Sunday, July 30, 2006

Love's Dimensions.

*

Hello Everybody!

This week sees the return of Paston John and family from vaction. We welcome him back and thank God for keeping them all safe during their much-needed recreation time.

Pastor John's message this week centers on the love Christ has for us. In Pauls great prayer to the believers at Ephesus (in Turkey), he prays for power, faith, love for them so they can come to know how Christs love fills the believer with 'the very nature of God.'


I was also intrigued by verse 20, where Paul mentions God's power doing 'much more than we can ever ask for or think of' Notice he does not even mention what we can do (in our own flesh) with Gods power, for without the Holy Spirit in us we cannot 'do' anything for God: it is the Holy Spirit in us that makes us do the good that is acceptable to the Lord.

Download or listen here: Love's Dimensions.


Illawarra Lutheran Parish.
30th July, 2006.
8th Sunday after Pentecost.

Prayer of the Day.

Eternal God, we thank you that you make all things work together for good to those who love you. Help us cheerfully trust in you, knowing that your generous hands give us food and your watchful eyes keep us safe. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Prayer Points.
  • Give thanks that we and all people are welcome in the family of God.
  • Praise God for the love he has shown through Jesus.
  • Pray with St Paul that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith as we are rooted and grounded in love.
  • Pray for an end to hostilites in Lebanon and in Iraq.
  • Pray for thos ein ill health: Christine F., Max C., Klara B., Fritz T., Roma W. and Linda F.
  • Pray for the N. family as they remember the loss of Merri and Kyosti N in a car accident 30 years ago this week.
  • Pray for all delegates preparing to attend General Synod and for the Holy Spirit's guidence as our Church seeks clarity on the question of the ordination of women.
Today's Readings.
2 Kings 4: 42-44
Ephesians 3: 14-21
John 6: 1-21

Today's liturgical colour is
GREEN
The colour of life and growth in nature. Used in the meditative teaching Seasons which emphasise the living demonstration in the Christian of the power of God's salvation.
Use from the First Sunday after Trinity, or from the Monday after Trinity Sunday, through the Season to, but not including, the Vespers of the Saturday before the First Sunday in Advent.


Minor Festivals (and Colours) this Week.
None celebrated this week.


Thought for the Week.
Thou dost show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy!

*Photo credit: 'Jesus on the Cross' by Lois Carroll
(This photo was taken at Fort Lincoln Cemetery in Washington, DC.)

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Here's the Church, Here's the Steeple....


*


Hi All,
Today our special guest was Pastor Neville Otto, President of the NSW & ACT District of the Lutheran Church of Australia.
Pastor Neville's message talks about God building people together, as outlined in Ephesians 2 11-22. The church building is not the Church; the people of God in Christ are the Church. We gather together by the pull of the Holy Spirit and are fed and nourished at the place where God through Christ is present in His Word and Sacrement.
We all need to be nourished and rested to be our best in our vocations. This is why corporate worship is so important: it is our food and drink and rest, sufficent to allow us to face the next week with a bright outlook and a positive attitude, bringing Gods Kingdom by telling of His Gospel to those we meet.

This weeks message: Building God's People.

Illawarra Lutheran Parish.
23rd July, 2006.
7th Sunday after Pentecost.

Prayer of the Day.

Loving God, we thank you that you lead us like a good shepherd, caring for your sheep. Let us hear your voice and guide us in safety along Your right path. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Prayer Points.
  • Pray for a restful break for Pastor John and his family.
  • Pray for Fritz T., Christine F., Max C., Kiara B., Linda F. and Ray. W's wife as they struggle with ill health.
  • Pray for the unity of the Church, God's temple on earth, with Christ as the cornerstone.
  • Pray for the preaching of the true Gosple throughout the world: Christ and Him crucified.
  • Pray for peace and reconciliation between families, peoples and countries.
  • Pray for pastorlists, farmers and so on, that they may have a good return for their efforts.
Today's Readings.
Jeremiah 23: 1-6
Ephesians 2: 11-22
Mark 6: 30-34 & 53-56

Today's liturgical colour is
GREEN
The colour of life and growth in nature. Used in the meditative teaching Seasons which emphasise the living demonstration in the Christian of the power of God's salvation.
Use from the First Sunday after Trinity, or from the Monday after Trinity Sunday, through the Season to, but not including, the Vespers of the Saturday before the First Sunday in Advent.


Minor Festivals (and Colours) this Week.
25th July: St James the Elder. (Red)
Click on this link to read about JAMES AS THE EVANGELIST TO ISRAEL IN SPAIN.
Readings:
1 Kings 19: 9-18
Psalm 7: 1-10
Acts 11: 27 to 12:3a
Mark 10: 35-45


Thought for the Week.
Blessed be the Lord from Zion: He who dwells in Jerusalem!

* Photo: 'Church Textures 1' by Lynne Lancaster.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Minor Festival Update.



Hi All,
After some further research I have found that there have been some revisions of the LCA liturgical calender:

Minor Festivals (and Colours) this Week.
July 22: Days of Our Lord: St Mary Magdalene (White).

The feast of St. Mary Magdalene is considered one of the most mystical of feasts, and it is said that of all the songs of the saints, that of Mary Magdalene is the sweetest and strongest because her love was so great. That love was praised by Jesus Himself who said that because much was forgiven her, she loved much. Where she is buried, no one knows. Legend has her dying in Provence, France, in a cavern where she spent her last days, and her body resting in the chapel of St. Maximin in the Maritime Alps. Another has her buried in Ephesus where she went with St. John after the Resurrection. This latter view is more likely, and St. Willibald, the English pilgrim to the Holy Land in the eighth century, was shown her tomb there.

She was the first witness to the resurrection of Jesus, His most ardent and loving follower. She had stood with Mary at the foot of the Cross on that brutal Good Friday afternoon and had been by the side of Mary during these difficult hours. On Easter morning, she went with the other women to the tomb and it was there, in the garden near the tomb, that Jesus appeared to her. It was she who brought the news of the Resurrection to the Apostles, and Peter and John raced to the tomb to see what had happened.

She was from Magadala, a small fishing town on the Sea of Galilee, between Capernaum and Tiberias. She was known to be a "great sinner," a woman of the streets who heard Jesus speak of the mercy and forgiveness of God and changed her life completely. Her matter-of-fact witness to the Resurrection moved Peter and John to go and see for themselves: "I have seen the Lord and these things he said to me." Jesus had chosen her to bring the news to them and she simply told them what had happened.

She has always been the example of great love and great forgiveness, one of those close to Jesus who grasped the truth of God's love for human beings and spent her life bearing witness to that love.*

Bible Readings.
Ruth 1:6–18 or Exodus 2:1–10
Psalm 73:23–28
Acts 13:26–33a
Luke 7:36
John 20:1, 2, 11–18

Foods to celebrate the Feast:
Madeleines


*Excerpted from The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Giraffe on Ice Update.




Hi All,
Amanda S. has been at 'Giraffe-On-Ice' run by the LCA over the last 4 weeks. This is a personal development and leadership training course and is a great opportunity for Amanda to grow in her faith and in her skills as a leader within our church.

To see some pics of the course, click here or on the photo above!

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Update for 9th July, 2006.

Hi All,
Here's the post for last week. I'm feeling much better now!
Admin.

Illawarra Lutheran Parish.

9th July, 2006.
5th Sunday after Pentecost.



Prayer of the Day.*

Loving heavenly Father, your Son brought hope and healing to people, but was rejected. Stay close beside us when we are lonely and afraid and encourage us to keep going when we face trouble. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Prayer Points.
  • Pray for the continued preaching of the Gospel and the right administration of the Sacraments.
  • Pray for pastors, parish workers, youth workers, elders, pastoral assistants, leaders in the church and all those who help bring the Gospel to a world where people are blinded by popular opinion and cannot see the truth.
  • Pray for our nations leaders: the Queen, her representatives, the parliments, the prime minister and cabinet, the departments, the opposition and the whole system of government.
  • Pray for all Christians throughout the world who are persecuted for their faith.
  • Pray for those living close to the poverty line, the homeless, the unemployed, pensioners, students and indigenous people.
  • Pray for those who are able to donate blood to norish others as Christ gave His blood for our lives.
  • Pray for a restful break for Pastor John and his family.
  • Pray for Fritz T., Christine F., Max C., Kiara B. and Linda F. as they struggle with ill health.
Today's Readings.
Ezekiel 2: 1-5
2 Corinthians 12: 2-10
Mark 6: 1-13

Today's liturgical colour is
GREEN
The colour of life and growth in nature. Used in the meditative teaching Seasons which emphasise the living demonstration in the Christian of the power of God's salvation.
Use from the First Sunday after Trinity, or from the Monday after Trinity Sunday, through the Season to, but not including, the Vespers of the Saturday before the First Sunday in Advent.


Minor Festivals (and Colours) this Week.
None this week.

Thought for the Week.
Blessed be His glorious name forever: may His glory fill the whole earth!

*Photo by Amir Darafsheh: 'Girl in Light & Darkness'

What Do You See?

*

Hello All,
Todays message by Lay Leader Andrew Mattiske is from Luke 7:36, Jesus at the home of Simon the Pharisee.

Many stories from the Gospels tell us as much about one person as the other. Simon invited Jesus for a meal, but as we find out did not extend to him the normal coutesies due to an honored guest in Jewish culture. These were left to the unknown woman, who proceeds to welcome Jesus with gifts of the highest praise.

Simon is then told by Jesus about two men who owe different amounts. Simon correctly surmises that the one with the higher debt has more love for the one who forgives the debt. Jesus then forgives the woman her many sins.

Of course, those at the table miss the object lesson entirely, focusing instead on "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" (v49)

(To forgive sins meant you were calling yourself God, as only God could forgive sins. To equate yourself with God was considered the highest blasphemy in the Jewish faith, punishable by death.)

We would do well to remember who Christ is and what His Message is, rather than how we view Him through the filter of our culture.

Todays message: What Do You See?


Illawarra Lutheran Parish.
16th July, 2006.
6th Sunday after Pentecost.


Prayer of the Day.

Holy and merciful God, give us a clear vision to see what is right and true, and the courage to live by it, whatever the cost may be. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Prayer Points.
  • Pray for a restful break for Pastor John and his family.
  • Pray for the people of God, the church throughout the world, that God's glory be sought and not humanity's.
  • Pray for people of influence, political leaders, all governing bodies, especially those who influence ethical decisions.
  • Pray for those who are able to donate blood or plasma to norish others as Christ gave His blood for our lives.
  • Pray for the judicial system: the courts, judges, lawyers, barristers, the police and prison workers.
  • Pray for all victims of abuse and crime.
  • Pray for all in prison because of wrong things they have done, that they may turn from the ways of their past.
  • Pray for Fritz T., Christine F., Max C., Kiara B and Linda F. as they struggle with ill health.
Today's Readings.
Amos 7: 7-15
Ephesians 1: 3-14
Mark 6: 14-29

Today's liturgical colour is
GREEN
The colour of life and growth in nature. Used in the meditative teaching Seasons which emphasise the living demonstration in the Christian of the power of God's salvation.
Use from the First Sunday after Trinity, or from the Monday after Trinity Sunday, through the Season to, but not including, the Vespers of the Saturday before the First Sunday in Advent.


Minor Festivals (and Colours) this Week.
None this week.

Thought for the Week.
Commit your way to the Lord: trust in Him and He will act!

*Photo: 'A break from reading 1' by Charles Thompson

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Sniff-Sneeze-Ugh!!



Hi All,

Sorry folks, no postings this week. Caught a bad head cold so could'nt make it to Church. I'll try to get the details from the Church Bulletin for posting next week.

I would like to thank all those surfers who drop in to visit our blog, especially those from the Lutheran Blog Directory (see our listing under 'Other Lutheran' Blog Listing). Please feel free to download Pastor Johns' messages and to comment if you would like to.

If you'd like to know where others are reading this blog, click on the Google Map link on the right.

Until next week, God bless.

Admin.

Monday, July 03, 2006

Weekly Prayer.



Hi,
Today I'm posting the Prayer* offered last Sunday at our service by Manfred W. I felt it was worth reproducing to be a comfort to all our readers.

'Dear Father in heaven, we glorify You and praise Your name; we give thanks to You for all the things You provide for our daily needs and pray for all of our brothers and sisters who struggle here and in far away places to simply have a roof over their heads or a meal a day. Be with them and give them hope and courage to face life day after day.

Father, we pray for our government leaders here in Australia and internationally. Give them the wisdom and the will to govern over their people and provide peace and plenty for all.

Father, we thank You for the recent rains, and pray for more to refill our dams and on the land to give our brothers and sisters hope and courage to work their farms.

Lord, we pray for all who have lost a loved one and who grieve. We also pray for our sick and shut-ins: give them hope and courage and let them recover the health they enjoyed in their lives.

We pray for our faiths' pastors that you inspire them in their endevours to spread Your 'Good News'. We thank you Father for our elders and church council members, our Sunday School teachers and Pastor John and his family who work with us here in Wollongong: bless them in their undertakings.

We pray for all these things, Father, in the name of your dear Son, Jesus Christ, who lives with You and with us here on earth.
Amen.

(*Prayer wording edited to delete references to specific persons i.a.w. LCA Privacy Policy)

Sunday, July 02, 2006

From Out of the Storm.


Christ and Jairus' Daughter
Hello Again,

Todays message is from Job. Pastor John talks about how we can make sense of the unjustice we see around us; that despite all the wrong we see around us and what we personally experience, God is still in control of all His creation.

We may feel abandoned and hopeless, as the writer of Lamentations did in Ch.3. But after listing all his afflictions he says in v21: 'This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.' (KJV). He then goes on to list all the ways that the Lord's mercies are delivered to his believers-not because we have done anything within ourselves to merit such mercies-but because He is the Lord and will never remove them from us.

This is the founding principle of our faith and the one thing that is different to all other faiths: Christian truths are objective. If God says we are saved through Christ, then we are saved! If He says He will give us the means to believe in Him (faith) then He will give us those means. If He says Christ has died for us even while we were sinners: well, that's the greatest gift of all! We need to (and indeed can) do NOTHING to earn the favour of God: it is His FREE gift to us.

All we need to do is to learn from the Law how corrupt and without hope of oneness with God we are. We then realize just what the gift of salvation means to us personally. Therefore there is no need to worry about how you feel, about whether God loves you any more or why you can't stop sinning, even though you want to. You WILL NOT ever be abandoned by God, because He has promised never to do it, and because God is perfect, you can always rely on Him to keep that promise.

Listen to todays message: 'From Out of the Storm.'



Illawarra Lutheran Parish.
2nd July, 2006.
4th Sunday after Pentecost.


Prayer of the Day.

Lord, our Saviour and Healer, lay your healing hand on each of us and on all who are hurting. Protect us from all that diminishes our lives, and give us the life that overflows from you. For you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Prayer Points.
  • Give thanks for everything we have and for the many blessings we receive daily.
  • Pray for the will to use our gifts and talents for the benefit of others.
  • Pray for giving hearts, not greedy hearts.
  • Pray for discernment when it comes to helping the needy.
  • Pray for the political situation in East Timor: that it would stabilize.
  • Pray for the Holy Spirit to bless Amanda at the 'Giraffe-on-Ice' course.
  • Pray for the families travelling during the school holidays that they would be safe.
  • Pray for a restful break for Pastor John and his family.
  • Pray for Fritz T, Christine F, Max C, Kiara B and Linda F as they struggle with ill health.
  • Pray for the Trinity congregation in Sydney, NSW as they seek to call a new Pastor.
Today's Readings.
Lamentations 3: 23-33.
2 Corinthians 8: 7-15.
Mark 5: 21-43.

Today's liturgical colour is
GREEN
The colour of life and growth in nature. Used in the meditative teaching Seasons which emphasise the living demonstration in the Christian of the power of God's salvation.
Use from the First Sunday after Trinity, or from the Monday after Trinity Sunday, through the Season to, but not including, the Vespers of the Saturday before the First Sunday in Advent.


Minor Festivals (and Colours) this Week.
July 2: Days of Our Lord: The Visitation (White).
The visitation celebrates the angels' visit to the virgin Mary to announce the conception of Christ.
"Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."-from the Introit.
Readings: Isaiah 11: 1-5; Luke 1: 39-55

Thought for the Week.
The Lord is the stronghold of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?