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342

Christian meditation: Meeting Christ in Scripture

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by Lisa McIntosh

Christian meditation is an ancient practice dating back thousands of years, to the first days of the church. And it was part of the tradition of those of the Jewish faith long before that. There are many biblical references to meditation, from Genesis through the New Testament, with many specific mentions in the Psalms.

In fact in Psalm 1, God’s people are urged to meditate on his word – on his law – ‘day and night’.

Martin Luther, too, practised, taught and wrote on meditation. He reformed and simplified the medieval monastic model as he did so, according to LCA Pastor Tim Jarick, in his paper ‘Mysticism, Monks and Marty: Meditation in the Lutheran tradition’.

Pastor Tim, Chaplain at Pacific Lutheran College at Caloundra in Queensland, explains that Luther put praying to God for guidance first before reading the Scriptures in his model and made the cross of Christ central to the Lutheran tradition of meditation.

And yet, as Lutherans in Australia and New Zealand, many of us have grown without much knowledge of what Christian meditation is and how and why it is an important, even central, element of our faith journeys.

Indeed, until recent times, many modern Christians have shied away from the practice, says Lutheran Pastor Stephen Abraham. Pastor Stephen, who was already teaching Christian meditation when a spinal injury left him with permanent debilitating and chronic pain and forced his retirement from full-time ministry in his early 30s, uses meditation whenever his pain is severe.

He has developed his own style of Christian meditation over three decades, which draws on a range of influences including the Desert Fathers (early Christian hermits, ascetics and monks, who lived in the Egyptian desert from the 3rd century); Roman Catholic priest, Benedictine monk and spiritual writer John Main; the French ecumenical monastic fraternity Taizé, Martin Luther and, of course, the meditations present in the Bible.

Pastor Stephen says that in other religions meditation is about ‘controlling your mind’ or ‘mindlessly losing yourself’, whereas, in Christianity, it is about ‘giving your thoughts to God’ and ‘giving him control of your thinking’. ‘It is letting your mind-space be governed by God’s word so that the Holy Spirit can direct your daily life’, he says.

‘Meditation is something all humans share: a relaxed focus, a tool to calm mind and body, a place of solace in a busy world.

‘Muslims pray, but we as Christians aren’t afraid to pray or use Christian prayer in our daily life just because Muslims pray. Hindus sing, but we don’t write off all singing us “un-Christian” or an evil practice. Likewise, Buddhists meditate, but for 3000 or more years meditation has been part of the Judeo/Christian experience, even if modern Christians have shied away from it.

‘Just as Christian prayers and music are uniquely Christian, Christian meditation flows from our encounter with the Trinity as revealed in the Bible. In practice, it is a place where the Holy Spirit can guide our reflection as we focus on God’s word.’

Pastor Stephen says there is no ‘one right way’ to do Christian meditation. ‘We are free in the gospel and there are no biblical instructions on exactly how to practise meditation. We only have the command to meditate (Joshua 1:8) and references to meditation throughout Scripture, especially in the Psalms.’

Pastor Anthony Price, who serves the worshipping communities of Gawler Lutheran Church north of Adelaide and is accredited as a Spiritual Director and Retreat Leader, teaches Christian meditation and offers spiritual direction. He believes there are several reasons why meditation may have become a ‘lost’ practice in the Lutheran church.

‘Firstly, maybe that’s to do with the New Age movement and that people have a perception that it’s a bit weird’, he says. ‘That’s the unhealthy forms of meditation that take us off of the word, and Jesus and the Triune God.

‘I also think there’s a fear of the unknown – people just don’t know about it.

‘And I have to think about my role as a church leader. If I wasn’t really experiencing it myself, I wouldn’t have been teaching it. So while we as pastors may have learnt about it, if we haven’t experienced it in a life-transforming way, we may not have taken on board the centrality of meditation. And Luther is a fine example, who tells us and teaches us how important it is for us.’

Kathy Worthing, a member of the World Community for Christian Meditation state executive for South Australia and leader of a Christian meditation group, believes this contemplative ministry form is having a revival among everyday Christians – including in the LCA/NZ.

‘Recent spiritual writers such as John Main, Laurence Freeman, Joan Chittister and Richard Rohr have been at the forefront of the resurgence in the practice of Christian meditation, taking it beyond the monastery walls and into the lives of everyday Christians’, she says. ‘As Laurence Freeman said in A Pearl of Great Price, “Our world sorely needs the silent infrastructure of contemplation woven into the institutions and frenetic schedules. It needs the healing and transforming power that only the spirit can set free in us and among us”.’

Pastor Anthony, who had a life-changing experience through attending a retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius in 2009 says he came to realise that it’s an important element of our faith-life to have a heart – or experiential – connection with Scripture, as well as a head – or intellectual – one.

‘When I came out of seminary I was very focused in knowledge and doctrine, so that came easily to me’, he says. ‘But when we’re talking about meditating on Scripture, these are matters of the heart. So I needed to grow in that and exploring traditions, such as those of the Jesuits who specialise in meditation and prayer, has really just opened up to me the matters of the heart. It was interesting for me later on to do some research on Luther and discover an experiential emphasis in relation to Scripture from him that some people miss out on.’

Pastor Anthony took a year out of parish ministry in 2012 to complete a Master’s degree in Spiritual Direction with the University of Divinity. He has led retreats using his Lutheran adaptation of The Ignatian Exercises, a retreat program written by Ignatius of Loyola, a Spanish Christian layman at the time who would later become the founder of the Jesuits. The program features Christian meditations centred on the Scriptures, the gospels and various prayers.

He believes the main benefit of Christian meditation ‘is to experience Christ himself’. ‘He says, “I am with you always”, so it enables us to experience him and his love and helps us to grow in faith, to grow in hope, to grow in love – real love in action as we join Jesus in his mission’, Pastor Anthony says.

‘The word meditation literally means “to chew on”, so it belongs to all of us as human beings. Jesus says, “Do not worry”, and worry is a form of meditation; it’s something that we ruminate again and again. So we all naturally meditate, but in terms of Christian meditation, the all-important aspect is, “Where’s the emphasis? What’s the content that we’re meditating on?”

‘For us as Christians, it’s the God that we believe in, the Triune God, Father, Son and Spirit, and where we experience him most centrally is in Scripture, through God’s word.’

Pastor Stephen has written a Christian meditation program with the hope of making the practice easy for time-poor people. For a copy, you can email him at stephen.abraham@lca.org.au

He also has produced YouTube meditation videos, which can be watched and heard at www.youtube.com/c/StephenAbrahamMusic/videos and songs on online social audio platform SoundCloud, which are available for free at https://soundcloud.com/stephenabraham/sets/breathing-scripture/s-pv895

What is Christian meditation?

  • Christian meditation is a verbal activity – literally saying God’s word to one’s self.
  • It’s a different way of abiding in God’s word, resting with him, and receiving the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
  • Meditation is not a means of salvation. It doesn’t make you ‘better’ than other Christians.
  • There are two broad types of Christian meditation – guided meditation and self-guided meditation.
  • While guided meditation is a relaxation exercise in which someone else’s voice guides your awareness and focus, self-guided meditation involves just you and words from Scripture, a prayer or a song.
  • Generally, any Bible verse which encapsulates a key theme of that passage/chapter and that lends itself to breathing and memorisation can be used.

Some important tips for meditation

  • Make it a daily routine and dedicate time to meditation in your calendar
  • Find a quiet place, away from distractions, get physically comfortable and mentally relax.
  • Have a scriptural point of focus.
  • Always start in God’s name: ‘In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen’ – thereby claiming your baptism and identity as a forgiven child of God.
  • Meditation opens you up spiritually, so ask for God’s protection as you begin by quoting Scripture.

From ‘Christian Meditation’, by Pastor Stephen Abraham

343

Prayer call for Myanmar

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Members of the LCA/NZ are being urged to pray for peace in Myanmar, where the military staged a coup d’etat and took control of the country last month.

Following an overwhelming victory by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party in elections held last November, the military disputed the result, detained elected leaders including Ms Suu Kyi, and instigated a 12-month state of emergency.

LCA International Mission works closely with four churches in Myanmar through the Federation of Lutheran Churches in Myanmar and Pastor Matt Anker, LCA Assistant to the Bishop – International Mission, has invited Australian and New Zealand Lutherans to join in praying for a ‘peaceful resolution’ to the unrest in the South-East Asian nation.

‘Please join us as we pray for a peaceful resolution to this latest unrest in Myanmar, and for our brothers and sisters in Christ as they live in times of increased uncertainty and insecurity’, Pastor Matt said. ‘May our Heavenly Father send his holy angels to watch over the churches of Myanmar and the entire country and use this moment as an opportunity for the gospel of forgiveness, life and salvation to be proclaimed even more widely in this troubled country.’

Pastor Matt said one of Myanmar’s church leaders shared with him details of the situation there recently, including the public demonstrations which began in response to the coup.

The church leader, who asked not to be named, said: ‘This public demonstration is not about favouring [the] NLD party which recently won the election. It’s about the people who don’t want to go back to our nightmares under military regime. We feel that our votes for the country were neglected and disregarded by one single command from the army leaders. Many Christian churches, organisations and local NGOs [have issued] statements opposing this military coup. And Christians are not fearing at this time of need [to] stand up for the truth and welfare for the people of Myanmar. We invite all our brothers and sisters from Christian and non-Christian communities to protest this inhuman action by the military.’

He said: ‘Please continue to pray for the people of Myanmar as we have peaceful demonstrations around the country.’

344

Dwelling in God’s word – Christian meditation

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by Michael Mayer

My father, Pastor Reini Mayer, is valued for his clear gospel focus on preaching Christ for us, and justification by faith. He says I preach sanctification (how forgiveness from Christ lives itself out in us) much better than he did. My son Andreas, who is now studying for ministry, already works in evangelism on a university campus. I love how the Holy Spirit takes what is good and adds to that through successive generations.

God’s Spirit also works through Christian meditation. This includes any contemplative practice that allows the Holy Spirit to centre and grow us in Christ. It’s about God’s Word (which includes Jesus Christ) and God’s love coming alive in us.

Read Psalm 1:1-6.

What is the contrasting way to happiness offered in verses 1 and 2?

For the Jewish people the law was a gift from God. What does verse 2 invite them to do?

The word for meditate means to mouth words quietly, under your breath. What happens if you try doing that with a favourite Bible verse or phrase? Could this be a practice to use instead of some of the other things you mutter under your breath?

As New Testament people, everything is focused through Christ and the gift of forgiveness freely given to us.

As we spend time meditating on Jesus and his gift of forgiveness to us, what will our lives start to look like in verse 3? 

Read Psalm 46:10 – ‘Be still and know that I am God’. 

What is the invitation here? What is the connection between our stillness and knowing God?

Think of a situation where you usually ‘lose it’ or get stressed. Prayerfully picture yourself in that situation but do that in God’s presence. Look at yourself. What do you notice? Is there anything you want to tell God about what you notice? Does the Holy Spirit have any message for you?

An alternative meditation activity is to place your hands on the part of your body where you know God, or need to know God more. Let your hand rest there and be prayerfully still for a couple of minutes. What happens? How can you take some of this strength with you back into the pressure situation?

Read Romans 8:26-27.

This text reminds us that the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We don’t know how to pray, but the Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.

When do you sigh? What is that expressing?

The connection between God’s Spirit and breathing (or wind) goes all the way back to Genesis 1:2 and 2:7. Our breathing can be a help to being with God.

As you pray, picture God’s Spirit coming into you. As you breathe out, release what needs to be let go of to God. Use a short Biblical phrase or words and say them silently as you breathe in and out. If you go off on a thought tangent or daydream, just come back to your phrase and your breathing.

As you meditate on these verses, know that you are a dearly loved child of God.

Pastor Michael Mayer is an accredited spiritual director and serves the congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church Ashmore in Queensland.

345

Church@Home March 2021

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

Home worship nurtures faith

An active home-worship life, including regular devotions, helps nurture our faith – and that of the members of our families. We pray that you will receive blessings from the devotional materials contained 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 23:4

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

DEVOTIONS FOR HOME WORSHIP

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

Peter’s epiphany by Pauline Simonsen

‘He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God”’ (Luke 9:20).

Read Luke 9:18–22.

Who do you want Jesus to be for you?

We human beings are notorious for trying to make God in our image – a reflection more of our culture and values and needs than of God’s being. Jesus, my friend and buddy; Jesus, the wise hippy dude; Jesus, the church high priest; Jesus, the liberation radical; Jesus, the kindly shepherd, Jesus … ? There are usually elements of truth in all these images of Jesus, but none of them reveals him truly or fully.

Who do you say he is? Who do you want him to be? Our post-modern culture might like to say that Jesus is ‘whoever you want him to be’ – your interpretation, your truth, your belief, your need. But Jesus isn’t a cipher for our own desires and ideas. Jesus comes to us on his terms, not on ours. While he is the greatest cross-cultural missionary ever (think of the Samaritan woman at the well!), he never compromises or fudges his identity or his calling.

The disciples find this out when he quizzes them about people’s take on him. ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’ And then, pressing his question home: ‘Who do you say that I am?’ Peter has his epiphany moment: a sudden insight that Jesus is the promised Messiah of God. But Jesus won’t let that insight be hijacked by Peter’s desires and ideas. He immediately explains what God’s Messiah must be and endure: suffering, rejection, execution, and finally resurrection. Jesus is the suffering servant king.

What have we projected onto Jesus that says more about us and our needs and desires? What might Jesus say to you and me through his word, to clarify his true identity and calling? How might this revelation of who he is (‘I AM’!) challenge and change our walk as his disciples?

Lord, continue to give us epiphanies to see you straight and true, on your terms, not our own. And give us the courage to follow you. Amen.

It’s upside down! by Jill Lange-Mohr

‘Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God”’ (Luke 6:20).

Read Luke 6:20–26.

The Beatitudes give us a vision of an upside-down kingdom. It’s the opposite of what the world thinks is right. Jesus explains to his disciples the qualities that make a happy life. There are four blessings on people with four attributes and four woes on people with the opposite characteristics.

So why is this the opposite of what we would think life should be? The world offers short-term gratification but not the eternal joy and happiness that believing in Jesus offers. Jesus boldly says that those who want to follow the world’s ways will not be ultimately happy.

Jesus emphasises the central ethic of his kingdom – love – and the importance of obedience to his teachings. These blessings are to encourage his followers in the face of mounting persecution. In short, this is a message on how we should live, including the need for repentance. Jesus is encouraging his disciples (us) that God will bless them when the world hates them. Live by Christian values and not the world’s values.

We shouldn’t be surprised by God’s upside-down approach to the way he does things. A baby born to be Saviour of the world can’t even get a decent, clean room for this momentous event? That’s upside down. And they all lived happily ever after? Only in heaven for those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

Dear Father God, help us to always keep our focus on you and your kingdom and not the ways of the world. Amen.

The world is not a stage by Martin Oldfield

‘Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it’ (Matthew 6:1a).

Read Matthew 6:1–6,16–21.

Today’s text follows directly after the Sermon on the Mount and the call to love our enemy. On the mountain, Jesus told us to let our light shine and be the salt of the earth. He told us to let our good deeds be seen so that people may glorify God (Matthew 5:16).

In this text, he tells us to give, pray and fast in private; to do otherwise means no reward in heaven! Is he contradicting himself? No! He was declaring what his kingdom would be like. And his kingdom was not in opposition to worldly kingdoms but in opposition to the devil himself and his manifestations.

One of the manifestations was the penchant for slavishly obeying the law. Another was the religious leaders of the time who promulgated such thoughts. Giving alms to the poor ostentatiously, praying overtly and fasting to the point of neglect were common methods of proving one’s righteous demeanour. He didn’t tell us not to help the poor, pray or fast – he simply told us to do it in the right spirit – to further the kingdom, not feed the ego. Why not spend time in prayer looking for his guidance about what he would like you to do to further his kingdom?

Dear Dad, I’ve got no doubt that there are many things that I am doing that, if I am really honest with myself, are feeding my ego. Please bring these to my attention and redirect my energy to doing those things that glorify you, not me. Amen.

Micah 7:8b

We have fallen, but we will rise again. We are in darkness now, but the Lord will give us light.

Searchlight by Sal Huckel

‘God is light; in him there is no darkness at all’ (1 John 1:5b).

Read 1 John 1:1–7.

Don’t we wish we could see God? Here we have a book written by an eyewitness! While we can’t see these things ourselves, we have a blessing with the firsthand testimony in this letter! With such a preamble, we surely must sit up and listen to this message.

God is light. In him, there is no darkness at all! Amen! Hallelujah … but wait, there’s a challenge! Read on: ‘If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth’.

We read, again and again, about the light shining in the darkness. We can’t hide away little parts of our lives we think no-one can see. The kindness we deny someone. The habit we think is secret. The behaviour we think we can justify. It’s time to admit to ourselves, and maybe to others, that the Light is indeed shining in these places, and we need to clean them up. God promises that if we do this, and we walk in the light, we will have fellowship with one another and be purified from our sin. If. We have to choose this.

Lord, I ask you to shine your light in my life. In your grace and mercy, illuminate changes I need to make, paths I need to take, and forgiveness I need to seek. May my confession of sins this week include all the secret darkness of my heart, and may I be fully restored to walk in the light. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

God’s patience by Pastor Mark Lieschke

‘Leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilise it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down’ (Luke 13:8,9).

Read Luke 13:6–9.

Jesus does not just give us one crack at coming to faith. He patiently continues to work within us, his field, bringing the fruits of his death and resurrection to us over and over and over again – the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, new life in the flesh, the ability to bear fruit for him.

As we think about our individual weaknesses and mistakes, we may wonder at times if God’s patience with us might come to an end and our time of grace might be over. We might feel as if we have been expected to produce more fruit than what we have and wonder whether we should have been more faithful than what we have been.

Doubts and questions can arise in our minds about our being true believers and authentic disciples.

Focusing on ourselves can bring serious fears. But turning to see who Jesus is and what he has done, and continues to do, gives us hope and security. He never stops working in us and on us. His word is always available to us.

We have not had his baptismal promises stripped from us. Communion with him at his holy supper is there for us regularly.

We have constant access to these gifts of God, which he says we need. They turn us from worthless, fruitless plants into trees laden with abundant produce.

When the gardener digs and fertilises, and when the gardener takes time and is patient, good things can happen in his garden. When Christ provides for his people, when he forgives, nurtures, encourages, and feeds his children, they are given every opportunity to grow and bear fruit.

His patient, persistent cultivation gives us hope for the future. He is committed to serving us so that we, in turn, can produce fruit for him.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your patience with us. Come to us each day with the reminder that we are precious to you. As we look back and see our mistakes and weaknesses, cover us with your forgiveness and give us a new start every day. In your name, we pray. Amen.

346

Easter joy in cultural celebrations

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by Matt Anker and Basa Hutabarat

‘Selamat Hari Paskah’ means ‘Happy Easter’ for members of the Batak churches of Indonesia. Easter is an all-day celebration despite being a regular workday for most in this predominantly-Muslim South-East Asian nation. Women play a particularly important role in traditional observances which, in many places, begin at 5.00am.

Pre-dawn prayer and song 

In rural areas, women gather to re-enact the journey of ‘Mary Magdalene and the other Mary’ who rose early to anoint the Lord on the first Easter day. With lanterns in hand, these modern-day ‘Marys’ march to the cemetery to sing and pray. They next process to the church where the children are already hunting for Easter eggs and together celebrate the resurrection until around 8.00am.

Food is an important feature of Batak celebrations and, after this first Easter worship, they enjoy a traditional Batak cake called ‘lapet’. (Here’s a recipe if you want to try it: https://45all.blogspot.com/2016/12/bugis.html)

Worship, food, fashion, learning … you name it!

At 10.00am the congregation returns for worship which typically lasts several hours. The importance of Easter is further emphasised through afternoon activities, which typically involve a traditional food festival, along with events such as choral performances and fashion shows which encourage people to dress well for worship.

Indonesian Christians are eager to learn more regarding faith and so seminars are often held on Easter Sunday. Games such as ‘Name that hymn’ are also enjoyed, as a musician plays part of a hymn and participants vie to name its title and its number in the hymnal!

Encouragement facing persecution

These activities do more than celebrate an important day on the liturgical calendar. Christians in Indonesia take encouragement from their Easter celebrations to persevere in the faith in the face of grave persecution, being renewed in the sure hope of the resurrection. As St Paul says, ‘If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his’ (Romans 6:5).

Pastor Matt Anker is the LCA/NZ’s Assistant to the Bishop – International Mission and Rev Basa Hutabarat is executive secretary of the National Committee of Lutheran World Federation churches in Indonesia. For more about the Easter traditions of the LCA’s partner churches, visit www.lcamission.org.au

347

A flexible way for all ages to grow

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by Jono Graetz

We are always looking at new approaches to children’s ministry at Trinity Bordertown, so early last year when we heard about a new confirmation program from Grow Ministries, we decided to learn more about it.

As soon as COVID-19 restrictions would allow, we arranged for Christine Matthias and Jodi Brook from Grow to visit and offer a deeper insight into the Grow Disciples course and what it can offer students and facilitators.

Christine and Jodi inspired our congregation, along with some visitors from Mt Gambier and Millicent, with their explanation, including how the course relates lessons to our daily lives.

What do Grow Disciples sessions include?

Each session provides a chance to chat with the kids about their week and the questions they took home for their parents after the previous lesson. There is an interactive learning section which explains the lesson theme and Bible verses that relate to it, and an application section that explains how the theme and readings apply to the participants. The session concludes with a lesson overview, time for students to devise questions to discuss with their parents and prayer.

The course encourages communication. It is all about children building their faith and relationships with their parents, pastor, mentors, leaders and the congregation.

Course can work in many situations

Grow Disciples is easily adapted to suit whatever group size, location, frequency of lessons and ability of leaders you may have.

Trinity holds sessions Wednesdays after school for about 90 minutes, studying one lesson each week. Along with Pastor Murray Smith, we have four groups of two leaders each, which helps share the workload, brings different perspectives to lessons and gives the kids a chance to build relationships with more congregational members. We are also planning a families’ and mentors’ lunch once a term.

What are some of the benefits?

We are still very young with our journey but already are seeing an eagerness in students to actively participate in discussion and Bible reading and to ask some really thought-provoking questions.

Grow Disciples is a great tool to share our faith with the next generation and to walk beside them as they learn to grow their faith in our Lord. What a blessing! Thanks be to God.

Jono Graetz is a member of Trinity Bordertown, in South Australia. 

348

God is at work through his people

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by Tania Nelson

Are you worried about our church because congregations are shrinking or even closing, while others are without a pastor? And what about the people who may miss out on hearing the gospel because of these trends?

Despite our fears, God is at work in our church and our communities. There are green shoots of growth in his kingdom. These include new congregations being planted by people like Jacob and Kate in Canberra, and Matt and Becca in Rockingham, Western Australia.

Meet our church planters

Jacob and Kate moved from Adelaide to Canberra for work in 2013 – the year they were married. They have been involved in Immanuel Woden Valley’s journey as a sending church and Jacob co-led the congregation’s first missional community. He is now employed by their church while completing theological studies. A statistician, Kate is also a member of the LCA’s Committee for New and Renewing Churches.

Jacob says: ‘Canberra has the second-highest percentage of non-religious people in Australia – imagine what would change if more people experienced the love and hope we receive from Christ.’

Matt and Becca are newly married and live in a growing WA area. With a background in youth and young adult ministry, Matt is completing his Master of Theology through Australian Lutheran College and working with Rockingham Mandurah Lutheran Church in their church planting journey. Student Becca is a gifted violinist and enjoys joining Matt in ministry.

Matt says: ‘Did you know 1.2 million West Australians don’t know the gospel of Jesus? Church planting is the best way to change that.’

Your support can make a difference

They can’t do this alone though – they need your support to bring love to life in new places, in new ways, to new people. That’s why you’ll soon hear in your congregation how to share in this exciting outreach through Local Mission’s appeal.

Your prayers and donations will enable:

  • A congregation like yours to be supported in missional training
  • A church planter to be mentored by a team member from the LCA/NZ’s New and Renewing Churches department
  • A sending church to receive a grant to support the fledgling church plant

What else can your support do?

As well as enabling our LCA/NZ church planters to share the good news of God’s amazing love, your prayers and gifts support the vital mission work of Cross-Cultural Ministry, Ministry with the Ageing, Grow Ministries and Lutheran Media.

Dr Tania Nelson is the LCA/NZ’s Executive Officer – Local Mission.

349

Easter an opportunity to share hope

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Why does a society, that probably now identifies as predominantly non-Christian, still celebrate Easter? What is Easter really about? If you’ve ever asked, been asked or thought about that question, a video discussion between Pastor Noel Due, Celia Fielke and Pastor Richard Fox may help.

Go to www.messagesofhope/easter to watch the six-minute video. There is also a one-minute video entitled ‘What is Easter about?’, as well as podcasts and booklets to help you contemplate and share the message of Easter with others. For more on Lutheran Media ministries, read the adjacent stories.

There’s plenty for the kids

You can also invite children to know more about Easter (www.happyland.com.au). There’s an online Easter calendar with Easter ‘eggs’ to open which contain activities and videos about Easter. There’s also a small booklet, ‘The Easter Story’, that you can order. There are five-minute videoed children’s messages available, too.

What they say about Lutheran Media programs …

‘Just wanted to encourage you all! Your program with messages of hope is great! Keep up the wonderful work. I heard the program with a lady interviewing another lady about her daughter killed by a driver and her forgiveness process. Excellent!’ – Lindsay

You can watch the ‘Healing the Jagged Edges’ video of the interview Lindsay is referring to at www.messagesofhope.org.au

Lutheran Media’s outreach ministries are changing people’s lives by bringing the gospel to them. You can support them at www.lutheranmedia.org.au/support-us/donations/ or by phoning 1800 353 350.