For Sunday the 4th of January - 9:00am

It’s no secret that people from different cultural backgrounds can have difficulty understanding each other. It’s not just the language barrier that can create problems. Differences in dress, in skin color, in values, and even in diet can create unease and suspicion in the human community.

 

This Sunday we will be listening to readings from the Bible that talk about the cultural divisions in humanity. As we listen to these readings, we will consider how God overcomes the problems inherent in these divisions by bringing unity in Christ. We will also consider how the unity God creates among different human cultures shows us something about the unity in God.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school is in recess over the holidays.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

 

For Sunday the 14th of December - 10:00am

When it comes to thinking about how we can live a spiritual life, it comes naturally to think about the things we should be doing: the books we should be reading; the meditation we should be practicing; or the attitudes we should be cultivating. While thinking about these things can be helpful, the most important thing to consider is what God has done and is doing.

 

At church this Sunday we will be hearing from the Bible about God’s action. As we listen to the Bible, especially as Christmas time approaches, we will think about God taking the initiative – we will think about God coming into our world and our lives to bring his gifts of faith, hope, and love.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with Communion. A special part of this service will be the kids’ Christmas presentation – a traditional retelling of the Christmas story complete with Mary and Joseph, angels and shepherds, and perhaps sheep and donkeys!

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

 

For Sunday the 7th of December - 9:00am

Doing the right thing doesn’t always win us friends. In fact often doing the right thing can show up the laziness or the corruption of the people that we work with or that we live with, and it can win us enemies. It’s then that we can feel like giving up, and going along with what everyone else is doing.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing passages from the Bible that encourage us to do what is right. We will hear that God is creating a new world where it is ‘at home’ to do what is right. We will also hear that we can prepare for this world by acknowledging our own need for the forgiveness that Jesus brings.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will be meeting at about 9:45am, and they will rehearse for the Christmas play.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 30th of November - 9:00am

Living without a thought to the future can feel like freedom, until we experience the consequences. So, eating and drinking as we please can feel like freedom, until we experience what happens to our health; spending what we like when we like can feel like freedom, until we experience what happens to our finances; and living without a care for our spiritual life can feel like freedom, until we experience what happens to our relationships in life – especially our relationship with God.

 This Sunday we will be hearing teaching from Jesus, where he warns us to take account of our future. As we listen to this teaching, we will think about how God keeps us alert so that we do not miss out on receiving the many good things that God gives in Christ.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with communion. Baby Oliver Robins will be welcomed into God’s family through holy baptism at this service.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 16th of November - 9:00 am

Any wise employer wants their workers to be good and trustworthy: they want their workers to be able to be left in charge of business, and to prosper.  Any wise employer also realizes that it is right and fair to promote good and trustworthy workers, and to reprimand or fire workers who are corrupt and lazy.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a parable from Jesus that uses imagery from the world of business, and that contrasts trustworthy and lazy workers. Jesus gets his disciples to consider how they have been put in charge of God’s gifts, and that they will be rewarded for making faithful use of what is in their charge. He also warns his disciples that the lazy and corrupt will face punishment.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am. As we think though Jesus’ parable we will consider how God has given us gifts, including the great gift of forgiveness. We will consider how we make wise use of the gift of God’s forgiveness by investing it in the relationships in our lives.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 9th of November - 10:00am

Bendigo Lutheran Church

 

Human beings have, throughout history, been tempted to think that religiosity and spirituality are in themselves pleasing to God. In reality there’s a great degree of self-delusion in cultivating spirituality while we treat other people with contempt; or in cultivating religiosity while we act set up institutions that are built on injustice.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that calls God’s people to acknowledge their self-delusion, and to turn from contemptuous and unjust behavior. As we think through this reading, we will consider how God shares his own justice with us, so that we may behave justly towards others.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 10:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 26th of October 'Reformation' - 10:00 am

Even a quick overview of the history of the last two thousand years will reveal that the church has never been perfect, and that it has always been in need of reform. Even today, Christian people need to be constantly called back to the central message of the Gospel: the forgiveness of sins in Christ Jesus, and the power of this forgiveness to change us into people who love God and others.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing readings from the Bible that deal with the forgiveness that God gives through Jesus. As we reflect on these readings, we will consider how we get to know God’s will intuitively as we receive God’s forgiveness. We will consider how God frees us from the anxiety and self-centeredness of a bad conscience, so that we can serve and love other people.

 

This Sunday we will meet at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday School will meet at about 10:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 19th of October - 9:00am

There is a natural interest in discussing the way that religious faith relates to politics. This is because both religion and politics deal with important questions about the way human beings should live. As history shows, however, problems arise when politics is used to suppress the free expression of religious belief, or when religion is used to suppress the free expression of political belief.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing readings from the Bible that deal with the relationship between religion and politics. As we reflect on these readings we will consider how God works in different ways in the world and in the church. We will especially think through how we human beings, made in God’s image, are free to love and serve God and all people in the church and in the world.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. Our Sunday school will meet at about 9:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 12th of October - 10:00am

Whenever human beings get together, conflict will sooner or later arise. We see this reality in families, clubs, political associations, and also within churches. If the conflict is not dealt with, then divisions can form that may, in time, lead to the tearing apart of communities.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that addresses conflict between two women in a Christian congregation. As we listen to this reading, we will consider how this conflict was dealt with, and we will think through how we can deal with the stress and anxiety that conflict can cause in our own lives. We will especially think about the way Christ’s presence with us can bring us peace when we feel anxious.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 10:45am.

After morning tea we will be having our congregational meeting to discuss the renovation of the kitchen.

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 21st of September - 9:00 am

When we work, we get paid. Or at least we should – that’s justice. But when someone decides to be generous to us, then we do not need to worry about what we deserve – we are fee simply to receive. And we truly experience the meaning of generosity when we receive with gratitude, not comparing what we have been given with what others have been given.

This Sunday we will be hearing a parable that Jesus told about God’s generosity.

As we reflect on the parable, we will consider how God is leading us to be thankful for what we have received. We will also consider how useless it is to complain about God’s generosity to others. And we will give thanks to God, and so experience the joy that comes from receiving good gifts from God.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am. The Sunday school is in recess over the holidays.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 14th of September - 10:00am

Normally if someone close to us hurts us or betrays us, then we feel bitter or angry. We go over in our minds the things they said or did, and can become consumed by resentment. Over time we can even become cynical and despondent – believing that the hope of kind and loving relationships is a fantasy and not a reality. When we fall into this state, we need God to lift us out.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness. He teaches that God does not become cynical towards us, but shows his great hope in freely offering us forgiveness over and over again. As we receive this forgiveness, we are able to forgive the people that hurt us, and we are even able to begin to see how God can draw good things out of the deepest hurts in life.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 10:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 7th of September - 9:00am

Living in fractured relationships is very debilitating, as we witness in relationships around us every day - and often enough also within ourselves.   Fractured relationships result in people getting hurt.  Healing both broken relationships and fractured people is the aim of godly reconciliation, and forgiveness is God's way of restoring relationships and people.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that talks about God’s reconciling love.  We will hear that God regards healthy relationships so highly that he has provided a step-by-step reconciliation process, and he invites all of us to follow it.  This is a delicate restoration process which seeks the wellbeing of individuals and communities by protecting people's reputation through respecting their privacy and confidentiality.  Its aim is nothing less than life-long reconciliation and peace in relationships between people, and between people and God.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. Pastor Allan Heppner will be visiting from Melbourne, and will be delivering the sermon.

For Sunday the 24th of August - 10:00am

Often in life it can be difficult to see our way ahead. Especially when we face crisis points in work or in health or in family relationships, we can experience a deep need to know God’s will for our lives, and to live by this knowledge.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that speaks about knowing God’s will. As we reflect on the reading, we will consider how God gives us freedom to choose different paths. We will also consider how we learn the mind of God as we present ourselves wholly to God’s service – especially as we present ourselves to God as people who need his mercy and forgiveness.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will be meeting at about 10:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 17th of August - 9:00 am

Sometimes it can feel as if God turns his back on our pleas for help. Especially when things are desperate, then it can seem as if God is refusing even to listen to our heartfelt cries for mercy.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible where a woman makes a heartfelt plea to Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus at first refuses to answer her, but as she physically puts herself in his way, where he cannot avoid her, she gets the hearing that she wants. Jesus honours her trust in him, and her daughter is healed.

 

As we think about what this reading means, we will consider how God is always merciful and compassionate, and how he leads us to be humble before him so that he can lift us up.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 9:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 10th of August - 10:00am

It’s not uncommon for Christian people to experience times in their life when they feel abandoned by God.  Especially when things are rough, then it can seem that God is far away, and that there is no hope.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that talks about a time when Jesus disciples were apart from him – when they were stuck in a boat that was being battered on the sea. We will hear that when Jesus did come to them, walking on the sea, they could not believe it – until he called one of them to come to him, across the water.

 

As we reflect on this reading we will consider how Jesus calls each one of us to place our trust in him, to receive his gift of salvation, and to experience the peace that only he can give, even in the midst of rough times.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 10:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 3rd of August - 9:00am

Last Sunday at Bethlehem Lutheran Church we celebrated the baptism of Daniel Victor Ambrose Pearce. Daniel is the fourth child of Pastor Fraser and his wife Margaret. Keeping with an old Lutheran tradition Daniel’s name wasn’t revealed until the ceremony.  The only people who knew his name beforehand were his parents, the pastor who baptized Daniel, and the people at Country Cakes who made the cake for the celebration!

After the baptism the celebrations continued with a community lunch in the church hall. Although it was a cold day, the many friends, the roasts, the wine, and the thanks to God for the gift of life gave the afternoon warmth and joy.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. We will be hearing from the bible about the love God calls his people to show for all, including for those who reject God and mock his compassion and holiness. Our Sunday school will be meeting at about 9:45am.

For Sunday the 27th of July - 10:00am

The last words Jesus spoke to his specially chosen followers were: ‘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.’

 

Since the very beginning of the church, people have come into fellowship with God and each other through receiving the gift of baptism, and through listening attentively to Jesus’ teaching.

 

This Sunday we will be celebrating another baptism, and we will see again how God continues to show his love in this world. We will experience how God continues to bring people together to live in a community where the forgiveness, love, and the holiness of God can be shared.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. Afterward we will be celebrating with a community lunch.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 20th of June - 9:00 am

Suffering is an unavoidable part of life – but when we are going through suffering it can seem utterly meaningless, and it can fill us with despair. When we despair we can start to behave in ways that destroy our own lives and the relationships with the people that we love.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that deals with the topic of suffering. We will hear that the Bible contrasts suffering not with pleasure or health, but with the glory that God will reveal in us. As we think though this surprising comparison, we will consider how God gives us the gift of hope, and so saves us from the destruction that can come from despair.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00 am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at 9:45 am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Baby Pearce

Please join me in giving thanks to God for the safe arrival of a baby boy at 11:09 last Sunday evening (06/07/08).

Fraser

For pictures go to http://epistolaeobscurorumvirorum.blogspot.com/

For Sunday the 13th of July - 10:00 am

A simple fact of life is that it is not possible to have a good relationship with somebody that we don’t trust. No matter how much pleasure we may otherwise find their company, without the foundation of trust, real and lasting friendship cannot grow.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing from the Bible about our relationship with God. As we think through the reading we will consider how God wins our trust. We will especially focus on Jesus’ self-sacrificial love, and how this frees us to be people who have a good relationship with God.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 6th of June - 9:00 am

It’s a very common experience for people to have good intentions, but not to follow through on them. More than this: most people experience times in their lives when they are seemingly powerless to resist doing things that they know are wrong and harmful. What’s going on?

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that talks about the inner conflict that human beings experience: a conflict of willing the good but doing the evil. As we think through what this means in our lives today, we will consider how God is leading us in humility to admit that we are powerless to save ourselves. This will prepare us to receive the mercy and love of the one who can save us: Jesus Christ, whose gracious presence we will receive in Holy Communion.

 

This Sunday we will meet at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school is in recess over the holidays.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

 

For Sunday the 29th of June - 9:00 am

In life it is often very easy to settle for second best, or less. Especially when we think that our hopes are unrealistic, then we can be tempted to take opportunities for second- rate happiness as they present themselves. The problem is that when we go down this path we can start to feel unhappy with the kind of people we become – especially if start doing things that we know are wrong in order to grab some apparent joy in life.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible about the choices that we have in life. As we reflect on the reading, we will think through the way that God encourages us to have high hopes for our lives, and to trust that in Christ we will freely receive what will give us lasting joy. We will think through the way that God frees us to love ourselves and others, and so to find that our high hopes are never disappointed.

 

This Sunday we meet for a service with Holy Communion at 9:00am. Our Sunday school is in recess over the holidays.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 22nd of June - 10:00 am

Sometimes people talk about Jesus as if he was a good person who gave sound advice about how to live well. A very different picture, however, emerges from the Gospels – those books of the Bible that tell the story of Jesus’ teaching and life. While it is true that Jesus was good, and that he did give helpful teaching, it is also true that the Jesus of the Gospels is not a tame figure that we can dismiss with mild approval.

 

This week we will be hearing a reading from the Gospels in which Jesus makes a claim on our personal allegiance. He gives a warning that only those who are willing to make following him their absolute number one priority –even above family, even above life itself – are worthy to be his disciples. As we think through what this means, we will consider how important it is to be called by Jesus, and to follow him in humility.

 

This week we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 10:45am.

 

God’s peace,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 15th of June - 9:00am

Not one leader in the church serves God and the people perfectly. All have weaknesses, some have noticeable faults, some even do wicked and deeply wounding things that drive people away from the church, and lead them, if not openly to hate God, then to give up trusting that God is good.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible about Jesus sending out his disciples, and we will be focusing on the fact that one of the disciples he sent was Judas – the one who would betray him. As we think through what this might mean, we will consider how God builds us up in love even as we suffer the disappointment and hurt of betrayal by those who should care for us. We will consider how our one hope is in Christ Jesus, who was willing to suffer for us even when we were enemies of God.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 9:45am.

 

God’s peace,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 8th of June - 10:00am

This Sunday we will be celebrating the baptism of Luca Evans. Come and join us for this special event in the life of our congregation.

For Sunday the 1st of June - 9:00am

We are all familiar with people who speak out against evils in society, but who go on to show very human weaknesses. So we hear that a television evangelist who preaches against pornography has been hiring prostitutes. Or we hear that a campaigner for peace has been charged with assault. Or we hear that an environmental activist has a lifestyle of conspicuous consumption. It’s all very human.

 

This Sunday we will hear Jesus’ teaching about the need to be honest and real when it comes to moral standards. Jesus encourages us to promote what is good and to reject what is evil, but to do so in a spirit of humility. Since we can be tempted to do the very things we speak against, we do well to trust in God’s mercy, and to refrain from condemning people who fall into sin.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday School will meet at about 9:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 25th of May - 10:00am

All of us have some experience of conscience – of having the need to make moral judgments about what we are about to do, or about what we have done. In fact even when we would rather not have to think about being accountable for our actions, conscience can intrude like an unwelcome guest, and keep nagging us to do what is right and avoid what is wrong.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing readings from the Scriptures that help us understand what conscience is, and how God’s word gives us peace when we experience an uneasy conscience. We will especially think through the way that God leads us in humility by freeing us to obey our conscience as it is informed by God’s mercy and love.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with communion. The Sunday school will meet at 10:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 18th of May - 9:00am

Whether the universe has any discernable meaning continues to be a controversial question in our society. While scientists describe in great detail the way in which living things grow and change, the question of why there is something rather than nothing remains beyond the reach of human thought.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing the account of the creation from the book of Genesis. In this account God brings creation into being by speaking his word, and considers all that he has made ‘good’. As we think through what this means, we will consider how God continues to speak to us today, and so bring his blessing and peace into our lives.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. We will also be hosting an ecumenical service at 5:00pm.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 11th of May - 10:00 a.m.

This Sunday our congregation will be holding its church camp at Hall's Gap, but there will still be a service with communion at the normal time of 10:00 a.m.

God's peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 4th of May - 9:00 a.m.

Just to let you know that this Sunday we are meeting at 9:00a.m. for the responsive service with communion.

For Thursday the 1st of May - 7:30p.m.

Today many churches are celebrating the festival of the Ascension. This festival celebrates the way that Jesus lives and reigns over all that there is as a human being and yet also as God.

 

The reality of Jesus’ reign as both God and a human being is deeply mysterious, and can seem preposterous until we consider our own experience as human beings in this world. Not only can we human beings comprehend in our minds the vastness of the universe, we can also experience a deep desire for joy that transcends earthly realities- that transcends even death. These sorts of experiences can open us to hearing the teaching that through Jesus we are called to share in the life of God.

 

This evening we will be meeting at 7:30pm to celebrate Jesus’ Ascension. We will also be meeting this Sunday at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 27th of April - 10:00am

One of the gifts that God gives his people is hope. Hope is not simply a wish that things will turn out well. It is the conviction that God calls each one of us into a new way of living that will have no end – that the things we say and do have a meaning that not even death can destroy.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible where Christians are encouraged to be prepared to give the reason for the hope they have. As we receive this encouragement, we will consider some of the reasons for the hope that we have, and we will think through the ways that God gives us hope even in the face of great difficulties.

 

This Sunday we will meet at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 10:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 20th of April - 9:00am

One of the great temptations in life is to become bitter toward those people who have said or done things to hurt us. If we give in to this temptation, we can become trapped in a cycle of anger, and this can leave us depressed, and unable to get on with living life joyfully.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that shows us a different way to deal with the temptation to become bitter. We will hear how, as we pray in Jesus’ name, God frees us to show mercy and forgiveness to those who have hurt us. We will hear how through this God brings us into a heavenly way of life, and leads us to share his blessings with others.

 

This Sunday we will meet at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 9:45am

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 13th of April - 10:00am

The name that we have is an important part of who we are. We are instinctively tuned in to hear our name when it is spoken, and we rightly want others to associate good things with our name. If people react with disgust or anger when they hear our name, we want to put things right, and to make sure that our name carries with it our good reputation.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing one of the famous prayers from the Bible – Psalm 23. In this prayer the Lord is pictured as a good shepherd, who does good things for his people in order that his name may be honoured. As we reflect on this prayer, we will consider what the Lord’s name means, and why it is important to God that all people understand that he is slow to anger, and that he willingly shows unwavering love for those who honour him.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. We will also be welcoming a new member into our church family through holy baptism.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday the 30th of March - Fifth Sunday - 9:00am

Just a reminder that this Sunday is a Fifth Sunday, and so the service will be at 9:00am.

Easter Sunday - 10:00am

Over the next few days in Bendigo many churches will be celebrating the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  It can seem peculiar to celebrate events that are in themselves distasteful and even repulsive. This is especially the case with the celebration of Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday. Yet Christian people celebrate even Jesus’ death because they trust that it was not in vain – because they trust that Jesus showed his love in his willingness to suffer death, and that by his death he took away the sin of the world.

 

A simple analogy can make things clearer:  Just as bitter medicine is good because of the healing that it gives, so Jesus’ death is good because of the forgiveness and peace that it brings to the world.

 

The greatest celebration this weekend will be the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. This is a celebration of the fact that Jesus was not simply resuscitated, but that he was the first person to rise to a new and unending life. This truth is at the very centre of the Christian faith, and is the great message of good news and hope that the church proclaims to the world.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. As part of our celebration we will receive the gift of new life in Holy Communion.

 

God’s peace to you as you celebrate Easter,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Easter Services

Here are the times for the Easter Services this year.

Palm Sunday (the 16th of March) 9:00am
All children attending are welcome to take part in the procession

Holy Tuesday (the 18th of March) 7:30pm
A simple, short service of darkness, candles, and psalms

Maundy Thursday (the 20th of March) 7:30pm
A communion service, including the stripping of the altar

Good Friday (the 21st of March) 9:00am
Remembering the Lord’s suffering and death

Easter Sunday (the 23rd of March) 10:00am
Celebrating the Resurrection of Christ

God bless you with peace and joy as you celebrate Easter!

For Sunday the 16th of March - 9:00am (Palm Sunday)

Bendigo Lutheran Church

 

Al human beings need to feel welcomed and loved by other people. When we have a place that we belong, we can experience peace and happiness that money cannot buy. At the same time we have a need to feel extraordinary – that we are not just one of the herd, but that we are significant and unique individuals with our own path of life. Fitting these two needs together can be very difficult, and can lead to some rather destructive behavior – such as dominating and abusing people who are weaker than we are.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that shows us how Jesus brought belonging and being extraordinary together. We will hear how Jesus, who, as the Son of God, was utterly unique, acted with great humility, serving those weaker than himself. We will also hear how Jesus shares this attitude with us, by calling us as individuals to share in God’s glory, and so to be free to show humble love.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with communion. It’s Palm Sunday, and the kids will be involved in a special procession during the service.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 9th of March - 10:00am

In life, families work well when parents show their children unconditional love, and when their children receive this love in simple trust. Problems start to develop in families when parents start putting conditions on their love, and when children start to think that they have to earn the love of their parents. When this happens, bitterness, jealousy, and anger start to appear, and families start to break apart under the strain.

 

How families work in everyday life can give us a clue to our life with God. This Sunday we will be hearing readings from the Bible that encourage us to trust that we have God’s unconditional love in Christ. As we hear this encouragement, we will receive God’s love for us, and so experience how God saves us from the bitterness, jealousy, and anger that might otherwise consume us.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will be meeting at about 10:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 2nd of March - 9:00am

Sometimes in life it can be tempting to think that people deserve all the suffering that they endure. Whether we think in terms of ‘karma’ or ‘just deserts’, the results can be the same: we can withdraw from people in their suffering, and can congratulate ourselves on being somehow better than most.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible where Jesus’ disciples are tempted to view a man’s suffering as the result of his (or his parent’s) sin. Jesus does not see things this way. Instead, by his words and actions he shows that God can use human suffering to bring about his healing, truth, and life.

 

As we think about Jesus’ teaching and action, we will consider how God is calling us to show compassion to all people in their suffering.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00amfor a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will be meeting at about 9:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, pastor

For Sunday the 24th of February - 10:00am

One of the central teachings of the Church is that God is love. This means that God is always patient, kind, and gentle, and that His justice and mercy are freely offered to all.

 

Another central teaching of the Church is that God’s love is not just an idea or a concept, but that it is a reality: that God has proved His love for the world by sending Jesus, who willingly took all the evil in the world upon himself. God has shown this love even to people who hate Him, or who despise and mock the Church.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing about the way that God has shown his love, and we will be considering what this means for all people, and especially for those who are reconciled to God.

 

We will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will be meeting at about 10:45am. The AGM of our church will follow the service.

 

God’s peace,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 17th of February - 9:00am

When we go to see a doctor, we want more than a diagnosis of what is wrong. We also want to receive some form of treatment to help with our disease. While we know that sometimes doctors will tell us news that we don’t want to hear, in the end we hope that we can be brought back to health and to the full enjoyment of life.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible in which Jesus assures us that he came not simply to tell us what is wrong with our lives, but to save us. Like a good doctor, Jesus does give a diagnosis of what is wrong, but he also freely gives us the mercy and healing that we need to live at peace with God and each other.  As we trust Jesus’ word to us, we experience the reality of his healing power in our lives.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 9:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 10th of February - 10:00am

We all have times when we experience the temptation to do things that we know are wrong. During such times we can easily find good reasons to give in to temptation. What’s more, especially if no one is watching us, it can seem that giving in to temptation is no big deal.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing from the Bible stories of temptation. We will be hearing about Adam and Eve fell for the temptation to define for themselves what makes something good or evil. We will also be hearing about how Jesus stood up to the temptation of Satan. As we reflect on what the Bible says, we will consider how God, by showing his mercy to us in Christ Jesus, gives us the freedom to turn away from ugly and harmful behavior. We will experience how God frees us to love each other and all people.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 10:45am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

 

For Sunday the 3rd of February - 9:00am

It’s natural for people to want to be happy, and to aim for the things in life that they think will bring satisfaction and joy. It’s also natural for people to have conflicting ideas about what will bring happiness, and to have fights and arguments when these ideas are worked out in practice.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing teaching from Jesus about the happy life. As we hear this teaching, we will consider that it is not simply good advice from a spiritual genius, but that it shows us God’s face – that it shows us the beauty and the goodness of God. We will also think through the way that God gives peace and unity by leading us in the life of joy.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion, and for the bapstim of Claire Elizabeth McGee.  The Sunday school will also be resuming this week.

 

God’s peace,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 27th of January - 10:00am

Sometimes it can be difficult to see what keeps people going to church Sunday by Sunday. Pastors of churches are, after all, not usually magnetic personalities who draw people into church by force of their own charisma. And most church services would hardly be called entertaining –at least not in the sense that blockbuster movies or professional sports matches can be entertaining. So why are churches still around, and why do people still go to church?

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that talks about God’s wisdom being revealed in the crucifixion of Jesus. As we think through what this means, we’ll consider how God continues to use seemingly weak and unattractive things –even the rather ordinary aspects of church life- to reveal the depths of his love for us.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am. As we receive Holy Communion, we will experience how God’s love draws us together and frees us to love one another - we will experience how God continues to grow and sustain his church by his compassionate love.

God’s peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 20th of January - 9:00am

One of the temptations we face in life is to blame others for our own problems.  It can be especially tempting to pick on people who are weaker than us, and to make them pay for the dissatisfaction or frustration we may feel in life. In the history of our world this sort of attitude has played itself out on a national scale in cruel persecutions and genocides, but the same reality can be seen on a smaller scale in households, workplaces, and even churches.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that speaks about Jesus as ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’. As we think through this reading, we will consider the way that God deals with our temptation to blame others by providing us with a true sacrificial victim. Jesus does not simply take the blame that we want to pass to others, but transforms us to be people who are able to take responsibility for our own actions.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. Our Sunday school is in recess over the school holidays.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 13th of January - 10:00am

Just a short note so that you know the service time for this Sunday!

For Sunday the 6th of January - 9:00am

This Sunday we will be meeting to celebrate Epiphany - the Light of God shining to the nations. We will be having the Service Alternative Form. Sunday school is in recess over the holiday break.

God's peace!

Fraser Pearce, Pastor