by Pastor Matt Anker, President (Elect), LM-A
‘Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.' (Matthew 28:16-20)
During the forty days after Jesus’ resurrection, the apostles experience grief, fear, disappointment, doubt, joy, hope, more doubt and a fair amount of anxiety thrown in for good measure. Despite having seen their Lord raised from the dead, things were not as black and white as they might have liked. In the midst of this confusion Jesus told them to go the mountain of the Lord and worship him. As they gather, Jesus comes to them showing them his true authority. The Lord of lords sends them out to tell everyone the good news, baptising them in the name of the Triune God and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded. He reassures them that he is always with them, ‘to the end of the age’.
As we face this time of uncertainty and grief, let’s do what the disciples did. Let’s come together as believers to be served by the Triune God. Wherever you are, seek opportunities to meet with other believers in your homes and in your congregations. Listen to God's Word, pray and cast your doubts, fears and anxieties on him, for he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
Most importantly, as you battle the waves of grief and doubt, hold fast to the certainty that in Christ, God is with you, always. You are not alone.
As confessional Lutherans in Australia, you are not alone. Faithful remnant, you are in the prayers of people all over the world. In the past few days, LM-A has received many messages of encouragement and support from churches, pastors and lay people from every corner of the globe, all passionately upholding you in their prayers.
We know that for many of you the decisions about what to do next seem overwhelming, and the temptation may be to despair, to react with anger, or even to doubt the Lord’s power in this situation we now face. It would be easy to let the father of lies get between us, sowing his seeds of mistrust, suspicion and confusion. I encourage you to be gracious and gentle with your fellow believers, as they battle the same tidal wave of emotions and hard decisions that you face. In the coming days, we will all need to exercise godly self-discipline, putting the best construction on the words and actions of our brothers and sisters and bearing with each other in love.
Lutheran Mission – Australia is not here to pressure you into anything. We are happy to serve you wherever you are at this time. We welcome any conversations you’d like to have with us about the future. Some of you may be ready to join us, and we warmly welcome all approaches. Others may have a lot of questions and some difficult, practical issues to resolve. We’re willing to listen and to help if we can.
Some pastors have asked me for my opinion on how to continue to serve without damaging their conscience or neglecting their people. If you would like a copy of this, please email me at mattanker@lutheranmissionaustralia.org.au
Change is hard (some might say especially difficult for Lutherans...). I am reminded of Moses’ final words to the Israelites as they stood at the border of the Promised Land:
‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them [the forces working against you], for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.’ (Deuteronomy 31:6).