Kia tau ki a koutou te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua
願 父 神 所 賜 的 恩 惠 和 平 安 與 你 們 同 在Grace and peace to you from God
He Gave His Dear Son to Cheer Our Hearts
Yesterday I had the honour and pleasure welcoming and hosting Bach Collegium Japan to a formal reception as guests of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand. This group of outstanding musicians are in great demand all around the world for performances, especially of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and they are currently in Wellington to perform in the New Zealand Festival of the Arts.This evening – Ash Wednesday – they present Bach’s St John Passion, and in so doing they will proclaim God’s love for his people in Jesus Christ.
Founder and Director of Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki said in an interview in a recent edition of The Listener –
In the St John Passion it is clear the message Bach sought to convey is nothing other than the message of the cross. The cross is the central symbol of Christianity and the Christian Church. It is the foundation of our faith. (The Listener, February 1 2014)I imagine that some of you by the end of today will be wearing this cross that Masaaki speaks of; one made of ash and oil and inscribed on your forehead. And possibly by tomorrow it will have already rubbed or been washed off.
But the mark of the cross remains on you and I forever, as ones marked and inscribed by it at our baptism; it truly is the foundation of our faith.
One year before his death in 1546 Luther wrote –
For God has cheered our hearts and minds through his dear Son, whom he gave for us to redeem us from sin, death, and the devil. He who believes this earnestly cannot be quiet about it. But he must gladly and willingly sing and speak about it so that others also may come and hear it. (Luther’s Works, Luther, vol.53, p.333, Martin Luther)In this reflective and penitential preparatory season of Lent, when we even 'turn our worship down a notch' as we drop our ‘Alleluias’ and our ‘Great Gloria’ and as we give up chocolate and ice cream and the like, there’s still good reason for us to cheer and to be cheered by God in heart and mind.
May the days and weeks of the Lenten journey afford you the opportunity to be drawn closer to the cross; the gift of love and life. Here indeed, God’s love comes to life.
Haere Ra; Haere Mai
Pastor Bruce Zagel and his wife Kathy have returned to Australia, having spent the month of February here in New Zealand. They spent most of their time here with the Upper Moutere community, but were able to conduct Blessed Are the Peacemaker workshops in 4 other regions of the LCNZ. Pastor Bruce has indicated that he’d like to come back later in the year to offer a Conflict Coaching course to the LCNZ. For now, we thank God for the gift of Bruce and Kathy who came to us with servant hearts. How do I know that? Bruce always began his conversation with the question: How can I serve you best?
Last weekend Pastor Brian Schwarz and his wife Janet arrived in Christchurch for a 4 month interim ministry at St Pauls Lutheran Church in Burwood. Welcome back Brian and Janet; we pray that you will enjoy your time with the members and friends of St Pauls, and that your ministry amongst them will be blessed.
Lutheran Women of New Zealand
A reminder that all former members of Lutheran Women of New Zealand (LWNZ) and all Lutheran Women are invited to a day of celebration, reminiscence and thanksgiving led by Pauline Simonsen.
Theme: Jesus – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Saturday 8th March
St Luke’s Lutheran Church Palmerston North 9.45am - 3pm
$10 registration fee, lunch, morning & afternoon tea provided
Registration forms available from manawatulutheran@inspire.net.nz
Come along for a day of fun and fellowship with Christian women
Kogudus Retreat III – Spiritual Gifts
You are warmly invited to Kogudus Retreat III on Spiritual Gifts on 4th to 6th April 2014 at Camp Morley, Clarks Beach, Pukekohe.
Kogudus is an Estonian word that means Christian fellowship. The retreat format provides an environment of encouragement in which you can ask and discuss questions, share what you have already learned and just simply grow in exercising your faith. This retreat aims to help you discover your spiritual gifts, personal style, and God-given passion for serving in the body of Christ and your community.
The retreat begins meeting by 6pm on the Friday evening to start with a meal and conclude at 2pm on the Sunday. In between there is a mixture of teaching, prayer, good food, laughter, opportunity for a walk, fun, and fellowship.
Visit the LCNZ website events page for more details.
LCA Calls New Principal to Australian Lutheran College (Alc)
The Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) has called a versatile parish pastor with governance and leadership experience to lead Australian Lutheran College (ALC) as its next principal.
LCA Bishop Rev John Henderson recently announced that the General Church Council (GCC) has called Pastor James Winderlich, the senior pastor of St Stephen’s Lutheran Church, Adelaide.
‘The GCC prayed earnestly and deeply before extending this important call, engaging in intense and searching discussions with the ALC Board of Directors, which has governance oversight of the college’, Bishop Henderson said. ‘We are confident that Pastor James has the God-given faith, skills and ability to play his part in leading our tertiary college into a strong vibrant future.’
Pastor Winderlich has been a pastor of the LCA for 22 years. After ordination in 1991, he served the Southport-Ashmore parish, Queensland, for six months, and then, further north, at Maryborough for four years. During this time he was also a part-time police chaplain.
In 1995 he moved to South Australia, where he served the Riverland parish of Paringa/Meringur and the Magill congregation in Adelaide, before accepting the call to St Stephen’s in the heart of the city. There he has served side by side with Sudanese special ministry pastor Peter Deng and now with Chinese pastor Wing Tso.
Pastor Winderlich’s cross-cultural experience comes also from the LCA’s ministry with Aboriginal people in central Australia.
As chairman of the Finke River Mission Board, he was instrumental in advancing the effective delivery of theological education to Aboriginal pastors and lay leaders. As chair of the LCA’s national Safe Place Committee, he steered the review and development of policy and procedures. He is an ambassador for White Ribbon, an organisation campaigning to end violence against women.
He has credentials in Human Resources and in Workplace Training and Assessment, and has recently been admitted to the doctoral program of the University of Divinity (Melbourne) through ALC.
Pastor Winderlich is Second Assistant Bishop of the South Australia/Northern Territory District.
‘ALC has a major role in the mission and ministry of the LCA’, Bishop Henderson said. ‘Like the church itself, it has many joys but also many challenges. Should God guide him to accept this call, Pastor James knows that a high level of service and leadership will be asked of him. As he considers his response and listens to the Holy Spirit, I ask church members to pray for him, and for ALC, that God’s will may be done.’
ALC Dean and Vice-Principal Dr Stephen Haar has been Acting Principal since June last year when former principal Pastor John Henderson left to take up the position of LCA Bishop.
The regular rules of the church allow a pastor four weeks from receipt of a call to give his response.
Ordination – We’re Listening
As the Church continues to discuss the matter of Ordination of Men and Women, you might like to check out the resources that are available on this issue at – http://www.lca.org.au/ordination-were-listening.html.
Kia noho a Ihowa ki a koutou; the Lord be with you.
+MARK
Pastor Mark Whitfield BTh MSM
Bishop of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand / Pihopa o te Hāhi Rūtana o Aotearoa
