The Lutheran February-March 2025 Digital Edition

LUTHERAN

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Editor Lisa McIntosh

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Executive Editor Linda Macqueen

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LUTHERAN CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA

The Lutheran informs the members of the LCANZ about the church’s teaching, life, mission and people, helping them to grow in faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. The Lutheran also provides a forum for a range of opinions, which do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor or the policies of the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand.

Chilling out before a busy year

Australian Lutheran College (ALC) Principal Tim Stringer recently took the chance to escape Adelaide’s summer heat and catch up on some essential reading before a game with the Adelaide Vintage Reds in the Old Timers Ice Hockey Australia Network. Dr Tim and the staff at ALC are looking forward to a busy and exciting year, with the largest number of new pastoral ministry enrolments in more than a decade set to begin studies towards pastoral ministry. Read more on page 25.

Send us a photograph featuring a recent copy of The Lutheran and it may appear on page 2 of a future issue and on our website at www.thelutheran.com.au

People like YOU bring love to life

Austin Gogel

St Mark’s Lutheran Church, Mount Barker, SA Aerospace engineering student

Most treasured Bible text: Matthew 7:7,8

‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you ...’

Fiona Wagenknecht

St John’s Lutheran Church, Esperance, WA

Office manager/financial officer

Most treasured Bible text: Colossians 2:6,7

‘ … just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.’

Graham Pfeffer

Bundaberg Lutheran Parish, Qld Parish pastor

Most treasured Bible text: Proverbs 3:5,6

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.’

Let the light of someone you know shine through their photo being featured in The Lutheran and LCA Facebook. With their permission, send us a good quality photo, their name and details (congregation, occupation and most treasured text) and your contact details.

As I write this, the new year is only a couple of weeks old but 2025 already seems to be flying by. And I wonder how many of you, like me, have begun it with some good intentions about making changes for the better this year.

If you have made a New Year’s resolution, is it about getting fitter and losing weight? Perhaps you’ll aim to read more and watch less TV … or drink more water and less alcohol. You might plan to cease being a slave to your work emails. Or maybe your goal is to buy fewer things you don’t need and to give more to charity instead.

But whatever you hope and intend to change about yourself or your life in 2025, do you think you’ll achieve it for the whole 12 months? I hope you do and that this year is a happy and healthy one for all our readers. But will it be devastating or merely disappointing if you lack the discipline and the willpower (or should that be ‘won’t-power’?) to keep going with your commitment? If you fail, will you try again or throw in the towel until 1 January 2026?

We can put a lot of thought, time and energy into making promises to ourselves about our physical and mental wellbeing. Don’t get me wrong, both are important and indeed our creator God wants us to take good care of our physical, mental and emotional selves, as we are reminded in 1 Corinthians 6:19 (Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?).

But what about our spiritual fitness? Do we make as many resolutions about that? And what can we do to improve it? Is it simply a matter of making prayer, worship and Bible study greater priorities in our lives? Or do we need a spiritual personal trainer to show us how to build some spiritual ‘muscle’ and make the improvements we need to sing with gusto that beautiful hymn ‘It is well with my soul’?

Of course, there’s nothing we can actually do to make ourselves fit for heaven or right with God. He’s already done everything through Jesus’ death and resurrection. But God does want us to know the abundant blessings of a spiritually ‘fit’ life.

So, in this edition, we are pleased to share stories from our LCANZ family about some of the spiritual disciplines that may encourage growth in our faith life and our relationship with God. Some of these already play a familiar and frequent role in our Lutheran tradition, while others might be new to us. I hope you will be challenged and encouraged by reading them, as I have been.

Also, our popular regular columns are back and there are wonderful resources to discover and explore and plenty of news to catch up on.

May God bless your reading,

Getting spiritually fit

Blisters and blessings – on the road with the body of believers

Sabbath as a gift of grace

Uplifted by family and faith on ancient paths

Retracing the steps of ancestors

What does is mean to dwell in Scripture

Diving deep into the word

Because we bear your name: Bishop Paul’s letter

Dwelling in God’s word

Congregational Life (formerly Go and Grow)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following pages may contain images of people who have died. Our cover: iStock.com.

BISHOP PAUL’S LETTER Because we bear your name

Lutheran in All Lands: The Wonderful Works of God – that was the title of a hardback book I purchased at a sale of old theological books way back in 1980. That was my first year at seminary. The book was written in 1894 by Dr J Lenker in the USA and told amazing stories of the mission of God in Lutheran communities around the world. I remember being inspired reading the pages. Dr Lenker wrote of Christians of our Lutheran confessional witness in all corners of the globe, including in our own backyard here in the Asia-Pacific.

Little could I have imagined at the time, that I would one day be in Hong Kong, representing our LCANZ at a gathering of Lutheran leaders from those many lands, particularly from our region. This was the November 2024 Asia Church Leadership Conference attended by representatives from India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Nepal, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Cambodia, the Holy Land and, of course, Australia. I attended with our Interim Assistant to the Bishop for International Mission, Erin Kerber.

In Dr Lenker’s book, he included a table listing the number of ‘baptised members’ of the Lutheran churches of the different regions. Many of those numbers of our Asia-Pacific region in the 1894 table were in their hundreds and thousands. Today they are numbered in their hundreds of thousands and millions.

well as destruction of property. They ask us to pray, to speak out and to visit. They ask especially that we do not forget them, nor turn a blind eye.

Theological education for mission is a vital concern for Lutheran leaders in our region. Our Australian Lutheran College continues to be held in very high regard and a number of regional scholars are interested to discover more about the approach to the distributed learning model that has been developed at ALC.

There were two key words spoken over and over during the days of the leadership conferences in Hong Kong, that Erin and I attended on your behalf. These two words were: evangelisation and discipleship. What are new ways to reach out to the neighbour with the hope-filled good news of Jesus Christ? What are the tried and tested ways to evangelise others with the joy of salvation? How do we purposefully and creatively disciple our Christian people to live by faith as salt and light in the world?

THE REGIONAL CHURCHES OF OUR MISSION PARTNERSHIPS EARNESTLY WANT YOU TO HEAR OF THEIR THANKSGIVING FOR THE MISSIONARY HEART OF THE LCANZ.

These sisters and brothers of our Lutheran Confession cherish you, their sisters and brothers of the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand. A number of the leaders have studied here among us, like the president of the India Evangelical Lutheran Church, Rev Dr J Priestly Balasingh. A number maintain strong mission partnerships with us, such as Rev Keov Sreyleak Touch, Bishop of the Lutheran Church Cambodia. Our Lutheran neighbours receive the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand as a confessional and evangelical conservative neighbouring Lutheran church. In particular, the regional churches of our mission partnerships earnestly want you to hear of their thanksgiving for the missionary heart of the LCANZ.

At the leadership gathering in Hong Kong, we also heard about suffering. In our region there is significant persecution of Christians in some places, including violence toward people as

At the end of my inspiring time among our Lutheran neighbours, I reflected on this extraordinary, flourishing community of Lutheran Christians in our Asia-Pacific region. I found myself praying, earnestly asking the Lord of the Church to show us how we might better gather our young people into this experience of the wider shared mission of our Lutheran communities in our part of the ‘wonderful works of God’. This is a challenge for our church.

For these regular reflections in The Lutheran, I have chosen to use the title of the wonderful Australian Lutheran song of faith, ‘Because we bear your name’, co-written by Dr John Kleinig and Dr Robin Mann. One prayerful line of this song captures our shared witness with our sisters and brothers of the Lutheran churches of the Asia-Pacific region: ‘Help us receive each other, Lord, for you receive the least of us and come to us in them – because we bear your name.’

In Christ,

REV PAUL SMITH Bishop, Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand

GETTING FIT

Spiritual discipline is a term I’ve hardly ever heard used in our Lutheran Church. Instead, we think of it more with the Catholic traditions of Christianity. It certainly doesn’t sound like much fun ... it could even evoke notions of punishment.

But while they may not always be easy, spiritual disciplines are not given to us by God to punish us. Rather, they have been written about and encouraged in the Bible as practices that help us to grow in faith and our relationship with God. They can add blessings to our walk with Christ, both individually and communally.

Lists of what constitutes a spiritual discipline differ. In his book Celebration of Discipline, Quaker theologian, pastor and author Richard J Foster outlines 12 disciplines: prayer, Bible study, fasting, meditation, simplicity, solitude, submission, service, confession, worship, guidance and celebration.

BY LISA MCINTOSH

Our ultimate example comes from Christ himself, who perfectly modelled spiritual practices during his earthly ministry.

He prayed to his Heavenly Father often and taught us how to pray (Matthew 6:5–15). Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness before starting his public ministry, strengthening his spirit even as his body was weakened (Luke 4:1–14, see also Matthew 6:16–18).

We also know that Jesus regularly worshipped publicly, going to the synagogue often (Luke 4:16).

OUR ULTIMATE EXAMPLE COMES FROM CHRIST, WHO PERFECTLY MODELLED SPIRITUAL PRACTICES.

Other lists include pilgrimage, rest, memorising Scripture, evangelism, stewardship, charity, chastity and more.

Importantly, spiritual disciplines are not laws we must abide by. They don’t save but they do change us. When we practise them regularly and intentionally, they can point us to God, opening our hearts and allowing his Spirit to transform our lives and draw us into closer fellowship with him.

They are a help in improving our spiritual fitness, provided the focus stays on Jesus and what he has done for us.

Of course, studying and knowing the Scriptures was critically important to him. Even at the age of 12, his knowledge had astounded the teachers at the temple (Luke 2:41–47).

While crowds followed Jesus everywhere once news of his teaching, preaching and miracles spread, he also knew the importance of solitude and rest, withdrawing from the hordes (Luke 5:16) and even encouraging his disciples to do likewise (Mark 6:31).

Service is another spiritual discipline we see exemplified by Jesus – it was his whole reason for coming to dwell among us, as we read in the Gospel of Mark: ‘For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many’ (Mark 10:45).

In the following pages, you’ll encounter testimonies about the blessings of spiritual disciplines for a Christian’s walk with Jesus. Perhaps you may consider trying something new!

When people think of a pilgrimage, many would imagine a once-in-a-lifetime undertaking – travailing dangerous roads to the Holy Land, crossing the Pyrenees mountains as part of the Camino de Santiago, or persevering through the gruelling 2,000 kilometres of the Via Francigena from the UK to Rome.

The term ‘pilgrimage’ may evoke a relic of the past – a lone traveller bearing a staff and pilgrim shell, showing the pious devotion of a medieval peasant.

What many people probably wouldn’t envisage is a mass of 700 people – children, teenagers, mums, dads and grandparents – trudging through the Victorian countryside from one cathedral to another.

But that’s my reality as a pilgrim.

The Christus Rex (Latin for ‘Christ the King’) pilgrimage is an annual 97-kilometre walk from Ballarat to Bendigo. The hundreds of participants meander through beautiful Victorian landscapes, setting out from one cathedral and

BY BETHANY MARSH

retiring at another, sleeping in fields and country halls, eating humble meals, singing, praising God and praying.

Worship is all in the traditional form, meaning plenty of incense, Gregorian chant, hymns, litanies, devotions, meditations, chances for communal prayer and quiet reflection – and even some bagpipes to close the day (a small nod to the Irish Catholic heritage of many taking part).

Some – including me – have been walking this since they were small children and now some of those now-adults take children of their own along. A common attribute for most attendees is that it’s not their first pilgrimage, and certainly won’t be their last.

IT’S THE BEAUTY OF CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY, THE BODY OF BELIEVERS, AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL WITH FRIENDS, NEIGHBOURS, FELLOW WANDERERS AND TOTAL STRANGERS.

I am one such ‘repeat offender’.

‘It’s in our blood’, my Dad told me one year, packing (very last-minute) at the crack of dawn on a warm October morning.

He’s a pilgrim, through and through. He’s been doing this since its inception and now hires buses to ferry the dozens of pilgrims (including 10 from our own family) from Adelaide to Ballarat.

No matter what we do, we can’t seem to avoid the irresistible urge to go back, year after year.

So, what are we trying to prove by taking three days to walk by a nondescript stretch of Victorian freeway, which could be covered in just an hour by car?

I ask myself this question every year … mostly on Day Two, 35 kilometres in, when the first blisters have well and truly formed, and my calves realise they have been chronically under-worked on the other 360 days of the year.

Left: Participants in the Christus Rex (Christ the King) annual pilgrimage from Ballarat to Bendigo, Victoria, walk alongside the Bendigo Cathedral.

Right-hand page left: Pilgrims receive some refreshments during the 97-kilometre journey.

Right-hand page right: Bethany Marsh, left, rests with her dad Robert Marsh during one of the annual pilgrimages.

And after 17 pilgrimages – and more than 1,600kms, dozens of blisters and a few sprained ankles later – I think I finally know why. There are four reasons:

1. ‘Life is a pilgrimage.’

This age-old adage is a perfect analogy for the human experience. Born, as it were, into sin in a foreign land, we each embark on our spiritual pilgrimage back towards our eternal home: God. Life, with its daily hardships and joys, its trials and abundant blessings, is that pilgrimage.

Dad was right: it is in our blood. Pilgrimage is simply part of the human psyche. And for centuries Christians have been clamouring for more.

To conquer something difficult, you should undertake something even more burdensome. Taking a cold shower in autumn makes the winter chill seem less severe. Lifting heavy weights makes household chores more manageable. And putting one foot in front of the other for 130,000 steps is no walk in the park (although we do end up in our fair share of national reserves). There’s nothing like trudging through overgrown grass on the side of the road for three days straight to give you some real strength to overcome daily hardships.

2. During those three days, I get the feeling that the pilgrimage is a little closer to what life is supposed to be. It’s a welcome break from our frenetic lifestyles that push endlessly onward, longing for the next thing, the next holiday, the next iPhone, the next job. The pilgrimage gives you permission to switch off and put aside the countless distractions vying for your attention. It gives you the ability to breathe, to live in the simplicity and honesty of God’s creation.

It’s the beauty of Christian community, the body of believers, the building up of the kingdom on earth and the opportunity to share the joy of the gospel with friends, neighbours, fellow wanderers and total strangers.

And, above all, it’s the simple joy of being surrounded by people who live as though God is alive.

3. The ‘snapshot moments’ – these are priceless moments of honesty and beauty that serve as a kind of spiritual injection for the rest of the year.

Highlights include a small army of children proudly singing church hymns by themselves, altar servers faithfully kneeling

[THERE] ARE PRICELESS MOMENTS OF HONESTY AND BEAUTY THAT SERVE AS A KIND OF SPIRITUAL INJECTION FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.

during a two-hour liturgy, an ex-army priest walking in blistering heat in full cassock, a man carrying gold candlesticks in his backpack so ‘God would have the best’, a liturgy celebrated in a forest, the smells, the bells, the crickets, the happy, grumpy and tired faces, new loves and old loves, friendships and conversations, the blisters, and the flood of gratitude when you realise there’s hot water in the showers.

All this is not to say that the pilgrimage is perfect. Each year has its distinct challenges (although I suppose that is the point).

One year it was bushfires. Another time a house fire affected a local farmer. (The pilgrims were quick to jump into action when they were woken by smoke and flames at 4am!). Then there have been mosquito plagues, fly plagues, relentless heat and subzero temperatures that only regional Victoria during spring can provide.

But these and the other trials – blisters, sunstroke, that strap on your backpack that never seems to sit comfortably – always seem to pale at the end of the three days, and you are left with the feeling of camaraderie, grace and consolation that helps you pick up your cross and continue your daily pilgrimage.

4. It’s the chance to treat time as cyclical, not linear, as you allow yourself to return to the same point, walk the same path, and recover some of the wisdom that you forgot (once again) during the year.

I am happily counting down the days until I can pack for Christus Rex 2025.

For now, though, I will continue with the pilgrimage that is life ... and, hopefully, remember the blister band-aids this time round.

Bethany Marsh is the LCANZ Communications and Engagement Officer. She attends the Latin Mass at Church of the Holy Name, Stepney, South Australia.

From humble beginnings at Bonegilla Migrant Centre near Albury NSW, welcoming and caring for people fleeing Europe after World War II … to serving more than 400,000 people last year in the world’s least-developed countries … God has blessed the compassion of our Lutheran family in Australia and New Zealand, working through ALWS to bring love to life. All are invited to join ALWS in giving thanks for 75 years of God’s goodness and grace!

ALBURY/BONEGILLA: 22–23 March 2025

• Guided tours of Bonegilla Migrant Centre

• Unveil placards of Lutheran ministry

• Bonegilla Walk My Way

• Thanksgiving service

• Stories, songs and snacks!

• Table of Eight – book launch for memoirs of former ALWS and LWF Director Brian Neldner

ADELAIDE at ALC: Saturday 3 May 2025

• Farewell to North Adelaide site

• Lutheran Ministries Community Hub

• Guided tours of ALC buildings

• Parks & River Walk My Way

• Thanksgiving service

• Food, fun and festivities!

• Table of Eight – book launch for memoirs of Brian Neldner

After creating the world, God rested on the seventh day. And ever since, the day of rest, known as ‘Shabbat’ or Sabbath, has been observed in traditional Judaism – as it is today among some other religious groups. It is not a practice widely followed in our Lutheran tradition and, in this era of sevenday trading and 24/7 connectivity, it seems ever more remote. But are we missing out on some of God’s good gifts by not observing it? We asked Pastor Nathan Hedt for his thoughts ….

THE SUBVERSIVE, GRACE-FILLED SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE OF REST

Imagine the most restful day of holiday you’ve ever experienced. A day filled with joy, restoration, and celebration – on which everything feels just right. (Go on – engage your imagination! What would that be like?)

What if you could enjoy such a day every week? This is the invitation of the Sabbath: a rhythm of grace in which we worship God, and become more fully human, by resting.

The Hebrew word for Sabbath, ‘Shabbat’, is a verb that simply means to stop or cease. It’s an invitation to step back from work, set aside burdens, and delight in God and in God’s creation.

his creation, showing us that both rest and joy are integral to the fabric of the universe.

The gods of the nations around Israel decreed that their people should worship them by doing something – offering sacrifices, engaging in ritual. In fact, the creation myths of the surrounding nations often portray the gods making human beings in order to be their slaves, in order to do the menial work.

SABBATH [IS] A RHYTHM OF GRACE IN WHICH WE WORSHIP GOD, AND BECOME MORE FULLY HUMAN, BY RESTING.

God himself modelled this rhythm at the very beginning of creation. After completing his work, he rested and declared the seventh day holy (Genesis 2:1–3). In resting, God delighted in

But Yahweh, the one true God of Israel, commanded his people to worship him by resting. This is a radical departure from the culture of the time! Simply be, simply be with God, simply receive from him.

I believe there is no spiritual discipline that has contributed more to my spiritual, physical and emotional wellbeing over many years than keeping a Sabbath day each week. It is a gift of grace to me. And I have also come to believe that, in a culture awash with the false religion of consumerism, in which you are

defined by accomplishment (what you do) and accumulation (what you own or consume), there is no spiritual discipline that is more subversive than keeping a Sabbath day.

A Sabbath is an entire 24 hours to rest and to cease productivity, accomplishment and consumption. Sabbath is a time for being, not doing.

Jesus reinforced Sabbath as a gift of grace when he said, ‘The Sabbath was made for humans, not humans for the Sabbath’ (Mark 2:27). Sabbath is not a legalistic burden, but a lifegiving practice designed to meet our deepest needs. It’s an acknowledgment that God is in charge, that his work is primary, and that we can rest in his provision.

SABBATH AS A DAY OF BLESSING

Sabbath is not just a pause from labour; it’s also a day infused with God’s blessing. In the creation account, God blessed three things: animals, humans and the Sabbath day. Each has the power to create and sustain life. Just as animals and humans bring forth new life, keeping a Sabbath generates spiritual, emotional, and physical renewal.

Scientific research echoes this truth. Studies on Seventh-day Adventists, a group that rigorously observes the Sabbath, reveal they live on average 10 years longer than their peers. Remarkably, those 10 years align with the cumulative time spent practising Sabbath over a lifetime. This data underscores that Sabbath is life-giving, as God intended.

Beyond physical benefits, Sabbath blesses us with joy, relationship and worship. It’s a day to celebrate creation, dwell in God’s presence and cultivate gratitude. By setting aside one day each week for rest and delight, we align ourselves with the rhythm of creation and receive the life-giving blessings God has woven into the Sabbath.

SABBATH AS A DAY OF LIBERATION

The Sabbath is also a day of liberation, freeing us from the relentless demands of productivity and busyness.

In Exodus 20, the command to observe the Sabbath comes with a reminder: God rested after creating the world.

By resting, we declare that we are not defined by our work or achievements but by our identity as God’s beloved children.

In Deuteronomy 5, the Sabbath command is linked to the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Observing the Sabbath is a celebration of freedom and a rejection of the oppressive systems that demand constant labour. It’s a reminder that God’s people are not slaves to work, consumerism, or technology. Instead, we are invited to rest in the freedom God provides.

In today’s fast-paced world, the Sabbath confronts the ‘productivity myth’ – the belief that our worth is tied to how much we accomplish.

Sabbath invites us to embrace our humanity, reject the idol of busyness, and rest in God’s goodness.

Jesus also saw the Sabbath as a day of liberation. In Luke 13, he encounters a woman in the synagogue on a Sabbath who has been bent over for many years and unable to straighten. He heals her, and when he is criticised for healing on the Sabbath, he says, ‘… Should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for 18 long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?’

PLANNING AND TAKING A SABBATH DAY

Although it’s called a ‘spiritual discipline’, practising Sabbath is actually a matter of the body and mind. Practising Sabbath requires intentionality and discipline. For many, it’s a countercultural choice that disrupts the relentless rhythm of modern life.

Yet the rewards are profound.

Start by choosing a day for your Sabbath. Traditionally, Jews observe it from Friday evening to Saturday evening, while many Christians celebrate it on Sunday. Regardless of the day, the key is to set aside 24 hours for rest and delight.

Preparation is crucial. Shift necessary tasks to other days of the week to create space for Sabbath.

For instance, if cooking feels like labour, prepare meals in advance. If you enjoy cooking, make it a joyful part of your Sabbath celebration! Families with children may find it challenging, but involving children in Sabbath traditions can make it a day of joy and connection for everyone.

US pastor, teacher and writer John Mark Comer, in The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, offers a guiding question: ‘What could I do for 24 hours that would fill my soul with deep joy and gratitude?’ Let this question shape your Sabbath practices. Whether it’s spending time with loved ones, enjoying nature, reading, or worshipping, focus on activities that rejuvenate your spirit and draw you closer to God.

Cease from technology (yes, put your phone away for 24 hours!), and from anything that feels like work. Embrace family

IN A CULTURE IN WHICH YOU ARE DEFINED BY ACCOMPLISHMENT AND ACCUMULATION, THERE IS NO SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE THAT IS MORE SUBVERSIVE THAN KEEPING A SABBATH DAY.

and friends. Feast. Be in God’s presence and be present to your loved ones.

The chapter on Sabbath in The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry presents some wonderfully practical suggestions for integrating Sabbath into your life.

Expect resistance, especially if Sabbath is new to you. Our culture thrives on constant activity, and slowing down may feel uncomfortable at first. You may feel like you are going through withdrawal from an addictive drug (which you are – adrenaline and dopamine!) But, as you persist, you’ll discover the lifegiving rhythm of grace that Sabbath offers.

In conclusion, Sabbath is a profound gift from God – a day of grace, blessing and liberation. It’s an invitation to step off the treadmill of busyness and enter the rest that only God can provide. By planning and practising Sabbath, we honour God’s design, nurture our wellbeing and experience the joy of living in his presence.

May you embrace this rhythm of grace and discover the rest, joy and renewal that come from observing the Sabbath. Let it be a day of delight that draws you closer to God and reminds you of His unchanging love and grace.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you are so gracious to us that you command us to worship you by resting. Thank you that there is nothing that we need to do to enter into a relationship with you, but that you have already done it all through Jesus our Lord.

Lord Jesus, in the midst of our incredibly busy lives, would you please, by your Holy Spirit, lead us to know the deep truth of your words that the Sabbath was created to meet the needs of human beings?

Holy Spirit, please lead us into the delight and joy of keeping Sabbath. Amen

Nathan Hedt has been serving as the LCANZ’s Pastor for New and Renewing Churches and has accepted a call to serve at Luther College Croydon in Victoria.

Resources to learn more and offer encouragement to keep Sabbath

Two sermons Pastor Nathan preached on the spiritual discipline of Sabbath during Melbourne’s COVID lockdowns have formed the basis of this article. You can access the Zoom recordings of the sermons listed at the links below:

Sabbath sermon, part 1: A day of rest https://tinyurl.com/sabbathdayofrest

Sabbath sermon, part 2: A day of liberation https://tinyurl.com/sabbathliberation

Bible studies on Sabbath can be requested from Pastor Nathan by emailing him at nathan.hedt@lca.org.au

Books to help in practising Sabbath

• John Mark Comer. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to stay emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world

• Eugene Peterson. Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity (Chapter III: Prayer Time is all about keeping Sabbath)

• Marva Dawn. Keeping the Sabbath Wholly: Resting, Ceasing, Feasting, Embracing.

Retired Lutheran teacher Sue Munchenberg hadn’t been looking to walk 140 kilometres through Portugal when a call from her son sparked the idea. So, encouraged and accompanied by two of her children, Sue completed a route of the world’s best-known pilgrimage. Most people call it the Camino de Santiago or the Way of St James but to Sue it was ‘a spiritual experience not to be missed’. While the journey was physically hard, she says her cherished faith and family uplifted her along the way.

I ALSO DISCOVERED RESERVES OF STRENGTH, ENDURANCE AND PERSEVERANCE THAT I DIDN’T KNOW I HAD … IT WAS A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE NOT TO BE MISSED.

BY SUE MUNCHENBERG

A phone call from my 50-something son – ‘Sue, I need to travel again!’ – was all it took.

I had read several engaging novels involving pilgrimages, including the highly regarded Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. I also experienced a little of the Camino when visiting France a while back. So, I thought, ‘why not?!’

Declaring the intention at a family gathering encouraged my youngest daughter to join us. And so, over the next few months, we planned our journey. We booked our pre-pilgrimage accommodation and all our transport and I started training!

Camino De Santiago, or Way of St James, is an ancient Christian pilgrimage. St James, one of Jesus’ disciples, travelled to Spain after Jesus’ death to spread the gospel. But when he returned to Jerusalem, he was beheaded by King Herod. His body was ceremoniously wrapped, transported by boat, then taken overland to what became Santiago De Compostela.

Back in the ninth century, when pilgrims first walked the Camino, they would begin from their homes. However, over time, a series of distinct, formalised routes emerged. After researching our options, with consideration of our travel window and my age (then a ‘sprightly’ 76), the Portuguese Camino seemed the best option. We elected to take the ‘spiritual variant’ of that route, despite it contributing an additional 40 km to our 100-km walk.

Many people were somewhat bemused at our plans – ‘Are you religious? I didn’t know you were Catholic! What’s a Camino? How far will you walk? Why walk when you can take transport? What’s the point?’ – but I was undeterred.

The reasons for doing a Camino will differ with each person. However, everyone will experience an immersion into a historic world of chapels, churches, cathedrals and monasteries, ancient agricultural landscapes, wonderful regional cuisine and a shared sense of mission with fellow pilgrims.

We elected to go in April 2024. And, with beautiful crisp mornings, the bluest of skies, mid-to-upper 20-degree Celsius days, and gorgeous spring foliage, it was an excellent decision! We spent the first two weeks of our trip exploring Barcelona, Grenada and Seville in Spain and Portugal’s Lisbon and Porto

Sue Munchenberg, right, on the path of the Portuguese Camino with her daughter Heidi and son Jerome. The trio was excited to reach a marker depicting that there was less than 5 kms of their 140 km journey remaining.

before commencing our Camino from the medieval town of Tui. From there we walked to and stayed at O Porrino, Arcade, Pontevedra, Armenteira, Vilanova de Arousa, Padron and, finally, Santiago De Compostela.

We used a tour company for our pilgrimage. They transported luggage from stay to stay, allowing us to walk with lightened backpacks. They also organised excellent accommodation, with some meals. Our stays varied from beautiful private homes to hotels, and even a stunning refurbished monastery! Hiking 140kms over seven days (on four we walked more than 21kms) meant a comfortable bed and private bathroom was just what was needed at the end of each day.

After following the well-signposted path for seven days, we finally reached Santiago De Compostela, where we took the obligatory photo in front of the cathedral and duly waited in line to receive our stamped Camino passports and certificates. I even hugged St James, (a tradition since the 13th century!), who is reportedly interred in the cathedral crypt.

Would I recommend the pilgrimage? A resounding ‘YES!’ It’s quite the experience to walk ancient paths dotted with ancient stone crucifixes and to sit down and meditate in humble chapels and grand churches and cathedrals.

During the most physically challenging times, those peaceful, prayerful pauses – and the love and encouragement of my family – kept me going. And while the adoration of Mary and relics of the saints is somewhat foreign to me, I found many spaces incredibly worshipful. I listened to a majestic pipe organ playing in a huge cathedral and heard nuns exquisitely singing the Eucharist in a small chapel. It was so very uplifting.

To share the experience with my children was priceless. I also discovered reserves of strength, endurance and perseverance I didn’t know I had, and valued the camaraderie shared, with my children especially, but also with other pilgrims. It was a spiritual experience not to be missed. Buen Camino! (Happy journeys!)

RETRACING THE STEPS OF ANCESTORS

While our Lutheran Church doesn’t have a strong tradition of pilgrimage, it’s something Pastor Mark Whitfield from St Paul’s in Christchurch, New Zealand, believes should be encouraged.

Pastor Mark organised and participated in the ‘Pilgrimage of Faith’ from Wellington to Marton on NZ’s North Island in 2010, walking with between four and 17 others, including his three daughters (pictured below). That 160-kilometre trek retraced the steps Pastor Mark’s forebears took in 1860 having come from Germany, via South Australia, before establishing St Martin’s Lutheran Church at Marton.

‘There is something beautiful about taking the time to step in the steps of other people of faith that have gone before us’, he says. ‘Maybe there's something of the "cloud of witnesses" here, spurring us on into our own history, walking with God, trusting where he is leading. I found the rhythm of pilgrimage so inspiring – daily worship or devotion, where we focused on a God who shepherds his people, and then the conversations (Spirit-inspired) that took place as we walked.’

Pastor Mark says pilgrimage can help us recognise ‘how God has been active in our life, planting and nurturing faith in us, through the Spirit-inspired witness of our forebears and those who walk alongside us’.

‘My great grandfather, Gustav Hermann Nitschke, wrote to his children just before he died in 1939: “Your sainted mother and I have had you brought up in the Christian faith … whatever else we have done for you is of no real importance ... and it is therefore my dying hope and prayer that you may continue steadfastly in this faith, and make the kingdom of God your first concern, for it alone has abiding value”.’

Pastor Mark Whitfield walked from Wellington to Marton, NZ, in 2010 to retrace his forebears’ steps. Among fellow ‘pilgrims’ were his three daughters, with then five-year-old Charlotte carrying a cross made from the wood of a tree planted by early Lutheran settlers.

Sue Munchenberg is a retired teacher, pastor’s wife, mother of four and a member at Faith Lutheran Church Warradale, in Adelaide's south-west suburbs.

Jerome, Heidi and Sue mark reaching the Santiago De Compostela Cathedral after their seven-day trek on one of the Camino routes.

BY JOANNE CHAMBERLAIN

The spiritual practice of ‘dwelling in the word’ may sound simple enough, but it can have a deep and profound effect on the way we understand the character of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

In small groups, it is a great way to study Scripture together, while also learning to listen well – both to God and to each other. There are multiple methods of ‘dwelling in the word’, but the basic premise is this:

Choose a section of Scripture. Read it through slowly twice, pausing in between and looking for any word or phrase that stands out to you. Take some time to note the following:

• What do you notice?

• What question or curiosity arises for you?

• What do you think God is saying to us now in our current context?

Next, take a couple of minutes to share with another person what you have discerned. Then as a group, people are invited to share what they heard the other person say.

Open and close with a prayer asking for the opening of participants’ hearts and minds and that the Holy Spirit would guide your thoughts, direct your conversations, and clarify your vision.

In the process of ‘dwelling in the word’, I have seen individuals and congregations as a whole transformed by the renewing of their minds – specifically, they are building their ‘muscle’ of listening well.

When we take on a posture of reading to wonder what God is saying and listening to others with a curiosity of understanding another’s perspective, our entire focus is on God speaking

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW THAT IS DISCOVERED AND A DEEPENING OF FAITH IN THE WAY WE CAN GROW TOGETHER THROUGH DWELLING IN THE WORD.

through Scripture and through others. I am constantly delighted by conversations that are sparked through this practice and never grow tired of reading the same Scripture over and over with groups of people.

There is always something new that is discovered and a deepening of faith in the way we can grow together through dwelling in the word.

Some people – such as the congregation at Buderim in Queensland (see page 15) – choose to dwell on one reading for an entire year (or for multiple years) and still find new insight and meaningful discernment each time they return to the passage. I encourage you to consider if this could be your spiritual practice for 2025.

As Martin Luther said: ‘Where the Spirit does not open the Scripture, the Scripture is not understood even though it is read.’

Joanne Chamberlain is the Mission Mobiliser for the LCANZ’s South Australia-Northern Territory District.

BY LISA MCINTOSH

In 1972 in his Peanuts comic strips, cartoonist Charles M Schulz had Snoopy begin reading Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace one word each day. Of course, the comedic value in this narrative is the sheer ridiculousness of this impossible task, with the word count of the literary epic being beyond 560,000.

But Schulz may also have been commenting on our Western society’s preference for instant gratification – speed over substance. We want everything we want quickly and then move on. There’s no time to reflect on or appreciate God’s good gifts.

Focusing on one thing slowly and deliberately, taking in everything we experience, can be viewed as a waste of time. But, applied to the things of God, this ‘counter-cultural’ approach can bring many blessings, says Pastor Dan Mueller. Pastor Dan and his congregation at Immanuel, Buderim, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, are spending 2025 dwelling in just one verse of Scripture. One Bible verse for the whole year! Pastor Dan says they’ve learnt a lot and grown spiritually through the practice that began in 2023.

holding up a gem and becoming aware of the multiple facets. We’re always seeing this gem in a new light.’

Pastor Dan says this idea grew from hearing that the congregation at St Luke’s Albury in southern New South Wales had dwelt in just one passage for many years, reading and praying it over and over.

At Immanuel, the annual verse chosen by church leaders is launched in January. Bookmarks, fridge magnets, and computer and smartphone ‘wallpapers’ with the verse on them are distributed and it is printed and placed around the church site. There are Bible studies and sermon series on the verse and the text is included regularly in the prayers of the church and at meetings. There are opportunities throughout the year for members to share the new things they learn about the verse.

‘GOD’S WORD IS RICH AND DEEP. THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH IN JUST ONE VERSE FOR A WHOLE YEAR OF REFLECTION.’

‘A typical New Year’s resolution for Christians is to read the whole Bible in one year’, Pastor Dan says. ‘This is a noble goal, but many experience failure. Does this resolution come from a place of wanting God to dwell closely with us, or perhaps from one of achievement?

‘God’s word is rich and deep’, he says. ‘There is more than enough in just one verse for a whole year of reflection. We circle around it and see it from different points of view – it’s like

‘Dwelling’ in one Bible verse for a year has brought blessings for Pastor Dan Mueller and members at Immanuel, Buderim, in Queensland. This year’s verse, shared on bookmarks, magnets, posters and screensavers is John 14:27. Last year, they focused on Jeremiah 6:16 (top).

So, instead, we read one verse for the whole year. We find it gives us a focus and helps us to recognise people’s gifts. We’ve been surprised to see how God has kept bringing the verse to our attention and connecting it to what has been happening in our lives, our church and community, as well as in the wider church and world.’

Pastor Dan suggests that for anyone keen to try the ‘one verse for a year’ approach to dwelling in God’s word, it’s helpful to choose a text containing plenty of word pictures or metaphors and one that is short enough to memorise, yet long enough to have some ‘meat’.

This year’s Immanuel selection is John 14:27: ‘Jesus said: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’ And, at a time when we may be anxious about what the year may bring, that’s certainly worth remembering!

LUTHER’S MORNING AND EVENING PRAYERS

Before praying these prayers, you may wish to make the sign of the cross and say: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Then say the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer, followed by the appropriate prayer below.

MORNING PRAYER

Thank you, Father in heaven, through your Son Jesus Christ, for protecting me all night from harm and danger. Protect me today from all sin and evil, so that everything I do will please you. I put myself and all I have into your hands. Send your holy angel to be with me, so that the devil will have no power over me. Amen.

EVENING PRAYER

Thank you, Father in heaven, through your Son Jesus Christ, for being good to me and protecting me today. Forgive me all the wrong things I have done. Protect me tonight. I put myself and all I have into your hands. Send your holy angel to be with me, so that the devil will have no power over me. Amen.

DWELLING IN GOD’S WORD

BY STEPHEN ABRAHAM

What was the first thing that went through your mind as you opened your eyes and woke this morning?

And what was the last thing that went through your mind before you went to sleep last night?

Are conversations with God a regular part of your morning or nightly routines?

Read Psalm 5:3, Mark 1:35 and Psalm 55:17. What do these passages tell us about prayer?

One of the best things my mother did with me and my two sisters was our nightly devotional time. We would read a devotion from Little Visits With God, talk about it, say the Lord’s Prayer and/or the Apostles’ Creed and then recite from memory Luther’s Evening Prayer, ‘Now I lay me down to sleep’ or the last verse of Silent Night

Years later, as I looked into Luther’s teaching on prayer and the prayers in his Small Catechism, it dawned on me powerfully that our nightly routine was exactly what Luther intended!

What was your own experience – if any – with a childhood prayer or devotion routine?

The discipline of daily habitual prayer is described all through Scripture; from The Shema being said when we lie down and when we wake up (Deuteronomy 6:4–9), to the mid-morning, midday and mid-afternoon practice of prayer that had become Jewish practice in Jesus’ time and was carried on by the disciples and early church. (See Psalm 55:17, Acts 2:15, 3:1, 10:9.) The early church text the Didache mentions saying the Lord’s Prayer at these times.

Read Psalm 119:164. What does this text call us to do?

One of the things I love about Luther’s Morning and Evening Prayers (see them on this page) is that my first words of the day are of my faith – committing the day ahead to the Lord – and that my last words of my day are likewise to my Lord.

When we sleep we are vulnerable. We lose conscious control of our bodies and environment. We don’t know what comes next. What will we wake up to? Will we even wake at all?

The genius of Luther’s Evening Prayer is that it encapsulates this sentiment: ‘If this night is my last, well Lord God, that is up to you. I entrust all I love and care for in this present world into your hands. At this gateway of existence, my last earthly thought is of my loved ones, and my last words are words to you, my rock and my redeemer. My future is in your hands –whether in this world or the next. Regardless, I know your angels are guarding me and my loved ones.’

In her later years, when my mum had major surgery that she might not have survived, she was understandably nervous and concerned. So, I reminded her what she did with us kids each night. I said: ‘Let’s pray Luther’s Evening Prayer. And, as they wheel you into surgery and the anaesthetic puts you under, just keep repeating that prayer. Or say the Lord‘s Prayer or the Creed or see how far you get in reciting the Small Catechism

Mum came through that surgery. When I spoke to her next she was excited at all she could remember of the Small Catechism and the comfort that her last thoughts would be of her Lord and Saviour.

To start this study, I asked a question: What are your last thoughts before going to sleep and what are your first thoughts as you rise in the morning?

I’ve made it my habit to say the invocation as I wake up: ‘In the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit’ and then to pray Luther’s Morning Prayer or the Lord’s Prayer followed by other prayers if I feel led. At night, I say the Luther’s Evening Prayer – or meditate on each petition. It’s a simple routine that works for me. Maybe it can work for you, too.

Stephen Abraham is a musician and Lutheran pastor who retired early due to a severe spinal injury and resulting chronic pain, as shared through Lutheran Media (Go to https://www.messagesofhope.org.au/ chronic-pain-2/). As his condition allows, Stephen serves his local church and school. He also writes and records music and Christian meditations, shared at www.youtube.com/StephenAbrahamMusic

ENCOURAGING PRAYER DURING LENT

BY JODI BROOK

Prayer is an act of worship and an expression of our faith. We communicate with God, through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. Throughout his life, Jesus modelled ways to pray, but still, the disciples asked him how to do it. Jesus gave them, and us, the Lord’s Prayer. He is not teaching us what to say but how to pray (Luke 11:2–4).

Through prayer, we come close to God, and God comes close to us. We can bring to him anything we want to talk about and can pray with and for others. We encourage you to pray daily during Lent for your family, community and those near and far. Use the Prayer Cross as a guide (https://www.growministries.org.au/wp-content/ uploads/sites/15/2023/02/Prayer-Cross-40-days-of-prayer.pdf).

May your home prayer life be encouraged by knowing that:

• Jesus modelled how to pray and gave us words to say in the Lord’s Prayer.

• Simple thank-you prayers for each other are an easy way to begin. Thank God for the small and large moments, the ordinary and the sacred times.

• There are many ways to pray: bedtime prayers, mealtime prayers, prayers of thanks and praise to God.

• A simple blessing can create a special time and bond within families. As family members leave for school or work, simply say, ‘God bless you’.

• God is always ready to listen to everything we have to say.

GIFT (GROWING IN FAITH TOGETHER) LENT

Passing on the Christian faith involves a partnership of generations, individuals and families. GIFT Lent is an excellent resource to share the rituals and traditions of Lent and Easter in a fun, interactive way. It works well to encourage families to share their faith at home with activities for all ages. It is an excellent resource for schools and is full of activities, craft, worship ideas and dramas. GIFT Lent provides all you need to hold an intergenerational worship service and/or event.

This resource includes:

• Worship ideas

• Dramas

• Worship activity

• Activities

• Take home sheets for families

• And so much more ...

You can download GIFT Lent at www.growministries.org.au/product/gift-lent

BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT EXERCISE

BY ANNE HANSEN

Last year, my husband and I took long service leave to visit our son in Switzerland and travel Europe. The last time I travelled in Europe, I was in my 20s and carried a backpack. That was more than 30 years ago, and I was much fitter! This time we traversed nine countries in eight weeks, walking an average of 15,000 steps a day and driving about 7,000 kilometres.

What drove us to do this much? Simply, we wanted to experience the fullness of the culture and see as much as we could in the time we had.

If only we all applied this to our spiritual lives! We are only on Earth for a set time that God has ordained. Don’t we want to experience the fullness of life he has prepared for us? God came to us at our baptism and lives within us, but just as our bodies get saggy without exercise, so our spirit and soul suffer without spiritual exercise.

NEW-LOOK SITE FOR LUTHERANS FOR LIFE

RESOURCES FOR GROWTH

Lutheran Tract Mission (LTM) has many resources to help build up your spiritual life and set you on a journey of closeness to your Creator. There are resources for ‘Christian Meditation’, finding ‘Inner Strength’, balancing your life, ‘Walking and Praying’, ‘Finding Oneself’, and practising regular daily Bible reading. Go to the LTM website: www.ltm.org.au and check out the Christian Growth category.

Lutherans for Life – a group within the LCANZ united by a common desire to promote the sanctity of God’s gift of human life – has a newlook web presence.

You can still find an extensive collection of resources and information about pre-birth, life and end-of-life issues at www.lca.org.au/lfl but the site has been redesigned to be easier than ever to navigate. From the homepage resources tab, you’ll also find pregnancy support resources, Bible study and group discussion resources, public statements, worship and pastoral care resources, books for sale, and more.

MISSION TO PROMOTE SANCTITY OF LIFE

Lutherans for Life seeks to:

• educate and equip Lutherans in Australia and New Zealand with resources that enable them to defend the dignity of every human life, from conception until natural death; and

• foster community responsibility for the defence of God's gift of human life, especially those whose life others would categorise as unwanted, lacking quality, worthless or otherwise dispensable

SEASONAL WORSHIP PLANNING NEEDS COVERED

The LCANZ’s Commission on Worship has been busy preparing this year's worship resources for Lent and Easter, and, as usual, you will find them available three to four weeks in advance. All resources for the current season of Epiphany are available on the Worship Planning Page website at www.lca.org.au/wpp, with Lenten service orders being published weekly. Lent begins this year on March 5 (Ash Wednesday), and continues through to Holy Week, with Easter Sunday in 2025 on April 20. In addition to Sunday services and feast days, mid-week resources for your private devotions are available under the 'Seasonal Resources' tab. For all feedback, questions and queries, please contact us at cow.commissiononworship@lca.org.au

Anne Hansen is LTM’s Tract Development Officer.

BIBLE STUDY EXPLORES MISSIONAL STEWARDSHIP

Being good stewards of all that God has blessed us with is one of our callings as Christians. But what does that mean for our everyday lives, both in our faith communities and as individuals? How can we be the best stewards of God’s gift of creation and our individual blessings of time, talents and ‘treasure’ or finances?

WHAT’S A PERSONAL GIVING PLAN?

A personal giving plan is designed to accompany the ‘missionshaped stewardship’ Bible studies. Experiences across some LCA congregations that have used it suggest it is a highly effective tool for congregational teaching and action around Christian generosity, according to Pastor Nathan Hedt.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The LCANZ’s Congregation Life Hub now features a four-part Bible study around the theme of ‘missionshaped stewardship’. This study is designed for congregations to use to explore the biblical concept and practice of stewardship. It culminates in the practical exercise of filling out a personal giving plan, which aims to encourage and empower Christian stewardship, generosity, and intentional giving.

After completing the stewardship Bible study series, individuals or couples may choose to prayerfully fill in a personal giving plan slip with a secret pledge. ‘This helps to prepare your heart and actions in the matter of Christian generosity’, Pastor Nathan says. ‘The contents of this pledge are between you and God, by the leading of the Holy Spirit.’ Pledges are placed in a sealed, self-addressed envelope and presented in the church’s offering. The envelopes remain sealed and are returned to the giver to help them put Christian generosity into practice. ‘The secret to its effectiveness is that it is intentional but not coercive – no-one else sees this but the person (or couple) who fills it in’, Pastor Nathan says.

You can access the Mission-Shaped Stewardship Bible study series and Personal Giving Plan online at www.lca.org.au/giving

BOUNCING BACK FROM THE BRINK

BY JOANNE CHAMBERLAIN

As you reflect on regrets and challenging situations, do you ever feel as though you just need a fresh start or ‘do-over’? There’s no shortage of things in this world that can cause us pain, regret and grief. Natural disasters, bad relationships, regretful decisions, lost friendships, financial stress and childhood trauma can all affect our view on life and the direction for our future. It’s no surprise that we find ourselves wondering ‘if only’. If only I had a chance to go back and do a re-do. Would that make a difference? Life can sure knock us down, but comebacks can be sweet! Getting knocked down isn’t getting knocked out. In the booklet ‘Comebacks’, you can explore what it means to come back from disaster or trauma. For inspiration on your best comeback and how God can be the vital link in restoring a hope-filled future, order or download the booklet here: https://www.messagesofhope.org.au/comebacks/

You can also find Messages of hope on streaming services Spotify and Apple Podcasts or go to www.messagesofhope.org.au

Joanne Chamberlain is Lutheran Media Communication Co-ordinator.

UPCOMING SAFE CHURCH TRAINING

BY ANGELA MAYER

PRAYER POINTS

2–8 FEB

New Zealanders on Waitangi Day – the Treaty of Waitangi between British representatives and Maori leaders was signed on 6 February in 1840

9–15 FEB

Those who have recently begun or who will later this month begin studying at ALC with the hope of serving the church in pastoral ministry

16–22 FEB

Those who work to preserve languages and use them to share the gospel, during the week of UN International Mother Language Day (21 Feb)

23 FEB–1 MAR

Leaders and members of congregations who are without a pastor to serve alongside them

2–8 MAR

That Lent, which starts this week (5 Mar), will be a time of prayer, reflection and repentance

9–15 MAR

People who volunteer their time and talents in their churches and communities

16–22 MAR

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on National Close the Gap Day (20 Mar)

23–29 MAR

Residents, boards, CEOs and staff of LCANZ residential aged-care facilities and retirement villages

30 MAR–5 APR

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

By providing a Safe Church training program, the LCANZ assists congregations and other bodies to promote high standards of ethical behaviour and care for all, especially for children and others in vulnerable circumstances.

Our training is part of the commitment to reflecting God’s love through the way we treat each other and those who come into contact with our church.

LIVE ONLINE SESSIONS

There are eight LCANZ Safe Church Training live online sessions scheduled for February and March. All times are in Australian Central Daylight Time.

Australian Level 1

• Mon 3 Feb, 7.00 – 8.30pm, Induction

• Tues 11 Feb, 7.00 – 8.30pm, Safeguarding

• Sun 23 Feb, 2.00 – 3.30pm, Induction

• Sun 23 Feb, 4.00 – 5.30pm, Safeguarding

• Tues 4 Mar, 7.00 – 8.30pm, Induction

• Wed 12 Mar, 7.00 – 8.30pm, Safeguarding

Australian Level 2

• Wed 19 Feb, 7.00 – 8.30pm

• Thurs 20 Mar, 7.00 – 8.30pm

If you would like to participate in any of the above sessions, please go to the Safe Church Training webpage at www.lca.org.au/safechurchtraining and scroll to the ‘Safe Church Live Online Webinar’ section for registration links.

Alternatively, you can email psd@lca.org.au with your name, your congregation and the session you are registering for.

LECTIONARY READINGS

(9-13)

45:3-11,15

37:1-11, 39,40

15:33-38,42-50

9:28-36 (37-43)

4:1-13

16–22 MAR

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/70593-daily-biblereadings-for-2024 or as a printed booklet through the LTM office (phone 08 8360 7222) for a donation of 20c per copy.

so a child can step up! Step out ...

When Jesus welcomed the little children, he encouraged us to follow in his footsteps in bringing love to life for those overlooked and forgotten by the world. Our Lutheran Church provides practical care to the world’s poorest communities through ALWS. In 2025, to celebrate 75 years of service, ALWS aims to support 75,000 children with the essentials for a happy, healthy life – food, school and safety.

You can be part of this bold ministry goal in ALWS Walk My Way.

Give girls a go! Grow a fresh future! No one misses out!

You help make sure children have nutritious food to grow up strong. School so they are free to flourish. Safety in families independent and hopeful for the future. Whether you step out in an ALWS Walk My Way, support a walker, or give a donation, you bring love to life to help 75,000 children step up to the life every child deserves.

www.alws75.org.au

Choose your 2025 Walk My Way and be a blessing ALWayS!

ALBURY

Bonegilla Walk

Saturday 22 March

MELBOURNE

Tarneit Cultural Walk

Sunday 30 March

ADELAIDE

Parks & River Walk

Saturday 3 May

BRISBANE

Riverside Walk

Saturday 10 May

DIY

When you like, how you like – we’ll help you!

ALWS is grateful for Platinum Partner LLL

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.

Keeping busy in the

BY HELEN BRINKMAN

Early in the life of the Christian church, Paul sent a message to the congregation in the seaport of Corinth in southern Greece: ‘Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord's service is ever useless.’

About 30 years ago, that same verse – 1 Corinthians 15:58 –was stuck onto the family fridge of Lyall and Lois Kupke. It was a note of encouragement from their teenage son Tim to his busy mum.

It was a thoughtful reminder during a very busy time for the family which had not long returned to live in South Australia after almost two decades in Walla Walla, in the NSW Riverina. Lois was working as a family support worker at an emergency family shelter, run by the Lutheran Church, which provided temporary accommodation for families in need. Lyall had started as the LCA’s Archivist. And their two sons were in high school at Adelaide’s Concordia College.

Lois recalls the challenges of her job, which brought her into contact with a broad spectrum of families in need. ‘It certainly opened my eyes, and I could see how many people were in need of God in their lives’, she says.

Meanwhile, Lyall had become the first full-time, first lay person and first archivally trained director of Lutheran Archives. It was a big change after 27 years of teaching, but a move close to his heart as custodian of the church’s stories.

‘YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE BRILLIANT AT EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU HAVE A GO. IF YOU SAY “LORD, HELP ME TODAY TO DO WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO …”, HE WILL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED.’

Lyall and Lois met in 1972, as teachers at Concordia College, where Lois taught German and English, and Lyall was a history and mathematics teacher. The couple both worked on the school magazine, with Lyall doing the proofreading – a skill he continues to use to this day in a volunteer capacity as a proofreader for The Lutheran

Two years after their marriage in 1974, Lyall and Lois moved to teach at St Paul's College in Walla Walla, New South Wales, where they lived for 19 years and raised their two sons, John and Tim. Their time in Walla Walla was marked by a deep connection to the local church and community, and a love for the natural beauty of the area. They lived in a farmhouse on the edge of the Gum Swamp Reserve, surrounded by birdlife and an orchard with 36 fruit trees. ‘We went thinking we’d stay five or six years but stayed for 19 years’, says Lyall.

At age 49, Lyall’s lifelong passion for history led to a career change. It shouldn’t have been a surprise when you consider that he started studying genealogies at the ripe age of seven, spurred by the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

‘That got me interested in the genealogy of kings and queens … so I started looking through an old family encyclopedia’, he says. ‘I was only in grade three at school and I would have been seven years old. Seven-year-olds can be very inquisitive, and I had a very good teacher who encouraged a lot of inquiry.’

Lyall dedicated 19 years as LCA Archivist before retiring in 2014, including overseeing the Archives’ major move from North Adelaide to Bowden. ‘The Archives are the memory of the church. They contain the story of God at work with his people in the church here in Australia’, Lyall says. ‘They contain good stories and uplifting stories. They also contain some sad stories. And all of these are important for us to remember, whether they are good or bad, because there are lessons to be learnt.’

He still returns there twice a week as a volunteer. Lyall is also researching the history of the family’s home congregation, Zion Lutheran Church at Glynde, in suburban Adelaide, which

will celebrate the centenary of its dedication in August 2025. In retirement, Lyall and Lois remain busy serving through Zion’s community-focused activities, including language groups, a creche, a music program for preschoolers and tidying the church garden.

Lois teaches one of the Saturday English classes, which began back in 2007 for its new Sudanese members and now attracts people from many different nationalities. ‘Whether they are Koreans, Sudanese, Chinese, or Iranian, a lot of people who come in don’t know much about Christianity, and we might be one link in the chain to help them come closer to God’, she says.

Lyall's passion for history, particularly the history of the Wendish people, has also led to his involvement with the Wendish Society for more than 30 years. He is president of the society in SA which helps preserve the history and heritage of the Wendish people, who were among the early Lutheran settlers in Australia from 1848 onward.

Lyall and Lois celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in January 2024. Through the busyness of their lives, they come back to the message from one of their wedding hymns (Lutheran Hymnal 579): ‘Where’er I go, whate’er my task, the counsel of my God I ask.’

Lois reflects: ‘You don’t have to be brilliant at everything before you have a go. If you say “Lord, help me today to do what you want me to do to be of benefit to someone else”, he will give you what you need … just have a go.’

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

Above middle: Lois teaches an English class at the couple’s home congregation of Zion Lutheran Church, Glynde, in suburban Adelaide, which attracts people from many different nationalities.

Above: Lyall Kupke (centre) has been involved with the Wendish Society for more than 30 years and was on hand for the Society’s Heritage Walk launch at Rosedale, in South Australia’s

Valley, in September 2012.

Top left: Lois and Lyall Kupke attended a Queensland District Synod in 2012, with Lyall representing Lutheran Archives during his tenure as LCA Archivist.

Top right: Lyall and Lois (back, centre) celebrated their 50th anniversary in January 2014, surrounded by family members including Lyall’s late mother, Doris Kupke (front, centre), who was 102 at the time.

Barossa

NEWS FROM AROUND OUR CHURCH ...

LCA bishops explain ordination pathways

There is not one exclusive pathway to ordination in the LCANZ. There are in fact four pathways, which are explained in the ‘Candidacy Pathways for the Office of the Public Ministry’ document released to the church in December last year.

The four pathways are:

1. General Ministry Pastor

2. Specific Ministry Pastor

3. Entry from outside the LCANZ (e.g. overseas or other denomination)

4. Case by case.

The ordination pathway likely to be best known across the LCANZ is that for General Ministry Pastor (GMP). After serving out their first assignment after ordination, GMPs are eligible for a call from anywhere in the LCANZ. To be ordained as a GMP, candidates complete the Pastoral Studies Stream at Australian Lutheran College (ALC), which typically takes a minimum of four years.

Students can complete the entire course from anywhere, as all required classes are livestreamed.

As the title implies, the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program prepares candidates for service in a specific ministry, for example, in a particular congregation or parish, school or aged-care ministry, or a culturally specific ministry. Assessment of readiness for ordination is through colloquy, consisting of not fewer than three pastors appointed from case to case by the LCANZ Bishop. The timing of the colloquy is dependent on the assessment of the district bishop that the candidate is ready. Unlike GMPs, SMPs are not available for call.

Ordained pastors of other churches, including non-Lutheran churches, may be

admitted to the Roll of Pastors after they successfully complete a number of steps, including a colloquy and psychological assessment.

Finally, there might be special cases that do not fall into any of the above categories. Thus, an individualised process towards ordination will be required.

A candidate approved for ordination will have their first call under assignment by the College of Bishops. The first call will be equivalent to the graduate pastor call for GMPs, that is, participation in the Graduate Pastor Program, regularisation and a first call of four years.

LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith said the documentation on candidacy had been produced ‘to help the people of the church to better understand the different pathways that have been established to provide pastors for the mission of God amongst us’.

‘Our bishops oversee the important work of determining which candidates are properly prepared to be admitted to our LCANZ Roll of Pastors, either through ordination or otherwise’, he said.

‘I thank God for the women and men who offer their gifts to publicly proclaim the gospel. They seek to serve in the mission of God so that those who dwell in darkness would be gathered into the light of God’s love for them.

‘And as St Paul reminds us in Romans 10, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news”. This wonderful promise celebrates the blessing that God brings through the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.’

The document ‘Candidacy Pathways for the Office of the Public Ministry’ is available for download at www.lca.org.au/ ministry-pathways

Pastoral ministry enrolment rise exciting news for LCANZ

Australian Lutheran College (ALC)

Principal Rev Dr Tim Stringer says 2025 will be ‘an exciting year’ for the college – especially given the number of new pastoral ministry enrolments.

When ALC went into its summer recess in December, there were 10 confirmed new enrolments for 2025 from students seeking to become candidates for ordained ministry – the highest number in more than a decade. The group contains

men and women and includes those who feel called to be both General Ministry Pastors and Specific Ministry Pastors. Enrolments for most 2025 courses are open until mid-February.

‘Given the number of new enrolments and the academic and formational activities ALC has planned, 2025 is going to be an exciting year’, Dr Stringer said. ‘ALC is particularly excited to share that to date there are 10 confirmed enrolments for

Daily Devotion – 5

Early in December 2024, the LCA Daily Devotion reached a milestone worth celebrating when the total number of emails sent to subscribers reached 5 million! That’s 5 million daily doses of God’s word and the encouragement and inspiration carried into daily lives from reflecting on Scripture and being reminded of our Heavenly Father’s unfathomable love for us.

Since this very popular ministry began in 2017, many thousands of members and friends of the LCANZ – from Australia, New Zealand and around the world –have welcomed the devotions into their email inboxes each day.

However, when the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lockdowns and restrictions, the Daily Devotion took on a new shape and a greater importance, said LCA Communications Manager Linda Macqueen.

Rather than continuing to share previously published devotions, new meditations and reflections based on the

2025 from new students who are seeking to become candidates for the ordained ministry.

‘This is positive news not only for ALC but for our church. Please pray for these men and women as they prepare to commence their studies and other pastoral formation activities. If you or someone you know is interested in studying for the ordained ministry, it’s not too late to join this cohort.’

million sent!

daily lectionary readings were written by both lay and ordained people from across the church – a practice that continues to this day.

‘Dozens of members of our church have contributed in this way in the four years since and we thank God for the wonderful people who wrote devotions for one or more weeks in 2024’, Linda said.

‘Thank you to our writers for using your gifts to serve the thousands of us who read these words each day.’ You can see who has written devotions in the past

year at www.lca.org.au/devotions and ‘keep them in your prayers’. ‘If you're not already receiving the Daily Devotion in your inbox every day, today is a good day to start a wonderful habit guaranteed to bring blessings’, Linda said.

You can sign up at www.lca.org.au/dailydevotion-signup

You can promote LCA Daily Devotion in your church community by sharing the bulletins and announcements resources you will find on the LCA website at www.lca.org.au/b-and-a/daily-devotion

Governing bodies’ members appointed for next term

The General Church Board has appointed members to nine of the LCANZ’s boards, committees and commissions for the 20242027 synodical term. They are:

Australian Lutheran College Board of Directors

Rev Dr Stephen Haar, Rev Matt Thiele, Mr David Goedecke, Mr Mark Hughes, Mr Andrew Long, Ms Jane Mueller and Ms Ilene Thiel

Chair to be appointed by the board at the first meeting in 2025

Board for Lutheran Education Australia

Rev Reid Matthias, Ms Jillian Lange-Mohr, Dr Chris Materne, Ms Sarah Wiltshire, Ms Debbie Bennett (representative of the Council for Lutheran Education Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania), Ms Heather Vogt (representative of Lutheran Education South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia)

Representative of Lutheran Education Queensland to be advised

Chair to be appointed by the board at the first meeting in 2025

Finance Audit & Risk Committee

Mr Ben Gargett, Mr David Prenzler,

Mr Mark Waldron and Ms Kelly Mathews (GCB member on FAR)

Chair: Mr Ben Gargett

Finke River Mission Board

Pastor Rob Borgas, Pastor John Heffernan, Mr Christopher Guntner, Ms Lavinia Heffernan, Ms Marcia Hoffmann and Ms Suanne Tikoft

Chair: Ms Marcia Hoffmann

Standing Committee on Constitutions

Pastor Geoffrey Schefe, Pastor Andrew Vanderwal, Mr Bruce Arnold, Ms Sabine Haeusler and Ms Kerryn Simpfendorfer, and Ms Kim Baumeler (GCB member on SCoC)

Chair: Ms Kerryn Simpfendorfer

Standing Committee on Nominations

Pastor Mark Gierus, Mrs Kate Burke, Mrs Colleen Fitzpatrick, Ms Margit Hubbers, Mr Des Kalisch, and Mr Tony von Brandenstein and Ms Charmaine Harch (GCB member on SCoN)

Chair: Ms Colleen Fitzpatrick

Commission on Social and Bioethical Questions

Rev Tommi Vuorinen, Mrs Libby Jewson,

Mr Joshua Krieg, Mrs Helene Schulz, Ms Sue Smith and Rev Richard Schwedes (College of Bishops representative)

Chair: Ms Sue Smith

Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations

Rev Dr Russell Briese, Rev John Strelan, Rev Tommi Vuorinen, Dr Wendy Mayer, Mrs Maria Rudolph, and Rev Dr Mark Vainikka and Rev Lester Priebbenow (College of Bishops representatives), Rev Paul Smith (Bishop of the Church), Rev Stephen Schultz (Assistant Bishop)

One pastor member yet to be appointed

ALC representatives yet to be appointed

Chair to be selected by the Commission at the first meeting in 2025

Commission on Worship

Emeritus Bishop Mark Whitfield, Rev Mitchell Kitson, Rev Geoffrey Johnston, Mrs Heidi Smith, Mr David Simpfendorfer and Rev Andrew Brook (College of Bishops representative)

Chair to be selected by the Commission at the first meeting in 2025

Child Safety action plan deadline approaching

If they haven’t already done so late in 2024, all LCA congregations should now be undertaking a self-assessment and preparing their round 2 Child Safety Standards Action Plan.

The due date for the action plans to be submitted via the online portal is 31 March 2025. For plan examples, guidelines and more information, see

www.lca.org.au/child-safety-standards/ child-safety-standards-action-plan

Child Safety Standards Implementation Support Officer Nicole Hall is happy to support you and your congregation as you do this important work.

Phone 08 8267 7300 or 0491 011 643, or email css@lca.org.au for assistance.

GET 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

Child Safety Plans are due in March.

Mission partnership supports thriving Lutheran community

From larger loans for transformative school buildings to smaller finance needed for new church carpet and a grant enabling an inspiring intergenerational program, LLL is supporting the thriving Lutheran community in Victor Harbor, South Australia.

As part of LLL’s missional partnership with its customers, it has been able to assist Encounter Lutheran College, Victor Harbor Lutheran Church and Victor Harbor Lutheran Homes to work together in mission to make a real difference in the local community.

Encounter opened two new buildings in 2024 – the Wilderness Centre and Lighthouse Early Learning – with the aid of LLL loans, while the church was able to complete a much-needed carpet replacement project.

The residents at Lutheran Homes’ Harbor Village, situated on land shared with the church, have enjoyed an intergenerational program supported by an LLL Mission Outreach Grant. This sees Encounter Year 4 students and their Year 1 ‘buddies’ regularly visit their ‘village friends’ at Harbor Village retirement living community.

‘Our intention was to help residents increase their joy in living through their interactions across the generations,’ Pastor Nigel Rosenzweig said. ‘To find ways of bringing the residents together with the students was at the heart of what we wanted to do.’

a range of projects and programs.

Pastor Nigel and Harbor Village’s Hilary Armstrong hired Tamara McPherson to drive the program that engages students and their village friends. ‘There’s been such an uptake from the residents and the conversations they’re having with the kids are getting stronger and stronger each time we come together,’ Tamara said.

A short walk from the Harbor Village dining room, filled with excited chatter during intergenerational visits, the church has undergone a striking makeover with its worn red carpet replaced with modern flooring.

‘The old carpet was 40 years old; it had been maintained the best that it could’ve been, but it was getting a bit threadbare in places and

Safe Church training restructured

The LCANZ has restructured the way it delivers Safe Church training and manages complaints, as a result of feedback from the church.

The restructure is designed to make the training more robust, effective and sustainable, Professional Standards Manager Tim Ross said.

Face-to-face training was phased out in 2024, and from this year, delivery will be solely online.

The restructure impacted the Churchwide Office’s valued Professional Standards team, with the roles of Professional Standards Officers Elizabeth Kloeden and Denise Muschamp ending in December 2024. Tim said Elizabeth and Denise had

‘worked tirelessly over the years, with immense dedication and passion’. ‘Their commitment to Professional Standards and to the church has been massively appreciated’, he said. ‘We wish them every blessing for their future endeavours. Please keep them in your prayers.’

Tim also called for prayers for Professional Standards Officers Dave Biar and Carolyn Kiss. The restructure of the team involves these remaining Professional Standards Officer positions concluding, once newly introduced roles on the team have been filled.

Details of these new roles can be found at www.lca.org.au/employment and applications are open until 17 February.

becoming a safety problem,’ Congregation Chairperson Mark Henderson explained.

Finance Team Representative John Schultz, who has worshipped at the church for more than 27 years, felt the congregation had a clear choice when looking to fund the project. ‘We really like to support LLL and they’ve supported us over the years with different things’, John said.

If your school, retirement living/aged care facility or congregation has a missional objective that could be achieved through a partnership with LLL, you can learn more about what is possible by visiting its website at www.lll.org.au, emailing lll@lll.org.au or phoning 1800 556 457.

Australian tour for Aboriginal choir

The award-winning Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir is embarking on an Australian tour in March 2025, including a concert at St Petri Lutheran Church Nuriootpa in SA’s Barossa Valley. The choir of Lutherans from Central Australia, which starred in the documentary film The Songkeepers, will begin its tour at WOMADelaide world music festival in Adelaide and perform at the Sydney Opera House and in Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, and regional WA and NSW.

Details: www.akaaustralia.com.au/ CAAWC25-page.html

Chairperson Mark Henderson and Finance Team Representative John Schultz at Victor Harbor Lutheran Church, South Australia, have seen the benefits of partnering with LLL Australia for

Directory

CALLS

Extended

• Rev Robert P Bartholomaus

Lutheran Church of Australia New South Wales-Australian Capital Territory to Interim Transition Pastor of Living Faith Lutheran Church Greater Geelong Vic

• Rev Boyd A Briese North Geelong Vic to Living Faith Lutheran Church Greater Geelong, VIC

• Rev John (Andrew) Everson Assigned to Naracoorte SA

• Rev Jonathan M Goessling Tatachilla College McLaren Vale SA to Warradale SA

• Rev Nathan E Hedt

LCA Churchwide Office (Pastor for New and Renewing Churches) to Luther College Croydon Vic

• Rev Ben J Hentschke

Lutheran Church of Australia Queensland District to Golden Grove SA

• Rev Nicholas K Kitchen

Mountainside Auckland NZ to Southern Barossa Churches SA

• Rev Nicholas K Kitchen Mountainside Auckland NZ to LifeWay Lutheran Church NSW

• Rev Mathew L von Stanke

LifeWay NSW to LifeWay Lutheran Church NSW (realigned)

• Rev Mark M Winter

Hope Vale Qld to Pacific Lutheran College Caloundra Qld

In Memoriam

Rev Samuel Martin Simpfendorfer born 28 April 1934 (Crows Nest Qld); ordained 2 Feb 1958 (Appila SA); married Alicia Ruth Simpfendorfer nee Meier 12 Jan 1961 (Laura SA); served St Marks East Melbourne Vic (1958–1960), Grovedale Vic (1960–1969), Ringwood Vic (1969–1976), Hampstead SA (1976–1983), Southport Qld (1983–1990), Sydney NSW (1990–1999); retired 4 July 1999; died 2 Dec 2024; funeral 12 Dec 2024 (LifeWay Lutheran Church Epping NSW); committal at Dural Uniting Church Cemetery (Dural NSW); mourned by wife Alicia and children Diane, Mark, Ruth, David and Naomi and their families

Accepted

• Rev Robert P Bartholomaus

Lutheran Church of Australia New South Wales-Australian Capital Territory District to Interim Transition Pastor of Living Faith Lutheran Church Greater Geelong Vic

• Rev Boyd A Briese

North Geelong Vic to Living Faith Lutheran Church Greater Geelong, Vic

• Rev John (Andrew) Everson Assigned to Naracoorte SA

• Rev Nathan E Hedt

LCA Churchwide Office (Pastor for New and Renewing Churches) to Luther College Croydon Vic

• Rev Nicholas K Kitchen

Mountainside Auckland NZ to LifeWay Lutheran Church NSW

• Rev Mathew L von Stanke LifeWay NSW to LifeWay Lutheran Church NSW (realigned)

• Rev Mark M Winter

Hope Vale Qld to Pacific Lutheran College Caloundra Qld

Declined

• Rev Brett A Kennett

Lutheran Church of Australia VictoriaTasmania District to St Pauls Sydney NSW

• Rev Nicholas K Kitchen

Mountainside Auckland NZ to Southern Barossa Churches SA

www.eckermanns.com.au 08 8366 7988

ROLL OF PASTORS

• Rev David W Buck – Resigned from the LCANZ Roll of Pastors, effective 27 November 2024

• Rev Peter W Faggotter – Change of call eligibility status from General Ministry

Pastor to Pastor Emeritus from 25 December 2024

• Rev Timothy J Klein – Change of call eligibility status from General Ministry

Pastor to Pastor Emeritus from 12 January 2025

• Rev Darryl J Mattner – Change of call eligibility status from General Ministry

Pastor to Pastor Emeritus from 12 December 2024

• Rev Michael C Neldner – Change of call eligibility status from General Ministry

Pastor to Pastor Emeritus from 27 October 2024

• Rev Michael P Prenzler – Granted peaceful dismissal from the LCANZ Roll of Pastors, effective 11 February 2025

• Rev Lee J Van Rossen – Resigned from the LCANZ Roll of Pastors, effective 29 November 2024.

IN MEMORIAM

• Mrs Faye Dorothy Harms nee Logan, widow of Pastor Elmore Harms, died on 5 November 2024. Her funeral was held on 18 November 2024 at St Marks Lutheran Church Mount Barker SA, followed by committal at Mount Barker Cemetery.

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Samuel Simpfendorfer

Your Voice

Call for ‘spirit of unity’

In our study of the Scriptures in the debate about ordination, I wonder whether we have looked at Romans 14 and 15. Now might be the time for us to study what Paul wrote about ‘the weak and the strong’.

Some of the believers in Jesus Christ thought it was wrong to eat food that had been sacrificed to idols, others believed they were free to eat such food.

These saints confessed the same faith in the Lord Jesus, but the unity of their congregation was threatened by disagreement about issues that were not central to the Christian faith.

Paul called some of these Christians ‘strong’, others he called ‘weak’. How were the strong and the weak to deal with each other? Should they cease to worship together and commune together? Should they divide into two separate congregations?

The strong have a responsibility towards the weak: ‘Accept those whose faith is weak, without passing judgement on disputable matters’ (Romans 14:1). Don’t put stumbling blocks in the way of the weak. I was struck by verse 20: ‘Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food’. Is God saying to us today, ‘Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of ordination’?

We could argue to the end of our days about who is strong and who is weak. If we consider ourselves strong in the faith, Paul says to us: ‘We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves’ (Romans 15:1).

‘May God … give (us) a spirit of unity among (ourselves) as (we) follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth (we) may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 15:5,6).

– Rev David Strelan – Mt Warren Park, Qld

Opinions expressed in letters are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand. Shorter letters will be given preference over longer letters. Subscribers’ letters will be given preference over those from non-subscribers. Letters longer than 300 words and those containing personal attack will not be published. No more than two letters from the same author will be published in a calendar year. Some letters may be edited for clarity.

21 June 2025 – Thank You Lunch

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LCANZ COMPLAINTS

Many complaints can be resolved before lasting hurt is caused, by addressing them quickly in a non-threatening manner and by raising the issue directly with the relevant person or organisation in a thoughtful and courteous manner. If this is not applicable or possible in your situation, you may lodge a complaint with the Professional Standards Department in any of the following ways: Phone the free-call number (Aust 1800 644 628 NZ 0800 356 887), email complaints@lca.org.au or write to Confidential, PO Box 519, Marden SA 5070.

SARAH K. HOFFMANN

LET’S GET QUIZZICAL

You’ll find most – if not all – of the answers to these questions in the pages of The Lutheran (as well as below the Sudoku).

1. References to various so-called spiritual ‘disciplines’ appear in this edition. Name four of those mentioned.

2. Which major season of the church year begins on 5 March?

3. How long is it and why is that the number of days observed?

4. Which Christian creed is contained in Luther’s Small Catechism?

5. In simple terms, what is the mission of Lutherans for Life?

6. What is the child, youth and family ministry resource GIFT an acronym for?

7. What are the LCANZ’s four pathways to ordination?

8. The Daily Devotion ministry reached a milestone in December 2024. What was it?

9. Who featured in the documentary film The Songkeepers?

10. Which Bible verse will the congregation at Immanuel Buderim in Queensland ‘dwell’ in for the whole of 2025?

IN A FEW WORDS …

‘We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires spiritual discipline to see him in every detail.’

– SCOTTISH BAPTIST EVANGELIST AND TEACHER OSWALD CHAMBERS

‘Faith and prayer are the vitamins of the soul; man cannot live in health without them.’

– AMERICAN GOSPEL SINGER MAHALIA JACKSON

SUDOKU

Every number from one to nine must appear in each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal columns and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. No number can occur more than once in any row, column or box. The solution will be printed in the next edition.

December – January’s solution

QUIZ ANSWERS

Any four of prayer, Bible study, fasting, worship, service, fellowship, meditation, confession, Sabbath rest, 2. Lent 3. 40 days, because that was how long Jesus spent in the desert fasting and being tempted by the devil 4. The Apostles’ Creed 5. To promote the sanctity of God’s gift of human life 6. Growing In Fath Together 7. General Ministry Pastor, Specific Ministry Pastor, entry from outside the LCANZ, case by case 8. The number of devotions emailed reached 5 million 9. The Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir 10. John 14:27

Our mission

To multiply our reach and engagement through media with messages of hope in Jesus.

How do we multiply media messages? Through you!

You play a vital role in God’s mission. Your prayers and tax-deductible donations support Lutheran Media to:

Provide Christian content for radio stations, iTunes and Spotify

Engage and inspire with Christian videos on YouTube

Create and distribute hope-filled booklets and resources

Post gospel messages on social media

Sharing hope for 80 years

Phone FREECALL 1800 353 350 luthmedia@lca.org.au

youtube.com/messagesofhope @luthmedia

How can they hear unless someone tells them?

‘Our house was burned down. My family had to take the journey to find safety. There was no peace in my heart. I felt restless and worried.

When we first arrived in Kakuma Refugee Camp we had no work and no way to get money. Life was hard.

Then I heard the LWF staff were looking for people to join a tailoring class. I joined the class. I knew soon I would be able to make a living.

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After making my first garment I felt so happy. It was a school uniform. With the money from sewing, I can provide shoes, books and clothes for my children to go to school.’

Grace, Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya

You can bless others like Grace by dedicating a gift in your Will to keep on helping people through ALWS. As you do, those you love will see the values precious to you live on.

1300 763 407 * alws.org.au

alws@alws.org.au

Photo: ALWS

For farming families in Ethiopia, your Gifts of Grace support is as sweet as honey. A future made brighter

Farmer Abay Alemayo explains:

‘My name is Abay Alemayo. I’m a farmer with four children. But with the drought not breaking, I struggled to provide for them.

Every day I felt more hopeless, as I waited for the rains which did not come. And, as the conflict got worse, I started to give up hope.’

‘Without your support, our destiny would be really harsh … Your help is life-saving.’

Then, through the LWF team, your help arrived and offered Abay a lifeline.

He joined training and work activities. And the income Abay earned allowed him to invest in essential farming supplies, like seeds and fertiliser.

Soon after, he joined training in beekeeping and received two beehives.

‘Without your support, our destiny would be really harsh, and I wouldn’t be able to farm’, he says.

‘In two or three months, I plan to harvest more than 30 kilograms of honey – please come and check on me then to see my transformation!

Your help is life-saving. I am deeply grateful.’

This year our Lutheran Church celebrates 75 years of bringing love to life through the ministry of ALWS. You are invited to be involved in the thanksgiving and celebrations. For more information see page 8 or visit www.alws75.org.au

You can also hear more inspiring stories like Abay’s, by inviting an ALWS speaker to your church to share more. Call 1300 763 407 or visit www.alws.org.au