The Lutheran August 2022 Sneak Preview

M A G A Z I N E O F T H E LUT H E R A N C H URC H O F A US T R A LI A & N E W Z E AL A N D

VOL 56 No 7

Print Post Approved PP100003514

AUGUST 2022

now Baptism rough ou th saves y ection of urr the res hrist.

C s u s e J 1 ER 1 PET

3 :2

Baptism

W AS HED IN GOD ’S GRACE

LUTHERAN

CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA

They go to the Rock!

EDITORIAL

Stephen Kroker prepares for a 10 kilometre walk around Uluru in the Northern Territory with some inspirational reading. With that t-shirt on, we’re wondering whether the Australian Lutheran World Service Operations Support Manager has been checking out a possible course for a future Walk My Way! The photo was taken by Stephen’s wife Janet during a recent holiday that had been postponed from 2021 due to a COVID lockdown. The Krokers are members at St Paul’s Glenelg in South Australia.

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

CONNECT WITH US We Love The Lutheran! lutheranaunz lutheranchurchaus

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People like YOU bring love to life Wilma Meyer St Matthew Lutheran Church Hamilton NZ

DESIGN & PRINT

Retired, enjoys visiting members of her congregation

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‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’

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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.

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Most treasured Bible text: John 3:16

Adrian Neumann St Paul Lutheran Church Blair Athol SA Laboratory scientist Most treasured Bible text: Galatians 6:9 ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’

Kristine Hanson Concordia Lutheran Church Duncraig WA Children’s ministry coordinator and keen artist Most treasured Bible text: 2 Timothy 4:8 ‘There is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to all who have longed for his appearing.’

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 in these difficult times) and your contact details.

August Special features EDITOR'S

let ter

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When I set about preparing an edition on baptism, I was worried there wouldn’t be enough ‘new’ to say about this simple yet mysterious and most blessing-laden sacrament.

Well, perhaps what we can share about baptism is nothing ‘new’, but it sure is worth reminding ourselves of the gifts we have received through the combination of earthly water and the heavenly power of God’s word.

What I actually found as I spoke to different people were more wonderful, moving and inspiring stories from our Lutheran family than I could squeeze into these pages. And that’s just the ones I heard about over the past couple of months! Whether local or globally based, these stories of lives and relationships transformed are bright and brilliant signposts to God’s grace and promises, and his redemptive work through the death and resurrection of Jesus and the unfailing prompting and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Of the many promises and blessings of baptism, a few are mentioned again and again by people sharing their stories – becoming a child of God no matter what the age at which we are baptised, the forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ Jesus.

But wait, there’s more! This may risk a reference to the ubiquitous steak knives in many a telemarketer’s toolkit, but it’s true. The gift of the Holy Spirit, deliverance from death and the devil, eternal salvation … they all come to us in baptism.

Many of us don’t remember our baptism day if we were brought before God as infants. But the power and privilege of baptism are the same whether we were baptised after three weeks or 83 years. The New Testament is full of verses highlighting miracles worked by God in baptism. One of my favourite texts, along with any reference to being made a member of God’s family, is from 1 Corinthians 6:11, ‘You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God’.

I pray that you’ll be excited by the stories we are so blessed to share in the following pages and that you’ll be encouraged to praise God for the fact you have been made his precious child and ‘marked as his own’ (Ephesians 1:13).

Also, this month, along with highlighted resources, we introduce you to the new leader of Australian Lutheran World Service, and feature reports from education and mission leaders’ gatherings.

And, for our print subscribers, you’ll find a bonus copy of Border Crossings from LCA International Mission inside (digital subscribers can head to https://lcamission.org.au and find a digital copy under the Resources tab).

Lisa

PS – Thank you, too, to subscribers who have been affected by delayed invoicing for your patience while we complete the changeover to a new database system.

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The mystery of baptism

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Safe and saved

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Baptism – what we believe

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Invited to join God’s family

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Day of joy as the lost return home

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From shadows into Jesus’ glorious light

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Jubilee celebrates coming together of cultures

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Youth keep spirit of Reformation alive

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Regulars 13

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Because we bear your name: Bishop Paul’s letter

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Dwelling in God’s word

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Go and Grow

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Church@Home

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Going GREYT!

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The inside story

24

Sudoku

27

Your voice

29

Directory

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Prayer calendar

30

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

The Lutheran AU G U S T 2 0 2 2

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Because we bear your name At a General Convention of Synod at Luther College in Melbourne, I found myself sitting beside Adrienne Jericho. Not only was Adrienne serving as our church’s Executive Director of Lutheran Education Australia at the time, but in 1978 he had also been my Scripture teacher when I was a Year 11 student at St Peters Lutheran College at Indooroopilly in Queensland. So, I felt quite honoured to be sitting with him.

During a regular break in proceedings, Adrienne and I were talking about the impact of Lutheran schooling and how it had been forming our Lutheran Church, both here in Australia and in New Zealand. We wondered how many ‘green cards’ would be held up if Adrienne asked delegates to hold up their Synod voting card if they had themselves attended a Lutheran school?

BISHOP PAUL’S LE T TER RE V PAUL SMITH Bishop, Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand

communities are getting ready for ‘ACLE’ in Melbourne.

This is our church’s Australian Conference on Lutheran Education begun in 1999, gathering women and men in educational ministries from all parts of the Lutheran Church and from around the world. Participants at ACLE enter into robust, purposeful and creative professional development together to improve the learning experience of the young people and families involved in our school and early learning communities.

During these past years of the pandemic, we have seen extraordinary growth in our Lutheran schools. Across the church, school enrolment numbers have broadly increased despite the great difficulties of lockdown and illness. This is certainly the result of diligent planning and management by our school councils, our staff and our school communities. But we must pause and give thanks especially for ... OU R G RACIOUS the faithful witness and service of the women and men who are our Lutheran GOD CO NTI N U ES TO school principals.

In the next session of convention, Adrienne did exactly that. At the microphone for his presentation, he asked delegates, ‘Please hold up your green card if you attended a Lutheran FOR M OU R LUTH ERAN Let us pray for God’s blessing on the school’. Green cards were held up CH U RCH TH ROUG H OU R ongoing work of our Lutheran schools everywhere across the assembly. as our gracious God continues to form But then Adrienne went further. He LUTH ERAN SCH OOLS . young people through our schools and said, ‘Keep those cards up. Now, early learning communities, and as our please hold up your green card if gracious God continues to form our Lutheran Church your children or grandchildren are attending or have through our Lutheran schools. attended a Lutheran school’. A whole host of additional voting cards were held up. Finally, he asked, ‘Would you Personally, I thank God that I have been formed by so hold up your card if you are a delegate representing many of our Lutheran school communities. God gathered a community that includes a Lutheran school?’ Even me into our church through the witness of a Lutheran more cards went up until there was a virtual sea of school community; I have served as school pastor in green across the convention. This wonderful moment at four Lutheran schools, in three of those as the full-time that Synod reveals the profound presence of Lutheran college pastor; my three children attended Lutheran schooling in forming the life of our Lutheran Church. schools to grade 12; and my wife Heidi also attended Lutheran schools to grade 12 and is a trained Lutheran As a church, we establish schools and early childhood secondary school teacher. services to educate young people in the name of the Lord, bearing witness to the students, parents, teachers I thank God for the blessing that is Lutheran schooling and friends of our schools, as we provide quality and Lutheran early childhood services. teaching and learning. While we have been forming young people through Lutheran schooling, Lutheran In Christ, schooling has been forming us as a church.

As I write these words for you, Lutheran educators and the people of our Lutheran schools and early learning

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Paul

Lord Jesus, we

belong to you,

live in us, we live in you; work for you – because we bear your name

you

we live and

One bite isn't enough, is it?

Here's how to get the whoe appe.

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