New Search

If you are not happy with the results below please do another search

871 search results for: church

41

LCANZ bishop-elect ‘humbled’ by call to serve as church leader

/in , , ,

LCANZ bishop-elect Pastor Paul Smith says he is ‘humbled’ by his election by General Synod and has asked for the prayers of church members as he prepares to take up the role next year.

Bishop-elect Paul, who is currently serving a six-month placement at St Peters Lutheran College Indooroopilly on behalf of the LCA’s Queensland District (LCAQD) and is the immediate past bishop of the LCAQD, was elected to the role for an initial six-year term by delegates to the LCANZ’s historic 20th Convention of General Synod on Friday 1 October. He will succeed Bishop John Henderson, who has served as bishop since 2013 but did not seek re-election and is retiring at the end of the year.

Bishop-elect Paul and Pastor Matt Anker, who serves the church as Assistant to the Bishop – International Mission, were the two candidates nominated for the role of Bishop by the LCA’s General Pastors Conference, which met online in July.

‘I pray God’s blessing on this decision to call me to the work of bishop’, Bishop-elect Paul told the historic online gathering after his election. ‘I am humbled, and I am deeply aware that I am an earthen vessel, serving for Christ’s sake through faith and knowing that we share in the Lord’s promise that our labours in the Lord’s name are never in vain. The Lord will continue to build his church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.’

As well as thanking his wife Heidi and family for their support and praying a blessing for outgoing Bishop John, Bishop-elect Paul also acknowledged Pastor Matt.

‘I also thank Pastor Matt Anker for his Christian service in accepting nomination’, Pastor Paul said. ‘I look forward to working with you, Pastor Matt, as you continue to serve in the church.

‘Finally, I ask you to pray for me and for the communities of our church in Australia and New Zealand as we continue to labour together in the cause of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

‘In LHS 301, the hymn “Take Thou my hand and lead me”, that well-loved confirmation hymn written by Julie Hausmann, we have been taught to pray in whatever journey is ahead of us. In verse three of the hymn we pray:

“Though oft it seems thou hidest, Thy wondrous might,
yet me Thou safely guidest through darkest night.
Take then my hand and lead me, till life is o’er.
With heavenly manna feed me, forevermore”.’

Ordained in 1988, Bishop-elect Paul has served in school ministry at Trinity Lutheran College Ashmore, St Peters Lutheran College Indooroopilly and Pacific Lutheran College Caloundra, all in Queensland; and in parish ministry at Tailem Bend-Karoonda Parish and Immanuel Lutheran Church North Adelaide, both in South Australia, and at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at Toowoomba in Queensland. He was bishop of the LCAQD from 2015 until earlier this year when he did not seek re-election at the Queensland District’s Convention of Synod. In addition to serving on the LCA’s College of Bishops and General Church Council and in various district roles, Bishop-elect Paul’s churchwide service has included being a member of the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations from 2015 to 2018 and the Commission on Social and Bioethical Questions from 2019 to 2021.

Bishop-elect Paul, who grew up in Far North Queensland with no Lutheran congregational background, and wife Heidi have three adult children.

In a first for the LCANZ, its General Synod met online for the first part of a two-part convention to be held across two years, with more than 370 delegates engaging with the worship and business sessions on Day 1 via the internet conferencing system Zoom.

42

Synod elects General Church Board

/in , , ,

Hobart barrister Kim Baumeler has been elected to serve on the LCANZ’s General Church Board (GCB) by the LCANZ’s General Synod.

Joining Ms Baumeler as fellow lay members on GCB are Paul Argyle, Charmaine Harch, Tim Wiebusch, Mel Zerner and Peter Zweck, who were re-elected at the 20th Convention of General Synod’s online sessions on 2 October.

Rev Dr Tim Stringer, who joined GCB part-way through the last term after the death of NSW and ACT Bishop James Haak, was re-elected by Synod as GCB pastor member.

The other two members of the GCB by virtue of their positions are LCANZ Bishop John Henderson and new Assistant Bishop Pastor Neville Otto. Bishop-elect Pastor Paul Smith will replace retiring Bishop Henderson on GCB in 2022.

Ms Baumeler was chair of the church’s three-member Ecclesiastical Discipline Review team, which, based on a General Synod 2018 resolution, reviewed and made recommendations into the way the LCANZ deals with matters of church discipline.

Chair of St Peters Hobart congregation, she was also part of a working group for LCANZ’s constitution review and is deputy chair of the board of Eastside Lutheran College in Hobart.

Former GCB members Faye Schmidt, who was first elected to General Church Council as it was then called in 2015, and Assistant Bishop Pastor Andrew Pfeiffer, who also served from 2015, did not nominate for re-election.

They were thanked for their service by Bishop Henderson.

43

Bishop urges church to ‘act for good of all’

/in , , ,

LCANZ Bishop John Henderson has urged church members to ‘act for the good of all’ as they respond to issues around COVID vaccines and ‘passports’.

‘It’s our individual choice to be in favour of vaccination or to oppose it, and to form our own views on any purported “passport” scheme. Whatever we think of such things, however … under God each of us has the right, privilege and duty to act for the good of all, restrain any sense of panic, and to maintain good order and a spirit of neighbourliness and compassion that goes beyond self-interest and seeks to serve others.’

Bishop Henderson gave the encouragement in a ‘Heartland’ eNews entitled ‘A Pastoral Note to Members of the LCANZ: COVID Vaccines and Passports’, published in September.

‘We are in the midst of a pandemic, a disease which is likely to be with us for quite some time’, he said in the eNews. ‘Our elected Australian and New Zealand governments – with some exceptions – seem committed to relaxing COVID-related restrictions and opening up borders when we reach agreed vaccination thresholds.

‘It’s a time of mixed feelings. One emotion is relief – vaccines are an answer to prayer, giving us a means of protecting lives and ending mass lockdowns. But another emotion is apprehension … We are apprehensive about living with COVID … How much smaller (than other places) our toll of disease and death will depend directly on how many of us are vaccinated.

‘I respect people’s right to make their own choice, and I recognise that a few people cannot receive the vaccine for medical reasons. In general, though, I do encourage church members who are eligible to take advantage of the vaccines.’ He said that the national Australian church leaders with whom he has spoken about these issues see the hand of God at work in the unprecedented cooperation that resulted in not just one but several vaccines. They see this as an answer to prayer.

‘Yes, there are ethical questions about the vaccines … I encourage Christians to look into the evidence which overall shows that we can, in good conscience, accept the vaccines currently on offer through our governments.’

Bishop Henderson affirmed that public worship should be open to all, but he does not think it helpful to regard any future temporary moves to restrict access to venues to those who are fully vaccinated or have exemptions, or so-called ‘vaccine passports’ as ‘persecution’. ‘An implied benefit is to motivate people to get vaccinated if they want to get back to normal life’, he said of the passport concept. ‘A large part of the population appears to consider this approach ethically justified as long as it is temporary. For our part, we in the LCANZ want to keep our public worship services open to all … It is very likely that, for some time yet, we will need to continue the personal hygiene and physical distancing measures with which we have become familiar.

‘I see no evidence that the concept of a vaccine passport constitutes a deliberate attack or persecution against Christians. I don’t think it is helpful, or fair, to view it through the lens of a threat to religious freedom. So far, during COVID, our governments have done their best to understand the needs of churches and accommodate them.’

You can read the full message on the LCA website at: www.lca.org.au/a-pastoral-note-to-members-of-the-lcanz-covid-vaccines-and-passports/

44

Church@Home November 2021

/in , , ,

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

Opportunity to draw closer to Christ

Regular devotions 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

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

Isaiah 26:4

Trust in the Lord forever, for (he) is the Rock eternal.

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 on Jesus. You can find the full versions of these and others on the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/daily-devotion

Proverbs 31’s unattainable woman by Sonia Hulme

‘A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies’ (Proverbs 31:10).

Read Proverbs 31:10–31.

The book of Proverbs is intriguing and earlier chapters also have plenty of female imagery. This is not surprising, considering the target audience of this ancient piece of writing. Young men, who were being prepared for life in court, who would lead and rule, needed schooling about living well. What better language to use to catch the attention of testosterone-fuelled teenagers than that of young women? Proverbs outlines their two choices – the path of wisdom (portrayed as a wise lady) or the path of foolishness (portrayed as a temptress and adulteress who will lead them astray). The ‘perfect wife’ which ends the book of Proverbs, then, can be seen as the ultimate portrayal of what it means to be wise.

With its male-centred focus, how do we read this passage and embody its truths? If I am not male and not going to rule, what does it say to me? How do I find this precious jewel, this capable and noble ‘wife’ (wisdom), to guide me in my life? For anyone – male or female – Proverbs 31 has a clue in its details. This woman lives well by taking care of the everyday things in her context. They will be different in your 21st-century world, but they are there, all the same. You may not have fields planted out and a husband sitting at the city gate while you make your linen garments, but there are plenty of ‘small things’ in your life, things that need to get done. What are the things you need to take care of, the things no-one else might see except you and God?

Take care of the small stuff, head into your day with Jesus walking beside you, and you are on the way to living wisely and well! When you fail, as you will, let Jesus into those struggles too, and receive his grace to keep on walking.

Lord, I am thankful you do not call me to aspire to be the Proverbs 31 woman but to be my wisest me in my context with the people you have placed around me. Help me live generously and love those around me with the love you have freely passed on to me. And when I need wisdom to live well, help me turn to you, the source of all perfect wisdom from God. Amen.

King David on how to run a fundraiser! by Pastor Stephen Abraham

‘But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand’ (1 Chronicles 29:14).

Read 1 Chronicles 29:10–19.

Have you ever been involved in building something for God’s kingdom?

Maybe your church was fundraising to update the worship centre or start a new school, school building project or program.

This is the setting for this text. In the final years of his reign, King David has it on his heart to finally build the temple in Jerusalem. Because he had ‘drawn blood’ as a military commander, he wasn’t permitted to build it. The actual oversight of building it would fall to David’s son, Solomon. But David was the initial project manager laying all the groundwork. We read in chapter 28 that the Spirit of God had inspired David with architectural plans to build this great and glorious temple – even down to the budgetary costings of gold and silver needed for the lampstands and finery! At the beginning of chapter 29, King David has a great assembly with all the leaders, commanders and officials (the well-to-do of society). And it’s like he holds our equivalent of a fundraising gala or benefactor dinner to raise money for the project.

And then, right at the high point of the event, as the money and donations are rolling in, this happens …

Re-read 1 Chronicles 29:10–13.

Yes, they break out into a full-blown worship service! Starting with this amazing song of praise (verses 10–13) that acknowledges that everyone’s riches belong to God anyway.

Re-read 1 Chronicles 29:13–20.

David breaks out into a prayer of gratefulness. Just reading it, you get the sense of the joy and excitement David had. As he prays in verse 17:

‘I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.’

I wonder whether these passages give us a model of how we can raise funds for projects the Spirit is guiding us to build.

Praise be to you, Heavenly Father, for all the wonderful gifts you have given us to enjoy. Thank you for the LLL and the hundreds of projects it has supported over the decades. Holy Spirit, guide our communities who are building. May we worship and acknowledge you as the giver of all good things as we donate those treasures that we have that are ‘on loan’ from you. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

PRAYER

LET YOUR WORD SHINE

Dear God,
let your Word
shine in our hearts
by your Holy Spirit.
Make it
so bright and warm
that we always find
our comfort and joy
in it.
Amen.

– Martin Luther (1483-1546AD), from justprayer.org

Childlike humility by Carolyn Ehrlich

But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest’ (Mark 9:34).

Read Mark 9:30–37.

Jesus and his disciples were travelling from place to place. Jesus had already predicted his death (Mark 8:31–33), and he had taught that being a disciple meant denying self and following him (Mark 8:34).

Peter, James and John had witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration, and still, the disciples argued among themselves about who was the greatest. How often do we (you, me) do this? How often do we experience that Jesus has something profound to say to us about who he is, about what is happening, about something supernatural, something that we do not understand? How often has Jesus spoken to us, given us his direction and asked us to do something, and still, we are concerned about our own greatness?

We gloss over what is supremely important in our walk with God, and we focus on ourselves. We justify, saying, ‘I am okay, better, smarter, stronger, prettier, more important, greater than … ’ Where is the humility and servitude in our approach?

Further along in this passage, we are instructed to welcome children. Yes, we are to take this literally, but we are also to embrace the childlike qualities of simplicity, innocence and humility. Instead of focusing on ourselves, on our own sense of self-importance and greatness, we are directed to welcome little children – because when we do, we welcome Jesus.

In Jesus’ time, welcoming implied service. A host serves their guest. Selfless serving is the hallmark of Christianity. So, we are to selflessly serve everybody, including children. How will you humble yourself and simply and innocently welcome God, our Father, today?

Father God, you are an amazing, gracious and wonderful God. Instead of welcoming you, I so often argue with others in ways that reflect my sense of self-importance and self-reported greatness. I do this privately and publicly. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. In Jesus’ awesome name, I pray, Amen.

How much is enough? by Pastor Mark Gierus

‘You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God’ (2 Corinthians 9:11).

Read 2 Corinthians 9:6–15.

When it comes to giving, how do you go? Do you give from what you have leftover, or do you give because you can?

If you won or inherited a substantial amount of money, what would you do with it? New car? Pay off debts, mortgage, and school fees, buy new clothes, take holidays (in our limited COVID context), or simply put it in the bank? But would you give some away?

What does God say about giving? Do you need to give a percentage? Or what you promise, no matter what? You see, it is not about the amount, nor is it up to you and me to judge what others should give. Saint Paul reminds us to give what we have decided to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. This is about cheerful giving.

God wants us to give and to be generous and cheerful in giving. If it is not money, give your time cheerfully. If it is a skill someone else needs, share it with a cheerful heart. And if it is money, give what you decide cheerfully.

God will enrich us daily, especially by his word, so we can be generous with the gifts he gives us. I am talking about worldly things, but also the gifts of God’s grace, mercy and love, which we can share generously.

Start with a generous heart in everything you do, and God who is faithful will give you all you need to do the work he sends you to do in Jesus’ name.

Gracious Father, you give us so much. Help us give generously in all things – our time, our talents and our treasures, knowing that you have first given to us. Thank you that while we were still sinners, you generously gave us your only Son, Jesus, to suffer and die for our sins. Amen. 

45

Sharing hospitality with partner churches

/in , , ,

by Erin Kerber

Eating with others can be a profoundly spiritual act when it is used as a way to express love through a focus on hospitality, community and mission.

With this in mind, LCA International Mission has published Soul Food, a book of recipes from countries where the LCANZ’s partner churches are based. Along with colourful photos, it contains instructions and ingredient lists to make 23 dishes from Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Myanmar.

RECIPE BOOK SUPPORTS OVERSEAS MISSION

By ordering your copy (or copies) of Soul Food, you will be supporting ministry done through hospitality among LCA International Mission partner churches, and we hope and pray you will use the recipes in it to provide hospitality to those in your community.

All proceeds from Soul Food will help our overseas partners to share the gospel of Christ’s love and forgiveness as they welcome those who don’t yet know him as Lord. Why not consider this as a Christmas present for friends and family members?

You can order the books for a donation of $20 per copy. For more information or to order Soul Food, please contact Erin Kerber at erin.kerber@lca.org.au or phone 08 8267 7317. You can also watch a video about the book, which features testimonies from our overseas mission partners at https://vimeo.com/617489062

Erin Kerber is LCA International Mission Program Officer.

47

Church farewells ‘admired and respected’ president

/in , , ,

Former LCA President Rev Dr Lance Steicke died last month, aged 88. Dr Steicke served in the role now known as LCANZ Bishop from 1987 to 2000.

LCANZ Bishop John Henderson said Dr Steicke was ‘a respected and admired church leader’ among Lutherans in Australia, as well as in New Zealand, where he spent a significant part of his ministry. ‘We knew him not only as an inspirational leader but also as a “real person” and a caring pastor’, Bishop Henderson said. ‘He exuded the grace that is a hallmark of authentic Christian living. We are hugely indebted to him for his leadership of the LCA and his place among us as a brother in the Lord.

‘His influence spread beyond the LCA and Lutheranism. He was instrumental in the LCA’s membership of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) and became the first Lutheran president of the NCCA. He is well remembered as a significant participant in Australia’s ecumenical journey in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

‘On 23 July 2000, Lance joined Aboriginal Pastor George Rosendale in a public rite of reconciliation before the Convention of General Synod. This was well before the Prime Minister’s national apology to the Stolen Generations in 2008. The LCA’s current Reconciliation Action Plan follows on from, and builds upon, the work done in that period. We are thankful to Dr Steicke for his trailblazing leadership leading up to that event.’

There were further legacies of Dr Steicke’s presidency in the areas of ecumenical relations and Aboriginal reconciliation, too. He signed the Australian Lutheran – Catholic Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in 1999 and established a fund for the training of Aboriginal pastors, earmarking the offering from his farewell service towards the fund.

Lance Steicke was born in Murray Bridge, South Australia, on 19 February 1933, the son of Ewald and Olga Steicke. Baptised on 16 April 1933 and confirmed in December 1946, he attended Concordia College in Adelaide and then Concordia Seminary, graduating on 4 December 1955. He was married to Leah nee Briese on 13 December 1955 at Jindera New South Wales, and the couple had four children.

Ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Australia, Pastor Steicke was installed on 18 December 1955 at Loxton, South Australia, where he served until 1959. For the next 20 years, he served in New Zealand, including parishes and field missions at Hamilton, Bay of Plenty, Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay, and was president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of New Zealand for 15 years, after serving as secretary and vice-president. From 1971 to 1979 he combined district presidential duties with the role of director of New Zealand Lutheran Radio and TV. He became director of Lutheran Radio and TV in Australia in 1979, a role he served in until 1987.

In 1990, he was made an honorary Doctor of Divinity by Concordia Seminary St Louis in the USA.

After he retired from the LCA presidency, Dr Steicke served as NCCA President from 2000 to 2003, having been a foundation member of NCCA in 1994. He was honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2003, being made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to ecumenism through the NCCA, and to the Lutheran Church.

‘I always found Lance to be personally humble and not self-seeking’, Bishop Henderson said.

‘He did not use positions of power or authority for his own ends, but to exercise care and compassion for others. With his much-loved wife Leah, he showed us an example of generous living, always having time for people, particularly those in need. We will miss him for his warmth of spirit, quick sense of humour, and accessibility as a redeemed person confident of his identity in Christ.’

Dr Steicke, who died on 10 September, is survived by his children Janet, Peter, Michael and Liisa. Leah died in 2020.

48

Church@Home October 2021

/in , , ,

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

Nurturing a strong faith foundation

Regular devotions can be a great foundation for our 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

Exodus 33:14

My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.

DEVOTIONS FOR HOME WORSHIP

These reflections are from a collection of devotions written for our LCANZ family and friends to help us to keep our eyes on Jesus. They can be used by families, small groups and individuals as part of daily faith practice. You can find these and more on the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/daily-devotion

Serving the Lord by Pastor Mark Lieschke

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Colossians 3:23).

Read Colossians 3:18–25.

The kind of behaviour Paul is talking about in these verses is not surprising. It would have been generally thought of as noble in the society of that day. He is not presenting a completely new morality for Christians.

What he is doing is saying something very new about the motivation for this behaviour. This is continually emphasised in the phrases ‘as is fitting in the Lord’, ‘this pleases the Lord’, ‘reverence for the Lord’, ‘working for the Lord’ and ‘the Lord Christ you are serving’.

In the repeated references to Jesus, we are reminded that as Lord, he is Lord in the everyday lives of believers and our relationships with other people.

What a great challenge, responsibility and privilege! We are called to live and serve. But instead of being motivated by rules, regulations and laws, we are encouraged, inspired and energised to reflect the love of Christ because of his presence and power within us.

Rather than being pressed, forced and coerced into serving, rather than being under the threat of punishment if we don’t do what’s expected of us, rather than feeling obligated and duty-bound, we’re freed to give of ourselves as Christ has given of himself to us.

The service we offer, then, while never perfect, is the very love and grace of God, offered by our hands, voices, ears and hearts. It is Jesus Christ himself serving those around us. He comes, he acts, he gives, he forgives, he blesses, and he loves as we live in loving relationships with those around us – and especially those in our homes and family life.

Gracious Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to serve us. Thank you for releasing us from the pressure of living under the law and enabling us to serve you freely in gratitude for your love and grace. Bless us in our serving, especially those who are near and dear to us. Bind us together as sisters and brothers in Christ and give us your grace as we serve one another. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Like living stones by Marlene Cooper

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Christ Jesus (1 Peter 2:4b).

Read 1 Peter 2:4–10.

A striking feature of farming areas in the north of England is the network of dry-stone walls crisscrossing the landscape. These walls, some ages-old, have been built to last come wind or weather. Skilled craftsmen choose the stones and their place within the wall with ancient wisdom. Essential to the structure and set into the walls at intervals are the vital ‘through stones’ – large penetrating stones, which serve as linchpins, holding each stone secure in the wall’s fabric.

Peter writes to believers experiencing the ‘great persecution’ (Acts 8:1). Their reliance on Christ has been threatened as they have fled into unfamiliar territory, losing the happy, supportive fellowship of their own congregations. ‘You are like living stones’, he writes. You are not scattered, lying loose across the field. Rather, you are purposefully taken up to be set wisely into the walls of a spiritual house of God. Keeping these ‘stones’ secure and rock-steady in the wall is the mighty ‘through stone’, Christ, the immovable Cornerstone. He is the precious Chosen One, who, through his Spirit, works to unify believers into walls of a house built to last. Here, all the stones together ring out their praise and offer their prayer in a united service of worship.

What an image of grace! Living stones in a wall of praise! Interconnected for mutual support and encouragement. It graces us to live for others, invites us to sing, ‘Make us your building, sheltering others, walls made of living stone’*. The events of life may sometimes cause us to feel unsteady, perhaps isolated and scattered, far from our spiritual home. But here is the assurance that we are in the Builder’s hands. No doubt or anxiety can separate us from his wisdom and love. The gift we receive daily as children of God’s love, through Christ our Cornerstone, holds us steady and secure in the walls of God’s house by the power and persistence of the Spirit who always builds to last.

Lord Jesus, our unfailing Cornerstone, hold us close to you and to one another as you build us into the walls of God’s house. Open our hearts and lives to sing your praise together, resting in your wise and gracious hands when we meet the shocks and storms of life. Amen.

*Bernadette Farrell, 1993

PRAYERS

A SHORT SIGH TO GOD

A short sigh to God the Father…
O God, Father of all poor, miserable souls!
Give us all your grace and enlighten us with
your truth.
To you be praise, glory and thanks forever.
Amen.
– Martin Luther (1483-1546AD), from justprayer.org

GUIDING STAR

Be to me, O God,
a bright flame before me,
a guiding star above me,
a smooth path beneath me,
and a kindly shepherd behind me,
today, tonight, and forever.
–  St Columba (521–597AD), Iona, from justprayer.org

Psalm 27:1a 

The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear?

One true hope by Maria Rudolph

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me (Micah 7:7).

Read Micah 7:7–12.

Often, I have heard Christian people say, ‘Family is the most important thing’. We are certainly taught to honour our father and mother (Exodus 20:12) and be humble and gentle to all people (Ephesians 4:2), not least the members of our own family.

But relationships with others is somewhat out of our control. They can never give us complete satisfaction and fulfilment, no matter how much we pursue positive relationships with others.

Sometimes things go wrong. As we are reminded by the prophet Micah (7:6), ‘a son dishonours his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies are the members of his own household’. And the prophet Isaiah even reminds us, ‘Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!’

Although our closest friends and family may forsake us at some point in our lives, God never will. God can always be trusted; he is always constant. God is always close to you – in times of joy and in times of need.

God is, in fact, the most important thing and should come before all other things in our lives. When we have God as our number one, all other things will fall into place. It doesn’t mean the hardships will stop and everything works out for the better. But when we look to God above all else, we know where our help comes from. We can put things in perspective, and we can have confidence in him.

Have you been challenged in family relationships?

Loving God, thank you for your constant, unfailing love. Help me put my trust in you completely. Help me be forgiving and loving with people who hurt me, particularly my own family members. Help me to love in the way you love me, unconditionally and loving even the unworthy and unlovable. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Christ’s love meets our every need by Kimberley Pfeiffer

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psalm 23:1).

Read Psalm 23.

Do you ever think about why ‘I shall not want’ comes after ‘The Lord is my shepherd’?

Often when we think of Christ as our Good Shepherd, we imagine ourselves as his sheep. Maybe we are prone to getting into trouble or wandering off, and we remember Jesus, our Shepherd, who guides and protects us, keeping us on a safe path. The Good Shepherd also provides for the sheep so that they lack nothing. In this prayer, we also receive the gift of contentment that we find in Christ. Contentment in God is opened up for us in Christ.

In Christ, you are given a new life where you walk with God. What does this mean? It means that every morning as you rise, God’s blessings are made new. God is with you on the days you dread giving you courage; the days filled with sadness giving you hope; sounding the heavenly choir with you on the joyous days; and comforting you when you are grieved.

God is faithful; he can do no other, and he wants to give you everything you need at the proper time. So, as you pray this psalm, give thanks to God for his goodness and mercy and his love that is always shining on you. Thanks be to God for all the gifts that come out of his abundant mercy: life, love, peace, courage, faithfulness and joy, to name a few. They certainly make any worldly wants seem pretty minor by comparison.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for opening up to us the abundance of your love in Christ. Send us your Spirit so that we can faithfully look to you when we find ourselves in want. Please send your Holy Spirit to help us when we are tempted to find satisfaction in worldly things. Help us to grow in your love so that we can share your gifts with those you have called us to love and serve. In Christ, our Lord, Amen.

50

Church@Home September 2021

/in , , ,

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

Resources to strengthen and nurture faith

Regular devotions can be a great foundation for our 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 34:10b  

Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

DEVOTIONS FOR HOME WORSHIP

These reflections are from a collection of devotions written for our LCANZ family and friends to help us to keep our eyes on Jesus. They can be used by families, small groups and individuals as part of daily faith practice. You can find these and more on the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/daily-devotion

Land of plenty by Colleen Fitzpatrick

‘For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land’ (Deuteronomy 8:7a).

Read Deuteronomy 8:1–10.

Many of us can trace back to when our family arrived on this good land. They came for a variety of reasons. Some were seeking religious or political freedom; others came for safety or economic security. Many have found it to be a good land indeed.

Before our arrival, the First Nations people nurtured the land and lived well on it. They had looked after the ‘flowing streams with springs and underground waters’. Their needs were simple, and they lacked nothing.

The arrival of European settlers upset the established order. New ways of managing the land were implemented, and the iron and copper and other minerals in the stones and hills were harvested to fill pockets. People ate their fill, but did they remember to bless the Lord for the good land he gave?

The richness of the land has diminished; the rivers and underground waters have been drained, and God’s commandments are no longer guiding the lives of many.

I wonder what God is thinking about us now. We are constantly hearing about extreme weather events and natural disasters – heatwaves, floods, bushfires, mudslides, mouse plagues and, of course, the pandemic. Species of animals and plants are in danger of being lost forever.

On the one hand, some people are earning more and more – eye-watering numbers of dollars which can never be spent. On the other hand, many people do not have enough money to pay for food and shelter.

Rather than wallow in a sea of depression and pessimism, let’s be positive! We can walk gently on the earth, and if we each do our bit to be good stewards of the earth, we can make a difference. And as we do that, let’s bless the Lord our God for bringing us to this good land while remembering that it is God’s good land – not ours.

Creator God, you made the world and all that is in it, and you saw that it was good. Forgive us for when we have taken the land for granted and have used it to serve our own purposes. Help us to be better caretakers so that it is sustained into the future. Amen.

Direct access by Verena Johnson

‘Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die’ (Deuteronomy 18:16b).

Read Deuteronomy 18:15–22.

How sad that the Israelites did not want to hear from God directly or see the fire of his great presence because of their fear.

They asked for a mediator to stand between them and God. As a result of their request, they had a whole series of mediators throughout their history, starting with Moses and followed by a stream of prophets, priests, judges and kings. The Israelites did not listen to God themselves; they relied on ‘mediators’ to tell them what God said.

Many of these ‘mediators’ honoured God, listened to him and spoke the words he put in their mouths, even though the people didn’t always listen or like what they had to say.

However, many more did not. They spoke words in God’s name that he hadn’t said, or even worse, they spoke things in the name of other gods. They often said what people wanted to hear rather than what people needed to hear. This is where the whole arrangement went downhill.

Thank God that Jesus came as the ultimate mediator between God and us and gave his life so we could have direct access to God again.

We don’t have to rely on mediators anymore. We can speak to God directly and hear what he has to say to us any time we want. We can read his word and listen to the Holy Spirit as he speaks into our hearts and lives. We can talk with God in prayer and listen to what he has to say to us.

God wants us to be with him with no-one else between us. He invites us into a close and intimate one-on-one relationship with him.

The problem is people haven’t changed. We are no different to the Israelites. Sometimes our fears get in the way of our relationship with God, and we don’t always listen to or like what he has to say.

But he is always there, loving us, forgiving us, inviting us and calling us to be with him. He has so much he wants to say to us if only we are listening.

Loving God, thank you for inviting us into an intimate relationship with you. Open our spiritual ears to hear you when you speak to us. Open our hearts and minds to receive what you have to say to us. Amen.

PRAYER 

A Mourner’s Prayer

Lord God,
Without your promise
I could not endure this sorrow.
Only the promise of your presence
Enables me to carry on in these lonely times.
Only your grace preserves me as I mourn.
Do not let me mourn without hope!
You have taken care of me in the past,
Now let me be carried in your mercy.
Give me the grace to come to you,
And find rest for my soul.
In Christ’s name.
Amen.

– Adapted from the Lutheran Book
of Prayer (1951), from justprayer.org

2 Thessalonians 3:3

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

Generosity instead of greed by Pastor Peter Bean

‘Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one owns”’ (Luke 12:15).

Read Luke 12:13–21.

We might not say we are greedy, but it seems that greed can be present in all sorts of ways.

While money or possessions may be the obvious culprits, greed can spill across into other areas. It is good to examine our conscience in all areas.

If we find we are greedy in any area, what should we do? The obvious is to confess and change our ways.  But if I may be so bold, I would like to suggest that the best way to overcome greed is to be generous! In fact, be over-generous.

I might be even bolder and say that most reading this could say, ‘I have enough good things stored to last for many years’ (verse 19). (There will be exceptions; I acknowledge that. If you are struggling, seek help through financial counsellors or similar.) But the reality is, most of us have enough and more than enough.

Years ago, in a poem titled ‘Enough’, I wrote these words:

When we who have too much
Recognise enough is enough
Maybe those who have too little
Will edge closer
Towards our enough.

Our generosity enables others to live. It expands our hearts. It responds to the generous and loving God revealed throughout Scripture. By being generous, we live in the image of God. By being generous, we have life. We can enjoy it abundantly and enable others to have life (in what to them is probably abundance).

The antidote to greed, excessive wealth and too many possessions is living in the grace of our generous God and sharing that grace in whatever way we can.

Generous One, I thank you for all that you give me. Help me to reflect your generous heart in all I do and have. Amen.

Do we underestimate God? by Pastor Glenn Crouch

‘“The days are coming”, declares the Lord, “when I will fulfil the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah”’ (Jeremiah 33:14).

Read Jeremiah 33:14–18.

In this passage, Jeremiah looks forward to the coming of our Lord Jesus – Israel’s promised Messiah. The prophet tells us that this is God’s promise, his plan for the salvation of Israel. In this, we see how great is our God – his blessings not only come to Israel but overflow to the whole world. Yes, Jesus, the son of David, will fulfil this promise, but we also see so much more revealed at the end of verse 16, ‘The Lord Our Righteous Saviour’. The Messiah will be the salvation of the world!

Do you underestimate the Lord God? Is his arm too short to reach you? Is he unable to hear you? To see you? No! Our God is one who blesses so greatly that the blessings overflow.

In Jeremiah’s time, what was left of Israel – the people of Judah – was taken by Babylon. The kingship was lost. Jerusalem was lost. The temple was destroyed. Israel (like us) had not been faithful. But we see here that God promises restoration; he promises salvation. Not because Israel deserves it, but because he is gracious. He is so gracious that the Messiah who will save Israel also saves you and me! The Messiah is our Lord Jesus, who saves us through his death and resurrection!

We often feel when things go so horribly wrong that God has abandoned us.

Scripture shows us that while we may move away from him, he doesn’t give up on us. It is easy to grab hold of our righteous Saviour when we realise that he has already got us firmly in his grasp.

Gracious God, thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for sending your dear Son to live, die and rise again for me. Help me to see that you are with me – in the bad times and the good times. Amem.