The Time for Pulling Down and the Time for Building (Ecclesiastes 3:3b)

If nothing else, the recent pandemic has taught us to be adaptable.

At our congregation in Box Hill, Victoria, we’ve had added overlays which have further confronted members and friends and caused pain. Change and disruption to certainties we took for granted have been our close companions for some years now. We have closed our beloved house of worship and relocated our worship home and, sadly, we’ve also experienced congregational conflict on other issues.

On the cover – April/May 2021

“Time waits for no man” marching on relentlessly; This very moment a part of time that will never happen again. Days and seasons— they and we move on – change. Days and seasons, each in its own time and beauty; God’s wondrous creation – growing, blossoming, fruiting and dying; Beginning and ending; God is always there – the creator of time. Endless time? no, endless God. Everything that happens in this world happens at the …

The time for saving and the time for throwing away (Ecclesiastes 3:6b)

Eighteen months ago, we travelled to Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia. I had stayed in the same area in 1981 so was keen to revisit. Back then I fell in love with the people and the place and thought, “This is what heaven will be like”. The scenery is spectacular from the plains of Medan through the four-hour drive into the mountains and across the seemingly bottomless volcanic crater lake.   There are aspects of …

The Time for Mending (Ecclesiastes 3:7)

Tanunda Lutheran Home Inc (TLH) is one of the larger Aged Care Facilities outside the metropolitan area in South Australia, situated in the picturesque town of Tanunda in the heart of the Barossa Valley. It offers a high standard of independent living accommodation in 98 units and, as of 25 January 2021, 108 in the Residential Care Facility including a dedicated dementia wing. Having lived in New South Wales for over 40 years, and only …

Wantok Place – Museum of Papua New Guinea Artefacts

He sets the time for finding Ecclesiastes 3:6a I retired from the full-time workforce in July 2016, and I had always imagined I would like to spend my retirement years undertaking some voluntary church work – “finding a place for service in retirement”. But I had no idea where this vague idea would lead me. As it happened, I was then employed for 13 months as a Project Officer for the LCANZ. After that interesting …

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 …

God’s Hand in New Experiences and Challenges

The hand of God has been evident throughout my life. Born into a Christian family in the Wimmera in Victoria, I grew in faith following the example of my parents. The growth of that faith has continued, and many things have happened to ensure that. I was sent to Luther College in Melbourne for my secondary education and it was while there that LTC (Lutheran Teachers’ College) students visited and spent time telling us about …

Worship anew – in every situation

The year 2020 has been challenging for everyone. In the midst of a great deal of stress and uncertainty, COVID restrictions meant that we had to stop gathering for weekly church services. This central expression of Christian community was suddenly cancelled. This could have been a disaster for the church, but God is good, and his faithful people have continued to find ways to share the Gospel and minister to each other despite the challenges. …

A year like no other

Curfews! Virtual house arrest! Families not able to visit each other even when they live in the same town! Schools closed! Churches closed! Most businesses shut down! I would never have expected to see these things happening in my lifetime, but we in Victoria have had to bear these restrictions for most of the year. The first lock-down from February to May was bearable, and we gradually got used to shopping once a week, speaking …

On the cover – February/March 2020

Dwell not on what has or might have been; learn through adversity. Focus on the present looking to God for his loving protection. He holds the future; commit it to him. For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. Isaiah 65:17 (ESV) And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:5a Image: …