Bishops letter October 2026
Why church? Why a Lutheran church?
From time to time why do we need a Lutheran church? Is it just based on culture or tradition or something else?
The story for the Lutheran church began in 1517, when Martin Luther, a catholic monk at the time, discovered the Gospel of Jesus in the scriptures. This was different to what he was seeing and hearing at the time through the church, so he challenged the church to focus on what the Gospel really is……that the Gospel is that we are saved and given life through the actions of Jesus, and not what we do or must do. He was influenced by:
John 3:16-17: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4: Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
Romans 1:16-17 – 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
And so, our focus as a Lutheran church is one of focussing on, emphasising and relying on the Gospel of Jesus, God’s actions…. which can be relied on to give us true life!!!
So, every time we gather as church, whether it be for worship, a meeting, some fellowship, a bible study or any other occasion I always find it helpful to remember that God is always loving us and others and God is giving us the gift of a loving life……
And from late October to early November I look forward to visiting all our congregations in New Zealand to hear how they are living receiving and sharing God’s Gospel in their context……and if you would like to catch up with me in person feel free to reach out by emailing me at richard.schwedes@lca.org.au
Bishop Richard Schwedes
October 2026
Sydney, NSW
