The Lutheran February 2020 by Lutheran Church of Australia

N A TIO N A L M A G A ZIN E O F THE L U THE RA N C HU RC H O F A U STRA LIA

FEBRUARY 2020

VOL 54 N01

Print Post Approved PP100003514

Going

GLOBAL

‘You will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth’

A C T S 1: 8

LUTHERAN

CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA

Universal appeal

EDITORIAL

Editor Lisa McIntosh p 08 8267 7300 m 0409 281 703 e lisa.mcintosh@lca.org.au Executive Editor Linda Macqueen p 08 8267 7300 e linda.macqueen@lca.org.au

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When Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP) President Rev Antonio Reyes and other LCP church leaders joined representatives of the LCA/NZ as guests of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria’s Centre for Partnership, Development and Mission on a study tour to Germany recently, they couldn’t wait to check out a copy of The Lutheran. Lutheran. With President Reyes, sixth from left, are, from left, Mrs Theresa Pencilo, Rev Henry Paul Roa, Rev Joel Noche, Rev Edwin Huevos, Rev Xavier James Palattao, Rev Charles Stephen Palacio, Rev Gordon Longakit, Rev Jerry Lomicio, Rev David Atolba, Rev Redito Pelobello, Rev Edgardo Caparo, Rev Hope Domingo and Rev Errol Pizarro.

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CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA 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.

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Eric Parups Nazareth Brisbane Woolloongabba Qld Retired architect Enjoys wine, and fishing Fav text: Romans 8:38–39

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February EDITOR'S

let ter

When we read from the most recent census data that only 0.7 per cent of Aussies identify as Lutheran, it’s easy to feel that we’re just a tiny, insignificant church community. In New Zealand, it’s less than 0.1 per cent, according to the country’s official data agency, Stats NZ. The Lutheran Church certainly doesn’t have the profile – or, probably, the notoriety – of the larger denominations in our two countries. Yet, did you know that the Lutheran Church is the largest Protestant church in the world, with more than 70 million members across hundreds of countries and cultural groups? I wonder whether seeing this bigger picture might encourage us and help us stand bold in the biblical foundations and faith traditions of our church. Personally, I have found opportunities to get to know Lutherans from other parts of the globe to be humbling yet uplifting learning experiences. Among other things, these times have taught me not to make assumptions about our differences and instead rejoice in our common faith and humanity. And, certainly, the outpouring of support from fellow Lutherans overseas for our LCA members – on social media, and via letters and emails – during the bushfire crises has confirmed the collegial global relationships across our denomination. As well as giving us a boost in confidence about our place in God’s church, though, these shows of camaraderie can, more importantly, remind us to look outside of ourselves, outside of our safely guarded, familiar and possibly insular patch. That way, rather than being consumed by our own cares, contentions and controversies, we can return our focus to Christ – and to his command to love others as ourselves (Mark 12:31) and his commission to ‘make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:19).

Special features Home-grown faith global action

Overseas Lutherans send support

Growing on the world stage

Gaining a global view

Get to know our new pastors

Regulars Heartland

Dwelling in God’s word

Go and Grow

The inside story

Going GREYT!

Reel Life

Your voice

Directory

Notices Prayer calendar

29 & 31 30

Because, outside of those 70 million and the total estimated 2.3 billion Christians on earth, are another 5.4 billion people who don’t have the reason for the hope that we have in Christ (1 Peter 3:15). While we don’t all have the opportunity, means or calling to serve God in an international context, God’s kingdom is blessed by those who do. Some ‘go global’ on behalf of our own Australian Lutheran World Service or LCA International Mission, with overseas partner churches or organisations such as Wycliffe Bible Translators or Interserve. Others are serving in key roles in international Lutheran and ecumenical organisations. Some may be volunteers for a few weeks, while others commit years, decades or the rest of a lifetime to working elsewhere in the world – and you can meet some of these people in these pages. You’ll also find the first instalment of a new monthly prayer calendar in this edition, which I pray will encourage us all to lift up our fellow LCA/NZ members and communities – and the global church – in our daily petitions to God.

Lisa

Our cover: Lutheran World Federation World Service Head of Operations Chey Mattner visits children at the Ohn Taw Gyi South camp for internally placed persons, at Sittwe, Myanmar in January 2020. Read his story on page 9. Photo: LWF photographer Hlaing Myo Aung The Lutheran F E B R UA RY 2 0 2 0

JES U S I S G OD'S LOVE. HE G IVES U S NE W HE ARTS TO L AY AS IDE O UR OL D WAYS, TO B EL IE VE AND FOL LOW HIM, TO L IVE WI T H HIM E VERY DAY.

heartland

RE V JOHN HENDERSON

Bishop Lutheran Church of Australia

SACRIFICIAL LOVE INSPIRES HOPE Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4, NRSV) Christians often use the word ‘sacrifice’ in a very specific way. For instance, Jesus said, ‘Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”. For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners’ (Matthew 9:13). He was talking about people of his day who, according to God’s Law, believed that by sacrificing animals or possessions they could make themselves righteous in God’s judgement. We don’t identify with this type of works-based religion, since it’s nothing we do for ourselves, but what God has done for us in Jesus Christ, that determines our status with God. There is another way, however, of understanding ‘sacrifice’ with which

TH EY H AV E S H OW N US W H AT TR U E LOV E IS : TO G IV E YO U RS ELF F O R TH E B EN EFIT O F OTH ERS . 4

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we can identify – that is, when we give up something we value for the sake of something or someone else. We have seen such sacrifices during the Australian bushfires. Firefighters and emergency workers have given up their personal interests to protect the lives and property of others. For some of them, it has meant that their own properties burned while they evacuated people or doused flames on the property of others. For a few, their brave acts resulted in their own death. But all firefighters and emergency workers, and many locals, farmers and business people, sacrificed something of themselves for the benefit of others, despite the risks and substantial losses they themselves were facing.

We have seen such extraordinary acts among people of all ages, beliefs and backgrounds, Christians among them. We have seen people display a fundamental human quality that God built into our race at the beginning. And God still draws it out when it is needed, whether we realise it is his doing or not. There is something Christ-like about it. Our God comes to us in unexpected ways. During the bushfire emergency, he has come into our communities through the sacrifices made by firefighters, emergency workers, volunteers and many others. They have shown us what true love is: to give yourself for the benefit of others (John 15:13). I hope that such sacrificial love will inspire us all in 2020.

In the immense bushfire tragedy, such sacrificial acts give us hope. They give us cause to believe in the resilience of our community and the strength of individuals within it. These qualities often get lost in the everyday self-centred consumerism of our world, where everything is judged by consumption.

Christian faith always asks us to put aside self-interest and look to the interests of others (Philippians 2:4). In December I wrote about our need to be ‘right’, saying that true love triumphs over our ‘rightness’. We could not have been given a better example of what that means than during this time of crisis.

Yet the people making these sacrifices are no snowflakes. For the sake of their neighbours they will dare to risk everything on the fireground. We owe them our deepest gratitude.

God bless you, and the LCA/NZ, in 2020. Be ready to receive our unexpected God, who will come when and where he chooses, even in times of deepest tragedy.

BY LISA MCINTOSH

Home-grown faith GLOBAL ACTION Australian-born Lutheran Peter Prove is a leading light in the world ecumenical community. The director of the World Council of Churches’ (WCC) Commission of the Churches on International Affairs based in Switzerland, on one day Peter could be leading a staff delegation to Iraq in the wake of US troops moving in against Islamic State, on another, he could be addressing a press conference at the United Nations in Geneva or speaking as a panellist about how faith communities can help end violence against refugee children in Rome. Now with more than two decades of experience in the international policy arena, Peter was born in the Adelaide Hills, raised at Eight Mile Plains and in the western suburbs of Brisbane, and was educated at St Peters Lutheran College Indooroopilly and the University of Queensland. A personal injury and commercial litigation lawyer in Australia, in 1997 Peter moved to Geneva with his wife Philippa, a psychiatrist, to take up a role with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). After a 12-year stint as LWF Assistant General Secretary for International Affairs and Human Rights, Peter then moved into the ecumenical realm. He worked for four years as Executive Director of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, before starting with the WCC in 2014.

But he hasn’t had to move far – all three roles have been based in the same building in Geneva – just in different wings! Formerly a member at Resurrection Lutheran congregation at Indooroopilly, Peter has attended the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Geneva since moving to Switzerland. While he hasn’t lived in Australia for more than 20 years and sons Oliver and Benedict were born overseas, Peter’s upbringing and faith foundation as a pastor’s son in the Lutheran Church of Australia remains precious. It’s also a ‘matter of some pride’ that he received the endorsement of the LCA leadership to take on his current role. ‘I really feel strongly about the ideological, religious and ethical underpinnings that I received from my background in the Lutheran Church of Australia, the way in which that background has enabled me to take on this role and what a privilege it is to do that’, Peter says. ‘And I do feel, even though the institutional links are not strong, that I do that on behalf of the Lutheran Church of Australia.’ The WCC is ‘a worldwide fellowship of churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service’. There are 350 member churches from countries and territories around the world, with a total constituency The Lutheran F E B R UA RY 2 0 2 0

Left: The National Council of Churches in Korea presents a plaque of appreciation to Peter Prove from the World Council of Churches (WCC) in November 2019, as part of the Korean organisation’s 68th General Assembly. Photo: Copyright Son Seung-ho/NCCK/WCC. Used with permission. Previous page: Peter Prove addresses a press conference in Geneva in 2016 at the UN, at which the WCC and Norwegian Church Aid presented a joint study on protection of the needs of religious and ethnic minorities in Syria and Iraq. Photo: Copyright Ivars Kupcis/WCC. Used with permission.

While ‘part of the legal architecture of the WCC’ since the council was formed in 1948, the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs actually predates the council by about two years.

‘ TH E FU N DA M ENTS O F MY FAITH A R E CLE A R ER TO M E N OW I N TER M S O F TH E R ES PO NSI B I LIT Y TH AT IT B R I N GS F O R LOVI N G O N E’S N EI G H BO U R .’

‘The commission was established in anticipation of the WCC coming into existence and immediately got to work in representing the voice of the churches to the intergovernmental organisations, to the United Nations in formation, and actually contributed quite substantially to the formation of the UN, and very significantly to the drafting of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights’, Peter explains. ‘The remit of the commission covers an enormous terrain – everything from peace and conflict issues, human rights, economic injustice, environmental issues, disarmament. Its role is primarily advisory but also to lead by example and to be directly involved in addressing issues and raising awareness about issues the commission feels have a claim upon the Christian conscience around the world.’ Peter began work at the WCC just as the catastrophe in Syria and northern Iraq was playing out.

of more than 560 million people – around one-quarter of global Christianity. ‘The purpose of the WCC is to bring the churches together to respond to the biblical mandate that “they may all be one”’, he says. ‘But it’s also true that one of the important threads and impulses that finally brought the World Council of Churches into being after many decades of discussion about this possibility was the horror of the Second World War. ‘So, from the very beginning, the World Council of Churches has been very much focused on peacebuilding, on social justice, on human rights and trying to respond to these developments in world affairs from a Christian perspective. ‘My own faith understanding has been somewhat transformed by my experience of working in these international Christian environments and these ecumenical contexts, but the fundaments of my faith are clearer to me now in terms of the responsibility that it brings for loving one’s neighbour. And I’ve gained a real applied understanding of the principle of Imago Dei, Dei, that all people are created in the image of God, all of them – regardless of any other divisions or any other disputes.’ In terms of ‘loving one’s neighbour’, Peter believes that the LCA through Australian Lutheran World Service has ‘set an example for others around the world’. ‘From what I recall, the donations to Australian Lutheran World Service from church people on a per capita basis far exceed many other places’, he says.

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One of the first things he did was take a small staff delegation to northern Iraq, in order to take testimony from displaced people from religious minority communities, especially Christians but also other minorities who were similarly affected. In addition to the phenomenon of religiously inspired extremism, he believes another shifting part of the human rights landscape in his time with the WCC has been the ‘stampede away from multilateralism’. ‘I think that has a massive impact on our capacity for global action on issues that require a global response and which cannot be addressed meaningfully by an individual nation or a group of nations’, he says. Peter also says that churches have a critical role in overcoming the consequences of short-term political cycles. ‘Very often there is hardly any other actor in society that has the longer-term – indeed the millennial – perspective that could help to break it out of the short-termism and the poor decision-making that even our democratic institutions are unfortunately affected by’, he says. ‘I think it’s always important for Christians at least to second-guess political messages, to at least try and reality-check perspectives by cross-checking them against what the Bible says and, in particular, what Jesus says. ‘And that’s across the spectrum of issues, whether it be to do with peace and conflict, whether it be to do with migration, whether it be to do with religious freedom, whether it be to do with climate change.’

OVERSEAS LUTH ER ANS SEN D SU PPO RT Overseas Lutheran church leaders expressed their support and sympathy and offered prayers for members of the LCA in the midst of the bushfire crisis in Australia, among them Bishop Sani-Ibrahim Azar of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and Rev Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. P R ES I D I N G B I S H O P E ATO N W R I T ES : 9 January

Dear Bishop John, Epiphany is a time when we seek and see the light of the Christ revealed to the nations. But we are saddened that the light of wildfires, engulfing many parts of Australia and casting an eerie glow over the landscape, is overwhelming life there. We know that drought and fire are not unknown in Australia, much like in some parts of the United States. However, in Australia, we are observing an unprecedented time of intense temperatures and drought in an environment that only fuels greater fires. Not only is this something that is difficult for many of us to comprehend, it also raises fear for what may portend for all of us in the midst of climate change. We are seeing lives lost, the health of many more affected, and the fires destroying and endangering homes of people and wildlife. Into all this, the safety of firefighters and other responders are put at risk.

2020

on, Bishop John Henders tralia The Rev. Aus Church of Lutheran

But we the nations. revealed to casting an eerie , the Christ a and the light of of Australi seek and see ulfing many parts when we , eng time a fires is y wild t of there. Epiphan s of the that the ligh elming life in some part are saddened landscape, is overwh a, much like time of intense the n in Australi dented glow over not unknow rving an unprece only is this obse and fire are ter fires. Not what may portend that drought , in Australia, we are that only fuels grea e es fear for We know t of many mor , the , it also rais es. However in an environmen th end Stat heal preh ted , the this com ght Uni s and drou t for many of us to ng lives lost life. Into all temperature We are seei of people and wild icul es that is diff of climate change. ering hom st something . in the mid and endang for all of us the fires destroying onders are put at risk and resp , r othe affected ighters and safety of firef 33:2) you. ble. (Isaiah we wait for time of trou We cry out: d, be gracious to us; our salvation in the Church in ning, O Lor l Lutheran , or who are every mor Evangelica bereaved Be our arm bers of the suffer, are who combat with mem e for all who d to be upon those ble, together it to peac trou t and fort Holy Spir of grea our Lor ers for com ers for the people ngth from In this time pray pray stre my my r r and I offe I offe you lead the ers for help America, munities. leaders as ist and all offer my pray lead affected com rch of Chr anxious. I who and those op in the chu bish as these fires be with you continue to time of distress. to you. through this e and strength bring hop t of Christ May the ligh peace, In Christ’s

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We cry out: O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. (Isaiah 33:2) In this time of great trouble, together with members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, I offer my prayers for comfort and peace for all who suffer, are bereaved, or who are anxious. I offer my prayers for help and strength from our Lord to be upon those who combat these fires and those who lead affected communities. I offer my prayers for the Holy Spirit to continue to be with you as bishop in the church of Christ and all leaders as you lead the people through this time of distress. May the light of Christ bring hope and strength to you. In Christ’s peace, The Rev Elizabeth Eaton

To apply please email your cover letter and CV to: Kim Hahn

Casual Positions Vacant Tanunda Lutheran Home Inc is a not-for-profit residential aged-care facility that commits to continuously recruiting several positions to provide our residents with health and service professionals who demonstrate our vision and values.

Positions that are involved in our continuous cycle of recruitment include: • Registered nurses • Enrolled nurses • Credentialed personal care workers • Personal care workers

• Lifestyle coordinators • Food services professionals • Catering professionals • Cleaning professionals

TLH is only a 20-minute drive away from Gawler and is located in the beautiful Barossa Valley. TLH offers a family environment with staff, volunteers and community members all coming together through our values to provide the residents with a person-centred care approach to their care needs. For further information, please visit our website at www.tlhome.com.au

People, Culture and Customer Service Manager kim.hahn@tlhome.com.au Successful applicants will be required to provide a current National Police Clearance, evidence of qualifications and applicable registration and undertake a pre-employment physical assessment. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

B I S H O P A Z A R ’ S L E T T ER S AYS : Dear Bishop Henderson, Salaam and grace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. On behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), I would like to express my heartfelt sympathy and compassion to the Lutheran Church of Australia and people of Australia who have suffered greatly due to the deadly wildfires that have swept throughout the country damaging property, taking the lives of many and destroying God’s creation. From Jerusalem, we pray to the Almighty God to give you strength to overcome this crisis and loss. ‘God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble’ (Psalm 46:1). We share in our Christian belief that God is with you during these devastating times. Your Brother in Christ Bishop Sani-Ibrahim Azar

G ROWI N G O N TH E

WO R LD STAG E B Y E L S A M AT T H I A S

When I graduated from high school in 2016, the question: ‘Where do I go next?’ was at the forefront of my mind. As our family moved to South Australia from Queensland, I began a physiotherapy university degree, and then had the chance to be a part of the LCA/NZ’s Grow Leadership program in 2017. I didn’t know it then but that crack in the door was a huge step in my faith journey and of servanthood to Christ. I am still studying and loving it, but my volunteering hours have been filled with numerous opportunities to serve the universal church – locally in my congregation, Churchwide for the LCA/NZ and globally. Before Grow Leadership, volunteering in my local congregation was my only serving opportunity. Born overseas in the USA, naturally I knew there was a global church, but as a young person in Australia, how could I be part of that movement?

I have since become a member of the LCA International Mission Committee. This has given me a chance to be involved in the ministries of the LCA/NZ and our overseas partner churches. But, God wasn’t finished with forging global connections for me.

I was asked to represent the LCA/NZ at the Huria Kristen Batak Protestan church Youth International Conference in North Sumatra in 2018. I was also invited to join the Lutheran World Federation’s Global Young Reformers BOT H EXPER I EN CES Network. Both experiences have given H AV E G IV EN me a better understanding of what M E A B ET TER it means to be part of the universal church. I also know that no matter what U N D ERSTA N D I N G their culture, gender, country, language O F W H AT IT M E A NS or religion, each person is a sister or brother of Christ and needs to be TO B E PA RT O F TH E treated so.

U N I V ERSA L CH U RCH .

Grow Leadership, and the program’s ‘Stretch and Grow’ trip to Cambodia, challenged me to become involved in the wider congregation, the global body of Christ. So I asked God. And, as it says in Matthew 7:7, ‘Ask and the door will be opened to you; seek and you will find’.

As a member of Lutheran World Federation’s Global Young Reformers Network, Elsa Matthias participated in the Global Young Reformers Network Conference, pictured here and above, and the Asian Church Leaders Conference in Indonesia last year.

In September and October 2019, I attended the Global Young Reformers Network Conference and Asian Church Leaders Conference in Indonesia and spent time with a community of young people passionate about their churches and the ways that we can make a difference. We addressed the topics of education, equity and revival of churches, as they pertain to young people. We sought to identify issues in these areas within our local contexts. We also developed recommendations for church leaders. I have learnt from these experiences that the Reformation did not occur in its entirety in the distant past, it only began. We have been called as followers of God. We have been called to continue to spread the gospel. We have been called to continue to reform the church. Three years of doors opening and a subtle guiding hand. Who knows what my future holds? There is one thing I do know: I must pay attention to God’s calling on my life, wherever it leads. Elsa Matthias is a member at Para Vista, South Australia.

Gaining a

G LO B A L V I E W Serving in a global context is obviously a challenge enjoyed by Australian Chey Mattner, the Lutheran World Federation’s (LWF) World Service Head of Operations. Before he took on the Genevabased role in 2018, Chey was Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) Executive Director and spent 10 years with the LCA’s overseas aid and development agency. We asked Chey about serving the church in an international setting.

W H AT D O YO U EN J OY M OST A B O UT YO U R RO LE, PA RTI CU L A R LY I N T ER M S O F ITS G LO BA L I M PLI C ATI O N S? The variety of it. LWF World Service is a very lean organisation – only 3 per cent of its funding is allocated to overheads. That means you can be in the field one day, meeting a government official the next and writing a policy somewhere in between. We have more than 7000 staff in 25 countries, so most decisions have a global impact. And working with an extremely committed and professional team, as was the case at ALWS!

H AS IT G I V EN YO U N E W PERS PECTI V ES?

W E N EED TO CH A LLEN G E O U RS ELV ES AS A CH U RCH TO TH I N K G LO BA LLY.

Working at ALWS gave me the perspective of challenges faced by an organisation which provides technical and financial support, while this role has given me a better idea of obstacles faced by an organisation implementing the work. For example, we may not be able to construct a school quickly because a flood has washed away the foundation, or we need to evacuate staff because of conflict. The role has reinforced for me that human greed is the reason for much of the poverty and suffering in the world and that the most powerful way to address it is to give children, especially girls, the chance to be educated.

W H AT A R E T H E M OST CH A LLEN G I N G ELEM ENTS? Making hard decisions that affect lives. We recently needed to close a program because we couldn’t find the money to keep it going. It will have a tremendous impact on those who benefited because of it, as well as on staff who were employed. And accepting the fact that we can’t always respond to needs because local regimes will not allow us in.

W H AT ’ S T H E M OST D I FFI CU LT T H I N G A B O UT B EI N G AWAY FRO M AUSTR A LI A? Not being able to drop in for a cuppa. We miss our family and friends a lot and have needed to adjust to a different way of maintaining relationships. My wife, Libby, and our two children, Finn and Ruby, have done an amazing job in adapting to a new life at work and school, but we’re beginning to find our groove. Top: Then Australian Lutheran World Service Program Manager Chey Mattner visits South Sudan for the LCA’s aid and development agency in 2008.

W H AT WO U LD YO U LI K E TO SAY TO EN CO U R AG E LUT H ER A N S I N AUSTR A LI A / N E W Z E A L A N D?

Centre: A human rights defender thanks LWF for its support through Chey Mattner, in Colombia, along the Venezuelan border in April 2019. She presented him with two hats – one each for his wife and daughter, so that they could have her strength when they wore them.

Hold onto ALWS. It’s one of LWF’s most respected partners because of the value it places in true partnership. ALWS is a solid, reliable and professional organisation which LWF learns a lot from. And we need to challenge ourselves as a church to think globally. Where once the future of our church was to protect itself from the world, it will now only thrive if it’s in the world. We need to reconnect because our church has so much to give.

Bottom: The now Lutheran World Federation (LWF) World Service Head of Operations last month visited a community in Sittwe, Myanmar, on a visit to a program responding to the needs of those who have been internally displaced because of conflict.

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