願 父 神 所 賜 的 恩 惠 和 平 安 與 你 們 同 在
Grace and peace to you from God
Excerpts From a Letter to the Lutherans of Aotearoa-New Zealand (with a bit of help from St Paul)
I’ve loved the readings from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians over recent Sundays, and I’ve had the privilege of preaching on them as well.
In this update, I’ve simply picked out some of the best bits and I offer them to you as encouragement.
Long before God laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. (Eph.1:3-6)
It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. (Eph.1:11-12)
Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. (Eph.2:16-18)
I ask the Father to strengthen you by his Spirit – not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength – that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. (Eph.3:14-19)
God can do anything – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Eph.3:20-21)
Get out there and walk – better yet, run! – on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline … pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. (Eph.4:1-3)
Stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness. (Eph.4:4-6)
We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love. (Eph.4:14-16)
Take on an entirely new way of life – a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. (Eph.4:20-24)
Tell your neighbour the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. Don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life. Watch the way you talk. Say only what helps, each word a gift. Don't grieve God. Don't break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don't take such a gift for granted. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. (Eph.4:25-32)
- Dear Lord God, help us watch what you do and then do it ourselves, like children who learn proper behaviour from our parents. God, what you mostly do is love us. By your Spirit help us keep company with you and learn a life of love. Help us to watch how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Help us to love like that. Amen. (Eph.5:1-2)
Chinese Gold – 28th / 29th July
Just as the Chinese are heading the medal table at the Olympics, so too our sisters and brothers from Botany Lutheran Church (BLC) ‘took the gold’ a couple of weekends back, excelling in their ability to prepare and facilitate a wonderful celebration to mark the ordination of Tat Ming Tsui as a Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP).
More than 300 people packed into All Saints Anglican Church in Howick for a concert of wonderful music on the Saturday before the ordination – much of the music in the concert praised God and proclaimed his love for all people in Christ. I commend the members of BLC for their vision of engaging with their community and for their commitment to giving witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray that many lives were gently touched by the Spirit of Jesus as a result of this concert. I believe this concert is intended as an annual event.
Then on the Sunday morning, the Spirit gathered about 150 people together for the ordination of Tat. People travelled from as far away as Turakina Beach (who came from there?), Wellington, Hamilton, Brisbane, and Mountainside (which isn’t very far away, eh). There was a real sense of joy in the Lord amongst the congregation and a deep sense of gratitude to God for providing them with a new pastor. My conversations with various members of BLC reveal that the Spirit is stirring this congregation in amazing ways towards being intentional about sharing Jesus – the Bread of Life – with Auckland.
During the service we also acknowledged the wonderful way that God had worked through his servants, Pastor David and Annie Chiang in establishing BLC.
- Again we pray: thank you Lord God for watching over Tat and Irene, and the members of Botany Lutheran Church during this time of preparation and affirmation of call on Tat to become a pastor for this congregation. We are grateful to you for your provision of pastors and we thank you for the foundational ministry provided by your Spirit through the ministry of Pastor David and Annie. Grow this congregation in faith, hope and love. Amen.
This Sunday marks the end of the locum ministry of Pastor Rex Mickan at Mountainside Lutheran Church in Auckland. Thank you Rex for your faithful ministry in the Lord’s church here in NZ; we wish you blessing as you return home to Sydney. Pastor Colin Hartwich will be the next locum pastor at Wellington / Wairarapa, beginning at the end of August.
- Thank you Lord God for providing pastors for your church and especially for those who come and serve during vacancies – Pastor Rex Mickan and Pastor Colin Hartwich. Thank you for their ministry of encouragement among us. Amen.
Please continue to pray for Pastor Joe Kummerow, his wife Julie and their family as they prepare to relocate to New Zealand – and particularly to Mountainside at the end of next week.
- Lord Jesus, we pray that you would watch over Joe and Julie and their family and provide travelling mercies as they prepare to leave friends and family and a familiar place to come us here in New Zealand to begin ministry amongst your people at Mountainside. Amen.
Tomorrow the next round of quarterly meetings for the LCNZ begin in Wellington – Finance Advisory Council (FAC) and the Lutheran Layman’s League (LLL) meet on Saturday 11th August; Lutheran Support Ministries (LSM) meet on Saturday 18th August, and the Gateway Gift Trust Board (GGTB) and the Council of Synod (COS) meet on the 24th and 25th August.
The leadership of your church have some very challenging and important matters to discuss during this round of meetings.
I believe the real challenge for us is to make sure that all of us – those of us in national leadership and those of us worshipping and serving in local congregations – remain absolutely committed and focused on the task that we have been called and claimed for through our baptism – viz. to let our light shine to the glory of God the Father.
These days it’s very easy to become distracted by things that take us away from the main task at hand. St Paul will even encourage us in our second reading this coming Sunday, not to make room for the devil (Eph.4:27).
I’ve been asked by some on COS to ask you – the church we serve – to pray for us in these coming days and meetings – so that we will remain focused on Jesus and on the task of proclaiming him to New Zealand, and not be distracted by things that should not distract us.
- Almighty God, direct and guide us by your Holy Spirit both to plan and to accomplish those things that will benefit Your Church and glorify Your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God be with you.
+Mark
President – Lutheran Church of New Zealand / Te Hāhi Rūtana o Aotearoa
