THE LUTHERAN October 2015

Print Post Approved PP100003514 VOL 49 NO9

OCTOBER 2015

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NATIONAL MAGAZINE OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA

EDITOR/ADVERTISING

At Convention, Kate Burke (lay delegate, Box Hill, Victoria) discovered how tasty The Lutheran is, when she became a new subscriber and received a limited edition I The Lutheran biscuit.

phone 0427 827 441 email rosie.schefe@lca.org.au

SUBSCRIPTIONS phone 08 8360 7270 email lutheran.subs@lca.org.au

www.thelutheran.com.au We Love The Lutheran!

As the magazine of the Lutheran Church of Australia (incorporating the Lutheran Church of New Zealand), The Lutheran informs the members of the LCA 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. The Lutheran is a member of the Australasian Religious Press Association and as such subscribes to its journalistic and editorial codes of conduct.

Photo: Andrea Winter Send us a photograph featuring a recent copy of The Lutheran and you might see it here on page 2.

Apology: The September cover photo was incorrectly attributed to Barbara Stuart.

We have been notified that James Henry took the portrait of Heather Douglas.

CONVENTION EDITION Photographers

All photos in this edition were taken by Convention photographers Andrea Winter and Pastor Michael Rudolph, except where indicated.

Cover photo: Stephanie Eisenmenger (photographer Ken Krenske)

Writers CONTACTS Editor Rosie Schefe 197 Archer St, North Adelaide SA 5006 phone 0427 827 441 email rosie.schefe@lca.org.au

Unless otherwise indicated, all stories in this edition were written by LCA Communications staff: Rosie Schefe, Lisa McIntosh, Linda Macqueen.

Executive Editor Linda Macqueen 3 Orvieto St, Bridgewater SA 5155 phone 08 8339 5178 email linda.macqueen@lca.org.au Design and layout Comissa Fischer Printer Openbook Howden

ADVERTISEMENTS and MANUSCRIPTS

SUBSCRIPTIONS and CHANGES of ADDRESS LCA Subscriptions PO Box 731, North Adelaide SA 5006 phone 08 8360 7270 email lutheran.subs@lca.org.au www.thelutheran.com.au 11 issues per year— Australia $42, New Zealand $44, Asia/Pacific $53, Rest of the World $62 Issued every month except in January

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The Lutheran September 2015

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No-one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:9–12 (NIV)

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Those that are published may be cut or edited. Advertisements are accepted for publication on a date-received basis.

Acceptance of advertisements does not imply endorsement by The Lutheran or the Lutheran Church of Australia of advertiser, product or service.

Copy deadline: 1st of preceding month Rates: general notices and small advertisements, $18.00 per cm; for display, contract and inserted advertisements, contact the editor.

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The Christ light accompanied us all through Convention ... and at the end, it refused to be extinguished (p11)

THIS EDITION 1 WORSHIP/PRAYER 04 Where love comes to life 10 Christ, be our light 29 Blessed

2 ORDINATION 15 Ordination: we listened 18 Pastoral letter

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3 BUSINESS SESSIONS

For now, we will rejoice that we are still together at the end of this day, and still loving each other. Thanks be to God (p17)

The one holy Christian church will remain forever ... The church is changing, but it is not dying (p13)

12 Change is not death (Bishop’s report) 14 A church for our children (GCC report) 20 Welcome, Andrew (Assistant Bishop) 21 50.500 ... just imagine 22 In your LCA (agency reports) 28 Resolutions (pastor calls and training) 30 Resolutions (social responsibility and justice)

4 CONVENTION LIFE 34 Team@work 36 Adventures of Marty 38 What we loved ...

40 Convention by numbers

REGULAR FEATURES 41 Notices 42 Directory

A loving community of God’s children, respectful, hope for God’s kingdom on earth.

I will most certainly be back! (p39)

Despite all expectations, the main event of this General Convention was not the ordination vote. It was–uncontested–the worship.

where love comes to life Baptism—the sacrament that brings us God’s grace, that washes us clean of our sin and that brings us as Christians into God’s family. It’s where it all begins for us, so it was fitting that Convention began with our remembering it in a special way. At the opening service (and also at the closing service) the bishops were accompanied in procession by children. They gathered together around the baptismal font, where the bishops dipped their fingers into the water, blessed the children with the sign of the cross, and then the children did the same to bless the bishops.

It was a powerful reminder that we are brought into Christ’s family, not by our natural birth, but by being born again in baptism, and that we come together in need of God’s grace and forgiveness.

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... in the water

... in bread and wine Every morning delegates, visitors and volunteers came together in worship and at the Lord’s table. Every morning the bishops were there to serve us.

Day by day, it became increasingly evident that there was more than simple goodwill holding us together as Synod.

God was working in us, too, through this daily meal with Christ himself and all the saints.

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The daily celebration of holy communion may have, at first, appeared to some to be an indulgence we could not afford in a tightly scheduled convention, but half way through the week nobody was complaining. In fact, many were asking, ‘Can we make this a regular feature of Convention?

Can we have Eucharistic worship every day?’ Feedback from delegates and visitors is consistently rating ‘daily communion services’ as a soaring highlight of Convention.

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... in the word Over the six days of Convention, we travelled through the six chapters of Ephesians. Each day one of our bishops used a chapter as the foundation of his sermon. Full texts of the six sermons were published daily (and are still available) at www.lcasynod.org.au/sermons. In addition, an innovation at this convention was a daily devotion booklet, presented to delegates and available for everyone to read or download from the convention website.

We were invited to read one chapter of Ephesians each day and to reflect prayerfully on the notes provided by the bishop preaching that day. The notes were accompanied by striking black-and-white photographs by Geoff Schirmer, which were also projected during worship in the chapel each day.

... in praise

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‘The singing, the singing, the singing ...’ Over and over delegates and visitors said they never wanted to forget the sound of 500-plus voices raising the roof with their praises, every day for six days. At the opening service there were more than 700 people singing; at the closing service, with the Rochedale congregation, there were 840. The local and national worship planning teams proved to all that there need be no ‘worship wars’; in all six Convention services the inspired blending of traditional hymns with contemporary songs led worshippers of all backgrounds and personal preferences in praise to God. A traditional choir, a twelve-member band, organ, drum kit ... they were all there, making a joyful noise to the Lord. ‘If only everyone in the church could experience this just once in their life ...’, one delighted delegate said, reflecting the feelings of many.

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The Lutheran October 2015

... in prayer This convention was wrapped in prayer, not only in worship but throughout every day: prayer for delegates, prayer over decisions; prayer as delegates moved into dialogue, through to debate and then to a vote; prayers for the church and for the world.

For the first time at a convention of synod, a dedicated local prayer team maintained a constant vigil throughout the daily sessions. The Rochedale prayer team had been praying for months for God to bless Convention and all who attended, and for his will to be done.

A prayer room, located close to where delegates met in sessions, was open to delegates, volunteers and visitors.

Here the prayer team also prayed for the bishops and church leaders. They prayed for delegates by name and for the table group leaders. A strong relationship was maintained between the prayer team and the daily chaplaincy team, which consisted of pastors and experienced lay chaplains. (See page 29, ‘Blessed’.)

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... in rest and reflection Friday’s marathon debate on the ordination of women was over. Delegates and visitors were tired after almost five hours of concentrated listening on a hot afternoon.

So it was refreshing to step into the darkened chapel, and to be still. Bishops Greg Pfeiffer and Mark Lieschke led the congregation into Taizé meditation and worship. Scripture was read, prayers were said, both aloud and in silence, and the simple responses were chanted. Many came forward to stand in the flickering light of candles and pray. Others lit candles of their own. It was a beautiful, peaceful end to a day filled with strong feelings, passionate debate, and concern for what tomorrow might bring.

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IN MEMORIAM On Friday morning, Synod remembered those servants of the church called home since the last convention.

Pastors 2013 Davey Inkamala Noel Weiss Stephen Mattner

where love comes to life

2014 Cecil Logan John Hartwich Murphy Roberts Henry Proeve Ben Mogg Glen Zweck Arthur Priebbenow

Pastors’ wives 2013 Netta Schubert Betty Turnbull Valmai Pfitzner 2014 Janna Overduin Jenny Benz Rita McNamarra 2015 Ruth Scheer Nelda Mackenzie

Lay people 2013 Bob Bartram 2014 Peter McNulty Gordon Menzel Robert Craig Kevin Kempin Robert Mau 2015 Pauline Bartram Meryl Jennings

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The Lutheran October 2015

... as we are strong in the Lord The opening and closing worship services of Convention were enriched by sacred dance. Our Saviour Lutheran Church and Redeemer Lutheran College together have a long-standing tradition of sacred dance, with older girls mentoring and coaching younger ones. Introducing the dances, Rochedale’s pastor, Robin Stelzer, stressed that ‘this is not a performance, so we do not clap’; the dances are to lead us in worship.

On Tuesday, in the opening worship service, the congregation joined in singing the joyful Shout to the Lord as a prelude to the sacred dance. At the closing service on Sunday, it was the hope-filled hymn Be Thou my vision and the dance’s gritty choreography that turned our ‘the eyes of our heart’ heavenwards. So, our sure hope in Christ was already vividly imprinted on our minds as Bishop John Henderson stepped to the lectern to preach the closing sermon (‘Be strong in the Lord’, Eph 6:10) of what could have been, but wasn’t, a divisive convention.

View Convention worship services The opening and closing worship services were filmed and live-streamed. You can view them at livestream.com/luthworship

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2015 Bruce Adams Robert Turnbull Kevin Fischer Arthur Rathjen Len Loffler Cyril Bartel Kevin Kotzur

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Photo: Mike Fulwood

Christ, be our light ‘Christ is the light of the world.’

‘Thanks be to God.’ Every day LCA Bishop John Henderson opened the first business sessions of the Eighteenth General Convention of Synod with those words, continuing a rite which began in opening worship.

On Tuesday evening, the ‘Christ candle’ was lit for the first time, as a reminder to delegates and visitors of the presence of God ‘where two or three are gathered in my name’. It continued to burn throughout the convention.

On Wednesday morning, the lit candle was moved in procession from the Redeemer Lutheran College chapel to the Multi-Purpose Centre which served as the venue for business sessions. As delegates gathered around tables to begin the business of Convention, the bishops of the church gathered around the Christ candle. Following the greeting, they lit tapers from the candle and then ignited smaller candles in the centre of each table in the front row. The flame passed from table to table through the room, as a symbol of Christ’s presence flowing into the gathering.

Every morning the lit Christ candle welcomed delegates and visitors to the chapel as they came together in worship and celebration of holy communion.

After worship it led delegates into their new day of discussion, dialogue, debate and decision-making.

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And it was needed. If ever there was a synod which needed to experience love, to practise love and to be reminded that Jesus loves all of us, it was this one. We needed—and received—the assurance of the Saviour’s unifying presence among us. Delegates listened intently to each other as they sought to understand, even when they could not agree. It was a privilege to watch

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The Lutheran October 2015