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Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God (Psalm 42:5).
Read Psalm 42 and 43
The psalmist is a troubled soul – this reverberates through the verses that we have read. Three times, the psalmist questions, ‘Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?’ And three times, we read the reassurance, ‘Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.’
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we didn’t have much in the way of lockdowns here in South Australia. In fact, it was quite novel not to have to worry about any commitments and doing things. Instead, we could just be.
I know that in other places, people really struggled with the isolation and the limitations placed on them and that there are some long-term effects, particularly on children whose education and socialisation were seriously disrupted, leading to ongoing issues.
One thing I do recall is how much I missed going to church. I missed being with our community, the after-church socialisation and our worship – the liturgy, the confession and absolution, the hymns (I love to sing the hymns and give voice to what each hymn or song confesses – we have such a rich resource in our hymnody). Most of all, I missed the fellowship we experienced when gathered around the altar to receive Christ’s body and blood. Zoom church was a weak second-best!
I also recall the joyful celebration of our first Sunday back at church. I wrote in my diary on 12 July 2020:
Back to church at last – trumpets to welcome us. It was very moving to have a thundering organ, and so good to be able to sing again – some great hymns, church triumphant ones. And so comforting to, at last, meet together at the altar and receive holy communion.
As the psalmist writes, it was a joy and a delight to go to the altar of God.
Three times in today’s reading, we are reminded to put our hope in God. Whatever happens, we can put our hope in God. What a comfort that is in these days when we are experiencing so much that has never been experienced before. There are things we can worry about locally, not to mention in the world at large. We can also rest securely, believing that no matter what happens, we can put our hope in God.
Gracious God, thank you for the opportunities we have to come together, worship you and nurture our faith. Thank you for the gift of faith that enables us to hope even when things look hopeless. Thank you for the comfort that your promises give to us. Amen.
Colleen Fitzpatrick is retired and lives in Adelaide. She enjoys reading and writing. She particularly likes listening to people’s stories and learning from them about who they are and what they do. She loves nature and the beauty of God’s creation.
by Colleen Fitzpatrick
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For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt’ (Exodus 13:17b).
Read Exodus 13:17 – 14:4
What is the story of your family coming to this land? Three of my four grandparents came from pioneering stock from Germany in the 1860s or thereabouts. The fourth, from Sweden, jumped ship in Melbourne in the early 1900s, found work on my great-grandparents’ orchard, married their daughter and settled here.
If you think about it, those of us whose history or whose family history in Australia is less than 250 years are quite likely to have a refugee element lurking in our past – be it coming here for physical, economic, political or religious safety. Or maybe they were looking for a new start that provided different or better opportunities.
The number of people seeking safety and refuge worldwide today is growing exponentially. People are fleeing unspeakable scenarios of grief, loss, violence and insecurity. They don’t have a pillar of cloud in the day or a pillar of fire by night. The driving force for them is the dream of safety and security. Unless we have faced the dangers that they have left or that they endure in their search for safety, we cannot know what they have gone through. They have to choose between facing war, famine, violence, or the dangers and uncertainties that come with leaving.
Rather than distance ourselves from these challenging realities, what we can do is welcome strangers, listen to their stories and show them hospitality.
It’s worth revisiting Matthew 25:31–58. Jesus was very clear about the importance of caring for those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick or in prison. It’s the same message that Jesus taught in the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
There are two types of ministry that we can engage in to share Christ’s love with others: the ministry of proclamation, through which we share the good news, and the ministry of service, by which we care for those in need. There are ample opportunities for you and for me to engage in both. And through our ministry, the Holy Spirit can work in the hearts of those with whom we share.
Ever-present and unchanging God, help us to see your face in the face of those who are seeking refuge. Open our hearts to people in need and help us to generously share the gifts that you have given each of us. Amen.
Colleen Fitzpatrick is retired and lives in Adelaide. She enjoys reading and writing. She particularly likes listening to people’s stories and learning from them about who they are and what they do. She loves nature and the beauty of God’s creation.
by Colleen Fitzpatrick
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt’ (Exodus 13:8).
Read Exodus 13:3–16
This year has been 50 years since my husband, John, and I got engaged and married. When we were looking to buy an engagement ring, a colleague took us to a pawn shop and helped us select a suitable ring, which we then bought at auction. It is a beautiful ring – a sweetheart design – and was manufactured 25 years before our purchase. I sometimes wonder who the original owner was and why the ring ended up at a pawn shop. I am also very conscious that in buying that ring, we were redeeming it.
These days, the concept of redemption seems to be the domain of shops that take your goods and give you money, which you then have to pay (exorbitant) interest on until you redeem your goods with money. People who use such services are those who are struggling to make ends meet.
However, in today’s reading, guidelines are set down that are to be observed to ensure the Israelites remain aware of God’s might in bringing them out of Egypt to the Promised Land. Not only were there dietary requirements, but the firstborn of people and livestock had to be redeemed. The firstborn of the livestock was to be killed, and the firstborn child had to be bought back from the Lord. If the livestock is not redeemed, it is to be killed.
This practice continued until New Testament times; in fact, we read about Mary and Joseph offering two pairs of birds at the temple, as presumably they could not afford to sacrifice a lamb.
Jesus’ death and resurrection ensure we are redeemed. No more sacrifices are necessary to guarantee our salvation. No more rules are required! Now, that’s a redemption I can live with!
Redeeming God, thank you for sending your Son to die for us so that all of our sins and obligations would no longer be counted. Thank you for your saving grace that we don’t have to earn. Amen.
Colleen Fitzpatrick is retired and lives in Adelaide. She enjoys reading and writing. She particularly likes listening to people’s stories and learning from them about who they are and what they do. She loves nature and the beauty of God’s creation.
by Colleen Fitzpatrick
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[Pharaoh said,] ‘Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me’ (Exodus 12:32).
Read Exodus 12:29–39
My dad used to respond to a sneeze with a resounding ‘Gesundheit’ – a delightfully onomatopoeic word that means ‘Good health’. If there were multiple sneezes, the response was sometimes the rhyme, ‘One for a wish, two for a kiss, three for a letter, four for something better’, which can be extended to ‘Five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told’. Or how often have you sneezed and someone says, ‘Bless you’? To me, this is a form of invoking God’s blessing on the sneezer.
I’m not sure whether Pharaoh was hedging his bets when he asked for a blessing as he sent Moses and Aaron on their way. And I guess he was not working up to a sneeze! But it seems to me that it was an odd request. Maybe it was born out of anguish for the losses that he had suffered, including that of his firstborn. We don’t know how Moses and Aaron responded to Pharaoh’s request.
Sometimes, people who aren’t usually associated with the church or profess not to have any faith ask for prayers when things go wrong. When I mentioned this to one of my friends, they responded, ‘I think it’s fine for us to be a “first aid station.” Sometimes, people start regular care once they’ve experienced emergency care, and that’s a good thing, too.’ I love that explanation!
I encourage you to be bold and offer prayer support to your friends, neighbours and family members who may not be part of a church community. I have offered prayer support to many people, and it has never been rebuffed.
In the meantime, let’s continue blessing the sneezers in our community! I’m sure there’ll be lots of opportunities as winter takes hold.
Our prayer is the Aaronic Blessing that was given to Moses, handed to Aaron and has even been passed down to us today – and maybe (but probably not) Aaron pronounced this blessing over Pharaoh.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
Colleen Fitzpatrick is retired and lives in Adelaide. She enjoys reading and writing. She particularly likes listening to people’s stories and learning from them about who they are and what they do. She loves nature and the beauty of God’s creation.
by Colleen Fitzpatrick
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord – a lasting ordinance (Exodus 12:14).
Read Exodus 12:1–14
These are indeed very precise instructions. Can you imagine what it must have been like for the Israelites, being told so exactly what to do? These days, some of us really don’t like being told what to do, and it is not uncommon for authority to be questioned. Do you always pay your fare on public transport? How many people ignore traffic rules and use their mobile phones while driving? Are there some tricky tax options that you have found to reduce what you have to pay each year?
The instructions given for the Passover continue to be remembered and celebrated within the Jewish tradition to this day. Our celebration of holy communion comes from Jesus’ celebration of the Passover with his disciples on the night he was betrayed.
This celebration is one of the two sacraments through which we receive the gift of God’s grace through earthly, tangible elements: baptism through water and holy communion through the bread and the wine. These sacraments bring us comfort and a uniquely intimate relationship with God; these gifts are just for you and for me. Through the Lord’s supper, we have the assurance of the remission of our sins. They are taken away – completely cancelled each time we participate in that sacrament.
The term ‘ordinance’ that is used here means that it is a permanent institution, and we are carrying forward that tradition each time we celebrate the Lord’s supper, even though we do not need to fulfil all of the Passover instructions anymore.
God of yesterday, today and tomorrow, thank you for all the times that you have led us from troubled times to a safe place. Thank you for continually keeping us mindful of the past as we receive the sacraments. Thank you for the comfort we receive each time we gather together at your table. Amen.
Colleen Fitzpatrick is retired and lives in Adelaide. She enjoys reading and writing. She particularly likes listening to people’s stories and learning from them about who they are and what they do. She loves nature and the beauty of God’s creation.
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
… all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived (Exodus 10:23b).
Read Exodus 10:21 – 11:10
Things haven’t been going all that well for the Egyptians. They have had eight plagues before the plague of darkness:
- The water in the Nile River was turned into blood.
- Frogs arrived in plague proportions.
- Gnats plagued humans and animals.
- Next came flies.
- The livestock of the Egyptians became diseased and died.
- Humans and animals were infected with festering boils.
- Thunder, lightning and hail destroyed everything in the open.
- Locusts came and ate everything that the hail hadn’t destroyed.
Today’s reading tells us of the ‘darkness that can be felt’ – people could not see anything or go anywhere for three days. Still, Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go. Moses and Aaron warned Pharaoh of the final plague; however, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and the people could not leave.
I wonder what the Egyptian people were thinking? It’s hard to imagine what it must have been like for the Egyptians. A plague of gnats – itchy bites for everyone; flies – getting in your mouth, your hair, your food – not much fun at all; thunder and lightning destroying crops and flocks – who is left to provide food for the community?
I recall driving through a plague of locusts. They got stuck in the front of the car and on the engine – and the smell … It was impossible to get rid of them until our neighbour came to the rescue with a high-pressure water cleaner. And have you ever had a boil or carbuncle? The throbbing pain of one is uncomfortable. Multiples of them don’t bear thinking about.
There was no media; however, I would guess there was a lot of chatter among the community. Would people have been blaming Pharaoh for what was happening? Blaming those in power when things go wrong can provide an outlet for people to vent their frustration and disappointment about things that appear beyond their control.
So, what do we do when things aren’t going our way or when we don’t agree with something that is happening in our church, community, country or the world? Many of us are probably asking the question about what’s happening today.
There’s some Old Testament wisdom that provides some guidance: ‘He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’ (Micah 6:8).
As we navigate the challenges that life presents, may God give each of us the grace required to live according to those words.
Merciful God, thank you that you are with us no matter what is happening to us and in the world. Help us to do what you require of us: do good, act justly and walk humbly with you. Amen.
Colleen Fitzpatrick is retired and lives in Adelaide. She enjoys reading and writing. She particularly likes listening to people’s stories and learning from them about who they are and what they do. She loves nature and the beauty of God’s creation.
by Colleen Fitzpatrick
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But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth (John 16:13a).
Read John 16:12–15
Our world seems to be dominated by media – social media, web media, news media, print media, and, of course, now artificial intelligence is in the mix. Sometimes, it’s hard to know what the truth really is, what we can believe and what sources we can trust. It’s all very confusing and rather worrying.
Today’s verse highlights God’s guidance, which provides us with an interactive relationship with God, giving direction and purpose to our daily lives. In John 15:26, Jesus promises that an Advocate (sometimes called Paraclete), the Spirit of truth, will come who will bear witness to Jesus and what Jesus has done for us.
We don’t have to rely on any of our current media formats to provide the truth. It is simple and has remained the same for millennia: Jesus came to be among us, to die for us, and to save us from our sins, so that we and all who believe can look forward to entering our heavenly home when the time comes for us to leave this life. And that’s the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!
We believe this truth that we have known since our baptism. In our faith journey, this truth is repeated and reinforced for us every time we go to church, when we study the Bible and when we share with our Christian friends. It is also the central message of many of the hymns and songs we sing. I love our hymns and the way we express our beliefs and what God has done for us through this medium.
Nothing is stopping us from sharing this precious truth so that others can come to know it too, with the help of that same Spirit of truth, who can work in us and strengthen our knowledge and faith. And with that faith, we have hope – hope for all that Jesus has done and will do for us.
Spirit of truth, thank you for remaining steadfastly the same. Strengthen our faith so that we remain constant to the beliefs that you have planted and nurtured within us. Help us to share that truth with others. Amen.
Colleen Fitzpatrick is retired and lives in Adelaide. She enjoys reading and writing. She particularly likes listening to people’s stories and learning from them about who they are and what they do. She loves nature and the beauty of God’s creation.
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26).
Read Romans 8:18–30
When my children were younger, there were times when I found myself interceding on their behalf. Often, this occurred in circumstances where they lacked the maturity, capacity or self-knowledge to articulate for themselves what was in their best interest. Sometimes, as their mother who loves them, I was able to communicate their deep needs better than they could.
Whereas we are limited to using words to intercede for those we know and love, today’s text tells us that the Spirit intercedes with ‘groanings too deep for words’. It is an expression of pleading, which is more intimate than human words can express or apprehend.
The same Spirit who dwells within us knows us fully and intercedes on our behalf. He is also fully conversant with the heart and mind of God because he is God. Despite our limitations, pride, selfishness and blind spots, we can be certain that as the Spirit intercedes, his intercessions are completely received by God and in tune with God himself.
While our prayers are constrained by the way we curve in on ourselves due to our sinful state, the Spirit attends to our weaknesses. He transforms them in line with the will of God, who works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). We are assured that the Spirit, who knows us better than we know ourselves, strengthens and takes up our pleas with a passionate intimacy that is beyond human words.
There were no doubt times when my intercessions on behalf of my children were misguided. Fortunately, the Spirit doesn’t make such mistakes. We can pray in confidence that the Spirit intercedes in truth, wisdom and in line with the mind and heart of God.
What deep things of the heart are you struggling to find words to express to God? Let the Spirit intercede on your behalf.
Pray for Australian Lutheran College. Thank God for its support of the teaching of Lutheran theology among the LCA International Mission partners.
Dr Merryn Ruwoldt is the Academic Dean at Australian Lutheran College.
by Evaena Sumbayak
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You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you (Romans 8:9a).
Read Romans 8:1–17
In this season of Pentecost, we are reminded of the profound role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Today’s text offers us a powerful message about the contrast between living according to the flesh and living by the Spirit. The flesh, marked by sin, leads to death, while the Spirit brings life, enabling us to live righteously.
Paul emphasises that the Spirit of God is not a distant force but dwells within us. This is the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, and it is through this Spirit that we experience spiritual resurrection. Although our physical bodies are still subject to sin and death, the Spirit brings us life through righteousness, transforming us from the inside out.
Living by the Spirit is more than just following rules; it is about embracing a new way of life empowered by God’s presence. The Spirit guides us to resist the desires of the flesh and live in a way that reflects God’s righteousness. It is through the Spirit that we participate in God’s redemptive story, not merely as passive followers but as active witnesses to God’s love and power.
Pentecost reminds us that the Holy Spirit is not confined to the early church but is alive and working in believers today. The Spirit empowers us to live out God’s will, to love others, and to be agents of change in the world. He is a continuous presence, equipping us to reflect God’s character in our daily lives.
In this Pentecost season, let us open our hearts to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit and be reminded of the new life we have in Christ, both now and in eternity.
How is the Holy Spirit at work in your life? To what degree are you allowing the Spirit to guide your actions, shape your character and lead you toward a life of righteousness and peace?
Pray for the National Committee Lutheran World Federation in Indonesia (KN-LWF), as the Spirit works in and through it to bring life-transforming grace to others.
Evaena Sumbayak is the Program Officer, Gender Justice, Child Policy, Disability and Education, at KN-LWF, Indonesia.