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

For Christmas Day - 10:00am

Our Christmas Day service will be the Service with Holy Communion, and will be at 10:00am.

God's peace,

Fraser Pearce

For Christmas Eve - 7:30pm

This Christmas Eve our Service of Lessons and Carols will be at 7:30pm.

Here's the massage that will appear in this weeks Advertiser from our congregation:

One of the greatest mysteries of Christmas is that Jesus, through whom everything that exists was made, humbled himself to become a human being, born as a tiny baby to the Virgin Mary. This mystery seems so preposterous that, were it not for the fact that it has the miraculous power to change our hearts and lives, we would write it off as foolishness.

 

At our little church in Spring Gully we will, more that two thousand years after first Christmas, celebrate the birth of Jesus. On Christmas Eve we will gather to hear the Christmas story and to sing songs and carols that joyfully proclaim the meaning of Christmas. On Christmas Day we will gather to celebrate Holy Communion, and to receive again God’s gracious presence in our world.

 

Our prayer this Christmas is that God will give all the people of Bendigo his gifts of peace and joy, and that our world will have the healing and rest that comes from trusting God.

 

God’s peace to you!

 

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

This Sunday we will be having a Service with Communion. I'll be preaching on the Gospel reading. In the afternoon will be the baptism of Micah Jay Harrigan at the Seymour congregation.

God's peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

This Sunday we will be having our children’s Christmas presentation. In this presentation we will hear the Christmas story from the Bible, and we’ll see the children dressed up to take their different roles as they act out the story.

One of the messages from the Christmas story that we will be focusing on is the message of patience. God’s people before Jesus was born were patiently waiting for the birth of one who would bring God’s justice into the world. With Jesus’ birth, God showed his justice by giving all people access to his mercy, forgiveness, and peace. As we receive all that Jesus has to give us, we patiently wait for God to grow his love and joy in our own lives.

This Sunday our special Children’s Christmas presentation service is at 9:00am. It will also be a service with Holy Communion.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

When we live with hope, then we can face even the toughest situations with a measure of peace, and even with a measure of joy. When we have no hope, however, then even the most affluent living conditions can leave us feeling aimless, despondent, and depressed.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible about hope, and especially about the hope that God gives us of a life of harmony with each other, with creation, and with himself. As we hear this reading, we will consider the way that God gives us faith so that we can experience harmony as we serve each other.

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, to rehearse for the Christmas presentation.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

For Sunday December the 2nd - 9:00am

In life we all have some understanding that the ways we think, speak, and act have real consequences for our relationships and for our environment. It’s a fact that often we don’t like to think about theses consequences, but even inconvenient truths cannot be avoided indefinitely, and eventually we must come to terms with the results of our behaviour.

This Sunday we will be hearing a warning that Jesus gave to his disciples about the fact that a time of judgment would come. As we listen to this warning, we’ll consider what faithful and unfaithful responses to this warning might look like, and we’ll think about the ways that God frees us to live authentic lives.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 9:00am for a service with communion. The Sunday school will meet at about 9:45am. On Sunday evening there will also be an ecumenical service at 6:00pm at St Therese’s Catholic Church.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Sometimes it can seem that God is not great. Especially when we or others close to us are suffering, we can get angry at God, and wish that he did not exist. It’s also often the case that when we experience the reality of our own guilt – the reality of our conscience inconveniently reminding us of what we’ve done or of what we should be doing – then we can wish that God would leave us alone.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that says, ‘The Lord is our righteousness”. As we think though what this phrase might mean, we’ll consider some of the ways that God shows us his suffering love and his endless mercy. We’ll consider the way that Christ takes human anger on himself, and gives his peace and forgiveness in return.

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 18th of November - 9:00am

One of the important teachings of the Bible is that work, even apparently menial labor, is significant to God, and is rewarded by him. This teaching can be particularly helpful to hear when we feel weighed down by the daily tasks of studying, taking care of children, keeping the house clean, or dealing with difficult work mates or employers. As our attention is drawn to the fact that God sees our work and rewards it, we can receive strength from God to help us work cheerfully and conscientiously.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that gives encouragement to all able-bodied Christians to work rather than to be idle. As we reflect on this reading we will think about how it relates to our life as a congregation, and also how it gives us inspiration to help those who are not able to work.

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

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

This Sunday we will be hearing from the Bible about the purpose that God has in mind when he calls us through the good news about Jesus. It’s not that God wants us to be people who feel superior to others, or to be people who smugly judge others who think or act in different ways. The purpose that God has in mind when he calls us through the goods news about Jesus is that he wants to share with us the glory – the mercy, the life, and the love – that is in Jesus.

This Sunday, as we maintain the traditions that have been handed on to us by the Lord and by the Apostles, we will again receive the good news about Jesus, and we will experience the way that God frees us to love each other, and to be at peace with all people of good will.

This Sunday our service starts at 10:00am. Our church picnic will start at about 11:30am.

God’s peace,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

This Sunday Glen Schier will be leading the Service with Communion, and preaching on the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus. Sunday school will be at about 9:45am.

God's peace,

Fraser Pearce, pastor

For Sunday the 28th of October - 10:00am (Daylight Saving!)

Bendigo Lutheran Church

One serious danger that we face when we try to keep God’s laws and commands is that we can become proud and judgmental. Instead of praying for other people, and offering them help when they have need, we can treat them as competitors for God’s love, and we can smugly think that because we have done well in aspects of our life, then God somehow loves us more than others.

This Sunday we will be hearing a parable that Jesus told to those who trusted in their own goodness, and who held others in contempt. As we listen to this parable, we will consider the warning that Jesus is giving us, and we will also consider the way the parable frees us to see all people as deeply loved by God.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am -and don’t forget daylight saving! The Sunday school will be meeting at about 10:45am.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Bendigo Lutheran Church

Prayer comes naturally to most human beings – even to those who have not heard much about God, or who have never been given good examples of prayer. In the church we have learned to pray from Jesus, and the Lord’s Prayer gives us good words to use when we turn to God in our need. Yet often we can feel like giving up on prayer, especially if we think that God doesn’t listen to us, or that we are not worthy of having our prayer’s answered.

This Sunday we will be hearing a parable that Jesus told his disciples, so that they would persevere in prayer, and not give up. As we listen to this parable, we will think about the way it gives us encouragement to trust that God does listen to our heartfelt words, even when we experience doubt, or when we know that we do not deserve the help that we ask for.

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

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

It’s normal for human beings to live with a ‘tribal’ mentality – to live as if the only people who count are those who look, think, talk, and act like us. This tribal mentality can find expression also in religion, especially when we think that God is only on our side, and that those who are outside of our religious community are less than human.

This Sunday we will be hearing readings from the Bible that describe God’s acts of mercy and generosity to those outside his special communities. As we hear these readings we will consider how God blesses faith wherever it is found, and how we as Christian people are called by God to be humble in our attitude toward God and toward all people.

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 30th of September - 9:00am

This Sunday we hear Jesus’ parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (it’s in chapter 16 of the Gospel according to Luke). As we listen to this challenging parable we will consider how God is calling us to receive his commands and promises, especially as they concern our use of possessions. We will also consider how a hard hearted attitude to human need can go hand in hand with a hard hearted attitude to the Word of God.

This Sunday we will welcome Pastor Allan Heppner and his family as guests at worship. Pastor Allan will preach on Jesus’ parable.

Our service this Sunday starts at 9:00am. Our Sunday school is in recess over the holidays.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, Pastor

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

Jesus gave his disciples very clear teaching about money. He said: “You cannot serve God and wealth”. In saying this, he was making the point that if we see making money as the most important thing in life, then we will end up ignoring God’s commands and promises. On the other hand, he was also saying that if we hold our allegiance to God, then concern over money won’t dominate our lives.

This Sunday we will be hearing this teaching of Jesus, and thinking about a parable that Jesus told his disciples to help them understand the role of possessions in life. We will also be thinking about the way that God prepares us through the use of our possessions in this world to receive greater spiritual blessings now and in the world to come.

This Sunday we will be meeting at 10:00am. Our Sunday School will be meeting at about 10:45am.

God’s peace to you,

Fraser Pearce, pastor

Benton Thomas' Funeral - Monday the 17th of September

Brenton Thomas' Funeral will be held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Monday the 17th of September at 2:30pm.

Our condolences to Doss and to all Brenton's family.

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

One of the chief responsibilities of Christian people is to pray to God on behalf of others. Every Sunday, we Christians gather together in worship, bring our requests to God, and remember in prayer especially those who are sick, or suffering from injustice, or who have special responsibilities that require wisdom and courage. This sort of prayer is called ‘intercession’, and is at the heart of the church’s priestly duty.

This Sunday we will be hearing a reading from the Bible that describes Moses’ interceding before God on behalf of the people of Israel. We will be hearing how Moses held God to his promises, so that God relented from punishing his people. As we think about this reading, we’ll consider what encouragement it gives us in our own role as intercessors.

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