Welcome 2012

Welcome aboard to 2012. By now many of you are already walking the corridors of your courses and getting orientated ...or disorientated. If you are new, you may have seen the UniSA welcome page: http://www.unisa.edu.au/newstudents/default.asp. Remember that places like the 'Learning Teaching Unit' and 'Campus Central' will point you in the right direction if you are unsure about anything.

If you are returning, welcome back. You know what you have to do.

My role here as Chaplain, is to provide pastoral support to you if you need it. If you need someone to have a chat with - then you are welcome to contact me. Please note that if you have academic issues, I'm not the right person. Go instead to "Learning and Teaching Unit" and they'll point you the right direction.

Here's the best ways to reach me:

email
tim.oestmann@unisa.edu.au

I check my email every one or two days.

If it is more important you can text or call me on mobile :
0404 303 084

Texting is best because I actually work at a few different places, so I may not be able to answer immediately but ...I will get back to you as soon as possible.

My UniSA staff page is here: http://people.unisa.edu.au/tim.oestmann

Lost On Campus? magill buildings are here:
http://lostoncampus.com.au/uni-sa/magill/buildings


Across the campuses there is a Christian group for students called
LSF (Lutheran Students and Friends).

The ones I've met are a good bunch of people - so if you are looking for Christian support, check them out here:


LSF

NOTE: LSF are having a camp very soon ie on March 16-18 2012

They say:

"Registration for Commencement Camp 2012 is now open. The camp runs on March 16-18, at Narnu Farm, Hindmarsh Island. If this is your first LSF Camp, you can join us for a weekend of great fun, food and God, as well as hear John Gardner talk about “Getting the most out of Uni” for just $45. Students/Non-workers are $60, and if you’re a worker it’ll cost you $70. Assistance with transport is available. See you there!"

>>>>Interested? Register HERE

Churches near your campus
There are a number of churches in the area if you want to check them out. I'm posting the Lutheran Churches here because I know them and their pastors are both good people to deal with.

If you personally have a good experience with a church of any Christian denomination near one of the campuses I am happy to promote them also:

Luthern Church very close to Magill Campus:
http://www.pilgrimlutheran.com.au/page.asp?id=19

Luthern Church very close to Mawson Lakes Campus:
http://www.mlcc.org.au/

If you are an international student, pastor Stephen (at Mawson Lakes Community Church) is currently supporting and meeting with a number of students from around the world.


Social Network
I don't watch a lot of TV, so you'll find me instead on FB a lot. I leave the computer on and come back through the evening for a bit of light entertainment - you are welcome to 'friend' me... but I need to warn you... that I'm a middle-aged guitar player so there are a lot of posts about music and anything related to music...but try your luck, you can always de-friend me if it gets too much ;-) I don't take things too seriously on social networks...
http://www.facebook.com/tim.oestmann


Hebrews 13 tells us "The Lord has promised that he will not leave us or desert us."

Therefore; you can go confidently into this year with knowing that God is nearby through thick and thin and only a prayer away.

Blessings to you

Tim Oestmann
Chaplain at Magill and Mawson Lakes UniSA

Romans 8:23-37

^{In The Bible, Romans 8:23-37 says;}

^"23The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. ²⁴And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping. ²⁵However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it. ²⁶In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words. ²⁷All of our thoughts are known to God. He can understand what is in the mind of the Spirit, as the Spirit prays for God's people. ²⁸We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose, ²⁹and he has always known who his chosen ones would be. He had decided to let them become like his own Son, so that his Son would be the first of many children. ³⁰God then accepted the people he had already decided to choose, and he has shared his glory with them.

God's Love

³¹What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? ³²God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won't he freely give us everything else? ³³If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? ³⁴Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God's right side, speaking to him for us. ³⁵Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? ³⁶It is exactly as the Scriptures say, "For you we face death all day long. We are like sheep on their wayto be butchered."

³⁷In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. ³⁸I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love--not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, ³⁹and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!"

Australian Lutheran World Service Update

Thank you to those who have supported ALWS - here is the latest update - scary stuff:

"Greetings from Nairobi. I'm here with an ALWS team en route to South Sudan. We had hoped to visit Dadaab Refugee Camp, but the security situation means that is not possible. Your prayers are urgently requested because our Lutheran team (and other aid agencies) are facing many challenges. Yesterday a UNHCR vehicle was hit by a remote-controlled explosive, while on the way to Dadaab. This follows a number of other attacks, and means 'normal' aid work cannot continue for the moment in camp. Particularly at risk are our surveyors opening up new plots of land for shelters, and teachers going out into the community. The phone-call with the news of the attack came through as I was interviewing our Program Coordinator in Dadaab, Lokiru Matendo. He says this puts security at the Critical Level. Staff are scared, and prayers are requested for safety and a peace solution. What's amazing is that emergency lifesaving care is still being given. The Lutheran motto here is "We go where others stop". The practical evidence of this is that despite the danger a Lutheran team will continue going out into the camp at 8 each morning, and monitor the condition of refugees. The team prepare a report for each aid agency on any issues that may affect their sector (water, latrines etc), so they can be solved. This is incredible courage, and comes from a passion to help the people. Lokiru said:"It's not just a job - you want to address the suffering. Whatever little you can do, you do, to make a difference." This is typical of the attitude of all the team delivering your care to these people who have lost so much. Please know your help is noticed and appreciated here. We visited AusAID in Nairobi yesterday, and they were amazed at what we Lutherans have been able to do. The Lutheran World Federation team say the same. Lokiru summed it up: "We feel connected with the people of Australia through ALWS." This is you standing side-by-side with Lutheran teams as they minister to people who have lost everything.

On their behalf, thank you. Jonathan KrauseCommunications Manager, ALWS1300 763 407 * http://www.alws.org.au/ PS: The Australian Government continues to match donations for East Africa dollar for dollar until 30 November."

Inspiring local news

Our World Today



An online local newspaper that focuses mainly on inspirational stories - check it out here:

http://www.ourworldtoday.com.au/

I missed the end of the world...again...

You may have been too busy doing your assignments to notice that the world ended on 21 October 2011 harold-camping's (very false) prophecy.
Here is (in total ) an excellent article by Ronnie McBrayer which I think puts end time predictions in their rightful place.

Ronnie says:

"The End of the World As We Know It

I don’t know how it is that you are reading this. In fact, I don’t know how any of us are even here. In case you missed it, the entire cosmos was destroyed by the avenging judgment of God this weekend, and you can’t plead ignorance – you were properly warned.

Oh, forget the cryptic evidence of the Jewish prophets, the predictions of Nostradamus, the ancient Mayan Calendar, or the inexplicable visions of the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos. No, for the last several years we have been advised by radio broadcaster and prophet Harold Camping that the end was near, and now overdue.

If that name sounds familiar, it should. Harold Camping was convinced – and so were many of his followers, some spending their life’s savings to warn their wayward neighbors – that the end of the world would arrive this past May. When that did not occur, Camping amended his prophecy with a gargantuan amount of imagination and interpretive gymnastics, giving the universe a drop-dead date of October 21, 2011.

It really doesn’t bother me when the end-times prophets and Harold Campings of the world show up with their placards, tracts, broadcasts, and sandwich boards of doom. It used to rally get under my skin, but now I recognize such predictions as an eccentric Christian tradition, one of those family customs that cannot be stopped, only endured.

The winds of world upheaval begin to blow and spiritual forecasters likewise begin to paint pictures with the terrible brush strokes of God’s consuming fire. Sinners are threatened. The blatantly unrepentant are dangled over the inferno. There is a frenzied relish to it all, some doomsdayers seemingly more happy to see all reprobates burn, than to move on to eternal bliss.

So when a radio preacher misfired once again on his prediction, it was just more of the same, and just as Jesus said it would be. “No one knows the day or the hour,” Jesus loudly proclaimed. The expiration date set for the universe is knowledge that belongs exclusively to God, and he doesn’t seem interested in sharing it with Harold Camping or anyone else who fancies making bold prophecies.

Further, as wrong as these would-be-prophets are about actual dates, their divination seems to also distract them from the nature of the end of the age. “Look, I am making everything new!” God says in the end (See Revelation 21). The cosmos doesn’t conclude with retribution, but with renewal. The final chapter is not extinction, but transformation. That is our Blessed Hope.

Simply, God believes in and loves his creation in a way that no televangelist or talking-head prophet can ever come close. God has bigger and better plans for his world than just throwing it into the intergalactic trash can. In the words of C.S. Lewis, “We may be tired of this world, but God isn’t.” He has great things in store, and we get the chance to get in on it and live it beginning today. This is a far better approach to life than pining for a fictitious apocalypse.

My Hebrew friends will have to forgive me for simplifying one of their marvelous parables, but there is a story in the Jewish literature about an old man who planted a fig tree. When asked if he really expected to live long enough to eat fruit from that tree, the old man laughed and said: “I was born into world that had fruit ready to eat. My ancestors planted trees for me, and now I plant fruit for my grandchildren.”

We can’t give up on the world because it’s not what we wish it was, or because we think it’s all going down the drain with no time left, or because some crackpot makes a bold but foolish prediction. What we call the “end” is not the end at all. True to his nature, God has not given this world a drop-dead date. Instead, it has been stamped with a renewal date, a date we pray and work for until it finally comes."

Ronnie McBrayer is a syndicated columnist, speaker, and author. His books include “Leaving Religion, Following Jesus” and “The Jesus Tribe.”

Visit his website at www.ronniemcbrayer.net.



Thanks Ronnie - I couldn't have said it any better!

National LSF Retreat "Transform" 29 Dec 11 - 2 Jan 12

The LSF National Retreat is a chance for young adults (aged 18-30) from all over Australia to come together, share their faith, learn more about what it means to be a follower of Jesus and relax on one of our countries' best coastlines.

The LSF National Retreat is an annual event that rotates between Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. We are pleased to invite you to the beautiful Coolum Beach for this year's event!

The theme for this year's retreat is 'Transform'. Our guest speakers will help us explore how the Church can transform itself and communities as we unpack that truth outlined in 2 Corinthians.

The LSF National Retreat will be held from Thursday 29 December 2011 until Monday 2 January 2012. This is an event for young adults aged between 18-30, including those turning 18 in 2012.

Click here to download the LSF National Retreat 2011/12 brochure.

Click here to register and pay on-line now!

Retreat Venue
The year the LSF National Retreat is being held at Luther Heights Youth Camp at Coolum Beach QLD - an absolutely stunning location! The venue is located on a hilltop just a few minutes walk to the beach and has spectacular view of the Sunshine Coast.

Registration
Pricing
$262 per person (inc. GST)
Note: payments received after 09/12/11 will incur a $30 late fee.

Registrations close on Friday 9th December 2011. Please note that spaces at the LSF National Retreat are strictly limited. Early registrations are encouraged to avoid disappointment.
Click here to download a manual registration form or Click here to register on-line now!

Alcohol and The Bible

Alcohol has been a big part of Australian celebrations for better or worse for many years. Some countries and religions forbid the consumption while others seem to flow with the liquid in their drinking water. What does the Bible say?

Most secular Australians would think that the Bible "tut tut's" it due to the temperance movement of days gone by. The reality - and most Aussie Lutherans know this - is that the Bible includes alcohol as one of God's gracious gifts along with food, sunshine, rain and good friends.

At the same token - alcohol - is like fire; good servant- horrible master.

Our Lutheran Church in Australia has an official stance for clarity sake - here is one paragraph from it - the rest can be found in the link underneath:

"We live in a society where it is customary to drink alcoholic drinks, and where social
drinking is approved because of the release it permits to an individual. It is used in
religious ritual, at ceremonies marking birth, marriage, death, celebrations in everyday
life. It reduces tensions and helps people to mix easily in society. Used in moderation,
its undoubted social usefulness is not accompanied by any serious ill effects.
However, alcohol which is a boon to many is a scourge to other members of our
society as some people find it difficult to take alcohol in moderation and develop an
addiction to it, with serious physical and mental consequences. Increasing
consumption of alcohol increases the likelihood of experiencing health and other
problems, even in those who may not be regarded as suffering from alcoholism. The
effect of alcohol is dose related, although it is marginally influenced by other factors,
eg when taken with meals."

(Lutheran Church of Australia: Commission on Social and Bioethical Questions
THE USE OF DRUGS 1979)


For the more 'theological' of you I also found this this great little article on "The Bible" and "alcohol" which probably sums up my thinking on the matter:
http://bible.org/article/bible-and-alcohol


In summary - if you choose to be someone who 'has a few drinks' and you stay 'under the legal limit' of drinks (and are of adult age) - in this society, that is fine you do no wrong.

There are however, many trappings that come with the "Australian drinking culture" which are foolish and I'd encourage you to stay right away from that.

Here's passage from Proverbs - written a few thousand years back - which is just as applicable today from Proverbs Chapter 23 - I bet you know someone just like this!


²⁹ Who is always in trouble?

Who argues and fights?

Who has cuts and bruises?

Whose eyes are red?

³⁰Everyone who stays up late,

having just one more drink.

³¹Don't even look

at that colorful stuff

bubbling up in the glass!

It goes down so easily,

³²but later it bites

like a poisonous snake.

³³You will see weird things,

and your mind

will play tricks on you.

³⁴You will feel tossed about

like someone trying to sleep

on a ship in a storm.

³⁵You will be bruised all over,

without even remembering

how it all happened.

And you will lie awake asking,

"When will morning come,

so I can drink some more?"