The following pastoral letter was shared with the St Augustine’s congregation after Holy Week. It reflects on our Easter services, expresses thanksgiving for all who served, and offers encouragement as we enter the season of Eastertide.
With Holy Week now behind us, I would like to share with you a brief report – at least from my perspective – on how our Holy Week and Easter services unfolded in our church, and also to update you on what we can look forward to in the coming weeks.
This past Holy Week was the first that my family and I have shared with you here in Unley, and it was a great joy to participate together in all the services held in our church. First and foremost, when we reflect on Holy Week, we are drawn to the deeper meaning behind these sacred occasions. In the preface to the Good Friday service sheet, I quoted from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer: “It is central to the Christian faith that, through his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has accomplished for us ‘a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.’” This is, of course, what the Bible teaches, and it gives me great joy that all our Holy Week services were centred on the saving sacrifice of our Lord upon the cross and his glorious resurrection. Many of you have shared that you were blessed by the services, strengthened in your faith and drawn closer to the Lord as a result.
We began our observance of Holy Week with our Palm Sunday services on March 29th. A particularly meaningful aspect of the service was the procession with palm and olive branches. The church was beautifully decorated, and each person received a palm cross, all of which served to remind us of our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem – an event recorded in all four Gospels, and the focus of the sermon. The theme of the day was the kingship of Jesus: the true King entering Jerusalem, yet in a manner altogether different from any earthly ruler. He comes not in power and spectacle, but in humility, riding on a donkey. And as we now understand in light of all that followed, this King did not come to lead an armed rebellion against Rome, but to ascend the cross in order to deal with the deeper problem that afflicts not only Israel, but all humanity – the problem of sin.
Here, the Christian understanding of the human condition differs profoundly from other worldviews. While many would identify humanity’s greatest problems as economic, educational, or physical, the Christian faith teaches that our fundamental problem is spiritual: sin. All other problems are, in one way or another, symptoms of this deeper condition. Jesus came to address this root problem, and it is precisely this that defines his kingship. As theologian D A Carson has said, "If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent us an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, he would have sent us a politician. If he had perceived that our greatest need was health, he would have sent us a doctor. But he perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from him, our profound rebellion, our death; and he sent us a Saviour." There is much here for us to reflect upon. We also remember that there is a “not yet” dimension to Christ’s reign, of which the apostle Paul speaks in Philippians 2:10–11: that in God’s appointed time, “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
On Maundy Thursday, we held a special service that combined elements of remembrance and fellowship. It recalled the Passover, that familiar feast from the Old Testament, and also celebrated the Lord’s Supper within the context of a shared meal – echoing the night on which our Lord was betrayed, when he ate with his disciples. The service also included the practice of hand washing (in place of foot washing), which enabled many to participate more readily, and it was encouraging to see everyone take part. The service concluded with the stripping of the altar, a deeply moving act that reminded us of the suffering and humiliation our Lord willingly endured for our sake.
Our Good Friday service, the Solemn Liturgy of the Cross, was held at 2pm – different from previous years. This time was chosen to more closely align with the hour of our Lord’s death, lending a particular solemnity and meaning to the occasion. The service was reflective and reverent, consisting of Scripture readings, hymns, a sermon, prayers and the procession of a wooden cross from the front of the church to the baptismal font.
Our Easter Day celebrations of Christ’s glorious resurrection were well attended, with over 80 people at the 9.30am service and over 50 at the 11.15am service. I preached from John 20:1–18, a passage that recounts both the discovery of the empty tomb and the dawning realisation among the first disciples that Christ was indeed risen. I emphasised that the resurrection is not merely an event of the past, but a present reality for believers – that Jesus is alive, and that we know this not only by testimony, but through our experience of his living presence. In this light, the words of the hymn “Because He Lives” ring true: “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow… all fear is gone… for I know he holds the future, and life is worth the living just because he lives.”
I wish to express my sincere and heartfelt thanks to all who served so faithfully, both behind the scenes and in more visible ways. Whether in preparing and decorating the church, setting up and packing down, cooking, offering hospitality, or participating in the services – your contribution made all of this possible. Truly, these services could not have taken place as they did without your willing service. Your labour in the Lord is not in vain, and it is deeply appreciated.
As we now move beyond Easter Day, we enter the season of Eastertide – a joyful fifty-day period in the Church’s calendar, from Easter Sunday through to Pentecost (May 24th). During this time, we continue to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and all that it means: victory over sin and death, the gift of new life, and the hope of glory. We also look ahead to Christ’s ascension and to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, marking the birth and mission of the Church. I encourage each of us, during this season, to continue seeking the Lord earnestly – through prayer, through the reading and meditation of Scripture, through regular worship, and through the faithful practice of the Christian life. May this be a time not simply observed, but deeply lived.
I would also like to draw your attention to several important matters in the life of our church.
This coming Sunday, towards the end of the 9.30am service, we will hold a brief Commissioning of the new Parish Council. This will be an opportunity to acknowledge, affirm and prayerfully commission those elected at our recent Annual Meeting to serve in this vital role. I warmly encourage all members of our church family to be present and to support them. Those who usually attend the 11.15am service need not arrive at 9.30am; arriving just before 10.15am would be appropriate, as the commissioning is expected to take place around that time. A special morning tea will follow, and all are warmly invited to share in fellowship.
The new Parish Council will meet for the first time next week, on Wednesday the 15th at 6pm in the church. Please do keep them in your prayers as they undertake their responsibilities.
I am also delighted to announce that a Life Group for the Chinese ministry of our church will commence on Saturday, April 25th at 6pm. These gatherings will include a shared meal, Bible study, fellowship, and prayer, and will meet fortnightly on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. The group welcomes young adults, adults, and families with children, and childcare will be provided.
In addition, I am pleased to announce the launch of a fortnightly Prayer Meeting, beginning on Wednesday, May 5th from 10am to 11am. This gathering will take place on the first and third Wednesdays of each month and will be devoted to prayer for the life and ministry of our church, as well as for personal, local, and global needs. This ministry is for the whole church family, and all are warmly invited. Eric Henkgen will serve as the coordinator and facilitator. A Prayer Request Box will be available in the church from this Sunday, where requests – whether signed or anonymous – may be submitted. These will be prayed for faithfully by the group. I encourage you to consider how you might both pray personally and also entrust these needs to the wider prayer ministry of the church.
Dear friends, let us continue to rejoice in the risen Christ, to walk in his grace and to serve him faithfully in the days ahead.
