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Loving the world is our only path

JESUS IS GOD’S LOVE.

HE GIVES US NEW HEARTS –

TO LAY ASIDE OUR OLD WAYS,

TO BELIEVE AND FOLLOW HIM,

TO LIVE WITH HIM EVERY DAY.

HEARTLAND

Rev John Henderson

Bishop Lutheran Church of Australia

‘I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one’
(John 17:15 – NRSV).

Just before his death, Jesus prayed to his Father on behalf of those who would believe in him: ‘The glory you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, so that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me’ (John 17:22,23).

Even while Jesus was praying, events were turning against him. Injustice and violence would soon be inflicted upon him, but he would not turn on his accusers. He would not condemn the one who betrayed him or those who abandoned him. He would glorify his heavenly Father and love the world and its people to his last breath. For, ‘God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him’ (John 3:17).

Jesus prayed that believers may ‘become completely one’, as he and his Father are one. The love and unity that believers show the world will be a visible sign of God’s own love and unity. (See also John 13:34,35.)

Therefore, God sends believers into ‘the world’, placing them among the nations, ethnicities, clans and languages. Believing in Jesus as our Saviour not only changes our lives – how we think, how we use our bodies and the choices we make – it also changes our world.

Today, such lived faith seems to be in retreat, particularly in affluent western societies. For centuries Christian churches set the pattern of social, moral and ethical standards. They had respect, wealth, and influence. Today, that is not always so. The world has changed. What are we to do when events turn against us?

Some say we should fight to reclaim the church’s hard-won, historical place in society. Believers can be tempted to try to save the world using earthly power, something Jesus refused to do.

Some say we should separate from the world to keep the purity of the faith. But doesn’t God send us in the other direction, into the world? If I ever start thinking that I am better or holier than another, the Small Catechism reminds me: ‘ … that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him …’ (Explanation to the third article of the Creed). Believers need the continued grace and goodness of God just as much as non-believers do.

Jesus prayed that believers like us, united in him, would bear witness that his death and resurrection, forgiveness of sins and eternal life in him, are freely available to all people throughout the world. He wants us to be ‘in the world’ so that we can love it, but not to be ‘of the world’ through neglecting God’s love and so falling into disunity.

This Easter season we can receive comfort and joy in remembering that, just before he died, Jesus took time out to pray for those who would come to believe in him. We matter to him, as does our unity in faith. ‘The glory you have given me I have given them’, he prayed, ‘so that they may be one, as we are one.’ Let that be our prayer, too, for ourselves, our church, and the world.

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Navigating end-of-life issues

We know that, as Christians, we need not fear death, thanks to Jesus’ victory over the grave that first Easter. But facing our mortality and that of the people we love is never easy. Navigating all kinds of legal, ethical and medical end-of-life issues is often highly emotional, stressful and complicated. We asked Dr Clare Seligmann, a GP with a particular interest and expertise in aged care and palliative care and a member of the LCANZ’s Committee for Ministry with the Ageing, for her insights on some of these topics.

by Clare Seligmann

In the 20th century, medicine and improved public health measures in Australia were very successful in increasing life expectancy. However, this has changed the pattern of ageing and the pattern of dying.

Increased longevity has created a new population of people burdened with complex and chronic disease and ‘advanced frailty’. For this population, the traditional models of care, focusing on curative and life-prolonging treatments, without having concurrent goals of enhancing the quality of life for patients and their families, can contribute to unnecessary and prolonged suffering at the end of life, according to the Australian & New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine.

Many people find it hard to face the dependency, helplessness and discomfort that often accompanies ageing, chronic disease and impending death. They need increased support from family, carers, health practitioners and chaplains – and they need to be respected, cared for and loved as people created and loved by God.

The LCANZ, through aged care and other pastoral care ministries, has opportunities to serve people at the end of life in physical and psychological caring; and providing spiritual care to assist with a ‘good death’ for those in our care. That’s the ethos that underpins the service of many of our church’s care agencies, such as the Queensland District’s Lutheran Services.

Just as having a legal will plays a significant role in ‘getting our affairs in order’ before we die in terms of the material and financial, advanced-care planning has a very important function for other end-of-life considerations.

It is a journey with people and their families which includes starting the conversation about death; establishing the person’s priorities for their life and any goals that are outstanding; discussing values and beliefs and what will help quality of life; discussing specific details about treatments and symptom management; and documenting the conversation.

There are also legal documentation processes prepared in advance, that assist with decision-making if a dying person loses their decision-making capacity. In addition to a will, these include appointing an enduring power of attorney/s for health and finance matters and completing an advance health/care directive, depending on the jurisdiction across Australia and New Zealand.

A term we often refer to within end-of-life contexts is palliative care, which even applies to non-specialist care. It is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as: ‘ … an approach to care that improves the quality of life of patients (adults and children) and their families who are facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and correct assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, whether physical, psychosocial or spiritual. Palliative care also respects the choice of patients and helps their families to deal with practical issues, including coping with loss and grief throughout the illness and in case of bereavement.’

Appropriate palliative care is not confined to end-of-life care and can be provided in parallel with curative treatment, having different goals and focus. Palliative care is usually multidisciplinary and it is part of whole-person care that is not disease-specific and therefore can be complementary to curative treatment.

Again according to the WHO, when considered early in the course of the illness, palliative care not only improves the quality of life for patients, but also reduces unnecessary hospitalisations and the use of health services. Palliative care is never about withdrawing treatment or ‘doing nothing’. It requires as much work and expertise as curative treatment, but the goals are different. Access to palliative care is considered a human right by the WHO.

Specialist palliative care is only one component of palliative care service delivery. A sustainable, quality and accessible palliative care system needs to be integrated into primary health care, community and home-based care, as well as supporting care providers such as family and community volunteers.

Recognising when a person is approaching the end of their life is essential to delivering appropriate, compassionate and timely end-of-life care. There needs to be rigour in the assessment of symptoms and, that includes physical, cognitive, psychological, social and spiritual domains.

A formal diagnosis of the ‘terminal phase’ needs to be made so this phase can be managed effectively. Care of the dying should be considered ‘urgent care’ that is managed by those skilled in this area. It is as important as care for reversible or curable conditions, a stance backed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC).

When it is recognised that a person has entered the terminal phase, this needs to be communicated to the person, substitute decision-makers and family members. Uncertainties and ambiguities need to be discussed openly and communication needs to be on-going. This will empower people and their families to direct their care, where possible, and express needs and wishes for this phase. Documentation of communications is important for future reference and decision-making.

There are ethical issues that need to be considered in end-of-life care, as explained by the ACSQHC:

  • It is important not to harm people approaching the end of life by providing burdensome investigations and treatments that can be of no benefit.
  • Doctors are not obliged to initiate or continue treatments that will not offer a reasonable hope of benefit or improve the person’s quality of life (unless required by law).
  • People also have the right to refuse treatments. This may be in advance, formally in an advance health directive or informally in the documentation of conversation or consultation with the person.

Providing palliative care is legal, so long as the health professional intends to reduce or relieve a patient’s pain and suffering, not hasten their death. The majority of interventions given in end-of-life care by skilled health care teams neither hasten nor obstruct the person’s natural dying.

Care of the person and their family extends beyond death. Respectful treatment of a person’s remains and observance of cultural or religious practices need to be considered. Families also need to be cared for with appropriate time and space to grieve and follow up with bereavement counselling if this is wanted.

If end-of-life care is well managed, symptoms should be minimised and the transition from life on earth, through death to life in eternity, made as smooth as possible. In most cases, suffering at the end of life can be prevented or significantly reduced. It is often suffering and loss of control that people fear more than death.

The most controversial topic in the end-of-life area is euthanasia – the deliberate act of one person to end the life of another person to relieve that person’s suffering. Physician-assisted suicide occurs when a person requests a doctor to assist them in committing suicide. Both euthanasia and assisted suicide are currently illegal in most Australian states and territories and may result in a person being charged with murder, manslaughter or assisting suicide. However, voluntary assisted dying has been legal in Victoria since 2019 and will become legal in Western Australia in the middle of this year. New Zealanders last year voted in a referendum to legalise euthanasia, with the new law expected to come into effect late this year.

The LCANZ’s Commission on Social and Bioethical Questions CSBQ has a statement on this subject ‘Euthanasia or Mercy Killing’, which rejects the practice in all its forms, ‘because such killing is contrary to the word and law of God’. Adopted by the General Convention of Synod in 1981, you can read this on the LCA website (www.lca.org.au/social-bioethical-questions – Papers adopted by General Synod). Lutherans for Life, which is accountable to the church through CSBQ and promotes the sanctity of life, also offers resources and information on end-of-life issues (see story, page 11).

Rather than euthanasia, the church calls for greater efforts to improve and extend palliative care and other measures to reduce suffering in our society. Such measures have demonstrated productive outcomes in the management of pain and the care of those at the end of their earthly life.

Dr Clare Seligmann is the General Practitioner representative on the Queensland Health Department’s Frail Older Persons Collaborative. She served as chairperson of the LCANZ Queensland District’s Lutheran Services council from 2009 to 2019. She is a member of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the AMA and the Australian & New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine. She worships at St Peters Indooroopilly in suburban Brisbane.

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LCANZ answers mission call from the Philippines

Rev Dr Michael Lockwood has answered the call to serve as a missionary with the Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP), a partner church of the LCANZ through LCA International Mission.

Dr Lockwood will take up teaching duties at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Baguio in July. His move is in response to a request last year from LCP President Rev Antonio Reyes to LCA International Mission for assistance with the training of pastors and deaconesses for his church.

The LCP seminary had been in desperate need of additional support, said the LCANZ’s Assistant to the Bishop – International Mission, Pastor Matt Anker. However, LCA International Mission was not in a position to respond to this request alone. ‘With few options locally, God provided the way’, Pastor Matt said of a funding partnership with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.

The LCANZ’s General Church Board called Dr Lockwood to the role, which he accepted and, together with his wife, Naomi, and children, Asher and Jadon, is preparing for the move. ‘I am very excited about this opportunity to be part of what God is doing in the Philippines and within the region, and to be able to play a part in equipping pastors and church workers with a deep understanding of God’s word and the good news of Jesus Christ’, Dr Lockwood, pictured, said.

LCANZ Bishop John Henderson wholeheartedly endorsed the new partnership. ‘I see the call to Dr Lockwood to serve among our fellow Lutherans in the LCP and our region as a significant moment for the LCANZ’s participation in the mission of God’, he said. ‘Dr Lockwood’s service in the Philippines will enrich not only the LCP but also the LCANZ.’

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Editor’s letter

‘In the midst of life we are in death’, we are told in The Book of Common Prayer. It’s a familiar saying often recited at funerals and committals, seemingly ensuring that the mourners present are aware it could be their turn next …

Not exactly cheery.

We hardly need to be reminded that death is never far away though, do we? Not after this past year of watching the global COVID death toll rise day after day. Not when our screens blare out news of peaceful protesters being shot and killed by military forces in Myanmar; bloody tolls from ongoing civil wars in such places as Syria or Somalia; or a woman being murdered while walking home in London. Not when our loved ones die, whether they are frail-aged or have lives cut short by disease or accident.

As we age, we will lose more people close to us. ‘From dust we came, to dust we shall return’, the Bible tells us in Genesis 3:19.

We can slip into viewing life in that gloomy, fatalistic way, simply waiting for the Grim Reaper to catch up with us, failing to live with the freedom of the gospel and the responsibility of the Great Commission. We can even be trapped into reading Scripture through the same lens, forgetting what Easter means for death.

Of course, thanks to Jesus, death has lost its sting, as our cover reminds us (1 Corinthians 15:55). I love the victorious tone in one of my favourite poems from high school studies – John Donne’s ‘Death, be not proud’.

‘One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; Death thou shalt die.’

As Donne and the Gospel of John (11:25) remind us, Easter means that even though we die, we will live.

So, while death will continue to bring sadness, pain and grief on this earth, for us as Christians it also brings hope. Our death will be the start of our new life, a transition we need not fear. In Revelation 21:4 we read: ‘“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain.’

In this issue, we share insights from members of our Lutheran family who have served dying people through various ministries. I pray you will be encouraged in your faith as you read these stories, and that you will find comfort in the hope of your new life beyond death.

Your favourite columns are here, too and also with this edition is a bonus copy of Border Crossings, thanks to LCA International Mission. It’s full of wonderful stories about the way your prayerful support and the mission of LCANZ people and overseas partner churches are enabling God’s spirit to change lives with the gospel.

God bless your reading,

Lisa

PS – Remember, The Lutheran is now available as a digital edition. To subscribe, give a subscription of a gift, or to register for free digital access as an existing print subscriber, go to www.thelutheran.com.au/subscribe

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A final expression of faith

by Lisa McIntosh

Being with people who are dying – whether or not they are close to us – can be uncomfortable, daunting and sad. We might worry about saying the wrong thing or what to do to be a witness of God’s grace and love.

Even people with years of experience caring for or ministering to people who are dying, such as Sue Westhorp, say that each situation is different and that feeling uncomfortable may always be part of the process.

Sue is the spiritual care manager and Clinical Pastoral Education Centre director for Melbourne’s Austin Health. She was formerly a palliative care chaplain at Royal Melbourne Hospital and was a pastoral care worker for St Paul’s Lutheran Church Box Hill.

‘I’ve never become used to being with people who are dying’, she says.

‘I don’t take it for granted; it’s different every time and it’s profound every time. It’s important to be very aware of our own discomfort and anxiety. It’s okay to be uncomfortable. Your own mortality is being confronted in the process.’

However, while she says there is ‘no formula’ for this kind of pastoral care, just being present and listening are the two constants of our call as Christians, regardless of the context.

‘I think as much as each of us is able to individually, we’re called to sit with the person in grief, or as someone is dying, to actually just follow where they want to go with that and if they want to talk about it, or if they don’t’, Sue says.

‘I’ve had experiences in palliative care of people who are dying who’ve got no interest in faith or religion, who a day out from dying start asking the big questions. Or someone who’s had a very, very strong faith and gets to a week before they die, and suddenly they’re very wobbly about their faith. So it’s about responding to what you see in front of you and listening, and the ways in which we show up for people to show them God is present with them.

‘They’re ultimately on a journey they can only do alone. We can’t go on that journey with them, but we can be present with them as much as possible.’

Pastor Tim Klein, a former funeral director who these days serves the flock at Faith Warradale in suburban Adelaide and is LCA SA-NT District First Assistant Bishop, says funerals are ‘always gospel opportunities’, regardless of the faith of those who attend.

‘The funeral of a person of faith brings with it a wonderful testimony of the gospel’, he says. ‘Others can be challenging, because we don’t want to offend those who have no faith, yet at the same time we can bring good news and hope into that broken place. Funerals are a time of sadness, joy, hope and blessing in varying proportions.’

He says his main objective as a funeral director was to minimise ‘the organisational stress for a family so that they could attend to their grief and not be distracted by other things’.

‘That’s not to say a funeral director is immune to the grief. I was often thankful for the dark shades of my sunglasses, hiding my saddened eyes.’

Not surprisingly, he says leading funerals as a pastor is very different. ‘My prime focus is to provide pastoral care surrounding the funeral – caring for the bereaved, praying, and preparing a funeral service with them that brings God’s word of comfort into their lives.’

When Pastor Joseph Theodorsen, who serves the Top End Parish in the Northern Territory, was about to begin his ordained ministry he told The Lutheran that the privilege of being a pastor he was most looking forward to was ministering ‘to the sick and dying’. He says that is largely because of the way that our western culture ‘treats death and dying in such a private way’.

‘In this private space, people are able to truly show the deep emotions that come with the knowledge of the terminal illness or imminent death of loved ones – thoughts and feelings that are normally hidden from public view’, Pastor Joseph says. ‘To be invited into such a space, indeed often welcomed, is something that is truly a great privilege.

‘Being able to share in the pain and suffering of such times, and yet bring the hope and certainty of the gospel to people who are often in the midst of great difficulty, is something that I find very humbling.’

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‘You can’t bury your dead here’ – a cost of faith in Christ

IN OUR REGION

by Matt Anker

The death of loved ones here in Australia and New Zealand presents us with the heartbreaking reality of grief and the consequences of our fall from God’s original intention for humankind.

But for all the heartache we suffer, we can usually count on the ability to bury our dead with dignity and the support of professionals who take care of all the unfathomable details associated with funerals.

This is not the case for our Christian brothers and sisters in many parts of Indonesia.

In 2019 we shared the story of Pastor Anjel, a pastor of the Protestant Christian Church of Mentawi (GKPM) serving in the Muslim majority city of Padang. In particular we highlighted the incredible hospitality he offered to a Muslim family who were waiting to transport the body of their 15-year-old daughter to the Mentawi Islands for burial. You may remember that the mosque would not allow them access due to ethnic differences and so, as Pastor Anjel welcomed them to use the sanctuary to sit with their daughter, they willingly received the pastoral care and witness of the Christians who spoke of the hope we have in Jesus.

In this same region, Christians have even more difficulties burying their deceased loved ones. The ‘public’ cemeteries are controlled by Muslim authorities and they do not allow the burial of anyone who bears the name of Christ.

This results in additional hardship at a time of deep grief for all Christian families. They are forced to travel significant distances into the bush, beyond the control of the authorities, to cemeteries set up by the churches. For some this means a four-hour boat trip with their loved one, back to the nearby islands. For others it means not being able to be present as their loved ones are laid to rest in a remote area they may struggle to visit in years ahead.

This reality is not spoken of with any bitterness or lament by our Indonesian brothers and sisters in Christ. It is simply one of the costs of being a Christian in that part of the world. It is a cost that is borne willingly as the blessed hope of the resurrection, made certain in the blood of Jesus, far outweighs these challenges.

‘We were buried therefore with Jesus by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his’ (Romans 6:4–5 – ESV).

Pastor Matt Anker is the LCANZ’s Assistant to the Bishop – International Mission.

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Life and death matters in aged care

by Colleen Fitzpatrick

Lutheran aged-care providers rejoice in the gift of life and are committed to enriching and enhancing the life experience of those under their care. To this end, they support the physical, spiritual, emotional, mental and social or family wellbeing of each person they care for.

When people approach the end of life, they need more focused care from medical professionals, nurses, carers, chaplains and family.

Our services straddle both the left-hand and the right-hand kingdoms as spelt out in our theology. We are bound by the rules and regulations of government, but our work is undergirded by our theology and ethos as articulated in the publications God’s love – our care and Called to Tansformative Action, which can be found on the Ministry with the Ageing website at www.lca.org.au/ministry-with-ageing

It is important to plan for the end of one’s life and to provide good palliative care for people approaching death and their families – care that addresses all the person’s needs and ensures that those close to them are aware of what is happening and how they can be part of the end-of-life process.

Palliative care is part of the core business of Lutheran aged care, with maximum physical comfort being the goal and so that a person nearing the end of their life need not fear the loss of control.

Significant also to palliative care provision is the need for the person approaching the end of life to be able to make choices. Such choices should be documented in Advance Care Directives and in care plans so that the provision of care can fulfil them. Nursing and care staff and chaplains are part of this care and are blessed to share this intimate journey with people in our aged-care services.

Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) has been on the agenda of Australian and New Zealand governments for some time. It has been legalised in Victoria and will become legal in Western Australia and New Zealand in the coming months, so it is possible that people cared for within Lutheran aged-care services will want to implement it.

In such a case, while the LCANZ does not support VAD, we will continue to provide respectful, non-judgemental and loving care and compassion. Staff or volunteers may choose to be present at the time of death, but they cannot be required to be present and no staff or volunteer may assist with the process of VAD.

Regardless of the situation, it is always important that we treat people in our care in a way that both respects them and allows God’s love to come to life as they approach their death.

Colleen Fitzpatrick is chair of the LCANZ’s Committee for Ministry with the Ageing and also a member of the Governance Enhancement Committee for Lutheran Aged Care and Community Services. She was the project officer for the development of God’s love – our care and Called to Transformative Action.

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What is dying well?

When it comes to dying, all of us hope to die well. The question is, what does this mean and what does this look like?

The word euthanasia means ‘a good death’ and, for some, this is what ‘dying well’ looks like. Euthanasia advocacy groups sometimes refer to euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide as ‘dying with dignity’. The premise behind this thinking seems to be that to die well is to die on our terms, how we want and when we want.

The Christian tradition, however, has a very different understanding of what it is to die well.

A good death is not one on our own terms, but one which submits itself to God’s will. To die well for the Christian is to die with faith in Christ, and thus to die in the grace of God.

The Bible speaks of the ‘fear of death which subjects us to a lifelong slavery’ (Hebrews 2:15). This fear leads us to try to assert ourselves in the face of death by taking matters into our own hands. However, as Christ has died in our place to give us eternal life, we need not fear death and we can die well as we trust in him.

Healthy people have no need for legal options to end their life. But what about people whose suffering feels intolerable? Some people in western societies have begun advocating for the legal taking of life in these circumstances through physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia.

Christians are called to show mercy and compassion to those who are suffering. True mercy and compassion mean suffering alongside someone in their greatest hour of need, loving and serving them and assuring them that life is still worth living, even when all seems lost.

Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan provides us with a beautiful example of this mercy. True mercy costs us something (Luke 10:25-37).

The LCANZ opposes euthanasia and mercy killing in all forms, based on Scripture.

For Christians, our life is never our own. We are creatures owing our very existence to our creator, and so the taking of our own life is no less grave than that of another.

However, the church’s opposition to euthanasia does not mean that Christians are obligated to unnecessarily prolong life by taking on burdensome treatments.

What it does mean is that the church’s members have a special obligation to love and care for people who are suffering, including advocating for the best possible palliative care.

This is an abridged version of ‘Dying well’ and ‘Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide’, by the Lutherans for Life (LFL) Committee, published on its website (www.lutheransforlife.lca.org.au ) and used with permission. LFL is part of the LCANZ, accountable to the church through the Commission on Social and Bioethical Questions. LFL offers resources and information on life issues on its website, through its newsletter, Life News, and on Facebook (Lutherans for Life – Australia).

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Dwelling in God’s word – death and dying

by Peter Ghalayini

Death and dying have been at the forefront of our lives this past year. During the height of the pandemic, here in Victoria, we waited nervously to hear daily updates of COVID infections and deaths.

Death has also been a big topic in Victoria as we faced the recent passing of legislation for Voluntary Assisted Dying. Death is seen as an unnatural part of life that can be avoided if we do everything right or at least we are comforted if we control the time and circumstances of death.

Read Hebrews 9:27,28.

What is God’s purpose for us through death?

Among Christians, death is often seen as a punishment for sin. If only Adam and Eve had not sinned then death could have been avoided through access to the Tree of Life. (Read Genesis 3:24.)

But death is part of God’s graciousness now that sin has entered into this world and all the consequences of sin including suffering and death. God has limited the reach of suffering by limiting the life span of humanity. But Jesus reassures us that through him, even though we die we shall continue to live.

Read John 11:25–26.

Mary and Martha thought that if Jesus had come earlier, Lazarus could have avoided death, but instead, Jesus gives them a greater comfort. Even though Jesus knew that he was the ‘resurrection and the life’, we see through his tears of grief over Lazarus’ death that death still has great impact on the life of a Christian. This is despite the fact we know that eternal life is a gift of God when we die.

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

Paul speaks about the grief we go through as Christians but what does he say that brings comfort?

Paul also talks about a different type of death that Christians experience when he says that we have died to sin. Paul believed that in our baptism we are born again and therefore our old life dies and a new life arises with Christ. (Read Romans 6:1–4.)

Paul was quite insistent that our new life begins immediately even though we can only see the old life.

Read Colossians 3:1–4.

Paul speaks about this new life being ‘hidden’, but says it will be revealed when Christ returns along with God’s glory that is also hidden.

Read Colossians 3:5–10.

Are there parts of your ‘old life’ that continue to affect your ‘new life in Christ’?

Read 1 Corinthians 15:20–26.

What happens to death when we are in heaven?

Read Revelation 20:11–15.

In verse 14 death seems to have a life force of its own and ironically death must now also experience death. The difference is that death will no longer exist because it is part of what Jesus calls the ‘old order of life’.

Read Revelation 21:1–5.

In this ‘new order’ Jesus specifically declares what will be removed, or rather ‘passed away’ (another term we use for death): ‘“There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’

And finally, the Tree of Life which Adam and Eve lost when the angel prevented them from reaching out and eating, is returned as the Garden of Eden is restored in heaven.

Read Revelation 22:1–5.

Thank you, Heavenly Father that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and even though we die we shall live. Amen.

Pastor Peter Ghalayini serves the Ringwood Knox Lutheran Parish in Melbourne’s outer east and is Aged Care Pastor at Good Shepherd Retirement Village at Ringwood.

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2021 General Synod notices

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