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51

A simple showcase for Scripture

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Going GREYT! 1 Peter 4:10

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

by Helen Brinkman

Okay, hands up everyone who has attempted to read the entire Bible from beginning to end! How many of you completed the task? Whether you succeeded or failed, the fact is that reading Scripture end to end is not an easy undertaking!

Put yourselves in the shoes of a new Christian and consider how much more difficult it would be to navigate the language and historical context, not to mention all that fighting and bloodshed. This conundrum is exactly why 82-year-old Derryl Huf, from Port Macquarie in New South Wales, spent the past two years putting pen to paper to write up a 158-page summary of the Bible in plain language with added context.

‘I’ve been surprised how few people have read the Bible from one end to the other’, Derryl says. ‘They say they started but didn’t get far because it was hard going, reading about all the wars, fighting, bloodshed and different tribes.’

For his 80th birthday, Derryl received a lovely ballpoint pen from a church friend which he wanted to put to special use. Studying seven different versions of Scripture for comparison, Derryl filled three exercise books and three biro refills writing the summary.

Twelve months after starting work, he hadn’t made it halfway. ‘I felt I had bitten off more than I could chew and felt it was too hard’, he says. ‘I constantly prayed about this, and everything came together, and my biro was guided by God’s hand.’

Helped by his speed-typing daughter Christine, who transferred the handwritten words to a computer, the summary was finished in August this year. ‘She could type faster than I can read – what a blessing, like all of our kids are’, Derryl says. He has now shared his self-published copies with friends, parishioners, fellow travellers while holidaying, and even his doctor – who grabbed it with both hands, he was so excited, says Derryl.

This latest endeavour is part of a life-long journey of sharing his faith.

Born in the Tabor district of western Victoria, the first boy of eight children, Derryl couldn’t wait until the day after he turned 14 to leave school and work on the family’s mixed farm of sheep, cattle and cropping.

At age 18, he felt called to the ordained ministry. ‘A sermon by (Pastor) EW Wiebusch hit me hard’, he recalls. ‘I wanted to join college and become a minister.’

But having left school so young made studying difficult for him. ‘After a year, I went back home and got very involved in Luther League and working with young people’, he says. ‘I realised that you didn’t have to wear a dog collar to be a minister.’

His local Tabor Lutheran Church had more than 100 youth group members, and so did many of the surrounding towns in the district, such as Tarrington and Hamilton. Derryl was appointed to the league zone executive, becoming president, and helping to run zone rallies, camps and state conventions.

It’s also how he met his future wife, Aileen Unger, who was on the NSW district executive. They were married in 1967 and stayed on his family farm for nine years before moving to Aileen’s hometown of Parkes in NSW.

After the move, Derryl’s urge to witness found him joining the Gideons, which he calls a wonderful introduction to spreading the gospel. ‘You can learn Scripture but if you can’t get it across to others, you are still only part way there’, he says.

Derryl diversified into carting primary produce after buying a semi-trailer to transport his bumper canola crop to Melbourne for crushing. The cost of the truck was less than the haulage charge. So began his carting business, which also led him to become a heavy vehicle driving instructor.

That opened the door to new ways to share the gospel. He received permission to offer his driving students a copy of a Gideon New Testament, also including the Psalms and Proverbs. ‘I had one refusal out of about 1500, and the driving lessons included many questions about why I offered this testament’, he recalls.

Derryl says the whole idea behind his Bible summary is to encourage people to study God’s word, and to make it easier to read. ‘St Paul writes in 1 Corinthians, chapter 3, verses 1 and 2, that you may not be ready for solid food, so start off easy with milk’, Derryl reflects.

While tackling a Bible with around 1750 pages may be enough to scare the average reader, Derryl hopes his two-year journey helps to simply showcase the lifesaving message of the Bible – loud and clear.

However, the summary would never have been written had events on a New Year’s Eve fishing trip in 2003 turned out differently for Derryl. He, Aileen and a friend of the couple were lost at sea for 26 hours after their 20-foot boat capsized off Port Macquarie. Then, as during his challenges working on the Bible summary, Derryl put his trust in God.

Forced to hang onto the overturned hull for more than a day, they were seen by a passing Greek coal ship having drifted 150 kilometres north of where searchers were combing the sea. Derryl had been praying all through the night and felt that God was at work the next morning when their ultimate rescuer, who was winched down from a helicopter, called out to them: ‘Let go of what you are hanging on to, I have come to save you.’

Derryl is happy to share copies of the summary and can be contacted at deenasea.339@gmail.com

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

52

The realm of God … of demons and angels

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On a number of occasions, I have surveyed people to find out their ideas about what happens in the spiritual realm – the world we cannot see. The realm of God, of demons and of angels.

I ask them, ‘How much of what happens in the spiritual world do you think impacts on your day-to-day living?’ The answers vary from ‘basically nothing’ to ‘a huge impact’. ‘Some days not much. Other days a lot.’

I also ask, ‘How much impact do you have in the spiritual world?’. Again, the replies range between ‘some’ and ‘a lot’.

My next question is, ‘What specifically do you do that impacts the spiritual world?’. The answers: ‘prayer’ or ‘how I live my life’.

My short survey certainly reveals a variety of ideas about what goes on in the spiritual world, how it impacts us and how we impact it. Lots of people have lots of different opinions based on what they have experienced and how they have interpreted those experiences.

But what does the Bible say about the spiritual realm? One book that says a lot on this subject is Ephesians. In Ephesians, Paul refers to the spiritual world as the ‘heavenly realms’.

I once read in the newspaper that an insurance survey revealed that one-third of all Britons believe that their houses are haunted, and a quarter are convinced that a poltergeist has moved their possessions. If they believe that, what do they believe they can do about it?

I’ve travelled to Vietnam, and you don’t have to convince the Vietnamese people that there is a spiritual realm.

I’ve spent time teaching the pastors there, based on what we read in the book of Ephesians. From that teaching, they told me they had learnt about the authority we as Christians have in the heavenly realms.

In New Testament times from what we know, the people of Ephesus were also very aware that there is a spiritual realm. Witchcraft was practised, there was a temple to the pagan goddess Artemis and the people witnessed demonic manifestations in others, as well as miraculous healings through Paul.

Paul didn’t have to convince the Ephesians of the existence of the unseen realms, but he did need to teach them the truth about what goes on there.

So, what does happen in the heavenly realms, in the world that we cannot touch, and we cannot see? Who is there? What do they do? What’s it got to do with me?

In the heavenly realms, we have every spiritual blessing. As Paul says in Ephesians 1:3, ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ’.

It’s also where Jesus is … ‘he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms’ (Ephesians 1:20).

It’s where you and I are … ‘And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus’ (Ephesians 2:6).

If you are a Christian, you are already living in the heavenly realms. Not you will be, or could be, but ARE right now. It is a present reality.

And Ephesians is not the only place in the Bible where we are told that – examples include Luke 17:21 (‘The Kingdom of God is already among you’ – NLT).

If you never thought you could be in two places at once, think again. You’re reading this article and you’re sitting with Jesus in the heavenly realms.

The heavenly realms are also where rulers and authorities are. As Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:10, ‘His [God’s] intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms’.

What are those who are in the heavenly realms doing? Waging war against you and me.

In Ephesians 6 we read: ‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’ (Ephesians 6:12).

But, critically, it’s not a battle between Jesus and the devil, with the result still undecided. Through Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection, he defeated the devil. ‘In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ’ (Colossians 2:15 – NLT).

The victory has been won. At the time that Jesus decides, there is no question that the devil and all other evil forces will end up in hell. Until that time, there is still a battle going on in the heavenly realms. Jesus isn’t fighting the devil and his forces. We are the ones in the battle.

And what we do as we live our day-to-day lives does have a huge spiritual impact, which in turn has an impact on our day-to-day lives. For example, did you know that making peace with someone who you are angry with makes an impact in the heavenly realms?

Paul tells the Ephesians, ‘And “don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you”. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the devil’ (Ephesians 4:26,27 – NLT). Dealing with anger has an impact on earth and in the heavenly realms. It stops the devil from getting a foothold in your life.

Accompanying this article are two depictions that attempt to answer the question, ‘What do the heavenly realms look like?’. One picture was first drawn on a whiteboard about 30 years ago by a friend of mine. The other was painted in the Middle Ages and appeared in a Bible in 1534.

My friend, Shannon, drew a model of what the heavenly realms look like. I found it very helpful in how all these truths about the heavenly realms fit together.

The Bible talks about three places, or dimensions:

  • Heaven – where God is
  • The Heavens – where angels and demons are
  • Earth – where we are.

Heaven is also referred to by Paul as the third heaven, while heaven and ‘the heavens’ are ‘the heavenly realms’.

Jesus came down from heaven to earth – at his baptism it says that the heavens were torn open; the Spirit came down like a dove, and the Father spoke. After his death on the cross, the Bible says, ‘that God raised him up and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come’ (Ephesians 1:20,21).

When Shannon first drew this model for me, I had never seen anything like it. Then I saw a picture that Lucas Cranach painted which features in the Luther Bible from 1534.

When we are born again into God’s family, we are also seated in the heavenly realms. So, my spirit is in the two places – here in me, and also with Jesus. Seated next to Jesus, we have his authority and power.

We see in the Bible that Jesus used his authority to access the power of God to nurture and protect the good and to stop and overrule the bad.

He overruled the agenda of the devil, including driving out demons; he overruled sickness and injury in bodies when he healed and raised people from the dead; he showed authority over nature when he turned water into wine, calmed the storm and fed 5,000 people; and he showed authority over the human agenda of people influenced by evil (for example, Luke 4:28–30).

Of course, one way in which we access Jesus’ authority and power is to pray for God to work through us and in the lives of others.

Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus at the start of his letter, that they would know three things: ‘I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you; the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints; and his incomparably great power for us who believe’ (Ephesians 1:18,19 – NIV).

The eyes of our heart to know the hope, riches and power that is ours. Sounds like good things to be familiar with, especially since they belong to you and me.

What would your life and my life look like if we really knew the hope, riches and power available to us? Can you imagine what God could do for us, in us and through us? It’s beyond our human comprehension.

As Paul concludes his prayer for the Ephesians, ‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen’ (Ephesians 3:20,21).

Pastor Michael Dutschke serves with the congregation of Grace Lutheran Church Bridgewater in the Adelaide Hills. He also leads prophetic ministry workshops on the topic of ‘Power and Authority in the Heavenly Realms’.

53

Sober spirituality

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While the spiritual world of angels and demons may not be a regular topic of conversation among many Australians and New Zealanders, in other cultural contexts around the world, including that of Papua New Guinea, spiritual activity impacting human existence may be seen as part of everyday life. Lutheran pastor and seminary lecturer Mick Hauser, who lives and serves in PNG, shares his thoughts on the need to be watchful in spiritual matters.

In St Peter’s writings to persecuted early Christians living in regions of Asia Minor, he is unequivocal about the dangers the devil poses. And he knows the value of being on your guard when it comes to spiritual warfare.

This is serious business.

‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’, he warns his readers in 1 Peter 5.

‘Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings’ (1 Peter 5:9).

In Christian literature we also read about the need to be clearheaded when confronted by evil forces.

‘There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils’, cautions British Christian literary giant and theologian CS Lewis in his satirical novel Screwtape Letters, a timeless classic about spiritual warfare. ‘One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist and a magician with the same delight.’

Even though in a work of fiction, CS Lewis’ words are, in his usual fashion, a fine example of how to be watchful and sober toward the spiritual realm.

You will find the same watchfulness and sobriety in John Kleinig’s Grace Upon Grace: Spirituality for Today, Harold Ristau’s My First Exorcism: What the Devil Taught a Lutheran Pastor about Counter-cultural Spirituality and Spiritual Warfare: For the Care of Souls, as in Dr Robert H Bennett’s work on ‘True Accounts from the Lutheran Church of Madagascar’, entitled I am not Afraid: Demon Possession and Spiritual Warfare.

They are Lutheran resources dealing with this edition’s theme that are robust and practical, edifying the church against all types of spiritual attack, and yet they are also very grounded and ordinary. Indeed, God’s word calls us to a sober and watchful spirituality.

Stories of hidden spiritual realms are often dark and fearsome, told to provoke excitement and even to intoxicate as if the plot of a thriller or horror movie.

These hidden or secret things hold a great fascination for many people – increasingly so in a world that suffers various insecurities and uncertainty.

We can mistakenly think that delving into the secret places will bear fruits of success or salve for our ills in earthly matters. This drawing or attraction to hidden things is nothing new, even as it is dressed in new clothes in the supposed spiritual new age.

Nevertheless, it is a serious concern for our spiritual health. Dismissing the topic out of hand is not really watchfulness. Nor would obsession be sober-mindedness. Therefore, we seek to speak of things in truth, in a balanced way.

In my context of living and teaching within the Melanesian culture in Papua New Guinea, by accident I have needed to engage in all manner of discussions regarding the spiritual realm with students, pastors, friends and family.

I have had my fair share of ‘experiences’ as well. Just last evening a security guard at my home warned me of a visiting white owl who had displayed to him some kind of supernatural ability. It was the guard’s duty to warn me of such spiritual activity, as owls could be ‘spirits’ spying or wanting to carry a message or call out to people in my home.

Here, in Papua New Guinea, the hidden realm is understood, almost paradoxically, as part of daily life.

We are able to see glimpses or the shadows of spirits and demonic activity, yet never the full picture.

Certainly, because of the obscure nature of such talk or experience, and our inability to interpret them on our own, there is one thing that is sure about this realm – it gives people a fright.

While magicians believe they can control and manipulate spiritual realms, it is really more the other way around. The spirits trick, cheat, confuse and control them. This is why God warns us against delving into these dark arts (see Leviticus 19:26, Deuteronomy 18:10, Galatians 5:19,20, and Acts 19:19) – you can very quickly lose or destroy yourself. The devil devours you.

He without doubt outwits us as he dresses up as an angel of light, as St Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 11:14. And perhaps this is the most intimidating aspect we should learn about the dark hidden realm. It is ultimately beyond our control. And yet, it is not apart from God’s reach, from the voice and command of Christ.

Discovering we are at the mercy of spiritual things is humbling and hence a pathway to calling out in fervent prayer to Jesus, the one who overcame the devil. We receive from him his good gifts because we have been baptised in his name. In this way, we are standing firm in the faith!

Troubled by the frightful darkness of the spiritual realm, we are led to the Word, the light of the world, and prayerfully ask questions of him, so that the Word would truly lead us in all things and witness to his power and authority and thereby comfort us with his word.

As we read in Mark 1:34, ‘And he would not permit the demons to speak’. This is just one such example of Jesus’ power and authority over the devil and his minions.

Christ commands the evil spirits to be quiet. Just as his word creates life, it also shuts up evil. He is Lord of all creation!

At the close of the gospel of Mark we hear, ‘Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover’ (Mark 16:16–18).

Through baptism and faith in his promises, Jesus saves us from the power of the devil and all evil spirits. Not in a magical way, as Dr Robert H Bennett points out in I am not Afraid: Demon Possession and Spiritual Warfare: ‘The exorcisms of the New Testament are not magic. The power to exorcise demons does not reside within individuals, and the words used are not some sort of secret phrases that can be learned or purchased. Jesus is the actor in all true exorcisms. He has come into the world to bind the “strong man”.’

However, as Jesus speaks his promises, baptism ‘brings about forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe it’, as Luther’s Small Catechism explains.

Through this ordinary means of grace, Jesus himself entered the lives of all peoples who feared the spiritual realms, and he himself comes into our lives today in the same way, for the same purpose – to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Just as we baptise, pray and receive the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus, we also cast out demons in his name.

So, we find we have three (not so) ordinary weapons in spiritual warfare; the holy name of Jesus (given to us in baptism), his holy word (spoken in Scripture) and our faith in him and his word (expressed through prayer).

As Jesus promises to come to us in his word and his sacraments, in watchfulness and with sober minds we pray for his coming. He comes with his angels in the glory of his Father (Matt 16:7) and, as he does, we can be confident of his spiritual protection because of his presence with us. Come, Lord Jesus, Come! ‘ … Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen’ (Luther’s ‘Evening Prayer’).

Pastor Mick Hauser serves as a missionary teaching at Martin Luther Seminary in Lae, Papua New Guinea.

54

Time with God October–November 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

Prayer – an oasis? by Ruth Olsen

Jesus … left the house and went off to a solitary place where he prayed (Mark 1:35b).

Read Mark 1:29–45.

As one reads these verses for today, one can sense action and movement, as if things are happening quickly. That’s a characteristic of how Mark writes. At the home of Simon and Andrew, Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. Jesus took her hand and helped her up. The fever left, and she began serving them. Mark records no words, just action – a demonstration of Jesus’ authority.

Word spreads, and people crowd in, seeking help for their loved ones. Jesus heals many, but again, silences demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew who he was – again, demonstrations of Jesus’ authority, the authority of heaven. Jesus probably wanted first to show by word and deed the kind of Messiah he was before he declared himself clearly, and he would not let the demons frustrate this intent.

Early the following morning, Jesus went to a solitary place to pray. Much had been happening, but time aside from busyness to pray was a priority. Time to listen and be still, time for heart-to-heart communication, to recharge and replenish – an oasis away from busy ministry.

Simon and his companions find Jesus, telling him, ‘Everyone is looking for you!’, to which Jesus said, ‘Let’s go somewhere else, to preach there also; that’s why I have come’. What would your response be? ‘But … but …?’ However, Jesus was focused and would not be distracted by popular demand.

A man with leprosy comes to Jesus, desperately seeking help. You can read Leviticus 13 and 14 for the regulations required for dealing with an infectious skin disease, including the seven days’ isolation (lockdown?). Imagine the isolation of being untouchable. Yet Jesus touches him, speaks to him, and the leprosy is gone! Imagine the man’s delight and joy! But he is told not to tell anyone apart from the priest. Instead, his joy bubbles over to anyone nearby. Jesus, who is not seeking popular demand, retreats to lonely places, but people continue to pursue him even there.

Lord, increase our capacity to receive from you and share from you by the power of your Spirit at work in us and through us. Amen.

How much do we understand? by Pastor Mark Gierus

At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realise that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him (John 12:16).

Read John 12:12–19.

When it comes to life, how much do we understand? How were the heavens, the earth and all things that live on earth created? Do we comprehend the intricate relationships of all living things, let alone our own human relationships? Do we understand the deep thoughts, worries, anxieties, desires and hopes of our human hearts? Do we understand the work of Jesus?

The disciples, we are told, did not understand all the events that occurred. That Jesus said that he must suffer and die and be raised again. They did not understand that Jesus came as the King of Kings, yet also a servant king. Jesus did not come as a human conqueror on a battle horse, but as a suffering servant, humble and riding on a donkey. Only after the end of all the things that Jesus had to go through did the disciples realise what was happening. The heart of the matter was that Jesus came to suffer and die and rise again on the third day for the sin of the world.

Yet, like the disciples, we may not fully understand the mysteries of the work of God. We may not fully understand the work that continues in us by the power of the Holy Spirit through the word of God planted in our hearts. We may not fully understand why things happen the way they do, but as we read the word of God, we grow in faith to see Jesus in our lives. It is by faith that we live and have meaning. Faith in Jesus, the king who came to save us from our sins, to face each day with confidence in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

When we meet Jesus on that day when he comes to take us with him forever, we will clearly see what Jesus sees. We won’t need to understand, for all that is unclear will be made clear. Some things seem wrong or out of place in life, perhaps different from how you would have done something. But it is in these very things that, by faith, we know that God works in us and through us for his glory. Jesus wasn’t weak for dying on the cross – instead of raising up an army to save him, he came as a servant to give up his life so that we might have life.

Lord, we don’t understand so many things – the wonders of your creation and the struggles we have in our own hearts. Yet, Lord, you love and shape us for your work through what we see and do. Help us trust you and remember your deep love for us, first shown by sending your Son Jesus to suffer and die for our sins and to offer us life forever with you in his name. 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
1–7 OCT Exodus 17:1–7 Psalm 78:1–4, 12–16 Philippians 2:1–13 Matthew 21:23–32
8–14 OCT Exodus 20:1–4, 7–9, 12–20 Psalm 19 Philippians 3:4b–14 Matthew 21:33–46
15–21 OCT Exodus 32:1–14 Psalm 106:1–6, 19–23 Philippians 4:1–9 Matthew 22:1–14
22–28 OCT Exodus 33:12–23 Psalm 99 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 Matthew 22:15–22
29 OCT–4 NOV Deuteronomy 34:1–12 Psalm 90:1–6, 13–17 1 Thessalonians 2:1–8 Matthew 22:34–46
5–11 NOV Joshua 3:7–17 Psalm 107:1–7, 33–37 1 Thessalonians 2:9–13 Matthew 23:1–12
12–18 NOV Joshua 24:1–3a, 14–25 Psalm 78:1–7 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 Matthew 25:1–13
19–25 NOV

 

 Judges 4:1–7 Psalm 123 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 Matthew 25:14–30
26 NOV–2 DEC Ezekiel 34:11–16, 20–24 Psalm 100 Ephesians 1:15–23 Matthew 25:31–46

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

1–7 Oct: Those members of the LCANZ nominated to serve as delegates to the 2024 Convention of General Synod in a year’s time

8–14 Oct: The unity of the church and the Way Forward for the office of the public ministry in the LCANZ

15–21 Oct: People working in aged or disability care around Australia and New Zealand, during Australia’s National Carers Week

22–28 Oct: Lutherans in New Zealand, on the anniversary of the signing of He Whakaputanga, the nation’s Declaration of Independence, in 1835 (28 Oct)

29 Oct–4 Nov: All who mourn the loss of loved ones and those who support them on All Saints Day (1 Nov)

5–11 Nov: The families and loved ones of those who have died in all wars and conflicts on Armistice Day (New Zealand)/Remembrance Day (Australia) (11 Nov)

12–18 Nov: The opportunity and commitment to follow Jesus’ example of showing love to our neighbours on World Kindness Day (13 Nov)

19–25 Nov: Those who support victims of violence on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 Nov)

26 Nov–2 Dec: All those who have suffered and continue to experience loss from floods, earthquakes, fires and other disasters

55

Knowing signs of violence

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We hear about domestic and family violence in the news and when politicians are pledging support. But do we see it when it is close by, with people we know, including in our congregations and neighbourhoods? Would you like to learn more about how to recognise the signs of domestic and family violence, so that you can respond appropriately?

You can do so through an online module on the LCANZ Learning Hub, developed for the church as part of its Hidden Hurts Healing Hearts Campaign. The training is designed as a self-paced learning module for pastors, church workers and leaders to help raise awareness of the impact of domestic and family violence and to strengthen the support you may be already giving to people experiencing it. This training is recognised for professional development purposes for LCANZ employees.

Recently updated with links to many relevant resources, module topics include:

  • What is Domestic Violence? Signs and Impact of Domestic Violence
  • Faith and Domestic Violence
  • Responding to those experiencing Domestic Violence
  • Responding to a person who is violent and abusive
  • Self-Care
  • The Church and Healing

HOW TO ACCESS THE TRAINING HUB

Those with LCA email addresses can access the hub using the LCANZ Learning Hub button on the LCA Portal. People who have previously accessed training via ALC iLearn can use those credentials via the ALC iLearn page: https://ilearn.alc.edu.au/

Others will need to contact the LCANZ’s Church Worker Support Department (churchworkersupport@lca.org.au or phone 08 8267 7300) for a single-use enrolment key. This will enable them to enrol and log in via the ALC iLearn page using an email and password that they will then set up.

16 DAYS OF ADVOCACY

From November 25 to December 10 is recognised internationally as 16 days of advocacy and activism to eliminate violence against women and girls.

Churches around the world use this time as one of prayer and commitment to action – actions that promote healthy relationships and bring transformative change to those caught in the cycle of violence. You and your congregation may like to pray and think about how to advocate for or support someone experiencing violence.

We pray for:

  • willingness to learn about domestic and family violence and acknowledge the damage it does within our church family
  • emergency service workers responding to crisis calls
  • doctors, nurses, social workers and counsellors attending to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wounds of those who have been abused
  • our churches, that they may be safe places for the vulnerable
  • eyes and ears that notice when someone is disclosing abuse
  • courage to speak up against disrespectful behaviour
  • children, young people and elderly people, vulnerable to being abused
  • all women, men and children to find lives free from violence
  • pastors, teachers and pastoral leaders, teaching and modelling loving and healthy relationships.

DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE HELP

If you or someone you know is affected by domestic and family violence, visit www.anrows.org.au/get-support or call 1800 RESPECT (24-hour National Sexual Assault Family Domestic Violence Counselling Service), or Lifeline Counselling (24 hours) 131 114. In an emergency, call 000.

56

Forbes Lutherans back ‘home’ after the floods

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Nine months after floods devastated the community around the Central West New South Wales town of Forbes last November, including inundating their 90-year-old church building, members of the Lutheran congregation finally returned ‘home’.

On 27 August, St John’s Lutheran Church was reopened, rededicated and blessed during a worship service led by Pastor James Leach, who described the occasion as a homecoming.

‘Homes provide shelter. Safety, warmth. A place to sit and rest. Eat. Talk. Share. A place to work. To play. To make things and to make memories’, Pastor James said in his sermon. ‘And this building that we are gathered in is no exception.

‘But this building has an additional purpose: it is to be the light of Christ to this town. St John’s Lutheran Church, a light to Forbes. This building has the purpose of forming God’s people into bearers of God’s light so that those who witness our light will give glory to God.’

Congregational chairperson Michelle Mahlo said it was ‘such a good feeling’ to be back at St John’s spiritual home after months of worshipping in members’ homes.

‘Looking at our church and hall today we are grateful for the fact that it looks the same as before. However, we can see that it has been refreshed and invigorated’, Michelle said, citing the ‘excellent support’ of the LCANZ and LCA Insurance, as well as the local restoration team.

In November, with ‘some expectation of a flood event occurring’, some items had been removed from the church and the organ was lifted onto pews. But, Michelle said, ‘at the last opportunity available with minutes to spare’, the State Emergency Service was called upon to sandbag the church.

After 200mm of floodwaters came through the building, it was declared unsafe due to contaminants on the walls and floors and from under the floors. Restoration work began in May. This included the sanding and refinishing of floorboards, and the replacement of carpets in the church and the hall’s kitchen, flooring, cupboards, whitegoods, bathroom flooring and fixtures, while church furniture dating from 1934 was sent to Sydney for restoration. The original late 1890s table used for an altar at the site of the first Lutheran services in Forbes was also restored.

LCANZ members supported the Forbes community through prayers and donations to a special flood appeal for the region.

At the same time, during the height of the crisis, Pastor James, his wife Adele and others from the Central West Lutheran Parish listened to and talked with people worst hit by the emergency, and took them home-cooked meals, other food and drinks, gift cards, tracts and other items they needed.

However, living through the floods was also a struggle for the Lutheran family there.

‘In these last months, we faced obstacles’, Pastor James said. ‘The first obstacle was coming into the church on the days after the flooding and seeing all the mud and filth throughout the building, not to mention the smell … and just knowing that this was a bigger job than any of us were going to be able to do on our own.

‘We knew though that the bigger and more important task for the church at this time was to be in the community.

‘Other obstacles arose, and through each of those obstacles God provided what we needed and so much more. God indeed seemed determined to get this restoration done – but for what purpose?

‘There are a few really good reasons, but the one that sticks out the most today is because this is our home. It’s the place God has given us where we can come and receive shelter from the things that get on top of us in our lives. It’s a place where we can come and receive the warmth of God’s forgiveness and love. It’s a place where we can be refreshed to go back into our lives with refocused energy to love the world around us.’

57

New leader for Lutheran Media

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Dr Tania Nelson is the new manager of Lutheran Media.

Tania, who has served as the LCANZ’s Executive Officer – Local Mission since August 2016, succeeded Pastor Richard Fox at the helm of the multi-media ministry outreach arm of the church last month. Richard, who led Lutheran Media for 11 years, has returned to parish ministry, at Glynde in South Australia.

Tania’s appointment was announced by LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith in late August.

The first woman and the first lay person to hold the role, she applied for the manager’s position because she had ‘long believed that Lutheran Media is a vital mission-focused ministry of the LCANZ’.

‘It just makes sense to me to utilise media, in all its many forms, to reach people with the saving message of God’s gracious love for us’, she said after her appointment. ‘I feel that God is calling me to play a role in this wonderful outreach ministry.

‘I am so excited, and incredibly humbled, to step into the large shoes of the many people who have grown Lutheran Media to what it is today.

‘Lutheran Media has had an amazing and unique history, beginning in its early days via the radio waves and extending now to a variety of social media platforms. I still recall the deep and soothing voice of Emeritus President Rev Dr Lance Steicke bringing words of encouragement to listeners, as I played the Face to Face cartridges in the Mount Gambier community radio studio where I volunteered in the 1980s.

‘I thank the former directors of Lutheran Media, and particularly outgoing director Pastor Richard Fox, for leading and building Lutheran Media to a place where millions can hear messages of hope of a loving and saving God. I’m looking forward to working with the excellent Lutheran Media staff team, and discerning where God is calling us in this next phase of our God’s mission work.’

Bishop Paul said he was thankful to God ‘for the seven years of Christian service Tania has given to our church’s work in her leadership in the department for Local Mission’.

‘She has an overflowing joyful passion for the witness of God’s people to the world’, he said. ‘Now she “moves sideways” to her new role with Lutheran Media in the same cause of bringing Christ to the nations. (Pastor Richard) can rest in the good report that the ministry of Lutheran Media will be in the hands of a faithful co-worker in the gospel. Please join me in praising God that Tania has offered her gifts for this work of our church.’

During her tenure as the LCANZ’s head of Local Mission, Tania has provided strategic oversight of Care Ministries, Grow Ministries, Cross-Cultural Ministry, New and Renewing Churches and Lutheran Media. She also implemented the General Synod decision to bring the boards for Lutheran Aged Care Australia, Lutheran Media Ministry and Child Youth and Family Ministry and the interim Board for Local Mission into what is now known as the Council for Local Mission.

Prior to taking on the executive officer role, the former teacher was the Head of School of Theological Studies and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Australian Lutheran College (ALC). Tania is also a casual academic at ALC this year, teaching a unit in the college’s higher education program.

58

Way Forward team completes evaluation of submissions

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During July and August around 50 members of the Way Forward team and working groups devoted many hours to evaluating 60 submissions received from church members from across the LCANZ.

The submissions were assessed against key criteria set by the General Church Board (GCB) and the College of Bishops (CoB), including the extent to which they met the intent of the General Synod resolution for ‘one church with two ordination practices’.

‘This was not an easy process, as the working groups assessing the submissions consist of people with different experiences, backgrounds and views’, said Stella Thredgold, director of the Way Forward project. ‘But the effort was worth it, as the best outcomes are reached from the benefit of diverse perspectives.

‘The teams have worked together to discuss some challenging aspects and differing opinions, resulting in agreement through compromise, respect and openness. This shows that diverse views do not need to be an impediment to unity and commitment to a shared goal.’

Stella said that, overall, the submissions demonstrated a good understanding of the challenging issues confronting the church at this time and provided helpful insights and frameworks for how these issues might be addressed.

‘The team sends a heartfelt thankyou to everyone who contributed a submission and also to the many people who sent words of encouragement and suggestions for how the process could be improved’, she said. ‘Be assured that we are taking your feedback on board as we all work towards a united church in which people are respected as brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of their personal views on ordination.’

GCB and CoB met in person in mid-August, dedicating four hours to the Way Forward project, including reviewing progress to date and providing guidance and leadership for the next phases. They also noted that a pastoral care plan has been developed and that a major communication to congregations was planned for late September.

For more information go to: www.lca.org.au/wayforward

59

SA–NT District bishop installed

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Pastor Andrew Brook was installed as the new Bishop of the South Australia – Northern Territory District of the LCANZ on 3 September in a service at Concordia College in suburban Adelaide.

Installed by LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith, Bishop Andrew was elected unopposed at the district’s Convention of Synod at Victor Harbor, south of Adelaide in May.

He has succeeded Bishop David Altus, who did not seek re-election after 13 years in the role and who had been acting as ‘caretaker bishop’ since the convention.

Bishop Andrew has been lead pastor at St John’s Lutheran Church at Unley in South Australia since 2017, prior to that serving in the Victoria–Tasmania District at Burnie–Devonport, Tasmania, and Good Shepherd, Ringwood, and St Paul’s Box Hill, both in suburban Melbourne. He also served as the Victoria–Tasmania District Pastor for Child, Youth, Tertiary and Family Ministry and was a tertiary chaplain at the University of Melbourne, and pastor to the student congregation meeting at St John’s Southgate, in central Melbourne.

60

LCA’s treasured hymnbook turns 50

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A fixture in many homes and churches across the LCANZ, the Lutheran Hymnal turns 50 this month.

Authorised by the Lutheran Church of Australia and first published by Lutheran Publishing House in October 1973, the treasured and popular volume of hymns, liturgy, prayers, worship orders and information, was into its second edition by June 1974 and its first reprint by 1980.

Among the events and celebrations marking the anniversary was a Friends of Lutheran Archives gathering at North Adelaide in late August. ‘United in song – the story behind the Lutheran Hymnal (1973)’, the meeting featured ALC pastoral studies student Jacob Fabich as guest speaker and Andrew Ampt as organist to lead the hymn singing.

The event showcased the history of the hymnal, including why a new hymnbook was needed in place of one published in 1922; the fact it took 22 years to produce, with work beginning across the two synods 15 years before the birth of the LCA; the people responsible for its development; and the church’s reaction to what was the biggest publishing venture the LCA has ever undertaken.

The meeting’s program was live-streamed and can be accessed online at the Friends of Lutheran Archives YouTube channel.

In Canberra, the Lutheran Hymnal’s birthday was to be marked at Hymnfest on 30 September at St Peter’s Lutheran Church at Reid.

Organised in collaboration with the Royal School of Church Music, the event was planned to include a choir and a performance by Sydney city organist Robert Ampt, brother of well-known Adelaide organist Andrew Ampt.