The gift of understanding
by Gabriele Hoerschelmann
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We, though many, are one body in Christ (Romans 12:5a).
Read Romans 12:1–8
What troublesome but exciting times! How frightened the disciples must have been after Jesus’ death at the cross, then the news brought by the women that he had risen from the dead, and now some of them were witnessing Christ’s ascension to heaven. It must have felt like a rollercoaster, with steep ups and downs, with changing moods and emotions, with despair and hope taking turns.
How understandable that on the day of Pentecost they were all gathered in one place. They sought safe community and comforting companionship with one another. As close friends, they wanted to be together, because who knows what’s to be expected next? And how right they were.
In Acts 2, we read: ‘And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.’ What a frightening experience this must have been. And this wasn’t even enough: ‘Divided tongues as of fire appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.’ They suddenly and unexpectedly saw and felt the Holy Spirit like fire resting on each one of them and filling the whole place where they were gathering.
They next experienced the Holy Spirit enabling them to understand each other, no matter which language they were speaking. It caused considerable amazement among those gathered who asked, ‘What does this mean?’ But, of course, the sneering from some others was inevitable as well.
But let’s ask why understanding each other, despite different languages, was the gift the Holy Spirit gave the believers gathered in the very first place. This unity isn’t something we create ourselves, but a gift from Christ, who made us one through his death and resurrection, and who continues to gather us by his Spirit.
We know that good relationships grow and thrive with good communication. Listening to each other helps understanding, and understanding the other helps overcome arguments. This is important for every community in the world, and it’s important for gaining peace among people. As people whom the Holy Spirit has already brought into one body, listening to one another helps us live out this unity. As we seek to understand one another’s perspectives, our community grows in unity.
People are different, as are their life experiences and often also their opinions. But this shouldn’t divide us as Christian sisters and brothers in this world. The Holy Spirit came among us so that we may understand and see each other with Christ’s love, despite all differences. What a wonderful gift. Let us treasure it and not waste it, so our community may grow, live and thrive. Amen.
Is there someone you need to listen to more carefully? How might greater understanding strengthen your relationships?
Pray that Mission EineWelt will be continually guided by the Holy Spirit, so that through Christ they foster unity, understanding and loving fellowship across all cultures and communities.
Dr Gabriele Hoerschelmann is the director of Mission EineWelt in Germany.
The gift of unity
by Renny Khoo
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Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul (Acts 4:32a).
Read Acts 4:32–37
The people gathered in Acts 4 weren’t a naturally uniform or harmonious group. They were ordinary men and women from varied social, cultural and economic backgrounds, drawn together through Jesus Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit.
Among them were fishermen from Galilee like Peter and John, tax collectors such as Matthew, zealots like Simon the Zealot, widows, families, pilgrims from many regions and wealthy landowners who possessed houses or fields. Acts 2 also tells us that Jews from across the Roman world, speaking different languages and shaped by different cultures, were present in Jerusalem during Pentecost. Many of the natural barriers that normally divide people were still present. Yet something deeper had happened among them. They had encountered the crucified and risen Christ.
The disciples themselves had previously struggled with rivalry, fear, misunderstanding and self-interest. Before the resurrection, they argued about who was greatest. At Jesus’ arrest, many fled in fear. Peter denied even knowing Jesus. The unity described in Acts was, therefore, not evidence of unusually virtuous people finally getting along. It resulted from God’s gracious work among broken people.
Several things reshaped and reoriented them.
Firstly, they were gathered by a shared dependence on Christ. They knew they had received mercy, forgiveness and new life not because they deserved it, but because of God’s grace. Standing together at the foot of the cross humbled them all equally.
Secondly, they were formed through waiting and prayer. After Jesus’ ascension, the believers gathered continually in prayer and expectation (Acts 1:14). Their unity was cultivated not through strategy, but through shared attentiveness to God.
Thirdly, the coming of the Holy Spirit gave them a new identity. At Pentecost, the Spirit didn’t erase their differences but created a new community in which those differences no longer defined their primary belonging. They became one body in Christ.
Finally, the resurrection reoriented their understanding of possessions, security and neighbour. If Christ had conquered death and inaugurated God’s kingdom, then material goods no longer needed to be clutched tightly. Their confidence rested in God’s provision and in their shared life together. Generosity became possible because fear began to lose its hold.
This is why Acts describes such remarkable unity. It wasn’t uniformity, nor was it human idealism. It was a Spirit-created fellowship shaped by grace, prayer, resurrection hope and a new understanding of belonging in Christ.
How has God’s grace changed the way you view your possessions, your time and the people around you? What opportunity do you have to share his generosity?
Pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to strengthen the Basel Christian Church of Malaysia congregations in faith, prayer and unity. Pray that through their shared life in Christ, the church would be a powerful witness to God’s grace and a source of hope and encouragement to the communities they serve.
Pastor Renny Khoo is the dean of Basel Christian Church of Malaysia.
One in Christ
The devotions for this week are featured in LCA International Mission’s 2026 ‘Pentecost Devotional and Prayer Guide’ and are written by mission partners from around the world. LCA International Mission invites you to pray during Pentecost for the connections and ministries of our international partners. An electronic copy of the full devotional is available to download at the LCA International Mission website. Please email lcaim@lca.org.au or phone 08 8267 7317 to request a printed copy. by Touch KeovsreyLiak
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There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
Read Galatians 3:19–28
In Cambodian society, people are often identified by their family background, occupation, education level or economic status. These factors can easily become the basis for how people value themselves and others, creating barriers and divisions between individuals and communities. Some may feel important because of their position or achievements, while others may feel insignificant or unworthy of the same respect and dignity.
Yet in Galatians 3:28, the Apostle Paul boldly declares: ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’
This doesn’t mean that our differences disappear. God created each person with unique gifts, cultures, languages, personalities and experiences. Diversity is part of God’s good creation. However, these differences no longer determine our ultimate identity or worth. Our most important identity is that we’re children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Within the church, we encounter people from many different backgrounds. Some are wealthy, while others struggle financially. Some have received higher education, while others have had limited opportunities. Some are young, and others are old. Yet when we stand before the cross, we all share the same need for God’s grace, and we all receive the same gift of salvation through Christ.
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples as they were gathered together in one place. They were different people with different stories and personalities, yet they were united by the same Lord. The Holy Spirit continues this work today, gathering people from every nation, culture and social background into one family of God.
As Christians in Cambodia, where social distinctions and cultural expectations can sometimes separate people, we’re called to live differently. We’re invited to see one another not through the lens of status, education, ethnicity, or social standing, but through the lens of Christ’s love. In him, we belong to one another because we first belong to him.
Let us, therefore, live in the gift of this unity. May we not allow our differences to become walls that divide us, but opportunities to reflect the richness of God’s kingdom. Our unity isn’t founded on being alike; it’s founded on our shared belonging to Jesus Christ, who has made us one through faith.
Which differences between people do you find hardest to look beyond? How does your shared identity in Christ shape your view of others?
Pray that God will strengthen the unity of the Lutheran Church in Cambodia, helping believers to welcome and value one another as members of one family in Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to break down barriers of social status, education, ethnicity, age and economic position, and to help the church be a living witness to God’s love, grace and acceptance.
Rev Touch KeovsreyLiak is the bishop of the Lutheran Church in Cambodia.
Going first
by Sivin Kit
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First be reconciled to your brother or sister (Matthew 5:24b).
Read Matthew 5:21–26
The room went silent. A participant had openly challenged a presenter. In my Malaysian–Chinese world, public criticism and embarrassment cut deep, especially when the critic holds more power. My instinct was to let it fade, but this would signal the behaviour was acceptable. I didn’t voice it then, but later, I found the courage to reach out. We sat down, and I said, ‘Your outburst wasn’t right.’ The conversation between us was uncomfortable. But paradoxically necessary. And liberating.
The pull to avoid conflict is real. True peace can’t ignore it. In Matthew 5, Jesus unpacks how conflict begins. It doesn’t jump straight to murder. The battle brews within us: anger hidden in our hearts, the dismissive insult, then the word that cuts through: ‘You fool.’ Long before anyone raises a fist, walls go up one thought at a time.
After the damage is done, who must go first? Not the person who was hurt, but the one who caused the offence. And yet I wrestled with this: if the offender never goes, the burden falls on the one wounded. But here I was in a third position. I chose to comfort the offended first, then speak to the offender. Peacemaking is picking up broken pieces and making a mosaic.
At the recent council meeting of the Lutheran World Federation, a global communion of churches from over 99 countries, we began morning prayer by facing one another and saying: ‘Forgive me, a sinner.’ The reply came, sometimes with a sign of the cross: ‘God forgives.’ Then together, each in our own language, we prayed the Lord’s Prayer, the words ‘forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us’ rising in many tongues at once. Different languages, drawn together by the same Spirit who fell on the disciples gathered in prayer at Pentecost.
Many are hungry for reconciliation. In Malaysia, Malay–Muslim friends greet one another at their festivals with ‘Maaf, Zahir Batin’, which means ‘Forgive me, inside and out’. As Christians, we share that hunger but stand on this ground: we forgive because God has first forgiven us.
So who is going first? Perhaps you’re the one who must initiate. Perhaps you’re called to name how you’ve been hurt, or you find yourself in between. In the end, the offender did reach out. There was an apology. Forgiveness. Some healing. I don’t know if there was full reconciliation. But at least there was movement in the right direction.
Blessed are the peacemakers. Not because it’s easy. But because when we go first, what was ugly can turn into something new and even something beautiful.
Is there someone with whom you need to seek peace? What step might God be calling you to take toward reconciliation?
Pray for God to give the Lutheran World Federation leaders and members the courage to address conflicts honestly, the grace to seek reconciliation and the wisdom to be peacemakers in a divided world. Pray that, across languages, cultures and nations, the global Lutheran communion will bear witness to the reconciling love of Christ and reflect the unity created by the Holy Spirit.
Rev Dr Sivin Kit is the director for Theology, Mission and Justice for The Lutheran World Federation.
Toward one another
The devotions for this week are featured in LCA International Mission’s 2026 ‘Pentecost Devotional and Prayer Guide’ and are written by mission partners from around the world. LCA International Mission invites you to pray during Pentecost for the connections and ministries of our international partners. An electronic copy of the full devotional is available to download at the LCA International Mission website.
by Lydia Jarupong
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If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone (Matthew 18:15a).
Read Matthew 18:15–20
As someone who works with people from diverse nationalities, languages and cultures, I’ve learnt that unity isn’t always easy. Differences can easily lead to misunderstandings. Even good intentions can be interpreted differently, and if left unaddressed, small issues can gradually grow into distance.
At times, I feel tired: too tired to explain, too tired to speak, and unwilling to enter another difficult conversation. At times, I also recognise that I may be the one who causes others to stumble, whether through my personality or the way I communicate. Because of this, I sometimes choose to avoid facing problems directly, afraid of damaging relationships or making things worse.
Yet silence doesn’t bring healing. In Matthew 18:15–20, Jesus teaches us to go to one another not to accuse, but to restore. Through his death and resurrection, Christ has already reconciled us to God. We’re called to seek reconciliation with one another. This requires honesty, humility and the courage to speak the truth in love, even when it feels uncomfortable.
When I begin to see those around me as family, my perspective changes. In a family, a father desires his children to talk to one another. Siblings may argue, but they don’t remain separated forever. They find their way back to each other. In the same way, we’re called to live as one family in Christ.
Often, our conflicts come from the same desire: that the work may move forward and that what we do may honour God. When we remember this, it becomes easier to return to one another, listen and seek understanding. Our differences of culture, language and personality are no longer barriers, but expressions of the beauty God has created in each of us.
Jesus also reminds us that he is present among us when we gather in his name. This means that he is with us not only in unity, but also in the process of restoring it.
Because Christ is already at work among us, unity is lived out through honesty and restoration. It calls us not to run away, but to move toward one another with grace. Even now, I’m still learning not to run away, but to stay, trusting God in the process and believing he can bring healing, restore relationships and draw us together as one family for his purpose.
Are you avoiding a conversation that could bring healing? How might Christ help you approach it with truth and love?
Pray for the Strong and Safe Family Project in Thailand, that the Holy Spirit will guide its work in strengthening relationships and restoring families and give the staff wisdom, patience and courage to walk alongside others with grace.
Lydia Jarupong is a staff member of the Strong and Safe Family Project of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand.
Created for relationship
The devotions for this week are featured in LCA International Mission’s 2026 ‘Pentecost Devotional and Prayer Guide’ and are written by mission partners from around the world. LCA International Mission invites you to pray during Pentecost for the connections and ministries of our international partners. An electronic copy of the full devotional is available to download at the LCA International Mission website.
by Dr Stefan Gradl
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So God created humans in his image (Genesis 1:27a).
Read Genesis 1:26,27
Let’s start early. Not on day six, when God creates human beings, nor on day three, when the plants are created. Not even on day one, when God starts creating. Let’s start before day one, when there’s no creation, only God.
Already, then, there are relations. God isn’t only relating to creation; there is relationship within God. Our God is triune: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each is fully God, and yet distinct. So, even before creation, God isn’t one isolated person. There’s an eternal ‘We’, not just an ‘I’. The very nature of our God is relational.
Because God is relational, we’re relational. God says, ‘Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness.’ This is the starting point of God’s relationship with us. Before we measure ourselves by achievement, ability or social standing, we must receive the truth God declares: we belong to him. Our worth isn’t earned; it’s bestowed.
As God is relational, being created in his image means we’re made for relationship with God and other people. Though sin has broken this relationship and distorted God’s image in us, in Christ we’re restored and drawn back into right relationship with God and one another.
When we look at human beings, we see differences. No two people are alike. Genesis 1:27 says, ‘So God created them in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.’ Gender differences aren’t to cause division, but rather to reveal the fullness of God’s image through diverse perspectives and shared life. We may add other differences as well: culture, traditions, language, education and personality. We humans are all different, and that is precisely why we can complement one another.
We find unity in this diversity by being made in God’s image. When our identity is rooted in God’s image, we stop treating other people as competitors or threats. We begin to see them as fellow image-bearers made for connection, dignity and purpose. Being created in God’s image isn’t to separate us from others, but to draw us toward each other until our lives become a sign that belonging is God’s gift and unity is his work.
What does it mean for you to see others as people created in God’s image? How might this shape the way you relate to those who are different from you?
Pray that the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong will continue to form leaders who are grounded in God’s word and equipped to serve Christ’s church in diverse contexts.
Dr Stefan Gradl is the associate professor of missiology and Christian education at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong.
Superman’s funeral notice
by Jonathan Krause
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They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness (Psalm 145:7).
Read Psalm 145:1–8
When I used to train young people in leadership and ethical living, one of the first things I did was ask them to write a funeral notice for themselves.
This was inspired by an elderly man called Stanley, who died after being struck by a car near my place. His family and friends placed a whole column of notices in the paper about the life he’d lived – his kindness, compassion and generosity, and the inspiration he’d been to them.
Stanley’s grandchildren summed it up by writing: ‘Fly like Superman, Poppa.’
When I challenged the young people to write their funeral notices, I wanted them to think about who they wanted to be, even if that was not who they were right now.
I was reminded of this when I read the words of this psalm.
Would someone ever write something about my life similar to what the psalmist wrote about God?
Of course, it wouldn’t be as magnificent as ‘greatness’ or ‘glorious’. There’d be no use of words like ‘splendour’, ‘wondrous’ or ‘abundant’ … and yet, could they look at my life and see at least some glimpses of ‘goodness’, ‘steadfast love’ and ‘graciousness’?
This came into special focus for me after spending a weekend with my grandkids.
What example was I modelling to them?
It’s more than just the things we do together – the perfect purple pancakes that manage to flour the whole kitchen … the ‘you-can-never-escape’ knee-lock game we invented … the ‘Tallest Tower to Topple’ building blocks construction destruction distraction … rather, it’s those simple values of kindness, grace and love. Those things are inspired in me by the command and example of Jesus. Not just in the words I say but in the things I do.
When the day comes that my life is remembered in a newspaper funeral notice, what will my grandchildren say? Those who love me? Those who know me as a neighbour, work colleague or friend?
I can never be a superman, but I hope my life will always point to the one who is.
Lord, what a blessing it is that I can come to you in all my weakness, with all my flaws, and yet have you love me and count me precious. Help me share this with others, in all that I do, each day of my life. Amen.
Jonathan describes himself as a ‘happy husband, proud dad and grandad, ALWS worker and ALWayS a Magpie fan’.
Beyond a beggar
by Jonathan Krause
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How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? (1 John 3:17)
Read 1 John 3:16–24
The lady was a widow and a beggar.
When I met her in a little village in remote Bangladesh, she showed me the handful of rice she’d begged for that morning. Then she gestured for me to sit down while she cooked it for us to share.
I’d come from one of the world’s richest countries, from a comfortable house, a beautiful family, and all of the things you and I take for granted as essentials – clean, fresh water at the turn of a tap, a supermarket full of endless food choices, electricity to keep us warm and cool and entertained.
This lady was a widow and a beggar.
I’d come to thank her. She had come into the aid agency with a few coins she’d gathered, and handed them over, demanding we use them to help ‘the poor people’.
Despite her own condition, she saw others in more need than herself and gave the little she had for them. What love!
I took her photo and shared her story back in Australia. A few months later, a 17-year-old girl wrote to me and told me how that widow beggar had changed her life. It inspired her to change her career choice, from a high-flying, high-paid legal job to a social worker so that she could help others.
When we reflect God’s love for us by extending it to others, we should never be surprised by the impact this love can have.
Working at ALWS, I’ve seen how it goes beyond the practical impact we may have on our ‘brother or sister in need’. The hope we can bring, the reassurance that someone cares – this can be inspiration for life.
So, if we choose not to help someone in need, while we may keep the money with which we’ve been blessed, we also miss out on the joy that comes when we bring love to life for others.
Just like so much of what Jesus teaches us, that can seem challenging or countercultural or simply go against our human instincts.
Yet I’ve learnt that loving our neighbour can be freeing, inspiring and an example to all those around us of what God’s love means in our lives.
Even if we are ‘only’ a widow and a beggar.
Jesus, your life shows me how I should live my life for others. Please give me your strength to do this, hold me to account when I don’t and keep showing me the joy when love comes to life. Amen.
Jonathan describes himself as a ‘happy husband, proud dad and grandad, ALWS worker and proud Magpie fan’.
Flea, flee or free?
by Jonathan Krause
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… for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea (1 Samuel 26:20b).
Read 1 Samuel 26:5–25
Isn’t this just like yesterday’s reading? Two parties, far apart, one fearing the other, one brooding for revenge. Yet instead of the kind of bloodthirsty climax we’d expect if this were a Netflix show, a peaceable way forward is found.
Yesterday, it was Esau embracing and welcoming Jacob – Jacob was expecting to be the victim of what he likely thought was justifiable revenge for his act of trickery.
Today, it is David in a position to kill King Saul, who pursued David into the mountains in a fury of jealousy. Killing Saul would ensure David both safety and status … yet David holds back, knowing it would be going against God’s plan.
While David could have taken the opportunity to humiliate Saul, he instead humbles himself, calling himself a ‘flea’.
Could I do the same?
Is my trust in God complete enough that I will follow God’s command and plan? Even when my own human logic, my inbuilt desire for power and success, and the urging of those around me who see strength only in human terms, would lead me to do otherwise?
How hard it can be to be humble. Especially when we live in such a ‘Look-at-me’ world.
I think of social media influencers. Celebrities famous for being outrageous, rather than doing anything worthwhile. Footballers who kick a goal and then run to the boundary with their arms in the air, seeking the crowd’s acclaim, rather than turning to thank their teammates who did the hard work to make the goal possible.
Jesus shows us a different way.
In Philippians 2:8, we read that ‘Christ humbled himself and became obedient unto death’. Because Jesus has done that for us, we no longer need to fear being only a flea in the face of the world, nor do we need to flee the challenges and dangers it places before us.
Instead, Jesus has set us free. All we need to be is humble enough to trust.
Lord, sometimes it can be hard to place all my trust in you. My pride and confidence in my own powers get in the way. Sometimes the challenges I face seem too overwhelming, or I struggle to see you near me. Help me be humble enough to always place my trust in you in all ways. Amen.
Jonathan describes himself as a ‘happy husband, proud dad and grandad, ALWS worker and long-suffering Magpie fan’.