by Maria Rudolph
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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.
Talk with the walk, and walk the talk
by Sal Huckel
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These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children (Deuteronomy 6:6,7a).
Read Deuteronomy 6:4–15
Discipleship is a 24/7 job, and we spend a few hours of that time each week at church. As parents, we need to realise that we have a big responsibility to raise our children in the faith – promises we indeed make at their baptisms.
Today’s reading gives us a lovely picture of what it means to raise our children in the faith. Nothing fancy: just living our lives, as a family, talking about the Lord, teaching our children his ways as we sit at home, walk along the road, as we lie down, as we get up … as we go to the shops, drive them to basketball, and if we can throw in a few Colin Buchanan concerts along the way we can add some craziness and fun into the mix.
If we want to, we can put Christian symbols around our house, buy lovely prints from the Christian bookstore and set out ‘who we are’ and ‘whose we are’ as a family. In fact, for years now, as I drive the kids to their sports games, or their casual work, or give them massively tight goodbye hugs and wave them off to university at the airport, I say, ‘Remember who you are, and whose you are.’ They know what that means because we’ve discipled them and taught them.
Who are you walking along the road of life with right now? If you’re not walking anywhere these days, who is in the same room as you? Who’s brought you your cup of tea or your medicine? You are a precious and valued team member to whom the Lord entrusts his kingdom work, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing. Remember who you are and whose you are! Love the Lord your God with all your strength, and he will work through you.
Lord, thank you for the teaching I have received in my life to now. Thank you for those who have discipled and taught me the faith. Please show me whom I, too, can disciple, teach and encourage. Lord, I also pray for our pastors. May they be upheld by those in their congregations, sharing the load and using their gifts, all for the glory of God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sal is the wife of Matthew, pastor at Moorabbin–Dandenong Lutheran Church and assistant bishop of the LCA Vic–Tas District. They are blessed with six children who all love and serve the Lord in their different walks of life, from high school to post-grad. Sal is currently studying a master’s degree in counselling practice. She loves writing, speaking and walking to the beach at any opportunity.
God’s masterpiece
by Mark Lieschke
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What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour (Psalm 8:4,5).
Read Psalm 8
God the Father, the great artist, once created a masterpiece. This world was crafted by him – and it was perfect. But the masterpiece was wrecked. Instead of it being what it was intended to be, it became a place of brokenness, tragedy, greed, abuse, crime, terror, war, pain and distress of every imaginable kind.
But the Father didn’t give up on what he loved. He knew what seemed beyond repair could be restored, so he put a plan in place to restore this world and us to its original glory.
That plan was put into effect by Jesus. Jesus came, and by his death and resurrection made it possible for people’s lives and this world to be transformed and restored.
It cost him his life, but he was prepared to pay that price so that God’s original plan for his people and his creation might be a reality once again. That plan is an ongoing one. It won’t be completed until Jesus comes to this world again.
We’re a special, precious part of God’s masterpiece. We’re the crowning glory of God’s creation.
We’re part of a creation that has been torn apart, and we have to live with the consequences of that. But through the painstaking and sacrificial work of the master artist’s only son, we’re privileged to be a part of a restoration process that’s continuing today.
We’ve been called and chosen by God to be part of a team, with him and with each other, that’s working to bring peace and harmony here, and so give people a glimpse, a taste of what they can enjoy in heaven.
Despite our sin, failures, mess-ups, frustrations, fears, doubts and disillusionments, God still comes to us in Jesus to assure us that we are a treasure to him. And that one day we will live with him in the fully restored, magnificent, new creation in heaven.
Lord God and Father, we are filled with awe and wonder at your magnificent creation and your boundless love for humanity. Your name is majestic in all the earth, and your glory is displayed in the heavens above. Thank you for revealing yourself to us and for inviting us into relationship with you. May our lives reflect your glory and your goodness to the world around us. Amen.
Mark Lieschke is a retired pastor living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and is a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church Buderim. He served in parishes in Adelaide SA, Palmerston North and Marton in New Zealand and Wagga Wagga NSW (school and congregation), before being elected as bishop of the LCANZ’s New South Wales District. He and his wife, Meredith, have four children (two of whom live in Canada) and two grandchildren. Mark enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, walking on the beach and resting.
What happened to Simon?
by Mark Lieschke
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Then Simon answered, ‘Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me’ (Acts 8:24).
Read Acts 8:14–25
What happened to Simon? He came to Peter and John after seeing them place their hands on people and then receiving the Holy Spirit. And he wanted to be able to do the same.
While he may have had good intentions, his offer of money to buy this power was met with a stern rebuke from Peter and a call for him to repent. Simon’s response was ‘Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me’ (Acts 8:24).
And then nothing more about Simon. What happened to him? And what happened to the man with leprosy and the paralytic that Jesus healed, the centurion and his daughter, the widow and her son, the woman who anointed Jesus, the demon-possessed man, Jairus and his daughter, and the woman who touched Jesus’ cloak?
We don’t know. It would be great to hear these stories, the kind of experiences they may have had and how their witness may have influenced others. But there is silence.
What we do have is a glimpse of one particular time in their lives when they were touched by Jesus and/or his Holy Spirit. That’s what is most important.
Our stories are important. Whether they include the miraculous or seem to be rather ordinary, they are stories of how the Holy Spirit has worked and is working within us. We can celebrate, give thanks for and share those stories with others.
And central to those stories is the Spirit’s work – his influence, encouragement, equipping, strengthening and empowering. We are the recipients of his gifts. We are the work of his hands. We are people enabled to love, serve and care.
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for working in the lives of many people over the ages. Thanks for your presence in our lives today. Touch us so that today our hearts can burn with a desire to reflect Jesus. Give us joy as we serve. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Mark Lieschke is a retired pastor living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and is a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church Buderim. He served in parishes in Adelaide SA, Palmerston North and Marton in New Zealand and Wagga Wagga NSW (school and congregation), before being elected as bishop of the LCANZ’s New South Wales District. He and his wife, Meredith, have four children (two of whom live in Canada) and two grandchildren. Mark enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, walking on the beach and resting.