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Walking the talk

Lutheran schools have been part of Walk My Way from the start. And 19 schools are walking in 2021. Associate Professor Lisa Schmidt, executive director of Lutheran Education Australia, explains why our schools are walking the talk.

by Lisa Schmidt

One of Lutheran Education Australia’s values is justice. Through genuine concern and developing a conscience for the rights and wellbeing of everyone in the human family, seeking justice requires understanding and responding to the reasons behind injustices as well as responding to unjust conditions.

It requires integrity between beliefs, words and actions.

It may necessitate taking a stand and acting with courage.

It is wonderful to see students and staff from Lutheran schools and early childhood services making that connection and responding to the needs of other children through Walk My Way. This is one step on the shared road to justice that we can walk together.

My dad was born in a refugee camp but came to Australia and spent time in Bonegilla Migrant Centre (from which ALWS was born), before receiving an education, including at a Lutheran school. I have been the beneficiary of that as a good education changes the lives of generations.

All children should have that chance, no matter where or when they are born. I want these children in Africa to have the education my dad had, and their children to have the opportunities I’ve had. That’s why I walked. And I wonder about the stories of other walkers too. You can’t tell people’s stories under the sun hats and bright blue T-shirts, but we’ve all got one.

Walk My Way Barossa was a wonderful day of getting together and trying to make a difference for someone we will never meet. For one day, we were all part of that same story.

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‘Privileged and proud’ to walk

Lutheran Disability Services (LDS) Support Worker Julie Green hadn’t heard of Walk My Way before the lead-up to last month’s event in South Australia’s Barossa Valley.

But now she says the LDS team of clients and staff – the Wheelie Great Walkers – ‘can’t wait to do it again’.

Like her fellow LDS walkers and wheelers Julie, of Hamley Bridge, north of Adelaide, was encouraged to take part in Walk My Way by fellow support worker Tamara Martin, wife of Barossa North Parish Pastor Damien Martin.

LDS clients David, Chelsea, Jeanette and David were among 650 participants who walked or wheeled along the 26-kilometre trail from Nuriootpa to Lyndoch to support refugee children to go to school. The quartet was joined by five LDS staff, six of their children and two dogs.

‘It was extremely special for LDS family to feel the unity and inclusiveness of their community for this worthy event, as they talked, laughed, sung, and walked through the Barossa Valley’, Julie says.

‘They have expressed how proud they are to support Walk My Way and to help so many strong and resilient refugee children in East Africa to go to school. They can’t wait to do it again!’

With two members in wheelchairs and the rest on foot (or paw), the team also sang along to music played from a speaker Julie provided. Each client walked or was wheeled along for at least five kilometres; two did 13 kilometres and four staff, including Julie, and some of the children, completed the full trail.

‘When any of the clients had had enough, we had someone pick them up’, Julie says. ‘They’ve said since how wonderful it was. Personally, I felt so privileged to be a part of such a movement.’

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Leaders release statement on ordination actions

At their third special meeting on the division within the church over the ordination of women and men, the LCANZ’s General Church Board (GCB) and College of Bishops (CoB) agreed on three initial actions. Last year, GCB and CoB released a report with three potential scenarios over the division in the church around the ordination of both women and men. There were 48 formal responses from individuals and congregations to the scenarios. In March 2021, GCB and CoB held a third special meeting to analyse these responses.

Secretary of the Church Dr Nigel Long said the leaders agreed on three initial actions in preparation for the 2021 General Pastors Conference (GPC) and General Convention of Synod. A statement summarising the responses and actions has been released. In brief, the actions are:

  1. GCB is asking the GPC to provide advice in advance of General Convention on the relevance of Theses of Agreement (TA) 1 Principles governing church fellowship to the ongoing discussion about ordination.
  2. The Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations will work (with CoB) on framing questions and providing background for the GPC on the applicability/inapplicability of TA 1.
  3. GCB and CoB will work together to frame any questions and/or proposals on the ordination matter that might be useful for the 2021 General Convention and for the wellbeing of the church.

You can download the statement from the link at www.lca.org.au/lcanz-leaders-release-statement-on-ordination-actions/

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We’re having how many coming for breakfast?!

When Walk My Way volunteer Julie Slaghekke agreed to coordinate breakfast for this year’s Barossa Valley event, she thought ALWS organisers were overestimating how many people would take part.

‘When they said, “I think we’re going to have 600 walkers”, I thought, “No you’re not; you couldn’t possibly have that many”’, Julie, pictured, says.

Ultimately there were 650 registered participants, along with volunteers who would need sustenance. That meant sourcing food for 700 COVID-compliant breakfast boxes while utilising promised donations.

Julie, who has a small catering business and helped to coordinate the LCA’s Longest Lutheran Lunch project, baked 700 muffins and made 700 muesli balls. Together with Julie Krause, an ALWS community action officer, Julie made yoghurt granola berry pots for the breakfast boxes and added fresh fruit, breadsticks, mini kransky sausages, cheese, dried fruit, nuts and fruit juice. The two Julies were supported by student volunteers from Redeemer Lutheran School Nuriootpa and teams of adult helpers.

‘It’s amazing; 650 people chose to give up their Saturday to go for a walk and raise money for ALWS. That’s mind-blowing’, Julie Slaghekke says. ‘The other thing that was astounding was the level of support in the Barossa – from the churches, individuals, businesses and the community, who chipped in and said, “We’ll help with that and we’ll donate this”. It was inspiring.

‘It was a great team effort, too, and nice to be a part of a bigger ideal.’

For Julie, a member of Our Saviour Aberfoyle Park in suburban Adelaide, her faith is a ‘huge’ motivation for volunteering. ‘I think that’s what we are here on this earth to do’, she says. ‘We’ve all been given something to offer, and it gives you so much enjoyment when you use your gifts in a way that helps others.’

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Editor’s letter

When I took part in Australian Lutheran World Service’s (ALWS) Walk My Way in 2019 in the Adelaide Hills with about 380 others, I thought it was a wonderful example of church unity, community outreach and engagement, and living the LCANZ’s tagline of ‘bringing love to life’ – all wrapped up in one event.

I was inspired by the creativity and passion of the organisers, the service and professionalism of volunteers and the camaraderie and commitment of participants, who took the challenging 26-kilometre Pioneer Women’s Trail in their stride.

They did it to raise money to help send refugee children in Africa to school – kids they would never meet, facing hardships they could only imagine. This is a beautiful expression of church, I remember thinking at the time.

Last year, of course, COVID-19 put paid to walkers again hitting the trails in big groups. But ALWS, as it so often does, got creative and Walk Your Way was born – an individual challenge, in your own time and place. Around 2800 of us walked paths near home and raised enough to send 6390 children to school.

While that was truly inspirational, I wondered whether the buzz of 2019 and the resilience of 2020 would be replicated in 2021 when Walk My Way group events returned. Boy, was I wrong to doubt the spirit of our Lutheran family!

When it became clear that the first event for 2021, in South Australia’s Barossa Valley in May, would be bigger than, well, even our General Convention of Synod, our editorial team changed the theme for June to ‘Walking together’. We thought that, as we prepare for Synod, it was also a timely reminder of Christ’s prayer for his church that we ‘may be one’ (John 17:20).

Inspired by the 650 participants who ‘walked together’ in the Barossa Valley, and a further 249 who have registered (by 18 May) to walk elsewhere at different times, these pages contain stories and images of thanksgiving and joy from Walk My Way. I pray that you’ll be blessed by them. All walker groups are receiving copies of this edition and so we especially welcome those who are reading The Lutheran for the first time.

Our Lutheran family is also ‘walking together’ as we endeavour to better hear the Indigenous voices in our churchwide family through practical applications of our Reconciliation Action Plan, and we have included a progress story and some ideas for your ministry group.

And, as a further bonus for subscribers, you’ll find inside Australian Lutheran College’s Saints Alive publication, as we walk together with the LCA’s provider of tertiary theological education.

May God richly bless our efforts to ‘walk together’ at home, at school, at work, at church, or on the nearest footpath or bush track.

Lisa

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Dwelling in God’s word – Walking with Jesus

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Directory – June

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Prayer calendar – July dates

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Church@Home June 2021

CHURCH@HOME www.lca.org.au/churchhome

Daily faith practice brings blessings

 

Regular devotions are a powerful part of an active home-worship life. They can help nurture our faith and even that of our families, as they strengthen our relationship with Jesus, increase our trust in God and our openness to the call of his Spirit. We pray that you will receive blessings from the devotional materials here and in the Church@Home resources collection collated and shared on the special webpage at www.lca.org.au/churchhome. There are also other faith-building and practical resources available through this webpage. If you have internet access and a printer, why not print some and mail or deliver them to those who may otherwise miss out?

–Lisa

Psalm 61:2 

From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

DEVOTIONS FOR HOME WORSHIP

These reflections are from a fresh set of devotions written for our LCANZ family and friends to help us to keep our eyes on Jesus. They can be used by families and individuals as part of the Church@Home resources. You can find these and more on the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/daily-devotion

The One by Rachael Stelzer

‘Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures’ (Luke 24:45).

Read Luke 24:36b–48.

The disciples huddled in a closed room, confused and afraid. They had heard strange stories, first from the women and then from an out-of-breath Cleopas, of appearances by their teacher, whom they had seen taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb. And, suddenly, he was there in their midst. The One. The teacher. The master. And in their shock, panic and emotion, they cried out in fear. ‘It’s a ghost!’

What happened next could have come from a TV sitcom, complete with canned laughter. Jesus did everything he could to convince these overwhelmed people that he was alive, real and with them. He told them to look at his hands and side, to recognise the scars they had watched him receive. Then when that didn’t work for some, he asked them to bring him some food, to prove through normal human digestion that he wasn’t a ghost with food falling through him. What a hysterical picture he must have seemed! The disciples knew Jesus as one who loved to share food with them. Then he taught them, as he always had, of the importance of his role on earth, now with the benefit of hindsight and perspective. And they recognised his voice and teaching, and it all began to make sense.

Jesus went to such lengths to change his disciples’ fear and confusion to joy and confidence. And Jesus still transforms his followers today.

What fears, panic and confusion do we go through? What stories have we heard? And do we recognise the One, the Teacher, the Master, for who he really is when he stands among us?

Jesus still lovingly shows us who he is. Through his word, people and church, Jesus teaches us, laughs with us, calms us and speaks to us, despite the many other voices that clamour for our attention. May we continue to learn from him, to recognise his voice and ways, and know the confidence and joy of the risen King.

Risen Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see you. Open my ears to hear you. And open my mind to learn from you. I know you will help me in the challenges of the day ahead. Thank you. Amen.  

In Jesus’ name by Ruth Olsen

‘If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it’ (John 14:14).

Read John 14:1–14.

Wow, what a promise Jesus gives us! And what an invitation, opportunity and responsibility! Jesus invites us to work with him! He invites us to pray the kind of prayers that change us and reach beyond ourselves, the ones that touch the Father’s heart for others, reflecting to the Father the heart of Jesus for those being prayed for. He desires to bring glory to the Father – through us!

Jesus is the way to the Father. Jesus is our home base, our safe place and our security. The more we grow in trusting and knowing him, the more we will be enabled to see through his eyes, as it were. He reveals the Father to us as someone who is for us because that’s how Jesus is – for us! He said anyone who has seen him has seen the Father. We look to Jesus, and we are awakened to God as the Father who is for us. And we come to the Father through Jesus’ relationship with the Father. Wow, isn’t that worth taking time to ponder, to chew over? As we grow in knowing Jesus, we will also know the Father as well. And we recognise what the Father is like by how Jesus is. He earnestly desires for us to know the Father.

Tucked into that relationship of love, acceptance and belonging, is an overflowing heart of prayer. In trusting Jesus to meet our needs (including through others), we are increasingly set free to focus away from self and recognise how he wants to bless others, also in answer to our prayers, words and actions. Amazingly, Jesus says anyone who believes in him will also do what he has been doing and even greater things. And in the verses following our reading from John 14–16, he introduces us to the promised Holy Spirit, his Spirit of truth, who is our enabler, helper, teacher and trainer.

Holy Spirit of Jesus, only you can enable us to do and pray what Jesus desires so that Jesus can give glory to the Father through us also. Open this up further to us. Give us insight and draw us into a closer relationship and communication with you. Amen.

PRAYER 

Be at peace
by Saint Francis De Sales

Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life;
rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise,
God, whose very own you are,
will lead you safely through all things;
and when you cannot stand it,
God will carry you in his arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;
the same understanding Father who cares for
you today will take care of you then and every day.
He will either shield you from suffering
or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace, and put aside all anxious thoughts
and imaginations.

Isaiah 35:4

Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you’.

Recognising God’s voice by Nick Schwarz and Pastor Brian Schwarz

‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no-one will snatch them out of my hand’ (John 10:27,28).

Read John 10:22–30.

A visitor to Israel, observing a shepherd leading a flock of sheep, once conducted an experiment. He put on the shepherd’s cloak, took hold of the shepherd’s crook and called the sheep to follow him. But the sheep just ignored him. Why? Because what they heard was a strange voice.

Even though the man now looked somewhat like their shepherd, they recognised that he was a fake, an impostor. He was not to be trusted like their real shepherd – the one who knew them intimately, who cared for them daily and was prepared to sacrifice his life to keep them safe.

Sadly, there are pastors, teachers and leaders who masquerade as shepherds of God’s flock but whose voices sound different to that of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

Rather than stressing what God has done for us through Jesus, they emphasise what you must do to win God’s favour. Rather than giving glory to Jesus, they tend to seek glory for themselves. Rather than acting as humble servants, they act like proud bosses.

False shepherds can do great damage to God’s flock. Beware of them.

Become so familiar with the voice of Jesus that you can quickly detect the difference between those who are genuine shepherds and those who are not.

Dear God, we thank you for shepherds whose voices are in tune with the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Bless them. Help us to become so familiar with Jesus’ voice that we can quickly recognise true shepherds from imposters. Amen.

Simple, yet difficult by Pastor Peter Bean

‘Love one another’ (John 15:17).

Read John 15:9–17.

Simple, eh? How many philosophers, songwriters, poets and authors have echoed the Bible’s words: love one another, with the implication that all will be well. Perhaps the cartoonist Leunig captures it best in his cartoon where he states, ‘Love one another and you will be happy; it’s as simple and as difficult as that. There is no other way’.

So, yes, it is simple as that, but it is also very difficult. We all know and have experienced that in our everyday living with our family and friends, not to even mention the loving enemies part. Simple as, yet difficult as.

It would be great if I, and if you, could love one another and all life’s problems disappeared. But it doesn’t work like that, and Jesus knows it better than anyone. Perhaps that’s why before he tells us to love one another, he spells out that the Father loves him, and he remains in the Father’s love.

Just the same Jesus loves us, and we can remain in his love. Then we can love another. It’s not through our own strength or ability; it’s because we, you, I, are first loved unconditionally.

Living in that love allows us to love ourselves and love others. This enables us to look beyond those things that distract from loving. Sharing in the joy that Jesus offers and promises (verse 11) allows us to continue to love when it seems humanly impossible. For me (and that person), replacing negative thoughts about someone with the love of Jesus has changed the way I think, act and speak. It’s this love won for us and given to us by Jesus that allows us to love one another. It’s as simple and as difficult as that!

Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me as your Father loves you. Help me to live in this love. And through your presence and with your help, help me to love all those I encounter. Amen.

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Sharing stories to preserve our past

Going GREYT! 1 Peter 4:10

In Going GREYT! we feature stories of some of our ‘more experienced’ people within the LCA, who have been called to make a positive contribution in their retirement. We pray their examples of service will be an inspiration and encouragement to us all as we look to be Christ’s hands and feet wherever we are, with whatever gifts and opportunities we’ve been given.

by Helen Beringen

Life is too interesting to overlook anything.

So says Chris Halbert, whose approach to life has seen her capture and preserve history in many forms, from football memorabilia to sheet music.

For Chris, each piece tells a story that keeps our history alive. The 74-year-old volunteer director collects stories of the memorabilia for archiving in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) History Centre which she manages.

And as one of the choir librarians at Adelaide’s Bethlehem congregation, she is equally passionate about preserving the Lutheran Church’s history of church music.

Chris’s service to both fields – the history of Australian Rules football and music – was recognised with a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in this year’s Australia Day Honours. She believes it’s critical that we not only keep our tradition of church music alive but also build on it.

‘The Lutheran Church has such a superb history of church music. I, and many others, are committed to keep this, build on it, and not lose it’, she says.

‘We have got a tradition that cannot slip through our fingers. That is why we are passionate about keeping it.’

Music has always been a part of Chris’s life, from her childhood in Peterborough and Port Augusta, in South Australia’s Mid North, to adulthood where she went on to study and teach at the Elder Conservatorium of Music at The University of Adelaide.

It was part of her environment from the moment she was born and is in her blood as a descendant of early Lutheran and pioneer farmer JH Koch.

‘My great-grandfather arrived in South Australia from East Prussia in the mid-19th century’, Chris says.

‘He founded Petersburg, which became Peterborough during World War I … So, music has been in my blood and all my relatives from the beginning, and that includes piano and singing. I started learning the piano when I was seven years old.’

There is a treasure-trove of sheet music that Chris helps safeguard in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Adelaide, whose current Flinders Street building was erected in 1871–72. The congregation’s 9am traditional service includes organ and choir music, some of it almost as old as the church itself.

Not only has Chris sung in the choir for two decades, but she is also part of a team that preserves and files hundreds of sheets of music.

‘As you can imagine, there is a lot of music sung each week’, she says. ‘I was mending music this morning and thinking, “How many people have touched this music before me and used it?”. It could be 100 years old.’

Chris is as passionate about ensuring a continuation of this music tradition, as she is about preserving the history of South Australia through its SANFL History Centre.

‘The history of the SANFL is an important part of the history of South Australia. That, in itself, is the best reason for treasuring it’, she says.

That’s despite not knowing much at all about football until she met and married Sturt premiership player and Magarey Medallist John, her husband of 53 years.

John’s involvement in the SANFL for more than 50 years as a player, coach and administrator meant he, and his mother, had collected a lot of football memorabilia. So much in fact, that Chris wrote to the SANFL asking what could be done with the collectible items.

The SANFL’s interest in preserving league memorabilia led to Chris’s involvement in establishing the SANFL History Centre in 2014, which is now housed above the Lutheran Archives in Adelaide’s inner-suburban Bowden.

‘Football history has become a significant part of my life and I am working with people who feel the same way’, she says. ‘As a close-knit volunteer team, we need to work well together. We need to match people with the tasks required.’

The centre processes and catalogues donated memorabilia. It is also digitising football content inherited from four television stations plus the SANFL – about 4800 videos and films so far!

The centre’s artefacts range from the shiny to the quirky. Along with the socks, jumpers, photographs and trophies, they’ve got a tiny 1897 gold replica football which was awarded to a player, and even a toilet seat painted with a landscape by a well-known artist, along with a matching painted football. This was donated by SA football great Barrie Robran.

The centre’s first exhibition in the State Library in 2017 attracted 70,000 people, and Chris and the team from the library and SANFL are now planning for a second exhibition, slated for June to August 2022.

Chris says the inaugural exhibition was a great way to tell the stories behind the memorabilia, and the feedback from visitors to the exhibition provided an opportunity to hear new anecdotes. ‘People loved the community aspect of it, and families loved it’, she says.

Chris remains passionate about working with others to make such events happen.

‘I am really passionate about volunteering in the community’, she says.

‘Everybody is blessed to be able to serve. Working with individuals is amazingly rewarding, working with a team is also rewarding. I don’t think about it much, I feel blessed that it just happens.’

Helen Beringen is a Brisbane-based writer who is inspired by the many GREYT people who serve tirelessly and humbly in our community. By sharing stories of how God shines his light through his people, she hopes others are encouraged to explore how they can use their gifts to share his light in the world.

Know of any other GREYT stories in your local community? Email the editor lisa.mcintosh@lca.org.au  

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