24 February 2014

Sometimes we are tempted to go back into the past as though it were a safer, more stable place, when we didn’t have to face the challenges of modern society. That nothing could be further from the truth is being demonstrated in Australia by the public hearings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (or see, for example, look-listen-act in New Zealand). These are a strong caution to us as Christians not to bury, conceal, or hide the truth about human behaviour in any generation. The individual stories are heart wrenching enough, but the focus of the Australian Commission is on institutional responses – reports of systemic cover ups. Especially tragic is that the very community which carries the saving message of Jesus Christ – the Christian church – has been so implicated and in such widespread ways.

In the Churches, including our own Lutheran Church, we are not called to self-protection, but to the protection of others, especially the weak, vulnerable, and those most at risk.

Last week the LCA General Church Council adopted new policies on complaints handling, child protection, and prevention of harm from known sex offenders with its related pastoral issues. No doubt there will be strong debate on the implementation and procedures associated with these policies. It is incumbent, however, for us to do everything we reasonably can, not merely because of the laws of the land, but because we value each human life as priceless, a human being for whom Christ died.

As Jesus said to his disciples, “… It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble.” (Luke 17:1–2 NRSV)

National Church calls

Unusually for a national church meeting, last week the General Church Council issued two calls. One is to the position of Principal at Australian Lutheran College, to Pastor James Winderlich, and this has been separately reported in an LCA eNews released today. The other is to Pastor Ian Vainnikka to the position of Executive Officer of the Suomi Conference, serving the Finnish Lutheran community in the LCA. Both pastors have the usual month to respond to these calls.

Worship Planning Page

When the LCA was formed nearly 60 years ago one of the first things it did was establish a new Seminary. The other thing it did was introduce a new liturgy for public worship and develop a new hymnbook for Australia and New Zealand.

Well, times have changed and we no longer do things quite that way, but that doesn’t mean the importance of worship and the need to provide resources has faded. Well managed and accessible worship resources are an important tool for the well-being of the church, and the carrying out of our mission.

The ancient church maxim lex orandi lex credendi (the law of praying is the law of belief, or ‘as we worship so we shall believe and live’) still holds true. To be a healthy believing, praying, and acting church where love comes to life the LCA needs to nurture good worship practices. In many places these are slipping away and being replaced by populist demands driven by divergent theologies and the constant temptation to force God to prove that his Word is true.

Structuring the LCA’s mission on sound worship practices is an important step of bringing out the best of what being Christian and ‘Lutheran’ means. Without a firm base in worship our mission work results in religious activism to goad people into action through the law, but does not invite them into the presence of a loving God through the gospel promise. It is not enough to say that we worship God in all we do, because without cultivating good biblical and Christ centred worship practices ultimately our attempts at worship and prayer will fall away. Good worship drives us to rely on God and his message.

So, have you looked at the LCA worship planning page recently? The GCC, at the request on the Commission on Worship, has decided to provide additional resources to ensure not only the continuation of this weekly resource for congregations, but to build it up further to aid us all in our core business – to worship God and spread the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Planning for the 2015 Convention of Synod

Both the College of Bishops and the General Church Council have given a great deal of thought to planning for the next Synod, which is now only 18 months away! (30/09 – 4/10/2015). True, we don’t have a venue yet (NSW or south east Qld), but should do in the next few months. What is proving difficult is finding a place suitable to hold 500-800 participants without being on each-other’s laps, and at the right price.

A date, however, has been set for the General Pastors Conference prior to Synod. It will be in South Australia from 07/07-09/07/2015. This is quite a while before the Convention, and it will mean a change in the way we do things. To get us ready, and communicate with you all, a plan has been prepared which will be released so you can see what’s going on. It’s not quite ready for publication yet. Expect lots more communication on this in the months ahead.

One important feature is the need for congregations to elect/appoint delegates to the Convention by the end of January 2015. That’s a bit earlier than usual, which is why I am drawing it to your attention now. You need to think carefully about who should attend, and give them time to think about and plan their attendance. Lots of people today have to plan leave and holidays well in advance so please be thinking now about whether you will be attending Convention – it will be a great experience!

Central Australia and the Finke River Mission

Another vital issue is our ministry in Central Australia, which contains some of the highest concentrations of Lutherans in Australia in areas of some of the greatest need. A number of groups (and many hardworking individuals) are involved: the local congregations (Alice Springs and Hermannsburg), Lutheran Community Care, Yirara College, and the Finke River Mission. The ministry covers a vast area and many language groups.
I will shortly be writing to a number of LCA pastors encouraging them to consider serving in this area, particularly at the moment as a Support Worker in the Anmatjere and Alyawarr area.

Pastors and their self-assessment on LAMP

Did you know that your Pastors prepare an on-line self-assessment for calling congregations? Perhaps you do if you have been involved in a call meeting lately. This is kept on LAMP (Lutherans in Australasia Members Portal). At its meeting last week the College of Bishops updated the self-assessment questions and these will ‘go live’ in the near future when all the techy things are done. So if you are a pastor, be ready to soon go in and update your self-assessment.

Celebrate! 1966-2016 and 1517-2017

Alive 175! and Convention in 2013; a major convention in 2015; the LCA’s 50th birthday in 2016; and finally the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. That’s a lot of planning to do, and so many things to organise over just a few years.

If you have ideas about how we could celebrate 2016 and 2017 in meaningful ways in Australia and New Zealand, then please let me know (bishop@lca.org.au). Soon, however, we hope to have together a planning group, combining our thinking for both our 50th and our 500th anniversaries in ‘joined up’ ways.

Lent – a special time

Next week we start the season of Lent – the 40 days of preparation for the Passion of our Lord. May you be blessed richly as you enter this most meaningful season of the church. I hope you get the chance to stop, think, reflect, read, and pray during this season, and that your congregational participation in this time of preparation is a real blessing to you and those whom you love.

Your brother in Christ,
Pastor John Henderson
Bishop