Call to Prayer for Lutheran Church of Australia

Bishop Henderson of the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) has asked for the prayers of their brothers and sisters here in Lutheran Church—Canada in view of their upcoming convention – October 2-8. In his letter to President Teuscher of LCC, he noted that once again the issue of women’s ordination into the Office of the Holy Ministry will be on their agenda. The position of Lutheran Church—Canada on this matter is articulated in our 1999 CTCR document entitled “Theses on the Role of Women in the Church.” The adoption of such by the Lutheran Church of Australia would put into jeopardy the unique and special and fraternal relationship that our two church bodies have had for many years. Please, therefore, include these brothers and sisters in Christ in your prayers during the Divine Service in your congregation on September 23 and 30. Below are a few petitions put together by our Commission on Theology and Church Relations for this purpose.

Petition 1:
Lord Jesus Christ, as You call Your Church on earth to be Your holy Bride, we implore you to guide her and protect her from the arrows and assaults of the evil one. Protect her from false doctrine, and build her up in Your truth; Your Word is truth. Guide our brothers and sisters in the Lutheran Church of Australia as they soon gather in convention that the bonds between us may be strengthened, and that they may uphold Your Word as truth and that You would keep Your Church in the pure doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Confessions and free from the errors of this world; who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Petition 2:
Lord Jesus Christ, keep Your Church in the truth; Your Word is truth. Guard and keep the people of the Lutheran Church of Australia to stand firm in Your holy Word as they assemble in convention in a few days, that they may not succumb to the opinions of this passing world, and the assaults of the evil one who wishes to break apart Your Church, fracturing her according to fleshly desires. Grant that Your Word be purely taught, Your sacraments administered according to Your institution, and that Your Office of the Holy Ministry may abide as You ordained it to the glory of Your Holy Name, who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Petition 3 (in General Prayer)
Father, we praise and bless You for the fellowship You have granted us with our brothers and sisters of the Lutheran Church of Australia, and pray that as as they meet in convention they may be moved by Your Spirit to stand fast in the confession of Your unchanging truth, that the communion between us may be strengthened and flourish to the praise of Your holy name and for the good of Your Church on earth. Lord, in Your mercy, …

In Christ,
Rev, Timothy Teuscher, President
Lutheran Church—Canada

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