Grace Bock, Author at Lutheran Women of Australia

Saying Grace

A grace is a short prayer or thankful phrase said before or after eating. The term most commonly refers to Christian traditions. Some traditions hold that grace and thanksgiving impart a blessing which sanctifies the meal. In English, reciting such a prayer is sometimes referred to as “saying grace”. The term comes from the Ecclesiastical Latin phrase gratiarum actio, “act of thanks”. Theologically, the act of saying grace is derived from the Bible, where Jesus and Saint Paul pray before meals (Luke 24:30, Acts 27:35). The practice reflects the belief …

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Observing Lent and Easter

In “A Handbook for the Discipline of Lent” the Lutheran author, The Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel, tells us the word “Lent” comes from the old English word “lencten”, meaning “lengthen”, referring to the lengthening of days in the northern hemisphere towards the spring equinox. In the southern hemisphere it is our period leading to autumn, so we need to remember that Israel, where the first Easter occurred, is in the northern hemisphere. The season of Lent is derived from the ancient Church’s period of preparation for those who were to …

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Welcome to a New Year

By the grace of God, we are at the beginning of another year of service to Lutheran Women of Australia and you, our valued readers. Without your support and interest there would be no magazine, and it would be a lonely time for many. So … what has 2022 in store for us? Many changes have taken place in the production of our magazine in the last six months. Perhaps the most significant for our readers was the almost unanimous vote for each person to receive the magazine addressed and …

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As we see it

This (print) issue of our magazine marks the last for this year … and what a year it has been! Our hearts have ached for our dear sisters in Christ and their families and friends who have endured many hardships; perhaps the worst being separated from loved ones and inability to worship in your church families. Postal delays, industrial troubles and with our October issue a machinery breakdown (all beyond our control) have caused us many anxious moments in getting your magazines to you. On the brighter side we have …

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Looking back… looking forward

Do you have a “let down” feeling as the days of our eagerly awaited, but necessarily cancelled, Lutheran Women of Australia (LWA) Triennial Convention approach? Here are some snippets from the Convention held just 40 years ago on 23,24 September 1981 at St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Toowoomba, Queensland. The theme for convention was “Aflame for Christ”. A report on the convention observed: “Toowoomba in springtime is aflame with brilliant colours of flowering trees, shrubs and gardens”. Another said: “Toowoomba, city of gardens and churches… decked out for the Carnival …

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Where two or three gather in my name, …

Groups of women who come together under God for Bible study and fellowship vary from barely half a dozen to around fifty in number. No matter what the size of the group or where it is, our women have the same reason to meet.

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“We’ve come a long way, baby …”

A popular commercial in the 1960s used these words to publicise the advancement of women’s rights. An article in Lutheran Women 40 years ago, stated that women’s quest for equal rights “has impacted every part of our existence from things as frivolous as fashion to areas as serious as laws”. Some interesting facts quoted included: “In 1925, a woman’s work week totalled between 42 and 49 hours. Today [1981], with women having entered the work force with men, her work week totals between 66 and 75 hours.” Among other things listed in the article …

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A Blast from the Past

Spoon with original LWA badge When making plans for the future, we often look back into the past. It is interesting to see what happened many years ago; to see what challenges and joys lay before the people making those plans. We have the privilege of seeing the results of the prayers, hopes and plans of Lutheran women as noted in our much-loved magazine over the last 54 years. Although our world and technology have changed dramatically over more than half a century, the faithful devotion, aims and energy of …

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As I see it – Grace Bock

Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses. Ecclesiastes 3:1 For those of us who live in the southern areas of Australia, where the seasons are more clearly defined, the changes in foliage and temperature serve as a timely reminder of our ever-changing world. The last twelve months have been a series of changes and challenges for us all, but when we take the time to stop and contemplate, we can see our heavenly Father’s hand has been over us, protecting, guiding and pointing us in …

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As I see it … from Grace Bock

When I was a child someone wrote the following verse in my autograph book that has stuck with me throughout my life. It’s all very well to be pleasant when everything goes like a song; but the one that’s worthwhile is the one that can smile when everything goes just wrong. OK! We need to be realistic! We cannot hope to go about with a constant smile on our faces. It is impossible to be “Pollyannas” every moment of the day. We need to be able to slam the odd …

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50 years later the good things remain

Lutheran Women of Australia was in its infancy in 1969 at the tender age of three, as was our magazine. In taking a peek at what was happening then, there are many points to the argument that ‘the more things change the more they remain the same’. The president of LWA was Dulcie Held (Mrs S H Held) of Adelaide and the editor of Lutheran Women was Doris Koch (Mrs T W Koch). Lutheran Women (published bi-monthly) subscription was 90 cents per annum. The following are excerpts from our magazine in 1969.

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