For Sunday the 26th of August - 10:00am

In our world it can sometimes seem that people who are sticklers for rules and laws can be cold hearted when it comes to their treatment of human beings. It can also seem that people who feel compassion for others can be less than clear when it comes to distinguishing between good and evil. With Jesus, however, there was no contradiction between showing heartfelt respect and obedience to God’s commands, and showing warm and compassionate love to human beings: Jesus fulfilled all God’s laws by the love that he showed all people.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible about a time when Jesus healed a crippled woman on a holy day. Some people – sticklers for rules and commands – criticized Jesus because they thought he broke the law by working on a holy day. But Jesus, by his actions and his words, showed how God’s law and God’s love don’t contradict each other. He showed that God’s commands are rightly interpreted in light of God’s love.

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,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

It’s not uncommon for Christian people to go through times when they feel discouraged and depressed: when they feel as if God is not keeping the promises he makes in the Bible. At such times Christian people can feel isolated and alone, and can feel like giving up on the life of faith.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that gives us encouragement when we feel like giving up. We will be hearing about the people of faith who have gone before us in history, and who are with us as part of God’s people even now. We will be hearing that, no matter how tough life may become, we are never alone: God, the angels and archangels, and the whole company of heaven surround us like a cloud.

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

God’s peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

The primary way that we experience spiritual and supernatural power in our lives is by trusting God’s promises. When, for example, we trust God’s promise that in Christ we have his forgiveness, we experience a supernatural freedom to forgive those who have hurt us. Likewise when we trust God’s promise t provide for all our needs, we experience a supernatural freedom to be generous with the people that God places in our lives. As we trust God’s promises we experience that reality of God’s goodness, beauty, and truth.

This Sunday we will be hearing readings from the Bible that deal with the theme of trust. As we meditate on the readings we will consider the ways that God makes his promises to us here and now, and we will think through the ways that we faithfully receive his promises, and so experience the power of the Holy Spirit as a Christian community.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am. The Sunday school will be meeting at 10:45am.

God’s peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 5th of August - 9:00am

One of the most confronting realities that we must deal with as human beings is that, by our own effort, nothing that we do will last forever. No matter how clever we are, no matter how much effort we go to, no matter how wealthy, or attractive, or practical we may be, we must all face the reality of our own death, and of the ultimate frustration of our dreams and plans.

This apparently depressing reality is the theme of one of the most unusual books of the Bible: Ecclesiastes. This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from Ecclesiastes, and we will be thinking through how acknowledging our limitations and frustrations can be helpful in gaining wisdom, and so in receiving joy in life through simple things like work, food and drink, and family. We will also be thinking about how Jesus gives us a gift that is eternal: God’s love for us. In receiving this gift we are able to love each other, and to reap the harvest of this love in eternity.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am. The Sunday school will be meeting at about 9:45am.

God’s peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

One of the great gifts that Jesus gives his disciples is the gift of prayer. Prayer is a great gift because we human beings live with real hopes and anxieties, and with feelings of gratitude, guilt, and joy; yet we can keep these things bottled up in a way that can make us restless and unhappy. In prayer we take the words which bubble away in our souls to God, and experience the peace that only God can give.

This Sunday we will be hearing teaching from Jesus on prayer. We will especially be thinking through the encouragement Jesus gives us to trust that God will care for us and provide us with all that we need to live life to the full.

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

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

In life we hear many conflicting messages, and it’s quite natural for us to tune out when what we hear doesn’t seem particularly relevant to us. In such cases it’s quite normal for us to start thinking about other things, or to get on with some activity that will be useful to us and to other people.

This Sunday we will be hearing a couple of readings from the Bible that can help us determine when it’s good to sit down and listen, and when it’s good to get up and work. We’ll especially be hearing about how Jesus shows us who God is, so that when we listen to him, we are listening to God – we’ll be hearing about the way that listening to Jesus gives us the freedom to work wisely in life.

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

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Sorry about the break in communication, but I'm now back from holidays! This week we'll be meeting at 9:00am. The sermon will be on Colossians 1:1-14

God's peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

At the heart of Christian spirituality is the trust that what Jesus says is true. This is especially important when it comes to understanding our relationship both with God and with other human beings. Because Jesus declares God’s mercy and forgiveness to us, and because Jesus considers all human beings as God’s creation, we are free to trust that our future is safe with God, and to be open to sharing God’s blessings with people from all cultures and back grounds.

This Sunday we will be hearing a passage from the Bible that sums up Christian spirituality. In this passage St Paul says that God unifies people through baptism into Christ. This teaching has practical consequences: Just as God is not stingy about who he includes in his family, so we, who receive God’s love as a gift, can share this love with all human beings.

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

God’s peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Bendigo Lutheran Church

This Sunday we will be hearing a story from the Bible that spells out the connection between forgiveness and love. The story, about an immoral woman who shows devotion to Jesus, gives us an example of the fact that those who have been forgiven much, love much, and that those who have been forgiven little, love little.

One of the lessons that we’ll draw from this story is that God’s forgiveness has the power to transform our lives: as we receive God’s forgiveness we also receive the strength to resist temptation to evil, and to grow in love for other people.

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,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Ray Tink's Funeral - Friday the 15th of June 1:30pm

This Friday the funeral for Ray Tink will be held at the church at 1:30pm.

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Hello!

Just a brief note this week to let you know that this Sunday the service will be at 10:00am. It will be a communion service, and I'll be preaching on Luke 7:11-17 (Jesus raises the widow's son at Nain).

God's peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

The things that we hope for in this world can give us big clues about our life with God. For example, when we are thirsty we hope for water, and when we slake our thirst we receive confirmation that this hope is not in vain. Likewise, when we are hungry we hope for food, and when our hunger is satisfied we also receive confirmation that this hope is not in vain. Each human being also has a hope that is deeper that that for food or water, and this is the hope for what is eternal, the hope for God. And only God can satisfy this spiritual hunger and thirst.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that assures us that through faith in Christ we will share in God’s glory; that we will be come one in love with God and with all of creation. We will be hearing about the way that the Holy Spirit gives us confirmation of this hope as we experience the love of God in our hearts. And we will also be hearing that even our suffering in this world is preparing us to receive the fulfillment of our deepest hopes of life with God.

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,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

This Sunday we will be thinking through the role that the Holy Spirit plays in the life of the church. We will be hearing about how, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are adopted as children into God’s family; and we will be hearing about the way the Holy Spirit gives us the freedom to call out to God as our Father.

We will also be paying special attention to the fact that since we share everything that belongs to Jesus we also share in his suffering. Knowing this can give us great encouragement when we face difficulties in life that come from following where Jesus leads us.

We will be meeting at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. We will also be celebrating a baptism, and giving thanks to God for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Our Sunday school will meet at about 10:45am.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Bendigo Lutheran Church

This Sunday we will be hearing from the book of Revelation, where the Lord says: ‘See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work”.

These words are a reminder that God, who has graciously made us members of his family, wants us to live as his children by showing love for each other. In fact, as we hear from different passages of Scripture, God promises that the work of love that we do will have eternal rewards, and that we can be confident that God will repay our investment in his kingdom.

These words, however, are also a warning to us: if we disregard God’s commands, there will be consequences, both in our lives here and now, and in our eternal destiny. Because of this we do well to seek God’s mercy in Christ Jesus, and to find our peace with God and each other in him.

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 Thursday the 17th of May - 7:30pm

Just a note to let you know that we will be having our Acsension service on Thursday night at 7:30pm. Pstor Allan Heppner, the District Missions' director will be preaching, and Sue Westhorp, Music Directior at St Paul's Box Hill, will be providing the music. I'll be ;eading the liturgy.

I hope to see you there,

In Christ,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Bendigo Lutheran Church

One of the gifts that God gives his church is the gift of hospitality. In fact as Christians we experience the way that the Holy Spirit works among us, freeing us to open our homes, and to share from the blessings that we have received.

This Sunday we will be hearing about hospitality in the account of Lydia’s conversion. Lydia was a business woman who trusted God after she heard the preaching of the apostles. The first thing that she did after she was baptized was to show the apostles her hospitality by prevailing on them to stay with her at her home. The message of God’s love freed Lydia to share with the apostles the warmest welcome that she could give them.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am. We will be receiving God’s hospitality as we share in Holy Communion. Our Sunday school will be meeting at about 10:45am.

God’s peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Just before he died, Jesus told his disciples: ‘I give you a new commandment, that you love one another’. He went on to say, ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’.

This Sunday, as we listen to these words of Jesus, we will be thinking through the way he gives us strength to live in community. Jesus doesn’t simply give us a command that we must obey by our own strength. Instead he calls each one of us to follow him, and he fills us with God’s love by the care and service that he gives us. It’s because Jesus is with us that we are able to love one another, and to show all people that we are disciples of the Lord.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am to receive Jesus’ gracious presence in the Word of God and in the Lord’s Supper. Our Sunday school will be meeting at about 9:45am.

God’s peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Every once in a while in church we hear readings from Scripture that give us the opportunity to reflect on the reality of racial division in our world, and to consider the way that God brings about lasting unity among people of different languages, cultures, skin colours, and customs.

This Sunday we will be hearing from the book of Revelation, where the writer has a vision of heaven, with people from every ‘nation, tribe, people and language’ gathered before God in thanksgiving and praise.

As we meditate on this vision, we will think through how God brings people together in our world, and especially how he creates unity at the Lord’s Supper, where people from different backgrounds eat from the one bread and drink from the one cup. We will also think about the way that Jesus, who was sacrificed like a lamb, shows his pastoral leadership by bringing together one flock of people around his table.

This Sunday we will meet at 9:00am. The Sunday School will meet at about 9:45am.

God’s peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Better late than never!

One of the things we read in the Bible is how closely Jesus identifies himself with the Church. It’s not simply that the people of the Church are his followers, who more or less subscribe to and live by his teachings. It’s that the Church somehow is Jesus’ body, his presence in this world.

This Sunday we will be hearing about the conversion of Saul – a man who was violent in his opposition to the Church, but who encountered the risen Lord, and who changed to became ‘Paul’, the great missionary to people of all nations. We will be hearing about how Paul became a member of the body of Christ through receiving the gift of baptism, and we will be hearing about how God worked through Paul to bring many people into the life of faith in Christ. As a congregation we will consider how Paul’s story can help us to understand what God has done for us in our baptism, and we will consider how Paul’s example can help us understand the changes that God works in our lives.

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

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday the 15th of April - 9:00am

Bendigo Lutheran Church

For the nest few weeks we will be celebrating the events of the first Easter, and hearing accounts from the Bible of Jesus’ appearance to his disciples. This week we will be hearing about how one of the disciples, Thomas, doubted that Jesus had risen from the dead.

The Bible does not say exactly why Thomas doubted that Jesus was alive. We know that his fellow disciples, who had seen the Lord, could not persuade him to believe. It was only when Jesus appeared directly before Thomas that he could say to Jesus, ‘My Lord and my God’.

This week as a church we will be thinking through the different things that cause us to doubt the resurrection of Jesus, and we will be hearing how Jesus assures us of God’s blessing in our lives. We will especially be focusing on the way Jesus’ word of peace and forgiveness frees us to join with Thomas in confessing that Jesus is our Lord and God.

We will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with communion. Sunday school is in recess during the holidays.

God's peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor