St Marks Lutheran Church Caloundra in Caloundra, Queensland | Lutheran Church

St Marks Lutheran Church Caloundra

Locality: Caloundra, Queensland

Phone: +61 429 856 532

Address: 14 Bombala Tce 4551 Caloundra, QLD, Australia

Website: http://stmarkslutherancaloundra.net

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25.01.2022 INTERVIEW WITH GOD Outstanding Photography . . . Incredible Scenes and Wonderful Words OF WISDOM. Click on the link below:... https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/

24.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARK’S Devotion "Always be ready to share the reasons for the hope that lives within you, and do so with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15-16 There are a lot of ways to share our hope.... Sometimes it’s by telling others you’ve been praying for them, or by inviting them to watch an online service or participate in a Bible study. And at other times, it may simply be a willingness to stay positive when there is so much that is negative, to offer an encouraging word when others are discouraged, and to name the hopeful signs of God’s activity you see in the people and world around you. Just now, on the day of the bitterly partisan USA election and in the deepening grip of the pandemic, those around us need us to share our hope. Sometimes I’ve heard verse 15 from the passage above always be ready to share the reasons for the hope that lives within you used as an excuse to bully people into believing. But verse 16 reminds us that we are called to share our hope in a way that is positive, respectful, and caring. And when we share hope, amazing things happen. Hope, faith and love, you see, multiply as they are shared and, together, create a new reality. I’ve heard that during the Napoleonic wars of the early 1800s, one of Napoleon’s generals suddenly appeared with eighteen thousand soldiers at the gates of an Austrian town which had no means of defense. The town council had nearly decided to surrender when the local priest reminded them that it was Easter and begged them to hold services as usual and to leave the trouble in God's hands. They did. Upon hearing the church bells ringing joyfully, the French commanders concluded that an Austrian army had come to save the town and so departed before the bells had ceased ringing. May the bells of hope ring as we pray for our elected leaders (local, state, national and international) and for peace and understanding in the days to come. We do so because we hope and believe that, no matter how a particular election turns out, God is at work through our democratic structures and government to care for the people and world God loves. See more

23.01.2022 CHURCH @ HOME 6 September We understand that some are still unable to join us at Bombala Tce and St Marks continues to provide on line worship resources for your faith journey. In the Gospel reading for this week (Matthew 18:15-20), Jesus challenges his disciples: If your brother or sister sins against you, you should go and talk with them about the situation. Now ask yourself: What is your typical reaction when someone sins against you? Do you ignore them? Do you take some... time to decide how you want to respond? Or do you nurse your anger or hurt? Do you retaliate in like manner? Today may be a good day to ask ourselves: how do I respond when I feel sinned against by another? Do we bind another to us with our anger or resentment? Or do we loose the other person by striving to let the hurt, anger or jealousy go by talking with the individual? The gift is we can always change our automatic responses to certain situations. It typically takes a concerted effort. It is so easy to slip back into old patterns. Today, ask yourself: what is the pain, hurt and frustration that I am carrying? Am I ready to let it go? Follow our worship on line this week where I explore the implications of Jesus’ teaching for us as a Christian community and what it means to be an authentic community. You’re welcome to view before Sunday and share with family and friends: https://youtu.be/QXe8kLHbgZU See more

22.01.2022 DEVOTION Let us Sing the Psalms Together by Pastor Mark Vainikka FIRST ASSISTANT BISHOP LCAQD... This Friday, our pastors will gather together for this year’s Queensland District pastors’ conference. It has been a year of ‘firsts’ and for the first time we will have pastors’ conference online. We will gather under the theme ‘Then, I will praise you,’ which comes from our conference Scripture passage, Psalm 43:3-5. Many of you may know that I love Psalms. I particularly love singing Psalms, for Psalms were written to be sung. Psalms are great prayers, because they cover the broad scope of our feelings. Often our prayers to God are prayers we think God wants to hear, rather what we truly feel. It’s like we try to hide the truth from God. This is where the Psalms help. Psalms help us to be honest with God and to be honest with ourselves. As Ronald Rolheiser writes, sometimes we feel good and our impulse is to speak words of gratitude and the Psalms give us that voice. But our lives also have times when disappointment and bitterness spontaneously boil under the surface. Again, the Psalms give us an honest voice and we can open up all those angry feelings to God. Other times, we are filled with the sense of our own inadequacy, with the fact that we cannot measure up to the trust and love that is given to us. The Psalms again give us a voice for this. Luther found great solace in the Psalms. He understood the Psalter as a Christ-centred book and he used the Psalms as a model for Christian prayer. He repeatedly turned to the Psalms for solace and strength. During the pandemic of their time, the Black Plague, he found great comfort in the words of his favourite Psalm, Psalm 46. This ancient song provided the inspiration for Luther’s famous Reformation hymn, A Mighty Fortress. In a couple of weeks, Lutheran Churches throughout the world, will resound once again with the singing of that famous Reformation hymn, based on Psalm 46. Many times, when discouraged, Luther would turn to Philip Melanchthon and say, ‘Come, Philip, let us sing the 46th Psalm together.’ And together, they would sing: A sure stronghold our God is He, A timely shield and weapon; Our helper He will be and set us free From every ill can happen. What would Luther say to us in the midst of our own pandemic in 2020? I think he would turn to us and say: ‘Come, dear brothers and sisters in Queensland, let us sing the 46th Psalm together.’ In Christ Mark

21.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARK’S DEVOTION Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for the One who has promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 The start of Spring is one of my favourite times of the year. The sunshine and change in temperature signals a season brimming over with hopefulness: thinking about ways to refresh the gardens, hoping for a better remainder of the year; the footy finals season; mission and ministry ongoing at church with the hope of good ...attendance and strong participation. But this September as with so much of the last six months is markedly different. Delayed starts, hybrid classes, and anxious teachers and parents have made back-to-school traditions chaotic at best. Many faith resources and vibrant worship, yes, but largely virtual, accompanied by thanksgiving for the technology that makes that possible but also an ache deep in my heart that I won’t regularly see you in person. The words that capture this Spring are not anticipation and hopefulness but rather uncertainty and anxiety. All of which has pushed me to ask where the source of my hope is and should be. One of the things this pandemic has taught me is that if I lodge my hope in the weather, or my favorite traditions, or great church programs, or the chance of glory for my teams (yes, as a Broncos fan I should know better, but still, happy to switch codes to the Brisbane Lions), I will ultimately be disappointed. It’s not that these things aren’t wonderful, just that they are not, ultimately, reliable. Hope, the author of The Letter of the Hebrews says, doesn’t rest in events or occasions or traditions, but rather is based in the character of the One who has promised to be with us and for us. That One Jesus went to the cross to show us just how far God will go to save us, and was raised from death to show that God’s love and life are more powerful than hate, hardship, disease, or even death. Even when everything seems in disarray, and things that usually offer hope fall short, yet God in Jesus has promised to hold on to us, and this creates lasting hope, because the One who promises is faithful. See more

19.01.2022 CHURCH @ CHURCH 20 September We meet again face to face on Sunday 20 September at Bombala Tce Caloundra 8.30am and 9.30am all with Holy Communion (35 people at each service). We will consider an extra service if required. Bookings are now available at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/worship-with-holy-communion-ti

19.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARK’S What wonderful ‘winter’ sunny days after the cold winds early in the week, the breeze yesterday was like a refreshing summer breeze. It is a nice relief from the ongoing news of tragedy of the global coronavirus pandemic which has swallowed up jobs and businesses and sent economic shockwaves around the world. Even for people not personally affected by the loss of loved ones, health or livelihood, the virus has taken away things many of us have taken for... granted in our comfortable lifestyles. Work, school, family, social activities and even church life have been affected. All of a sudden, our congregation has been forced into the digital online world, sharing worship via the internet, emailing and posting sermons and other faith-life resources to members and friends and physically delivering them to others. Amid the suffering and change, God has given us some precious and, in the context of the 21st century, rare gifts. He has given us the gift of more time, less busyness and distraction, and the chance to rest in him and reflect on what it really means to be the body of Christ, his church in the world. In doing so, he has challenged us to look outside ourselves and what we have been used to. St Mark’s online video of this Sunday’s Church @ Home worship service at the following link: https://youtu.be/vCThvwueUkY PRAYERS We pray for all who are unwell, recovering from or facing surgery. For the World, we pray for: people in countries with escalating COVID19 infection and death; peace in the places at war; and help for those suffering domestic and family violence. For the Church, we pray for: the year 12 students in our Lutheran schools and other schools, working on exams in this unusual setting of COVID19 congregational treasurers with increased challenges as a result of the pandemic thank you for our decisions regarding the best way forward for St Marks and frequency and times of future worship services respecting and caring for our community, the elderly and vulnerable. God bless you.

16.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARK’S Matthew 16:21-28 (from today’s Worship, Listening to God’s Word and Prayer time at Bombala Tce) Then Jesus told his disciples, If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it (16:24-25). I find these verses often produce two distinct reactions.... Some people embrace Jesus’ words, feeling themselves both called and capable to make decisions that reflect their Christian commitment, even to the point of sacrifice. For them, these words are an invitation. Other Christians, however, struggle to find joy in these words. Some may be aware of their own limitations and so doubt their ability to embrace the cross, while others experience this as a request to denigrate themselves and can point to too many examples in culture where specific persons or groups have been told by their oppressors to bear their cross. For both these latter groups, Jesus’ words are a burden, whether imposed on them by Christ or by others. There may, however, be a third way to interpret these words, which is simply to recognize a) that suffering happens and b) whether you choose it, embrace it, or resist it, Christ is present with you in it. Jesus didn’t choose the cross but rather trusted God to work even through the extreme of the cross for the sake of the world God loves so much. Similarly, the cross isn’t something we choose, but rather it is something that finds us. And yet Christ identifies with all of our suffering, took it all on himself in his suffering, and promises to meet us in ours. Suffering chosen or sacrificial and at times even unholy will find us. And Jesus will be there. Where are you tired or hurting or fearful or insecure or anxious or in pain or distressed? We literally cannot save our own lives, and our attempts to do so often take a toll on ourselves and others. But as we give up that impulse and hear and trust God’s promise, we discover that those things which seek to take our lives are no match for the crucified and resurrected Christ and we discover new life even within them. There is so much suffering going on just now - whether related to COVID, racial injustice, economic hardship, emotional despair, or more. In all these things, not just Christ’s cross is present, but Christ himself holding us, suffering with us, encouraging us, and promising us the strength to endure and, having endured, to flourish and, flourishing, to help others do the same. Music Also from today’s face to face worship a song that tied together our worship, listening to God’s Word and prayers as we left with God’s blessing and presence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihhvm6eLWZI

15.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARKS We continue as Church @ Home during this time of crisis and pandemic. At St Marks we remain focused on caring for the vulnerable and our community. Thank you to everyone for keeping in touch and connected to the life of the church. The little things you do make a huge difference in the lives of others and the world. Our online worship service for this week can be followed on this link: https://youtu.be/KQVCMPdnMWE

15.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARK'S In our Church @ Home this week we hear Jesus say: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’ Where do you see crosses? We have crosses in our homes and churches, we may even wear a cross! What does a ‘cross’ mean?... In Jesus time, the cross was not a nice thing. It was used to kill criminals. Jesus also suffered and died on the cross, even though he never did anything wrong. He did not deserve to be killed, but he died for us to take away our sin. The cross reminds us of how Jesus suffered in our place so we could stand innocent before God. What does the cross mean for you? Follow our St Mark’s YouTube link for this week’s online worship service: https://youtu.be/M04RZFv09O0 An alternative printable worship order, children’s bulletin and music are available on our church webpage : www.stmarkslutherancaloundra.net God bless your worship and please share with family and friends.

14.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARK’S NEED FOR REST We all need to have a Sabbath rest. Throughout the past seven months, the wisest voices have asked us collectively in one way or another, What is the invitation to us as human beings living through a pandemic? What life-sustaining changes might we embrace now? What life-denying, earth-destroying practices can we abandon now?... These voices have called us to a season of reflection, asking us, Can you see that the way you’ve been living is not sustainable? Is it not as good as you think? Is it profoundly destructive for those who are most vulnerable and pressed to the margins? Sabbath rest entails reflection of this sort. As we slow down, we take stock of our lives and how we inhabit the world. We need regular recalibration in order to participate in that which is beautiful, good, and true. Thus the Sabbath disrupts us. It shakes us out of our normal patterns and practices for the sake of flourishingand not just our own personal flourishing but the flourishing of ALL. It seems to me that sometimes creation itself conspires with God in calling us into this kind of disruptive and reflective rest. The Sabbath, reminds us to rest from work, to set aside our to-do lists, to slow down our pace, to remember the promises of God and the love of God. Perhaps we will discover joy piercing the weight of worry and sadness if we practice delight, to cover up our clocks, to journal, to dwell on a good book, to listen to quality reflective music, to meditate on the psalms, to walk mindfully through our parks, gardens and beaches for rest. See more

13.01.2022 BIBLE STUDY Wednesday 26 August We offer our monthly Bible study and prayer time at the church this Wednesday (26 August) at 9.30am following government, church, physical distancing and hygiene guidelines. Thank you to those who have already indicated their attendance. If you would still like to attend; please let me know - phone or text 0429 856 532 or email [email protected] The worship and study notes for this Bible study are on the St Marks website - www.stmarksl...utherancaloundra.net (Find tab for Bible Study 26 August 2020). We will reflect on the Bible readings for next Sunday’s worship. See more

13.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARK’S Ruth 1:16-17 At the beginning of the story of Ruth, on the border of Moab, Naomi was empty, bitter, grieving. Ruth clung to Naomi, would not let go, and said to her, Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die there I will be buried - Ruth 1:16-17 Ruth began picking up the pieces of a shattered life. She said to Naomi, All I have to give you is myself. Where y...ou go, I will go. Have you ever wondered why for years many banks, investment firms, and insurance companies have gone by the name Fidelity"? They want us to believe, by their very name, that we can count on them to be reliable, trustworthy, and faithful in the goods and services they offer. Ruth lived a life of fidelity to Naomi. And because of that Naomi’s grief and bitterness turned to joy and hope. Faithfulness can show up in unexpected people in unexpected ways. After all, Ruth herself was a non-Israelite foreigner, and immigrant from the land of Moab. Over the centuries Israel and the people of Moab were frequently enemies. Yet, Ruth, an immigrant from Moab, crosses prejudicial ethnic and religious boundaries to become a model of love and fidelity in ancient Israel. The Book of Ruth proclaims that God is quietly and mysteriously at work through the everyday actions of faithful people. Who are the people who have been faithful in your life? How has God worked in and through them to sustain and restore your life? And who are the people to whom God calls you to be faithful, to live so that your life is a means of God’s blessing to them? Faithful: That is what God calls each of us to be. Then God does the rest. See more

12.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARK’S During times of crisis, Christians find hope, solace, comfort, and courage in their faith. St Marks continues to provide messages, reflections, and words of hope and courage as long as we are facing this pandemic. We are in this together, and we will get through this together. For we are not alone, but accompanied always by Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior, the one whom even death could not defeat. ON THIS TRAIN TOGETHER This week’s devotion that I ...Continue reading

12.01.2022 JESUS LOVES YOU!

11.01.2022 DEVOTION "And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13 It seems like everything in this world is longing for a bit of love these days. Because the English language only has one word for love, we’re not too specific about the kind of love we’re looking for.... In Greek, you see, there are several words for love. "Eros" is the romantic kind of love, "philia" is the brotherly, sisterly, or friendly kind of love. But it is "agape" love that the apostle Paul talks about in this passage to the Corinthian church. It’s interesting that this passage is so often used at weddings, because Paul is actually addressing the Corinthian community when they are in quite a bit of conflict. The passage reminds us that when everything seems overwhelming, three things do abide faith, hope and love and he says, the greatest of these is love. So how does love abide when we’re depleted, in conflict, or told that we’re doormats if we choose this countercultural way? It’s only possible with God.but it is possible. God is the source. We are the vessels. God gave God’s only Son as a gift of love so that we would know just what unconditional, agape love, would look like. Agape love changes things, for it knows no bounds, no rationality, no limits, no divides. And when we experience it, we want to share it with the world. So, to close, I will share a piece on love by Jesuit priest, Pedro Arrupe, called, Falling in Love. May it bless you as it blesses me when I long for a bit of tangible God-inspired love. Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything. God loves you! May you share that love with the world!

11.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARKS For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. - Ephesians 3:14-17 A friend always closes their message to me with, keep the faith. If you’re anything like me, your inner beings aren’t feelin...g too strong these days. Life is just plain tough right now. I am missing the little (and big) customs and rituals that gave me joy, that gave me momentary relief from the daily chores. Without those pleasurable interruptions to the ordinary, it can feel like life just moves with plodding steps to the ‘new normal’. For years, this prayer for power from Ephesians has been an important reminder to me that the Holy Spirit remains among us, and generously shares God’s blessings with us. This Spirit gives us life. It sustains us when the world drains us. It reminds us that the very breath in our lungs is a divine gift, and teaches our hearts to be grateful even when we grow weary. Even better the Spirit of God maintains and increases faith. Faith teaches me to lift my eyes up, to look beyond myself, beyond the burdens of the day or even a season like the one we’re living through, and keep in my sights the hope and promise of God’s kingdom. And faith encourages me and empowers me to do what I can to make that kingdom real for those around me. So, I utter the Ephesians prayer for you now, trusting that the Spirit will strengthen you and keep you in faith. May these blessings sustain you from day to day and empower you to be a blessing to others - keep the faith MUSIC This music linked was shared on our Facebook page. One pair of hands There are questions about who is the performer don’t worry just listen to the words and meditate on the images. https://youtu.be/25EUQnd6J_A

11.01.2022 MUSIC DEVOTION Psalm 119 This song is based on Psalm 119. Many singers love singing the psalms, and Justin Staibell’s (baritone) sensitive performance is certainly reflective of that fact. These scriptures are appreciated not only for the beauty of the language but for the humanness of the message. The Psalms are filled with the thoughts of real people who turn directly to God in order to express dismay and fear, plead for help, and offer thanks. It has been stated that "Th...e book of Psalms is the Bible's book of the soul." Through music, the understanding of this Psalm is transformed. Rather than rules and laws, the Psalm becomes a promise made out of devotion, a vow, if you will. The steady chordal accompaniment emphasizes this constant and unwavering faithfulness. I have chosen the way of truth, not out of duty, but out of love and gratefulness for the gifts shown me daily by a gracious and loving God. May you feel that same sense of love and gratitude as you listen to this beautiful song. https://mtolivet.org//Justin-Staebell-I-Have-Chosen-the-Wa See more

11.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARK’S Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to the mountains where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord,... the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord watches over you the Lord is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all harm he will watch over your life; 8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. A great question is asked in Psalm 121, which is our devotion for this Monday. What do you do, or where do you go when things don’t go the way you planned? Where does your help come from: When a relationship begins to sputter and fail? When your teenage son or daughter starts running with the wrong crowd? When your work becomes a greater drudgery than you can stand? When a strange virus upsets our world? When a loved one dies? When someone shares unsolicited hurtful words on social media? When you suffer a crisis of faith and find it hard to pray? When you wonder to yourself: Does God really care one way or the other? Small things or big issues like these are all too common. The question is...when things go off-center and your world seems to be coming apart at the seams, where does your help come from? The psalmist answers with a clear and certain voice: My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:2) The inference is that if our help comes from anything or anyone else other than the Lord God Almighty, we’re soon to be disappointed. Family, friends, business associates even pastors are likely to let us down when we need them most. After all, we are humans. Only God is ultimately steadfast and dependable in the consistent inconsistencies of life. The Lord will keep you from all harm he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

11.01.2022 CHURCH @ CHURCH We are pleased to announce that we will move forward with fortnightly (1st and 3rd Sundays) public worship services at Bombala Tce. Our care is for the vulnerable and wider community with the resources we have at one location. Commencing on 6 September and then 20 September 8.30am, 9.30am and 10.30am all with Holy Communion. Bookings are now available at the following link:... https://www.eventbrite.com/e/worship-with-holy-communion-ti?

11.01.2022 FROM SUNDAY’S SERMON AT ST MARK’S - (11 October 2020) "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." ... we are encouraged at every turn to want. To want more stuff, to want nicer stuff, to want lots of stuff. We live, that is, with an imagination dominated by a pervasive sense of scarcity, far more aware of what we don't have -- and therefore should go out and buy -- than what we do....Continue reading

11.01.2022 CHURCH @ HOME Sunday 1 November 2020 You’re welcome to join us this week as Church @ Home and worship with us at our YouTube service and discover: Words for a time such as this... https://youtu.be/UUznw4QFgnQ Please share with friends and family. Face to face worship again on 8 November - 8.30am and 9.30am 14 Bombala Tce Book at: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/126938738183 Also check out our webpage - wwwstmarkslutherancaloundra.net

10.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARK’S Following Jesus; "How May I Serve You"? - YouTube Church @ Home 27 September We gather again for online worship this Sunday or when you are able to with family. You can follow our St Mark’s service this week at: https://youtu.be/PjsDUHcVKjE... Who said you could do that? Who gave you that authority? or How may I serve you? See more

10.01.2022 MUSICAL DEVOTION The anthem, Seek Ye First, based on Matthew 6:33 and 7:7 has a familiar tune. All in all, it is an anthem that can be quickly learned and polished in a few rehearsals and starts us on the path of good vocal learning and singing. But, in addition to the musical reasons, the scriptural text is worth talking about, especially for young people, but also for all of us who may experience anxiety about the future or for those of us who are looking for reassurance ...through our faith. Matthew 6:33 states, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." This is followed in Matthew 7:7 by Jesus’ promise, Ask and it shall be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. Notice, in the particular, the verbs in these verses: seek, ask, search, knock. As Christians, we know that Christ has promised to love us, to be with us, and to support and care for us regardless of our circumstances. However, we are still invited to participate in building a relationship with God and in yearning to understand God's ways. These gestures are also important in giving us the peace and reassurance that we are so desperately needing. So how does one find this peace? Perhaps it is in living out the verbs that are in the scripture - we seek, we ask, we search, and we knock and we do all of those things by continuing to sing, to pray, to serve, and to study God’s Word believing that through those actions God's presence appears more fully to us. Once we immerse ourselves into the ways of the kingdom of God, all things are added to us, just as promised. Alleluia! Listen here: https://youtu.be/EsBpM9IcBts

09.01.2022 MUSIC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZtPYS76ZMA The Luther College Cathedral Choir continue to lift their voices as one through this beautiful virtual choir project of "We Are Called" arranged by Mark Hayes. The lyrics speak of uniting the world through the various ways we are called to bring light into the world, which is a much needed reminder right now. What are the ways in which you are being called today? While singing together virtually cannot take the place of creating music together in person, we continue to be thankful for these moments to unite us together as a community.

08.01.2022 Together @ St Marks These sets of images of the earth converged in my mind this week. As I hold these sets of images in my mind, it’s easier for me to focus on the scorched earth and devastation. It’s tempting (for many of us) to allow the ruin to overrun our minds so that the abundance is forgotten or at least relegated to the margins of our imagination. The orange-red skies over San Francisco, billows of smoke encasing parts of Oregon, ash raining down from the heavens, h...omes and communities levelled, fires raging in twelve states: Apocalyptic is the apt word repeatedly used to depict these scenes. The same descriptions were made of our Australian bush fire devastation. Life is like that. It has its own time-table and, in some sense, always remains a mystery. Who knows when a harvest will be abundant or when famine will strike? Who knows how relationships will be mended after decades of estrangement? When will the body recover after a car crash or child-bearing? What love will finally heal a broken heart? Long before the Byrds sang Turn Turn Turn, the writer of Ecclesiastes wrote, For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. We cannot predict the times in which we will live, though we have choice about how to live in them. This will entail no small amount of waiting. Much of life is waiting. We wait to laugh again after immense grief. We wait to speak (hopefully) after long stretches of listening. We wait for vaccines to be developed. We wait for spring flowers to push through frosty ground. We wait for new life to emerge out of nothing. We wait for resurrection after death. Which is to say we wait for God to do that which we cannot. May prayers of thanksgiving and awe flow from our lips as well: for abundant fruits and vegetables, for hippeastrums, for kingfisher and monarch butterflies, for persons caring for one another in ordinary ways, for small kindnesses, and for the gift of life that emerges, again and again, in its own time in our lives, in our earth.

05.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARK’S Let me re-introduce you to three of the most powerful words in the world. Now, I know what you're thinking, and while "I love you" are three great words, they're not the one's I'm thinking about this time. Instead try, "I don't know." Surprised, confused, dismayed?... And four words that go with those three great words : " What do you think?" Let me explain... check out today's St Mark's Church @ Home at: https://youtu.be/t3Tfc2Dv7vY

04.01.2022 CHURCH @ CHURCH St Mark’s is continuing with worship with Holy Communion in November. On the 29 November is our annual In Memoriam service. The dates and times are: 8 November - 8.30am and 9.30am 22 November - 8.30am and 9.30am... 29 November - 8.30am and 9.30am COVID safe precautions will be taken for all services. Bookings are made through Eventbrite. Follow the links below to book. 8 November - https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/126938738183 22 November - https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/126940417205 29 November - https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/126941979879

04.01.2022 TOGETHER AT ST MARK’S CHURCH @ HOME 13 SEPTEMBER 2020 Matthew 18:21-35 How often should I forgive, Jesus?... Of course, Jesus’ response to Peter’s question doesn’t really provide an answer but rather points out the misdirection of the question itself. How many times should we forgive? The issue is not how much or how often we are asked to forgive or should forgive. The act of forgiveness is already a limitless, measureless act. Forgiveness is never not present in our lives and in our relationships. That’s the issue. The issue is how hard forgiveness really is. Hear again God’s grace and forgiveness and join us for worship as we continue as Church @ Home at the following link. https://youtu.be/4ycLcnCWR9g Next week (20 September) we meet face to face at Bombala Tce with Holy Communion - see post for bookings

04.01.2022 CHURCH @ HOME We continue to gather for worship as God’s people. This week we again hear about ‘his crazy love’. You’re welcome to join us or gather with your family and worship online Together @ St Marks at : https://youtu.be/uraCtW1NdFE

03.01.2022 CHURCH @ HOME 20 September It’s not fair! (Parable of the Vineyard Workers) We understand that some are still unable to join us for public worship due to a variety of reasons. You’re welcome to follow us as Church @ Home for this Sunday at the following link (watch for the ‘monkey business’). You may also like to view before or after public worship: https://youtu.be/4CdzOOEoE-c

03.01.2022 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING ST MARK’S LUTHERAN CHURCH, CALOUNDRA This Sunday 25/10/2020 - 9.15am Agenda, Minutes of AGM 2019, Pastor’s Report and Chairperson’s Report are available.

02.01.2022 TOGETHER @ ST MARK’S For the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. Isaiah 52:12 The COVID-19 situation continues to change day by day. Various restrictions have now been extended from the South East corner to include parts of the Darling Downs. We have pastors who have a heightened risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and we also have many parishioners who are in various risk groups. We continue to pray for each other and for all of you m...embers and all who encounter Jesus in and through St Marks. We pray and give thanks for the assurance of your Holy Spirit out ahead of us promising to be gracious and loving. In a time when it is extremely difficult to anticipate the future, this prayer reminds me this is the way it has been since the beginning. God’s Holy Spirit is always out ahead of us. In so many stories in scripture, people enter into circumstances of which they find God has already been at work out ahead, or to which the Spirit of Christ was leading them into new lands, awareness, and ever-expanding insight or understanding for how the love of Christ kept compelling them to live and serve. In times like this, I find it a comfort to remember this. We go forward in life during new challenges, via new mediums, with new discernments to consider, in a new era of life, and in uncertainty of what will be the full outcomes. Yet, we do so in the hope and truth of God’s Spirit being ahead of us in whatever we will encounter. This does not mean it will be easy, but it means God is sticking with us. God is faithful. And we may press on, striving toward the ways we see God leading us to be a witness of reconciliation and grace. Gracious God, we give thanks that you are always ahead of us. Amen to that. See more