Welcome to the Finnish Lutheran Church of Melbourne
We offer a welcoming meeting place for all Finns in Melbourne, and provide spiritual care and a broad range of activities for all age groups.
On these pages you can find information on our background, services, usual activities, and calendar of activities.
In addition, you will find the latest Pastor's column below the news post hereunder.
On these pages you can find information on our background, services, usual activities, and calendar of activities.
In addition, you will find the latest Pastor's column below the news post hereunder.
NEWS: Changes to upcoming events
Due to the announcements made today - Tuesday 7 July 2020 - by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, we have suspended our upcoming program of face to face worship services until further advice.
In the event you are experiencing a crisis or emergency and seek church counsel, please contact Pastor Ian Vainikka on his mobile on 0422 292 372 or via email at ian.vainikka@gmail.com
***MORE DETAILS TO BE POSTED ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND IN THE SUOMI NEWSPAPER***
Pastor Ian's latest post (Column number 25 - 23.10.2020)
Now we know that whatever the Law says it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the Law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the Law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the Law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. (Romans 3:19-28)
Have you ever been let off the hook for something? Maybe you received an officer's warning and not a ticket for that broken tail light. Perhaps the exam you were nervously preparing for was cancelled and that bought you some time. Maybe you forgot to ‘mask up’ when you went shopping during the Coronavirus restrictions and received a warning instead of the fine.
It's a major relief when the bad thing you thought was going to happen—doesn't.
In reality, St Paul's words above are God's way of saying, "You've been let off the hook." But this freedom from the Law's judgment came at a price—the one Jesus paid on the cross. Imagine Paul's joy when he learned the truth of how God in his grace and mercy had forgiven every horrible sin he was ever guilty of—and there were many. You may recall Paul's persecution of the earliest Christians—rounding them up and herding them off to the religious authorities in order to be sentenced for crimes they did not commit.
By anybody's standard, Paul was a first-rate sinner, but in the end, none worse than all the rest of us. "For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith."
Now we too have been let off the hook, absolved of our wrong doing. The same grace and mercy that Paul experienced is again generously offered to us today. As Paul writes later in Romans, "For the Scripture says, 'Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.''" (Romans 10:11).
Pastor Ian
In the event you are experiencing a crisis or emergency and seek church counsel, please contact Pastor Ian Vainikka on his mobile on 0422 292 372 or via email at ian.vainikka@gmail.com
***MORE DETAILS TO BE POSTED ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND IN THE SUOMI NEWSPAPER***
Pastor Ian's latest post (Column number 25 - 23.10.2020)
Now we know that whatever the Law says it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the Law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the Law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the Law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. (Romans 3:19-28)
Have you ever been let off the hook for something? Maybe you received an officer's warning and not a ticket for that broken tail light. Perhaps the exam you were nervously preparing for was cancelled and that bought you some time. Maybe you forgot to ‘mask up’ when you went shopping during the Coronavirus restrictions and received a warning instead of the fine.
It's a major relief when the bad thing you thought was going to happen—doesn't.
In reality, St Paul's words above are God's way of saying, "You've been let off the hook." But this freedom from the Law's judgment came at a price—the one Jesus paid on the cross. Imagine Paul's joy when he learned the truth of how God in his grace and mercy had forgiven every horrible sin he was ever guilty of—and there were many. You may recall Paul's persecution of the earliest Christians—rounding them up and herding them off to the religious authorities in order to be sentenced for crimes they did not commit.
By anybody's standard, Paul was a first-rate sinner, but in the end, none worse than all the rest of us. "For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith."
Now we too have been let off the hook, absolved of our wrong doing. The same grace and mercy that Paul experienced is again generously offered to us today. As Paul writes later in Romans, "For the Scripture says, 'Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.''" (Romans 10:11).
Pastor Ian
ONLINE CHURCH SERVICES
If you would like to view services from St Paul's Lutheran Church in Box Hill, please go to their Youtube channel and select the services you would like to view:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxCh_msqE8PDXBFkF1AGPA
Finnish services are broadcast on Yle Areena - to view the programs, follow the link here:
https://areena.yle.fi/1-3757226
You can also get a lot of information, devotionals etc, from Finland's church website, including English translations if needed. Visit:
www.evl.fi
Join the church
You can join the Mikael Agricola Finnish Lutheran Church by completing the attached membership form. Please print out, fill in, sign, and scan the form, and email it to ian.vainikka@gmail.com. You can also post the form to the church manse, 72 The Strand, Point Cook, 3030.
| seurakuntaan_liittymiskaavake.pdf |
