Feb2021
Stand firm as God’s baptised, redeemed family
by Rev John Henderson
2020 was a complex, confusing and sometimes difficult year. Our reactions were equally mixed – fear, frustration, anger, relief, grief, selfishness, pride, joy and disappointment, among others.
Dec2020
Whatever our sin may be, God’s love is unceasing
by Rev John Henderson
‘Pastor, you’ve only got popcorn sins!’
That’s what a wealthy businessman and church member told me as he spoke of the personal cost of keeping his company afloat. In order to operate he needed to obtain sensitive environmental permits, which had drawn him into immorality and high-level corruption.
Nov2020
What’s in our name? The call to share the good news
by Rev John Henderson
During my school years in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, people would sometimes ask me about my ‘religion’. Their frequent response to hearing ‘Lutheran’ was, ‘Is that a sect?’
Oct2020
Salvation for all – a story worth sharing
by Rev John Henderson
Years ago, when I was a young pastor, I said in a Sunday sermon that the Bible verses I was speaking about were a ‘story’. Later, an older pastor took me aside to tell me I was wrong. He thought a ‘story’ meant something made up and therefore not true. I disagreed with him then and I still do now.
Sep2020
Humility our first lesson of Christian living
by Rev John Henderson
The Macquarie Dictionary defines humility as having a ‘modest sense of one’s own significance’.
Aug2020
Forgiven and ready to be a blessing
by Rev John Henderson
Do you ever lie awake at night ruminating over an incident in your life, or something wrong you once did? Even if it was years ago, does the memory still make you feel embarrassed, ashamed, or guilty?
Jul2020
Glimpsing our heavenly future
by Rev John Henderson
I recently passed the third anniversary of the heart attack I had in Namibia during the Lutheran World Federation Assembly. Remembering their care for me at the time, I wrote to the medical team at the Roman Catholic Hospital in Windhoek.
Jun2020
Jesus carried our anxieties to the cross
by Rev John Henderson
Anxiety eats away inside us. At first it might not be obvious, unless we know how to spot the symptoms. Untreated, anxiety wears us down and drains us, until eventually we can no longer keep up the appearance of ‘normal’. Our energy levels drop. Others start to notice and inquire, ‘Are you okay?’
May2020
God will grant us patience and hope
by Rev John Henderson
As the coronavirus pandemic has rolled around the world, it has intrigued me how many passengers and crew on cruise ships became trapped, as successive ports denied them docking. Certainly, these floating pleasure palaces have been very popular over recent years.
Apr2020
God’s love our only security
by Rev John Henderson
Have you ever tried to ‘fix’ something, only to end up having more problems than you started with? It can happen to anyone, whatever we are trying to ‘fix’ – machinery, computers, antiques, cars and even organisations and relationships.
