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