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“But the vineyard owner answered one of the workers who was hired at the start of the day, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a day’s wage? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ Matthew 20:13-15

Do we live in a society, or an economy? It’s certainly easy to think it’s the latter with the way people speak so often about measuring value or assessing outcomes in purely monetary terms. As Christians, however, we live in something far more meaningful than just an economy and even more fulfilling than just a society. We actually belong to the kingdom of God, where the values are different to those of our world.

In the parable of The Workers In The Vineyard, Jesus shows how God’s values can sometimes grate with those who have a good understanding of economics and fairness but fail to understand the generous love and mercy of God. Our heavenly Father offers all people peace of mind, joy in this life, and hope for the future by giving them the gift of eternal life and salvation. What’s more, he shares this gift equally with people, no matter how long it takes them to gratefully receive it. There are no ‘wages’ with God and there is not a ‘fair-work act’ either. Rather, God calls us to join him in his service and reach out to others too, so that all people may leave behind the fruitless toil that comes from chasing the world’s promises, or our own disordered desires and, instead, join him in something that has eternal significance.

Peace in Christ,

Pastor Nigel Rosenzweig & Pastor Dale Gosden

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22

Seven strikes and you’re out?

This Sunday we continue a conversation about forgiveness that Jesus began with his disciples last week. While we all like the idea of being forgiven, it’s forgiving others that we find difficult.

So Jesus tells us a parable that reminds us that each one of us have received forgiveness from God that came at the cost of Jesus’ precious life. This is exactly what Jesus teaches us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”

May we take to heart Jesus’ words, and may we commit to forgive those who have hurt us, as God has forgiven us.

Peace in Christ

Pastor Andrew Brook & Pastor Nigel Rosenzweig

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8

Mind your own business?

When you were young, were you ever told to mind your own business? Perhaps your parents were trying to stop you from prying into something that didn’t concern you. We’ve taken this advice to extremes in a culture that places the individual above the community. But that’s not the way that God intends the church to function. Today Jesus teaches us about what community in his name looks like: we owe one another the debt of mutual love, and we’re called to care deeply about one another, especially if we have been wronged by another, and certainly if we’ve hurt another person.

Caring means minding one another’s business when we see the health of the community at risk. But this does not come from a desire to be proven right if we have been wronged, but for the person who has hurt us, and the community around us, to be reconciled and rehabilitated.

The forgiveness Jesus has won through his cross heals personal feuds and spiritual wounds. What a blessing it is to hear God’s word of forgiveness in the word of absolution, in the good news proclaimed in our readings and message, and through receiving Jesus’ body and blood in Holy Communion.

Peace in Christ

Pastor Andrew Brook & Pastor Nigel Rosenzweig

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. Matthew 16:24,25

Cross-Shaped Love

This Sunday we return to our regular sequence of readings. Today many Christians across then world will hear this same word. Many people wear a cross necklace. Some people may even have a cross tattoo. For Christians, the cross is a symbol of our faith and trust in Jesus. Today Jesus takes speaks to us, not about wearing a cross, but about carrying our cross. This is the definition of what it means to be a disciple. Jesus calls us to turn away from our own selfish interests, and following his way, which is the way of love for all people. But Jesus only asks of us what he first gives us, through his suffering love on the cross, and his resurrection to new life.

Peace in Christ

Pastor Andrew Brook & Pastor Nigel Rosenzweig

Jesus said: ‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b

The Life of all Christians

This week we reach the conclusion of our Shepherd of Souls season of learning and practice. We pray that you have been blessed in this series and have come to realise that the life of faith cannot do it’s work through lives lived in complete isolation from one another. The life of faith needs to break out to represent and serve God by bringing healing and hope where pain and suffering exists.

Today we conclude our series by celebrating, how all Christians have a role to play in the community task of shepherding one another. We will learn how Shepherding together as a community is the healthiest way to shepherd one another.

Don’t forget to make the most of this final week of the series by putting into practice what you are learning in the sermon. To help you do this you are invited to use some of ideas from the Taking Faith Home Page in your household and small groups throughout the coming week.

Any feedback about how this series has helped you would be gratefully received. Simply email us:

Pastor Andrew: leadpastor@stjohnsunley.lca.org.au and Pastor Nigel growpastor@stjohnsunley.lca.org.au

God bless you as you we shepherd together under Jesus the Good shepherd who has come that we may have life, and have it abundantly.

Pastor Andrew Brook & Pastor Nigel Rosenzweig

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves. Romans 12:9,10

Congregational Life Equips Shepherds

It’s been great to be able to worship face to face again, after a long break. We are thankful for this privilege, and don’t take it for granted. But of course not everyone in our community has been able to join us, for all kinds of reasons. Whose job is it to check in on our brothers and sisters at St John’s?

This Sunday our Shepherd of Souls focus is on soul care-how God calls us to care for one another. It’s simple and its practical-asking people how they’re doing, keeping in touch, offering support and care-just like we’ve been doing through our Care Call ministry.

But this is God’s call on all of our lives. God wants us to reflect the love he’s given us in really simple and practical ways.

God bless your worship

Pastor Andrew Brook & Pastor Nigel Rosenzweig

Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to the Jailer and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. Acts 16:32-34

Milestones Ministry

This weekend at St Johns we are up to week five of our seven part season of learning and practice. I pray you are growing in your appreciation of who we are and how we are called to minister to one another. As we continue in this series remember that you are invited to experiment and try what you are learning in the sermon by using some of ideas from the Taking Faith Home Page in our household and small groups throughout the coming week. This way you will be making the most of this season of learning and practice.

Being a Shepherd of Souls begins by listening to one another and noticing what they are experiencing. But shepherding does not stop there. It also involves Speaking. We effectively shepherd one another when in faith we speak God’s promises over and into the lives of those we care for. God’s word is a creative power – God’s Spirit is at work through words of hope. As we speak words of hope, reconciliation and encouragement the evil one looses his power and the way is opened for God’s will to be done here on earth.

We are called to speak words of life into one another’s lives. And this will be most meaningful when we recognise the moment they are in. When we acknowledge the experience someone is going through and then speak God’s promises into their situation and follow it us by serving them, praying for them and blessing them, you are truly doing what you have been created to do: you are Sharing Jesus love! We will see this so clearly in today’s readings as Paul and Silas speak words of life to the Jailer in a moment of crisis and Simeon and Anna speak words about the future over Baby Jesus at a moment when a little bit of baby Jesus was circumcised as a mark of his connection to the covenant of the past.

What are the people around you experiencing? How could you acknowledge their experience and speak words of hope into their life to help shape their future?

God bless you this week as you observe, listen and speak life.

Pastor Andrew Brook & Pastor Nigel Rosenzweig

Shepherding in the Home

This is week 4 of our Shepherd of Souls series. We’ve been worshipping in our homes for the last four and a half months. It’s great that we can return to face-to-face worship this Sunday, But these last months have shown us how important faith life in our homes are, and with those nearest and dearest to us.

God has placed each of us in a family. It starts with the family into which we were born. And some of us live with members of our family, a spouse, or children. Some of us live on our own too, but together we are all members of the family of God. We all call on the name of God our Father. We have been brought into his family by Jesus his Son, and our brother. And the Holy Spirit keeps us connected with God’s love, and enables us to share this love with one another.

God bless your worship.

Pastor Andrew Brook & Pastor Nigel Rosenzweig

See this week's TAKING FAITH HOME page - button on the left. During our Shepherd of Souls sermon series, over the next few weeks (beginning July 12), our usual Growing Faith at Home resource will be replaced by the Taking Faith Home resource.

GROWING FAITH AT HOME is a weekly lectionary-based resource to help your households live, share and celebrate faith together each and every week!

- Looking for a way to link Sunday worship with household faith formation Sunday to Sunday?

- Want to provide resources to help parents and grandparents pass on the Christian faith in their homes?

A resource that connects weekly congregational worship with the faith life of the home.

Where does GROWING FAITH AT HOME come from?

GROWING FAITH AT HOME is developed by the Lutheran Church of Australia department, Grow Ministries

Is GROWING FAITH AT HOME only for families with children or youth?

People of all ages can use the devotional resources (Bible readings, prayers, blessings) in their personal or couple ‘quiet times’.

Small groups, ministry teams and committees can also benefit from using the Faith Talk questions for spiritual reflection and focus.

Using GROWING FAITH AT HOME to its full potential requires more than simply photocopying the resources and distributing them to select households. It has proven to be of most benefit when reinforced through Sunday worship, promoted to households on an ongoing basis and supplemented with practical teaching and training.

A [Congregational users guide](https://www.growministries.org.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2018/06/GFH-A4-congregational-users-guide_2018.pdf) and [Home user's guide](https://www.growministries.org.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2018/06/GFH-home-users-guide_2018.pdf) have been developed to help you introduce the resource to your congregation and support its use over time.

If you would like to know more about mentoring, check out the Mentoring Equipping documents here.