Entries by lisamcintosh

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The power of Christian community

Dietrich Bonhoeffer described Christian community as ‘a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate’. ‘The more clearly we learn to recognise that the strength of all our community is in Christ alone, the more calmly we will think about our community and pray and hope for it’, he said.

30/09/2023 by
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In from the wild

The warble of native birds, the rustling of nature, the sigh of a light breeze… these are the sounds that brush my ears when I make contact with Margaret Curnow. She’s on Queensland’s Moreton Island with her grandchildren, whose unfledged voices sweep into our conversation and away again, like the cormorants who dot the bay.

30/09/2023 by
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The harvest is plentiful, so pray!

The first step in vibrant, joyful mission is learning from what Jesus said in Luke 10:2. Mission doesn’t begin in action. When Jesus sends out 72 local missionaries to proclaim the kingdom of God, what he says is unexpected and surprising. ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. So pray.’ The praying precedes the going.

01/08/2023 by
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Walking with God

A life walking with God is something to sing about – at any age. And for one of the Lutheran Church’s oldest choir members, it’s a blessing he’s still singing about at the age of 96. A simple statement in Genesis about a chap named Enoch walking with God gets to the heart of God’s love for us, says Emeritus Bishop Pastor Reinhard Mayer.

01/08/2023 by
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Still seeking a shepherd

While David Preston says a long pastoral vacancy is ‘not something to be welcomed’ by a congregation, he knows it can bring the talents and commitment of its members to the fore. David is the secretary of St Pauls Lutheran Church Wellington in New Zealand, which has been without a permanent ordained shepherd for almost a year.

01/06/2023 by