Sunday 11 April - 10am Pastor Fraser's Last Bendigo Service

Over the last two thousand years Christian people have received and handed on the message of Jesus’ victory over the grave. As this message has gone out, countless millions of people have experienced being turned back to God and having their sins forgiven; they have experienced the power of God to bring peace and healing in the midst of sometimes traumatic and seemingly hopeless situations.

This Sunday, as we hear again the message of Christ’s resurrection, we will receive power from God to turn away from despair, and we will receive the gift of peace with God and with each other.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10am for a service with Holy Communion. It will be Pastor Fraser’s last service at the congregation before he leaves to Adelaide, and there will be a farewell lunch following the service.

Holy Week Service Times and Message

Tuesday 30 March 7:30pm Psalms and Darkness

Thursday 1 April 7:30pm Maundy Thursday

Friday 2 April 9am Good Friday

Sunday 4 April 9am Easter Sunday – Note end of daylight savings

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

These simple words sum up the message of Easter.

In a world where death can seem to have the final word, Jesus lives. And because Jesus lives, human beings can live with hope – a hope that not even death can destroy.

For the last two millennia Christian people have been proclaiming the message of Easter. We have been making the claim that although Jesus died, his tomb is empty – and we have been inviting all people to test the historical evidence for this claim.

But more than this, for the last two millennia Christian people have been handing on the promise that God freely offers his mercy and forgiveness in Jesus. We have been inviting all people to share in the gifts that God has made available through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Christians today experience the power of the Easter message: as we receive the gift of forgiveness; as we trust that we our future is secure in God; as we grow in understanding that all people are important to God, we experience the joy and peace that comes from the fact that nothing - not even death - can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Our prayer this Easter is that God will bless all the people of Bendigo with peace as they relax and celebrate over these festive days.

God’s blessing to you all!

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday 28 March - 10am

For all the complexities of life, some simple questions can help us gain insight into where we stand spiritually: Do we want God’s help, or not? Do we want forgiveness from God, or not? Do we want God to help us to live well, or are we doing just fine on our own? The way we answer such spiritual questions will show itself in the ways we think, speak, and act in our everyday lives.

This Sunday we will hear a reading from the Bible that talks about the help that God gives – especially the help that God gives in forgiving our sins and protecting us from the assaults of evil. As we think through what this means, we will consider how God frees us to welcome him into our lives, and to share his mercy and peace with others.

This Sunday we will meet at 10am for a service with Holy Communion. We will be celebrating baptisms, a first communion, and a welcome into membership as part of the service.

God’s blessing to you all,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday 21 March - 9am

When we’ve hurt someone we love, sometimes saying ‘sorry’ doesn’t feel complete. Sometimes we want to show our apology with an action of generosity and devotion that assures the person we have hurt of our love and trust.

This Sunday we will be hearing about the generous act of devotion that a woman named Mary did for Jesus as he prepared to die on the cross. As we think through Mary’s action, we will consider how we too can show our devotion to God. We will also consider how God, in receiving us with love and generosity, frees us to be people who work at restoring relationships with people we have hurt.

Sunday 14 March - 10am

Some of the bitterest conflicts in life happen within families. It’s not uncommon to find, for example, two brothers who cannot be in each other’s company for more than a matter of minutes before a fight breaks out. Even at important occasions, such as weddings or funerals, we can feel tension as family members meet each other after years apart, and start up where the conflict last left off.

This week we will be hearing a parable that Jesus told about conflict within a family. As we think through the parable, we will consider how God softens our hearts by freely forgiving us, and welcoming us home. We will consider how God gives us the strength and the desire to be peacemakers in a world marked by conflict.

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

God bless you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday 7 March - 9am

When we see or hear that disaster has struck other people, we can sometimes wonder if they have somehow deserved it. Even if young children are caught up in a disaster, we can still be tempted to think that they are suffering because they belong to a community that is blameworthy in some way.

This week we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that deals with the way we interpret the suffering of others. As we listen to Jesus’ teaching, we will consider how God is calling us not to judge others, but to turn away from our own wrong actions. We will also consider how we can place our trust in God’s forgiveness, and so have the strength to be merciful when others suffer.

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

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday 28 February -10am AGM Sunday

In life we often make conditional promises. So, for example, we promise to turn up to a sporting match on the condition that we get a go on the field; or we promise to work for someone on the condition that they pay us well and offer us good working conditions. Making conditional promises is a normal part of life, but God offers us something that is beyond the everyday.

This Sunday we will be hearing from the Bible about Abraham, to whom God made the unconditional promise that he would have many descendants who would live in the land God promised to give. As we think through this reading, we will consider the unconditional promises that God makes to us – especially the unconditional promises to forgive us, to receive us graciously, and to give us a future that not even death can destroy.

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

God’s Blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Don't forget - Ash Wednesday 17 February 7:30pm

Sunday 21 February - 9am

Everyone knows what it’s like to be tempted, and everyone knows what it’s like to give in to temptation. In fact even in relatively unimportant matters – like having an extra helping of dessert – temptation can be so strong that we can feel powerless to resist. We can feel that no matter how strong our resolutions are, we will give in at the first challenge.

This Sunday we will be hearing the account of Jesus being tempted in the desert. As listen closely to this account, we will consider how Jesus stood firm in the face of strong temptation; we will consider how God gives us the strength to get up again when we fall; and we will consider how God helps us to do what is right when temptation comes our way.

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

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday 14 February - 10am

We will be celebrating Transfiguration Sunday.

Sunday 7 February 9am - First Sunday

No matter how carefully we keep our financial records in order, an audit from the tax department can make us uneasy and a little anxious. Likewise, no matter how well we keep in shape, a visit to the doctor for a checkup can be an unpleasant and even daunting experience. But the prospect of having God closely scrutinize our lives - no matter how well we may have lived - can be the most threatening thing of all. It can be so threatening that we’d rather not even think about it; we’d rather avoid God completely.

This Sunday we will hear passages from the Bible that describe the terror people have experienced in meeting God face to face. As we think through these readings, we will consider how God comes to us not to condemn us, but to bring us healing and life in Christ Jesus; we will consider how we can joyfully welcome God into our lives.

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

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday 31 January - 9am

One of the problems with the word ‘love’ is that it can mean so many things: we can speaking of love for ice cream, love for our country, love for golf, love for our family – and the list could go on.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that helps us understand what God’s love is like. We will hear that the love God has is kind, patient, gentle, and ready to forgive. As we think through this teaching, we will consider how God gives us the strength and the will to love ourselves and all people.

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

Sunday 10 January - 10am

This Sunday we will be celebrating the Baptism of Jesus. The Sunday school is in recess over the holidays.

Sunday 3 January - 9am

One of the great causes of conflict in this world is the suspicion and animosity that can exist between people of different skin colours, languages, and customs. Sometimes it can seem as if there is no hope for reconciliation among people of different races – it can seem as if harmful conflict is an unstoppable reality.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that deals with the way God creates unity among people of very different ethnic backgrounds. As we think through this reading, we will consider how God leads us to share our lives with people who are different from us.

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

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Thursday December 31 - 7:30pm

There will be a short service this New Year's Eve at the church at 7:30pm.

Christmas Services

The Christmas services at Bendigo this year are:

Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols: 7:30pm

Christmas Day Service with Communion: 10:00am

God bless you as you celebrate the Lord's birth!

Sunday 20 December 9:00am

Sorry about the late post!

Sunday 13 December - 10am

It can be easy for Christian people to become complacent – to live with the attitude that because God is merciful and forgiving, it doesn’t matter what we say or do. But if we live with this attitude, we can soon find that our relationships with other people and with God are seriously damaged.

This Sunday we will hear a reading from the Bible that helps us to think about the sort of lifestyle that God wants to give us. As we think through what the Bible says, we will consider how God’s mercy and forgiveness empower us to deal justly and lovingly with other people, and so to live with insight into the importance of our words and actions.

This Sunday we will meet at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. In the first part of the service the children will be retelling the story of Christmas.

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday 6 November 9:00am

It’s one thing to welcome an honored guest into our home; it’s another to welcome a cleaner. With the honored guest we want to put on our best face; to cover up the imperfections with the state of our home; and to avoid discussing the problems of our family life. With a cleaner we are much less likely to be worried about appearances – in fact we may even be willing to show the cleaner those very parts of the house that are messiest, in the hope that they’ll help clean things up.

Thinking about this aspect of everyday life can help us understand what the Bible says about welcoming God. Although God is the most honored guest in life, we do not need to hide our imperfections or problems. This is because God comes to help us – to clean up what is messy, and to heal what is hurt.

This Sunday we will meet at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. At this service we will think through what it means to welcome God – and we will ask for God’s help in our lives. The Sunday school will meet at about 9:45am.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday 29 November 9am

Sometimes it’s easy to drift in life – to live without any thought to the future, and without any concern regarding the consequences of the choices we make. The problem when we live this way is that reality can hit hard – we can suddenly find ourselves without the strength and resources we need to live with any happiness or hope.

This Sunday we will be hearing teaching from Jesus, were he warns his followers to be on guard, and to prepare for difficult times. As we think through Jesus’ teaching, we will consider how God gives us the strength to order our lives well, and to live prepared for what the future may bring.

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 blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday 22 November 10am

It’s very easy to become cynical when listening to people who exercise authority. Whether it’s listening to parents, parliamentarians, teachers, law enforcers, or ministers of religion, the default mode of many people with experience of life is to be suspicious of the talk, and to watch the actions.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that centers on Jesus’ ability to speak the truth in love. As we think through what the Bible says, we will consider how Jesus backed up his words of forgiveness and mercy with actions self-sacrificial love. We will consider how Jesus exercised rightly ordered authority in what he said and what he did.

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

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Sunday 15 November 9am

We human beings are creatures of habit: we find it easy and natural to fall into routines that shape not only what we do, but also what we say and think. While some habits, such as exercise, can help us live well, others are not so helpful. Bad habits – especially bad habits in the way that we talk with other people – can take the joy out of life.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that encourages us to develop good habits. As we think through what the Bible teaches, we will consider how God gives us the freedom to speak well to each other by speaking his peace and forgiveness to us in Christ.

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 blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday 8 November - 10:00 am

One of the tasks of life is to distinguish between appearance and reality. This is especially important when it comes to relationships with other people. If we simply trust other people by the front they put on, we can quickly find ourselves defrauded. This can leave us bitter about life, and hate-filled towards other people.

This Sunday we will be listening to teaching from Jesus where he gives us warning about too easily trusting appearances. As we think through Jesus’ teaching, we will consider how God gives us the freedom to see reality by uncovering the false front that we ourselves put on. We will consider how God, through forgiving our own frail attempts at deception, gives us freedom to love ourselves and others with wisdom.

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 blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday 1 November - 9:00 am

This week we will be celebrating All Saints.

For Sunday the 25th of October - 10:00 am Reformation Day and Church Shared Meal

It’s one thing to know about God, it’s another to know God. Although anyone can know something about God by considering nature, reading books, and talking with other people, it’s only possible to know God coming into a close relationship with him.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that talks about knowing God. As we think through this reading, we will consider how God leads us to know him by forgiving our sins. We will consider how we come into a close relationship with God primarily by trusting that in Christ Jesus we have God’s mercy, grace, and peace.

This Sunday we will meet at 10:00am for a service with Holy Communion. We will be celebrating the way that God constantly reforms the church by giving people the gift of faith. This Sunday there will be a shared meal after the church service.

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

It’s not uncommon to find people who use their positions of authority to feather their own nests. In government and in the church, in sports clubs and in families, in business and in health care, people can be tempted to use the power they have to get their own way, and to further their own interests.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that deals with the temptation to abuse authority in the church. As we listen to this reading, we will consider how Jesus gives us a good example of the right exercise of authority. We will consider how Jesus uses his authority to save us from the tyranny of sin and death.

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 blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 11th of October - 10:00 am

Most of the time it’s difficult to welcome a close scrutiny of our lives: whether it’s an audit of our financial situation by an accountant, or a physical check up at the doctor, we can become uneasy about what might be revealed. This unease can turn into fear when it comes to the spiritual realm: having a guilty conscience can make us too scared to approach God with any confidence at all.

This Sunday we will be hearing a passage from the Bible that helps us when we are afraid of God. We will hear how Jesus has suffered the same sort of temptations that we face, and that he is able to sympathize with us. We will hear that it is Jesus who can give us the help that we need in approaching God with confidence, so that we can ask for all that we need to have joy in life.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00 am for a service with Holy Communion. There will be an unveiling of a plaque commemorating the old Lutheran Church in Bendigo at 9:45 am.

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Most people like to go to weddings, and to hear the bride and groom publicly promise to love each other faithfully as long as they both shall live. Even though we live in a world where many marriages end in divorce, the great hope with which most marriages begin is a sign of the joy and celebration that human love can bring.

This Sunday we will be hearing teaching from Jesus about marriage. Jesus was both a soft-hearted romantic and a hard-headed realist, and he knew that although a husband and wife can grow in love and commitment to each other, it is only God who can keep marriages together through the tough times.

As we listen to Jesus’ teaching, ‘What God has joined together, let no one separate’, we will consider how God helps us as married or as single people, to honour marriage in our world.

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

God’s blessing to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

When we are sick, it’s natural for us to experience a sense of isolation. If the sickness we experience is chronic, then it can be easy for us to fall into bitterness and despair, or to let the symptoms of our sickness dominate our thoughts and our conversation.

This Sunday we will be hearing from the Bible about what positive things we can do when we are sick. We will be hearing how God calls us from isolation back into community especially through the gift of prayer – both our own prayer to God, and the prayers of others on our behalf. As we listen to this teaching, we will consider how God lifts us out of despair and gives us the freedom to rejoice even in sickness.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00 am for a service with Holy Communion. The Sunday school is in recess over the holidays.

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Although we don’t like it when other people boast, it can be easy enough for us to boast if we are given the opportunity; and although we don’t like it when other people exclude us, it can be easy enough for us to exclude others – especially if they are poor or ignorant or powerless – especially if they are children.

This Sunday we will be hearing readings from the Bible that deal with our natural propensity to boast and to exclude the powerless. As we listen to these readings, we consider how God changes our hearts by bringing us into his family through the forgiveness Christ gives. We will consider how God frees us to welcome the little ones, and so to welcome God himself.

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

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Although it’s easy to speak, it’s not always easy to say things that are helpful or encouraging to other people. In fact, especially if we are feeling insecure about our own place in the world, we can find it next to impossible to give compliments or praise with any degree of sincerity.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that teaches about the way we should talk to others. As we listen to this teaching we will consider the way that God, by speaking his word of grace in Christ Jesus, frees us to be people who can give genuine praise and encouragement to others.

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

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Bendigo Lutheran Church

In life in can be easy for us to look up to rich people – to see them as somehow better than the common run of humanity, and to show them a deference and respect that borders on the servile. On the other hand it can be easy for us to look down on the poor – to see them as somehow worse than other people, and to treat them with a disdain and contempt that borders on the arrogant.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that gives us a different way of looking at people. Instead of treating the rich with favoritism, and the poor with judgment, God calls us to show love for all people – and to give practical help to those whose need is greatest. As we think through this teaching, we will consider how God treats us generously by giving us grace in our need.

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 blessing to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Sometimes we can do things – or have things done to us – that don’t make us feel so much guilty or ashamed as ‘dirty’. When we feel this way, it can be difficult to deal with: we want to be made clean, but we don’t know how.

This Sunday we will be hearing teaching that comes from Jesus that deals with this reality. Jesus talked about the evil intentions of the human heart – intentions that lead to actions that ‘defile’. He also provided a way for people to be made clean by God, so that they could live life to the full.

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

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

The congregation meeting decided that service times are remaining as normal: 9am on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays; 10am on the 2nd and 4th Sundays.

For Sunday the 23rd of August - 10:00 am

One of the great gifts that Jesus gave the church is the Lord’s Supper. To look at the Lord’s Supper doesn’t seem like much: a few prayers over some bread and wine. But as we listen to Jesus’ words, ‘this is my body; this is my blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of sins’, then we can start to understand the power that is at work in this simple rite.

This Sunday we will be thinking through some of Jesus’ teaching on the Lord’s Supper. As we listen again to Jesus’ words we will consider how God draws us together to gives us forgiveness; we will consider how God draws us together to grow us in love for each other and for all 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 blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

This Sunday there will be a discussion/vote regarding church times.

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

It can be easy to worry about the future, without giving too much thought about how we live day to day. But wisdom comes in taking care of how we live each day, and entrusting or future into God’s hands.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that is an invitation to receive the way of life that wisdom gives. As we think through what this means, we will consider how God shares his wisdom with us by forgiving our sins, and so giving us hope for whatever life brings.

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

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

The vote concerning church times has been postponed until the 23rd of August

For Sunday the 9th of August - 10:00 am - Vote

In life we naturally imitate the people that we spend time with. Our accent, our mannerisms, even the behavior that we find acceptable or unacceptable is shaped by the people who are close to us.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that talks about imitating God. As we think through this reading, we will consider how spending time with God shapes us to be people who do not let anger rule us, who speak the truth, who work honestly, and who are ready to forgive.

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

This Sunday there will be a vote after the service about proposed changes to the service times.

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Sometimes in life we work out how to act by the job we have to do: when we are students we learn the school rules by listening to the teacher and our fellow students; when we are in a sports team we learn our part in the game by talking with the coach and the other team members; and when we are in the workforce we learn our role in the business by talking with our boss and our fellow work mates.

In the church we learn how to act by listening to the calling that God has given us, and by living at peace with each other.

This Sunday we will be listening to a reading from the Bible that talks about how God has called Christian people to live at peace and in unity. As we think through what this reading means, we will consider how God gives us the strength to live in humility and patience.

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

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Two basic questions can reveal a lot about what we hold as most important in life. The first is: What do we crave? The second is: What do we fear? Thinking seriously about what we crave and what we fear can reveal that we hold things like the approval of others, or financial security, as the be all and end all of life; but are things like human approval or financial security of ultimate importance?

This Sunday we will be hearing readings from the Bible that teach about the way God deals with our cravings and fears. As we think through these readings we will consider how God leads us to fear and love Him above all else, and so gives us freedom and joy that is unending.

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

God’s blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

When we are tired and worn out, we can want to escape the demands and responsibilities of everyday life. Especially when we experience constant contact with people who demand our attention, we can feel the strong desire to get away from it all.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that talks about the desire that Jesus and his companions felt to get away on their own. We will also hear that even as Jesus retreated from public life, he was moved with compassion to help people in need. As we think through Jesus’ actions, we will consider how God continues to show compassion to us, and we will explore ways that we can share Jesus’ compassion with others.

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 blessing to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

A lay reading service is on in bendigo this Sunday at 9:00am.

God's blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

It’s natural, when we suffer, to experience questions about God and the meaning of life. Especially if the suffering we experience seems endless and meaningless, we can conclude that there is no God, or that God does not care about us, or that God can do nothing to help us.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that describes the sufferings of a man called Job. As we listen to this reading, we will think about the questions that Job and his family and friends had for God. As we consider God’s response to Job, we will think through how God shows us love and care by speaking to us in our suffering. We will also consider how God leads us, through our suffering, to be people who can empathize with others, and who can pray for them in their need.

This Sunday we will meet 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 14th of June - 10:00 am

Sometimes we can get the idea that spiritual life has nothing to do with bodily living – we can think that what really counts are our intentions and our understanding, rather than our actions.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that talks about how important our actions are to God, and that talks about how we must give account to God for what we do with our bodies. As we think through this teaching we will consider how God calls us to be humble people by leading us to acknowledge our faults, and by encouraging us to do what is true, good, and beautiful.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

This Sunday we will be celebrating a festival called ‘Trinity Sunday’. At this festival we will celebrate a mysterious reality: the reality that God is one, but that God is not alone; the reality that the one God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

As we celebrate this mysterious reality, we will meditate on the way that God our Father leads us by the Holy Spirit to place our trust in Jesus Christ. We will meditate on the way that God shares his glory with us, by leading us to share in his own eternal life.

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 31st of May - 9:00 am

Bendigo Lutheran Church

There’s nothing quite like coming home, especially when we are welcomed back by people who know us well, who love us, and who share a history of joys and sorrows with us. The experience of homecoming in such a situation can give us a deep sense of peace and security, and can be one of the great joys of life. It can also be a clue to what our life with God is about.

This Sunday we will be celebrating the festival of Pentecost – we will be celebrating the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church. As we meditate on the Bible readings for the day, we will consider how the Holy Spirit brings home God’s mercy and love into our hearts, and how the Holy Spirit brings us to our true and lasting home with God our Father.

This Sunday we will meet at 9:00am. In our service a number of people will be welcomed to First Communion; to membership in the congregation; and to serve as acolytes. Our Sunday school will meet at about 9:45am.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

If we hear the word 'holy' we can associate it with 'goodness' or even 'morality'. We can think a holy person is someone who is especially good - or we can even think a holy person is someone who is stuck up and thinks that they are better than others.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible where Jesus talks about holiness. As we think through Jesus' teaching, we will consider how God makes us holy by giving us his word. We will also consider how holiness is more than morality, and how God calls us to be people who do not glorify ourselves, but God.

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 Wednesday the 20th of May - 7:00pm

We'll be having an Ascesion Vespers service this Wednesday at 7:00pm.

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

It’s a curious fact that the things in life that are really good for us can be difficult to pursue - at least at first. For example: we all know that the activities of eating well and exercising regularly not only are good for our health, but also can contribute to our happiness in life. Yet starting a diet and sticking to it, or starting an exercise regimen and persevering can seem to take super human strength. It can take years of self-discipline before a healthy way of living comes naturally.

This week we will be hearing teaching from the Bible about God’s commands – especially about the command to love each other. This command can seem like a real burden, and it can seem harder to keep than a strict diet. Yet as we think though Jesus’ teaching we will consider how God gives us the freedom to love each other by showing us his love. We will consider how God moves us from being people who fear what is good, to be people who freely live out God’s love and peace.

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 May - 10:00 am

Most people pray at some time. Most people also sometimes doubt whether God actually hears their prayers, or whether He cares about them at all. In fact most people, caught between the desire to pray and doubt about prayer, find it very difficult to persevere in a disciplined life of prayer.

This week we will be hearing a reading from the Bible in which Jesus gives us encouragement to pray. As we think through what Jesus says, we will consider how God gives us His Word so that we may become the sort of people who can pray well. We will consider how God gives us the freedom to pray wisely as people who love God, ourselves, and others.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00 am 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 3rd of May - 9:00 am

‘The Lord is my Shepherd’ is one of the most familiar hymns sung in churches and at funerals. The imagery is memorable, especially for rural Australians who are used to seeing sheep grazing (even if they are not so used to seeing Shepherds at work).

This week we will be singing ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’, and we will be hearing a reading from the Bible where Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd. As we think through the imagery and the teaching of the hymn and the reading, we will consider how God leads us in life. We will consider how God is with us even in the dark places of life, so that we do not need to be overcome with fear or anxiety.

This week we will be meeting together for a Lay Reading service at 9:00 am.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Because so many of the Christians in Australia come from a European background, it can sometimes be easy to forget that Christianity did not begin in Europe. In fact, of course, Christianity began in Israel, Jesus and the first Christians were Jewish, and more than half of the Bible was first written in Hebrew, the traditional language of the Jews.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that deals with the Jewish origins of Christianity. As we think through what this means for us in Bendigo now, we will consider how the life, death, and resurrection of the Jesus gives us a ‘key’ to understand the Bible. We will also consider how God calls people from all nations to turn away from sin, and to receive forgiveness in Jesus’ name.

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

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

One of the great teachings of Christianity is that God loves all people, and that God calls his people to show self-sacrificial love for others. One of the great tragedies of Christianity is that no Christian has been able to live this calling perfectly. Every Christian is to some extent a hypocrite – holding to a high ideal, but failing to live up to it in reality.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that deals with this situation. As we think through what the Bible says, we will consider how God calls his people to acknowledge both the high ideals of Christian life, and the sad reality of sin. We will consider how God frees his people from despair by giving them the gift of humility: the gift of acknowledging that with Christ there is forgiveness.

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

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

Easter Times

Tuesday the 7th of April 7:30pm Tenebrae – Psalms and Darkness

Thursday the 9th of April 7:30pm Maundy Thursday

Friday the 10th of April 9:00am (Castlemaine 11:00am) Good Friday

Sunday the 12th of April 10:00am (Castlemaine 8:00am) Easter Sunday

Easter Message

It can be easy to get down in life, to give up being thoughtful about other people, and to care only about ourselves. Living this way doesn’t bring much joy, but it can seem unrealistic to hope for any other way.

One of the things we celebrate at Easter is the way that God brings hope out of such situations of despair, and so gives us the gift of joy in life.

On the first ‘Good Friday’ – the day of Jesus’ crucifixion - it seemed as if the forces of despair, and even of death, had won another victory. But on the first Easter Sunday – the day of Jesus’ resurrection – God showed that compassion and love cannot be held down by death. Jesus’ life of hope and love was vindicated in his victory over the grave.

Even today anyone can trust this message, and experience the power of God to bring hope and joy to situations of despair.

As our congregation celebrates the death and the resurrection of Christ, we will pray for all the people of this community – that God will bless all with the gift of hope.

God’s blessings to you!

For Sunday the 5th of April - 9:00 am - Remember the end of Daylight Savings!

Sometimes it’s possible to get the idea that compassion is only an emotional response to seeing a person in need. Sometimes we can forget that to experience compassion is to take some share in the sufferings of others, and to help them carry their burden.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible about the compassion of Christ. We will be hearing how Jesus showed true compassion by sharing our suffering – even to the point of dying on a cross. As we think though what this means, we will consider how God leads us to show true compassion to others. We will consider how God, in leading us to share in the sufferings of others, most mysteriously gives us life to the full.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with Holy Communion. There will be a children’s procession with palms as we celebrate Palm Sunday.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

In life, many people can get to know about us: our doctors can get to know about our health; our accountants can get to know about our finances; our mechanics can get to know about the cars we drive. But it is only the people who live with us and love us who can properly get to know us. This is because it is only in the interplay of love, of forgiveness, of reconciliation, and of shared suffering that we truly get to know other people.

This Sunday we will be hearing from the Bible about how we get to know God. While we can learn many things about God both from studying the world and from listening to God’s word, it is only in receiving God’s forgiveness in Christ that we get to know God. And it is only in receiving God’s forgiveness that we are free to show real love for others.

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

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor.

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

Most of us have an inbuilt desire not simply to set ourselves apart from others, but to think that we are somehow superior. For example: most of us don’t need too much prompting in conversation to talk about ourselves in a flattering way, but to view the words and actions of others as evidence of their ignorance, stupidity, or even of their  downright evil motivations.

 

This Sunday we will listen to a reading from the Bible that deals with this human desire to be boastful. As we think through what the Bible says, we will consider how God frees us from useless boasting by giving us the gift of faith – a gift that we receive not because we are somehow superior to others, but because God is gracious and good.

 

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00 am for a service with Holy Communion. Sunday school will be meeting at about 10:45 am, and First Communion Instruction will meet at about 11:15 am.

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Laws can be funny things. On the one hand, they can be a drag – they can hold us back from doing what we’d really like to do. On the other hand, they can be very helpful – they can make it easier to live together in a community, and can protect us from violence and the loss of property.

 

This Sunday we will be hearing the laws that God gave his chosen people. As we think through what the ‘Ten Commandments’ have to say to us today, we will consider how God’s laws can be both a heavy burden and also a path to freedom. We will also consider how Jesus’ forgiveness changes our hearts so that we become people who love each other, and so who spontaneously do what the law requires.

 

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 8th of March - 10:00 am

Shame is one of the great motivating forces in life. The words we use, the clothes we wear, and the things we do are all more or less calculated to make us fit in, and to ensure that we don’t attract the critical attention of other people. In fact, most of us would rather do something that we believe is wrong, than suffer the humiliation of appearing stupid, or ugly, or weak, or poor in the eyes of other people.

 

This Sunday we are going to hear a reading from the Bible where Jesus talks about the shameful death that he would suffer, and where he calls those who would follow him to share his shame. As we think through this reading, we will consider how what is shameful in the eyes of the world is transformed by God’s love into something beautiful.

 

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

 

God’s peace to you,

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

No matter how much we value our independence, it’s also natural to want to belong, and to want to have a place where we feel at home. But it’s not always possible to find a place where we are loved, where can learn to forgive and be forgiven, and where we can be challenged to use our unique gifts for the benefit of others.

This Sunday we will listen to a part of the Bible that teaches about baptism. As we reflect on this teaching, we will consider God joins us into his family, the church, through the gift of baptism. We will consider how God, through baptism, provides us with a true home, where we may receive his love and forgiveness.

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

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Encouragement for a challenging journey

Life issues are often challenging -  bushfires, drought, finances, health, relationships are all current challenges for people around us.   Biblical leaders also faced challenging issues.  A unique meeting of Moses, Elijah and Jesus, three leaders who experienced major challenges, is reported in the Gospel for Transfiguration Sunday.  God the Father’s encouragement on that occasion provides help for us also as we face life’s challenges.  Hearing the Father, listening to Jesus, and receiving Jesus' comforting and strengthening company on our journey all provide much-needed help.

 

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

When we see athletes competing in a final, we see the end result of sometimes years of hard discipline and training. When we see an athlete win a great victory, we know that lots of hard work went into making the victory a reality.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that uses the imagery of athletes competing against each other. As we think about this imagery, we will consider how God is training us to live lives of great service and love toward each other. We will consider how God gives us ways to discipline our lives, so that we miss out on nothing of lasting value.

This Sunday we will be meeting for a service with communion at 9:00 am. We will be remembering in prayer the needs of our city, and especially the needs of those people who have suffered loss because of the fires.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 8th of February - 10:00 am (AGM Sunday)

All of us at some stage face the temptation to give up:  to give up on friendships, to give up on marriage, to give up on God, to give up even in life. When we are tempted to give up, it can be of little help to be told that we should try harder to persevere. After all, when we are weak we don’t need advice, we need strength.

This Sunday we will be hearing a passage from Isaiah 40 talks about the reality of human weakness in the face of struggle, but that also talks about the fact that God has the strength to carry us through the difficult times. As we think through what the Bible says, we will think about practical ways that we can trust God in life, and so experience God’s help when we are weak.

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

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday the 1st of February (!) - 9:00 am

Bendigo Lutheran Church

When we love someone, we can find the strength to forego freedoms that may seem very important. When we love someone enough to marry them, we forego the freedom to be with anyone else. When we have children, we love them enough to forego the freedom to sleep undisturbed through the night.  And when God gives us the experience of love for his faithful people, we forego the freedom to say and do things as we want. We experience the fact that a truer and deeper freedom is found in considering the needs of others.

This Sunday we will be hearing from the Bible about how God fills us with love for others so that we can experience the freedom that God gives. As we think through God’s word to us, we will consider the opportunities that God gives us to show love, and to experience the liberation that this brings.

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

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00 am for a Responsive Service with Holy Communion. The sermon will be based on a reading from Jonah, and we will be thinking through the way God wills all people to receive his gift of life and peace.

God's blessings to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor