “scientific republic where the peoples of Europe should be in mutual exchange, bringing hope for further fruitful cooperation of all European countries.”
  The center of academic events for the Days of German culture was the Far East State Research Library. Among the interactive lectures given there was one by the congregation's former pastor, Markus Lesinski. His lecture was entitled “I am not like you. Something of you is in me, and also in you there is a piece of me. Globalization and Mobility as a path to trans-culturalism.” Pastor Lesinksi, after ministry in Khabarovsk and Germany and projects in Egypt and Ethiopia, is now working in New Delhi; Markus not only led a lectures, but also actively worked in the team of organizers – gave interviews with the press, participated in the opening of the exhibition, met with university students and representatives of the Khabarovsk Russian Orthodox Seminary. During the seminar he led Bible studies, worship and celebrated Harvest Festival together with the congregation. This was Pastor Lesinksi's second visit to the Far East this year. We are thankful to Dean Manfred Brockman for inviting him as a lecturer to the summer seminar of the deanery in the Bay of Vityaz.
  This year's German-Russian days came to a close with a youth “happening” by the “Forum Theater.” This is already the 10th year that this theater has invited people to come to new revelations about their ideas, their talents, themselves and the world around them.
  This event helped us think about the next, 18th, Days of German-Russian culture in Khabarovsk. The festival remains popular in the city and the region and shows that St. John Lutheran church is a congregations which is alive, creative and open to conversation and dialog.