For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.

Ephesians 3:14-15 

A blessed Father’s Day!

Fatherhood has not received much positive press in recent years. With the continuing devaluation of the family defined as mum, dad and kids, the necessity of fatherhood is even questioned by many within our society. At times, I have heard fatherhood being mocked because of people’s bad experience with fathers, and its value assessed by how well men live up to the expectations associated with this primary vocation.

But this is to fall into the trap of assessing a divine gift on the basis of human frailty and robs us of the joy of knowing the good and blessing God intends for us in His creation of fatherhood.

Some of you had the privilege of meeting Rev. Jeffrey Hemmer at Creative Word Fellowship events in 2023. In his excellent book Man up!’ (1), Pastor Hemmer points out that, “God the Father is eternally Father. The Son of God is eternally Son… There was never a time when the Son did not exist. This relationship is older than creation itself. Fatherhood is older than time. And fathers can understand their calling to be fathers only in light of the eternal relation of the Father to His Son.”

As Hemmer reflects on the verses from Ephesians 3 above, he reminds us that “[t]he apostle’s point is not that earthly fatherhood gives us a helpful metaphor by which we can understand the relationship between divine Father and Son. It’s that every earthly father derives his identity as father not from the gift of children, but from the nature of God the Father Himself.

On 20-23 August 2025, the inaugural LM-A Pastors’ Conference was held at Araluen Lutheran Camp in Anglesea, Victoria. LM-A President, Pastor Matt Anker, described the conference as a time of “great camaraderie, blessing and joy,” noting that he never expected that LM-A would be holding a pastors’ conference so soon, given that our first congregation began services less than 9 months ago! Through God’s blessings, we now have thirteen congregations with more soon to join us, and our first Convention of Synod has been scheduled for 28-31 August 2026, several years earlier than imagined when LM-A first began.

The conference began on Wednesday evening as 27 pastors, including several guests, gathered for an informal evening meal and settled into the accommodations.

The main proceedings commenced bright and early on a chilly morning with a morning devotion and welcome to the special guests at the Conference, including the Keynote Speaker, Rev. Dr. Joel Lehenbauer, the Executive Director of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR), Rev. David Fleming, Executive Director for Spiritual Care of Doxology and Rev. Matthew Wood, representing the Office of International Mission - Asia.

In this week’s devotion, Pastor Lee van Rossen writes:

When I was 11 years old, my family were members of a Baptist church in the Adelaide Hills, and my parents felt the call to mission work with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua New Guinea. At our farewell service before getting on the plane, one of the late teenage young men from the church came up to me and gave me a piece of paper with a verse that had given him courage and comfort. It read;

The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 1:7-8.

At 11 years old, about to leave for Papua New Guinea, it hit straight to my heart. It told me that, even though I was just a kid, almighty God was going to go with me, so I didn’t need to be afraid.

Fast forward a dozen or so years, and I started feeling God’s call to ministry. The same verse that used to be a comfort to me soon became a challenge – ‘go to whom I send you, speak what I command’. I was utterly terrified of public speaking (honestly I’m not much better now) but that same text gave me comfort – even though I am only young, God goes before me, goes with me, and will even guide what I am to say.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Tiredness has become an epidemic in the western world. I’m not talking about that bone weary tiredness that comes from good day’s physical work, where every muscle reminds you that you’ve achieved something for the day. I’m talking about the weariness that comes from the never-ending to do list of modern society. The expectations of others and of ourselves. Being constantly on guard in our hypersensitive culture. And the continual bombardment of information that is impossible to decipher and assess. Even in the much-divided world of Lutheranism in Australia, the one thing we can really agree on is the weariness many of us feel as we reflect on the last 30 years of theological debate and the ongoing tensions that exist as we seek to live according to God’s Word.

So when we are told to lay aside the sin that clings so closely and to run the race set before us with endurance, I wonder if you hear this as yet another wearying demand? Yet another impossibly tiring expectation to add to the already extensive list that bears down on you?

The writer to the Hebrews begins this text by referring back to the previous chapter in which he presents a catalogue of Old Testament saints who endured so much more than we can imagine. And while they were far from sinless, they are commended for the way they endured all manner of hardship, tragedy, heartache and shame because of their constant faith in God’s promises which they knew would be made perfect in the promised Messiah. Yes, they too were weary and burdened and beat down in all sorts of ways, but they were able to endure because they held fast to God’s promises.

“What a beautiful thing it is when women come together in their churches and in their homes around the Word of God! As they study the Word and journey life together, they are moved to an outward-looking lens of how they can share the gospel with others, having an impact for the kingdom.”

This is what Helen Vonow observed when the Lutheran Women in Mission come together for their 2025 Biannual Convention: ‘Growing in God’s Grace’ (2 Peter 3:18), on June 26–29, in Omaha, Nebraska.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

The change that God works within us is termed ‘sanctification’. Luther used ’sanctification’ in the Small Catechism in the broad sense to include all that God does for us, and in us, through his word. This includes justification. This is what Paul means when he declares: “you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

The word ‘sanctify’ simply means to make holy, to be set apart. In the broad sense, sanctification refers to our justification, the fact that we are completely and perfectly holy before God (coram Deo) …

…Conversely, in the narrow sense, sanctification can be used to refer to the process of Christian growth that happens within us. In this sense, we are not describing something that is perfect, far from it. Immediately after justification there is a lifelong process of spiritual growth that happens within us, wherein God makes us more like himself to do good works (Ephesians 2:8-10; Formula of Concord - Solid Declaration III 41). Sanctification, in the narrow sense, is the fact that we are in the process of being made holy. Before the world (coram mundo), we are gradually becoming more like Christ, as we turn away from sin, and God helps us to live according to his will.

Tasmin Bourne is Lutheran Mission -Australia’s latest seminary student. He will complete his pastoral studies at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary St Catharine’s in Canada.

Tasmin has prepared a profile of his family, faith journey and the call to serve God’s people as a pastor.

So even to old age and grey hairs, O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.

Psalm 71:18

One of the temptations of old age, when bodily strength and mental alertness begin to falter, is to take refuge in the comforts offered in the here and now. The words of Psalm 71 encourage us, instead, to continue to take refuge in the Lord, who in His righteousness delivers and rescues us (verses 1-3).

The Psalmist, speaking not only of himself but more importantly, speaking words of our Lord Jesus, had placed his hope in the Lord from his youth. Looking further back, he confesses that he trusted in the Lord even before birth. Indeed, it was the Lord who brought him to birth (v 6) - reason for continued praise!

It’s not that the Psalmist’s life had been easy. Many had wanted to shun him (v 7a). He had been a ‘portent’ to them. The word ‘portent’ is reminiscent of Isaiah 52:14 that says, “his appearance was disfigured beyond human semblance, /and his form beyond that of ordinary men”. He had enemies who wanted to pursue and seize him, because they were convinced that God had forsaken him. Yet the Psalmist continued to hope in the Lord and was determined to praise him more and more (v 14). He would tell of the Lord’s countless righteous acts, his saving deeds “all the day” (v 15).

Then comes a model prayer for all who are aged: “So even to old age and grey hairs, O God, do not forsake me, /until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come”.  Isn’t it often the case that children have been baptized because of the influence of their grandparents; that it’s grandparents who have influenced their grandchildren for good by taking them to Sunday School and to Divine Service, and by continuing to offer up fervent prayer for them?

LM-A Communications spoke with Pastor Andrew Neumann and his wife, Heather, about their experience of suffering and how it affects their faith.

How have you experienced suffering in your life? 

Pastor Andrew: Just common suffering for 50 years, including some generalised anxiety managed by lifestyle. The last 5 years I have been housebound (no driving, wheelchair outings) with severe ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). This means that “the Spirit is willing, but the Flesh is weak” (both physical and cognitive fatigue). I feel like I’m trapped in a 100-year-old’s body. I must carefully manage my energy (known as pacing, with no ‘pushing’) to avoid energy crashes. Google it for more detail. 

Heather: Having children with extra needs introduced me to suffering. Seeing Andrew suffer now is painful. He misses much of our kids and grandkid’s lives, so they suffer too. Being too unwell for travel means he’s missed family events including our son’s wedding. My carer responsibilities challenge me, particularly carrying the mental load and responsibility by myself.  

There is a lot of talk in the church about sanctification, about following Jesus and being His disciple. There is not a lot of talk about suffering. But the two go together. The Bible describes the Christian life as a life of suffering. The TV preachers describe the Christian life as a life without suffering. Which is it? 

The “Health and Wealth” teachers and the “Prosperity Gospel” take this to the extreme. Sickness, poverty, too many red lights on the way to work are signs of a lack of faith, a lack of God’s blessings. If you are suffering, then you show yourself to be a false disciple of Jesus. This is a horrible and disastrous false teaching.

But there is a subtle “sanctification-means-less-suffering” doctrine in all of us, an inner Buddhist that thinks that our suffering means that we are far from Jesus, our troubles are indications of God’s abandonment. Which is why, I suspect, troubles always stir up questions about God’s location. “Where is God in the midst of trouble?” We ask the question because we think (without thinking) that God must keep suffering at arm’s length, and if we’re suffering, God must keep us at arm’s length. 

This is wrong, totally wrong.

First, God is not a stranger to suffering. The cross shows us this. The prophet Isaiah even gives the name “Man of Sorrows” to Jesus (Isaiah 53:3). No one suffered like Jesus suffered in the garden and on the cross. There all the sins of all humanity and the wrath of God that goes with them is piled on Jesus. When we see Jesus crying out on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” then we ought, at least, to know that God is not a stranger to suffering.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

John 20:21-23

This past Sunday I had the privilege of installing Pastor Lee van Rossen as pastor to Wistow Lutheran Mission. It was a great joy for the congregation and one that was clearly shared by others as we heard greetings from LM-A members from around the country. So what is it about the installation of a pastor that brings such thanksgiving and joy?

Perhaps you can’t quite put your finger on the answer to this, but your gut tells you it’s a good thing. If that’s the case, your gut feeling is correct. You see, the Office of the Holy Ministry into which pastors are called and ordained is not something a bunch of people dreamed up because they thought it would be a good idea. Rather it is an Office that our Lord Jesus established so that we might receive all the benefits of His life, death and resurrection.

On Sunday, 6 July, Pastor Lee van Rossen was installed as the pastor of Wistow Lutheran Mission in the Adelaide Hills. Pastor Lee was installed by LM-A President, Rev. Dr. Matt Anker, with the assistance of Rev. Dr Greg Lockwood. The service was held at the Wistow Community Hall, where the Wistow congregation has been worshipping since it began in December 2024. Over 100 people, including members of Pastor Lee’s family and visitors from other congregations, attended the service, which was followed by a community lunch.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:16

The rich young ruler asked Jesus ‘what must I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ (Luke 18:18ff.). That is a good question. It was the key question asked at the time of the Reformation. How can a sinner be justified before God? How can I be saved? It was the question that Luther asked as a young monk, ‘How can man stand before God and not perish?’ And it almost drove him to despair.

Original sin is the source of all sin; it is the universal human condition. We are all conceived and born that way, bent away from God, curved inward on ourselves. It is the absence of righteousness and holiness, and the presence of lust and evil desire. Of ourselves, we do not fear, love, and trust in God above all things. Opposing His will, we are competitors against God, being ‘like God’ instead of ‘in the likeness of God’, gods in place of God. This is succinctly articulated with Paul’s opening statement in Romans 3:10: “None is righteous, no, not one.”

Luther did not doubt that there was a God and a righteous one at that. But he felt himself unable to fulfill the will of God and thus he was condemned because of his inability to conform to the Law’s demand. It was only when Luther understood the words “the just shall live by faith” in Paul’s letter to the Romans (1:16), that he found consolation and freedom.

G’day. How’s it goin mate? (I very much miss not being able to greet people like this)

The first academic year here in St. Louis has recently come to an end. It’s been a long sprint of three terms, starting in late August, and finishing in the middle of May, with just three weeks break over Christmas. Surprisingly, the biggest difference I have noticed between ALC (Australian Lutheran College) and CSL (Concordia St. Lois), is that when you are in term, they work hard, and due to changes in the schedule, we are in class a LOT. At ALC we had a generous split of twenty-eight weeks of classes per year, and twenty-four weeks of holiday, at CSL, this year I will be surprised if I have more than eight weeks of break, total. Now do not mistake this observation as a complaint. This rigorous culture of academic study and practical formation activities has been wonderful to be a part of. President Anker was kind enough to share that he has noticed a significant positive change in me in the ten months since I have been here.

My classmates and I were sitting in the chapel the other day and saw the first-year Greek students enter, and it dawned on us that we are now second-year students. The year has flown by, and I have learnt a lot. I am currently taking summer classes (Hebrew 1 and Hebrew 2) so no rest for the wicked really!

People often describe the academic experience here as trying to drink from a fire hose - and after a year of study I can concur. When the quarter starts you know you have 10 weeks of intense learning, trying to take in and learn as much as you can, all while balancing academic life with your field work commitments and family.

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Timothy 6:11-12

I have a friend who enjoys restoring old cars. Just about anything with a motor and wheels will do, but he especially values old FX Holdens. Some of the cars he has found have been beaten up, full of dents and rust. Unlike modern cars, you can’t just go to a repairer, replace a panel, get it sprayed, then drive off. The panels that are dented are no longer in the shape that was intended, so they need to be beaten back into the designed shape. They need to be reformed so they are once more like the designer intended.

The Christian Church is a little like an old car that every now and then gets out of shape. Sometimes it is due to wear and tear, other times it is the result of a bingle. Whatever the reason, the car needs to be repaired, restored, or reformed into its original shape.

Once it is as good as new, it continues to be driven down the roads the driver chooses. The roads in our communities today would be so different to the roads of the 1950’s when FX Holdens were new, yet the restored cars still transport people from point A to point B. They aren’t trying to be something they weren’t designed for. What’s more, they are more likely to turn heads today, simply because they don’t look like every other car out there.

This week we celebrate the 495th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, which was presented by Philipp Melanchthon and others to Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Augsburg on the 25th June 1530. The Roman Catholic Church of the 15th and 16th centuries was moving further and further away from God’s Word and would have been unrecognisable to the first century Christian Church, which promoted the Gospel and served those in need.

Luther and the early reformers saw that the mediaeval church was in need of reforming. It needed to get back to the Word alone, Christ alone, Faith alone, Grace alone. The Augsburg Confession was the opportunity to put those corrections before Charles V. Rather than create a new church, the intention was to reform the existing church, returning it to the teaching of the Apostles and the Early Church.

The church festivals of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost celebrate key events in the history of salvation. Holy Trinity Sunday doesn’t. In fact, the word ‘trinity’ doesn’t appear in the Catechism, the church’s regular liturgies, or Scripture.  So why is Trinity Sunday a major church feast?

Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:13-17) is one place in the Bible where the Triune God is alluded to. A voice from heaven (the Father) said: ‘this is my beloved Son’ and the Spirit of God descended like a dove. Galatians 1:1 makes it plain the Father is God, Romans 9:5 that Jesus is God and in Acts 5:3-5 Luke equates God with the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, Genesis 1:26, Matthew 28:19-20 and 2 Corinthians 13:14 hint at, or proclaim, a three-person Godhead. However, according to Deuteronomy 6:4 and 1 Corinthians 8:4, Scripture also teaches that God is one – that there aren’t three Gods, only one!      

In this article, based on the first session of his seminar ‘Before Christ and the World’, Dr Stephen Pietsch explains why Christians ‘confess’ our faith.

Confessing?

Confessing literally means to ‘say the same thing.’ 

In the New Testament, the Greek verb, homologeo is used when a solemn public declaration is made of what Christians believe [John 1:20; 9:22; 12:42; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Timothy 6:12; 1 John 2:23; 4:2, 3, 15; 2 John 7]. The noun, homologia, denotes either an act of confession of the gospel, or a liturgical form of confession in the community [2 Corinthians 9:12-13, 1 Timothy 6:12, 13; Hebrews 3:1; 4:14; 10:23].  

Scripture calls us to confess our faith in Christ, which includes all of Scripture’s witness concerning Him [Matthew 10:32-33].  

The English word, confession, comes from Latin, confessio [I confess], which can mean the admission, acknowledgment, or public declaration of something. On one hand it is used in the sense of a confession of sins [e.g. Psalm 32:5; James 5:16; 1 John 1:9]

On the other hand, it is used in the sense of a confession of faith, a confident declaration [Acts 4:13, 31] of what a person believes and stands for [Romans 10:9, 10; Matthew 10:32-33; Luke 12:8, 9; Philippians 2:11].  Confession in this sense means ‘to state what you believe’ (what God says). The Lutheran Confessions are statements of faith that Lutherans use to declare to the world, ‘This is what we believe, teach and confess.’  

The Christian church has then been confessing its faith from the very beginning. Jesus confesses and teaches the truth all through his ministry. The Apostles confessed the faith in their ministries, many of them losing their lives as a result. 

On 7-8 June, Dr Stephen Pietsch led a wonderful weekend of learning and mutual encouragement at the ‘Before Christ and the World - What it means to be a confessional Lutheran’ Seminar, which was held at St John’s Lutheran Church in Tanunda SA. The event was attended by approximately 100 people, with a large number of people viewing the livestream.

The seminar began with an opening responsive prayer service, led by Pastor Lee van Rossen, and a warm welcome on a very cold, wet day from Pastor Mathew Ker, who acted as MC throughout the weekend.

Dr Pietsch began the seminar by exploring why Christians have confessed their faith since the very earliest days of the church, what confessing actually means, and why “confessing the faith clearly and openly teaching the doctrines of Scripture is an essential calling of all Christians, and is according to Luther, a ‘mark of the church’, that it teaches, confesses and proclaims the word of God.”

After a sumptuous morning tea, provided by Barossa Lutheran Mission who were our hosts for the weekend, participants returned for the second session, in which Dr Pietsch focused in on the Lutheran Confessions, discussing the context in which they were developed and why they continue to be the confession of the Lutheran church almost 500 years later. As Dr Pietsch explained, the Confessions “clearly express the whole witness of Scripture which is the rule and norm for our teaching and practice.” He emphasised that the Bible is the “norm of norms” - the overarching authority under which the Confessions sit.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:1-4

That first Christian Pentecost must have been something to witness. Rushing wind, tongues of fire and the proclamation of the gospel in many languages formerly unknown to those who spoke. It is such an extraordinary event that it is easy to fall into the trap of celebrating Pentecost as a memorial to an event that is long past.

But the true miracle of Pentecost continues today, and we do well to celebrate the impact of Pentecost in our own lives. I’m not referring to talking in gibberish, falling down in hysterics or other oddities that are blamed on the Holy Spirit. The true miracle of Pentecost is far more spectacular and it continues in every place that the Word of God is proclaimed to this day.