Resources for your time with God
Introduced during a time of COVID-related church closures and restrictions, our devotional pages under the Church@home banner have been very popular with many readers. But spending time with God throughout the week isn’t only a blessing when we can’t get to church on a Sunday. It’s an important boost for our faith every week. Therefore, you’ll continue to find support for your devotional life on these pages – and the LCANZ has plenty of other resources which we’ll highlight for your information, too.
–Lisa
DEVOTIONS
A kingdom of followers by Neil Bergmann
Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over (Mark 3:7).
Read Mark 3:7–19.
How good are you at sharing responsibility and delegating tasks? I admit that I’m not very good at this. I prefer to do things myself rather than trust others to do a job the way I like it. Surprisingly, when a task is just too big to do alone, and I have to rely on others, they always do a much better job than I would have! Also, when we do stuff as a team, it is much more enjoyable.
Imagine then what it was like for Jesus during his earthly ministry. Everywhere he went, crowds appeared and were hungry for his message of forgiveness and the physical and spiritual healing he offered.
But Jesus’ time was short, and he needed helpers to spread the word and continue his work after he had gone.
How could Jesus trust his disciples to continue his work when they continually seemed to miss the point of his preaching? Yet, it is what Jesus did and continues to do.
As children of the light and followers of the risen Christ, we are called to join in proclaiming the good news – the coming of the kingdom of God, here and now, on earth as in heaven. Jesus knows that we need help, and so the Holy Spirit comes to guide our words and our actions.
Jesus knows that we won’t do a perfect job, maybe not even a good job, but he still invites us, over and over again, to join his mission to proclaim his kingdom through word and action.
In today’s reading, Jesus ‘called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him’ (verse 13). He wants us and calls us today. Will you come to him?
Lord, fill me with your Spirit so that I may answer your call, come to you, and help to proclaim the good news through word and action. Amen.
An invitation you can’t refuse by Pastor Reid Matthias
For many are invited, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14).
Read Matthew 22:1–14.
Let’s face it – weddings can be a drag.
The fact that, in Jesus’ parable, the invitees to the prince’s wedding don’t want to come to the banquet resonates deeply in the 21st century. Be honest, like me, you’ve been to a wedding that is entirely about the photos. Or there is the professionally created video montage of a beautifully decorated bridal party placed in awkward poses with just the perfect lighting. The rest of the invitees engage in multiple hours of polite, if not painful, conversation with long-lost relatives or semi-inebriated friends of the bridal party.
I might be sounding curmudgeon-ish, but to me, that’s the way the invited guests sound in Jesus’ parable.
Maybe one invitee to the wedding asks another, ‘Are you going to the king’s banquet?’
The reply: ‘I thought about it, but the big game is on Saturday night. Oh, and I promised my spouse I would clean the boat this weekend. On Sunday, the kids have a birthday party to attend and …’
‘I know’, says the first. ‘It’s just one more thing … We’re just too busy.’
As the invitees do everything in their power to avoid attending the banquet (including killing the king’s servants), Jesus ends this parable with, ‘Many are invited, but few are chosen’.
In the 21st century, theologically, we might understand this parable is directed to the Jews who choose not to come to the king’s party and the Gentiles who are given the next go. In the 1st century, though, no one would turn down the invite. Thus, it’s a strange moral of the story. It feels like it should read, ‘Many are invited, but few accept’. Right? But chosen?
When someone is chosen, they are selected for a purpose or mission. Perhaps the invitation to the kingdom of heaven is an invitation to participate in God’s banquet celebrating Jesus’ love for the entire world. Perhaps Christians have been chosen to serve rather than simply attend.
What does your invitation look like? Are you too busy? What do you think you have been invited and chosen to do?.
King of the banquet, thank you for the invitation to celebrate and participate in Jesus’ work of bringing about the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
To receive the LCA daily devotion each morning in your inbox, go to www.lca.org.au/communications/enews and select Daily Devotions from the Churchwide list after entering your email address. These can also be printed off from the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/daily-devotion
LECTIONARY READINGS
| Week | Sunday readings | |||
| 3–9 DEC | Isaiah 64:1–9 | Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19 | 1 Corinthians 1:3–9 | Mark 13:24–37 |
| 10–16 DEC | Isaiah 40:1–11 | Psalm 85:1,2,8–13 | 2 Peter 3:8–15a | Mark 1:1–8 |
| 17–23 DEC | Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11 | Psalm 126 | 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24 | John 1:6–8,19–28 |
| 24–30 DEC | 2 Samuel 7:1-11,16 | Psalm 89:1–4, 19–26 | Romans 16:25–27 | Luke 1:26–38 |
| 31 DEC–6 JAN | Isaiah 61:10–62:3 | Psalm 148 | Galatians 4:4–7 | Luke 2:22–40 |
| 7–13 JAN | Genesis 1:1–5 | Psalm 29 | Acts 19:1–7 | Mark 1:4–11 |
| 14–20 JAN | 1 Samuel 3:1–10 (11–20) | Psalm 139:1–6, 13–18 | 1 Corinthians 6:12–20 | John 1:43–51 |
| 21–27 JAN | Jonah 3:1–5,10 | Psalm 62:5–12 | 1 Corinthians 7:29–31 | Mark 1:14–20 |
| 28 JAN–3 FEB | Deuteronomy 18:15–20 | Psalm 111 | 1 Corinthians 8:1–13 | Mark 1:21–28 |
For more prayer and devotional resources, including a listing of daily Bible readings for each day of the church year, go to www.lca.org.au/wpp/prayers-devotions
Lutheran Tract Mission also provides the readings in a booklet, which can be accessed electronically at www.ltm.org.au/tract/view/70579-daily-bible-readings-for-2023 or as a printed booklet through the LTM office (phone 08 8360 7222) for a donation of 20c per copy.
PRAYER POINTS
3–9 Dec: The millions of Australians and New Zealanders living with disabilities on the International Day of People with Disability (3 Dec)
10–16 Dec: That the world’s leaders would act with respect for the wellbeing of all citizens on United Nations Human Rights Day (10 Dec)
17–23 Dec: Graduate General Ministry Pastors Jacob Fabich and Thomas Kitson, due to be ordained this month (3 and 17 Dec)
24–30 Dec: All people to know the Christ-child, whose birth we remember and celebrate at Christmas, as our Lord and Saviour
31 Dec–6 Jan: For a new year filled with hope and opportunities to share the joy of the gospel with those around us
7–13 Jan: Organisers, leaders and campers preparing for or enjoying youth gatherings across the LCANZ
14–20 Jan: All students, teachers and school staff in Australia and New Zealand, as they prepare for the new school year
21–27 Jan: Reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Aboriginal Australians on Australia Day (26 Jan)
28 Jan–3 Feb: Specific Ministry Pastors Jordan Bennett, Charlie Uebergang, Julian Mazzeo, Matthew Schubert, Timothy Chen and Malcolm Willcocks, who have been ordained in recent months
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