For Sunday the 30th December - 8.30am

This Sunday (30/12) we will gather for worship at 8.30am with Christmas carols still ringing in our ears. While we might to like to linger at the manger and enjoy the serenity of being in the presence of the baby Jesus, the gospel lesson will have us journey to Egypt with the holy family as they flee from the blood thirsty hands of Herod.

This reading interrupts our peaceful images and reminds us of the blood and guts reality that surrounded the birth of our Saviour. This is not some sanitised, G-rated account of the Saviour’s birth. This is our God facing real life complexities and threats, right from the beginning of His daring journey to the cross as the man Jesus.

We will be hearing what this means for our daily struggles with the ups and downs of life.

Divine Service will begin at 8.30am.

On New Year's Day, we will also gather for worship, beginning at 11.00am

The Lord be with you,

Pastor Matt

An early Christmas present! (Service times below)

Please meet the newest addition to St Paul's Lutheran Church (and one very happy mama)!

Matenga and Sikujua are the proud parents of Jenny, who was born on the 17th of December. We thank God for her safe delivery, and the continued good health of mother and baby, and look forward to the day when she will receive new birth through water and the Word in holy baptism. As you can see from the photo below, Jenny is very much like her older brother Lawi.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Christmas services

Over the next few days we will once again meditate on the love of God in the sending of His Son as a baby in the manger to live and die that we might have forgiveness and life. We will ponder the wonderful mystery of the Incarnation, and rejoice over God's great gift to the world. Please join us as we celebrate Jesus' coming in flesh to save us.

Our services at St Pauls will be as follows:

Sunday 23rd December: Service of Lessons and Carols; 11.00am

Monday 24th December: Children's Christmas Service; 6.00pm

Tuesday 25th Decmeber: The Incarnation of our Lord - Service with Holy Communion; 11.00am

A happy and blessed Christmas to you all,

Pastor Matt

For Sunday 16th December - 8.30am

This Sunday (16/12) we will hear how John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus from his prison cell to check whether or not Jesus is the Promised One. Out in the wilderness he'd been bold in declaring that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, but as he faced an uncertain future in prison, he needed reassurance.

In answer to his question Jesus points John's disciples to His actions of healing, restoration and resurrection - all foretold by the prophet Isaiah as signs of the Messiah's work to save God's people from sin and separation, and bring them into the everlasting joy of God's presence.

All too often it seems that the evil, the wealthy and the wicked are a law unto themselves in this world. But rather than lament this apparent reality, Jesus assures us He has brought in a new age in which all things will be made new.

Jesus doesn't provide any easy answers to John or to you and me. Life still has it's ups and downs, and we still face hardship, even persecution and injustice. But in the face of this we are encouraged to see the Lord at work, come in flesh, crucified for our sins, resurrected for our justifcation, He brings life and light into our dark existence.

Divine Service will begin at 8.30am.

God's peace be with you,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 9th December - 11.00am

Christmas cards and decorations often proclaim that this is a time of peace and joy. Yet so many people's experience of Christmas is far from this loftly ideal. When we feel that we are responsible for the peace we long for, we inevitably experience disappointment and despair. Even with our good intentions, so many Christmas Day celebrations end up with loved ones having a row or leaving with a sense of disappointment.

As we continue with our Advent journey this week, we will hear from the prophet Isaiah (11:1-10) about the true peace we eagerly await in these latter days. This is not just about getting along with one another. This is a peace that is RADICALLY different from anything we could ever dream of! I mean who could conceive of the peace Isaiah describes: The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.

Clearly this peace we celebrate and long for at Christmas is something we can't achieve ourselves. But strengthened with the peace that comes from sins forgiven in Christ's name, we can give others a glimpse of this heavenly peace even now.

Divine Service will begin at 11.00am and will be followed by a community lunch.

For your info here are the upcoming Christmas service times:

23rd December: Service of Lessons and Carols; 11.00am
24th December: Children's Christmas Service; 6.00pm
25th December: Service with Holy Communion; 11.00am
1st January: Service with Holy Communion; time TBA

God's peace,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday 2nd December - 8.30am

Happy New Year!

Well at least it will be on Sunday as we begin a new church year with the First Sunday of Advent. The word Advent simply means 'coming' and during this season in the church calendar we look forward to our Lord's coming as a human baby at Bethlehem and also to his final coming as king at the end of time. We also remember the way Jesus continually comes to us in His word and sacraments. Advent is therefore a time of waiting, preparing, and hoping. This involves both repentance and joyful anticipation.

This Sunday we will be reflecting on being prepared for the Lord's return. We will hear His call to "stay awake" as we wait for His coming again. We'll consider what it means to be prepared and awake as I preach on Matthew 24:36-44.

Despite popular opinion, this text is not about a 'rapturing' of all true Christians before the final judgement of the world. It is about ensuring we are ready to receive the gift of forgiveness at the final judgement through faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice.

Please have a read of the gospel before Sunday and when you come to verses 40 and 41 consider this more literal translation: 'At that time two men will be in the field, one will be taken away [to prison] and one will be forgiven. Two women will be grinding in the mill, one will be taken away [to prison] and one will be forgiven.'

Being prepared is not about proving our faithfulness and piety. It's about being ready to receive the forgiveness and life won for us on the cross.

Divine Service will begin at 8.30am

God's peace until we meet on Sunday,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 25th November - 11.00am

This Sunday (25/11) we observe The Day of Fulfilment, the final Sunday in the Church year when we focus on God's 'fulfilment' of his judgment and salvation.

This provides a wonderful opportunity for us to reflect on all that Christ has fulfilled for us in His life, death and resurrection as spelled out so beautifully in the second reading: “He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

The gospel reading reminds us this redemption brings us the privilege and obligation to serve our new King by making use of our resources faithfully in His service, until He returns to judge the living and the dead.

First comes the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus, then comes the opportunity to live and serve as His holy people. When we get this order correct, we can wait fearlessly for Jesus’ return, confident that forgiveness, life and salvation are ours – even though we do not serve Him perfectly in this life.

The readings are:
Jeremiah 23:1-6 The Lord will raise up a righteous Branch
Colossians 1:11-20 The supremacy of Christ
Luke 19:11-27 The parable of the gold coins

Divine Service will begin at 11.00am.

Please remember that our children will be practicing for the Children’s Christmas service during the regular Sunday School time.

The Lord be with you,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 18th November - 8.30am

We had the joy this past Sunday to witness God at work in Holy Baptism. Liliana Jowy received new birth by water and the Spirit and was received into the Kingdom of God in the midst of great joy. Here’s some photos of God's Kingdom coming in our very midst:



We are thankful for the presence of Michael Jang from the Dandenong congregation who translated the sermon and spent time with our African brothers and sisters following the service.

This coming Sunday (18th November) our readings focus on being prepared for the coming of the Lord Jesus. This area of Christian teaching is subject to all sorts of false teaching that fills people with dread and fear. To be sure a time of judgement is coming, but the Lord Himself offers hope and comfort through the prophet Malachi when He declares: “But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.”

Judgment has come and gone for those who like Lily, are now in Christ. Our thoughts this week focus on our watching and waiting for the coming of the Lord as we trust in Him for forgiveness and life, and look forward to the perfect healing He will bring on the last day.

Divine Service will begin at 8.30am.

The Lord be with you,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 11th November - 11.00am

This coming Sunday (11th November) we will be privileged to witness God at work in the baptism of Liliana, daughter of James and Mary Jowy. We will be thinking about what it means that God gives us new birth by water and the Spirit in Holy Baptism, and with Nicodemus, we will be asking, ‘How is it possible to be born again?’ As we contemplate these high and lofty things, we’ll be reminded of the Lord’s continued work of regeneration in our lives as we daily return to our baptism in repentance and faith to receive His gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation.

I’ll be preaching on John 3:1-8 and you’ll be able to hear the sermon in English, Arabic and possibly Kiswahili! That’s because pastoral ministry assistant Michael Jang of the Dandenong congregation will join us to translate the sermon for our African brothers and sisters and to assist at the altar.

The celebration of Liliana’s new life in Christ will continue after the service with a shared lunch.

Don’t forget that following lunch, Pastor Allan Heppner from the Victorian District will be leading us in a discussion to consider our future needs to best serve the community to which we’ve been called.

Divine Service will begin at 11.00am.

I look forward to enjoying your company for a VERY full day!

God’s peace,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday 4th November - 8.30am

This coming Sunday we will be observing All Saints Day at St Paul's. This day gives us an opportunity to give thanks to God for the lives of those saints who have died in the past year, and to reflect on the wonderful mystery that all the people of God, living and dead, are joined together by the Holy Spirit to form the mystical body of Christ - the Church.

What a great joy and comfort to know that even in death, we remain united with the saints of all times and places, joined together into the body of Christ.

Divine Service will begin at 8.30am.

Here are the readings:
Daniel 7:1-3,15-18 Daniel's vision of the holy ones of the Most High
Ephesians 1:11-23 God's blessings through Christ for his people
Luke 6:20-31 Blessed are the poor and the persecuted

The Lord be with you,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 28th October - 11.00am

This Sunday we will be commemorating the Reformation. Contrary to popular belief this is not so much a celebration of being Lutheran, as it is a celebration of the way in which God has preserved His saving Gospel even in the face of human sin and distortion. Above all this is a festival commemorating the saving work of Jesus which beings us the free gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation. To Him alone be the glory!

Divine Service will begin at 11.00am - but don't forget daylight savings starts at 3am Sunday - so wind your clocks forwards an hour before bed on Saturday night.

God's peace,
Pastor Matt

PS Don't forget the St Paul's fete which will begin about 7am Saturday morning. There's always room for more hands to help! Hope to see you there.

For Sunday the 21st October - 8.30am

Persistence is often lauded as a wonderful quality on the football field, in academic endeavours, and even in the business world. Those who persist in the face of adversity and impending failure are seen as courageous and an inspiration to us all. I guess that's because it's so easy to simply give up when things seem stacked against us.

In this week's Gospel reading Jesus tells a parable to encourage us to be persistent also in prayer. In an age when we are encouraged to question our faith if it doesn't seem 'to work' immediately, Jesus calls us not to lose heart, but to keep bringing our petitions before our loving Heavenly Father in confidence. He goes on to assure us that not only does God hear the prayers of His people, but He will answer them for our good and blessing. A timely promise for us as we continue to pray that God would deliver us from drought and hardship.

The readings this week are:

Genesis 32:22-31 Jacob wrestles with God

2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5 Responsibilities of the pastor

Luke 18:1-8 Parable of the widow and the judge

Divine Service will begin at 8.30am.

God's peace be with you,

Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 14th October - 11.00am

It's all too easy to read this week's Gospel lesson (Luke 17:11-19) as little more than an illustration of Jesus' divine power of healing. As we hear the story of the 10 lepers, we may not immediately see ourselves involved in this encounter. And yet in this account we are faced with two of the most important activities of our life - our prayers for mercy from the Lord, and our response of thanksgiving for His gracious love.

Why is it that these two things come so hard for us? To beg for mercy means we recognise a terrible need; and to give thanks reveals our utter dependance on another. Such brutal honesty and vulnerability is always counter cultural, but is also a true blessing for us as we live in the merciful presence of the Lord.

As we pray 'Lord have mercy' this week, let us also be quick to thank the Lord as He cleanses us from sin and brings us in to the presence of our Heavenly Father.

Divine Service will begin at 11.00am and will be followed by a shared lunch.

See you there!

God's peace,
Pastor Matt

For the next 2 Sundays - 30th Sept & 7th October

I won't be able to post on the blog for the next couple of weeks, so I thought I'd post all the details for worship now.

Sunday 30th September - 11.00am

On the 30th we will be celebrating LCA Sunday as we pray for the Lutheran Church of Australia, give thanks for the blessings that flow to us through the LCA, and consider what it means for us to be synod.

The sermon will be based on Romans 12 :3-13 and will explore what it means to be part of the body of Christ. The readings will follow the regular lectionary for the 18th Sunday after Pentecost:

Amos 6:1a,4-7 Woe to the complacent
1 Timothy 6:6-19 Pastoral advice to Timothy
Luke 16:19-31 Parable of the rich man and Lazarus

Sunday 7th October - 8.30am

We will be privileged to have Pastor Zweck preach for us on the 7th October. His sermon will be based on the second reading. Here are all three readings for your preparation:

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 The righteous will live by faith
2 Timothy 1:1-14 Encouragement to be faithful
Luke 17:5-10 Faith and duty

God's peace be with you in these coming weeks,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 23rd September - 11.00am

Talk about coming at things out of left field! Next Sunday's gospel reading (Luke 16:1-13) records Jesus' parable of the shrewd manager and you certainly can't accuse Him of using sterotypes to make a point.

Jesus takes the example of this man who is sacked by his employer with little prospect of another job and no hope of support. Before he finishes up the manager uses his position and authority to ensure he will have 'supporters' while unemployed. How? By ripping off his boss by writing down debts to secure the friendship of those who owed the money! What's most suprising is the fact that Jesus praises this man's shrewdness!


But fear not, Jesus is not promoting dodgy business practices. He highlights the astuteness of the dishonest manager as the quality to be emulated by Christians when addressing their spiritual future. The children of light (disciples of Christ) are often not as industrious at pursuing eternal life as the children of this world are in getting ahead!


So in the sermon we'll be thinking about how we can be prepared for the time when our 'employment' in this world comes to an end.


Divine Service will begin at 11.00am.


The Lord be with you all throughout this week,
Pastor Matt

Offerings

Hi All,

This week's offerings from all sources (direct deposits, offerings and LLL tranfers) was $713.80. To refresh your memory the weekly amount budgeted is $769.11 (or at least it was last time I looked) If this were a secular site I would be saying ,"Come on girls, lift your game", but as it isn't, I won't!

Peter Schumacher

Great To Be Invited

Hi youse all.

Great to be aboard the Ankernator's Blog.

I intend, subject to the moderator of course, to present an irreverent, or perhaps irrelevant, or both, view of life.

In that context, I would to advise you all that Matt was telling Rose, and he was serious, about the greatness of the North Melbourne Football Club. They were then duly defeated by 106 points by the Cats.

I could tell you about how the church and parish finances are travelling but will make that the subject of another post perhaps this time next year, perhaps not.

Meanwhile it was great to see Pastor Anker telling the local reporter about the blogging Lutheran site that he has established here. Hope that all youse out there get interested in following his notes on our congregation, its Lutheran faith and its activities. Those living within driving distance could even make a guest visit to us.

Weidenhofer

Exposure!

I was contacted last Sunday by the Shepp News as they wanted to do an article on blogging in the Goulburn Valley and had discovered this very page.

David Wood and I had a great chat yesterday as he interviewed me for the article which you can see in today's Shepp News on page 6. The article's pretty good I think and provides some nice exposure for our little congregation. But rest assured faithful readers, my computer has NOT had a meltdown - although sometimes I get pretty close!

An extra benefit was the added exposure of a short video interview they posted on their website - you can view it today at least by visiting http://www.sheppnews.com.au

Let us know what you think of it all by leaving a comment for us to ponder.

God's peace,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 16th September - 8.30am

This coming Sunday (16/9) we will be hearing two much loved parables spoken by our Lord - the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin from Luke 15.

Jesus proclaims two things very clearly in these parables. The first point He makes is that sinners are lost. In other words, sin separates people from God.

The second great teaching is that God grieves over that separation to the point that he goes looking for those sinners who are lost until they are found and restored. God pays no concern to the cost - even being prepared to go in search of one sheep out of the hundred. Ninety-nine out of a hundred is not a good enough result - the Lord desires that all people will be saved.

CS Lewis famously reflected on this gracious seeking of God as He referred to our Heavenly Father as the 'Hound of heaven' who doggedly refuses to give up searching us out.

The parables both finish with Jesus expressing great joy and delight as even one human soul is recovered. It's a beautiful image as we are told that the angels join in the celebration in heaven over one sinner who repents! Do we always give God this joy?

Why not take time to mull over the readings in your preparation for worship this week:

Exodus 32.7–14
1 Timothy 1.12–17
Luke 15.1–10

The Psalm is 51:1-10

Divine Service will begin at 8.30am. See you there!

God's peace,

Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 9th September - 11.00am

I'm just back from Victorian District pastors' conference and so the Blog has been neglected until now.

Divine Service for this Sunday (9/9) will begin at 11.00am. I'll be preaching on Deuteronomy 30:15-20 as we consider what it means that God calls us to 'Choose life'. This phrase has been bandied around for years, from pro-life groups through to the pop group Wham - it's been used in many contexts. But as far as God is concerned, choosing life is about choosing to live as in God's presence, to dwell in His Word, and to live in His forgiving love. We'll be exploring what this means for us on Sunday.

Don't forget that our half yearly meeting will follow the service, and then we'll enjoy a shared lunch together.

Until then,

The Lord be with you,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 2nd September - 8.30am

This week our readings will focus us on the wisdom of humility - that Godly virtue that is often praised by our world in words, but then despised in deeds.

Psalm 138 proclaims that "though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the humble, but the proud he knows from afar."

Asking why God would say that he "knows the proud from afar," Father William Weedon makes the excellent point that God "knows them from afar because He hangs out with the humble! He's not with the great and proud; He's in the cow's feeding trough and hanging on the wood of the tree and looking at us through the eyes of everyone in need. Our God ISN'T proud, and so the only way He can know the proud is from a distance." (Check his blog out at http://weedon.blogspot.com/ - it's one of the best!)

True, Godly humility brings freedom and grace as it strips away our attempts at personal greatness and allows us to rest in the forgiving love of Christ.

Here are the readings:

Proverbs 25:6,7

Hebrews 13:1-8,15,16

Luke 14:1,7-14

Divine Service will begin at 8.30am.

God's peace,

Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 26th August - 11.00am

This Sunday, 26th August, has been set aside for Australian churches to especially focus on the plight of migrants and refugees. We too will be taking up this opportunity and given the migrant nature of the Lutheran Church of Australia, this seems quite relevant for us. We will be recognising our diverse backgrounds but common faith in Christ alone as our Saviour. We will be praying for those in need - especially the families of our those in our midst who are still stranded in parts of Africa; and the high point will be when we are joined together in the Holy Sacrament - united in the Body of Christ despite our cultural diversity.

I will be preaching on Luke 13:22-30 where Jesus proclaims He is the one door through whom we must enter if we are to take our place at the feast in the kingdom of God. People from east and west, north and south are all invited, but all must enter through Christ alone. Whether we are refugees, migrants or long time natives of the place we live, our citizenship in heaven can only be secured through faith in Jesus and it is there that we have our hope of final deliverance.

Divine Service will begin at 11.00am.

God's peace,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 19th August - 8.30am

My apologies for the lateness of my post this week. The last couple of days have been filled with visiting, celebrating the 20th birthday of St Paul's Ladies' Guild, and a new bible study series on the Lord's Prayer. So the Blog has been neglected until now!

This Sunday (19th August) we will be hearing a very confronting reading from St Luke's gospel (12:49-56) were Jesus declares that He has not come to bring peace, but division. The question is, how are we to understand these words of the Lord?

Jesus did not come to pretend everything was OK. He came to confront our sin, to pay the price for it in His death, and then to overcome it on our behalf in His resurrection. But this first of all requires that our sin be recognised and confronted. This does indeed cause division because many people don't want to believe they are sinners. We must all struggle against this desire to justify ourselves. The alternative is far better - recognising our sin and need for forgiveness, the Lord invites us to rest in the free gift of forgiveness and salvation offered in His name.

Divine service will begin at 8.30 am.

The readings are:

Jeremiah 23:23-29 The word of the living God is active
Hebrews 11:29 - 12:2 The great cloud of witnesses
Luke 12:49-56 Jesus the cause of division

God's peace,

Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 12th August - 11.00am

This week the readings will all serve to focus us on what it means to live by faith - trusting in God's promises of forgiveness and eternal life through our Lord Jesus.

In the Gospel reading Jesus calls us to faith as He reminds us that though we are a small group in a large and hostile world, we are still His little flock who have been given the Father's heavenly kingdom. Our eyes often don't see this glorious inheritance and yet by faith, we are sure of it.

Despite this certainty, the fact that we can't see it with our eyes means that we are tempted to be spiritually lazy as we await Jesus' return. Jesus calls us to be ready for His return so that we don't miss out, and so He calls us to live out the faith in our daily lives, certain of the fulfilment of the promises for which we hope.

We will be especially thinking about how God Himself makes us ready for Jesus' return.

The readings for Sunday are:
Genesis 15:1-6
Hebrews 11:1-3; 8-16
Luke 12:32-40

The psalm is Psalm 33:12-22

Don't forget we're having a community lunch following the service this week as we officially welcome the Sefton's into membership.

God's peace,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 5th August - 8.30am

Meaningless! It's all meaningless! We live and work for a time, only to die and leave everything to someone who hasn't worked for it! What's the point?

That's the cry we will hear from the book of Ecclesiastes this coming Sunday - a cry that still rings true in the lives of many people today. When we try to find life's meaning in the here and now we always end up in despair over the futility of it all. Sure we can make a name for ourselves - but even a great reputation and unbounded success cannot hold off the inevitability of death. The rich fool in our Gospel reading for this week spells that out very clearly for us. If what the world has to offer is the be-all and end-all of our existence, then it's all meaningless.

But when our life and work is grounded in Christ and His forgiving mercy, true meaning and purpose is restored. Our work ceases being an attempt to simply serve ourselves, and becomes an opportunity for us to live out our baptismal identity in the world. Unbounded by time and space, our lives in Christ take on a new and profound meaning for all eternity.

Check out how nicely the readings for this week compliment each other:

Ecclesiastes 1:2,12-14; 2:18-23 Only in God does life have meaning
Colossians 3:1-11 The old life and the new
Luke 12:13-21 The parable of the rich fool

The psalm is Psalm 49:1-12, although I'm going to include through to verse 15!

God's peace be with you,

Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 29th July - 10.00am

When Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Lord, teach us to pray" He gave them a very simple, and yet profound gift - the Lord's Prayer. In this prayer we are taught that our God and Father delights to have us ask for all we need. But even more than that, in the midst of all our false notions of God, the Lord's Prayer teaches us Who it is we pray to, and what sort of confidence we should have as we approach Him on our knees. This will be our focus on Sunday.

Remember we're having a parish service this week which will begin at 10am at St Paul's, Shepparton. The service will be followed by lunch (bring along a plate to share) and then the Shepp vs Echuca 10 pin bowling challenge! I look forward to seeing you all there.

For your preparation for worship, the readings are as follows:

Genesis 18:20-32
Colossians 2:6-15
Luke 11:1-13

The Psalm is Ps 138.

God's peace be with you,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 22nd July - 11.00am

This Sunday the Gospel reading tells of the occassion on which Jesus spent time in the home of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). While Martha was properly and usefully engaged in her preparations, she allowed them to distract her from the wonderful opportunity she had to sit in the Lord's presence. Mary, on the other hand, had chosen to be occupied with Jesus' presence, which really was the primary need, namely to give attention to the word of God. We are taught that what we gain from similar eager searching will certainly generate spiritual life which will never be taken away from us.

Too often we put all the emphasis on what we do and fight against 'being still and knowing God'. Woody Allen once said that 80% of success is just showing up! Maybe there's some spiritual wisdom in this - the most important thing we do as Christians, is simply to "show up" in the Lord's presence where He blesses us with His gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation.

The full list of readings for Sunday 22nd July:

Psalm 15

Genesis 18:1-10a
Colossians 1:15-28
Luke 10:38-42.

Divine service will begin at 11.00am.

God bless and keep you throughout the week,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 15th July - 8.30am

This coming Sunday (15/7) we will be hearing the parable of the Good Samaritan. All too often this parable is disconnected from the reason Jesus told it - to point to our inability to live up to the Law of God which demands that if we want to earn eternal life we must 'love the Lord our God with all our all heart and with all our soul and with all our mind. And love our neighbour as ourselves.' (Luke 10:27)

The unpredjudiced love and care the Samaritan shows for the injured man in the parable is indeed the standard required of us all, but how often we fail in this! If we want to earn eternal life by our own efforts, despair and hell are all that await us.

Thanks be to God that our Good Samaritan, Jesus Himself, carries us who are beaten to within an inch of our lives by sin, dresses our wounds with His forgiveness, and pays the whole price for our healing. Renewed by His gracious love, we are able to begin to 'go and do likewise', sharing the mercy we have received with others. We can only begin to be good Samaritans, once The Good Samaritan has restored us to life from certain death.

The readings for Sunday are:
Psalm 25:1-10

Deuteronomy 30:9-14 A call to obey God whose word is very near
Colossians 1:1-14 Paul's thanksgiving and prayer
Luke 10:25-37 The parable of the good Samaritan

God's peace be with you,
Pastor Matt

New members!

This past Sunday we gave thanks to God for the opportunity to 'officially' receive our dear friends Moses, Rose, Brian and Faith into membership here at St Paul's. What a great blessing it is to have them in our midst - may our Heavenly Father continue to strengthen them in faith and in the joy of salvation through His holy Word and Sacrament.

As we celebrated this great day in our congregation's life, we continue to pray for Moses' young siblings orphaned in Uganda. Please join as we pray for their safety, for the provision of their physical needs in this time of limbo, and for the quick and successful processing of their visa applications with the Department of Immigration here in Australia.

Lord have mercy on these little ones of Your's.

Peace,

Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 8th July - 11.00am

This coming Sunday we will be gathering for Divine Service at 11.00am. The assigned reading from St Luke's gospel tells of how the Lord Jesus sent out seventy-two disciples to proclaim forgiveness, life and salvation in His name. When the disciples returned they expressed great joy over the success of their missionary journey and the powerful deeds they were able to perform in Jesus' name.

Success and the spectacular always impresses us - perhaps even seduces us. How easy it is to be intoxicated by power and to find ourselves lusting over the spectacular.

While Jesus acknolwedges He has given authority to His disciples, He urges them not to get carried away over these things. He points out to us all that the far greater gift and reason for joy is the fact that through faith in Him, their names are written in heaven.

For your preparation, the readings are:

Psalm 66:1-9

Isaiah 66:10-14
Galatians 6:1-16
Luke 10:1-11; 16-20

Don't forget that we've having a community lunch following the service, so bring along something to share and plan to enjoy some time together with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

God's peace be with you,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 1st July - 8.30am

This morning a small band of regulars joined with me to pray Matins and commemorate the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. We gave thanks for God's preservation of the gospel through the fearless confession of His faithful servants throughout the ages, and especially during the Reformation.


This gospel brings us God's free gift of forgiveness, life and salvation through faith in Jesus. It frees us from enslavement to the Law and so it liberates us from sin and death which come as a result of our failure to keep the Law. This coming Sunday (1st of July) we will be hearing what this freedom means for our daily lives and rejoicing in the privilege we have to serve God as a result of our status as free people who are led by the Holy Spirit.

The readings are:
1 Kings 19:15,16,19-21
Galatians 5:1,13-25
Luke 9:51-62

I'll be preaching on the second reading.

In the meantime, this Friday (June 29) is the Feast of St Peter and St Paul. You might like to take time on that day to reflect on God's work through these apostles in proclaiming the gospel.

Here's an explanation of why they're commemorated together:

'The two great apostles whose ministry embraced the whole Jewish and Gentile world have been associated in Christian devotion since earliest times. The date chosen to commemorate the two apostles seems to be not the day of their martyrdom but the anniversary of a joint observance in their honour. The day of Peter and Paul is one of the oldest saints' days. Tradition says that Peter went to Rome and was martyred there (c. 64) by being crucified upside down. The Scriptures leave Paul in Rome, but tradition asserts that he went to Spain and returned to Rome where he was beheaded in the persecution under Nero.' (Contemporary Worship 6: The Church Year, Calendar and Lectionary, 1973)

Readings for the Feast are:
Ezekiel 34:11-16 God himself will shepherd his people
1 Corinthians 3:16-23 Whether Peter or Paul, all belongs to Christ
Mark 8:27-35 Peter's confession

Almighty God, whose apostles Peter and Paul glorified you by their martyrdom: Grant that your church, instructed by their teaching and example, may be knit together by your Spirit and always stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

God's peace,
Pastor Matt Anker

For Sunday the 24th June - 11.00am

This coming Sunday (24/6) is the day assigned for the Christian Church to commemorate the Nativity of St John the Baptist.

St John's father Zechariah recognised the role his infant son would play in God's plan of salvation as he prophesied, "And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins" (Luke 1:76-77).

We will be hearing of how the Lord sent John to prepare the way for Jesus, and how he did this in humility and with complete dependance on the One who's way he was preparing.

As we rejoice in John's proclamation of the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of our sins, we will be considering how God dares to work through us to help prepare the way for Jesus to forgive the sins of those we encounter.

The readings are:
Psalm 141
Malachi 3:1-4 A messenger will prepare the Lord's way
Acts 13:13-26 The witness of John
Luke 1:57-80 The birth and naming of John

Divine Service will begin at 11.00am.

God's peace,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 17th June - 8.30am

This coming Sunday (17/6) all three of our readings for the Divine Service confront us with the reality of our own sinfulness and need of forgiveness. The message is obvious - by ourselves we are lost in sin and need help from "outside" us. Thanks be to God that each of these readings also point us to the wonderful and free gift of forgiveness that is offered through faith in Christ Jesus.

I've always loved the way this altar painting from the church of Sts Peter and Paul in Weimar sums up this central teaching of the faith, proclaiming in pictures what we will be hearing from St Paul this Sunday. If you'd like to read a wonderful explanation of the imagery Cranach the Younger has used here, check out this entry in Pastor Paul McCain's excellent Blog: http://cyberbrethren.typepad.com/cyberbrethren/2008/04/i_have_been_cru.html#more

Here are the readings:

• 2 SAMUEL 11:26 - 12:10,13-15
• GALATIANS 2:15-21
• LUKE 7:36 - 8:3

As you prepare for Service this week you might like to reflect on these readings in light of Article IV of our Augsburg Confession:

Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merit, or works. People are freely justified for Christ's sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favour and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake. By His death, Christ made atonement for our sins. God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight (Romans 3:21-26; 4:5) Quoted from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, page 59, CPH, 2001.

God's peace be with you,
Pastor Matt Anker

For Sunday the 10th of June - 11.00am

Next time we meet for Divine Service (10th June @ 11am) we're going to be treated with three resurrection readings. The first reading (1 Kings 17:17-24) and the Gospel (Luke 7:11-17) both tell of instances where God raised sons of widows back to life after their early, tragic deaths.

The second reading tells of a different resurrection. In Galatians 1:11-24 the apostle Paul recalls how God raised him from his life of murderous persecution of the church and deathly slavery to the Law, to true life through the grace of the Lord Jesus.

In each of these instances the response is the same - people praise God because of the miraculous, life giving resurrection He accomplishes.

Jesus still works resurrection through the church today - bringing a new person to life in us through the forgiveness of our sins. His resurrecting love surely leads us to lives of praise as well.

You might like to pray the Collect for this coming week as you meditate on these things:

Thank you, Lord God, that you have cleansed us from sin and saved us from the power of the enemy through the death and resurrection of your Son. Keep us drowning our sinful self by repenting day after day, and bring to life in us each day a new self to live with you forever. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

God bless and keep you throughout this week,

Pastor Matt Anker

For Sunday the 3rd of June - 8.30am

This coming Sunday we will gather for Divine Service at 8.30am and celebrate the Festival of the Holy Trinity.

As we consider what it means that God has revealed Himself to us as three persons in One God, we join with the saints of all time in giving thanks that the Son has won us peace with the Father, and for the gift of love which the Father has poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

Here are the readings we will be hearing during the service:

Psalm 8

Proverbs 8:1-4,22-31 Wisdom's role in creation

Romans 5:1-5 The Christian experience of the Trinity

John 16:12-15 The Spirit from God will bear witness to Jesus

Sunday School will begin approximately 9.10am.

I look forward to being together in worship.

The Lord be with you.

Pastor Matt Anker