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111

Time with God February–March 2023

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Resources for your time with God

Introduced during a time of COVID-related church closures and restrictions, our devotional pages under the Church@home banner have been very popular with many readers. But spending time with God throughout the week isn’t only a blessing when we can’t get to church on a Sunday. It’s an important boost for our faith every week. Therefore, you’ll continue to find support for your devotional life on these pages – and the LCANZ has plenty of other resources which we’ll highlight for your information, too.

– Lisa

DEVOTIONS

The cross is our sign of hope by Kimberley Pfeiffer

Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14b).

Read Isaiah 7:10–25.

I recently heard a Christian woman speak about a period of great suffering in her life, where she prayed for and received a very tangible sign of hope from God amid her despair. In today’s reading, we find how common it is in Scripture for God to give signs to his people in their suffering to remind them of his faithfulness. God commanded Isaiah to go to King Ahaz and urge him to remain steady in faith because war was about to erupt around him. God offered Ahaz a sign. He said it could be as big or small as he liked, but King Ahaz didn’t take God up on his offer. He said, ‘I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test’. Although King Ahaz sounds a bit stoic and slightly pious to ‘not put God to the test’, his sentiment was not a good way to respond to God. Why? Because King Ahaz didn’t want to accept God’s sign and depend fully on God. If he did, he would be required to wait in hope for that sign to be fulfilled.

Even though Ahaz lacked faith, this story reminds us of God’s character. God cannot be anything other than faithful and merciful; his graciousness is not dependent on how fickle his people are. Even when they didn’t want to receive his mercy, God overarched their story so that his name could be magnified and proclaimed on all the earth (Romans 9:17). Despite King Ahaz’s hard heart, God gave his people a sign so shocking that when it came to pass, it couldn’t be counted as anything but a miracle from God. What was this sign? ‘Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.’

As Christians living in these end times, we know God has already redeemed us through his Son, who was born of the virgin, as Isaiah prophesied. Like King Ahaz, our faith can grow weak when we do not trust completely in God. Our hope is found by way of the cross. Through Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection, he has won for us new life in him. We have hope in our own sufferings because, by our own crosses, we are encouraged because we know that through it, God is with us and for us and will be to the very end of the age.

Merciful God, grant us the faith to trust in your promises and cling to you in hope. Help us along life’s way, especially when we are suffering. Grow our faith in you so we can remain firmly grafted in your love now and in eternity. Through Christ, our Lord, Amen.

All the obstacles removed by Pastor Matt Bishop

With a scorching wind [the Lord] will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in sandals (Isaiah 11:15).

Read Isaiah 11:10–16.

What a wet, wet year we had in 2022. John 1:16 proclaims grace upon grace. In Australia, last year was about flood upon flood. If you are a victim of these floods, you can be assured that you have been prayed for many times across the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand. Many government and community agencies are offering practical help. Hopefully, you have been able to access this. No doubt, you have faced or will face many obstacles in recovery. Yet things just take time, not least in a fully employed economy still recovering from COVID interruptions.

God’s word knows a fair bit about obstacles. Isaiah 11 is a chapter on the restoration and removal of these obstacles. It may not be directly talking about the floods, but as with all God’s words, it’s not irrelevant to the practical, and we best not only spiritualise it.

The early part of Isaiah 11 speaks of the branch coming from the stump of Jesse and paints a beautiful picture of peace: lions sitting with yearlings and the cobra not striking the child. But that picture of peace needs to be operationalised. And so, the branch, Jesus, goes about removing the obstacles. It’s picture language of drying up a sea that divides and separating a river into seven shallow, small streams (verse 15). A highway to transport us, rather than rough ground (verse 16).

The seven streams are the corollary of the seven gifts of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:2,3. These gifts at work in your own life are how Christ removes the obstacles. And they flow from the spiritual realms into the practical – even to filling out insurance claims and undertaking site works, as tedious as that is! The Lord is with us in all things.

Lord, in mercy, keep your seven gifts of the Spirit from the flood of baptism flowing in our lives: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, reverence of you and delight in the reverence of you. Rebuild the lives of all affected in Australia by floods this year and last year, use your church to assist in both spirit and practice. Amen.

To receive the LCA daily devotion each morning in your inbox, go to www.lca.org.au/communications/enews and select Daily Devotions from the Churchwide list after entering your email address. These can also be printed off from the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/daily-devotion

LECTIONARY READINGS

Week Sunday readings
1–4 FEB

(SUN 29 JAN)

 Micah 6:1–8 Psalm 15 1 Corinthians 1:18–31 Matthew 5:1–12
5–11 FEB Isaiah 58:1–9a (9b–12) Psalm 112:1–9 (10) 1 Cor 2:1–12 (13–16) Matthew 5:13–20
12–18 FEB Deuteronomy 30:15–20 Psalm 119:1–8

 

 1 Corinthians 3:1–9 Matthew 5:21–37
19–25 FEB Exodus 24:12–18 Psalm 2 or 99

 

 2 Peter 1:16–21 Matthew 17:1–9
26 FEB –
4 MAR		 Genesis 2:15–17; 3:1–7 Psalm 32

 

 Romans 5:12–19 Matthew 4:1–11
5–11 MAR Genesis 12:1–4a Psalm 121

 

 Romans 4:1-5,13–17 John 3:1–17
12–18 MAR Exodus 17:1–7 Psalm 95

 

 Romans 5:1–11 John 4:5–42
19–25 MAR 1 Samuel 16:1–13 Psalm 23

 

 Ephesians 5:8–14 John 9:1–41
26 MAR –
1 APR		 Ezekiel 37:1–14 Psalm 130

 

 Romans 8:6–11 John 11:1–45

For more prayer and devotional resources, including a listing of daily Bible readings for each day of the church year, go to www.lca.org.au/wpp/prayers-devotions 

Lutheran Tract Mission also provides the readings in a booklet, which can be accessed electronically at www.ltm.org.au/tract/view/70579-daily-bible-readings-for-2023 or as a printed booklet through the LTM office (phone 08 8360 7222) for a donation of 20c per copy. 

PRAYER POINTS

1–4 FEB – Those affected by floods and those assisting them

5–11 FEB – Delegates of the LCANZ’s General Synod and the Young Adult Forum consultants

12–18 FEB – Next week’s online Festival of Learning, run by ALC

19–25 FEB – That Lent, which starts this week, will be a time of prayer, reflection and repentance

26 FEB – 4 MAR – Nurses and other medical staff as they care for the sick and injured

5–11 MAR – Those who serve on the LCANZ’s commissions on worship, social and bioethical questions, and theology and inter-church relations

12–18 MAR – People whose homes have been hit by war, famine or other crises and those who work to deliver aid and relief

19–25 MAR – People who volunteer their time and talents in their churches and communities

26 MAR – 1 APR – Genuine reconciliation between First Nations Australians and New Zealanders and other citizens of the two countries

DWELLING IN GOD’S WORD

The foundation of our hope

by Richard Fox 

Many people are looking for hope to cope with, deal with and
be set free from the things happening in their lives that may
make them feel despondent, that they have no hope.

Serving in ministry at Messages of Hope, we are contacted by many people who ask, each in their way, ‘Where is hope for me?’

Faith in God and what he has done and is doing for us is the sure foundation for our hope as Christians. The sure hope that truly helps is that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour.

But often people who need hope aren’t looking for faith in Jesus Christ because they are unaware that he is the source of the true hope they seek. I pray that many people will hear about and believe in the sure hope of Jesus Christ.

Some people might use the word ‘hope’ in place of the word ‘wish’. For example,

I wish it would rain. Or I wish it would stop raining. However, hope is so much more than what we wish for and is fundamental to who we are and how we approach life. If we don’t have hope, we can despair. Hope is a way forward. And there is only one true hope that can fill that need.

What do you hope for? You might like to list what you wish
and hope for and pray about them to God.

The next question to consider is ‘where do you put your hope?’

On a Messages of Hope program entitled ‘3 dollars in the bank’, a woman named Kerry shares her battle with hopelessness. ‘I remember sitting at church one day thinking, “What do I do?”’, she says. ‘I’ve got no job, I had an awful marriage breakdown and a nasty divorce, and I remembered my dad saying to me, “Leave it up to God”. I was sitting in church looking at the crucifix up on the wall thinking, “What am I going to do?”, and then I just thought, “You know what? That’s what I’m going to do. I’m just going to let go and just leave it up to God”.’

Hope is where God leads us through the trials we face in life.

Read Romans 5:3–5, particularly noting verse 4.
How does God bring good things out of difficult situations?

Hope comes from God. And we know from Scripture and often learn from experience that placing our hope in him can bring many blessings.

Read Isaiah 40:31.

What happens for those who ‘hope in the Lord’?

There is a song based on Psalm 62, otherwise known as ‘My soul finds rest in God alone’, which contains the lyrics: ‘The fields of hope in which I sow are harvested in heaven.’

Read Psalm 62.

In verse 5, the psalmist speaks about where our hope
comes from. In the following verse, the reason for this
hope is explained. Why can we be hopeful?

You may like to use Psalm 62 as a regular prayer, for this week, month or even throughout the year.

Hope is not something just for us personally. God calls us to share the hope we have in him with others.

Read 1 Peter 3:15.

What does this verse tell us about our calling
as Christians? And how does Peter suggest
we live out this calling? Name two attributes
he asks of us as we share the hope of Jesus.

Whom do you know who is looking for hope
to deal with what is happening in their life?

We are like beggars, telling other beggars, where to find food. And not just physical food, but the Bread of Life, who gives us hope. Jesus Christ.

To conclude, pray Romans 15:13.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as
you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pastor Richard Fox is the director of Lutheran Media. You can watch, listen to or read Messages of Hope at www.messagesofhope.org.au or www.messagesofhope.org.nz

Kerry’s story is at www.messagesofhope.org.au/3-dollars-in-the-bank           

112

Hope shines through

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As Pastor Richard Fox suggests in this month’s Bible study on page 15, people often know they need hope even if they don’t know they need Jesus – the true source of what they are seeking. That’s why one of the LCANZ’s major outreach ministries, shared through an expansive range of media and resources, is called ‘Messages of Hope’.

Through radio messages, videos, electronic documents and printed booklets, Lutheran Media shares Messages of Hope on more than 70 different issues, challenges and questions people may face in their lives. Weekly interviews and discussions are available for listening or watching on topics such as stress, grief, anxiety and depression, relationships, parenting, guilt, fear, ageing and dementia, anger, loneliness, crisis and suffering, as well as some big faith questions.

ACROSS THE AIRWAVES

There are more than 1,200 radio stations and frequencies that carry the 30-second, one-minute and 15-minute radio messages and podcasts that are also available on digital music and audio streaming services iTunes and Spotify. The listening audience for Messages of Hope is estimated at 7 million people, with a potential audience of more than 20 million people across Australia, New Zealand and the world.

UPLIFTING VIEWING AND READING

Along with radio spots and audio podcasts, Messages of Hope (MoH) are shared through videos. There are 30-second, one-minute and short-story videos available through the MoH website and on the free video-sharing website YouTube at www.youtube.com/messagesofhope

In addition, Lutheran Media produces and sources electronic documents and booklets on many topics as another way of sharing hope-filled messages, and it provides other resources such as greeting cards to order.

HOW TO SUPPORT THIS MISSION

You can partner with Lutheran Media’s Messages of Hope by making a one-off or regular tax-deductible donation at www.lutheranmedia.org.au/donation or by phoning 1800 353 350.

Social media users can follow Messages of Hope on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, and share the posts with friends and family.

Messages of Hope in Australia: www.messagesofhope.org.au 

Messages of Hope in New Zealand: www.messagesofhope.org.nz

 

113

Celebrating community connections

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Going GREYT! 1 Peter 4:10

Over the years, this column has celebrated how God’s light shines through those who share their talents in his service. Those interviewed are but a small reflection of the many quiet workers in God’s vineyard. This month, as we observe All Saints’ Day, we bring you a posthumous Going GREYT! account of a couple recently called to their heavenly home, whose story shows how God works through the joys and heartbreaks of our lives and remains with us always.

by Helen Brinkman

Originally a shy farmer’s daughter from the Wimmera region of Victoria, Jill Schefe has been recognised for her efforts as a vibrant community connector through the Lutheran Church of Australia’s Servant of Christ Award.

Born Jillene Heinrich, the eldest of three children, she grew up on a wheat and sheep property in Kaniva, not far from the South Australian border. After finishing school, drought in the Wimmera led her to spend a year droving sheep.

Despite her grandmother’s belief that girls shouldn’t pursue further education, Jill, now 73, undertook two years of theological studies at Lutheran Teachers College in North Adelaide to become a deaconess. ‘The term “deaconess” comes from the Greek word “Diakonia”, which means servant’, explains Jill. ‘It is a ministry of word and service.’

The modest study cost of $450 included two years of tuition and board. On graduating in 1969, she was assigned to the Metropolitan Missions Committee for the next three years and worked six days a week across various parishes in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, including Tea Tree Gully, Cheltenham, Port Adelaide and Hampstead under four different pastors.

‘Every day was a new challenge, and my work changed all the time’, she says. ‘It helped me overcome my natural shyness. I realised that shyness was pride turned inwards, so reliance on my Lord was my call.’

Jill taught religious education in schools, led confirmation classes and Bible studies, the latter with the youth and women’s fellowships, as well as taking adult instruction in the Christian faith and visiting members or the unchurched and serving in other ways when required.

Her mentor and pastor of one of her first parishes, Clarrie Janetzki, had said at the time, ‘You are the only bible some people are ever going to know’.

‘I felt so enriched by working in different parishes. As they introduced me to different types of ministry, each pastor modelled different ways of ministering’, Jill says. ‘I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction into evangelism and later as a pastor’s wife. You were just all the time engaging with people.’

It was at a birthday party in April 1972 that Jill met her future husband Clarrie Schefe, who was a seminary student. Engaged in July of that same year, Jill completed a six-week course in preparation for her role as a pastor’s wife before they married in Tea Tree Gully in February 1973.

After their marriage, Clarrie was assigned to Ceduna as their first parish in 1974. During their three years on the west coast of South Australia, their first son, Paul, was born. After contending with the outback dust and even a dog urinating in the Koonibba church during a service, her husband was called to Biloela in Central Queensland in 1976 to establish a Lutheran nursing home and Lutheran primary school.

The Biloela parish was 250 kilometres long and included four congregations and a preaching place. ‘We spent nearly 11 years in Biloela’, says Jill. The couple had two more children, Warren and Cassandra, while there and now have six grandchildren. Jill continues to stay connected with her grandchildren and even teaches confirmation lessons to her granddaughter Jessica, 14, via video call.

Throughout her journey as a pastor’s wife in various parishes, including Dimboola in Victoria, Jill has found ways to connect with people. ‘In Dimboola I rode my bike for exercise incorporating visiting parishioners as well’, she says. Jill adds that it was ‘easy to chat over the fence’ in their front yards, or perhaps stop in for a cuppa.

She and Clarrie moved to the Glasshouse Mountains in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland in 2003, before he officially retired in 2010. And while Jill is officially retired, she still receives an honorarium for her care of the parish, including teaching, visiting the sick, aged and the isolated, as well as distributing private communion, hosting Bible studies and affirming folk in their faith.

Whether it be a women’s fellowship or a Bible study group, or organising confirmation classes and parish visits, she strives to keep in contact with members of the parish, even despite COVID restrictions over the past few years.

‘COVID can’t stop you in your spiritual growth, you’ve got to think outside the square’, says Jill. ‘During COVID, the parish has not had a full-time pastor and I started sharing the daily devotions, adding items related to our local parish, and adding hymns and images and sharing them.’

Jill also writes letters and designs cards as a tangible way of making connections. ‘Necessity is the mother of invention. I learnt to use my own resources to keep in contact with everyone when everyone was alienated’, she says. ‘My commission is to be adhesive.’

Jill feels blessed to have so many opportunities to share the gospel. However, she was overwhelmed to receive the Servant of Christ award. ‘I didn’t realise simple acts of kindness would be recognised’, she says. She was nominated by Glasshouse Mountains congregation for her unwavering dedication and service to their congregation and the wider church.

Last month, for the first time in five years, the whole family was able to come together (minus one ill member) to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Clarrie’s ministry, and an early commemoration of Jill and Clarrie’s 50th wedding anniversary. It was a special moment for the couple, who have spent their lives connecting with and serving their communities.

Jill says Philippians 4:13 reminds her of the source of their strength: ‘I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.’

Helen Brinkman 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

114

‘Please pray for our Synod’: LCANZ Bishop

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LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith has urged the wider church to pray for the delegates, officials, organisers and volunteers who will meet for the in-person sessions of the LCANZ’s Convention of General Synod in Melbourne from 9 to 12 February.

The call for prayers comes in the lead-up to the meeting, which continues the 20th LCA convention opened with online sessions in October 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adjourned until this month, the convention will consist of two full days of business at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, bookended by part-days with gathering and closing worship services.

In his ‘Because we bear your name’ column in this edition of The Lutheran (see page 4), Bishop Smith speaks of ‘our Lutheran ethos’, in which ‘the cross is central, … the word of God is properly distinguished as law and gospel and … God’s people strive daily to lead a holy life, even as Christ has made them holy’. Bishop Smith is calling on the Lutheran family in Australia and New Zealand to pray for those who will meet as Synod and that God will continue to build his church ‘through our Christian witness and service’.

‘In February 2023, we are gathering for the second part of our Convention of General Synod in Melbourne. Delegates will have significant matters before them, including proposals regarding whether only men or both women and men are to be ordained as pastors among us. Some are troubled about what is ahead for our church’, he says.

‘As we gather for Synod 2023, we continue this united common faith that we have received: to know Jesus Christ and him crucified. Nothing can be conceded or given up of this doctrine of the gospel. Please pray for those who gather in February, that the Lord would continue to build his church through our Christian witness and service, as people of the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand.’

As part of convention preparations for delegates, in November–December last year the church hosted three ‘town hall’ online sessions on the ordination proposals to go before General Synod. The town halls were open to all church members; however, only delegates and alternates could pose questions electronically.

More than 235 people attended the sessions as delegates or Synod consultants, while a further 164 people viewed the livestream of the sessions, facilitated by LCANZ Executive Officer of the Church Brett Hausler and General Church Board (GCB) member Charmaine Harch. Bishop Smith, and GCB members Tim Wiebusch and Pastor Tim Stringer made up the panel which addressed participant questions. Written responses to questions from the three sessions have been prepared and are available to read on the General Synod website at www.generalsynod.lca.org.au/town-hall-sessions-qa/

Meanwhile, the offering from General Synod will support a Finke River Mission (FRM) project revising and reprinting Lutheran song and hymnbooks in Central Australian Aboriginal languages.

Along with other volunteers and FRM staff, Pastor Rob Borgas, who formerly served as an FRM support worker, has been working on the revision of hymnals in three languages – Pitjantjatjara, Western Arrarnta and Alyawarr. In addition, the Pintupi-Luritja language worship resource will be revised.

Congregations can donate to the offering via the LLL (details below) or, if they prefer to put their offering on the plate during worship, can send a cheque made out to ‘LCA Synod’ or cash to Synod with their delegate.

To donate to the Synod offering:
Name of account: LCA Synod
BSB: 704942  Acct number: 100698743

115

Lutheran family rallies for flood-hit communities

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LCANZ members are rallying in support of flood-hit communities, with $41,074 donated to the relief effort via the church’s Disaster and Welfare Fund, as of 17 January.

The LCANZ’s General Church Board in December authorised the release of $40,000 from the fund to the NSW and ACT District to be distributed in the areas of greatest need, particularly around the towns of Forbes and Eugowra. The Lutheran church at Forbes was flooded and may not be able to be used for many months, according to NSW and ACT District Administrator Russell Veerhuis.

Since floods hit the region in mid-November, Central West Lutheran Parish Pastor James Leach and his wife Adele have been supporting locals with visits, home-cooked meals, other food and drinks, gift cards, tracts and other needs.

Floodwaters have since inundated South Australian towns along the River Murray and the Lutheran church at Forster (pictured) and Camp Kedron at Lake Bonney were closed in December. South Australia – Northern Territory District Administrator Angela Rogers said she knew of Lutheran farming families impacted in South Australia by the rising water levels prior to Christmas.

She encouraged LCANZ members to pray for those impacted, donate through the Disaster and Welfare Fund and, when and where practical, support the economies of rural communities. SA–NT congregations were also asked to take a retiring offering in support of the affected communities.

Areas of each state and territory and New Zealand also have had flood events in the past 12 months and with the clean-up and recovery efforts in some parts expected to take months, more support will be needed. Under the terms of the LCA Disaster and Welfare Fund, any funds not used in support of the Forbes appeal can be directed to other purposes, including other flood-affected areas as needed.

Ways to donate can be found on the LCA website www.lca.org.au/disaster-welfare  

116

Sharing Advent’s giving spirit

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Picture a big box of kindness filled with Christmas goodies and pantry staples, a Christmas tree full of gift baubles, and gift catalogues supporting people in developing nations. This is the spirit of Advent shining from Melbourne’s St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Box Hill. The congregation’s Advent Action program unveils giving opportunities throughout this church season.

117

A time worth celebrating

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by Erin Kerber, Nevin Nitschke and Matt Anker

At the LCA International Mission office, we love Christmastime – spending time with our families and friends, eating delicious food, opening presents and watching Christmas pageants. But, most importantly, Christmas is a special time to remember how God our Father sent his precious Son to be born as a gift for the entire world.

In Australia and New Zealand, Christmas is a popular holiday, but not every country celebrates the way we do. If you went to a country that does not celebrate Christmas at all, what would you tell them about this special day?

LCA International Mission has friends who live in different countries, and we thought it would be interesting to share with you how those who do celebrate Christmas do so where they live. What might you see, hear, cook or make in one of those countries at Christmastime?

EXPLORING A WORLD OF CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

The 12 Days of Christmas – otherwise named Twelvetide – mark the period between the birth of Jesus and the visit from the wise men. For Christmas this year, we are providing Australian and New Zealand families with a resource they can use with their children during the 12 days of Christmas.

Entitled ‘Joy to the World – 12 Days of Christmas Around the World’, it shares some insights into the way Christmas is celebrated among our partner countries and churches. We hope that it will encourage families to spend time reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas.

We have also included some activities in the booklet for readers to do which they can pass on to friends and relatives who aren’t Christian. So, this is designed to be both a faith-building and faith-sharing resource.

There are three parts to each day (and country) in the booklet – firstly, information about Christmas in that country; secondly, a Bible verse and a few words about the verse; and, thirdly, a craft, activity, or recipe to do or make related to the country and/or the Bible verse. The Bible verses tell the story of Jesus’ birth as you go through the booklet.

THE TRUE HEART OF THE SEASON

We hope you enjoy travelling with us around the world this Christmas and, while doing so, remember that Christmas is not just about carols, decorations, beautiful lights or the gifts that we give and receive. It is about Jesus Christ. Jesus’ birth fulfilled God’s promise that he wants to bring us into his loving arms forever.

Will you join us as we prepare for Christmas by spending 12 days reading and reflecting on Jesus’ birth? Order your booklet by emailing lcaim@lca.org.au or by phoning 08 8267 7317, or download one at https://lcamission.org.au/joy-to-the-world-12-days-of-christmas/

Pastor Matt Anker is LCANZ Assistant to the Bishop – International Mission, while Erin Kerber and Nevin Nitschke are LCA International Mission Program Officers.

118

New resources enhance seasonal worship

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by Libby Krahling

Perfectly timed for Advent and Christmas, the LCANZ’s Commission on Worship has launched the fourth volume of LCA Music Resources, which presents 100 hymns and songs for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Available for the first time as individual digital downloads, the collection can also be purchased as a spiral-bound hard copy. The provision of chords and three-part settings make the songs accessible for musicians of varying experience. Copies of LCA Music Resources Volume 4: Songs of the Church – Advent, Christmas and Epiphany can be purchased through Australian Christian Resources at www.shopACR.com.au

AUSTRALIA DAY SERVICE ON THE WAY

A new Australia Day worship resource will be released this month. It replaces the existing National Day resource and reflects the complicated nature of Australia Day in the 21st century. The resource features alternate Bible readings, new song suggestions and updated liturgy and prayers. An accompanying resource related to the Acknowledgement of Country is also being prepared. These will be made available through the Worship Planning Page at www.lca.org.au/wpp

RECORDINGS HELP FOSTER SUNG LITURGY

Our church has a rich history of sung liturgy. Mindful that not every congregation uses sung liturgy in worship, the Commission on Worship has created resources to assist congregations to learn and use sung liturgy in their services. Pastor Andrew Brook and the choir of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Adelaide have recorded the sung liturgy from both page 6 and page 58 services of the Lutheran Hymnal with Supplement. The recordings may be especially useful for congregations without organists or strong cantors. There are also PowerPoint slides with the music lines to insert into worship services, as well as image files for use in bulletins and song sheets. Congregations can also access PowerPoints with embedded MP3 music tracks ready to play. All these resources may be used freely in worship, with LCA permission. Visit www.lca.org.au/wpp/sung-liturgy

2023 ART EXHIBITION PROMISES FEAST FOR SENSES

‘Come to the Banquet’ will be the theme for the 2023 LCANZ Simultaneous Art Exhibition. LCA Visual Arts invites congregations, schools and aged-care facilities to stage exhibitions in their local communities in August 2023. The theme provides a rich opportunity to explore the many passages in the Bible connected to food and feasting, to celebrate the great banquet of holy communion and the wedding feast awaiting us in eternity. Groups might also like to brainstorm ways of incorporating hospitality into their exhibitions. Artists using any media and with any level of experience are encouraged to explore the theme, using resources developed by Visual Arts. It includes a devotion, suggested Bible passages for study and a range of activity ideas suitable for workshops or individual use. Registrations close on 30 May 2023. To register your interest and obtain resource packs, poster templates and information on hosting an art exhibition, visit the LCA Visual Arts website at https://visualarts.lca.org.au

Libby Krahling is Commission on Worship Administration Coordinator.

119

Encouraging those seeking hope

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Recently, Rebecca asked your Messages of Hope: ‘Is there somewhere or someone who might be able to help me find the answers?’. After we encouraged her, Rebecca asked questions about life and Jesus. And she thanks you for supporting Lutheran Media and offering her hope. ‘Thank you very much for your reply. I am incredibly grateful for the information you have provided.’ Messages of Hope continues to reach people with the hope of Jesus Christ through media – including on commercial radio such as SEN, NewstalkZB, and many others. Check out the latest interviews and resources about anxiety, loneliness and crisis, along with videos and podcasts at www.messagesofhope.org.au

– Pastor Richard Fox, Director of Lutheran Media

120

New coordinator for ALC’S Discover

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Emma Graetz will be the new Discover program coordinator for Australian Lutheran College (ALC). Discover is a vocational formation and discernment program that aligns with completing an ALC higher education qualification.

Emma takes over the role from Kerrin Huth, who has been the coordinator for the past two years and is returning to primary school teaching after recently completing doctoral studies.

ALC Principal Pastor James Winderlich says the college is thankful to Kerrin ‘for her vision and guidance of the program, and for the way she has supported the students from her home base in Queensland’.

Kerrin says she has enjoyed coordinating the program and has been ‘encouraged to see God at work in so many lives’. ‘It has been a privilege to share in each person’s journey as they learn more about God, the church and themselves, as they discern God’s call on their lives’, she says. Kerrin will continue to teach as a casual academic in ALC’s education program in 2023.

Emma brings more than 20 years of experience working within the LCANZ, half of which have been in the teaching community at ALC. Emma has supported student formation through ALC’s Vocational Education Training qualification and ALC Training workshops and programs.

Emma says taking on the role will be ‘a fantastic opportunity to engage with and support those who are discerning their calling within the church, whether it be as a pastor, teacher, lay worker or other ministry role’.

MORE CHOICES TO COME IN 2023

In 2023, the Discover program will offer the choice of the new ALC qualification of a Diploma in Ministry or a Diploma in Theology, while post-graduate studies can also be considered. The program enables students to study remotely while completing the program with the support of their pastor or supervisor and a mentor. Students also have opportunities to engage in various ministry experiences, including through online community sessions and local practical placements.

WHAT STUDENTS SAY ABOUT DISCOVER

One of this year’s Discover students, Corrie Steel, who is based in Townsville, says the program has allowed him to ‘look at the church from a broad perspective and get involved in areas I might not normally have thought of’. ‘It has broadened my perspective and helped me to view all the different aspects of the Lutheran Church, all working together and doing their part in serving the church’, says Corrie.

Another student, Anthony Fawcett, who is based in Sydney, is approaching the end of his first year in Discover, which he is taking part-time. ‘It has been a theological revelation, deepening my faith and my certainty in the calling to pastorage’, he says.

Throughout December and January, Emma will host online information sessions for anyone interested in Discover. Session dates and how to register are available on the ALC website at https://alc.edu.au/discover   

Enrolments for study in 2023 at ALC, leading to academic qualifications, are now open. More information: https://alc.edu.au/study