For Sunday 29th June - 10.00am

PARISH SERVICE 10AM

This Sunday (29/6) Trinity Lutheran Church in Echuca will be hosting a service of the Goulburn Murray Lutheran Parish. Service will begin at 10am and be followed by lunch and an opportunity to spend time with our brothers and sisters in Christ from across the parish. Please come along to worship together and get to know one another a little better.

If you wish to meet at St Paul's at 8.40am to arrange car pooling, there may even be some spare seats on the bus.


During the service we will hear the story of the call for Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac. As we consider the willing obedience not just of Abraham, but also of Isaac, we will have an opportunity to think about the place of faith and trust in the life of the Christian.

God's peace,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday 22nd June - 11.00am

Divine service this Sunday will begin at 11.00am at St Paul's.

The readings for your preparation are:

Genesis 21:8-21; God's promise to Hagar and Ishmael
Romans 6:1b-11; Dead to sin, but alive to Christ
Matthew 10:24-39; Do not be afraid; take up your cross and follow Christ

God's peace,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday 15th June - 8.30am

This Sunday we will continue to ponder the great mystery of God's promises to the aging Abraham and barren Sarah. Just when doubts threatened to consume them, God Himself visits with them and restore the hope of the promise. Sarah's laughter of scoffing is turned to a laughter of joy as the most unlikely thing happens - she bears the child God had promised.

As we think on this we will take the chance to reflect on the faithfulness of God in the midst of our doubts. As St Paul says in the second reading, it is while we were still sinners that the Lord Jesus died for us. God's work doesn't wait for our perfection - instead He takes up our flesh and blood, washing it clean in His forgiving love, and dares to use us in service to the world.

Divine Service will begin at 8.30am.

God's peace,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 8th of June - 11.00am

A quick note to let you all know Divine Service will begin this week at 11.00am, and will be followed by a community lunch.

The readings we will be hearing are:

Genesis 12:1-9 The calling of Abraham
Romans 4:13-25 God's promise to Abraham received through faith
Matthew 9:9-13,18-26 Jesus calls Matthew, heals a woman, and raises a child

God's peace,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday 1st June - 8.30am

All of us from time to time have grand plans for how we might build our lives. Whether it's in regard to a career, our family or our attitudes and actions for the sake of others - we often long to build our lives on a foundation of integrity, honour, success and compassion - among other things.

But how often don't our attempts to build our lives in these ways come crashing down in a pile of rubble?

In the gospel this week (Matt 7:21-29) Jesus calls us to build our lives on His word by hearing it and acting on it. At first glance it might seem as though Jesus is telling us to do what we have tried and failed to do ourselves - to build our lives on a standard we long for, but can never achieve. But as we hear Jesus' call this week we do well to remember that His is a word of forgiveness and life. So acting on this word is firstly about receiving forgiveness through the Word of God made flesh, and then with His help, seeking to live as His new born people.

Divine Service will begin at 8.30am.

God's peace,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday 25th May - 11.00am

A number of years ago a singer by the name of Bobby McFerrin sang the song, 'Don't worry, be happy.' This catchy tune suggested that stress and worry, even when it was well founded, could be driven away if you just made a decision to be happy. If only it was that easy!

In Matthew 6:24-34 Jesus also calls us not to worry about our life, what we will eat or drink or what we will wear. Instead of insisting that we merely 'turn that frown upside down,' Jesus encourages us to get our priorities right and to recognise God's wonderful provision.

But more than that Jesus identifies that our obsessive worrying about things of this world reveals that we are seeking the wrong things. The answer to our worries is not to force happiness, but to seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and then everything else falls into place.

Divine Service begins at 11.00am.

God's peace,
Pastor Matt

For Sunday the 18th May - 8.30am

This Sunday we celebrate Trinity Sunday where we focus on what it means that God comes to us as three persons in one God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This mystery that seems to contradict our reason, is very much a part of our existence as God's people. After all our life of faith begins with our baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity. And so we will especially be thinking about the significance of having the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit applied to us in baptism as we meditate on Matthew 28:16-20.

Service will begin at 8.30am and will include the baptism of Charlie Schulz.

God's peace,
Pastor Matt