The Lutheran February-March 2024 Sneak Preview

MA 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 A L AN D

Print Post Approved PP100003514 VOL 58 No 1

FEB–MAR 2024

LUTHERAN

CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA

From cover to (almost) cover

ED ITO R I A L

Maria Rudolph and Jonathan Krause recently shared a special ‘reunion’. But it was actually the first time the pair had met – almost 18 years after they graced the same cover of The Lutheran in June 2006, German-born Maria had shared her story of meeting Lutheran people while backpacking around Australia and coming to faith, while Jonathan had explained his role at Christian Blind Mission International – collecting and bringing back stories from the world’s poorest places. Maria is today a pastoral associate at St John’s Lutheran Church in Perth, while Jonathan is Community Action Manager for Australian Lutheran World Service. Maria’s husband, Pastor Michael Rudolph, who serves the Concordia congregation at Duncraig in suburban Perth, took the photo.

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

C O N N ECT W ITH U S We Love The Lutheran! lutheranaunz lutheranchurchaus

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D ES I G N & P R I NT

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People like YOU bring love to life Bruce Arnold St Paul’s Lutheran Church Sydney NSW

Design & Layout Elysia McEwen

Treasurer NSW-ACT District, Way Forward Constitutional Requirements working group, ALC Finance, Audit and Risk Committee

Printer Openbook Howden

Most treasured Bible text: John 14:2,3

The Lutheran is produced on the traditional lands of the Kaurna and Dharug peoples.

‘In the house of my Father are many rooms ... I go on to prepare a place for you ... I will come again ... that where I am you also may be.’

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LUTHERAN

St Stephen’s Lutheran Church Adelaide SA 95-year-old Bible study leader, vice-president of women’s fellowship and keen baker Most treasured Bible text: Romans 8:38,39 ‘I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love – not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future.’

Ben Gargett

CHURCH

St Paul’s Lutheran Church Box Hill Vic

OF AUSTRALIA

Financial auditor, Way Forward Finance and Budgeting working group, chairperson St Paul’s Box Hill

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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Gladys Gerhardy

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Most treasured Bible text: Philippians 2:5–11 ‘Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus ... to the glory of God the Father.’

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.

Special features

6 While it’s not overly long, I know my nose has long been the butt of jokes (perhaps a mixed metaphor…) among some of my friends and family.

You see, I gained a chickenpox scar on the end of it at around the age of four, took a fine slice off the tip at 15 when I fell through a glass door, began sporting a crooked septum after a run-in with a flyball during a softball game in my 20s and, more recently, was left with a dent at the end from shingles.

I’ve tried at times over the years to disguise these flaws – none of which wiped out the others, unfortunately – with make-up. But I’ve since given up worrying about them. Scars are meant to add character after all. And there are my crooked teeth, weak chin and many more things to add to my list of imperfections, in any case.

What about you? When you look in the mirror, do you focus on the wrinkles or age blotches on your face? If you’re still on the younger side, perhaps it’s difficult to see past the pimples or acne pocks.

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Are we falling for the beauty myth?

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In whose image are we made?

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Only eight months to go! The latest on the Way Forward

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Introducing our new General Ministry Pastors

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Regulars 12

Do you examine the stretchmarks on your body, or try to extend your neck to eradicate your double chin? Do you curse the grey or unwanted hairs, or despair at a receding hairline?

Perhaps rather than focusing on all of your so-called imperfections – like my nose – you instead smile at the visage reflected back at you, knowing that those attributes are just part of the physical you, the body God gave you (and fearfully and wonderfully made – Psalm 139) to house your mind, soul and spirit. A body and face he adores so much that he gave up his Son for each of us, as we’ll reflect on especially in the upcoming seasons of Lent and Easter.

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Most of us are taught when we’re young that looks aren’t everything.

That having a beautiful heart is more important than a beautiful face.

That being kind is better than being good-looking or fashionable.

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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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The Inside Story

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Your voice

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Directory

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Going GREYT!

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Coffee Break

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But do we really believe those things? Or do we fall for the ‘beauty myth’ and the pressure that advertising, social media and our peers can put on us? Do we waste time, energy and money on trying to look the way models, actors, sportspeople or ‘influencers’ do?

In this edition, members of our Lutheran family address some of these questions, as well as Christian views on self-worth and how we see ourselves as beloved children of the Creator. We also introduce you to our newest General Ministry Pastors, as they begin parish ministry and update you on the LCANZ’s Way Forward project.

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As usual, too, we bring you the latest news from across the church, a range of resources to support home and congregational faith life and our popular regular columns.

God bless your reading, Our cover: iStock.com.

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

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Because we bear your name Most people want their church to look good! We want to apply the same rigorous routines we apply to our bodies and wardrobes to our church! We do this both to the building but also to congregations.

Of course, we must listen to the wisdom of the people in the field of church planting. People from outside a church need to know that the place is cared for. There is an intuitive awareness that goes on in the mind of a visitor to the church – ‘If these people care for their church building, then maybe they will also care for me’. Up-to-date websites, ease of parking, clear signage and friendly welcomes at the church door are vital for congregational vitality.

BISHOP PAUL’S LETTER REV PAU L SMITH Bishop, Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand

The scriptures speak of this joy as the joy of salvation. God has come into our midst to break down the dividing wall so that we would have peace with God. On the cross, our Lord brings the great exchange: our sin for his righteousness. We are baptised into his death that we would walk in newness of life. We bring nothing, he gives everything. Because of this great exchange, we come to God with complete confidence, as children to a loving Father.

But we know that the story of the wise men takes an ugly turn. This is an event that is often skipped over in the romantic portrayals of the Christmas nativity. The wise men are warned in a dream, not to tell King Herod of the baby.

When Herod finds out he rages, and he orders all the little But deep down we know that church is not about looking ones around Bethlehem to be murdered. This is a horrific good. It is about the goodness of God for us in Christ story, showing the human heart that is Jesus our Lord. in all of us. Herod is set against the way As I write this to you, the season of of God and provides an alternative to O N TH IS ‘OTH ER Epiphany is upon us. In our culture, God’s way. Even in the Garden of Eden, ROAD’ TH E PEOPLE Christmas seemed to come to an Adam declared to the Lord God, ‘It was abrupt end with the Boxing Day the woman that YOU gave me’.

OF TH E CH U RCH sales. Hot cross buns went up for Scripture tells us that the wise men left WORK TOG ETH ER TO sale along with ‘back to school’ ‘by another road’. They did not go the resources. Businesses in New KEEP OU R FOCUS ON way of Herod. Herod’s way was to seek Zealand and Australia target us with to thwart the good and gracious will of TH E CH RIST AN D TH E so much marketing that it is very God. Herod’s way was human scheming easy to drift into a mindset that we WORK OF H IS CROSS . and the destruction of human lives. are simply ‘consumers’ needing to Christian faith is this ‘other road’. Our consume more! gracious God sends us along the way of the gospel of Jesus In the Epiphany gospel reading from Matthew chapter two, Christ to stand against the ‘way of Herod’. On this ‘other road’ we hear of the wise men who follow the star until they meet the people of the church work together to keep our focus on with King Herod in Jerusalem. They are then directed to the Christ and the work of his cross as the fulfilment of God’s Bethlehem where we are told, ‘they set out; and there, ahead plan of salvation. On this ‘other road’ the people of the church of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it speak out against the use of power to destroy others. stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw As the church travels this ‘other road’ sometimes it might not that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy’ look so good to others. But, in the name of the Lord, it will (Matthew 2:9,10). bring God’s peace and joy, that is the forgiveness of sin.

Travelling through life, walking by faith in this story of the See hymn 804 LHS. manger and the cross, is about joy. Joy was proclaimed by In Christ, the angel to the shepherds at Bethlehem, ‘I bring you good tidings of great joy’. Joy was the experience of the disciples when the Lord Jesus appeared to them behind closed doors after his crucifixion and resurrection, ‘The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord’.

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