Your Voice – December 2023 – January 2024

LETTERS FROM MEMBERS OF THE LCANZ

Prayer for voting delegates 

The debate on the ordination of women has lasted for three decades, numerous votes have been taken under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the answer has always been ‘no’.

My understanding was that the last vote to be taken would be at the 2023 General Synod. Then someone thought of the radical idea – one church, two doctrines, which is a good recipe for division in our church. We are asked to pray for unity when we have a divisive proposition put to us, is it right that we put God to the test? I think not. It is like a country with two flags – it is divisive and hinders prosperity and growth. It is a statement that there are two parties with diverse views. You cannot have a foot in both camps (as the saying goes) and you can’t serve two masters, as God’s word says in Luke 16:13. We may as well go back to the ‘them and us’ days when we had two synods.

What we need is decisive leadership from our officials – don’t leave important decisions to our congregations, because it ultimately comes down to whether congregations accept the decision or break away and go their own way. We don’t want to see a repeat of a breakaway decision by a Christian denomination not long ago.

It is my fervent prayer that all delegates at our next General Synod, who have the responsibility of voting, will give prayerful consideration and a lot of thought before casting their votes. A lot depends on it.

Neil Bittner – Curramulka SA

Unity based on ‘oneness of the Trinity’

I write in response to the letter to The Lutheran (Oct-Nov 2023) regarding the unity of believers through ‘Christ crucified’ as the ‘overarching concern’ for the LCANZ’s future. This unity applies to all believers throughout the world. This unity of the Spirit is God-given and cannot be broken. And yet, by observation, there is not a visible unity among the believers of the world and the Holy Spirit is grieved by this.

I acknowledge that, at the formation of the LCA, there were dissenting voices to parts of the founding documents. This is lamentable, as is the breaking of fellowship between individuals and the LCANZ which has occurred since. Yet, there seemed agreement at union that our practice and doctrine (Scripture-derived teaching of the church) went together to teach that the ordained ministry belonged to those men called into that office to be supported by those not called into this office.

It would seem that, somewhere between the formation of the LCA and now, there has been a change in status of the teaching of male-only ordination from it being a part of the doctrine of the Holy Ministry to it now being considered a theological opinion outside of a genderless doctrine of the Holy Ministry. How did this occur?

The unity that is ours is based on the unity and oneness of the Holy Trinity. The fullness and purity of the Holy Trinity make us new creations with pure hearts in Holy Baptism. That is why the confession of the LCANZ includes the doctrine of Holy Baptism and the practice of infant baptism. This causes divisions and rejection among believers. The confession rejects this rejection. Does this have any parallels with what is happening in the debate over the ordination of women as well as men?

Karen Tromans – Glandore SA

Good to be reminded of evil forces

Thank you for the focus on ‘Angels and Demons’ in the latest edition of The Lutheran. Having attended Sunday school and church all my life (closing in on 80!), I sense a change in the focus of the sermons. In my younger years, the words devil, Satan and hell were often mentioned, but nowadays we seem intent on not upsetting people and rarely are these words mentioned.

The current state of chaos in the world and ‘wokeness’ is fertile ground for Satan and the malevolent beings in the heavenly realm. It is good to be reminded they exist and not fear them but depend on our Creator and Saviour to overcome these forces in our lives.

Otto Stumbras – Maryborough Qld

Let’s practise what we preach

In Australia, we’re taught to ‘swim between the flags’ for our own safety on our beaches.

A church that fails to ‘swim’ between the two bastions of Scripture (Old Testament and New Testament) risks being caught up in the rips of secularism. Failing to practise what we preach (i.e. a place ‘where love comes to life’) can lead to a lack of authenticity about ourselves. People are quick to judge false or misleading advertising.

Far better to return to why we exist, and to what we practised at the start, or risk lampstands being removed (Rev 2:1-7).

Rev Peter Fuhlbohm – Lavington NSW

Opinions expressed in letters are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand. Shorter letters will be given preference over longer letters. Subscribers’ letters will be given preference over those from non-subscribers. Letters longer than 300 words and those containing personal attack will not be published. No more than two letters from the same author will be published in a calendar year. Some letters may be edited for clarity.