Roger's Postings

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Luke 2:10-14. A Saviour has been born to you! 25/12/08

{10) But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. {11} Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. {12} This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." {13} Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, {14} "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests."

Christmas is here once again. It is a special time of the year – a great time. It is the one time of the year that promises us so much. There is so much expectation, excitement and hope. There is the possibility of something more; something better; something that will lift us out of the doldrums of life.

But sadly everyone has gotten in on the act. The last weeks have bombarded us with Christmas messages: ‘T’is the season to be jolly:’ ‘A time of giving and sharing:’ ‘A time of family:’ ‘A season of peace, joy and goodwill.’ We have also had our prime minister get in on the act; giving us his gifts and telling us that this is the season to spend so that we can help our Australian economy. We are bombarded with all kinds of messages telling us what Christmas is all about.

Yet almost all of these messages are not the message of Christmas: they may be the consequence of Christmas; but when they become the main and only message of Christmas they become extremely destructive. As always when side issues become the main message then people are led into deep trouble: people are left feel empty and cheated; conned once again.

Think about it: How can many people be jolly when they are in the midst of the loss of a loved one, or suffering extremely with cancer or some other painful ailment? When we think of giving and sharing, to some who has everything or the expectation is for expensive gifts that you know will only thrown in the corner and not really appreciated; yet we hear of recessions and hard times; our giving and sharing seems somewhat empty meaningless. For many the family Christmas is a disaster; a couple to many drinks and things are said and done which creates even further division and heartache. Not to mention the fact that for many others divorce or the loss of a loved one makes Christmas a very painful time.

So as we go down the list, that which is promised in most of these messages leaves many people frustrated and badly disillusioned about Christmas and how good it really is. In fact for many because of these messages this time of the year is one of fear and loneliness; for the messages are all wrong. By themselves these messages are nothing but destructive. They promise much, but so often fail to deliver the goods. Without the true meaning and message of Christmas undergirding it all, the rest is very problematic.

So hear again God ‘s message to us this Christmas. "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

His message is ‘jam-packed’ with great things that truly makes the mind boggle and brings true joy into our lives, even today. This simple but deeply profound message is one of Good News to all people. It is not a promise that may or may not come to fulfilment: that may or may not be Good News of great joy to all people. It is; just as he says. As we truly listen and take on board this message, no matter who we are and what our situation might be, it makes for a blessed Christmas; guaranteed.

Today we again celebrate the fact that it is so. Two thousand years after the event the world still attests to the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. God’s message still goes out into the midst of a fearful and lonely people: The promised Messiah; the Anointed One of God has come into the world to do what was necessary for our salvation: to give meaning and purpose to everyone, no matter who they are.

Here let me emphasise again what the angel said: I bring you good news….. a Saviour has been born to you ….. this will be a sign for you.
Yes, this message is personally addressed to each one of you. Again, it does not matter who you are or what your situation in life might be. You all individually and corporately are the beneficiary of this great gift. This is not just a message to the shepherds, or of a distant event to a few people. To each of you this Christmas and each day of the rest of your life you have this message of good news. To you; each one of you, a saviour has been born.

God knows that you/we are sinful human beings who deserve to be sent to Hell for our rebellion. He knows that not one of us comes anywhere near being good enough to be acceptable to him. But out of love for us he sends his very own Son, for the express purpose of punishing him for all that we have done wrong. He takes on himself all that we deserve and in its place gives the full forgiveness of all our sin. Now nothing stands between us and our being acceptable to God.

Here we need to also understand the profoundness of the title, Messiah or Christ that is given to this little baby. This is the promised one that God would send to be the Lamb which takes away the sin of the world. Here is the one who would be anointed to establish and lead God’s people in his new kingdom. This is the one that God’s people had been looking forward to for years and years, and there was the fulfilment of this promise, here in the babe of Bethlehem. Here then for us, for you, is the great one that God has sent for our salvation.

But not only is he the Christ, but he is the Lord. God himself come to be with us. God come into our world to do what was needed so that we might be redeemed, bought back, with the blood that he himself shed on the cross. Not only does that assurance go with us today; but that reality is there for all who do not turn there back on this presence. Through our baptism and the bread and wine of Holy Communion we now have God with us each and every day of our lives. What a Christmas present that is for you and me – God with us.


So here we do have a Christmas message and gift that truly does make a difference to each one of us; no matter who we are. The recession makes no difference to this gift: the broken family does not mean that we are broken off from this God who has come to be with us. The pain of illness and the imminence of death does not change the reality that in Christ we have the assurance of eternal life with God in eternity. In our loneliness we are now never alone as God assures us that he with us always. Now there is meaning and purpose in life as we live the life that Jesus himself has for us; even if it is a cross-filled life.

Always now we can live in light of this wonderful message that the angel has for you and me and all people. "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Now we can be jolly, even though outwardly it cannot always be seen. Now we have a real sense and reality of peace, joy and goodwill, in the midst of a hurting, broken world. Now we make time for family; not just the immediate family but our family of humanity, even when it goes against the grain at times. Now we can give with gratitude in our hearts for all that we have received even though we doe not deserve it. Now we can spend for the benefit of our country, doing all that we can so that they too can know this wonderful Good News that God has for us all, and which truly allows us to have Christmas every day of the year.

What a wonderful time Christmas is for us all. God himself has come to be with us so that we truly can have all the blessings of God. So may you go from here today and go forward through the rest of your life here on this earth with the reality of this message going with you and giving the peace, joy and goodwill that he has for you. And the blessing of almighty God, Father Son and Holy Spirit, go with you always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Romans 16:25-27. To God be the glory forever 21/12/08

{25) Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, {26} but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him-- {27} to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

As my ministry here at Redeemer draws to a close this reading here focuses us again on that which is truly important for us all as we continue on in life; wherever that might be. At the same time as we approach Christmas the same message is ever there and ever so critical: To God be the glory great things he has done. To God through Jesus Christ we alone find the hope and salvation that we need.

Christmas is much more than a shallow, sentimental, feel good event that enables us to escape the realities of life for a few short days , only to leave us even more alone and despondent at the end. Sadly throughout life today we are encouraged to focus so much on that which is froth and bubble; glitter and tinsel; toys and ego builders; to the extent that we think very little about the deep and important things of life. We are encouraged to focus on and follow our own heart and our feelings, to the extent that we are in danger of becoming egotistical, self- righteous, spoilt brats who are unable to contribute to the well-being of society; far less the spiritual side of life.

It is me and what I have to offer that is alone what is important in life. Running a close second it is the almighty dollar and our spending it on the pleasures of life that makes the world go round. On top of that, there are no moral and spiritual absolutes on which we can and are encouraged to build our lives. All this is leaving us in a position in which we are extremely vulnerable to a complete breakdown of society and the individual’s well-being. We are making for a lonely, depleted, ‘every man for himself’ society which will not be able to survive. In fact it will in the end destroy itself. Sadly, we all, to a greater or lesser degree are caught in it and foster this sad state of affairs. The devil is having a field day.

Our eyes and hearts are focussed, and encouraged to be focussed on self and the pleasurable things of life to the extent that we no longer seem to know or even care about that which truly makes for life. As a result we are drowning in the quicksand of meaninglessness, loneliness and an innate sense of ‘there is no point to it all’. With a wrong focus we are in dire straits.

This is just as big a threat to this congregation as it is to our society. If we think of our life here at Redeemer over recent years, we see those same dangers at work. Regular worship and attendance at Bible study is not seen as critical as what God’s Word indicates it should be. Our worship is constantly under the threat of shifting the focus from what God does for us, to what we do that makes worship meaningful and good. Also with regard to the teachings and the practices of the church, the threat is ever present to change to suit the whims of human beings rather than stay with God and his Word. In our relationships with one another our self-righteousness and desire to have our own way, is ever seeking to undermine the unity, love and forgiveness that we have in Christ. Unless we are ever vigilant we too will succumb the pressures of a wayward, sinful world.

So the encouragement and challenge that we have here once again is of vital importance to us all as we go forward in life. The message of Christmas also, as we look behind the tinsel and toys we see God come to us in Jesus Christ to give us that which we cannot find anywhere else: we find that which alone can and does give us what we need in order to live and be the people that can stand in the face of a sinful, fallen world with confidence and hope.

Sure, we too will still suffer as this misguided world fumbles and bumbles it way to its own destruction. But unless we lift our eyes and look beyond the shallow egotistical pleasures that our world presents, we too will have a real sense of emptiness, futility and eternal failure, rather than the peace, joy and hope that comes through Jesus Christ and all that he won for us through his death on the cross and his resurrection. With God alone we have that which gives us a completely different focus and attitude to life and what is important.

So again we are, and we continually need to be, drawn back to the basics. Now I am well aware that this is an accusation that is held against my preaching, however, without a strong understanding and undergirding of the basics everything else comes unstuck, as we can see as we look around us. On the other hand with a solid foundation in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross we very easily find our way into dealing with all the other issues that we long to hear about. The problem is that all too often when we want to hear about the ‘how to’ we have already shifted our focus from Christ to us and our own self-righteousness. We need to hear and seek to hear the basics over and over again, lest we be lead astray. That is a constant cry of the Scriptures themselves.

Now it is also challenging for us to hear in this reading that if we are to be established in life: in other words to have that which enables us to be settled, secure and satisfied, we need to look beyond ourselves to God. It is he alone, through the simple preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is able to establish us. As we hear that message of Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection we know that God loves us and has come to our aid despite our waywardness and rebellion. So we can be absolutely sure that salvation and eternal life has been won for us.

This importance and centrality of Jesus Christ and the salvation that is to be had in and with him is we are told here in this reading according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God. In other words, God has always known what he is doing. None of this is by chance. He knew that we would sin and he already before the creation of the world had it planned that at the right time he would send his very own son into our world to do what was necessary for our salvation. All along he promised his people that this would be the case. The Bible again and again foretold this; and records how the people of old trusted that God was true to his word and so were able to live in the full assurance of their salvation and sought to be obedient to his word. Throughout history people from all nations believed and obeyed him. Of course many didn’t and we are also told of the destruction that was there for them.

Now we here also have his sure promise that he is with us as we go through life. Again he gives us this assurance week after week as we are reminded that we are baptised into God’s family. In the Lord’s Supper we receive Jesus’ very body and blood in Holy Communion so that we can be sure of his forgiveness and presence with us as we go about our daily lives.

Yes he tells us that because we still live in a sinful world we will daily have to take up our crosses in order to follow him. His presence will not mean that we will be healthy, wealthy and outwardly happy, as some would suggest; but in many cases the opposite, in order that he will be able to use us to witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ to those around about us. We are, in him, enabled to love and serve those around us, because we know that he is with us and the he already has won eternal life for us.

So again and again we are reminded and reassured that God is in control: That we can and need to always look to him and trust in all that he has told us and done for us. The more we see our world around straying from this central focus, the more we need be strong and even more focussed on him and all that he has done for us. Encourage and strengthen one another with this healthy focus, so that he can continue to establish you in the face of the destruction that befalls the world around us. Throughout you days remember: To God be the glory great things he has done. To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

Saturday, December 13, 2008

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24. You can’t do it by yourself. 14/12/08

{16) Be joyful always; {17} pray continually; {18} give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. {19} Do not put out the Spirit's fire; {20} do not treat prophecies with contempt. {21} Test everything. Hold on to the good. {22} Avoid every kind of evil. {23} May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. {24} The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

This reading here this morning speaks of being joyful always, praying continually; giving thanks in all circumstances. Now without going any further we can already see that what is being asked of us is a pretty tall order. In fact of those of us who live in the real world with all of its pain and suffering we know that this is impossible for us to achieve from within ourselves. But then to add even more to the situation, it goes on and talks about being holy, through and through; of our whole person being completely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; it is talking about perfection.

It is making the point that this is what is needed for us to face that final day and be able to enter eternity with our God. Here we need to recognise that this is an integral part of the Christian message. This is what God says that he expects of us. This is not just something that we humans made up in order to control the masses. This is God's expectation - perfection - from you and me.

Now this message then challenges much of the thinking that is about today: It is a far cry from what we hear so often; and which is a common thought in our present society. ‘Near enough is good enough’. ‘As long as we are a reasonably good person; and I belong to a church; and have a basic understanding and philosophy of life, then she's right. – It will all work out in the end. After all God loves and accepts us as we are. We just need to do the best we can and we’ll be O.K.’

But will we? Is that what God says is the situation? Or are we just trying to kid ourselves: hoping that this is the way it will be? I expect that most people are prepared to take their chances; hoping that what everyone else is saying will be right. But God however, says otherwise. As mentioned before, God's expectation is perfection from you and me. Fail that and there is no go - no eternal life in heaven – there is no peace with God - no joy – no sure hope.

Now there is no way around that: no near enough is good enough: no as long as we try to do the best we can to be a reasonably good person. Perfection in every way is the requirement. Joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; Be blameless and holy in every way - in every aspect of our lives.

Now if that is what Gad expects; and knowing that we do not measure up, what do we do about it? Ignore it all? Just do what we think might be right? Don’t bother to even think about it? No; surely not? We will want to seek to live and be the kind of people he wants us to be. We will want this perfection in our lives so that we can face that day and know for sure that God will accept us. We will want to have this joy that Paul talks about: throughout our lives we will aim to have this life of prayer that is here spoken of; we will want to be thankful in everything; as well as to be blameless and holy in every way.

But we try and it doesn't work out? We so often want this kind of life – we strive for it and have it as base philosophy for our life, but it is so illusive. We work at it and it goes alright for while, but then we crash. We try, but everything goes wrong; it gets all mucked up again and again. We can't even begin to measure up. There seems to just be no way that we can live up that standard, even in a small way.

I believe that is why so many try to adjust what God has to say here and elsewhere in Scripture. If none of us measure up, then surely it can't be meant it quite that way; so we change it to something like: as long as we try to do the best we can; or, as long as we make a reasonable effort; or, as long as we have some concept of God and Jesus, then we are Ok. Or if we are a little more religious, we say: As long as we believe; or we are forgiven anyway so it doesn't matter much how I live my life; or, God loves us and accepts us despite what are and do, and so we have the freedom to do as we please. So we alter what God has to say in order to lessen the impact of what is expected of us.

However, again let us be quite sure that not one of us is going be allowed into heaven unless we are perfect. Anyone who is even in the slightest way less than that, will be cast into Hell. Unless we are blameless and whole in every way, that is a certainty. That is the harsh reality of what God has said and expects.

Now if that is the case then, I hear you say, none of us can get there:
None of us measure up to that standard. And your right; by ourselves we cannot achieve what is expected. We have failed and deserve nothing but Hell. As we look to our lives we don't come anywhere near to what is required; and so we are in deep trouble – we just can't make it.

But now that is just why celebrate Christmas. That is what makes this time of the year absolutely essential. It is the very reason why we continually remember that Jesus came into our world as a little babe. What we are unable to do for ourselves God himself came and made it possible for us to be perfect. Here again we are reminded of the one and only hope that we have in life. The only hope of attaining that state of being that is required for us to stand on that last day is associated with Christmas, and that is why we have those calls in recent weeks to prepare ourselves: to get ready for the celebration of the events that give us this only hope that we have.

In little over a week’s time we will joyfully and thankfully celebrate the fact that God has come to help us in our need. We will again be overwhelmed by the fact that God chose to come as one of us so that we might have real hope in a hopeless world. His love for us, was such that he did not want to send us to Hell, yet his holiness has to be taken care of. So Jesus comes to lives as one of us and then takes our punishment on himself. He took our sin – our failures to be holy and perfect - on himself to the cross; and in their place he gives us his perfection. So we are forgiven - we are holy and blameless once again. When God looks on those who believe this, he now sees the holiness of his Son Jesus. He accepts them as his own sons and daughters; as his own dear and perfect children.

That is the great Good News that we prepare for and celebrate every year at this time: God has come to help us in our dire need: he has saved us from an eternity in Hell. Jesus has made it possible for us to face God at the end of time. So it is with this sure and certain hope that he will accept us into his presence because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection that we now know that we can stand on that last day holy and blameless in every way; without any spot or blemish.

Now already in light of this we daily go forward to live that which we have already been made. Now we make no excuses for our failures; we readily admit our sin, assured of the forgiveness that is there for us; but at the same time willing and earnestly desiring to that God would help us to live according to his word. Now wanting to eagerly do what he wants because of what he has done for us. So we will seek to:

{16) Be joyful always; {17} pray continually; {18} give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. {19} Do not put out the Spirit's fire; {20} do not treat prophecies with contempt. {21} Test everything. Hold on to the good. {22} Avoid every kind of evil. {23} May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. {24} The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

To him be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Mark 1:1-8. Necessary preparation!! 7/12/08

(1) The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. {2} It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"-- {3} "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" {4} And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. {5} The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. {6} John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. {7} And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. {8} I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

Well here we are in the midst of another Advent season: Another year of preparation for Christmas and ‘end-of–year’ functions. However I sense that this year is a little different: the free-spending, live it up approach is somewhat subdued, as the uncertainties of our present world situation crowds in around us. Yes, there are the governments gifts that are being handed out already, to try to ensure that we continue to spend up, but our preparation are a little more careful and a little more thought through. Christmas this year will be a little different. There will be cut-backs and caution. There will be a little more focus on what each person thinks is important about this season. But the preparations will go on; and in fact are already happening.

Here then, in the midst of all of this, we are reminded of Christ's coming into our world to help us: to rescue us from the hopelessness and sin that we face in this world, and to save us from an eternity in Hell. Along with that reminder of God coming to be with us and rescuing us, is that call to prepare ourselves for his coming. We are to get ready for not just ‘Christmas’, but for the Lord's coming.

But so often it is here that we switch off. We have got enough to think about: enough to be involved in; without having to do anything about our own spiritual house. Yes we know it is important, but later on; next year; some time. But not now! As for more preparations - what next! We have got enough on our minds already! Then we wonder why Christmas and Christianity has lost its meaning for us.

Now look, if you were going to go on a trip around Australia, you very much know that you have to prepare carefully: The vehicle and caravan to be checked over thoroughly and packed with everything necessary for whatever might happen; and many other things. None of us would even remotely have thought of doing all of this the day before. We all would be getting prepared and organised well ahead of time.

The same goes you ladies - with Christmas coming up and knowing that you are having a house full over Christmas, and as busy as you are with everything else: how many of you still wouldn't take great pains to getting the house tidy and lots of other preparations done. I am sure for many of you, you would have sleepless nights before letting any of those things go undone. And I could go on with many other examples as well.

But when we are reminded of Christ's coming to us, I wonder if the same priority is given to our preparations for him. Now if you knew Jesus was coming - for real this Christmas, and that he was going to come and spend some time with you personally: that he would go with you as you go about your everyday life as a real life person. What sorts of changes and preparations would take place in your life; as busy as you are with whatever?

For instance, would you be happy with; or more importantly would our Lord be happy with, some of the language you use; or the business deals you do; or the little white lies you tell; or perhaps your missing Church on Sunday morning because it is only a reading service or because you have got a game of sport to play or you want to do some cooking for some other friends who are coming to lunch. If the Lord Jesus were standing alongside you everyday, wouldn't there be some changes take place in the things you say, do or think? I'm sure there would be.

Yes if we knew for sure Jesus was coming to us this Christmas, I am sure many of us would have a dramatic change of heart. We would have a different attitude toward, who and what, was important in life: Our priorities and lifestyles in many cases would be considerably different. The importance and greatness of our Lord and what he has to say to us would become a far greater priority to our everyday life than it is at present. Yes, to know that he is coming to be with us for real, would mean for all us that there would be great changes to our lives.

Now of course we know John the Baptist’s message was that Jesus is coming. Christmas also reminds us of his coming into our world to be with his people. We need to remember that is a past event - in other words - Christ has come: he has entered our world. But he also has given us the promise that he is with us now always: that his Spirit is with us now and every day of our lives. Yes that is right: the Lord Jesus is now with you and goes with you as you live, work and play every day. He is with you even though you may not be able to see him.

Woops! Yes he is with us for real. Also remember that reading we had a few weeks ago, where we were reminded that Jesus is there in the hungry, thirsty, sick and imprisoned. At the same time wherever there is another Christian, there also stands the Lord Jesus Christ. As well, we have the baptismal font and the Lord’s Supper as constant reminders that our Lord is with us every day; that he is always near at hand.

So yes in light of what was said earlier, woops! We have mucked up rather badly haven't we? As the OT reading suggested; ‘we are like grass,’ and our own glory has again faded and deserted us. We are again brought to the realization that on our own we are in big trouble, because we ignore God's presence with us again and again: that we fail over and over again. The present world crisis is further evidence of this.

But in coming to this realization that we have failed, we are again turned away from ourselves to the Lord Jesus, and given hope for the future. In our failure, our lives are re-directed back to where they should be. Our thoughts are turned back to the Gospel: back to the Good News of Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection: back to the importance of God for all of life. We are reminded of our baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and that there all our failings and all sin is washed clean, and that we are made a member of God’s family.

So having that assurance of the absolute certainty of forgiveness we can go forward again to live and be the people that God would have us be. We are reminded also that at our baptism God's Spirit enters our lives and goes with us always to help, guide and direct us in our living as his people; but in particular he is there constantly seeking to point us to the Lord Jesus Christ and his presence and activity in our lives: and that all of this is more important than our money, material possessions and earthly pleasures.

That is the message of Christmas: God come to be with us and to save us: to live with us and bring eternal life to us. Surely that has to be the best thing that has ever, and can ever, happen to us. There we have something that is really special: a real Christmas gift. A truly great guest comes into our lives, homes and communities. Now if that is not more important than shrinking finances, the Christmas dinner, sport or anything else, then I don't know what. That would surely have to be the best thing that could ever happen in our lives.

And since it has happened to us - that Christ is with us – let us go out from here and make this Advent season what it is intended to be: a time of preparation – of, in a sense, a cleaning up of our spiritual house; of remembering that which is truly important in life. And in particular of a re-focussing of our hearts, minds and lives on the Lord Jesus Christ; and a re-affirming of the importance and reality of his presence and activity in everything we say and do. It is there that we will find the real joy of Christmas and the peace and goodwill that we all need.

So I pray that our gracious Lord will be with you and go with you now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba