by Pastor Tim Castle-Schmidt
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Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth (Luke 3:5).
Read Luke 3:1–6
Have you been on a road trip recently, a day-long drive to get from one part of the country to another? Remember all the preparation that leads to this: checking the car, including tyre pressure and radiator water, and possibly cleaning out the boot?
As we journey deeper into Advent, we think about the preparation that is going on. God sends John to ‘prepare the way’, but rather than checking the tyres, John calls people to repent. Repenting does not just mean saying sorry but turning around and returning to trusting in God.
And look at what John points them to: This prophecy of Isaiah, approximately 800 years earlier, speaks of this prophet who will prepare the way for the arrival of the Messiah. And that prophet was John. It took place 2,000 years ago; the way has already been prepared!
The invitation to us living post-Christ (or indeed post-John the Baptist) is to walk along those crooked roads made straight, the rough ways smooth.
The preparation of the way has happened, and the Messiah has arrived.
And yet, if we look around, with wars and famine, natural disasters and climate change, the paths are clearly not straight. The preparation has happened, but the straightening is not yet complete. We live in this ‘liminal space’ (a space that is opening up, but we are in the midst of it happening).
It’s a good ‘space’ to be in, but it can be uncomfortable; like the car journey, the preparation has been completed, but the journey still brings unexpected occurrences.
As we journey deeper into Advent this year, may we see again that all is complete while also being incomplete. As we experience Advent, yet again, we step into it with the joy of expectation amid the reality of living in the liminal space.
Lord Jesus, as John prepared the way for you, and you came into the world, be with us and give us rest and peace as we walk on the paths of the liminal space. Please help us to look ahead with a new hope and walk into the days, weeks and years ahead, knowing you have arrived in this world and completed all that is needed. Amen.
By his own admission, Tim Castle-Schmidt is a broken man. Broken in body, mind and spirit, he says he is learning that God is at work in and through human brokenness. He says that while God has not ‘fixed’ him, God continues to work through his brokenness to connect with the world. Tim is the Pastor of Nunawading–Waverley Lutheran Church in Melbourne. After spending many years as a teacher in Lutheran schools, he finally listened to God’s call to the pastoral ministry. Tim is passionate about social justice and engaging the church with contemporary society. Tim shares his life with Fiona, Miranda, and a Jack Russell called Otto.
by Maria Rudolph
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Shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace (Luke 1:79).
Read Luke 1:68–79
If you know our Lutheran liturgy, you may have been chanting today’s reading! The ‘Song of Zechariah’ appears toward the end of our order of ‘Matins’, composed by W Crotch in the 19th century.
The priest Zechariah and his elderly wife Elizabeth had been promised a child by God; however, Zechariah, much like Sarah in the Old Testament, doubted this would come to pass in his old age. He was struck with muteness for his distrust in God’s promises. He returned home to Elizabeth from temple duty, unable to speak. She mustn’t have minded his silent state, for they got close and conceived a child.
Zechariah remained silent throughout the pregnancy, which included a three-month visit from Mary. Elizabeth had become pregnant in her old age, and her relative Mary, who was still a virgin, had also fallen pregnant. Many ponderings must have gone on in Zechariah’s head as he silently sat there, listening to the two women in his house and contemplating the Scriptures and vision he’d had in the temple. And then, upon the birth of his son John, filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah prophesied after being freed from his muteness. And the words he says, the Song of Zechariah, are some of the greatest words of the whole Bible.
The final words of Zechariah’s song (Luke 1:79) are reminiscent of Isaiah 9:2: ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.’ The gospel writer Matthew quotes the same Scripture passage as he describes the beginning of the ministry of Jesus (Matthew 4:16). We know John the Baptist as the forerunner of Jesus, preparing the way of the Lord. But John’s father, Zechariah, was already a faithful forerunner himself.
I’m glad God chose imperfect, doubtful and yet faithful Zechariah to be part of the plan to prepare for the ministry of Jesus on earth. It gives me hope because I am imperfect, doubtful and yet faithful too. We all are all of those things. And yet God is working in and through us.
May we all continue to be attracted to the light of Christ and follow this holy torch as a lamp to our feet and a light for our path (Psalm 119:105).
Loving God, during this season of light in Advent and Christmas, please remind us that you are the Light of the World who has come to cast out the darkness and shine light into every hidden place. Your perfect love casts out all fear. With you, there is life to the full. May we always have the oil of your Holy Spirit in our lamps to keep our lights shining and to be ready and prepared for you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria is overjoyed to be a candidate for ordination as a pastor of the LCANZ while serving the St Johns Perth congregation and supporting the ministry of her pastor husband, Michael, at Concordia Duncraig congregation in Western Australia. They are parents to three children who are busy with primary and secondary schooling. Maria also serves the church as a member of the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations.
Giver of every good and perfect gift
by Maria Rudolph
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With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness (James 3:9).
Read James 3:1–12
I grew up in Germany, with today being St Nicholas Day. Now, it is my children’s turn to clean their shoes on the eve of 6 December and place them neatly outside their bedroom door. When they awake, they will find small goodies in their shoes - lollies, nuts and gifts. St Nicholas Day is a joyful event of giving and receiving.
Nicholas was the 4th-century bishop of Myra, located in modern-day Türkiye (Turkey). The stories surrounding his generous giving and godly conduct have somehow taken on a life of their own and curiously culminated in the modern-day creation of Santa Claus. While this is a far cry from the original person of Bishop Nicholas, it serves as yet another reminder of God, the giver of all things. St Nicholas is credited with this quote - ‘The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God’s giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.’
How blessed we are with godly quotes from him and many other faithful Christians throughout the ages. How blessed we are with Scripture verses full of wisdom said and recorded by the people of old. Yet an observation and warning from St James in his epistle is true for all of them and us - ‘Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be’ (James 3:10). Even well-quoted people do not always use their tongues appropriately.
We already focus on giving gifts and sharing kind actions during this Advent season. But let us also focus on our tongues. Martin Luther instructs us in his Small Catechism on the eighth commandment:
Do not give false testimony. What does this mean? We should honour and love God and so we should not tell lies about other people, give their secrets away, talk about them behind their back, or damage their reputation in any way. Instead, we should speak up for them, say only good things about them, and explain their actions in the kindest way.
It takes effort to use our tongues appropriately, but with a focus on the giver of every good and perfect gift, we are on the right track. Let us all challenge ourselves to take note of our tongue and pray daily that we may use it solely for blessing.
Holy Spirit, living water, we need your help and guidance. We do not want to be a spring from which fresh and saltwater flow simultaneously. But we trip up and fail. Fill us with your living water so our cup overflows into our lives and the people around us from the spring of life inside us. Store the fruit of your Spirit in our hearts abundantly, so our mouth speaks of what our hearts are full of. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria is overjoyed to be a candidate for ordination as a pastor of the LCANZ while serving the St Johns Perth congregation and supporting the ministry of her pastor husband, Michael, at Concordia Duncraig congregation in Western Australia. They are parents to three children who are busy with primary and secondary schooling. Maria also serves the church as a member of the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations.
by Maria Rudolph
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In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? (James 2:25)
Read James 2:14–26
You have likely heard it many times before, but listen to this: Jesus came for YOU. Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem for you. Jesus died on the cross for you. Even you. Even me.
Only two Sundays ago, the Old Testament reading from 2 Samuel 23:1–7 contained the last words of King David, spoken on his deathbed. He said (verse 5): ‘If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant.’
The unfortunate part about King David was that he was an adulterer and murderer, hardly someone who was right with God according to his deeds. Yet God worked through him to the point where he raised up our Saviour Jesus from his line (Isaiah 11:1) and gave us countless psalms penned by David, on which a good part of our church liturgy is based.
I also recall another great Bible character called Moses, through whom God passed the Ten Commandments to his people and led his people out of Egypt and through the wilderness into the Promised Land. The unfortunate part about Moses was that he was a murderer (Exodus 2:12) – also hardly someone who was right with God according to his deeds. And yet God worked through him.
In fact, when we start looking into the stories of any given Bible character, we soon find that according to their deeds, they are all hell-bound. The only one who has a clean slate is Jesus!
It isn’t because David was such a great king, Rahab was such a great spy-hider, or Moses was such a great leader that God considered them righteous. It was because of God’s mercy and grace. It isn’t because you are such a great woman or man that God considers you righteous. It is because Jesus has given you a clean slate through his blood and sacrifice.
Dear God, ‘our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness’. Be the cornerstone in my life, strengthen me when I am weak and give me joy in knowing that you have set me free. Let me live wisely in my freedom, focused on you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Maria is overjoyed to be a candidate for ordination as a pastor of the LCANZ while serving the St Johns Perth congregation and supporting the ministry of her pastor husband, Michael, at Concordia Duncraig congregation in Western Australia. They are parents to three children who are busy with primary and secondary schooling. Maria also serves the church as a member of the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations.
by Maria Rudolph
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If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’, you are doing right (James 2:8).
Read James 2:1–13
Do unto others as you would have them do to you! Many people, whether Christian or not, are using this as a rough guide. The original Christian version of this general rule of thumb has an important precursor: it points us to God, whom we are to love above all else. It is not our choice or ability to ‘love our neighbour’, but it is through the love of God and his sacrifice for us that we can do this.
I don’t know about you, but for me, it is easy to remind myself and others of loving my neighbour when it’s convenient for me. I also forget about it quickly when it causes inconvenience. Does that ever happen to you? When I’m already getting the mower out of the shed to help my elderly next-door neighbour keep their lawn looking good, it’s a nice pat on the back to confirm that I’m showing love to my neighbour. When I sit in the privacy of my home and feel challenged by people who annoy or frustrate me, I forget about the ‘loving my neighbour’ bit quickly and can jump to judgement or even unloving action. But loving our neighbour includes not talking negatively about others in and outside our church. It includes praying for God’s blessing and protection over those different from us too.
Throughout the Epistle of James, he repeats the importance of putting our faith in action by caring for and being kind to those who annoy us. This could be those who are shabby-looking, those who are poor, those who drain us of all our energy because they are so needy, those who have different opinions to us – the words of James and his half-brother Jesus are clear:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And love your neighbour as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on those two commandments (Matthew 22:37–40).
When we experience people talking about a ‘command of the Lord’ as rules that in their reading of Scripture must be kept at all costs, let us reflect on how these ‘commands’ are being presented in light of the command on which the whole Scriptures hang: loving God and loving our neighbour with all our heart. The Advent and Christmas seasons are such good times for putting our love of neighbour into action. Let us show the world that the love of Christ reaches beyond this time of celebration into every part of our lives. Let them see Jesus through us.
Loving God, we could never love others without you loving us first. We could never care for or share with anyone if you were not caring for and sharing everything you have with us. You give us so many things in abundance, yet we grumble among ourselves. Give me a grateful heart and pour your love into my heart so I can love my neighbour as myself. Allow me to love those I find hard to love and help others to see Christ through me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria is overjoyed to be a candidate for ordination as a pastor of the LCANZ while serving the St Johns Perth congregation and supporting the ministry of her pastor husband, Michael, at Concordia Duncraig congregation in Western Australia. They are parents to three children who are busy with primary and secondary schooling. Maria also serves the church as a member of the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations.
by Maria Rudolph
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Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).
Read James 1:16–27
When Martin Luther translated the Bible and later wrote commentaries on the books of the Bible, he called the Book of James the ‘epistle of straw’. It was his way of expressing his concerns that the Book of James emphasised ‘good works’ too much over the saving grace of God.
The core of Luther’s understanding of Scripture lies in this passage from St Paul: ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ’ (Romans 3:23,24). For Martin Luther, the concern with the Book of James was that people could be misled to understand salvation through good works if they didn’t know much about the Scriptures. Applying the gospel lens each time we read the Bible was important for Luther, and it needs to be important to us. What is the gospel lens? It is simply that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, nothing more and nothing less. There is no new or different gospel.
If you should ever hear the words, ‘The church has stepped away from the gospel’ (or to that effect), check whether or not the church still holds to and teaches being saved by grace through faith in Christ. Nothing more and nothing less is required. According to our Lutheran Confessions, this is the essence of our faith as Christian people. Every other matter on how we live and structure our church, offices and lives is not a core part of that pure gospel message.
That is where the Book of James is helpful by reminding us to put our faith into action. We do this not by telling each other off about how to interpret the gospel but by actual deeds: to look after orphans and widows in distress and keep a tight rein on one’s tongue (James 1:26,27).
What James is really saying is this: Faith in God, which saves us, automatically produces good works in us. When we believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, we cannot help but do what he says. So, let us go forth and bless the people around us with our good works today!
‘Lord Jesus, we belong to you, you live in us, we live in you; we live and work for you – because we bear your name.’ Open my eyes to the needs around me, so I can put my faith in action today to bless others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria is overjoyed to be a candidate for ordination as a pastor of the LCANZ while serving the St Johns Perth congregation and supporting the ministry of her pastor husband, Michael, at Concordia Duncraig congregation in Western Australia. They are parents to three children who are busy with primary and secondary schooling. Maria also serves the church as a member of the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations.
by Maria Rudolph
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You know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance (James 1:3).
Read James 1:1–15
Has your faith ever been tested? We may, at times, get into situations where being a Christian is uncomfortable and a bit embarrassing for us. If you have lived in Australia for all of your life, I doubt you would have been threatened with death or bodily harm for possessing or teaching the Bible or attending or leading worship.
My friend from Persia has a different reality to face. If I so much as mentioned their name or even gender here, they would be fearful of their government’s actions. After the glorious day of their baptism in Australia, they were unable to take any of the Christian literature or items they received as gifts back home for fear of what might happen to them or their family if border security discovered these items in the suitcase.
St James’ words bear great similarity to the words of St Paul in Romans 5:1–4:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
My Persian friend’s hope in Jesus is unwavering through the trials that come from following Jesus. My hope in Jesus remains unwavering, too, even though I am not tested in the same way.
Some refer to internal church theological disagreements as a testing of their faith. This is not the context of ‘faith testing’ in Scripture. Disagreements among people who are free to express their faith and follow the same Lord Jesus Christ are different from Christians being persecuted for their faith by non-believers. Faith is salvation by grace through faith.
Instead of focusing inward and endlessly pondering and analyzing internal church affairs, St James and St Paul call us to look outward and encourage each other to be witnesses to our hope in Jesus to those who don’t yet know him. Isn’t the current Advent season the perfect opportunity to do just that?
Loving God, strengthen us by your Holy Spirit so we can stand firm when our faith is tested. Shine the Light of Christ through us to be beacons of your hope to the world around us this Advent season. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria is overjoyed to be a candidate for ordination as a pastor of the LCANZ while serving the St Johns Perth congregation and supporting the ministry of her pastor husband, Michael, at Concordia Duncraig congregation in Western Australia. They are parents to three children who are busy with primary and secondary schooling. Maria also serves the church as a member of the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations.
by Charles Bertelsmeier
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No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them (Ecclesiastes 1:11).
Read Ecclesiastes 1:1–11
Although I can remember the names and a little about the lives of my grandparents, I would struggle to tell you the names of all my great-grandparents or anything about their lives.
Then I think about my grandchildren and realise they know virtually nothing about my parents and previous generations. I’m sure we could all agree with the sentiment expressed in today’s verse.
We will spend today and the next four days looking at the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. Before you open your calendar app and set a reminder to resume reading LCA devotions next Saturday and skip these five days, let me encourage you to persevere. God has put every book of the Bible there for a reason and has a message for us. I pray that God has a message for you in what he gives me to write. You may also like to read the whole book before we proceed with these devotions.
The first verse of this book indicates that the author is King Solomon. God blessed King Solomon to be one of the wisest people in history. He is also believed to be the author of the biblical book Song of Songs and to have collected many proverbs.
In Ecclesiastes, the author conducts a series of scientific experiments to find the meaning of life. In reflecting on this, I think we are all doing the same, but probably not as scientifically as Solomon. As young children, we are absorbed in play. As teenagers, we are trying to discover who we are. As young adults, we seek acceptance through our friendship circles and employment. Then, we aim to perpetuate our identity through our children, moving on to get ourselves financially secure and finally retiring to contemplate what we have achieved with our lives. Maybe we will even write up our life stories to perpetuate our legacies.
Solomon tries a range of activities to find meaning and fulfilment but comes up empty each time. Most of these things are things we also do to try to discover meaning and purpose. Spoiler alert: The conclusion Solomon comes to is that we only find that meaning and purpose through our relationship with God and by surrendering our lives to the plans he has for us.
Most of us, me included, didn’t want to hear that when we were younger and tried looking elsewhere. I thank God he didn’t give up on me and gently led me to accept Solomon’s conclusion.
Heavenly Father, I accept that life without you is meaningless. Please help me to listen to your Spirit as we dive into the Book of Ecclesiastes and to find meaning and purpose in your plans for us. Amen.
Charles is a retired engineer who has worked on communications projects for the air force, army and navy. He lives in a retirement village in the outer north-western suburbs of Sydney with his wife, Diane. Together, they have four children and eight grandchildren, all of whom they love spending time with. Charles keeps busy caring for their pot plants and a community vegetable garden, researching his family history and volunteering at LifeWay Lutheran Church.
by Charles Bertelsmeier
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Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24).
Read John 5:21–29
Jesus healed a man who had been living with disability for 38 years. He performed this miracle on a Sabbath (or holy day), so he was roundly chastised by the religious police for breaking God’s law. Jesus used this opportunity to explain to the religious police, and the watching crowd, that we cannot achieve the relationship our Heavenly Father wants to have with us by religiously keeping a set of rules.
Our relationship as God’s dearly loved children is now, not some time in the future. Jesus confirms this by saying we have already ‘crossed over from death to life’. When Jesus died on the cross, we died too. And when Jesus came back to life after three days, we were born again into a new life as God’s children, into the heavenly family. This was confirmed in our baptism when we were given our new birth certificate, the gift of the Holy Spirit.
So now we no longer have to worry about whether we are doing everything we must do to keep in God’s good books. As children of the heavenly family, the Holy Spirit is working within us so that we become more like Jesus in our care and concern for one another.
A challenge for us is to daily review our motivation for what we do and how we respond to situations. I recently heard an episode on the radio about a man complaining about his wife. When he made a cup of tea or coffee for himself, he would ask his wife if she would like one, too, and she mostly did. But she would drink only half the cup before it got cold and unpleasant. Later, she would ask for another cup, even though she still had a half-full cup. This irritated the man to the extent that he was prepared to ring a radio station to have a whinge.
Now, I can imagine that those reading this are thinking about ways to solve the situation. However, the point I would like to make is that the man could decide that his wife has done nothing wrong, so he has no right to be irritated with her. He could pray about his negative feelings and ask God to lift this chip off his shoulder. Then, each time he brings his wife a cup of tea or coffee, he offers it with love, making it just the way she likes it. And having been given the gift, she is free to use it how she likes to.
Having just written that I am now pointing a finger at myself.
Holy Spirit, thank you for the ways you are working in our lives to change the way we react to situations. We especially ask for your help in not finding the faults in others but instead seeking how we can bless them, motivated by your love for us. Amen.
Charles is a retired engineer who has worked on communications projects for the air force, army and navy. He lives in a retirement village in the outer north-western suburbs of Sydney with his wife, Diane. Together, they have four children and eight grandchildren, all of whom they love spending time with. Charles keeps busy caring for their pot plants and a community vegetable garden, researching his family history and volunteering at LifeWay Lutheran Church.