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Feeling guilty? That’s the Spirit’s prompting

by Anne Hansen

Have you ever had a friend whom you knew from church start a conversation with, ‘I’m sorry that I haven’t been to church for a while, but …’? I often have people begin conversations like this. I think because I am a pastor’s wife, the guilt that some people feel just seeing me can spark this response!

I hope I don’t actually put people off with my presence, as I would never want to, but I have come to realise that it is the Holy Spirit’s prompting that produces this guilt … not just me! God wants all people to have a close relationship with him, and it’s the job of the Spirit to keep prompting us into God’s presence, where we can be nourished by his word, fed through the sacraments and be blessed by growing in fellowship with fellow believers.

Whether it is a guilty feeling or not, we know that we grow closer to God when we are worshipping, reading the Bible, or sharing his love with others.

GETTING TO KNOW OUR GOD BETTER

Lutheran Tract Mission (LTM) has many resources for you to use or to share with others to help you grow in the knowledge of our God and his saving love. Recently we have produced a series of 12 ‘Growing Together as Family’ devotion tracts – these were produced especially for the ‘time-poor’ family which may only have one or two nights a week to have dinner together and share devotions. Each tract contains four weeks on one topic – about our faith: holy communion, the Apostles’ Creed, baptism, or the Lord’s Prayer, or about the church seasons: Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Advent, Christmas and Pentecost.

Show one to your pastor or give one to a friend or family member.

RESOURCES TO HELP US GROW

There are many other LTM resources to help you grow in your faith, too. Have a look on our website and start with the ‘Christian Growth’ category. There are about 950 tracts in total but use the categories listing to help you find just what you need. Go to www.ltm.org.au

Rather than just feeling guilty about your faith life, develop a habit of growing your faith and family!

Anne Hansen is Lutheran Tract Mission Development Officer.

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No matter what you face, there’s hope in Jesus

Your Messages of Hope from Lutheran Media has many different podcasts to listen to, videos to watch, and booklets and downloadable PDFs to read on topics such as addiction, ageing and dementia, anger, anxiety and depression, crisis, fear, guilt and forgiveness, grief, loneliness, parenting, relationships, suffering, wellbeing and stress.

Discover hope on these topics at www.messagesofhope.org.au and share these messages of hope with your family and friends.

Thanks to your support, these messages are reaching millions of people through radio and social media.

Please keep the people who hear, watch and read them in your prayers.

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Investing in the lives of others

If you look over your life, can you remember an adult who took the time to walk alongside you and took an interest in you? Maybe it was a youth leader or someone else in your congregation who encouraged you?

Mentoring is important. At the most basic level, it guarantees that a young person has someone who cares about them. They are not alone in dealing with day-to-day challenges. Mentors can be an adult friend who is there to guide them and share how God is present in their life.

Mentoring creates relationships that help create a community within a congregation. It invites people to share their lives, their stories and their faith.

There is compelling research about the impact adults can have on teenagers as they grow into their faith. Research tells us that teens who have five or more adults from the church invest in them are less likely to leave the church.

Mentoring is one way that every congregation member can be involved in youth ministry in an enriching way.

ERIC, MENTOR

Hello, my name is Eric and I have known Henry and his family as active members and regular worshippers at our congregation over many years.

When Henry first asked whether I would be prepared to act as mentor in his confirmation studies, my first thoughts were, ‘I have never done this before. Am I equal to the task? I’m old (85) and he’s so young’.

However, I was happy to accept the invitation and we soon established a close relationship. As we journeyed together in studying Luther’s Small Catechism, I was able to share something of my own personal faith experiences with Henry. At the same time, my faith was being renewed and strengthened through the work of the Holy Spirit.

It was a joy for me to support Henry in this way. To God be the praise and the glory.

HENRY, ON BEING MENTORED BY ERIC

Eric and I sing in the church choir together. I feel like I’ve known him all my life. He is in charge of setting up the church Christmas tree each year, and I have really enjoyed helping with this for the past few years. I thought he’d be a great confirmation mentor as he was always friendly, energetic and very knowledgeable.

This turned out to be the case as he has such vast knowledge and understanding of God, and of being Lutheran. Our time together was restricted by COVID, but we met in person when we could, for a walk and talk. When restrictions eased, we could see each other more often, at choir practice as well as at church.

He encouraged me and gave me great feedback about how I was progressing in my faith journey.

MENTORING IS IMPORTANT

Establishing a mentoring program in your congregation can be challenging and stretching, but also a rewarding experience for everyone involved. Grow Ministries has mentoring resources which provide support and encouragement for your mentoring journey. For more information and links to resources, go to www.growministries.org.au/2022/04/27/a-mentoring-experience/ or email growministries@lca.org.au

For more resources that support parents, families and congregations in nurturing faith, go to www.growministries.org.au

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Sharing Jesus’ love for the stranger

by Craig Heidenreich

Have you been to a Middle Eastern supermarket and wandered through the aisles full of exotic spices, nuts and sweets labelled in Arabic, Persian or Hindi? As you take in the aromas, it feels like you have been transported to another place entirely. Let me take you there for a minute!

In recent months, my wife Beverley and I have been visiting a nearby congregation to encourage them as they explore opportunities for outreach in their suburb, and they have one of these supermarkets within walking distance.

After each visit, we cross the road for a strong Middle Eastern coffee in ‘little Syria’, and the shop owner Maryam* has become a warm friend. She is a dignified woman with a headscarf and bright eyes. Each time we visit, she shares a little more of her story.

TIME FOR COFFEE AND CARE

A widow with five grown children, Maryam tells (with quiet resolve) of the long years of immigration detention that undermined her husband’s health until he died prematurely. She tells of her struggle to provide for the family by working double shifts. She talks of her grown son who is too depressed to work. She speaks of her longing to return to Syria, which is still thwarted by civil war.

Our hearts are moved for Maryam, but Jesus loves her more and is watching over her for good.

The other day as we paid for our coffee, Beverley asked Maryam, ‘Can I pray a blessing on you before we go – can I pray in Jesus’ name?’

Maryam said yes and immediately came from behind her counter and threw her arms around her while Beverley prayed that Jesus would heal her heart and bless her family.

Maryam is not far from the kingdom.

*Maryam is not her real name.

Craig Heidenreich is LCANZ Cross-Cultural Ministry Facilitator.

This story was first published as ‘Maryam – a woman of peace’ in Cross-Cultural Ministry eNews. To subscribe, go to www.lca.org.au/ccministry-signup

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Finding the heart of mission

Greeting a newcomer to Australia or New Zealand in their first or ‘heart’ language is a wonderful way to make them feel respected and valued. If you would like to welcome a stranger with a friendly phrase in their language and begin to build friendships with people of other cultures, ‘Heart Talk’ can help.

This new 90-page booklet from LCA Cross-Cultural Ministry features greetings in more than 40 languages, along with tips on how to use it and helpful information about the countries behind the languages. Email craig.heidenreich@lca.org.au or follow Cross-Cultural Ministry eNews for more details (www.lca.org.au/ccministry-signup).

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Church@Home July 2022

Nurturing faith in between Sundays

With many people still facing uncertainty, grief or economic pressures due to the COVID pandemic, plus the devastation of floods and bushfires close to home and war overseas, we can all benefit from reading or hearing some encouraging words and experiencing a sense of God’s closeness. Nurturing our faith at home through regular devotions strengthens our relationship with Jesus and helps to open our hearts to the work of the Holy Spirit. We pray that you will be blessed by the devotional materials here and in the Church@Home resources collection online at www.lca.org.au/churchhome

Lisa

James 1:2,3
Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials, because the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 

DEVOTIONS FOR HOME WORSHIP

These reflections are adapted from a collection of devotions written for our LCANZ family and friends to help us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus no matter what we face. You can find these and many others on the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/daily-devotion and you can subscribe to receive them daily via email by clicking on the link on that same page.

PTL – praise the Lord by Pastor Tim Klein

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you (Psalm 67:5).

Read Psalm 67.

I know a person, though unable to speak, who praises God with loud cries. I know another who, when singing, sings with tear-washed cheeks. And still, another who sings with arms raised high, head lifted up, heart open and eyes closed, all attention on the Lord. I know another person who, at one point, would respond to every good thing, saying ‘PTL’!

We are all called to praise the Lord. We each praise the Lord in our own unique way, for our own reasons, yet our praise is shared. This word from Psalm 67 says it: ‘Let all the peoples praise you’.

In Revelation, chapter 5, John is given a vision of millions and millions of people praising God around his throne: ‘The Lamb who was killed is worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory, and praise.’

And then there were more! ‘All beings in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea offer praise. Together, all of them were saying, “Praise, honour, glory, and strength forever and ever to the one who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”’

Do you love to praise the Lord? What are some of your memorable times of praising the Lord? What are your reasons for praising the Lord?

Mostly, our praises to the Lord are carried in singing – from the classic hymn Praise to the Lord (LH 442) to Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus and Tim Tscharke’s Singing All Praises to Benjamin Hastings’ O Praise the Name (Anástasis).

Perhaps you might finish your time of reflection by calling to mind your reasons to praise the Lord and spending some time in praise.

Lord, you are gracious to us and bless us. You shine your face on us. You judge the peoples of the earth with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Your earth yields more than enough for all the world’s needs. You have truly blessed us. And so, with all the nations, we praise you, O Lord. Amen.

Home and away by Stuart Gray

So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it (2 Corinthians 5:9).

Read 2 Corinthians 5:1–10.

My wife and I enjoy camping. We have the freedom to easily explore our country with relatively few encumbrances. But when camping, we are exposed to the elements, the wind and rain, the hot and cold.

So, we also enjoy our home where we feel grounded and largely protected from the elements. Home is where our community lives. But we can’t have both lifestyles at the same time.

In this passage, Paul talks about living our lives in an ‘earthly tent’ that is temporary, frail and vulnerable. But we look forward to being with God, which Paul describes as ‘an eternal house in heaven’. God’s house is permanent.

Paul says in verse one that we know if the earthly tent is destroyed, we have a building from God. In verse four, Paul says we know that as long as we are in our bodies, we are away from the Lord, but because God has given us the Holy Spirit as a deposit, a guarantee of what is to come, we are always confident of our heavenly destination.

Paul’s words, ‘we know’ and ‘always confident’, show no doubt. That’s the power of the Holy Spirit. ‘We live by faith, not by sight.’ While we are in our earthly bodies, we groan and are burdened, but by faith, we are confident that our destination is the eternal house in heaven.

So how does Paul resolve this dilemma of wanting to be with God while living in our earthly bodies? We do so by making it our goal to please God, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

And Paul says that what we do with our lives matters as we will all ‘appear before the judgement seat of Christ so that each may receive due recompense for actions done in the body, whether good or evil’.

Heavenly Father, give us the will, power and strength to do what is pleasing to you. Give us clarity about our purpose in life so that we may fully live a life that is acceptable to you. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

PRAYER

PRAYER OF PRAISE 

O God,
You alone are unutterable,
from the time you created all things
that can be spoken of.

You alone are unknowable,
from the time you created all things
that can be known.

All things cry out about you,
those which speak,
and those which cannot speak.

All things honour you;
those which think,
and those which cannot think.

For there is one longing, one groaning,
that all things have for you.

All things pray to you that perceive your plan
and offer you a silent hymn.

In you, the One,
all things abide,
and all things endlessly run to you
who are the end of all.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
– Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (330-389AD),
sourced from justprayer.org

2 Timothy 1:7
For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.

A faithful spirit by Carolyn Ehrlich

‘Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit’, Elisha replied (2 Kings 2:9b).

Read 2 Kings 2:1–12.

Elisha was Elijah’s protégé. Elisha was transitioning to take on his job. But he recognised the faithful spirit of Elijah. Elisha asked that he take over his work and receive a double portion of his faithfulness. And it was granted.

At the same time as taking on the faithful spirit of Elijah, Elisha was different from Elijah. We recognise Elijah as a great prophet, but Elisha did more miracles, Elisha spent more time with people, and Elisha showed tenderness and ongoing compassion for others, which was quite different from Elijah’s prophetic ministry.

Even though Elisha asked for and inherited a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, he did not try and replicate Elijah. Instead, he worked with the strengths that God had given him.

So, we need to admire the faithfulness of others, and we need to replicate those spiritual gifts, but we need to do it in our own God-led way. How God leads and directs me is different to how God leads and directs you.

It is within this diversity that we can collectively act as one body of Christ.

Ask God today to lead you into realising your God-given gifts, talents and strengths to his glory

Heavenly Father, you have given each of us unique gifts and talents. Like Elisha, I pray that you will fill me with a spirit of faithfulness to you. Thank you for all that you have given me. Show me how to use my unique gifts, talents and strengths for your glory this day and always. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

There’s something about them … by Georgie Schuster

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

Read Acts 4:5–21.

We like things that make sense. One plus one equals two, and all is right with the world. But it can be confronting when something doesn’t appear to add up.

The educated men (rulers, elders, teachers of the law, the high priest etc) would have done their research on Peter and John as they sought reasons to silence them.

Initially fishermen by trade, one could expect their skillset and expertise to be confined to that profession. But then they hung around the itinerant Jesus, who challenged long-held traditions and understandings and was crucified for his troubles. Reports had been made of his resurrection, but he had since disappeared off the face of the earth.

Still, his influence seemed to be spreading. Peter and John were going around healing people using Jesus’ name! Now, these same men stood before the hierarchy and spoke with boldness. They even had the audacity and courage to quote Scripture, naming Jesus as the one whom the psalmist referenced … in front of some of the same men who orchestrated Jesus’ crucifixion.

So how did they go from being ordinary, uneducated fishermen to men of courage who performed miracles and spoke with authority? Well, they did spend time – a lot of time – with Jesus. He seemed to have a profound and life-changing impact on these two extraordinary men … and they weren’t (and aren’t) the only ones!

How does spending time with Jesus impact you and influence your words and actions?

Dear God, thank you for all the ways we get to spend time together. You share your love and refresh my soul in many different ways. You show me paths to walk and people to connect with. I look forward to what you have in store for me today! In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

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General Synod to discuss ordination for fifth time

Six proposals relating to the ordination of both women and men have been submitted for consideration by delegates at February’s in-person sessions of the 20th Convention of General Synod, to be held in Melbourne.

This will be the fifth time that some form of the difficult ordination question has come before General Synod, the first being in 2000.

Two of the LCANZ Districts and four congregations have submitted proposals on the subject. Three of them, including one from the South Australia – Northern Territory District, ask for the removal of Clause 6.11 from the Theses of Agreement, which rules that men only may be ordained as pastors of the church.

The Theses of Agreement was the foundational document on which two Lutheran synods united as the Lutheran Church of Australia in 1966.

The Queensland District’s proposal calls for the LCANZ’s General Church Board (GCB) and College of Bishops (CoB) to investigate the ‘theological, constitutional and governance requirements’ that would allow the LCANZ to operate as ‘one church with two different practices of ordination’.

A joint meeting of the GCB and CoB this year submitted minor amendments to the Queensland District Synod, which met from 10 to 13 June 2022 and approved the changes. In supporting the Queensland proposal, the GCB and CoB said, ‘by acknowledging that agreement does not exist on this matter, we are then free to consider a godly way to collegially participate in the mission God has given us for the wellbeing of the church that we love and serve in together’.

Other proposals to General Synod relate to the review of the church’s processes for ecclesiastical discipline and adjudication; the review of the LCA Constitution; and membership of the Lutheran World Federation and International Lutheran Council. These and other proposals can be found on the General Synod website Business page: www.generalsynod.lca.org.au

Information packages on the key General Synod proposals will be mailed to delegates before the in-person sessions so that they can be well prepared to fully participate in the Synod discussion. Videos will be produced to help congregations and members learn more about the topics and discuss the issues in their congregations and communities.

The 2023 General Synod in-person sessions will be a continuation of the October 2021 sessions, which were held online due to COVID travel and gathering restrictions.

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LCANZ leaders confer on church worker supply

LCANZ leaders have met to discuss and address the urgent church worker supply shortage confronting the church.

Over the next 10 years, half of our active pastors will retire from full-time ministry. Currently the LCANZ has 239 pastors in active ministry. Seventeen men are serving as Specific Ministry Pastors, and there are 15 Aboriginal pastors.

Across the church, 65 Lutheran communities are seeking a pastor to serve among them. However, over the next two years, only five students are expected to graduate from Australian Lutheran College (ALC) in the pastoral ministry stream.

‘Lutheran Education Australia is working hard to prepare principals and leaders for our Lutheran schools’, LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith said, ‘but our church needs more Lutheran women and men to be available for these roles.

‘In addition, parishes and church agencies are facing a dire situation regarding trained church workers being available to serve for the ministries of the church.’

The full-day Ministry Futures workshop, held in Adelaide on 18 May, was called by the College of Bishops to consider the church worker supply challenges the LCANZ faces, including ways to provide word and sacrament ministry as the number of Lutheran communities without a pastor increases.

Joining the bishops in the workshop were Pastor James Winderlich (ALC principal), Dr Tania Nelson (Executive Officer for Local Mission) and the three District mission directors, pastors Brett Kennett (Victoria), David Schmidt (Queensland) and Stephen Schultz (SA-NT). The workshop was facilitated by Victorian District Bishop Emeritus Greg Pietsch.

According to Bishop Smith, a strong theme of the day was ‘urgency to work together passionately and purposefully’ on this matter. ‘Participants commented often: “We don’t have time to dither”’.

At the heart of the morning session, workshop participants gathered in small groups for a long session of prayer together, with lament, petition, and thanksgiving.

Three key priorities emerged from the workshop conversations:

  • Pathways: develop pathways for specific ministries, such as pastor or chaplain, including specific pathways for ministries in schools and aged care, and church planting.
  • Regionalising: develop regional collaboration to determine how local areas work together for the provision of word and sacrament ministry in the mission God gives us.
  • Ordering Ministry: establish clear language for how we understand the ordering of ministry amongst us, including what we understand to be flexible. This includes engaging with CTICR’s 2022 project in the study of ordering ministry. (Currently the ordering is bishop, pastor, lay worker, and includes Lutheran principal, Lutheran teacher and chaplain.)

‘We are a small church denomination numerically’, said Bishop Smith, ‘but our Lutheran communities are a vital participant in the work of the gospel in Australia and New Zealand.

‘The group that met in May asks the people of the LCANZ to continue this work of prayer, asking the Lord to guide the outcomes of this preliminary work. Lord, make us bold for the sake of mission. Amen.’

The College of Bishops is working with Bishop Emeritus Pietsch to progress the recommendations of the workshop participants, including consultation and engagement across the LCANZ.

Participants at the LCANZ’s Ministry Futures workshop decided to share the whiteboard notes from their first session’s work. See the LCA website’s news section if you’d like to read the transcript.

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Lutheran pastor honoured in Queen’s Birthday list

LCANZ pastor Darren Jaensch has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday 2022 Honours List. The Director General Chaplaincy – Army since December 2017, Pastor Darren has been made a Member (AM) in the Military Division of the Order of Australia for ‘exceptional performance of duty in chaplaincy leadership and development’.

An Australian Army chaplain in various roles since beginning part-time with the Army Reserve in 1998, he accepted a full-time call with the Army two years later. Released by the LCA to represent the church in that mission context, Pastor Darren will be returning to parish ministry in 2023, having accepted a call to Holy Cross Lutheran Church at Belconnen in the Australian Capital Territory.

Pastor Darren described receiving the AM as ‘a very humbling but wonderful affirmation’. ‘The sad part is that our entire Army chaplaincy team provides amazing ministry that contributes to the recognised achievements, but there is only one recipient of the award’, he said.

‘Our Army chaplains are engaged in meaningful human interactions, meeting soldiers (and their families) in the raw realities of their lives and the sacred spaces of their spiritual walk and human existence, most recently in supporting the Australian community through COVID-19 and the floods. All the while, sharing their hardships and dangers. And it is my deep honour to lead them whilst flying the flag for our beloved LCANZ.

‘The affirmation is nice, particularly for my family who bear the cost and are long-suffering, but all glory belongs to God in whom “we live and move and have our being”.’

The citation of his honour reads: ‘Principal Chaplain Jaensch’s exceptional leadership as the Director General Chaplaincy – Army has optimized relevant and effective chaplaincy across Army. His wisdom, persistence and compassion have progressed the recruiting and integration of gender and culturally diverse, full and part-time and multi-faith chaplains … His leadership is in the finest traditions of the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force’ (ADF).

The congratulations of the church are offered to Pastor Darren and any other members honoured with awards.

To learn more about what our Army and other Australian Defence Force chaplains do, see the following videos: https://youtu.be/RX4ZXLq3ymQ; https://youtu.be/2kFgiOIyGM8 and https://youtu.be/q0WQFdhzI38

Pictured above: Brigadier Darren Jaensch stands in the tower of the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux in France. Photograph: LSIS Jake Badior. Copyright: Commonwealth of Australia Department of Defence

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Award recognises a lifetime of service

Mr Maurice Heidrich was recently presented with the LCA Servant of Christ Award for 2021. A member of Mountainside Lutheran Church in Auckland, New Zealand, the 92-year-old was recognised for having ‘worked tirelessly for the Auckland congregation for most of his adult life’, according to the citation for his award.

While the award celebration was delayed and changed due to COVID-19 sickness in the congregation, Mountainside Pastor Nich Kitchen – who presented the award on behalf of New Zealand Bishop Mark Whitfield – said the presentation ‘truly honoured Maurice for his service to the Lutheran church’.

Maurice has served the church in many roles, as a committee member, chairperson, elder, warden, property manager and, since his retirement from work with NZ’s Telecom in 1990, virtually full-time in media ministry. He was also one-half of the church-based Foodbank distribution team, along with his wife Linda, for 22 years.

The Chinese-language members of Mountainside also made Maurice special banners of blessing, recognising him as a true servant of Jesus, with a servant heart.

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