THE LUTHERAN March 2017

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

MARCH 2017

S h i n i n g t h ro u g h

Boat to the BAROSSA

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LOVE

thy neighbour Luke 10:30–37

LUTHERAN

CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA

Banking on an informative read Lorraine Fielke and Julie Schwarz relax with a drink and a copy of The Lutheran by the banks at WilkadeneWoolshed Brewery in South Australia’s Riverland. Lorraine and Julie are members at Bookpurnong Lutheran Church SA. The photo is

by Julie’s step-daughter Janine Weiss, a member at Warradale SA.

EDITORIAL Editor Lisa McIntosh p 08 8267 7300 m 0409 281 703 e lisa.mcintosh@lca.org.au Executive Editor Linda Macqueen p 08 8339 5178 e linda.macqueen@lca.org.au

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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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The Lutheran MARCH 2017

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MARCH

Special features EDITOR'S

Letter

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In my previous vocation working for Members of Parliament, I had the occasional privilege of helping lead visiting community groups around Parliament House in Adelaide. A highlight of these tours was a visit to the South Australian Parliament Research Library.

Library Director John Weste would tell the story of the first referendum in Australia, held in 1896. The question put was whether the Bible should be taught in State schools. With a smile John would ask visitors to guess who most strongly objected to this proposal.

The atheists? Those of another religion?

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While the governance of Lutheran Bible translators has changed (see ‘Inside Story’, ‘Your Voice’ and the inserted LCA International Mission publication Border Crossings), the critical nature of this valued ministry has not.

In a number of cases the dedication of Lutheran missionaries to learning and recording the languages of people with whom they worked has been credited with saving a tongue from extinction. Just as those early Lutherans did not want to give up their culture when they came to Australia and New Zealand, the missionaries did not ask it of others.

In the years since that referendum in 1896, the faces of the LCA/ NZ – and our antipodean society – have been changing. There are no longer Lutherans of only German descent in Australia or Danish origins in New Zealand. There are Aboriginal Lutherans and Maori Lutherans, and Lutherans of Asian, African, American and European heritages. And aren’t we the richer for it?

Across the LCA/NZ worship services are held in 25 languages (that we know of). Our lay workers, pastors, teachers, volunteers and whole congregations are reaching out to people from different cultures. You can read some of these inspiring stories in this issue and hear from people who came into our church as a ‘stranger’.

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Boat to the Barossa

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Shining through diversity

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Pastoral letter on ordination

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Regulars

No, it was the Lutherans! Why? Because then the Bible would be taught in English and not in German!

Despite (and perhaps because of) this, Lutherans in Australia have a history of supporting access to the word of God for all. Just as Luther gave the Scriptures to his countryfolk by translating it into German, Australian Lutheran Bible translators have been tireless in their efforts to bring the written gospel to many language groups of Papua New Guinea and Aboriginal Australia.

Cross has power for all cultures

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25

Heartland

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Going GREYT!

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Go and Grow

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Inside story

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#youngSAVEDfree

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Directory

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Your voice (Letters)

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Notices

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Reel life

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Coffee break

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Sadly, in some parts of the world today, popular opinion and even the rule of law have shifted back to when multiculturalism was a dirty word, evoking fear and even loathing.

I’m glad that’s not for us. Cross-cultural ministry is an exciting and fast-growing dimension of mission in our church. It may be challenging as we strive to understand each other’s differences, but it is our Great Commission. As always, all we need do is look to the example of Jesus in Luke 10:30–37 when he was asked, ‘Who is my neighbour?’.

Lisa

Our cover:

from iStock.com

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

REV JOHN HENDERSON

Bishop Lutheran Church of Australia

LIVING IN G OD’S BLES SING ‘I will bless you … so that you will be a blessing’ (Genesis 12:2).

At the end of our worship services, the pastor blesses the congregation. The blessing will often take the form of the words Moses gave to Aaron: ‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favour, and give you peace’ (Numbers 6:24-27).

The blessing is more than a signal that the service is over. As we leave worship to go out into the world again, God tells us that we do not go alone. He goes with us, blessing us so that we can bless others. Our hands are his hands, our feet his feet.

Blessing is a spiritual experience in which we know that God holds us in his care. It is knowing that there are others who care, support, and pray for us, who share our joys and sorrows. When that blessing penetrates right down inside our hearts, when we feel it deeply, we experience healing of our mind, body and soul.

God has always wanted to bless us. The very first thing God did when he made people was to bless them. ‘When God created humankind, he made them The Lutheran MARCH 2017

God’s blessing continues to be powerful and lifegiving. Sometimes, with all the pressures and haste of the modern age, we forget how important that is. Busy with our thoughts, we rush on to the next thing on our list of ‘to dos’ without really hearing the blessing. We miss hearing God say that he will always be with us, and we can call on him at any time because he is right here, ready to give us everything we need. It’s so important to know that.

Blessing is a SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE in which we know that God holds us in his care.

Such a blessing fills our lives with meaning, purpose and vitality. Being blessed takes away the need to be anxious and self-absorbed. We don’t need to carry everything on our own.

We are free of all that – to live for others and love them as we know we are loved.

So don’t worry. God has more than enough blessing for everyone.

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in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them “Humankind” when they were created’ (Genesis 5:1,2 NRSV).

When we’re living the blessing by blessing others, it becomes impossible for us to curse them, attack them, or complain about them.

Instead our heart, mind and soul are full of the good things of God that we want to pass on. We have no time left to plan our revenge or getting even.

Those unpleasant thoughts fall away. Living in God’s blessing means the devil has no room to manoeuvre.

We could even say that blessing others has become our purpose in life.

Next time your worship service reaches the end and the pastor speaks the blessing, stop and listen carefully. God is taking you into his care. He is giving you a real, life-changing and precious gift. Receive it gladly and get ready to pass it on, because there’s more than enough to share.

You know how much God loves you, and how much he loves the world. He gave the life of his Son to save it. That’s the blessing above all others, and we want the world to have it.

Hann

H a y le y

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Cross has POWER for all cultures

by TA NI A NELSON Did you know that cross-cultural ministry is alive and well in the Lutheran Church of Australia? Now that doesn’t mean that ministering cross-culturally is without its challenges. Nor does it mean that we can’t do more. Actually much, much more is required!

In March 2016, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the following media statement: ‘The proportion of Australians who were born overseas has hit its highest point in over 120 years, with 28 per cent of Australia's population born overseas, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).'

The media release goes on to say that the largest gains in net migration from overseas were in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland (in that order). This statistic – that more than a quarter of Australians were born overseas – is an amazing challenge for local mission in the LCA. Are our congregations, schools, and aged-care facilities multi-cultural and inter-cultural communities? Are we welcoming, inclusive, loving? ‘Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest’” (Matthew 9:37–38 NRSV).

The following are some wonderful insights into lay worker and pastor labourers in cross-cultural ministry. May I challenge you to think of yourself as a labourer – a labourer who is welcoming, who includes others, and who brings love to life in your community?

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

Hanna Schulz LUTHERAN BIBLE TRANSLATOR WITH WYCLIFFE BIBLE TRANSLATORS My ministry area is … Bible translation in Papua New Guinea. Half the time I live in a remote village (Ubuoo) among the tribe I am working with (the Kope people). The other half of the time I live at our organisational base in the Highlands, where I am surrounded by my colleagues from many nations.

I love … working alongside people who are passionate to have God's word in their language and to see it change the life of their community.

Some of the challenges of this ministry are … learning a language from scratch, without a textbook or classes to guide the way; building good relationships while struggling to communicate; living off grid in a village house; and always being in transition between the village and our base and between PNG and Australia.

I’ve learned along the way … to be more relaxed about time and to have many plans as they will surely change; and to listen to the people around me, as they are the experts on their language and culture, and I am the learner.

Hayley Lanzon AUSTRALIAN LUTHERAN WORLD SERVICE PROGRAM OFFICER My ministry area is … supporting people overseas to build their lives and society for the better.

I love … the power of laughter, when it crosses all differences in culture, language and everyday life and illuminates our sameness. Sharing a laugh brings people closer together.

A challenge of this ministry is … navigating relationships of power and need. Careful communication is key to ensuring that project partners and beneficiaries feel respected and equal.

I’ve learned along the way … that differences are opportunities for growth and sharing. I learn so much from people I engage with in Australia and overseas.

CHINESE MINISTRY SEEKERS BAPTI S ED

Two adults were baptised in January after faithseeker’s classes were held by the Chinese ministry at St Stephen’s in Adelaide. Their pastor, Wing Tso, says there were eight newcomers at the church’s Boxing Day dinner.

‘To our amazement, one of the newcomers asked, “Will there be any class about Christianity being held in your church?”’, Pastor Wing says.

‘We answered, “If we can get three to four people to come, it is a yes”. He started to count.

“One, two, three, four – we have four!”’ After the first classes of the faith-seeker’s course, a father visiting his student daughter in Adelaide and an overseas student asked for baptism. Pastor Wing says: ‘We thank God for inspiring people to seek faith who are from various cultures and countries. We are grateful that our church members are open to opportunities unfolded in the midst of us, and are sensitive to seekers’ quest of faith.’

Robyn Kuchel SA/NT DISTRICT ABORIGINAL MINISTRY FAR WEST COAST FIELD WORKER My ministry area is … Aboriginal ministry, serving Anangu people in the Yalata community.

I love … the way the children share nature with me. They have brought baby birds in the nest, tiny baby mice, baby wombats, head lice, and a dead death adder to my house.

Some of the challenges of this ministry are … that social organisation of the Aboriginal people I work with is very different from my own expectations and that they are caught between cultures. They have to manage our money, but their more communal lifestyle and broader definition of family make it very difficult for them to do this in the way we expect.

I’ve learned along the way … to wait on God’s leading and not to expect clear answers to my rational questions.

Pastor Brian Shek LCA NATIONAL ASIAN MINISTRIES COORDINATOR My ministry area is … coordinating Asian ministry in the LCA. This includes collaboratively formulating the vision, goals and strategies of the ministry; training and meeting lay leaders and committees; and connecting with other Asian church leaders so we can care for Asian Lutherans moving to Australia.

I love … seeing a non-Christian coming to faith in Christ … seeing young people from Asian congregations commit their life to church ministry … seeing the church take up crosscultural ministry as an essential and integral part of its ministry and mission. I dream of seeing people from our Asian congregations participating in church boards and committees.

I love going to a Chinese restaurant or the supermarket to meet and help strangers. These people are our new neighbours and are ready to make friends.

A challenge of this ministry is … that ministry workers are difficult to find. I am sure the Lord of the Harvest is calling people. The harvest is on our own doorstep. Where are the missionaries to the ‘gentiles’ just living in our neighbourhoods?

I’ve learned along the way … to be a careful listener. The same word in a different cultural context can mean very different things, and sometimes can mean something exactly the opposite.

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Anne Fit zpat rick AUSTRALIAN LUTHERAN WORLD SERVICE PROGRAM OFFICER My ministry area is … working as a Program Officer for Cambodia and Nepal.

I love … engaging with and learning from a wide range of people, with different nationalities, cultures, lifestyles, perspectives, skills and concerns.

Some of the challenges of this ministry are … staying informed about the different issues relevant to our work; and remaining mindful of the potential for power differentials – given we provide funding and resources – that could impact our relationship with partners and communities.

I’ve learned along the way … to be better at adapting how I engage with people depending on the context. Speaking to a church group in our base city of Albury, meeting with government staff, discussing development challenges and successes with a community in rural Nepal, attending a workshop with staff from Asia region partner programs – each of these situations requires a different approach.

Kat hleen Mills GUEST DEACONESS IN THE GOULBURN MURRAY LUTHERAN PARISH, VICTORIA My ministry area is … youth and family ministry. I teach confirmation classes and lead Bible studies, work with youth, and meet with members of the congregation who are ill or need help. As an American, I'm an immigrant who was brought to Australia to serve among immigrants – Shepparton’s African community.

I love … when a three year old climbs on my lap during the sermon and plays with my hair, because my blondish locks fascinate them; when we witness a baptism and sounds erupt in church in a language I can't speak yet which still communicate unbridled joy; and when we sing, pray and grow as God's family together.

Pastor Fui Tshun Ku PASTOR AT GRACE CHINESE LUTHERAN CHURCH PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA My ministry area is … working with Chinese communities in Perth. Mission is no longer about crossing the oceans, but crossing the streets. In recent years, a great number of Chinese people have migrated to Perth. This is a great opportunity. We worship together in a small group of 40 to 50 and we also have seven Bible study groups.

I love … reaching out to students from Malaysia and China. They may be homesick and need people to care for them or give advice. As we enter their lives, we create a better atmosphere for them to accept Christ as their Saviour.

Some of the challenges of this ministry are … doing a lot of social work – such as helping people find a car, job or house – in order to bring them into the church; and the emerging need for children’s ministry. We also plan to create young adult classes and we need at least one Chinese Lutheran church and one in English for Australian–born Chinese people.

I’ve learned along the way … that although we are facing numerous hurdles, God’s grace is sufficient, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:8.

Some of the challenges of this ministry are … language differences and helping members of the African community navigate applying for jobs, houses, Medicare and Centrelink, and watching their faces when they tell me yet another company turned them down because ‘they must not want black people living there’.

I’ve learned along the way … that multicultural worship is one of the greatest blessings and one of the most interesting challenges I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing and overcoming.

LANGUAGE LIST FOR LCA WORSH IP SERVICES Arrarnta (Central Australia) Cantonese (South-eastern China/ Hong Kong/Macau) Danish Dinka (South Sudan) Estonian Ethiopian Finnish German Hindi (India) Hungarian Indonesian Korean

Alfred Yau NEW SOUTH WALES DISTRICT ASIAN MISSIONS CHURCH PLANTER My ministry area is … planting the gospel centre known as the Joyful Hub among the Chinese families in Bennelong, Sydney. I was called to this role in March 2014.

I love … that Chinese families are engaged by the Joyful Hub community outreach activities.

‘Touching the community to touch the world’ is my mission to build the disciple-making community (Matthew 28:19–20).

Some of the challenges of this ministry are … connecting these families to Sunday worship.

I’ve learned along the way … that humility and servant leadership are needed in Bennelong church planting. I appreciate your prayers.

Latvian Luritja (Australian western desert) Ma'di (Uganda) Mandarin (China) Norwegian Nuer (South Sudan/Ethiopia) Pitjantjatjara (Central Australian desert) Polish Slovak Swedish Tagalog (Filipino) Tamil (India) Vietnamese

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T his issue we launch a column which will feat ure stories o f some o f our ‘more experienced’ people wi t hi n t he LCA , who have be en called to make a posi t ive cont ribu t ion i n t heir ret irement. We pray t heir examples o f service will be an i nspirat ion and encouragement to us all as we look to be Christ ’s hands and fe et wherever we are, wi t h whatever gif ts and oppor t uni t ies we’ve be en given.

Fro m li t t le plan ts, Browsing through the handmade treasures of a country market, you can easily sense when you are buying love.

Vendors spruik a cornucopia of local goods all created with care, from hand-knitted beanies, to the fresh-baked delicacies.

As you amble among the stalls of South Australia’s south coast markets, you might unwittingly buy a little pot of love in the form of a pot plant, nurtured with love in the beautiful Port Elliot gardens of local green thumb Paul Sabel. In buying one of his plants, flower bouquets or cartons of eggs, you are passing this love to some of the most needy people both here in Australia and in some of the poorest countries around the world.

Unbeknown to Paul, his market profits, faithfully sent off in a monthly cheque to Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS), have been adding up. More than 15 years of dedicated market sales have added up to more than $350,000 of love in the form of donations.

And contribute he has. Since retirement in 1999, Paul has spent most weekends at country markets, south of Adelaide, including Goolwa, Port Elliot, Victor Harbor and Willunga. He also ventures further afield to the Adelaide Hills town of Hahndorf (at a market on the local St Michael’s Lutheran Church grounds) and Kadina, on the Yorke Peninsula.

Paul and his wife of 53 years, Annette, have nurtured a wide range of prize-winning plants and flowers on their 1 ½ acre retirement haven in Port Elliot. For years their pelargoniums, geraniums, orchids, sweet peas, pansies, roses and cyclamens have attracted prizes from the

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The Lutheran MARCH 2017

local Port Elliot show, as well as awards from the South Australian Geranium and Pelargonium Society.

For Paul, his horticultural enterprise has been quite a departure from a career in education which included a three-year term as school principal at Hope Vale in northern Queensland, 11 years as principal of St John’s Lutheran School, Highgate, South Australia, and three years as principal of Holy Trinity Lutheran School, Horsham, Victoria.

‘We are all God’s creatures and we all need to be looking after our fellow man as best we can.’

‘I had never ever added it up, but it shows just how people can contribute’, says Paul.

by HELEN BER INGEN

It was while living in Horsham, on the cusp of retirement, that his local Lutheran pastor Glen Schultz asked Paul what he would do in retirement.

‘He said you need to retire to something’, Paul recalls. ‘He said: “You grow a lot of plants so why don’t you do something in that line?”.’

Paul, who was growing begonias at the time, soon added some bedraggled pelargoniums which he bought and revived from a Mornington Peninsula nursery’s closing down sale. He was underway.

On retiring to Port Elliot, the back-breaking work of building his new garden began. Battling heavy clay soils, Paul and Annette developed the entire block until it was transformed into a garden which has attracted garden clubs and tours by the busload.

He had heard of the fabulous work of the ALWS through his brother-in-law, the late former ALWS Executive Secretary Sid Bartsch, so he began selling his plants at the local Port Elliot market to raise funds for the Lutheran Church of Australia’s overseas aid and resettlement agency.

‘ALWS supports people who often have very little hope’, Paul says. ‘In our country, if people have a disaster,

in their Port Elliot Sabel enjoy time Paul and Annette Peninsula – the ieu ur Fle Australia’s garden on South wers and plants flo ng many fundraisi for int po ng rti sta

Rex Zacher and Paul Sabel chat with a customer at Paul’s plant stall at the Port Ellio t market.

nup to e van at su unpacks th l t. e ke ab S ar l m Pau r a local prepare fo

there are places and people that can help. But in these countries, there are often no places people can get help.

With ALWS, we know the money gets there.

‘You just do the best you can with all that you’ve got.’

Doing his best means watering and tending to his garden and chickens, sun up to sun down. It has been a partnership with Annette, who also joined him at markets until limited by ill health.

‘We have received many blessings from it. Apart from the exercise and being active all the time, we have gotten a lot of pleasure from it’, he says.

These days his mate Rex Zacher helps on market days, loading up Paul’s van and trailer with 60 plus boxes of pot plants, eggs, cut flowers and sometimes fruit from his orchard.

‘Rex is 84 and I’m 77 so we’re getting up in years, but that’s in God’s hands’, Paul says.

The father of four and grandfather of eight is reluctant to boast about the extent of support that he has provided to the ALWS through the proceeds. ‘It’s all about helping others and inspiring others to do the same’, he says.

And an inspiration he has been, receiving cuttings and plants from members at his Victor Harbor congregation and pots through a collection bin at Port Elliot’s Mitre 10 store.

Why does he do it? ‘I love the garden … and it has a real purpose, it gives me something to get up to do every day. You have got to like what you do and it could be anything. Whether craft, or even repairing things, it could raise money.

‘We are all God’s creatures and we all need to be looking after our fellow man as best we can.’

Paul Sabe l applies m ulch to the in his Port cannas Elliot gard en.

Photos by Helen Koch

Helen Beringen is a Townsville-based communications advisor who has been richly blessed through a career as a wordsmith. She is inspired by the many GREYT people who serve tirelessly and modestly in our community. She hopes by sharing stories of how God shines his light through them, others will be inspired to share his light in the world.