Looking Out 13.3.22

Being on holiday has provided the opportunity to attend worship in different places and different ways. This was our experience a couple of Sundays ago when Sue and I participated in a Confirmation Service at a Lutheran church in Melbourne. It was a wonderful celebration as ten young people entered into membership at the end of almost two years of study in which they learnt about the nature and role of God and their relationship with Him. Each young person had a mentor assigned to them throughout the period of discernment. In so doing each young person presented their testimony. It was uplifting to hear these young people attest to the way God had intervened in their lives and given them assurance that He was their redeemer and they were well on their way to eternal life. As well as giving their testimonies each young person was required to prepare a sequence of visual images on material which was affixed to the celebratory stoles (with their name embroidered on the neck band). A description of these images was incorporated in their testimony. As visitors to this church we were impressed with the warmth of our welcome but more importantly feeling at home amongst other Christians as they celebrated this important day in the life of these young people, listening to the Word being expounded and sharing in Holy Communion. (Ironically, the church building was recently purchased from the Uniting Church and refurbished to reflect Lutheran traditions.) Our God is a mighty God who we honour and celebrate in different ways through the prism of our respective denominations. theology and practice. It is our prayer that this same sense of conciliation will be visible as we look to the best way we, as a congregation, address the question of future ministry and mission in our local area.

NRM