For Sunday the 1st July - 11.00am

This morning in Shepparton a small band of regulars joined with me to pray Matins and commemorate the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. We gave thanks for God's preservation of the gospel through the fearless confession of His faithful servants throughout the ages, and especially during the Reformation.

This gospel brings us God's free gift of forgiveness, life and salvation through faith in Jesus. It frees us from enslavement to the Law and so it liberates us from sin and death which come as a result of our failure to keep the Law. This coming Sunday (1st of July) we will be hearing what this freedom means for our daily lives and rejoicing in the privilege we have to serve God as a result of our status as free people who are led by the Holy Spirit.

The readings are:
1 Kings 19:15,16,19-21
Galatians 5:1,13-25
Luke 9:51-62

I'll be preaching on the second reading.

In the meantime, this Friday (June 29) is the Feast of St Peter and St Paul. You might like to take time on that day to reflect on God's work through these apostles in proclaiming the gospel.

Here's an explanation of why they're commemorated together:

'The two great apostles whose ministry embraced the whole Jewish and Gentile world have been associated in Christian devotion since earliest times. The date chosen to commemorate the two apostles seems to be not the day of their martyrdom but the anniversary of a joint observance in their honour. The day of Peter and Paul is one of the oldest saints' days. Tradition says that Peter went to Rome and was martyred there (c. 64) by being crucified upside down. The Scriptures leave Paul in Rome, but tradition asserts that he went to Spain and returned to Rome where he was beheaded in the persecution under Nero.' (Contemporary Worship 6: The Church Year, Calendar and Lectionary, 1973)

Readings for the Feast are:
Ezekiel 34:11-16 God Himself will shepherd His people
1 Corinthians 3:16-23 All belong to Christ
Mark 8:27-35 Peter's confession

Almighty God, whose apostles Peter and Paul glorified you by their martyrdom: Grant that your church, instructed by their teaching and example, may be knit together by your Spirit and always stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

God's peace,
Pastor Matt Anker

For Sunday the 24th June - 8.30am

This coming Sunday (24/6) is the day assigned for the Christian Church to commemorate the Nativity of St John the Baptist.

St John's father Zechariah recognised the role his infant son would play in God's plan of salvation as he prophesied, "And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins" (Luke 1:76-77).

We will be hearing of how the Lord sent John to prepare the way for Jesus, and how he did this in humility and with complete dependance on the One who's way he was preparing.

As we rejoice in John's proclamation of the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of our sins, we will be considering how God dares to work through us to help prepare the way for Jesus to forgive the sins of those we encounter.

The readings are:

Psalm 141

Malachi 3:1-4 A messenger will prepare the Lord's way

Acts 13:13-26 The witness of John

Luke 1:57-80 The birth and naming of John

Divine Service will begin at 8.30am.

God's peace,

Pastor Matt