Reprints of 2001 Services - Discussions

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The TEMPLER RECORD together with the WARTE DES TEMPELS carry an account of all the Templer community activities. Click 'Templer Record' for Australia, and 'Warte des Tempels' for Germany to see the current month's content reprinted in full.

SERVICES:

New Year's Eve Service; Alfred Klink
Christmas Service in Bayswater; Renate Beilharz
Saal in Bentleigh, 25/11; Renate Beilharz
Saal im Altersheim, 18/11; Hulda Wagner
Founders' Day Service 2/11 Sydney; Rolf Beilharz
Country Service 7 October; Renate Weber
Country Service 30 September; Rolf Beilharz
Saal im Altersheim, 16/9; Hulda Wagner
Saal at the AGA, 9/9 Bentleigh; Rolf Beilharz
Service in Bentleigh, 26/8; Theo Richter
Service in Bentleigh 22 July; Renate Weber
Saal imAltersheim, 15/7; Hulda Wagner
140^th Anniversary Service 24/6 Bentleigh; Rolf Beilharz
Country Service, 17/6; Theo Richter
Saal at Dieter Ruff's Farewell; Rolf Beilharz
Mothers'Day Service Boronia; Renate Weber
Good Friday Service in Bayswater; Alfred Klink
Sommerfest Service, 4/3; Theo Richter
Service in Bentleigh 25.03; Rolf Beilharz
Altersheim Saal 18.03; Rolf Beilharz
Service and Community Afternoon 11/2 Bayswater; Renate Beilharz
Altersheim Saal 21.01. Herta Uhlherr
New Year's Eve Service 2000 Bentleigh; Rolf Beilharz

DISCUSSIONS:

140^th Anniversary Celebration Bentleigh; Alfred Klink

Goto the end

New Years Eve Service in Bayswater

Alfred Klink

Prelude and music: Elizabeth Wagner

Good evening to you all. Good evening and welcome on this, the last day of the year 2001. Today is a good day to reflect on the year just passed, contemplate on the way we see things and the way they could be. Have we done everything we wanted to do this year, have we achieved our goals? Do we want to make a new years's resolution, get our affairs in order? - With all this importance attached to the start of a new year it is good to remind ourselves occasionally that a year is but an arbitrary time span, of no cosmological significance in itself. Its length is determined by the environment our planet finds itself in, by the mass and spacing of Sun and Earth, and its seasons by the tilt of the Earth's axis. A year can fluctuate by several minutes from one orbit to the next, depending on the position and interaction of the other planets and comets . And the end of the year, our moment in time tonight, is but a point on an endless circle, set arbitrarily at one stage in human history to coincide with the rising of a particular heavenly constellation. Furthermore as this reference point takes 24 hours to travel around the globe, New Year celebrations are at different times in almost every country on Earth. With the Dateline only 3 hours East of us we are amongst the lucky first to welcome 2002 on Earth. Hawaii, 21hrs behind us, is probably the last place to great the new year. You won't feel a bump as we cross the threshold into another year, there is nothing special about tonight except what we make of it. What we make of it can be very important though. Commemorations and celebrations tend to bring people closer together and promote social harmony. And what better occasion to let loose your imagination than the end of an era and the beginning of a new year. Imagination and phantasy play an important and creative part in our lives and I would like to reflect on it tonight

People like to plan ahead, to, in a way, prepare the future, visualise it and make plans for it. When the future then does arrive it will not be such a shock to the system. Even our Templer motto in Matthew 6: 33, by asking us to 'set your mind on God's kingdom and his justice…' in its own way asks us to plan for tomorrow with this in mind. When Jesus tells us in the next sentence 'not to worry about tomorrow…' he does not mean we should not plan and be prepared for it. It does not mean we should not think about the coming year. Just not unduly worry about it, '…for each day has troubles enough of its own'.

It is in the nature of life to prepare for tomorrow. Birds build their nests before they lay eggs, some go north before winter sets in. Bees collect and store honey during Summer. They do it instinctively, (at least we think so) without being aware of it, we humans go by a man-made calendar. Calendars, by their very nature are organising our time in the future. It comes as quite a shock to realise that there has never been a consistently accurate administration of time in the past, that our calendar is but a few hundred years old. We glibly speak of this or that event having happened five thousand years ago; that Jesus was born on Christmas Day anno Domini, that is, year one. But a quick reflection shows this time scale was established retrospective, we count backwards, because a universally applicable calendar was not adopted until the twentieth century; when global travel and time-tables made a consistent reference frame mandatory.

Have you noticed the beautiful full moon last night? How it rose out of the trees into a pale sky just as the sun was setting? If you had looked carefully you should have also seen the fuzzy penumbra shadow of the Earth in a grazing eclipse touching the Moon between about 7:30 and 11:30pm. Many songs have been written in tribute to the mystique and the bewitching beauty of the moon. About the lure of its romantic golden light and as a quiet companion of lovers. It was the home of the Greek goddess Selene, sister of Helios the sun-god, and Eos, mother of the four winds and goddess of the dawn. - Tonight I would like you to look with me at a song about the moon, "Der Mond ist aufgegangen...". A simple song from the days of my generation's childhood about the beauty of nature, and our obligation to see its wonders in an awareness of our human need for each other. It is number 22 in the new Templer hymn-book and we will sing the customary four verses, that is 1, 2, 3 & 7. What I would like to do tonight though, is to sing each verse separately, that is we will sing verse one, then stop so I can say a few words about it, then the same with verse two and so on.

Let's start with verse one "Der Mond ist aufgegangen"

Here simple statements set the scene: the moon has risen into a star-studded sky, with each star a brightly twinkling point of light against a satin background. The trees in the bush are standing black and silent as if waiting for the light of the moon to waken the nocturnal animals. From the paddocks along the creek a hazy fog is slowly rising, ghostly white in the pale moonlight. A feeling of wonder fills the air.

These are all things we would not notice during the day. Only the proper environment creates in us an expectation of mystery and wonder. It needs the absence of dominating sensory distractions. Then the senses are joined by imagination and give phantasy a free reign. We may well sometimes see the moon in daylight during its 28 day journey around the Earth. But no one has ever written an ode to a daylight moon. The moon plays a poor second in brilliance to the sun. In fact the sun is almost ˝ a million times brighter than the moon. And the stars are 10 magnitudes dimmer still. Even the sharpest eye cannot detect a star in broad daylight. Why not, do the stars go to bed during the day? They don't go anywhere, they are there as bright as ever but we do not see them, for the power of the sun causes the air to become a translucent bluish-white. In the evening, when the sunlight disappears from the sky above us the air becomes invisible again and we can see right through it up into the blackness of empty space. It is as if a curtain was lifted on a theatre stage revealing the players behind it against the backdrop of heaven, and we ask ourselves, where does reality begin?

Let us sing verse 2 of our hymn now "...wie ist die Welt so stille"

In the stillness of the night the world seems at peace with itself. The hushed quiet surrounds us like a familiar and friendly home where sleep can free you from a harsh day's problems. After a hectic day we long for the quietness and isolation offered by a familiar room, we seek a security blanket to sleep our worries away. It is indeed strange how the light of day gives us the courage to face work and all sort of adversity, in fact we look for challenges, but when night falls we long for the safety of a true friendship and the security of family and community life. Our sense of reality seems to shrink when full use of our senses is restricted. Two seconds is all, the philosophers say, what our mind sees as the present that makes up reality. Ten seconds is the maximum time consciousness can dwell on any one subject or thought before it must refresh itself with a new stimulus, either from the external environment or from the brain's memory banks. Did you know it is impossible to form a complete sentence of more than seven words in your conscious mind prior to speaking it. Try it, you'll find you lose the start of the sentence before you reach its ending. 10 seconds of reality is all we can ever truly call our own in this world.

Let us now sing verse three "...Seht ihr den Mond dort stehen"

When you are young things seem to be so straight forward. They either are, or are not, tall, short, thick, thin, round, square, black or white, alive or dead. All our life, from the time we are born we try to make sense of the world around us and the way we fit into it. Awareness of the surroundings is a necessity of life, an individual's very survival may depend on it. It is deeply ingrained in us, for evolution is an effective teacher and natural selection an efficacious tool. We are the product of countless generations that have gone through this learning institution in survival. As you get older experience teaches you that things are not always black or white, the edges get blurred. Nature has equipped all life forms with sufficient capacity to fend for itself, otherwise we would not still be here, but nature is at the same time a very prudent administrator and seldom invests in unnecessary baggage. To empower a brain with imagination and abstract thoughts is an expensive biological investment, the pay-off for which I feel is to a large extend, still outstanding. That is, we humans seem to have a capacity for understanding complexity way beyond what is currently known and needed by mankind for survival. That's where imagination comes in. The waning and the waxing Moon is no longer a mystery to us. We know how it comes about, and have even learned through that process the relative sizes and distances of Sun-Earth and Moon. But coming to grips with abstract thinking as a learning tool is still at the superstition stage. Take Christmas for instance. Ursula and I have grandchildren that are just starting to question the reality of Santa Claus. The eldest one proudly proclaims 'there is no Father Christmas. When I ask how do you know that? She answers, 'because I know where the presents come from'. When I tried to explain that sometimes life is easier to understand if we use imaginary or abstract concepts, like father Christmas, or a half moon, to make something universally understandable she asked why, when it is so much simpler to tell the truth? Now, how can you answer that? Is there such a thing as a simple truth that everybody can understand? Without conditions or embellishments? If we wanted to take the simplest approach to giving a present we would not go to the trouble to wrap our present in pretty paper, not tie it with a coloured ribbon, we would give them as they are, at any odd time in the year and not wait for Christmas to arrive. Pretty soon we would argue there is no need for Christmas at all. You know giving presents is not just about passing something from one person to another. It is a way of showing love and friendship and pleasure. And this truth is brought out more fully in the care you chose and take in preparing the present. But, she argued, how can you make me believe in things that are not real? Well, there are different levels of reality, as there are different levels of belief. There is the reality of things you can see, feel, taste, touch or smell; Other things like electricity, radiation, gravity, life, you can only know from the effect they have on other things; and then there are things which don't exist on their own, but are needed to make something else understood properly, we call them concepts. Such as loving your neighbour, friendship, dimensions, democracy and trust. We belief in our parents, we belief the schoolteacher, we belief in God, and sometimes we make-belief with a fairy tale in 'once upon a time' just to enjoy ourselves. Our mind works best if it has those concepts to work with, to play with, to build bridges between people over otherwise impassable divides in social interactions, and around large gaps in our existing knowledge. Had she been a bit older I could have mentioned how the belief in an omniscient and omnipotent God makes us aware of our limitations and lets us strive to greater perfection. I could have mentioned Religion, how it can be used to build a bond between people of vastly different persuasion. How the differences in the major religions of the world are like the differences between the waters in a lake or in a river or in a sea. It's the same water only presented differently. I could have picked lots of subjects, but on the spur of the moment I picked time. You can't see, touch or taste time, yet you know it exists. Ah, but you can measure time! No, you can only measure the passage of time, not time itself. Time does not exist on its own, it is something that helps us organise ourselves and anticipate the unexpected. And yet, it is only in time that we can see, make sense of, and understand reality.

Let us now sing the last verse "...so legt euch denn ihr Brüder"

The capacity for human kindness, of altruism, of calling everyone your brother, is deep within all of us. If touched by circumstances it evokes a mysterious longing to please, which is rewarded by a feeling of grateful pleasure. Is it a purely human attribute, a selfless caring for others? Is it self-denial or is it an advanced form of a natural trend, the herd-instinct, visible in its basic structure already in all developed animals? Perhaps it is an unconscious awareness that survival of the individual is meaningless without survival of the group and the species. Something which, like the evolution of sexual propagation, is essentially a recognition that survival of evolution itself is based on ever greater diversity. We know that caring for our fellow humans, helping our neighbour, is good for society. It makes for a caring environment in which people tend to respond in kind. It is a healthy community where children can play and grow up believing in the benefit of friendly competition.

Sleep peacefully neighbour, for the wind of reality is hard and cold. Knowledge has given us the means to soften its edges, and imagination makes this world a home. Knowledge does not destroy the beauty of nature, nor does unravelling a mystery make it go away. The structure of matter was once a mystery, so were energy and light and life. These things are no longer mysteries, yet they have not lost their fascinating appeal. Man has evolved to be creative, and creation means challenges and change. Dear God, do not punish us for the things you have given us to bear, but give us the strength and the compassion to live with the responsibilities the creative life for which you have made us, of necessity brings with it.

I would like to re-count now the people who passed away in the Temple Society during the year just ending. There are 23 names on this list. Would those of you who can do so please rise as I read out their individual names, in respect for their memory: Helen Wagner; Marion Bieg; Pamela Böhmer; Erna Blaich; Ida Buchhalter; Johanna Sottek; Elfriede Wagner; Augusta Gassmann; Hugo-Kunz Hoffmann; Marianne Osswald; Helene Fröschle; Erich Steller; Paul Hoffmann; Paul Struve; Ursula Frank; Grete Lange; Herbert Kübler; Otto Wurst; Norman Talbot; Richard Imberger; Peter Dyck; Hildegard Buchhalter; Gertrud Pulst.

We remember them and all the others not on this list in gratitude for the contributions they have made during their lifetime, to their families, to the community, to society and to mankind, and for enriching the lives of all those they touched with their presence.

During the same 12 month 10 babies were born into our community. They are as follows:

Sebastian Sutterby, (Sutterby/Ulrich); Nikita Bulach, (Bulach/Bennet); Timothy Ruff, (Ruff/Arndt); Alison Cross, (Cross/Beilharz); Sophie Behnke, (Behnke/Eppinger); Emma Wied, (Wied/Tesselaar); Nicholas Franz, (Franz/Ziecik); Alexander O'Brien, (O'Brien/Uhlherr); Matthew Heron, (Heron/Knaub); Daniel Lu, (Lu/Hoffmann).

With God's blessing we wish each and everyone of those newcomers into this world a long and happy life. May they be a joy and delight to their parents (and grandparents), and may they all in time find the satisfaction a creative life brings to every person.

Amen. Please be seated.

To conclude this evening's Service we will now sing the Hymn "Ich singe dir mit Herz und Mund…" number 47 in the new Hymnbook. We will sing all 8 verses.

Please remain seated as Elizabeth Wagner on the piano will bring this Service to a close. May the old year guide you gently into the new, and may the new year grant you all the peace, prosperity and happiness you seek.

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Elder: Renate Beilharz

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Bentleigh Service

25 November 2001

Elder: Renate Beilharz

Pianist: Elisabeth Wagner

Welcome to today's Sunday Service. I have a confession to make. I misread the Elder's calendar, and have written a 'Founders Day Service' for today, even though the "official" Founders Day Service is in a fortnight's time in Bayswater. I ask for your understanding, and hope that you will get something out of what I have to say today.

In 1855, 6 years before the Temple Society was created in 1861, Christoph Hoffmann wrote the hymn Trachtet, ruft mit ernstem Worte, Seek ye first of all God's Kingdom. This has become the hymn of the Temple Society.

Could we all now sing the first verse ONLY of the Templer hymn.

How many countless times have you sung those words? I would hazard a guess that most of you sang that verse off by heart. Who knows all the verses off by heart? Did you have to learn them in 'Kinderlehre', Sunday School, or for Confirmation? Has it become a song that you know so well that you don't need to think about the words any more, you know them by rote?

In recent times have you ever stopped to actually think about the words? In Confirmation classes we have asked the young people to study the hymn. They don't find it easy, nor did I, for that matter, the first time I was involved in teaching the classes. But it has come clear to me that Christoph Hoffmann's key messages for the world are encapsulated in that very cleverly written song.

How much is relevant to us, to me, to you right now in this day and age?

That is a task that I'd like to undertake with you today. If you have not already done so, please open up the hymn books at hymn number one.

Christoph Hoffmann wrote ten verses, each verse starting with another word of the Bible text from Matthew 6-, 33 "Trachtet am ersten nach dem Königreich Gottes und nach seiner Gerechtigkeit'. In English - "Seek ye first of all God's Kingdom and his justice". The words of the Templer motto are printed in bold in the new hymnbook. The English translation by Helga Uhlherr (she was the great-grandchild of Christoph Hoffmann) uses the motto as the first line of the first verse. While Helga's translation may not be a literal translation, she has managed to translate the essence of the hymn beautifully.

What I plan to do is to tackle each verse separately. I have asked Heidi Vollmer to read it in German, and Susi Blackwell to read it in English, please do follow the words in the book as they read. Then I'll give you my thoughts on the meaning of the verse. Of course, each verse, could be a whole service in itself - there are references to parables, teachings, ideas, philosophies, Old Testament figures. But I'll keep my thoughts brief. We will then sing the verse, hopefully with a better understanding of the meaning of the hymn, as it has relevance to each individual one of us.

First verse read in German then English

This verse is our most well known one, because if we ever sing the hymn, we nearly always sing this one. It is a wonderful, rousing call to rise to the challenge to seek the Kingdom of God. It is asking for action, not just waiting, wanting and hoping. It asks us to make a conscious decision to do this.

Sing first verse. Second verse read in German then English

We often try to take the easy way, and still expect reward - but the way to the Kingdom of '.God is not easy - it requires a change in our attitude towards God, towards work, towards rewards. And most importantly, it is never too late to change or to improve.

Sing second verse. Third verse read in German then English

We can do it, this change of attitude, because we have the ability to rise above our animal instincts, or even our selfish need for power over others. Our goal is to improve ourselves spiritually, becoming more God-like.

Sing third verse. Fourth verse read in German then English

Once again we are reminded that action is required, and that we have to make the difficult choices, giving up what we treasure, as Jesus gave up his life. We have to take the hard path towards the goal.

Sing fourth verse. Fifth verse read in German then English

As mentioned in the last verse, Jesus is our example. He trod the hard path, but was victorious in the end.

Sing fifth verse. Sixth verse read in German then English

We are reminded of what we are striving for, the Kingdom of God - love, truth, justice, and each one of us should set the example. Some people may strive for might and power, but the right will win in he end.

Sing sixth verse. Seventh verse read in German then English

We are to have faith and trust that God will win in the end, and peace will come, even to Jerusalem. I think that if Jerusalem finally saw a real peace, many of our current world conflicts would also disappear.

Sing seventh verse. Eighth verse read in German then English

Let's just turn the page, and Heidi will read the 1961 revision of the 8th verse.

The original version, as written by Christoph Hoffmann, uses the example of Enoch, a character out of the Old Testament - he was so godly, that he went straight to heaven without dying. In the 1961 version, Jesus is used as the example of a godly life, and he too overcame death. The message for us is that Enoch and Jesus showed us that we, mortals/humans, can aspire to these heights.

Sing eighth verse. Ninth verse read in German then English

This is my favourite verse. It tell me not to give up, to keep striving, looking at the goal and we Will get closer. Our goal, to live as Jesus taught us, and create a world of love, justice and peace, is within our reach.

Sing ninth verse. Tenth verse read in German then English

Underneath is the 1961 revision of the 10th verse, Heidi will read it.

Remember what Jesus taught - that the spirit of the law is more important than the letter, and that we must follow this spirit with heart and mind. God has given us the ability to do it.

Sing tenth verse.

Here is my summary of the message Christoph Hoffmann has left to us in his hymn.

We are called to action to strive for the Kingdom of God. It may be hard and difficult, but we can learn and improve ourselves. By using Jesus and his teachings as an example, we can create a world of love, justice and peace.

Our text for today comes from Mark 4: 26-29.

A simple story of farming, which is still relevant today. We still plant seeds and go about our daily work while our seeds grow. Botanists can tell us all about synthesis and mitosis and cell growth, but in the end it is all a lovely mystery. We don't really know how it happens. This parable is lovely, almost poetic in how it describes the growth process. And in the end we reap the benefits of what was planted - the goodness of fresh vegetables, the beauty of the flowers etc.

Jesus starts the parable saying 'the Kingdom of God is like this'. It is so very simple, too simple. He gave no explanation of the story, so we have to try to explain it ourselves. I'd like to look at the symbolism in the parable in a few different ways, but despite different interpretations, the message is very similar, and complements the Templer hymn nicely.

If the man in the story represents us, as individuals, and the seeds represent our efforts to create the Kingdom of God here on earth, then the parable makes good sense. We have to start the ball rolling in creating the Kingdom of God, we have behave towards others in a loving, unselfish manner. Then sometimes this ball of love and justice continues to roll, and gets bigger, yet we don't know how it happens, and sometimes we don't even know if it happens. Sometimes there is no visible positive outcome or there is even a negative outcome. But here we can also look back at the imagery of the seeds, some never sprout, others die or get eaten by birds, but there are always some that grow.

The other important things is that we cannot sit back, wishing and waiting As it says in the hymn), for the Kingdom of God to come, we must make a start, then, only then, will the Kingdom of God grow, in possibly mysterious ways.

The other way of interpreting the parable is to see the man as Jesus, who is spreading the seeds of God's spirit, God's Kingdom amongst us. God is here amongst us, within us and it is up to us to allow it to grow - we don't have to know how it happens - into a fully fledged Kingdom. We are Temples of God where He dwells, and by listening to Jesus' message of love, we can allow him to grow within us and spread around the world.

For me the nature imagery of God is important. The knowledge that God is there to make the corn grow affords me great consolation. God is the seed within me that gives me the potential to grow in wonderful ways, if only I would allow it to. Without God, there would be, in my mind, no world, no nature. Without God in me, there would be no me.

Please stay seated, as I read a prayer by Leunig:

We have to give God, the spirit, a chance to work in us, with us and through us. The Kingdom of God comes from the spirit, not from structured laws and commandments. The Kingdom of God comes from a freedom to think for ourselves and to do as our conscience dictates. We need to sow our seeds our way, with the knowledge that if we sow them in fertile soil, the spirit will work, and make them grow.

Please stand for Lord's Prayer.

I'd like to conclude toady's service with the song number 41 in the hymn book - "Herr deine Liebe…".

I wish you all a lovely Sunday, and best wishes for the coming Advent period.

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Founders Day SAAL Sydney 2-11-2001.

Elder Rolf Beilharz

Music by Ernie Weller

Hymn Trachtet ruft mit ernstem Worte. No 1 in new hymnbook We sing verses 1-4.

Sing hymn

On the 20^th June 1861, that is 140 years ago, The Temple Society was formed. The founders were Christoph Hoffmann, Georg David Hardegg, Christoph Paulus, and others. A total of 64 signatures were put under the founding declaration which constituted the German Temple. The name was later changed to Temple Society. Today's service commemorates the founders, the people involved, rather than the event.

Although many people shared in the founding, and Hardegg in particular was a driving force in actually getting things done, the spiritual leader who made the TS what it is, different from other religions, was Christoph Hoffmann. To honour Hoffmann, the celebration of Founders' day has been put in early December, because he was born on 2nd December 1815 and died on 8th December 1885.

To me Christoph Hoffmann was a very important thinker. His ideas on Christianity, and on how the historical Jesus gave the world a wonderful vision for us all to strive for, were far ahead of his time. There are signs that in the last 100 years the Christian churches have moved some way towards the way Hoffmann thought. But there is a long way to go yet. We, who were born and raised in the Temple Society, have had a wonderful start in life towards finding a fruitful combination of religious thinking combined with what science tells us about the universe. This has given us a truly enviable advantage in finding real values that make our lives worth living. Today, I will concentrate on Christoph Hoffmann and I hope I can pass on some of my enthusiasm for the important philosophical and religious achievements that Hoffann's thoughts have given us.

Our text for this Sunday is from Paul's letter to the Romans, Chapter 11; vs 33 - 36. Read text.

As you have heard, this is praise, the highest Paul could give, for God. God is perfect Intellectually, this is nonsense. God is the Creator of everything, including us. He or She is beyond our understanding. We have no way of knowing what God is like, just as modern scientific humans also cannot know what caused the universe to come into being, whether by a big bang or any other way. All we can do about God and about the creation of the universe is speculate, that is think what might have happened. So anything we conclude is simply our thinking. We have no evidence that it might have been so.

What this text does is to hint at the overwhelming feeling of thankfulness Paul had that God had been wonderful in letting Paul be part of establishing Christian communities among the non-Jews by spreading the gospel of Jesus. The whole of Chapter 11, before our text is an argument that God had chosen the Jews as his people, to give to the world the true way of living for which God had created mankind. The Jews had failed to live up to God's instructions and were now being punished. The gospel was being passed to the non-Jewish people living in the Roman world, and they, the non-Jews should realise how fortunate they are to have been so chosen. Incidentally, the argument goes on to say that when the Jews see that Gentiles are succeeding in living God's way, this will make the Jews wish to come back to God. I cannot make much of this text and will therefore complement it by reading another text, Matthew Chapter 6, verses 25 - 34. Read Text.

This second text contains the verse which the Temple Society has taken as its motto. "Set your mind on God's kingdom and his justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well." The founders of the TS took this sentence as the short statement that best encapsulates the task that the Temple Society sets out to achieve. Above all we should live by the values of the Christian religion, as taught by Jesus, because then we will also get the worldly, economic arrangements falling into their proper place.

Christoph Hoffmann's book "Mein Weg nach Jerusalem" describes how he started thinking about gathering the people of God who would strive to make their community a kingdom of God as had been envisaged by the Jewish prophets. Otto Hammer in the TG of Germany had an excellent article about the founding of the TS in the Warte of September this year. Herta Uhlherr has translated this and I expect to see the translation in the December Templer Record. In the translation it says: The real origin of the Temple Society is in the year 1848, during the time when Christoph Hoffmann was an elected member of the German National Parliament in Frankfurt. When he was out of his familiar environment, his eyes were opened to the social reality of the mid 19^th century, at the beginning of the industrial age. In a tough and ferocious election campaign, Hoffmann saw the abysmal poverty and the associated moral decline of the urban proletariat. The unkindness and lack of consideration in all social groups caused him suffering. He also saw the higher bourgoisie distancing itself from Christian principles.

Hoffmann looked for the reasons for these conditions, which he found intolerable and so diametrically opposed to the teaching of Jesus. He concluded that the institutions responsible for uplifting people to a truly Christian society, the existing churches, had failed in their task. Churches had become state institutions subject to worldly interests. That the protestant churches had the kings of their countries as their highest bishops merely confirmed Hoffmann's view. Out of thoughts like this grew his conviction that God's people, those who would establish the Kingdom of God as envisaged by the prophets had yet to be gathered and brought together to set the example for the whole of Christianity. This chain of thoughts is the real germ for the Temple Society. The TS is that group of people who seriously strive to live by exercising God's justice and so create the kingdom of God, on earth. Although it does not matter where communities of people living like this should be settled, Jerusalem and Palestine is the place that the prophets had talked about. The TS living as examples of what Jesus had taught in Palestine would be the biggest stimulus for other Christian religions of the whole world to notice and copy.

The people of God were generally understood to be that nation or group of people who live as God intended mankind to live and for which purpose God had created mankind. The prophets had described an uplifted state of humanity for which man had been created. God had made the first attempt with the people of Israel, the descendants of Abraham. But these had sinned and God had punished them as shown by history. When Jesus came he invited his listeners to enter the Kingdom of God. He called all people, and the apostles, Paul in particular, made it quite clear that Gentiles, that is non-Jews, were also called to enter God's kingdom. This kingdom is a state that is perfectly possible here on earth. The Lord's prayer asks for God's help to let us establish this kingdom here on earth. The first Christian community in Jerusalem, Jews who had personally known Jesus, had lived in this spirit, apparently expecting an imminent return of Jesus to establish God's kingdom on a large scale. Sadly, history shows that from this first community, Christianity grew into an instrument of political power and privilege, which actively kept the common people in ignorance about any scientific understanding of the universe that had begun to accumulate. Luther and the reformation rebelled against the misuses of the power of the Church. In the flowering of the reformation period, there again was a time when people could be seen as living in God's kingdom, before the various protestant churches also became power structures, from which the values of the kingdom of God largely disappeared. Christoph Hoffmann and his friends saw their task as again calling for this nation, destined to live in the Kingdom of God, to be gathered so that they could set an example in the Holy Land.

What I have just told you is how people, destined to form the TS, thought in the 1850s. Their thinking was dominated by a very biblical way of understanding the world and nature. Note that it was only in 1859 that Charles Darwin published the idea of evolution, including that of mankind from lower forms of life. Our founding fathers still thought in the Biblical way that man had been created, in God's image, as the highest creation, with a place next to God, even above angels. Just read the verses of Hoffmann's hymn, Trachtet, ruft …" and you will see how literally biblical his thoughts were at that time. Spiritual and worldly poverty resulted from sinning, that is disobeying God and opposing what God wanted.

In this religious background, the friends of Jerusalem, as they were also called, emphasised that deeds were needed. It was not good enough to wait for God, or for the second coming of Christ, for us all to be made perfect. At various times Hoffmann and his friends, foremost among them G.D. Hardegg, sent petitions to the Federal Government of Germany in Frankfurt. These petitions show how they thought and what actions they proposed. Here is a free translation from a petition in 1854.

"To solve the degeneration of Society in Germany requires a return to the communion with God and to the task which Jesus put in the words: "Strive above all else for the Kingdom of God and his justice, because then all the rest will come to you as well". We need to regain a social life built on God's laws and his spirit. This is the only way to master the prevailing problems in Society. For this purpose we have set ourselves up as a Society for Gathering of the People of God in Jerusalem. Our purpose is to form communities in the Holy Land in which we will live according to God's laws (today we might say God's values). Jerusalem shall then be a light for all of Christianity and the whole world."

The founders believed strongly in the prophecy of the Old Testament. This may strike many of us today as peculiar. What exactly did they mean by this? Here is a free translation from a Warte article of that time.

"We believe we have shown that the prophecy of the prophets, which the New Testament so clearly and repeatedly says is the basis of Christianity, is nothing other than the re-establishment of the people (or nation) of God in the land Canaan, the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the re-establishment of the kingdom and the priesthood of God, not just for the Jews, but for the whole of mankind, and hence, also for us."

They did write in very long sentences at that time. But you can see that there is nothing supernatural or mystical about what they called the prophecy. It is the same thing as striving for the Kingdom of God. And that is that state of mankind in which people live by God's values: love and respect for God and his creation, and love for their neighbours as for themselves. We could say they live in peace and harmony. What was being proposed was entirely feasible, provided that people were willing to live with each other according to these values, which Jesus had taught.

This preparedness to take action caused these men to be opposed ever more strongly by the established churches. Church Christianity understood their Church to already be the Kingdom of God. Also everyone knew that God would organise the second coming of Christ. Hence, what our forefathers were doing was interfering with God's work, which was a serious blasphemy. Hoffmann, fully trained to be a pastor in the Württemberg State Lutheran Church, had over the years taken church services for other pastors when they had their holidays. However, as opposition to Hoffmann grew, the church authorities took away from Hoffmann the authorisation to administer the sacraments. This occurred in 1857.

As Otto Hammer put it, the journey to independence from other religions was not planned. Hoffmann wrote later "It did not occur to us to wish to found our own religion or church; instead we had faith in the prophesied "Second Coming of Christ", which we expected in the near even if unspecified future". The Templers leaving the church was the result of the bureaucratic intolerance of State church authorities, which effectively expelled the Kirschenhardthof community from the Protestant State Church of Württemberg.

Although, the action planned for Gathering of the people of God was entirely practical, and non-mysterious, the language in which the goals were expressed does sound strange to us. They strongly believed that mankind's destined place was with God, up in heaven, and that even on earth God wants mankind to be perfect. Death is merely one of the imperfections which will be overcome when the kingdom of God is fully achieved on earth. Here is a free translation from the Warte at the end of 1858. "In the heavenly Kingdom to which Jesus Christ went, there is already this original glory, the harmony of all powers and deeds. It is the heavenly Jerusalem. Its centre is the throne of the Almighty from whom come lightning, thunder and voices, which we experience here on earth. But this earthly life must be made a reflection of this heavenly Jerusalem. We must create a life in which again all the powers of mankind serve the main purpose, so that heaven and earth again come into harmony, and the effects coming from heaven will no longer destroy but bring blessing and joy to us."

THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE HAS CHANGED

Between 1861 and now, our whole understanding of nature has changed profoundly. Humans evolving from primates are about as opposite as it is possible to be from mankind created by God to be second only to God himself, destined to be above all other creatures, real and imagined. Humans evolved from primates have not fallen from grace through sin. But they do share with the so-called fallen sinners of 140 years ago that each human is a mixture of bad and good characteristics. These are on the one hand animal drives towards sexuality and aggression and the vices of selfishness, vanity and so on. All of these interfere with peace and harmony. On the other hand, there are the recognised possibilities of forgiving and loving others, which make possible harmonious living in peace with others. Mankind's nature has not changed. What has changed is how we understand it. So, if we make allowances for the completely different way in which we now understand the nature of humans, we should be able to correctly assess what Hoffmann was trying to say in the time when the TS was founded.

OUR MAIN CHARACTERISTICS AS A RELIGION

Please note that, despite the vastly different understanding of human nature, the people who founded the TS were ready to take practical steps to achieve in their own lives and communities, the kind of society described in the Bible as the Kingdom of God. This remains a perfectly clearly understandable concept in our time. People in any time can strive to live in peace, trust each other, forgive each other their sins, rather than suing in court, and look after those who have had bad luck. Sadly, most modern people don't even try to work towards better humanity because they think all people will cheat on others. This defeatist attitude is the root of many of the world's problems, and we Templers do not have to put up with it. It is silly to give up, even before we try, to achieve a just and loving society, which will clearly be very much better for all who take part. And we should go further, to help all humans strive for a better society, which in the language of the founders is being the Jerusalem acting as a light for all the rest of Christianity and the world to see. This striving is a worth-while goal for which to commit one's life. It certainly beats the boredom which leads to drugs, or the pointlessness of life felt by so many youngsters today so that they think about suicide. It takes only a slight broadening of the Templer goal, related to humans, to see that all life in the world is in danger, and to include the ecological concerns of many sincere young persons in our striving. Templer religion readily incorporates the concern for nature, for life as a whole, which other sincere people are trying to save in the name of ecology.

When Christoph Hoffmann was older, looking back over the achievements of Templer settlements in the Holy Land, he wrote a concise description of the Temple Society. This is the first and largest part of Occident and Orient, published in 1875. It is available in English as the book with the blue cover. The language here has changed. It seems to be more thoughtful and depends less on the literal symbols expressed in the Biblical prophecy. There is a very short chapter headed "What Templers believe". I want to read a short extract from this chapter which makes two fundamentally important points about our religion.

"The way to ensure that the right philosophy of life is preserved in a religious society is not by teaching and recommending to the members the doctrines which try to express this philosophy. It is far better to make sure that spiritual leadership is placed in the hands of people who possess a mature religious understanding. More of that later, when the question of the Christian priesthood is discussed.

"It follows then that the Temple Society does not stipulate a particular creed which one must accept in order to become a member. Much less do we wish to restrict free research in science or history through articles of faith. On the contrary, it is the Temple Society's wish that its members carry out thorough research, in order to progress towards greater enlightenment and become proficient in all the gifts of the Spirit.

"However, the Temple Society, like all other religious organisations, cannot do without the spiritual bond created by a common faith. So the Temple Society, too, has its belief which must be shared by anyone who wants to be a member. But this belief is identical with the goal which is to be reached and which is already expressed in the name "Temple". The spiritual perfection and physical perfection of man is the goal and the task of every religion and thus the goal and the task of the Temple Society. Templers believe that human beings can come closer to perfection than they are at present, and are willing to take part as actively as they can in co-operative efforts to bring about this improvement."

The two important points I see are:

• Templers are encouraged to use all available knowledge to become better people.
• That which binds members to the Society is the striving for greater perfection of people and society.

The first point eliminates any possibility of conflict between any piece of true knowledge and religious faith. This puts us into an unusual, and very favourable position to make and use scientific and other secular contributions to mankind's knowledge while remaining fully committed to the religious striving necessary to create the better society which the Bible called the Kingdom of God. The second point is that even while we may have different ways of understanding God and the world, we can all harmoniously work towards real improvements in humanity and society.

What an opportunity for us to have been placed in. It was Christoph Hoffmann's thoughts that triggered the events that have led to our unique position in the striving for a better world. That is why I am so enthusiastic about him, and why we should all be very thankful to him.

During the service, think about this. Given that the Temple Society is wonderfully placed with its religion towards contributing to the good of mankind, are we really doing our bit towards improving the world? I would love to hear your opinions, perhaps as we chat this afternoon, or if you want to send Mark an e-mail at the TSA office.

Let's finish with the Lord's prayer. Please stand!

Our Father in heaven

Hallowed be your name,

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us when in temptation and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours forever.

Amen.

We now sing the hymn of praise "Großer Gott wir loben dich". We sing verses 1, 2 and 5.

Sing verses 1, 2 and 5.

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SAAL IM ALTERSHEIM

18.11.01
Elder Hulda Wagner

Text: Luke 21:34-38; Hymns: No. 40 "O Gottes Sohn..." 1-6 No. 116 "Geh aus mein Herz" 1-5.

Unserem heutigen Text voraus steht im Lukas Evangelium der Bericht von Jesus Einzug in Jerusalem am Palmsonntag, von der Reinigung des Tempels und von der Rede Jesu von den kommenden schweren Zeiten und der Zerstörung Jerusalems. In unserem Text heißt es: "Und er lehrte des Tages im Tempel, des Nachts aber ging er hinaus und blieb über Nacht am Ölberg. Und alles Volk machte sich früh auf zu ihm, im Tempel ihn zu hören."

Unser Text ist ein Auszug aus einer seiner Predigten: "Hütet euch aber, daß eure Herzen nicht beschwert werden mit Fressen und Saufen und mit Sorgen der Nahrung." So heißt es in Luthers Übersetzung. Im Buch: "Die gute Nachricht", das Neue Testament in heutigem Deutsch, heißt diese Stelle: "Seht euch vor! Laßt euch nicht vom Rausch umnebeln oder von den Alltagssorgen gefangennehmen."

Ganz ähnlich lauten die Worte in der Bergpredigt im Matthäus Evangelium:

"Macht euch keine Sorgen um Essen und Trinken und um eure Kleidung. Das Leben ist mehr als Essen und Trinken und der Körper ist mehr als die Kleidung."

"Das Leben ist mehr als Essen und Trinken" heißt, daß Essen und Trinken, alles was wir zum Leben brauchen, wohl notwendig ist, daß es aber darüber hinaus noch Wichtigeres gibt. Wir sollen uns von den Alltagssorgen nicht gefangen nehmen lassen, vor allem soll uns der Kampf um die Existenz nicht hartherzig und selbstsüchtig machen, wir sollen nicht nach immer mehr Macht und Ansehen streben. Wir sollen uns nicht zersorgen und zerquälen, wohl aber Fürsorge treffen und nicht einfach in den Tag hineinleben. Mit unsrer Arbeit sollen wir unsem Lebensunterhalt verdienen.

Aber man muß hier das rechte Maß finden. Manche arbeiten ununterbrochen und sind nie zufrieden. Sie streben ständig nach mehr Geld, nach Erfolg und Macht. Sie leben ständig in Angst und Sorge, daß es vielleicht einmal nicht reicht zum Leben. Und mit dieser Angst und dieser Sorge nehmen sie sich selbst alle Lebensfreude. Davor wollen uns die Worte in unserem Text warnen. Denn wenn wir uns immer Sorgen um Alltägliches machen, bleibt keine Zeit übrig, an Ewigkeitswerte zu denken; daran zu denken, was unser Leben vertiefen oder wirklich erfüllen kann.

Ähnlich wie man mit dem Arbeiten das rechte Maß finden muß, so ist es auch mit unserer Einstellung zum Leben. Wir müssen uns klar darüber sein, daß wir vieles in unserem Leben nicht selbst bestimmen können, daß viel von äußeren Umständen abhängt, über die wir keine Gewalt haben. Von den vielen Menschen, die am 11. September so plötzlich sterben mußten, hatte wohl keiner, abgesehen von den Terroristen, gedacht, daß er den Abend nicht mehr erleben würde. Wir wissen nie, wann unser letzter Tag anbricht. Dieser Gedanke soll uns nicht furchtsam machen, sondern uns daran erinnern, daß wir die richtige Einstellung zum Leben finden müssen. In jeder Lebenslage kommt es darauf an, was für Entscheidungen wir treffen, wie wir uns verhalten. Nicht was wir erleben, sondern wie wir empfinden was wir erleben, das macht unser Schicksal aus. Wir müssen "ja" sagen zum Leben, auch wenn nicht alles so geht, wie wir es uns wünschen. Wir dürfen nicht immer daran denken, was uns fehlt, sondern wollen dankbar sein für das, was uns geblieben ist. So lernen wir, die Abwesenheit von Schmerzen als Glück empfinden. Nach einer schweren Operation sagte ein Mann: "Plötzlich erkennst du, was für ein Wunder es ist, zu schlafen ohne schwere Träume, aufzuwachen mit heilen Knochen, die Sonne zu sehen, sie auf der Haut zu fühlen, Auto zu fahren und den Alltag zu erleben." Diese positive Einstellung zum Leben, die Freude an den kleinen alltäglichen Dingen, die brauchen wir im Alter noch mehr als in der Jugend. Dazu möchte ich eine kurze Geschichte von Bernhard Kurrle vorlesen. Sie heißt:

"Wer 'ja' sagt, hat gute Tage.

Wieder einmal wandre ich durch den Schwäbischen Wald, von Gschwend über die Frickenhofeme Höhe, dann nach Süden zu. Mein Weg führt an einem kleinen Gehöft vorbei. Es ist mir seit langem bekannt, aber doch fremd geblieben. Ringsum Streuobstwiesen, dahinter schlagreife Fichten und junger Niederwald. Am klarblauen Oktoberhimmel zieht ein Bussard seine Kreise. Ein Eichelhäher warnt deutlich sein Revier.

Noch nie ist mir jemand aus dem backsteingemauerten eingeschossigen Wohnhaus entgegengekommen, auch nicht über den Fußweg von der Scheune her. Ackergerät steht herum, wohl seit langem vergessen.

Ausgetretene Steinstufen führen zur Haustür. Das Geländer ist rostzerfressen. Vom Fensterholz blättert Farbe, die Läden hängen in verrosteten Angeln. Auf der Fensterbank aber stehen wohlgepflegte Geranien, sattgrün und dunkelrot. Darunter sind violette Kelchwinden gepflanzt, wuchem über den Blumenkasten hinaus und decken den Sandsteinsims.

Wie's drinnen wohl aussehen mag? Eine ärmliche Wolinstube und Schlafkanimer, eine kleine Küche ohne eglichen Komfort? Und die Menschen, die dort wohnen: enttäuscht, gedemütigt, vergessen - oder mit Absicht vereinsamt? Aber die leuchtenden Geranien, und die Fensterläden, so weit offen. Man sieht es: Seit langem wurden sie nicht zum Verschließen genutzt.

Ich gehe weiter und bleibe doch wieder stehen. Dann öffnet sich die Haustür. Nur einen Spalt breit. Eine Katze wird hinausgelassen. Auf eigenen Wunsch wohl, ich höre kein widerwilliges Schreien, sehe kein verschrecktes Davonrennen. Sie schreitet über die erste Stufe, schwingt zur nächst-gelegenen, bleibt dort sitzen, die Vorderbeine aufgestemmt, hebt elegant die Pfote und beginnt sich befließlich über die Ohren hinweg zu putzen.

Die Tür öffnet sich weiter, eine Frau, so um die Siebzig, oder auch älter, schaut zur Katze hin, dann zu mir herüber. Ein tiefgefurchtes Gesicht, aber sie erschreckt nicht.

"Unterwegs?" fragt sie, öffnet die Tür, kommt ganz heraus. "Haben Sie's noch weit?" Ihre Stimme klingt warm, lädt zum Antworten ein. "Allein hier oben im Wald?" sie fragt es ohne Bedauern.

Ich möchte sie gern zurückgeben, diese Fragen. Besonders diese: "Unterwegs?" Aber vielleicht hätte ich sie damit hilflos gemacht. Oder auch nicht. Ich sehe ihre klugen Augen. Diese Frau weiß auch Antworten.

"Ein herrlicher Sonnentag heute, und die Luft!" sage ich. "Aber's wird nicht mehr lange halten, das Wetter schlägt um." Ich gebe mich kundig, bin aber verlegen und unsicher.

"Das Beste ist, man nimmt's wie's kommt", sagt sie. Und nach einer Weile: "Nicht nur das Wetter. Wer ja sagt, der hat viele gute Tage."

"Wer's kann" antworte ich und möchte gern erfahren, wie sie dazugekommen ist, so gelassen ja zu sagen. "Die Zeit bringt's mit sich. Viel Zeit braucht's freilich, bis man so weit ist. Und jeder muß es für sich selber lernen."

Wir schweigen zusammen. Dann sagt die alte Frau: "Aber die Leute haben keine Zeit mehr, und allein sein wollen sie auch nicht." Freundlich wünscht sie mir einen guten Weiterweg.

Ich schaue nochmals zurück. Dunkelrot leuchten die Geranien, so wie sie nur zum Abschied im Oktober leuchten. Die alte Frau steht unter der Haustür, hebt ein wenig nur ihre Hand zum Gruß, aber ich spüre ihn gut herüber. Die Katze ist aufgestanden und streicht um ihre Beine."

Diese kleine Geschichte, die mich mit ihren anschaulichen Worten ein buntes, lebendiges Bild sehen läßt, hat mir mit den Worten: "Man muß ja sagen zum Leben," so gut gefallen, daß ich sie heute vorlesen wollte.

Dieses Ja-Sagen zum Leben bedeutet im Alter, daß es immer noch gilt, sich an das Gebot zu halten, das Jesus als das höchste bezeichnete, als das Gebot, das alle andern Gebote

einschließt: "Du sollst Gott lieben von ganzem Herzen und deinen Nächsten wie dich selbst."

Auch wenn man im Alter nicht mehr so aktiv im Leben steht, so kann man den Mitmenschen mit Güte und Freundlichkeit begegnen, man kann Zeit für sie haben und an den Freuden, vor allem aber den Sorgen anderer teilnehmen.

Von Max Rößler sind die folgenden Worte: "Wer auf sein Leben zurückblickt am Ende seiner Tage, wird manches zu bereuen haben. So, wer sich für das Geld entschieden hat oder für den Genuß - oder für den Erfolg.

Nie wird bereuen, wer sich entschieden hat für jene göttliche Tugend, die bleiben wird, wenn der Glaube zum Schauen, wenn die Hoffnung zur Erfüllung gereift ist. Von der Liebe gilt: "Sie höret nimmer auf."

Lieben und Leben gehören zusammen. Aus der Liebe wächst das neue Leben, sie trägt, hegt und pflegt das Leben und erweist sich schließlich von Seele zu Seele stärker als der Tod."

So wollen wir jetzt unsere Gedanken nach Tatura schicken, wo heute auf dem Friedhof in einer Feierstunde all der Opfer des vergangenen Krieges gedacht wird. Viele, die einstmals bei TATURA interniert waren, haben sich heute dort eingefunden, um zum Ausdruck zu bringen, daß die Toten nicht vergessen sind, sondern daß wir in Liebe und Dankbarkeit an sie denken.

Wir schließen mit dem Vaterunser.

Weil wir aber "ja" sagen wollen zum Leben, singen wir zum Schluß alle 5 Verse des Chorals: "Geh aus mein Herz und suche Freud". Es ist No. 116 im schwarzen Gesangbuch.

Heute ist zwar ein trüber Regentag; aber wir brauchen den Regen und in den Gärten blüht und duftet es.

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Country Service 7^th October 2001
Elder Renate Weber

Play Enya's "Shepherds Moon"

Welcome to today's service. Thank you to Helmut and Ilse Beilharz for their hospitality. And to all who made the journey to join us today. Let us light a candle each. We will light the first one with a match and then all the subsequent ones from one another. We do this for two reasons. Firstly a candle loses nothing by lighting another one and we will also take this opportunity to each light a candle of peace to honour and remember all the people who have lost their lives in the terrorist attacks, as well as all the families who are left behind with their grief and uncertainty.

Our reading is the 23^rd Psalm. Invite three community members to read the "script."

The Lord Our Shepherd, Psalm 23 1-6

Voices 1,2,3 The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need.

Voice 1 He lets me rest in fields of green grass, And he leads me to quiet pools of fresh water.
He gives me new strength, He guides me in the right paths, As he has promised.

Voice 2 Even if I go through the deepest darkness, (prayerfully) I will not be afraid, Lord. For you are with me. Your shepherd's rod and staff protect me.

Voice 3 You prepare a banquet for me, Where all my enemies can see me; You welcome me as an honoured guest, And fill my cup to the brim.

Voices 1 & 2 I know your goodness and love will be with me all my life-

Voice 3 And your house will be my home as long as I live

Thank you to our readers!

The book of Psalms is the hymn and prayer book of the Bible. Many different people wrote the Psalms over a long period of time and they were used and collected by the people of Israel in their worship and eventually included in their scriptures. Our Psalm and reading for today is probably one of the most beautiful familiar ones sung and used on many occasions. David, of David and Goliath and King of the Jews fame, who spent his early years caring for sheep, is said to have written it. In Old Testament times, sheep were completely dependent on their shepherd to lead them, provide for them and to protect them.

Let us begin with the sung version Hymn number 113 in the new hymnbook.

"The Lord is my shepherd."

In the New Testament Jesus was often portrayed in this way. He was a keeper of men. Just like the shepherd watches his flock and protects them from becoming prey so Jesus was seen as the shepherd watching his human flock. It is a pleasant analogy, very relevant to the time that the Psalms were written and easily understood later by the followers of Christ.

To have some one watching over you is reassuring, physically and psychologically. I am still coming to terms with being alone after living and sharing my life with some one intimately for 35 years. As a newborn we need constant watching over. We are helpless -even more helpless than a newly born lamb. We are totally reliant on our parents and need their care, love and attention. As we get into the terrible twos and older we need protection from ourselves, as we explore the world with all our developing senses. At primary school, teachers are appointed to watch over us, especially for "yard duty"! At high school we have more freedom and as teenagers we often rebel. We don't need "shepherding" we are invincible! (I can speak with experience at how challenging it is being responsible for the "pastoral" care of adolescents!) During our young adult years we often go out and seek "greener" pastures and stray far a field. We talk about the "black sheep". Then we may find life partners and the whole process repeats itself. The people who were once protected now become the protectors. I derive comfort from the thought that I am being watched over by a divine spirit.

I believe in "guardian angels". I am sure most of us have a story we can tell when either we were "watched over" or our children experienced a miraculous escape. Winfried and I once went trout fishing on the Jordan River at Jericho- would you believe! We had walked into the river through a dense thickness of blackberries and had a wonderful time wading in a tranquil river, catching trout. When it was time to go home we needed to turn the VW beetle around in a very tight spot, where the road widened slightly. I stood outside and directed so we wouldn't damage the car or go off the edge. The car was finally inched round to point in the direction of home and I stepped back. I dropped straight down into a hole. Supported on my elbows with just my head sticking out. I moved my legs around to gain purchase to climb out and realised I was suspended in space. I was scared! I yelled for Winfried, he was in the car facing the other way with the engine revving! He looked out of the rear vision mirror and couldn't see me. He could hear a faint noise over the engine but not me yelling. Eventually, and it seemed like an eternity to me, he got out of the car to look for me. He could hear me but didn't know where to find me immediately, because there was so little of me to see. He eventually pulled me out of an overgrown, disused mineshaft. We were in gold fossicking country. I am still convinced God was watching over me that day. Does anyone have a similar story that they would like to share?

"The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me to still waters and he restoreth my soul."

I have spoken about this aspect of getting back in touch with our inner being and spirit each time I have held a service. Dieter Ruff asked me in my first service to talk about our "spiritual sustainability". In our busy daily lives it is essential to take time out to give our bodies, mind and spirit, a chance to recover, to re energise and also give our conscience a chance to "talk" to us and let us know we are striving to create God's Kingdom on Earth. .

In my first story, Winfried and I did what the Psalm suggests-we went into the bush, walked in the water and were quite still. We could take a little time now to be still. Let's just sit, close your eyes if you feel comfortable and visit your heart centre. Feel your heart beating. Imagine a bright candle of light burning there. Take in a breath and see the light brighten as we give it oxygen, as you breathe out, tell your self you are the best person you can be. Feel good about who you are. Restore your soul, your inner spark.

Take time every day to just be. I try most days to consciously find five things that I am grateful for, (restore my soul) It might be my magpies warbling their thanks as they get their breakfast of bread, if on the way to work I see hot air balloons drifting across the city sky line, I get a real buzz for the day, the perfume of Daphne or Boronia or roses wafting over someone's fence, basking in the sun for a ten minute break before fronting up to the next task, the smell of sunshine soaked clean washing as I fold it from the line, someone offering a smile of hello or thanks. (and two Saturday's ago watching the sun rise in spectacular glory over the ocean on Fraser Island.) The book that gave me this strategy "Simple Abundance. A day book of comfort and Joy" by Sarah Ban Breathnach, tells you to record them in a beautiful book every evening as you go to bed. I have the special book but haven't yet made a written collection of my treasures, but the fact that I make an effort to collect them, to me is the important part. If it's been a bad day we can always give thanks if we have good health, if our children are happy, or even looking forward to snuggling into the freshly made bed.

In preparing this service I read a number of different versions of this psalm. The song version we heard /sang talks about "death's dark vale"

The revised English bible states

"Even were I to walk through a valley of deepest darkness, I would fear no harm, for you are with me; your shepherd's staff and crook offer me comfort."

I wonder why in the newer versions, the reference to death has been changed? We will all die and it is still the biggest unknown "journey" a person takes. For some of us it is frightening. We are powerless and helpless in its presence. How many of us now days think we will go to "heaven"? If we believe in an after life, life after death, that our vibrating energy, our spirit, our inner spark, our divine spark is released into the atmosphere, when our body ceases to function, we can be reassured that it is only our physical being that ceases to function.

The "newer" version of the psalm is much easier to apply to daily life in the 21^st century. We all go through deep dark patches when we are despairing, or depressed or over whelmed by what we are facing. How reassuring to hear that our "shepherd" is watching over us and protecting us with his shepherd's staff and crook. The crook can be hooked into our clothing and pull us metaphorically out of the mess we are in, or we can grab hold of the strong staff and allow ourselves to be steadied or supported when we traverse dangerous or difficult terrain.

It can also be likened to a life jacket on board any boat. We don't go out to sea with the purpose of drowning foremost in our minds but it is very reassuring to know that if there is trouble there is something there to sustain us. We all need to find a way to tap into this support. For some of us it is meditation, time out to reassess, for some it may be prayer to God, some of us may have conversations with a higher force. It's comforting for me any way that I don't feel totally alone in moments of great darkness/need/ despair.

In nature we are given the stress response to assist us to over come challenges we face. Our bodies shut down all the functions not needed to flee or fight and our senses are heightened, our heart beats faster pumping the blood around more quickly and oxygen as well as energy is released into the muscles to assist us to survive. Unfortunately this stress response can lead to DIStress if we remain under too much stress too long. It's good to develop a coping strategy to release our selves from too much stress. We need to all have a "rod and staff or shepherd's crook" we can grab hold of when we are in need. What is your version of the shepherd's crook or staff?

In ancient Near eastern cultures at a banquet it was customary to anoint a person with fragrant oils. Hosts were also expected to protect their guests at all costs. They also provided a sumptuous meal. Is there a feeling of protection implied with the statement "in the presence of my foes"? A good host usually provides an abundance of food and drink and so, "My cup brims over"

The final verse also comes in a number of different versions. The song suggests that we will "live in God's house for ever more". For eternity. Born again Christians believe that on the Day of Judgement they will be lifted up to heaven to be with Jesus.

The newer versions of this final verse suggests

"Goodness and love unfailing shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD throughout the years to come "

This is probably more in line with the Templer philosophy of seeking God's Kingdom on Earth rather than waiting until we die.

I was lucky enough to spend a session on the Dr Hoffmann 'Peoplescape' project where we looked at some of his teachings; I'd like to share his thoughts with you. Dieter Ruff in his memorial service for Dr Hoffmann quoted Dr Hoffmann's feelings about this:

"The absolute future redirects man always to the present, in which he lives and works. God's Kingdom must therefore not be seen as a "promise for later". Jesus did not wish to teach of the end, but to make an appeal for the present with a view to the end. However, conversely, one must not negate the future of God's Kingdom by confining it to the present. We live in this world, but we have hope for the future and want to conduct our lives with the future in mind."

Warte, July /August 1977. We live in this world, but we have hope for the future and want to conduct our lives with the future in mind."

Now a Christian Japanese version of the 23^rd Psalm I found on the Internet. Totally bringing the words into the present.

" The Lord is my pacesetter I shall not rush, He makes me stop for quiet intervals, He provides me with images of stillness, which restore my serenity. He leads me in ways of efficiency through calmness of mind And His guidance is peace. Even though I have a great many things To accomplish every day, I will not fret, for His presence is here. His timelessness, His all importance Will keep me in balance He prepares refreshment and renewal In the midst of my activity, By anointing my head with oils of tranquillity, My cup of joyous energy overflows. Truly harmony and effectiveness Shall be the fruits of my hours For I shall walk in the pace of my Lord And dwell in His house forever"

I'd like to share some reflective thoughts, a prayer with you. Please remain seated

Dear God, Life Force, Great Mother, Thank you for my inner voice, for being there when I need some one to guide me, when I am lost, when I need protection, when I am confused and challenged by what man does to man.

Help us all to be the best we can be. Give us the confidence to believe in ourselves. Give us courage to stand up for what we believe in, and be strong in taking action. Help us to decide wisely between what we can achieve and fight for and what we need to let go. Allow us to make and take the time to reflect -to walk by the still waters and so be spiritually sustained. Help us to treat others on this Earth the way we would like to be treated, keep offering us the staff to support us during times of need. Allow us to seek nourishment for our inner spark at your table and sustain us as we meet each of life's challenges

In the words of the Mariners 23^rd psalm

"The Lord is my pilot, I shall not go adrift. He lights my passage across dark channels; He steers me through deep waters, He keeps my log. He guides me by the evening star for my own safety's sake, Yes even though I sail mid the thunder and tempest of life I fear no peril, for you are with me Let me find comfort in the stars and heavens, The vastness of the sea up holds me. Surely fair winds and safe harbours shall be found All the days of my life And I shall dock, secure forever. Amen"

Today we are also looking at Community. We lit candles one from the other. Nothing was lost in this action but our lights burning brightly illuminated and gave us light and hopefully some inspiration during our service. In this service we have shared a journey and sense of community as we explored the 23^rd Psalm. Thank you for the atmosphere we have created here today.

Lets conclude with: "The Blessing" Hymn 108, to the tune Edelweiss.

If appropriate, for a final reflection time play "Angeles" from Enya

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SAAL 30.09.2001 Gippsland

Elder Rolf Beilharz

Introductory music: CD player.

Welcome to this meeting of the Gippsland Group of the Temple Society Australia. We'll start this service with "The Lord's my shepherd". It is hymn no. 113 in our hymnbook and we'll sing all 5 verses.

Our text for today is Luke 10, verses 25 to 37 (the parable of the Good Samaritan). Read text.

Vyrna and I have been on a camping holiday for the last two and a half weeks. Vyrna had been meeting deadlines in her work for months on end and was looking forward greatly to a relaxing spell. I had been on a trip to California and then Germany to speak at two scientific conferences in which I presented my views on how evolution works to people interested in animal behaviour. On my return I had a week to prepare for the Annual General Assembly of the TSA as well as catching up with several appointments. So we both wanted to get away from the normal hectic life and to allow camping in nature to recharge our energies. We did this in a wonderful exploration of the Flinders ranges of South Australia. My conference in Germany was in Tübingen and I stayed in the TGD flat traveling to the conference each day. I had the chance to meet members of the TGD Regional Council and am happy to pass on greetings from there to all of you. Those of you at the AGA have received these greetings already.

On the second day of our holiday the horrific terrorist attacks on New York and Washington took place, changing our world fundamentally. It will be a long time before the consequences of these events are fully known. We have been thrust into uncertainty and volatility in all aspects of private and commercial life, on which we had until then been able to rely as a normal part of the life in which we earned our living and enjoyed ourselves. Should we Templers formulate, and perhaps express in public, opinions on such world events? Or on other political events such as the plight of asylum seekers trying to come to Australia? I will give you some thoughts for you to agree or disagree with. It might be useful if amongst ourselves we expressed our own ideas of what these world events mean to us.

Before I proceed let me remind you that the TSA is currently concerning itself with ideas related to Community Building, ideas related to what makes a community and what is the best way to organise a community's activities. In this context it is relevant to think about how the TSA community should interact with the outside world. In Melbourne there are two very active groups of Templers of all ages thinking about two aspects "What are the ideas important for binding communities?" and "What is the best organisation for the TSA as a community?" We realise that country Templers do not have the same opportunities to take part in such discussions. Yet, we sincerely wish that all Templers should be able to contribute ideas. If you would like to spend some time, say 1/2 or 1 hour this afternoon to discuss Community building, we can organise a discussion for some time this afternoon. At the end of this service I'll ask you whether any of you would like to do this. Now, back to the theme of the service.

Think back to the parable about the Good Samaritan. There, Jesus clearly said that our love, or compassion, should extend beyond our immediate circle of friends to include even strangers. Anyone in difficulties, whom we can help, should be treated by us with compassion and given help. In theory all Templers, and all Christians and probably all Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and members of other religions, agree with this. But how does this theory work in the complex reality of our world?

Refugees and asylum seekers clearly are strangers in need to whom the parable of Jesus applies. If they cannot escape from their countries they may be tortured or killed. So should we Australians let all of the boat people in and give them a new start?

Against that, I have always taken it for granted that I could travel to another country only if that country allows me to go there. It has never occurred to me to say, I have a right to enter any country I like, even if its government wants to keep me out. I have never questioned why another country may not permit me to enter. That is their business. From this I conclude that Australia, like any other country, must be allowed to set its own policy about whom and how many people, it will take in. How do we now reconcile these two possibilities?

The United Nations has an organisation that handles refugees and asylum seekers. I personally think that Australia should accept genuine refugees as determined by this organisation or by Australia acting on the UN's behalf. It would be best if the numbers of people allowed in could remain within the boundaries of a general plan for achieving the population size Australia wants.

The complexity of the real world situation is increased by the fact that People Smugglers are earning substantial amounts of money from desperate refugees and landing these people on our shores illegally. Should Australia turn away these particular people because of the way in which they came here, or should we recognise that it is sheer desperation that has driven them to undertake this hazardous journey to our shores, in the hope of finding safety? If the latter, how should those being smuggled in be seen in the priority queue compared to those applying in a more orderly system set up by the United Nations?

All extreme positions, such as no refugees or accept all of them, are likely to be wrong. But reaching the appropriate compromise in a complex situation is not easy. However, we Templers should contribute with good will to the work of finding that compromise. I do not think that Jesus ever advocated simple extreme solutions. He acted appropriately in each situation, even when he used force to drive out the money changers from the Temple.

As I said earlier, these are my thoughts and you are free to disagree with them. Perhaps the TSA could, after discussion, form an appropriate view which might usefully contribute to the current political debate in Australia.

What about the acts of terrorism which happened three weeks ago in New York and Washington? You have probably read more than I have about the acts themselves and the comments people have made on the reasons for them and the responses that the USA expects to make as a consequence. Here also the situation is very complex.

The acts of terrorism made clear to all of us that it is possible to use ordinary items of normal civilian life, such as aeroplanes operating in the normal daily life of the most powerful country of the world, to cause horrendous damage and loss of innocent human life. Military might and America's planned rocket shield are completely ineffective against people prepared to die for their cause.

In the aftermath of the terror, the world has a unique opportunity to reach broadly based agreement that such terrorism should be banished. Ordinary people were so shocked and genuinely sympathetic for the innocent people killed and injured and for their relatives.

The USA seems to know that a rapid retaliatory strike, the equivalent of not turning the other cheek in another parable of Jesus, could have led people away from general goodwill towards banishing terrorism towards focussing on the punishment of the perpetrators and those who helped them. Focussing on punishment can escalate military activity and increase the likelihood of further terrorist attacks in revenge.

Jesus would never have encouraged acts of terrorism against innocent people. He would support banishing it. Giving suspected people a fair trial and ensuring that the guilty ones will never be able to use terrorism again is consistent with this. Massive military action, say by the USA against Afghanistan, will harm many innocent people and will increase the likelihood of more terrorist revenge attacks. Jesus would probably have asked why did people come to be terrorists in the first place? Why are they so opposed to the USA, or to the whole western world of global commerce, that they were prepared to give their lives to commit their terrorist acts? When these causes are identified, then we would be wise to work hard to remove them. Australia has a small research fund, the Crawford Fund for International Agricultural Research, to promote agricultural research in developing countries. My short association with this has shown me credible evidence that, when people have enough to eat, they are unlikely to be recruited to militias or other terrorist organisations. In a situation of poverty and chronic hunger, young men join paramilitary organisations because there they at least get fed regularly. Is the answer staring us in the face, and have we ignored the obvious?

The situation is complex. I have given you some of my thoughts and again leave it to you to agree or disagree.

There have also been many indications that these terrorist events have brought to the surface prejudices held by different groups of people. You will probably share my reactions to many of these.

Exactly like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is a religion of peace, except in some fundamentalist variations. It is definitely wrong to condemn Muslims living in Australia, just because Arabs were involved in the terrorist attacks. In fact, it is important that the Muslims in Australia be given support. Racial and national prejudices of this kind poison the atmosphere for everyone. In Australia we have a multicultural mix which has been uniquely successful in the world. It probably resulted from a historical accident because no racial or national group became very large relative to other groups. Regardless of why it happened, you will probably agree that it is very important to keep Australia's multiculture healthy and free of the many evils wrought by racial differences in other parts of the globe. It is so easy to fan hatreds and very hard to contain them again once they have caught fire.

So, what do I conclude from thoughts like these about recent events in the world and in Australia. My most important conclusion is to recognise that we Templers have been very fortunate in our own history, especially in having been brought to Australia and being allowed to settle here. At the time we were shipped here we did not understand just how lucky we were. Now, 60 years later, it is very clear that we would have had no future if we had remained in the Palestine in which Templers down to my age had been born. That the Temple Society survived as a religion, which can still make very valuable contributions to this world, is largely due to that historical removal, against our wishes at the time. We Australian Templers are the largest Templer group today by far. And we are free to develop ourselves in a country that so far is safe from terrorist activities. Surely we must be thankful for this. The Templers of my parents' generation expressed this feeling of thanks as "Thank you God for forcing this on us despite our own ignorance." We younger, more modern Templers would be wise also to retain the deep feeling of thanks, even if we use different words to explain what our forefathers simply called God.

Secondly, we Templers should show great goodwill towards the refugees who are today fleeing their dangerous homelands and trying to settle in Australia, the same nation that has been good to us. Perhaps we can contribute positively to reaching an appropriate mechanism for checking the refugee credentials of asylum seekers and for housing them in a dignified way while this process is going on. Should we not think about how we can make a positive contribution?

Thirdly, I cannot see clearly how we can contribute politically to removing terrorism from the world, other than by living our daily lives as examples of decent human relations among ourselves and with all those we come into contact with. That simple statement actually embodies what out Templer religion is. We should help others when we can, as outlined in our text of the Good Samaritan, regardless of their religion, colour of skin or worldly status. We can also speak out in defense of the relaxed, we could say laid-back, multicultural way of life that has developed here in Australia. Our own lives would be much poorer if Australia became a land of strife between different religious or national factions. What would then happen, possibly on more than one front, can be seen today in Israel, Northern Ireland, the Balkans, various provinces of Indonesia, and other places. We should recognise just how lucky we have been. And we should speak up strongly to defend the values of equality, freedom and ease of communication between groups that have developed here. I feel deeply that it is very easy to lose much, unless all Australians defend these values. Once you allow hatreds, or feelings of superiority, to grow it may take a long time to make them disappear again. We will be making an important contribution to Australia simply if we live truly up to our Templer religion and include in our compassion other people and the rest of life with which we share our earth.. What this means is so clearly summarised in the old fashioned statement, with the words God and neighbour expanded appropriately to our modern understanding: "Love God with all your power, and love your neighbour as you love yourself."

Let's finish with the Lord's prayer.

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your Kingdom come,

Your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us when in temptation

And deliver us from evil.

For the Kingdom, the power and the Glory are Yours forever.

Amen.

Now, can we sing a few verses of the Templer Hymn "Trachtet, ruft mit ernstem Worte" or in English "Seek ye first of all God's Kingdom"? Let's sing verses 1,2 and 4.

Music

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Saal im Altersheim

16 September 2001
Elder Hulda Wagner

Text: Luke 15:11-32; Hymns: No. 1: "Komm, o komm..." 1-5 No. 10: "Wenn ich, o Schöpfer.... 1-6

Unser heutiger Text, das Gleichnis vom verlorenen Sohn, ist wohl den meisten von uns bekannt. In klaren und einleuchtenden Worten und Bildern wird uns ein Menschenschicksal erzählt. Nach einem ausschweifenden Leben kehrt ein reuiger Sünder zum Vater zurück und bittet um Aufnahme - nicht als Sohn, sondern als bescheidener Knecht. Während der Vater ihn voll Freude und mit allen Ehren aufnimmt, ist der Bruder verstimmt und fühlt sich benachteiligt.

Wir wollen versuchen, uns in die Gefühle des Vaters und die des Bruders hinein zu versetzen, aber zuerst mitempfinden, was der jüngste Sohn, der verlorene Sohn erlebt und erlitten hat. Er hat das Erbteil, das ihm ausbezahlt wurde, verpraßt. Er hat also verschwenderisch gelebt, wir können sagen, er hat das irdische Glück ausgekostet, ohne an die Zukunft zu denken. So stand er mittellos da, als die große Teuerung über das Land kam. Echte Freunde hatte er sich nicht erworben. Er mußte zufrieden sein, daß ein Bürger des Landes bereit war, ihn als Schweinehirt anzustellen. Er war nun so bescheiden geworden, daß er gern von dem Schweinefutter gegessen hätte, aber niemand gab es ihm, und er war am Verhungern. Wenn wir nun bei diesem Gleichnis nicht nur an weltliche Güter denken, um die der Sohn den Vater gebeten hatte, sondern uns vorstellen, daß das Erbteil, das der Sohn erhalten hatte, sein Leben war, dann können wir es im übertragenen Sinn auf unser eigenes Leben beziehen.

Die Jahre unseres Lebens, unsere Lebenszeit, das ist wie ein Gut, das uns anvertraut worden ist. Es liegt an uns, wie wir damit umgehen. Oft sind wir Menschen von den alltäglichen Angelegenheiten so beansprucht, daß wir sozusagen keine Zeit für Gott, für Gedanken über Religion haben. Wenn uns dann schwere Schicksalsschläge treffen, wissen wir nicht, wie oder wo wir Trost oder Halt finden können. Deshalb ist es wichtig, daß wir nie vergessen, daß in unserem Erdenleben alles vergänglich, alles vorübergehend ist. Immer neue Lebensstufen warten auf uns, wir müssen auf Wechsel gefaßt sein und versuchen, in jeder Lage zuversichtlich und getrost zu bleiben und zu sagen:

"Herr, schicke was du willst, ein Liebes oder Leides, ich bin vergnügt, daß beides aus deinen Händen quillt. Wollest mit Freuden und wollest mit Leiden mich nicht überschütten! Doch in der Mitten liegt holdes Bescheiden."

So hat es Eduard Mörike, der schwäbische Dichter ausgedrückt.

Um viel Gelassenheit bittet Jörg Zink in dem folgenden Gedicht:

"Herr meiner Stunden und Jahre, Du hast mir viel Zeit gegeben. Sie liegt hinter mir und sie liegt vor mir. Sie war mein und wird mein und ich habe sie von dir.

Ich danke dir für jeden Schlag der Uhr und für jeden Morgen, den ich sehe. Ich bitte dich, daß ich ein wenig dieser Zeit freihalten darf von Befehl und Pflicht, ein wenig für Stille, ein wenig für das Spiel, ein wenig für die Menschen am Rande meines Lebens, die einen Tröster brauchen.

Ich bitte dich nicht, mir mehr Zeit zu geben. Ich bitte dich aber um viel Gelassenheit, jede Stunde zu füllen."

(Soweit des Gedicht von Jörg Zink.)

Und diese Gelassenheit brauchen wir im Alter mehr als je zuvor. Nun heißt es, trotz allem zuversichtlich zu bleiben, trotz allem noch dankbar zu sein für jeden Tag, den wir erleben dürfen, trotz allem Zeit und Verständnis zu haben für unsere Mitmenschen und vor allem, denen zur Seite zu stehen, die einen Tröster brauchen.

Von dem römischen Philosophen Seneca stammt der Spruch: "Zähle jeden Tag als ein Leben für sich."

Wir Menschen neigen eigentlich nicht sehr dazu, jeden Tag als ein Leben für sich zu betrachten. Eher sehen wir unser Leben in einen unaufhörlichen Zeitstrom eingebettet. Was unterscheidet das Gestern von Heute? Waren nicht eben erst Feiertage? Haben wir nicht gerade erst Geburtstag gehabt? Die Zeit vergeht viel zu schnell.

Nun rät uns der römische Philosoph Seneca, innezuhalten, unser Leben nicht zu durchlaufen, indem wir einen Tag vom andere prägen lassen, sondern jeden Tag als eine Einheit für sich zu sehen.

Wenn wir uns Senecas Blickwinkel zu eigen machen, betrachten wir das Leben so wie eine wertvolle Perlenkette. Zwischen die einzelnen Perlen ist jeweils ein Knoten geknüpft. Jede Perle ist für sich, und doch bilden alle miteinander ein Ganzes. Natürlich verbindet ein "roter Faden" unsere Lebenstage miteinander. Aber es ist doch möglich, jeden Tag als eine neue Chance zu begreifen. Wir können neu entscheiden, wie wir auf das Leben antworten. Mit jedem Morgen eröffnet sich uns die Möglichkeit, etwas so zu machen, daß unser Herz damit zufrieden ist.

Auch wenn uns etwas angst macht, ist eine kleine überschaubare Strecke leichter zu bewältigen. Wir können lernen, einen Tag um den andere zu bewältigen - dann sieht man wieder! Wenn wir verstehen lernen, daß der Wandel ein Gesetz des Lebens ist, so bejahen wir damit die Möglichkeit eines stetigen Neubeginns.

Und so heißt es denn in dem Gleichnis vom verlorenen Sohn: "Und er machte sich auf und kam zu seinem Vater." Er war bereit zu einem Neubeginn.

Das Tröstliche ist nun, daß der Vater ihn schon von ferne kommen sah und ihm entgegeneilte und ihn mit Freuden empfing. Das dürfen wir als Verheißung betrachten, daß es nie zu spät zur Umkehr ist, daß uns Gott immer zugewandt ist.

Dies aber hat den älteren Bruder sehr verstimmt. Sein ganzes Leben lang war er fleißig und gehorsam gewesen; aber nie war er so vom Vater geehrt und gefeiert worden. Es kam ihm einfach ungerecht vor. Er fühlte sich benachteiligt und war wohl neidisch und eifersüchtig auf den jüngeren Bruder. Ich glaube, daß es uns Menschen oft ähnlich ergeht. Das eigene Schicksal käme einem gar nicht so schwer vor, wenn man nicht auf andere neidisch wäre, denen manches zufällt, was für einen selbst nicht zu erreichen war. Wenn man dann noch Betrachtungen anstellt, daß der andere gar nicht verdient habe, daß es ihm so gut geht, dann macht man sich selbst unglücklich.

"Du solltest aber fröhlich und gutes Mutes sein" heißt es in unserem Gleichnis. Wir sollten uns aber mit jedem freuen, dem es gut geht und keine Vergleiche anstellen, die uns unzufrieden und unglücklich machen.

Dieses Zufriedensein mit dem eigenen Los hat Jesus auch im Gleichnis von den Arbeitern im Weinberg zum Ausdruck gebracht. Da hatte der Besitzer des Weinbergs am frühen Morgen Arbeiter eingestellt und ihren Tagelohn mit ihnen festgesetzt, nämlich ein Silberstück. Sie waren mit dem versprochenen Lohn einverstanden und machten sich an die Arbeit. Im Lauf des Tages stellte der Besitzer des Weinbergs noch mehr Arbeiter ein, sogar dann noch, als der Tag beinahe vorüber war. Als es am Feierabend zur Lohnauszahlung kam, wurden zuerst diejenigenentlohnt,diezuletztgekommenwaren,undjederbekameinSilberstück. Da dachten die, die zuerst angefangen hatten, zu arbeiten, sie bekämen entsprechend mehr; aber auch sie bekamen jeder ein Silberstück. Da schimpften sie, weil sie nicht mehr bekamen, obwohl sie den ganzen langen Tag in der Hitze geschuftet hätten. Da sagte der Weinbergbesitzer zu ihnen: "Ich tue euch kein Unrecht! Wir hatten uns doch auf ein Silberstück geeinigt, das habt ihr bekommen! Was ich den andere gebe, ist meine Sache. Seid ihr neidisch, weil ich großzügig bin?"

So gilt für die Arbeiter im Weinberg - für uns Menschen alle - genau dasselbe wie für den älteren Bruder in unserem, Gleichnis: "Du solltest aber fröhlich und gutes Mutes sein; denn dein Bruder war verloren und ist wieder gefunden!"

Wir schließen mit dem Vaterunser.

Als Schlußchoral habe ich ein freudiges Loblied über die Allmacht und Allgegenwärtigkeit Gottes gewählt: No. 10. "Wenn ich, o Schöpfer, deine Macht...". Wir singen alle 6 Verse.

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Saal - A.G.A. - 9-9-2001 Bentleigh

Elder Rolf Beilharz

We start by singing verses 1 and 2 from the Templer hymn "Trachtet ruft mit ernstem Worte", hymn nr. 1 in the new Templer Hymnbook.

Welcome to the A.G.A of the Temple Society of Australia for 2001. During the meeting we will take a break of one hour to have lunch which is provided by the Bayswater - Boronia community. I look forward to this opportunity to chat informally about our business while we are enjoying good food. On your behalf I thank the community for providing this lunch.

The Temple Society exists for one purpose: To show people that humans can be better than merely selfish and that living in a truly human way will lead to peace and harmony among people and with the rest of life on earth.

We Templers come from a Christian background and share with the rest of the Western World the basic culture that has come from the Jewish faith and its derivative, Christianity, together with the philosophical understanding of the Greeks and a system of justice and administration originating from the Roman empire. But our western world, although it shares with us the Jewish background and the New Testament, the basis of Christianity, has recently developed a system of values which misses the essence of what we Templers have! In all of western civilisation the focus has become the individual person and his or her rights. What is missing is the responsibilities every person has to the common good. People are encouraged to think of themselves and their own comforts first. When almost all people of the world in which the TS exists think selfishly, it is only too easy for us also to accept that selfishness is normal and that we would be fools to live differently.

And yet, the Temple Society exists to point out to the rest of the world that people can do better than be selfish! I see this as a very important task for us Templers. For us in the TS Australia, our example should influence our neighbours in Australia. As your elected regional head, I see my role as ensuring that the values of the Temple Society remain alive and healthy in our membership in Australia. Did I hear anyone say, what values exactly? This is a fair question. The answer is: those values derived as accurately as this is possible from the teachings of Jesus.

Jesus was a Jew and lived in the Jewish regions of Galilee and Judaea about 2000 years ago. Christianity dates its years from an estimate of the year of birth of Jesus. The cultural and religious background for that time derives from the Old Testament. Our text for today is from this Old Testament, Psalm 103, the verses 1 - 13. Read text.

This is an expression of profound love for the power which caused the earth to come into being and also the life that has developed on earth. Whatever that power is, it is called God by Jews and Christians, it should be seen above all else as loving. God is like a father having compassion for his children. We, his children, should respond appropriately, that is with deep gratitude for being alive. This psalm is just one example of the feelings of thanks present in the Jewish community when Jesus grew up. Now what exactly did Jesus teach?

Last year I read a text from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, Chapter 5, verses 33 to 48. I'll read it again. Read text.

This text is part of the collection which Matthew made of the teachings of Jesus. It is a collection of wisdom, common sense if you like, about people, about how people behave, and about what is good for them. Let us take the text I have read as examples. In three different ways a contrast is made between how people behave under the old teachings, when they were being selfish or thinking tribally or nationally, and how they should behave if they were living up to the true potential of how humans can be.

Firstly, be completely honest, always, and tell people clearly yes or no. Don't deceive people and don't try to tell them that you are telling the truth, for example by swearing an oath. People should already know, from your general behaviour, that you are always dependably honest. Trying to tell them so, even with an oath is not useful by itself. It may start people wondering why you need the oath.

Secondly, people have a right to justice, or equality of behaviour, as it had been expressed to the ancient Jews. You may hurt your neighbour back when she or he has hurt you, in whatever manner this may have occurred. We could think, for example, of going to court, suing others when they have sued you, or taking something from a neighbour when he or she has taken something that belongs to you. This is the selfish behaviour which we find so easy to fall into. We can call this natural justice.

But, contrast this with the truly human potential we have. We could truly forgive the other person, and say "keep it", or "don't worry, I don't mind helping you, in fact I can carry your bag another mile". You can even let people hit you again, rather than hit them back, although this takes a lot of self-control. But can you see that helping cheerfully and forgiving rather than reacting aggressively, produces an effect that is utterly different from the typical aggressive behaviour we find so easy, and natural, to produce?

Thirdly, the concept of forgiving is extended to the general attitude of loving and consideration of others. Instead of restricting our concern and love only to our friends, we can expand our horizons and view everybody as being worthy of our love. We should feel goodwill towards all people, not only towards our friends and family. Particularly today, when the world is running into problems because there are too many people, we should widen our horizons to also include all other forms of life, not just the humans that seemed to take up all concern in the times of Jesus.

The founders of the Temple Society searched for what would be the best summary statement of the teachings of Jesus. They chose from the same Sermon on the mount in Matthew, Chapter 6. Verse 33: "Set your mind on God's kingdom and his justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well."

This short sentence contains a very profound wisdom. Live by the values of God's kingdom, because then all worldly arrangements will achieve their proper values also. Taking this statement seriously, as the guide to how we should live, is the essential difference between the Temple Society and all the rest of the modern western world. Are we still living in this way?

For me the future of the Temple Society Australia is the main goal. I hope that it is also the main goal of other members. Why? Because the TSA has this vision that mankind can be better than the selfish thinking that is being promoted all around us. Just look around you and notice that selfish thinking of individual gain, in competition with everyone else, has been accompanied by loss of peace and harmony. Where are the satisfied happy people our parents and grandparents used to know. Most people in modern Australia seem to have so many worries that relaxing peace has become very rare.

I believe that the idea of contributing to the good of the community as a whole has been pushed aside by the lack of time that has followed our competitive striving for our personal selfish good. Jesus put it very simply. He called for a change in values from thinking selfishly of oneself first, to thinking first of the common good. How can I help others, rather than what does the world owe me? In his day Jesus called this change of view "entering the Kingdom of God".

Although generous helping of, and giving to, others seems illogical to a selfish person, it actually produces feelings of satisfaction and contentment. If you want real happiness you will find it by being generous to others. When many people are generous to each other, there will be a much greater group of content people than under any other viewpoint. That is what Jesus meant by entering the Kingdom of God. And he said there is nothing stopping anyone entering this state now. Do it now. All it takes is a fundamental change in the way you think, followed by action, or living, in that spirit.

I believe the world, with its myriad of problems needs a group of people that can at least carry on this recognition of what real humanity can achieve. The best way to keep this idea alive and available for all mankind is for us Templers to keep living in this spirit. For that reason the future success of our TSA, now the largest group of Templers in the world, is important to me, and I hope to you also. Let us do all our wordly business in such a way that we achieve harmony and goodwill and that we attract the many young members that we need to keep our TSA healthy.

We thank Jesus for showing humanity how to become truly human. We also thank Christoph Hoffmann and our forefathers for showing us that this vision really can be put into effect. We'll close this service with the Lord's prayer.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us when in temptation and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.

We conclude by singing from Christoph Hoffmann's hymn: Trachtet, ruft ... the verses 6 and 9 (No 1 in the new Templer Hymnbook).

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August Saal - Bentleigh

26 th August, 2001
Elder Theo Richter

Good morning to you all and welcome to our Service on this crisp August day. It's hard to believe that within a few days, it will be Spring - that time when the earth re-awakens after its long Winter slumber. I really don't know where the time has gone. These days the years just seem to fly away and I often wonder what it is I've been doing with the time. Do you all feel that way too?

Just after Tania was born, my sister in-law Trudi mentioned during a conversation that her life was getting very hectic with the additional demands of her children and that we would experience the same when ours got a little older. Yeah, Yeah, this perfect little bundle that sleeps at all the right times, eats at the right times and amuses herself when alone - she will never cause us to stress out.

Wrong! Nowadays, with Tania and Monika in the early teens, we work in a rush, eat in a rush and deliver kids to their next destination in a rush. Some days it almost feels that we sleep in a rush!

Is life really that hectic? Lets open today's service with the Hymn "O Lord, I sing with Mouth and Heart" ("Ich singe dir mit Herz und Mund…") which is hymn number 47 in the Hynmbook. It is not often that we sing every verse in a hymn, which is a pity, as we tend never to read and understand the often very beautifully worded text in its entirety. Since I'm in a lets-not-mash-a-good-thing kind of mood, I thought we would attempt to do this today. We will sing all eight verses.

Uplifting, beautiful lyrics aren't they? Telling of the joy of life, the bounteousness of Gods loving and the sheer beauty of this earth. It is important that we dwell on these gifts from time to time, just to maintain that balance which restores us and protects us from the grind of our daily lives.

In my opening remarks, I commented on how the pace of our lives has increased. I suppose, in one hundred years time, the historians will look back and say - 'Yup, those were heady days when the pace of change accelerated over 200% in the space of fifty short years'. Of course, they might just as well be living in equally fast paced tirnes.

Recently I read an article on just that subject - the pace of change. In the article the author described what most of is already know - that we are truly living in a period of supersonicchange. He explained how the post-World Wars world has suddenly picked up on the biomedical and technological advances that were triggered during that period, and has capitalized on those advances to the overall physical betterment of human society. Having noted this, he believed that change as we know it will soon begin to plateau. That doesn't mean that the pace of life will decrease - it will remain just as fast - but rather, the amount of changes will reach a zenith and stabilize.

I can best describe what he meant with an analogy to a speeding motorcar. When the driver first engages the gears, lets off the brakes and presses the accelerator, the engine of the car firstly has to overcome the mass of the vehicle and the inertia caused by its weight. There is lots of energy spent and heat created before the car will actually move. As the car begins to roll, that energy, although not fully translated into motion, starts being employed more efficiently. The faster the car goes, the more efficient it becomes and so it accelerates to its top speed. At its top speed a whole range of factors combine to prevent the car going faster, from the drag coefficient of its shape, to the mechanical limitations of its engine. Needless to say though, our car is now travelling at 200 kph quite nicely thank you very much and will continue to do so until it runs out of road or petrol, whichever comes first.

Can you see the link to what the author tried to say? In his article, he was stating that the pace at which change occurs has now almost reached its top speed - say 200kph - and that he believes that although change will continue to happen at that pace, it will not get faster. Translated, that means that we will all be rushing around at about 200kph, but that in the future we won't be expected to go any faster. Small consolation isn't it?

I suppose that we should again look at the development of the motor car to see if it can explain what can happen. If we took Henry Ford's model T, it was a great car for its age. Of course it could only produce a lowly standing quarter mile in about 35 seconds and a top speed of 40 kph, but that didn't matter because we were free to move, unshackled from the horse and buggy with its top speed of 3-4 kph. Did you know that in England in the early 19"' Century, they passed a law that restricted the speed of motor vehicles to a maximum of 5 miles per hour because the medical practitioners of the day believed people would inexplicably die if they traveled any faster?

But the car refused to be bound by these rules. As industry developed, so too did the car. Before long, we were belting along at 160kph and that was considered phenomenally fast. Some production cars today can do the standing quarter in less than five seconds and will easily run at 200kph all day given the right roads.

Who knows what developments in the future will bring. The author of our article might be completely wrong. Mechanization brought about the incredible changes during the Industrial revolution.

Technological miniaturization has formed the vast array of changes we live with today. Who knows, there might just be another breakthrough in the near future that sets us off on a completely new path of development, again bringing about the pace of change that we are currently experiencing.

Enough of change! We need to slow down a little so, although I'll return to the topic later in this service lets now go back in time. A long, long time, through the aeons to the region we know as the Near.East.

At its heart, the Jewish population in exile from their Promised Land, now living in Babylon under the rule of the Babylonians. The once powerful state of Judah and the great walled city of Jerusalem and the Holiest Temple of Jerusalem lie in ravaged destruction - witness to the power of the mighty Babylonian armies who swept through the lands in these ancient times.

Our text is taken from Lamentations 1, verses -1 7 - 19; Lamentations 2, verses 1 1 - 12 and from Lamentations 3, verses 19 - 33.

Jerusalem pleads for help but no one comes to comfort her. For the Lord has spoken: 'Let her neighbours be her foes! Let her be thrown out like filthy rags!' And the Lord is right, for we rebelled. And yet, oh people everywhere, behold and see my anguish and despair, for my sons and daughters are taken far away as slaves to distant lands. I begged my allies for their help. False hope - they could not help at all. Nor could my priests and elders - they were starving in the streets while searching through the garbage dumps for bread. I have cried until the tears no longer come; my heart is broken, my spirit poured out, as I see what has happened to my people; little children and tiny babies are fainting and dying in the streets. "Mamma, Manuna, we want food," they cry, and then collapse upon the mothers' shrunken breasts. Their lives ebb away like those wounded in battle.

Oh, remember the bitterness and suffering you have dealt me! For I can never forget those awful

years; always my soul will live in utter shame. Yet there is one ray of hope: his compassion never ends. It is only the Lord's mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his loving kindness begins afresh each day. My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him. The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him. It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

It is good for a young man to be under discipline, for it causes him to sit apart in silence beneath the Lord's demands, to lie face downward in the dust; then at last there is hope for him.

Let him turn the other cheek to those who strike him, and accept their awful insults, for the Lord will not abandon him forever. Although God gives him grief, yet he will show compassion too, according to the greatness of his loving kindness. For he does not enjoy afflicting men and causing sorrow.

Lamentations is not really an historical narration of the history of the Israelites, but rather is a faithfully recorded a song of loss. Loss caused by the destruction of Judah. Loss caused by the demolition of the Temple of Jerusalem. Loss at the dissolution of the dream of a united state of Israel that began some four centuries earlier with the ascension of David to the Kingship over the Israelites. Loss as the Israelites lived on, through the heyday of Soloman's Kingship, through the split of the earlier four tribes into the three states of the Israelite - Judeah, Gallilee and Samaria. Four centuries of prosperity, peace and civilisation, reduced to mere fragments of exiled people, spread across the vast occupied lands of the Near East as the Babylonians marched through the region, leaving a bloody swathe of destruction in their wake.

It is little wonder that the text we have read today embodies the entire range of teeth gnashing, chest beating, hair pulling emotion of a people dispossessed - lost in the wilderness - which, by the tone of its author, was a dispossession made by their own hand. In its words, you can almost hear the wailing of the children and their mothers as they struggle to live in this alien and frightening world - filled with hunger pain and hardship.. And yet, hidden within the text is also a sprig of hope. That the people could once again be brought from this wilderness by hearing and obeying the message of the prophets whom, divinely coupled in thought to God, would bring about this salvation.

What do we know of Lamentations? Lamentations is attributed to the writings of Jeremiah, a dominant prophet of the middle 6^th century BC. Having said this however, modem scholars have cast doubt onto this authorship as the writings of Lamentations consist of five poems set in the form of laments, the style of writing differing from that normally attributed to Jeremiah. It is believed that five different poems, written by different poets, were together to create this chapter in the Old Testament.

The first four poems are alphabetic acrostics - that is, in each poem, the first letter of each stanza is one of the letters in the 22 letter Jewish alphabet. The fifth poem does not follow this pattern, although like the others if has 22 stanzas, still equalling the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. This formal structure is believed to have served as a mnemonic device - starting each stanza with a letter of the alphabet assisted people to remember each poem. This style also had a second purpose - to fit the note of wholeness, of Israel's total grief, penitence, and hope into a vehicle that was intrinsic to that society, their alphabet, thus making the Laments a core part of that society's fabric.

Who wrote Lamentations is not important. The feelings of remorse, loss and, in the fifth chapter, hope, conveyed in the poems is what has made this one of the most used texts in both Jewish and Christian religious festivals. In the Jewish liturgical calendar, Lamentations is the festal scroll of the Ninth of Av, a day commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples of Jerusalem. In Christian churches, Lamentations is used to convey the grief of the Passion and death of Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah lived roughly during the period 650BC and 570BC, a time of great uncertainty and unrest in the ancient Near East. He was born and grew up in the village of Anathoth, a few miles Northeast of Jerusalem. His was a priestly family and early in his youth, he was heavily influenced by the teachings of the prophet Hosea.

During the whole of his life, the Near East was in a period of transition. The Assyrian Empire, which had reached its zenith some two centuries earlier and had been passive for most of the time there after, declined and fell. Its capital, Nineveh, was captured in 612 by the Babylonians. Egypt briefly came to power again in the resurgence brought on by the Kings of Egypt during what we call the 26th dynasty (664-525), but proved too weak to establish an empire. The true world power was the Neo-Babylonian Empire, under the Chaldean dynasty which swept to power across the entire area from what is now Iran, through to the northern reaches of Africa.

At this time, Judah was aligned with the Assyrian Empire but when it too fell, Judah briefly came to power as a sovereign state in its own right. Pressure both externally through poorly formed alliances and internally due to a weak and vacillating leadership ultimately led to its downfall in the 6th Century, fated to became a province of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

Jeremiah began his prophetic teachings in about 627BC. According to the Book of Jeremiah, he is purported to have been called to prophesy by God himself, to which he responded "I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." God told him not to worry; that he Himself would put his own words into Jeremiah's mouth, making him a "prophet to the nations."

It is a contested point that, after this calling, Jeremiah served as an official prophet in the Temple. Most scholars believe that this is unlikely, as throughout his life, Jeremiah was stingingly critical of priests, other prophets, and the Temple cult.

Interestingly, Jeremiah was a very graphic preacher. He would use whatever tools were at hand to pictorially describe to his audience what he believed. One of his famous descriptions was at a potter's wheel where he melded the clay, all the time describing what evil the people had moulded in their way of life.

Jeremiah, in keeping with other prophets at this time, sought to rebuke the people for their false worship and social injustice. He sought a universal repentance and the return of the Israelites to a stricter, more disciplined moral code as handed down in God's Laws. He was probably a very astute student of politics and, though couched as visions, most likely read the turbulent political landscape more correctly and proclaimed the coming of a foe from the north and the great destruction that would ensue. The northern foe was later realised in the form of the sweeping armies of the Chaldeans (Babylonians)

In 621 King Josiah instituted far-reaching religious reforms based upon a book that had been discovered in the Temple of Jerusalem during the course of building repairs. The book is believed to have been Deuteronomy or some part of it. The resultant reforms included removal of pagan practices from religious worship, centralisation of all sacrificial rites in the Temple of Jerusalem, and an effort to establish social justice, the principles of which were based on the teachings of earlier prophets.

Jeremiah probably would have welcomed these reforms as he was of the firm belief that the woes of these turbulent times could be allayed by a fearful and determined return to Gods path. In chapter 11 of Jeremiah, after having been called upon by God, Jeremiah is seen to urge the populace to follow and adhere to the ancient Covenant of the Israelites; the Ten Commandments handed down by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. Jeremiah was a prolific traveller in and around Jerusalem and the villages of Judah, exhorting the people to follow the reforms.

Later in his life though, Jeremiah became disillusioned with the reforms because they dealt almost exclusively with the external visage of religion and not with the inner spirit and ethical conduct of the people.

One of the most famous pieces attributed to Jeremiah is his Temple sermon. There are actually two versions, in the Book of Jeremiah - one in chapter 7, verses 1 to 15, the other in chapter 26, verses 1 to 24. I will read to the Gods warning from the latter passage.

Stand out in front of the Temple of the Lord and make an announcement to all the people who have come there to worship from all the parts of Judah. Give them the entire message; don't leave out one word of all I have for them to hear.

For perhaps they will listen and turn from their evil ways, and then I can withhold all the punishment I am ready to pour out upon them because of their evil deeds. Tell them the Lord says: If you will not listen to me and obey the laws I have given you, and if you will not listen to my servants, the prophets .... then I will destroy this Temple and I will make Jerusalem a curse word in every nation of the earth.

The denunciation of the people for their dependence on the Temple for security and the call on them to effect genuine ethical reform had its own repercussions for Jeremiah. His prediction that God would destroy the Temple of Jerusalem if they continued in their present path led to him being immediately arrested and tried in a hastily convened court at the door to the Temple. His defence was that he was an innocent man and the words were not his but rather, those of God spoken through him. Through the assistance of several wise old men, he was acquitted but never preached in the Temple again.

World events thus turned, and it soon became poignantly apparent that the earlier predictions made by Jeremiah concerning the invasion from the north and the destruction of Jerusalem began to materialise. In about 601BC, the King of Judah, Jehoiakim, withheld tribute to the Babylonians. Jeremiah again began to warn the Judaeans that they would be destroyed at the hands of those who had previously been their friends. When the King persisted in resisting Babylonia, an army was sent to besiege Jerusalem. King Jehoiakim died before the siege began and was succeeded by his son, Jehoiachin who surrendered the capital Jerusalem to the Babylonians on March 16, 597, and was taken to Babylonia with many of his subjects.

The Babylonians selected their own leader for Judah and Zedekiah came to rule. Although he was more favourable to the council of Jeremiah, this new king was weak. His court was tom by internal conflict between the opposing pro-Babylonian and pro-Egyptian factions. Despite paying tribute to Babylonia for nearly 10 years, Zedekiah eventually made an ill-informed alliance with Egypt resulting in the Babylonians sending a second army to Jerusalem, which was captured in 586BC.

Jeremiah foresaw the inevitable chaos that would be caused by the weakness of the King and wrote a letter to his exiled people in Babylonia, advising them not to expect to return immediately to their homeland. He claimed that false prophets were distorting the realities of life in Judah and that they should settle peaceably in their place of exile and seek the welfare of their captors.

Throughout the turmoil of these times, Jeremiah maintained the one element of truth, as he believed it to be Judah should submit to the yoke of Babylonia. He believed that the occupation by the Babylonian forces were retribution from God for the errant and sinful lives that the Israelites had chosen, and that they should remain in exile, accepting their punishment, until God, through divine intervention, indicated that the punishment would end. Risking persecution from his fellow Judaeans, he vocally and forcefully preached his message. Under these circumstances, and with the siege of Jerusalem in full force, he was ostracised by his own people and became a social pariah.

A lull in the siege of Jerusalem caused by an ill-fated rescue attempt by the Egyptians allowed Jeremiah to leave the city. He was captured and arrested on a charge of desertion and placed in prison. Subsequently he was interred in an abandoned cistern, where he would have died had he not been rescued by one of his followers. Still persecuted, he was returned to prison.

When Jerusalem finally fell, the Babylonians, offering safe conduct to Babylonia, released Jeremiah from prison. He refused exile and chose to stay with his own people in Jerusalem. He continued to openly and vocally oppose those who wanted to rebel against Babylonia and promised the people a bright and joyful future provided they stayed rigorously within the Covenant of the Lord.

Eventually, Jeremiah was taken against his will to Egypt by some of his fellow Jews who feared reprisal from the Babylonians. Even in Egypt he continued to rebuke his fellow exiles. In the end, his constant haranguing and threats of God-inspired doom must have proven too much for his beloved Judaeans. According to tradition, it is believed that his exasperated fellow countrymen in Egypt stoned him to death.

Interesting times, an interesting life story and even more interesting parallels. It's hard to believe that a man could choose such a difficult life's path to follow. And even more difficult to understand why, in the face of mounting opposition, he continued to plead the same message and the same outcome, even when he knew that opposition to his message was mounting.

When we read into this chapter of the Old Testament, it is difficult not to typecast Jeremiah as a person who was a 'wannabe.' Cruelly put, a 'what about me type person' who has a brief fling with power, falls from grace, then spends the rest of his life trying to get back where he was. Speaking the right speak and walking what he considers the right walk, he spends his life espousing a message that the general populace finds increasingly more repetitive and increasingly more irrelevant to their daily needs. But what interesting parallels we see with our modem day prophet Jesus.

There are four very important similarities between the life of Jeremiah and the life of Jesus:

Jeremiah claimed that it was God's words speaking through him. So did Jesus.

Jeremiah preached of the increasingly heretic teachings of the priesthood. So did Jesus.

Jeremiah delivered his famous sermon in the Temple of Jerusalem. So did Jesus.

Jeremiah was killed at the hands of his people. So was Jesus.

Coincidence abounds throughout the Bible, but we know from intense study of ancient biblical texts that most chapters contain common threads relating to the life of our latter day prophet Jesus. As we carefully read the scriptures, these threads become clearer. Although most of the Old Testament prophets carry similar Predictions of the coming life of Jesus, seldom do they appear with as much similarity in action as in the life of Jeremiah.

Reading from the text of Jeremiah really is a very insightful exercise in our later study of Jesus in the New Testament.

And now, let's return to our earlier discussions on speed and the pace of change. There are similar parallels in the life and times of Jeremiah when compared to our lives today in the 21^st Century. Although the analogy of the motor car may not at first glance seem relevant it served to illustrate the point - that we are reaching the velocity where the coefficient drag in our brains is slowing us down and the limitations of our societal combustion engines is reaching its mechanical peak. And I was doing a Jeremiah - using the tools available to make a point.

We are perhaps not quite threatened by an assault from the Babylonian Empire, but we are being assaulted by the ever-present evolution of our increasingly technological society.

Where, one hundred years ago, we may have had to store in the good years to make up in the bad, technology, improved farming techniques and highly efficient transport networks means that we can enjoy just about any fruit or vegetable in almost any season from anywhere in the world. Where one hundred years ago, we would have given our best guess at the best time to plant our crops, now, based on a hundred years of weather charting and a really good computer system, we can almost predict to the day when crops should go in. Medicine is the same. We already have virtual reality computers that combine the case history of thousands of patients to provide the best prognosis at any given time. A keystroke on the computer can not only deliver the best treatment, but it can show the physician where the likely trouble spot is, what drugs to use and how long before an improvement can be expected. Prosthetics are becoming more complex and are producing more realistic, fully roboticised versions of our limbs. Genetic science is coming closer to the fundamental building blocks of our physical beings. We can clone with an accuracy of perfection in one out of every five attempts.

In business, the interlinking of our order systems, inventory systems and customer / supplier interface systems means that we can order almost anything from any supplier anywhere in the world. Everywhere, the technological revolution is impeding on our daily physical lives, making daily routine easier to carry out, improving our standards of living and making the world smaller and more understandable.

I admit that this is a view taken by someone privileged to live in the relative stability of a country like Australia, living a life of relative freedom and enjoying the fruits of our Nation's prosperity. I also acknowledge that this life is not offered to everyone in Australia, but overall, it is the direction our society is taking that I am trying to convey, not the specific instances of everyone's life.

So why, aren't we all deliriously happy, content in our lot in life and looking forward to each advancement with gleeful joy? The only ingredient that seems to be missing in this ever-upward spiral seems to be a basic satisfaction within our inner spiritual selves. Our physical state is satisfied by what it sees, but our inner spiritual self is losing the steady assault on our sensibilities, our morals and our values.

Big spiritual issues are being overshadowed by the physical reality of life, and our souls are being out paced by the speed at which technology can promote change.

In medicine, should we proceed with the cloning of the human species? Should we make invitrofertilisation available to same sex couples? Should we pass laws that allow euthanasia? Should we force dying patients to donate their organs at death for transplant to others?

In business, should we force companies who put people out of work as the result of improved technology to support these same employees until other work can be found? Should we legislate that companies must provide an independent social security for their employee's if it can be proved that mismanagement or misuse of funds caused its liquidation? What are the implications of a legislated, lifelong social responsibility to their employee's.

In whatever aspect of our society today, these 'should we' questions exist. And the one thing we are very poor at is providing the answers. The reason for this disparity is simple - Technology deals with the physical world, but the types of questions I have posed deal with our opinions and our emotions. And opinions and emotions are tricky little rascals, bound to confound even the best of scholars.

In this hall, right now, amongst all of us, there are probably as many different opinions or emotions on any given subject, as there are people in attendance. The only real way of coming to a uniform agreement on a subject is to gain consensus - a common point of agreement expressed by the majority of people. Consensus doesn't satisfy every emotion or opinion, but it at least provides common ground on which to move forward.

And the time for consensus on some of the issues that I outlined previously is fast approaching the critical stage. Traditionally, society looks to its leaders, whether they are appointed, anointed or simply an expert to provide most of the answers to these issues. Unfortunately, our leaders are in the same position that we find ourselves - overwhelmed at the magnitude of issues that require addressing and hard pressed to understand the broader ramifications and implications.

In slower times, when we travelled through life at a more sedate pace, finding solutions was easier. If a letter from Australia took six months to reach the King of England, and another six to get the response, then we would wait until it arrived - to coin the Spanish word, 'manyana' - it'll happen later. Today, with lightning quick communications, an e-mail sent right now will typically reach England by the time I finish reading this sentence. And because it travelled so quickly, we expect the recipient to decide on the answer and respond by the time that I have finished reading this next sentence. That's how life is these days. Is it any wonder that we don't have the time to address the big issues?

Do I have a solution to the big issues? No. I'm sure that we will get to grapple those issues in due course, or we will be forced to grapple with them with the benefit of hindsight. These issues are something that we will either confront and resolve in due course, or bumble through in our inimitable way.

But we can find the solutions to our own personal issues. Make space in our lives for personal time. An old business term says -if it's important, you can make the time - and that's exactly what we need to do. Our own personal time, even a half-hour each day, helps restore our inner balance and gives us back perspective. What we often have to relearn is that personal time really is as important as that job we need to complete for the boss or that its not raining right now so the washing should get done. Time for simple contemplation, even if it's just a clearing of the mind or the reading of a book. The most important objective- of this personal time is that we don't feel guilty about taking it.

And we can take heed of the age-old solace offered us in the simple words of Jesus. Love ourselves, our neighbours and above all else, love our God. Live your life by his simple Covenant, the Ten Commandments, and make a reality of the truths that they contained.

Let us join together as we recite the Lord's Prayer.

Thank you for taking part in this morning's service. I hope that you have enjoyed its content as much as I have enjoyed doing the underlying research.

Our Service will be followed by a light luncheon provided by the community to which you are all invited and at its close, you are invited to remain for the Annual General Meeting of the Bentleigh-Moorabbin Community.

Let us then close our Service with the joyous words of the song 'Morning has broken' written in a more sedate time by Cat Stevens. His song of praise for the joy and delight that can be experienced in our world will provide the uplift we need to cope with life's dilemmas. The song can be found on page 7 of the Hymnbook and, in keeping with today's theme of slowing down and making more time, we shall sing all three verses.

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Service 22^nd July 2001; Bentleigh

Elder Renate Weber
Pianist Veronika Van Krieken

Welcome! Let us begin today's service with the Hymn number 107 "That we may love" The music was written at the time the Templer Society was formed and the words in 1981 are relevant today. Veronika will play it through for us first to familiarise us with the tune we will sing all 5 verses

I always like to begin work on the service some time before it is due to be "delivered" as this gives me an opportunity to research and clarify my own thoughts. It is also quite amazing how things relate in your daily living when you are doing the research. I was browsing in a book sale and came across at least four books, which could have been useful, but purchased a book called "subtle energy" from which I will share some extracts later. I know that many Elders have stood here and said exactly the same thing. The person preparing the Service probably gains the most! I had been working hard on the text for the today until quite late at night and I will share with you the surprise (and dismay) I experienced when I sat down the next day to read the newly delivered July Record. Herta's text for the month was exactly the one I am going to share with you today. I was disappointed, angry, then I thought this is unfair- what will I do!! Once I had calmed down, taken ten deep breaths I realised that we actually complemented each other and that there was a lot of different ways and directions this text could lead. I was also reassured that I our thinking was on the same wavelength.

Our reading comes from the Acts. The introduction to this book in the Good News Bible tells us "The Acts of the Apostles is a continuation of The Gospel according to Luke. Its chief purpose is to tell how Jesus' early followers, led by the Holy Spirit, spread the news about him "in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth.1.8" I also felt the next sentence as quite significant, as I can see parallels between the early Templers and the disciples. "The writer was also concerned to reassure the reader that the Christians were not a subversive political threat to the Roman Empire and that the Christian faith was a fulfilment of the Jewish religion." Christoff Hoffmann and the Friends of Jerusalem also interpreted the Bible differently to what was currently being practiced in the Churches and wanted to spread their interpretations. They didn't want to politically undermine the government of the day. In fact they tried for many years to involve the Government to assist in setting up a German based settlement in the Holy Land for the benefit of all mankind, as well as for the benefit of their Fatherland.

The apostles were Jews before they became Christians. So their religious experiences prior to Jesus' coming had been based on Jewish sacraments and rituals.

So let's hear the text for the day.

It comes from ACTS 7: 48-50

"However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men; as the prophet says "Heaven is my throne and earth my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord; where shall my resting place be? Are not all these things of my own making?"

The verses prior to this help us put this reading into context.

Verse 44."Our ancestors had the Tent of God's presence with them in the desert. It had been made as God had told Moses to make it according to the pattern that Moses had been shown. Later on, our ancestors, who had received the tent from their fathers, carried it with them when they went with Joshua and took over the land from the nations that God drove out as they advanced. And it stayed there until the time of David. He won God's favour and asked God to allow him to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built the house."

The instructions for this sacred tent are quite detailed and explicit and all the sacred objects including the covenant box are also detailed in the Old Testament (especially in Exodus.)

David was not permitted by God to build a stone Temple but his son Solomon was. Previous to this, it was quite logical for the Children of Israel to have a tent, as God's "home". They were wanderers and nomads so their place of worship needed to be portable. It wasn't until they had returned to Jerusalem where the coming of the Messiah was predicted to occur, that a permanent place of worship was to be built.

Jesus in his time on earth had many run-ins with the Pharisees or priests of the time.

Having done some research for the 140^th anniversary of the TS and then the research for this service, it becomes clear why Christoff Hoffmann felt a strong urge to bring together man kind in this sacred place, Jerusalem, to await Christ's second coming. It also becomes understandable why the Templers have usually constructed Community Halls rather than Churches or Chapels. Much of the ritual and the sacred objects found in the churches of the world, added mystery to the ceremonies of worship. It was to be only a few enlightened priests or disciples who were to have full knowledge and access to God direct. Again this is in line with the Jewish faith where the sacred inner room is only visited once a year by the high priest with a blood offering for the sins, which people had committed.

As Templers we can have a close relationship with the most high/ God. We don't need priests and intermediaries to communicate for us.

At the time of our reading Heaven was seen as "up", a place where God the Father resides and Jesus is at his right side. Even today, many Christian evangelists promise their believers they will go there too when they die.

"Subtle energies" expressed a twentieth century definition of very similar to the one Herta described in her interpretation. "Albert Einstein showed through physics what sages have taught for thousands of years. Everything in our world- animate and inanimate- is made of energy and everything radiates energy. The world is one enormous energy field, in fact a field of fields, the human body is a microcosm of this, a constellation of many interacting and interpenetrating energy fields"⁽¹⁾ In doing this research it is said that Einstein became a deeply religious man. In the world today this energy can be seen as the bridge between spirit and matter. In the same book, I also found enlightenment in the following passage by an Indian Swami, which describes this relationship. He refers to the Spirit or Absolute as Kundalini, for which we can substitute Holy Spirit, Great or Creative Spirit, Lord or God.

"(The Kundalini) creates the universe out of Her own being, and it is She Herself who becomes this universe. She becomes all elements of this universe and enters into all the different forms that we see around us. She becomes the sun, the moon, the stars and the fire to illuminate the cosmos, which She creates. She becomes the prana, the vital force to keep all creatures, including humans and birds, alive; it is She who, to quench our thirst, becomes water. To satisfy our hunger, She becomes food. Whatever we see or don't see, whatever exists right from the earth to the sky is … nothing but Kundalini. It is the supreme energy, which moves and animates all creatures from the elephant to the tiny ant. She enters each and every creature and thing that She creates yet never loses Her identity or her immaculate purity." ⁽²⁾ I agree with Herta, how can we enclose this supreme energy in a building?

The tent in which the Great Spirit serves is not a man made tent, it is not part of this created world. Christ's coming and his death, which to the disciples was the ultimate blood sacrifice for the cleansing of past sins, alleviated this. Jesus went straight to heaven.

The "footstool on earth' can represent the daily existence. The seeking of 'God's kingdom on earth'.

As Templers we have very clear guidelines on what we are to achieve during this time. We physically are Temples of God and communally we form God's Temple on Earth. We don't need buildings to worship in, we don't have creeds or liturgies to recite, we don't have confession to forgive us our sins; we do the hard yards basically by our selves. We need to live by our inner voice, our conscience, and by doing what we feel is right. I think this is a big ask! I have spoken to number of people who follow other Christian faiths. They like taking communion. The partaking in the blood and body of Christ reaffirms their faith. It is a physical act. Crossing yourself, genuflecting before a sacred altar in a consecrated building are all acts of faith. We don't have this. We have a direct line to God.

All that said, I continued my research and liked what I read in a book called "The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life" by Thomas Moore. In this book Moore looks at caring for our soul or inner spark of consciousness on earth today. He looks at ordinary objects and how we can enrich our daily living and nurture our soul.

He begins by suggesting we need to reconnect with nature. In the Bible, Adam and Eve played in the Garden of Eden where there were no worries and no work. We were also to return to paradise (another garden,) when we die. May be today we need to be a little more child like to enjoy our life. Obtain pleasure from the simple things. Water has always been significant in our lives. Holy water, the water of life, our bodies are made up of 75% water. We find harmony and tranquillity beside the sea, when we look into the swirling water of a river, when sunset shimmers across the ocean, when water cascades down a waterfall and the sun catches droplets and turns them into diamonds of light for a second. The smell of rain on a hot stormy day and the sound of the drops as they fall onto the parched earth. Or even when we sink into a beautiful hot aromatic bubble bath to soothe our body. All these images can stir thoughts of higher consciousness in us. I still recall a very sacred place at the base of Uluru. We had decided to respect the wish of the Anangu.(arn-ahng-oo) and not climb Ayers Rock. Rather, we walked its circumference. (When you walk rather than ride in a vehicle you allow all your senses to come into play as you absorb a landscape.) You approach the waterhole through a stand of tall whispering eucalypts. The area is quiet and tranquil. You can feel the presence of the spirits as you walk silently and with respect, just as if you were in Church, but a what a wonderful setting to be in touch with your inner being. The wind is in your hair, the dappled shadows play games on the shimmering surface of the water hole, and the smell of the earth surrounds you.

May be we should allow ourselves some aids to get back to nature and our sense of spirit. The early Templers, who farmed the land and had to live from their labours, had this connection with nature. They were attuned to the land, the seasons, the sun, the moon and they had a deep religious conviction of both place and philosophy. We don't have that readily available to us any more. We need to find different ways to reconnect. We are currently working on creating and building a Chapel. (Religious Centre) We are breaking with Templer tradition to create a sanctuary where we can take time to be, to come in closer contact with our higher being. Like other religions which have Churches, spires, stained glass and altars, pagodas, and shrines which assist humans in discovering their spiritual connectedness.

We should allow ourselves time to be. We can gain strength from being in a group. It can be a simple as a Mexican wave at a sporting event or at a concert. It can further be illustrated by imagining two droplets of water sitting near each other on a surface. Now imagine taking a toothpick and piercing the side of one drop, then drawing it over to the other drop. When they meet they flow into each other creating a larger drop. Like wise when we are joining energy fields with others we create a larger unified field. This energetic connection also enables us to be "in sync" with others, so when we sing together or pray together we oscillate together, collectively the whole group becomes one big oscillator. I believe our heart is our most powerful oscillator in our body. It is where I "feel". May be when we come to understand and have a shared vision, we will be able to develop this communal ability to connect because we can change reality, if we are one. In Mathew we read Jesus assurance "For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among you"

The breath is the centre of all spiritual and religious traditions, literal and symbolically. God created man and then breathed the breath of life into him, and man became a living soul. The unity of spirit and breath is implicit in our language. Spirare is the Latin root for both spirit and respiration. Spirare meant to breathe, so it follows that expiration means the exit of spirit, the opposite of inspiration. When we inhale we are opening ourselves to life energy to flow into us and nourish and enliven us. We are actually quite vulnerable when we breathe aren't we? We take in the air, which currently surrounds us. In order to exist we must breathe! Western culture sees breathing as mechanical metabolical function. We begin our life with our first breath as we are born into this world. Other cultures, from which we are learning, teach us more. Taoists and yogic theories take the perspective that we breathe in air and provide vital energy as well. Oriental traditions see a spiritual and a material connection in breathing. The yin breath is the inhalation while the yang is the exhalation. The balance of these two, you can't do one with out the other, is what makes harmony in all things. In yoga for example you work at bringing the head, heart, breathing and gut into sync, so that you have a state of balance. Women of my age learnt to breath our way through childbirth and it is a technique which I still use today at the dentist or when I am in pain. We can all increase our energy level by breathing consciously. I like the image of working on a fire with bellows to help visualise the power of the breath. As you pump air onto a fire it will increase in intensity. You can transfer this image and use for your benefit. As you feed your vital energy with more oxygen you will burn brighter. Your energy field will be bigger your emotions will be felt more clearly and you will radiate more energy outwardly.

We can find greater satisfaction in our daily life, if we re-enchant our daily living. We have untapped power in all of us. In this busy life, where we work hard to earn money to fulfil our needs and wants, we lose sight of our connectedness with our higher energy and with grounding ourselves to the earth on which we live.

Let me share this thought with you using the words of a Native American poet Starhawk.

"Earth Mother, Star Mother,

You who are called by a thousand names,

May all remember

we are cells in your body

and dance together.

You are the grain and the loaf

that sustain us each day,

And as you are patient

With our struggles to learn

So shall we be patient

with ourselves and each other…"

Templers are becoming scarce. We have much to offer to our fellow man and if we live our lives according to our motto

"Set your mind on God's kingdom and his justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well." And we follow the twin commandments of love towards God and our neighbours; we contribute to making the earth a better place to live. The quote in this months Record which is an Alfred Klink original, will be a fitting conclusion to today's Service. "Mankind is 'God's Temple, where the Spirit of God dwells'. All people are Templers. Some of them just don't know it yet!" Let us hope some inspiration will come for ways to make them realise.

. Let's conclude with the Hymn 4 "All Creatures of our God and King". Again Veronika will play it through first and then we'll sing all 7verses.

Thankyou to Helga Anderson for providing sustenance for our bodies, to Veronika Van Krieken for the music for our ears and to Anna Eppinger for the flowers to fulfil our senses. You all also sang beautifully! Thankyou, enjoy the rest of this day!

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140^th Anniversary of the Temple Society Foundation.

Bentleigh 24 June 2001, Alfred Klink

My theme for today's reflections on the Temple Society is basically straightforward: the future. I shall give you my vision of the future, try to identify, what I presently see as limiting factors in our ideological evolution and where I think we could improve our striving. - It is important to keep in mind that what I am going to say is not a criticism of the way things are now. I think we Templers have in recent times developed a wonderful community spirit and have accomplished terrific things in the past, but if we are at all worried about declining member-numbers (and we are), an aging society, a shrinking real-term-share of prosperity, then we should consider our options. - Let me first reflect for a moment and open the wider picture and look at current trends, to get a feel for where we are heading.

Together with most other religions, Templer religious philosophy has evolved over recent times towards a more natural appreciation of ourselves; away from the abstract, dogmatic truths of the past. Science and technology have given us an awareness of the impact our presence has on Nature, the difference our attitude and behaviour towards the environment can make. I feel it is an inevitable consequence of this greater consciousness, that will lead in time to some form of Pantheism, a religious philosophy which identifies the universe with God or, in a less religious emphasis, God with the universe. Most socially responsible religions are well on the way preparing the path for this evolution. We Templers inherited a head-start here, and with it an obligation to strive and maintain this advantage.

Society's worldly evolution will continue towards greater user-control. The market-driven trend to self-reliance is overwhelming. More and more of the individual's need for information and security is supplied by commercial interests in the form of free advertising and promotional literature. People expect and demand healthy food on the supermarket shelves, a clean environment, entertainment on demand, personal safety in the street and in the home, and a living standard commensurate with the nations wealth. Two-parent families are more a matter of convenience than a necessity these days. Consequently community membership is no longer driven by social needs, but by the range of opportunities offered to members by the community. Prospects for expressing their talents in a constructive and meaningful way. But a life-long commitment may no longer be taken for granted.

So much for my broad vision. Lets put on the glasses and look at the details. Details that I feel can, or should be done to ensure a long-term and meaningful survival of the Temple Society. Do we in fact have to do anything, or at least anything different to what is being done now? -- I think we do! I think so because I am proud of what Templers have done in the past and I would like to continue being proud of the Temple Society's achievements in the future. - The two universally accepted outward signs of success and prosperity of the Society, are property and membership, and the bonds holding it all together are, religious philosophy and community spirit. It is difficult to discuss these points separately, as though they were systems isolated from each other, because many things (such as membership for instance) are interdependent, and what you do to one may affect the other. But we can consider them sequentially:

1. The visible achievements of the Templer Society in Australia so far can be listed roughly in decade order, one per decade: 1960s brought us the community halls; the 70s gave us the Altersheim; the 80s Tabulam; the 90s the Templer Village, and 2000 the new Templer Centre, hopefully. It takes us about 10 years each time to recover from the drain on physical and mental resources. While this rate may have been acceptable in the 1960s, it is far too long today. There is a large dead period in-between in which people's expectations rapidly exceed what our communities can provide and we loose their interest. Some of them leave, looking for more immediate challenges elsewhere.
1. We have all heard the arguments, why build another hall? For what? For whom? Our members are dwindling. We have everything we need right now! - If we extend this argument and continue to match only the shrinking needs of fewer people, it is blatantly obvious that we will encourage the downward trend. To overcome this psychological hurdle requires a mental somersault. Instead of passive submission to external competitive pressures we need creative active forces from within. I feel the Temple Society is slipping behind the lifestyle and the quality-of-life (and consequently the expectations) of its members. As members of the Temple Society it is in our best interest that the Society maintain its public image and its relevance in a progressive environment. What can we do about that? How do we go about it? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Widen the field of the Society's involvement, multiple activities
2. Have better facilities. Up-to-date buildings and equipment.
3. Offer greater scope to the members for creative participation.
4. Introduce obligation-free trial memberships / a six month cooling off period
5. Reduce Annual Fees, have options, automatic payment, introduce life membership
6. Encourage tax deductible donations by incentives.
7. Advertise our outstanding attributes.
8. Develop and maintain a log-term Master-plan
9. Plan for a 5% annual increase in membership.
10. Adopt a motto, all people are Templers, some of them just don't know it yet.
2. Let us just look at the first one. How should we expand? Surprisingly the answer is easy. It is easy because no-one will, or can, give you a guarantee. You might as well toss a coin. Well, in reality it's a bit more complicated. You have to look at the options open to you, public or private, industrial or commercial, and what type of venture you would want to be associated with. What I am saying is, we can build anything we put our collective mind to but, being a relatively small group we should pick things commercially viable, that will in time be self-sufficient.
1. As an example, you may remember some time ago we proposed building a school. We picked a school, partly because we wanted to balance the "old-age image", given to the Society by the Homes for the Aged, with an emphasis on the young. Even though it was considered a viable proposal it was rejected by the members. I feel it was rejected for the wrong reason. People did not appreciate that a school is not built for our limited number of kids, it is built for the Society. The benefit to members would be indirectly, in the public image. The Temple Society could grow with the school, same as it grows with the Homes for the Aged. The fact that some of our old people find Templer accommodation in the Homes is a bonus; that some of our kids could find Templer schooling in a Society School would be a bonus. The recognition the Society gets in the wider community through these institutions is the real benefit, and that reflects on us all.
2. That was just an illustration. It does not have to be a school. As I said before, pick anything within reason, and the same arguments will apply: A shopping centre; a restaurant; a publishing house; an entertainment centre; a research facility; a surgery; manufacturing; construction; an Internet Service Provider; the list goes on.
3. Finances? Again I say, we can build anything we put our collective mind to. The question of money is mainly raised by those who are not really interested.
4. In summary: We do presently have committees that look at Temple Society resources and provide recommendations for applying these resources gainfully. Some six years ago I was part of such a group and we brought out a little booklet called appropriately FARVIEW. It suggested a 10 year plan of action, and in this plan the completion of the new Temple in Bayswater was actually set in December 2000, with an opening celebration scheduled for Hoffmann's Gedenktag. I feel it is imperative such a master-plan be created, updated regularly and published to maintain member motivation and participation.

At this stage I suggest we break for questions and discuss some of the points listed. Then I will have a bit more to say on Religious Philosophy and Community Spirit.

1. Before picking up the thread of Religious Philosophy, let me philosophise a bit. "Predicting is a risky business, especially about the future", a humourist once said, and anyone can see the funny side in this. I would like to take it one step further and say predicting is a risky business anytime, be it for the past, the present or the future. You see it is not just an uncertainty of the facts which make predictions go astray, for this could often be effectively calculated in, but any prediction immediately makes people aware of the potential changes in the subject and invites preventative reactions. So, predictions can both encourage and discourage trends.
1. For instance, had George Orwell in 1949 not written his best-seller "1984", the social condition he portrayed may very well have developed, in a society unaware of the frightening consequences.
1. Researches say the last stock exchange crash was brought about by the innovation of speedy electronic funds transfer. People were reacting faster to exchange trends than what the market could cope with. The system had not enough time to adjust and stabilise itself anymore.
2. In the Old Testament when Jonah was sent by God to Nineveh prophesying the Lord would destroy the great city for its sinful ways in forty days, what happened? The people of Nineveh repented and God spared the city. And that ended Jonah's career as a prophet.
2. I see History, or what sometimes is naively referred to as the truth, as a mirage. To me the past is but a distant reflection of a man's personal philosophies in the mirror of current conventions. I belong to a generation that has seen history as a school subject go the same way geography went, into the bottomless dustbin of colonialism.
1. Reading about the Dead Sea Scrolls the other day gave me a sharp reminder of this; there are now well over 500 publications on the Qumran discoveries and it has been said any two of these scholars will have at least three different opinions. And we all know of instances in our own recent past where this same predicament applies. Damals in Palästina!
2. Not so long ago I have been reminded that my interpretations of the aims and the achievements of our founder, Christoph Hoffmann, are not accurate. Now, did he or did he not seriously believe in the second coming of Christ? There are certain passages in his writings that point either way. To me the question is acadamic. His practical achievements are his important milestones. I think you see what I mean, there is no absolute, unambiguous truth to be learned from the past. Only evolutionary trends to be followed up.
3. Our new Templer Religious Philosophy Statement does not pretend to be a modernised rewording of Hoffmann's written legacy. The statement is the result of teamwork between all Elders of the Temple Society and represents an evolving of his philosophy into today's intellectual environment. In other words, we feel, if Christoph Hoffmann were here today, aware of the present circumstances, he would probably phrase his thoughts in this way. Hoffmann pointed the way from dogmatic beliefs towards religious freedom. This freedom means we are all personally responsible for the religious philosophy we build our life around. And that places a heavy burden on every generation, to be aware of new knowledge, new perceptions and insights in its contribution to our unfolding faith journey. Religious freedom means you have to think for yourself. No one gives you absolution for your sins, nor a guarantee of eternal bliss or a promise of life hereafter. It is a frightening prospect. Why would anyone contemplate taking such a step and give up dogmatic assurances And yet, our founding fathers did it. Were they fully aware of the consequences of the step they took? In the beginning I don't think they were. I do believe Hoffmann expected his guidelines to endure, including his visions of the Book of Revelations. It is up to us to ensure Templer Philosophy remains relevant today.
1. If you have seen the reports on the Templer discussion series "God And The Temple" you will be familiar with my thoughts on practical religion. How my image of God has evolved into a concept; a concept that can be as large as the Universe, and yet be contained in the smile of a friend.
2. I draw a parallel in the philosophical revolution of our time with the revolution initiated by Jesus 2000 years ago. Perhaps the gradual spread of greater awareness through mankind always culminates in a revolution. New insight into the workings of nature, an awakening of an idea, a revolution is a new way we see the world and the part we play in it. I now see religion as our consciousness making sense of the biological herd-instinct in us, as it is in all living things. Jesus humanised the religion of his time, he made the old Jewish God less forbidding, a father-figure for everyone. It was then a revolution in human mentality. The religious revolution we are part of today is on the intellectual level, we are beginning to see nature in all that happens around us: life, society, the stars and the universe.
3. Our vision of God has evolved into the spirit that dwells within us, and in all living things. We look at the story of Jesus with 21^st century awareness and have no problems acknowledging outstanding human achievements without invoking the supernatural. In fact his teachings and his life must be seen as humanly motivated and not as a demi-god on holiday on Earth. His pain and suffering are those of a man, as are his pleasures and disappointments in human understanding. Only thus can we seriously build on his vision of a better world, his Kingdom of God.
4. Our vision of the Kingdom has to include an awareness that all present life on Earth is the result of a competitive struggle to maximise the chances of survival within limited resources. Evolution depends on it. We are starting to realise the delicate balance that exists between individual and group survival, between loving trust and challenging striving.

1. To end I would like to list some ideas for making our striving for greater understanding more effective. We should:
1. Upgrade the Templer Record, new name, new format, separate content publication
2. Promotion, Advertise, use the media regularly, press, radio, TV
3. In the Templer Philosophy Statement, expand the individual definitions in articles and discussions.
4. Develop a short-form version of it, that can be used in conversation.
5. Use items as "text for the day" in our Services in preference to old biblical quotes.
6. Develop a Confirmation Program from it.
7. Re-issue the text in pocket book format
8. Plan for a revision within 10 years.

I thank you for listening to me and again invite comments or questions on the subjects.

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SAAL IM ALTERSHEIM

15.7.2001

Elder Hulda Wagner

Text: Hiob 31, 29-32

Choral: No. 73 "Wenn ich meines Lebens Wege" 1-4 No. 127, "Die güldene Sonne" 1-5

Unser Losungstext für den heutigen Sonntag steht im alten Testament der Bibel, in dem Buch Hiob. In der Ordnung der Bücher des alten Testaments steht das Buch Hiob in der Gruppe der Lehrbücher. Es ist kein geschichtliches Buch, sondern es will uns helfen, eine Antwort zu finden auf die Frage, warum es so viel Leiden, so viel Kummer und so viel Schmerzen für uns Menschen gibt.

Wenn auch die Menschen der damaligen Zeit eine andere Gottesvorstellung hatten als wir heute, so können wir doch aus den alten Schriften lernen, wenn wir bereit sind, die tiefe Wahrheit zu finden, die symbolisch zum Ausdruck gebracht wird. Wir dürfen uns nicht daran stoßen, daß Gott viele menschliche Züge trägt, daß er zornig werden kann und die Menschen straft, wenn sie Unrecht getan haben.

So war damals die Vorstellung, daß Gott, wie ein weltlicher König, die himmlischen Heerscharen regelmäßig um sich versammelte, und daß auch der Satan, der Versucher, dabei war.

Im ersten Kapital des Buches Hiob wird uns der Mann Hiob vorgestellt. Er war gut und rechtschaffen und mied das Böse. Er hatte 7 Söhne und 3 Töchter, viele Schafe, Kamele, Rinder und Eselinnen, er hatte sehr viel Gesinde und gehörte zu den angesehensten Männern im Land, und Gott hatte seine Freude an ihm, weil er fromm und gottesfürchtig war.

Nun aber sprach der Satan zu Gott: "Meinst du, daß Hiob umsonst Gott fürchtet? Hast du doch ihn doch mit allem gesegnet, was sich ein Mensch wünschen kann. Aber nimm ihm alles, so wird er sein Gottvertrauen verlieren."

Da gab Gott dem Satan die Erlaubnis, Hiob auf die Probe zu stellen; aber Gott verbot dem Satan, Hiob selbst zu verletzen.

Nun kam eine schlimme Nachricht nach der andere zu Hiob. Wir sprechen heute noch von "Hiobsbotschaften". Die Herden wurden überfallen und geraubt, die Knechte erschlagen, nur einer entrann, um die schreckliche Botschaft zu überbringen. Die Söhne und Töchter feierten miteinander, da stürzte das Haus ein, in dem sie waren, und alle kamen ums Leben. So hatte Hiob seine Kinder und all seinen Reichtum verloren. Er war voll Trauer und Schmerz; aber er konnte sagen: "Der Herr hat's gegeben, der Herr hat's genommen; der Name des Herrn sei gelobt! "

Damit hatte Hiob die Probe bestanden; aber der Satan war noch nicht zufrieden. Er sagte zu Gott: "Alles was ein Mann hat, gibt er hin für sein Leben. Aber recke deine Hand aus und taste sein Gebein und Fleisch an; was gilt's, er wird dir ins Angesicht absagen?" Der Herr sprach zu dem Satan: "Siehe da, er sei in deiner Hand; doch schon seines Lebens!" Da fuhr der Satan aus und schlug Hiob mit bösen Geschwüren von der Fußsohle an bis auf seinen Scheitel.

Und Hiob litt unendliche Schmerzen. Da sagte seine Frau zu iln-n: "Hältst du noch fest an deiner Frömmigkeit? Ja, sage Gott ab und stirb!" Er aber sprach zu ihr: "Du redest wie die närrischen Weiber reden. Haben wir Gutes empfangen von Gott und sollten das Böse nicht auch annehmen?"

Drei Freunde von Hiob hörten von all dem Bösen, das über ihn hereingebrochen war und kamen, ihn zu beklagen und zu trösten. Und sie saßen mit Hiob auf der Erde sieben Tage und sieben Nächte und redeten nichts mit ihm; denn sie sahen, daß der Schmerz sehr groß war. Dann begann Hiob zu sprechen und seinen traurigen Zustand zu beklagen. Er sagte, es wäre besser gewesen, wenn er überhaupt nicht auf die Welt gekommen wäre, weil sein Leiden jetzt so unerträglich wäre.

Die Freunde versuchten, Hiob zu beschwichtigen, ihm zu erklären, daß Gott keinen Unschuldigen straft, sie gaben ihm gute Ratschläge und hielten weise Reden und ermahnten ihn zur Geduld und zur Rene. Hiob wollte dies alles nicht hören. Er beteuerte seinen unsträflichen Wandel vor Gott und den Menschen, er habe nach bestem Vermögen den Armen geholfen, den Witwen und den Waisen. Daran schließt sich nun unser heutiger Text an: Hiob 31:29-32.

"Hab ich mich gefreut, wenn's meinem Feinde übel ging und habe mich überhoben, darum daß ihn Unglück betreten hatte? Nein, denn ich ließ meinen Mund nicht sündigen, daß ich verwünschte mit einem Fluch seine Seele. Haben nicht die Männer in meiner Hütte sagen müssen: Wo ist einer, der von seinem Fleisch nicht wäre gesättigt worden? Draußen mußte der Gast nicht bleiben, sondern meine Tür tat ich dem -.Wanderer auf" (Soweit der Text).

So verteidigte sich Hiob, daß er immer ein freigebiger Gastgeber war. Und deshalb wollte er von Gott erfahren, warum er solche Leiden ertragen mußte. Da heißt es: "Verdamme mich nicht! Laß mich wissen, warum du mit mir haderst."

Und endlich vernahm Hiob die Stimme Gottes: "Wo warst du, da ich die Erde gründete? Verstehst du die Wunder in der Schöpfung und in der Regierung der Welt? Erkennst du nicht in den Wundem der Tier-- und Pflanzenwelt die Weisheit Gottes? Willst du mit dem Allinächtigen rechten?"

Da antwortete Hiob und sprach: "Ich erkenne, daß du alles vermagst, und nichts, das du dir vorgenommen, ist dir zu schwer. Darum bekenne ich, daß ich unweise geredet habe, was mir zu hoch ist und ich nicht verstehe. Darum spreche ich mich schuldig und tue Buße in Staub und Asche." Daraufhin wurde Hiob gesund und Gott gab ihm doppelt alles wieder, was er zuvor gehabt hatte.

Was gilt für uns heutige Menschen mit unserer modernen Einstellung noch von dem Inhalt des Buches Hiob? Ich denke, daß wir heutigen Menschen Krankheit, Leiden und Kummer nicht als Strafe Gottes auffassen, sondern unter Umständen als selbstverschuldete Folgen unserer Lebensweise, sonst aber als unser Schicksal betrachten. Daß unser Gottvertrauen manchmal auf die Probe gestellt wird, müssen wir wohl alle bestätigen; aber wir können lernen, unser Schicksal zu bejahen und uns nicht das Leben zu erschweren mit der bitteren Frage: "Warum?" auf die des keine Antwort gibt, die wir also am besten gar nicht stellen.

Frau Ema Imberger, die am 2. März 1988 starb, hat im Januar jenes Jahres das folgende Gedicht geschrieben:

"Vater, in deine Hände lege ich mein Leben,

du hast es mir vor Jahren einst gegeben,

um es gewissenhaft stets zu verwalten.

Nicht immer hab ich dein Gebot gehalten.

Hab oftmals Zorn empfunden

und auch Haß, doch hab ich mich bemüht

ohn' Unterlaß zu ändern diese schlimmen Triebe,

sie umzuwandeln in Geduld und Liebe.

Nun hast du mir in meinen alten Tagen

noch eine böse Krankheit aufgetragen.

Demütig nehm ich sie aus deinen Händen,

du gibst mir Kraft, zum Guten sie zu wenden.

Sie soll noch andere Menschen Mut und Glauben bringen.

Ich will mit deiner Hilfe dies Übel auch bezwingen.

Ich will lobpreisen dich, was immer du bestimmst,

auch wenn du mich schon jetzt in deine Nähe nimmst.

Das Leiden und das Leid können unser Leben vertiefen, so daß wir durch das eigene Leiden andere besser verstehen, besser mit ihnen fühlen können und ihnen dadurch besser zur Seite stehen können. Nie wird uns unser eigenes Leid ganz zu Boden schlagen, wenn wir uns in Lieb' bemühen, anderes mitzutragen.
Daß das Leid uns erziehen kann, wird auch in dem folgenden Gedicht zum Ausdruck gebracht. Leider weiß ich nicht, wer es gedichtet hat.

Die größte Kunst.

Was ist die größte Kunst auf Erden?

Mit frohem Herzen alt zu werden.

Zu ruhen, wo man schaffen möchte,

zu schweigen, wo man ist im Rechte;

zu hoffen, wo man am Verzagen,

gehorsam still sein Kreuz zu tragen.

Und neidlos andere zu sehn,

die rüstig Gottes Wege gehn.

Die Hände in den Schoß zu legen

und sich in Ruhe lassen pflegen.

Und wo man sonst gern hilfreich war,

sich nun in Demut machen klar,

daß uns die Schwachheit überkommen,

wir nichts mehr sind zu andrer Frommen,

und dabei still und freundlich doch zu gehen

im gottgesandten Joch.

Was kann uns diesen Frieden geben?

Wenn wir des festen Glaubens leben.

Daß solche Last, von Gott gesandt,

uns bilden soll fürs Heimatland.

Ein letzter Schliff fürs alte Herz,

zu lösen uns von allem Schmerz

und von den Banden dieser Welt,

die uns so fest umfangen hält.

Die Kunst lernt keiner völlig aus,

drum gibt's noch manchen harten Strauß

in alten Tagen durchzukämpfen,

bis wir des Herzens Unruh dämpfen

und willig uns ergeben drein,

in stiller Demut Nichts zu sein.

Dann hat uns Gott nach Gnadenart

die beste Arbeit aufgespart .

Kannst du nicht regen mehr die Hände,

kannst du sie falten ohne Ende,

herab-ziehn lauter Himmelssegen

auf all die Deinen allerwegen.

Und ist die Arbeit auch getan,

und naht die letzte Stund heran,

von oben eine Stimme spricht:

"Komm, du bist mein, ich laß dich nicht."

Was uns das Buch Hiob vielleicht vor allem klar machen will, ist die Tatsache, daß wir nicht mit unserm Schicksal, nicht mit Gott rechten oder hadern können. Auf die Frage: "Warum muß gerade ich so leiden - oder jemand, der ein herzensguter Mensch ist?" Auf diese Frage gibt es keine eindeutige Antwort. "Gottes Will hat kein Warum" - das müssen wir einsehen lernen. "Seine Gedanken sind nicht unsere Gedanken und seine Wege sind nicht unsere Wege."

Wenn wir an das Buch Hiob denken, dann verstehen wir die letzte Bitte im Vaterunser vielleicht besser, die in Luthers Übersetzung so lautet: "Und führe uns nicht in Versuchung,sondern erlöse uns von dem Übel". In der "New English Bible" heißt die Stelle: "And do not bring us to the test, but save us from the evil one." "Stelle uns nicht auf die Probe" könnte man das übersetzen.

Die Versuchungen treten an uns Menschen heran; aber es liegt an uns, ob wir ihnen nachgeben oder ihnen widerstehen. Daß die Probe, die wir zu bestehen haben, nicht zu schwer für uns wird, darum beten wir, dafür bitten wir Gott um Hilfe, ob wir uns nun an die alte Übersetzung halten, oder ob wir beten: "Führe uns, wenn wir in Versuchung sind."

Laßt uns das Vaterunser sprechen.

Wir schließen mit dem Choral No. 127: "Die güldne Sonne". Wir singen die ersten 5 Verse.

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SAAL Bentleigh: 24-6-2001. Founding of the TS 140^th Anniversary

Elder Rolf Beilharz

Music by Helga Weberuss

Hymn Trachtet ruft mit ernstem Worte. No 1 in new hymnbook We sing verses 1-4.

On the 19^th and 20^th June 1861, The Temple Society was formed. Thus, this week is the 140^th Anniversary of the founding of our religion. Today we celebrate 140 years of existence of the TS. We also examine where we are today and look forward into our future. In this service I will concentrate on why and how the Temple Society was founded. After this service there will be tea and coffee. Then Renate Weber will present a pictorial history of the Temple Society from its founding to now. Then there is some refreshment for lunch and in the afternoon you have the chance to discuss what we have heard and seen so far, and then to look forward into the future to tell us how you see the Temple Society best making its contribution to improving the world. We start with the religious service.

Our text for Founding Day remembrance is from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, ch. 3 verses 5-17. For our purpose today, I want to read just the last two verses, 16 and 17. Read text. (Surely you know that you are God's temple, where the Spirit of God dwells. Anyone who destroys God's temple will himself be destroyed by God, because the temple of God is holy; and you are that temple.)

I now want to read another text, Matthew Chapter 6, verses 25 - 34, which is the end of the chapter. Read Text.

These two texts tell us two things about our religion. The name Temple was chosen because of ideas expressed in the Bible. The first text was one example. There, we humans are called Temples in which the spirit of God dwells. With a clear conscience and after removal of prejudices, we can rely on our own honest judgment, as we have the spirit of God inside us. People are responsible for their own integrity and should act in the spirit of God.

There is a second idea related to Temple expressed in the bible. A whole community of people should act as a Temple of God, with each member being a building stone contributing an integral part to the whole structure. People should live in peace and harmony with their neighbours, like the bricks that constitute a temple. Our name Templers reminds us to act always as God would like people to act.

The second text contains the verse which the Temple Society has taken as its motto. "Set your mind on God's kingdom and his justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well." The founders of the TS took this sentence as the short statement that best encapsulates the task that the Temple Society sets out to achieve. Above all we should live by the values of the Christian religion, as taught by Jesus, because then we will also get the worldly, economic arrangements falling into their proper place.

Let's now ask: why was the Temple Society formed, and what were the reasons for it? As it tells us important things about our religion, I will this morning give you some details of how the founding happened. We are fortunate to have a very detailed description of events, and articles which record how the writers thought. These details are in a history book written by Friedrich Lange, a teacher in the early Temple Society in Palestine.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

In the 1850s Turkey was seen as ailing and about to collapse. This would free the Holy Land from its Islamic rule. Who was going to inherit the Holy Land?

It was this political question that caused the theologians, Christoph Hoffmann, and the Paulus Brothers to suggest that it should be the people of God that should form a nation in the now to be freed Holy Land. The Paulus brothers and their mother ran a school near Stuttgart and Hoffmann was also a teacher there. Hoffmann had befriended the Paulus brothers when they were theology students together and Hoffmann married their sister. They were interested in the general problem of how to alleviate poverty, of both spiritual and worldly kinds. Such poverty was developing in Germany as the industrial age changed the traditional forms of life. Existence of poverty and depravity among people was a clear sign that the existing churches and all other institutions had failed to provide the raised morale and social conditions which the prophets of the old testament had said should be the state in which humanity should live. Something more was needed.

Many Germans were emigrating to America or Australia and disappearing into the English-speaking cultures there. Germany had no colonies where German migrants could sustain and develop their German culture. So Hoffmann and the Paulus brothers, and the group they had attracted around themselves, even saw a possibility of Germany colonising the Holy Land with the people of God to set an example that would regenerate the whole of Christianity. Jerusalem, the place where the Kingdom of God will be expressed, whether this be in Palestine, or anywhere else, or even in heaven, was a powerful idea taken from the Bible. Why should not the regeneration of Christianity by the people of God take place at the worldly Jerusalem in Palestine? This was the political background in the 1850s.

The people of God were generally understood to be that nation of people who live as God intended mankind to live and for which purpose God had created mankind. The prophets had described an uplifted state of humanity for which man had been created. God had made the first attempt with the people of Israel, the descendents of Abraham. But they had sinned and God had punished them as shown by history. When Jesus came he had invited his listeners to enter the Kingdom of God. He called all people, and the apostles, Paul in particular, made it quite clear that heathens could also enter God's kingdom. This kingdom is a state that is perfectly possible here on earth. The Lord's prayer asks for God's help to let us establish this kingdom here on earth. The first Christian community in Jerusalem had lived in this spirit, but sadly, history shows that from such a community, Christianity grew into an instrument of political power and privilege, which actually kept the common people in ignorance about any knowledge that began to accumulate. Luther and the reformation rebelled against the misuses of the power of the Church, and in the flowering of the reformation period, there again was a time when people could be seen as living in God's kingdom, before the various protestant churches again became power structures, from which the values of the kingdom of God largely disappeared. Christoph Hoffmann and his friends were then again calling for this nation, destined to live in the Kingdom of God, to be gathered together so that they could be the rightful heirs of the Holy Land when it became available.

What I have just told you is how people, including those destined to form the TS, thought in the 1850s. Their thinking was dominated by a very biblical way of understanding the world and nature. Note that it was only in 1859 that Charles Darwin published the idea of evolution, including that of mankind from lower forms of life. Our forefathers still thought in the Biblical way that man had been created, in God's image, as the highest creation, with a place next to God, even above angels. Spiritual and worldly poverty resulted from sinning, disobeying God and not doing what God wanted.

Let's summarise the main points so far. The Holy Land would become free. Who should live in it? It should be that group of people able to rejuvenate Christianity! A rejuvenated Christianity should again live by the values of God's Kingdom above all else. The worldly arrangements must be made to suit the spiritual values and purposes. Man should not live as the slave of mammon. People willing to live in God's way were to be gathered, so that this group of people could then colonise and settle in the Holy Land when it became free.

WHAT LED TO THE FOUNDING OF THE TS

Among many religious people at that time, the last book of the Bible, the Revelation of John, was taken seriously. This describes events like the second coming of Christ followed by his thousand year reign before a final victory occurs. Current political events were interpreted according to the predictions that are found in this book, and the second coming of Christ was expected soon by many people.

In this religious background, the friends of Jerusalem, as they were also called, emphasised that deeds were needed. It was not good enough to wait for God, or for the second coming of Christ, to commence his 1000 year reign before we would all be made perfect. At various times the theologians and their friends, which now included G.D. Hardegg, sent petitions to the Federal Government of Germany in Frankfurt. Werner Ehmann, an elder from our Sydney Community, in correspondence with our Melbourne elders drew attention to the fact that in many cases it was Hardegg who initianted the actions which I am describing. These petitions show how they thought and what actions they proposed. Here is a free translation from a petition in 1854.

"To solve the degeneration of Society in Germany requires a return to the communion with God and to the task which Jesus put in the words: "Strive above all else for the Kingdom of God and his justice, because then all the rest will come to you as well". We need to regain a social life built on God's laws and his spirit. This is the only way to master the prevailing problems in Society. For this purpose we have set ourselves up as a Society for Gathering of the People of God in Jerusalem. Our purpose is to form communities in the Holy Land in which we will live according to God's laws (or values). Jerusalem shall then be a light for all of Christianity and the whole world."

The founders believed strongly in the prophecy of the Old Testament. This may strike many of us today as peculiar. What exactly did they mean by this? Here is a free translation from a Warte article of that time.

"We believe we have shown that the prophecy of the prophets, which the New Testament so clearly and repeatedly says is the basis of Christianity, is nothing other than the re-establishment of the people (or nation) of God in the land Canaan, the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the re-establishment of the kingdom and the priesthood of God, not just for the Jews, but for the whole of mankind, and hence, also for us."

They did write in very long sentences at the time. But you can see that there is nothing supernatural or mystical about what they called the prophecy. It is the same thing as the Kingdom of God. And that is that state of mankind in which people live by God's values: love and respect for God and his creation, and love for their neighbours as for themselves. We could say they live in peace and harmony. What was being proposed was entirely feasible, provided that people were willing to live for each other according to these values, which Jesus had taught.

This preparedness to take action caused these men to be opposed ever more strongly by the established churches. Church Christianity understood their Church to already be the Kingdom of God. Also everyone knew that God would organise the second coming of Christ. Hence, what these people, our forefathers, were doing was to interfere with God's work, which was a serious blasphemy. There is a little note in Lange's history book that in a sleepless night in March 1855 Christoph Hoffmann wrote the verses to the Templer Hymn, some of which we sang at the beginning. Hoffmann, fully trained to be a pastor in the Württemberg State Lutheran Church, had over the years taken church services for other pastors when they had their holidays. However, as opposition to Hoffmann grew, the church authorities took away from Hoffmann the authorisation to administer the sacraments. This occurred in 1857.

In 1856, the committee for Gathering the People of God bought a run-down estate "Kirschenhardthof", to be the first example of community living. It was divided into 9 lots. These were taken up by 9 families who settled there. The run-down estate flourished. Individual families retained the right to their own private household, property and income. Templer community settlements have always been of the kind that individuals took responsibility for their own properties, at the same time as living in harmony with, and caring for, the good of the whole community. The building of community facilities such as halls and schools always happened quickly.

Although, the action planned in the Gathering of the people of God was entirely practical, and non-mysterious, the language in which the goals were expressed does sound strange to us. They strongly believed that mankind's destined place was with God, up in heaven, and that even on earth God wants mankind to be perfect. Death is merely one of the imperfections which will be overcome when the kingdom of God is fully achieved on earth. Here is a free translation from the Warte at the end of 1858. "In the heavenly Kingdom to which Jesus Christ went, there is already this original glory, the harmony of all powers and deeds. It is the heavenly Jerusalem. Its centre is the throne of the Almighty from whom come lightning, thunder and voices, which we experience here on earth. But this earthly life must be made a reflection of this heavenly Jerusalem. We must create a life in which again all the powers of mankind serve the main purpose, so that heaven and earth again come into harmony, and the effects coming from heaven will no longer destroy but bring blessing and joy to us."

Back to the practical action that resulted in the founding of the TS. Kirschenhardthof now became the centre of the committee's activities. Various meetings of several hundred people were held there. In 1859 the community living there asked Christoph Hoffmann to give their children religious education and he gave confirmation classes. The church authorities in Marbach asked Hoffmann whether he intended to carry out the confirmation ceremony itself. Remember, they had forbidden him to administer sacraments. In discussion with the members of the committee it was agreed Hoffmann should not answer directly. So he said to them that an inquisition into what he was going to do lay outside the brief of the church authority. The authority quite rightly took this answer to mean he would conduct the confirmation ceremony, so they dispatched policemen to prevent Hoffmann doing this. But, they got their information, about exactly where the Kirschenhardthof was, wrong and they sent the order for the policeman to the wrong church district. This error delayed the arrival of the policemen until after the end of the ceremony. Afterwards, the authority asked Hoffmann whether he would submit to the authority of the church or preferred to place himself outside it. He said, in view of his differences with the church he could not promise to obey their instructions. Shortly afterwards the whole Kirschenhardthof community was invited to come to the church authority. There they were told that Hoffmann was now expelled from the evangelical (Lutheran) church of Württemberg. Did the community still want Hoffmann to carry out the sacraments in their community? When they said yes, they were all expelled also. This happened on 7^th August 1859.

For the times 142 years ago, this was a very serious, almost unheard of, situation. A community without affiliation to a church, when, as we saw, all of nature was expressed as interacting directly with, and depending on, God. So, the committee and the community held meetings and a series of Synods to work out what their relationship with God should be. Two synods took place in 1860. In the first they discussed a petition to the King of Württemberg, who was the highest bishop of the State church. The petition, asking the King to reverse the expulsion from the church, was finalised on the second synod. I must have skipped some pages here as my notes don't tell me what the result of the petition was. But in 1961 they were planning the third synod, when at the preparatory meeting for this, in June on the 19^th and 20^th they agreed as follows, again freely translated.

"The meeting agrees that it is the privilege only of Jesus Christ to build his Temple and erect his kingdom. However, he will not do so, if people do not resolve to carry out these activities." They then drafted the founding declaration of the TS which is translated in Dr. Sauer's history book "The Holy Land Called" as follows. "In view of the general disorientation of mankind caused by the fact that none of the existing Churches aspires to making man into a temple of God and to establish the sanctum at Jerusalem for all nations, we, the undersigned, dissociate ourselves from Babylon, that is to say, from the existing Churches and Sects, and unite to establish the German Temple, to carry out the Law, the Gospel and the Prophecy." This declaration, which marks the beginning of the Temple Society, was signed by 64 men. They were the members of the Committee for the Gathering of the people of God, members of the community at Kirschenhardthof and various elders of the friends of Jerusalem from other places. It is this act of declaration of independence from other Churches, and the founding of the German Temple, now called the Temple Society, which we are celebrating in this service. I'll finish with a historical perspective and by adding a few other very important statements from these founders which have deeply impressed themselves on our religion.

THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE HAS CHANGED

Between 1861 and now, our whole understanding of nature has changed profoundly. Humans evolving from primates are about as opposite as it is possible to be from mankind created by God to be second only to God himself, destined to be above all other creatures, real and imagined. Humans evolved from primates have not fallen from grace through sin. But they do share with the fallen sinners of 140 years ago that each human is a mixture of bad and good characteristics. These are on the one hand animal drives towards sexuality and aggression and the vices of selfishness, vanity and so on. All of these interfere with peace and harmony. On the other hand, there are the recognised possibilities of forgiving and loving others, which make harmonious living in peace with others possible. Mankind's nature has not changed. What has changed is how we understand it. So, if we make allowances for the completely different way in which we now understand the nature of humans, we should be able to correctly assess what our founders were trying to say in the time when the TS was founded.

OUR MAIN CHARACTERISTICS AS A RELIGION

Please note that, despite the vastly different understanding of human nature, the people who founded the TS were ready to take practical steps to achieve in their own lives and communities, the kind of society described in the Bible as the Kingdom of God. This is a perfectly clearly understandable concept in our time. People in any time can strive to live in peace, trust each other, forgive each other their sins, rather than suing in court, and look after those who have had bad luck. Sadly, most modern people don't even try because they think all people will cheat others. This attitude is the root of most of the world's problems, and we Templers do not have to put up with it. It is silly to give up, even before we try, to achieve a just and loving society, which will clearly be very much better for all who take part. And we should go further, to help all humans strive for a better society, which in the language of the founders is being the Jerusalem acting as a light for all the rest of Christianity and the world to see.

When Christoph Hoffmann was older, looking back over the achievements of Templer settlements in the Holy Land, he wrote a concise description of the Temple Society. This is the first and largest part of Occident and Orient, published in 1875. It is available in English as the book with the blue cover. The language here has changed. It seems to be more thoughtful and depends less on the literal symbols expressed in the Biblical prophecy. There is a very short chapter headed "What Templers believe". I want to read a short extract from this chapter which makes two fundamentally important points about our religion.

"The way to ensure that the right philosophy of life is preserved in a religious society is not by teaching and recommending to the members the doctrines which try to express this philosophy. It is far better to make sure that spiritual leadership is placed in the hands of people who possess a mature religious understanding. More of that later, when the question of the Christian priesthood is discussed.

"It follows then that the Temple Society does not stipulate a particular creed which one must accept in order to become a member. Much less do we wish to restrict free research in science or history through articles of faith. On the contrary, it is the Temple Society's wish that its members carry out thorough research, in order to progress towards greater enlightenment and become proficient in all the gifts of the Spirit.

"However, the Temple Society, like all other religious organisations, cannot do without the spiritual bond created by a common faith. So the Temple Society, too, has its belief which must be shared by anyone who wants to be a member. But this belief is identical with the goal which is to be reached and which is already expressed in the name "Temple". The spiritual perfection and physical perfection of man is the goal and the task of every religion and thus the goal and the task of the Temple Society. Templers believe that human beings can come closer to perfection than they are at present, and are willing to take part as actively as they can in co-operative efforts to bring about this improvement."

The two important points I see are:

• Templers are encouraged to use all available knowledge to become better people.
• That which binds members to the Society is the striving for greater perfection of people.

The first point eliminates any possibility of conflict between any piece of true knowledge and religious faith. This puts us into an unusual, and very favourable position to make scientific and other secular contributions to mankind's knowledge while remaining fully committed to the religious values necessary to create the better society which the Bible called the Kingdom of God. The second point is that even with different ways of understanding God and the world, we can all harmoniously work towards real improvements in humanity and society.

Given that the Temple Society is wonderfully placed in its religion towards contributing to the good of mankind, are we really doing our bit towards improving the world? Think about this. You are all invited to tell us what you think this afternoon at our seminar discussion session.

Let's finish with the Lord's prayer. Please stand

Our Father in heaven

Hallowed be your name,

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us when in temptation and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours forever.

Amen.

We now sing the hymn of praise "Großer Gott wir loben dich". We sing verses 1, 2 and 5.

Sing verses 1, 2 and 5.

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Saal - Country Victoria

17^th June 2001

Elder Theo Richter

Good morning to you all and welcome to our Country Victoria Service here in Twin Rivers. It is seldom that we can come together as a group of like-minded people, in such serene and beautiful surroundings - as close to natures shifting rhythms as we do today. Let us enjoy that rhythm as we, a community, embrace the companionship and friendship that our natural setting gives us.

Our text today is taken from Isaiah, Chapter 43, verses 1 to 4:

By now the lord who created you, o Israel, says, don't be afraid, for I have ransomed you: I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up - the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel. I gave Egypt and Ethiopia and Seba (to Cyrus) in exchange for your freedom, as your ransom. Others died that you might live; I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me and honored, and love you.

Ancient Palestine

I'm not very familiar with the Old Testament so probably the best way to begin is to picture the area that we know as Palestine, as it was pre- 1,000 BC. Prior to the Israelite conquest of the region, the main ruling tribe was the Canaanites with the town of Hebron as the-political and cultural center. Following the conquest the Israelite tribe of Judah occupied the region, shared with small representations of four other Israelite tribes - Simeon, Benjamin, and Dan.

In the 10thcentury BC, David,became the King of the tribe of Judah and through his leadership, the Judaeans lay siege and conquered the last Canaanite, the township of Jerusalem. This they subsequently made their capital, and thus also, the capital of the united kingdom of the tribes of Israel.

When David's son and successor, King Soloman, died in about 920BC, the ten northern tribes separated from Judah. This left the southern lands, with Jerusalem as its capital, under the Judaeans.

Palestine at this time was divided into the three traditional separate kingdoms - the southernmost being Judaea, in the centre Samaria and in the north Galilee. Although Judaea was geographically diverse, the main feature was the area known as Har Jehudah or the hills of Judaea and this area included the main towns of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron.

Isaiah lived during these latter days circa 740BC.

Various Judaean Kings governed the land through until about 586BC when the kingdom of Judaea fell to the Babylonians and Jerusalem was destroyed.

The Book of Isaiah

Biblical Scholars tend to divide the Book of Isaiah into two distinct periods of writing. The first section, encompassing chapters 1 to 39, is generally attributed either directly to Isaiah himself or to his contemporary followers in Jerusalem at that time. This text is believed to have been written spanning the period 740 to 700BC. The second section, chapters 40 to 66 and from which our text is taken, is called Deutero-Isalah or the second Isaiah and is thought to have been written between 586 - 500BC. This second section is often broken down into two further periods - the original Duerto-Isalah written about 500BC and Trito-Isalah, written around 586BC.

In all, the second section spans part of the period 590 to 530BC during which Cyrus, the ancient monarch who founded the Achaemenian Empire in Persia, liberated the Jews who were captive in Babylonia. Most of the works in this second section are attributed to Isaiaic disciples in the great city of Babylon during their exile.

It is interesting to note the reference in today's text to just that point - the domination of Cyrus over the ancient world. "I gave Egypt, Ethiopia and Seba (to Cyrus) in exchange for your freedom". This tends to support the difference in time between the writing of the first chapters of Isaiah and the second section.

Isaiah

The man Isaiah was an important Israeli prophet in Judah in the late eighth century BC. Although I could find no approximated birth date, he comes to prominence around 742BC following a vision of God that he is believed to have experienced in the Temple of Jerusalem.

There is some conjecture as to Isaiah's birthright. He was either the son of a very wealthy family, evidenced by his ability to move with impunity amongst kings and courtiers, or from a family of prophets, as evidenced by his apparent intimate knowledge of the traditional forms and language of prophetic speech. The confusion notwithstanding, Isaiah was extremely well versed in classic Hebrew and was seen as one of the outspoken Hebrew leaders, along with Amos, Hosea and Micah, who addressed himself to the people.of Israel and Judah during that time.

In describing the man, he is known as having been very anti the landed and rich and widely condensing of the political and religious leaders. His solace was to spend time with the poor, the homeless and the dispossessed, coming to know their simplicity and generosity as being the fruit of God's Kingdom on earth. His theology was one of a gracious God who looked upon His chosen people with compassion and perseverance. In his interpretation, God was more concerned with the inner passion and piety of his chosen children than with the outer ritualistic worship as practiced by the appointed religious leaders. This belief was strongly reinforced by Isaiah's conviction that the compassion of God rested solely on the traditional belief of the 'Covenant'. This special bond had existed since ancient times between the Israeli people and their God and implied that the Israeli's were God's chosen people and he would be their God. Despite his conviction that this covenant existed, Isaiah was also convinced that the terms of this covenant were entirely dependent on the continued good conduct of the Israeli people. Should the Israeli's stray, their God would, with mercurial venom, subject those same chosen people to the full injustices of the world.

Isaiah believed this fall had already happened. He saw that the Israeli's were becoming complacent and relaxed in their veneration of their God. This coincided with other world events and Isaiah was quick to read the political and sociological omens that would lead to the excommunication and banishment of the Israeli people.

The vision he had in the Temple of Jerusalem was simple. In this vision, he believed that he saw God in his entire divine glory and holiness. Becoming increasingly aware of God's need for an earthly messenger to his chosen people, Isaiah offered himself as an unworthy candidate to His service. The vision showed him that he would witness the destruction and collapse of the Israeli nation and that, as God's messenger to the coming destiny, he would be confronted with disbelief, ridicule and ill will and would be ostracized by the people he loved.

Clearly, Isaiah read the omens well. During his sixty years of ministry, the kingdom of Judah and its people fell upon some of the hardest times in their history. His vision to lead the Israeli people in atonement during this predicted time of great upheaval came at the outset, after a period of long inactivity, when the Assyrian empire began its westward expansion, threatening the Israeli nation and its people. Between 734 and 732, the kingdoms of Israel and Syria threatened Judah, resulting in a bloody civil war. In 732 Isaiah correctly predicted the fall of Damascus. In 722, Samaria fell to Assyria, - the intervening years leading steadily to the destruction of Israel and Judah and finally, by 701BC, to the siege of Jerusalem itself.

During this time, Isaiah consistently and vocally besieged the people to return to their birthright - the covenant that had been forged with God. Although he was well aware of the political plight of his people, he beseeched them to return to the religious and moral terms that had been lost, believing that there was salvation but only if practiced in the strict regimes of the covenant. By returning they might be saved. His goal was to redirect his people into the ways acceptable to the God whom, by their conduct they had alienated, and thus to save them from catastrophe.

Interestingly, Isaiah did not believe in the mechanism of warfare. When, in about 701BC, the Judean Generals elected to find military allies in Egypt to assist Judaea during the Assyrian siege, Isaiah instead promoted the idea that no defense was the best defense - at least in terms of the lives of his people. He knew that the Assyrian might would smash Judah, destroying its people. By Isaiah's thinking, he preferred to have captive survivors who would live to fight another day than a nation decimated to nothingness. His main contention to support this stance came from his infallible belief that God, and only God, could determine the fate of nations - if God chose to provide security for his people, then he would do so provided they had earned and deserved that security.

As in life, so in death. The violence and troubled times during which Isaiah lived conveyed themselves through to his end.. According to legend, the wicked king Manasseh, who served Beliar-Sammael, the chief of the evil spirits, instead of God, killed Isaiah. With his followers, Isaiah had fled to the wilderness, but upon being captured he was sawn apart with a wooden saw, and his followers, in complete disarray, dispersed to the regions of Tyre and Sidon.

Deuto-Isaiah

As I mentioned previously, the book of Isaiah is divided into two main periods. The second period, Duerto-Isaiah, was believed to have been written by Isaiac disciples living in Babylon between the years 570 to 540B.C. Out text is taken from that period and describes the return to Gods favour after nearly a 50 years in exile.

In the text, God speaks to his chosen people and tells them that he has forgiven them their indiscretions and is once again ready to give them his love and protection. This very much conveys the dominant belief that.was conveyed throughout Isaiah's ministry - that God shapes human history by entering the human scene to rescue his people from national peril and equally, God could intervene to chastise his own errant people by unleashing a foe to rebuke their waywardness.

'When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up - the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel. I gave Egypt and Ethiopia and Seba (to Cyrus) in exchange for your freedom, as your ransom.' By describing his protection thus, he has re-forged the bond that originally tied them to him.

Their wait was almost over. When the Persians conquered Babylonia in 538 BC, Cyrus the Great allowed the Jews to return to their homeland, where they soon set to work to replace the magnificent Temple of Jerusalem that the Babylonians had destroyed.

As God said, 'I gave Egypt and Ethiopia and Seba (to Cyrus) in exchange for your freedom, as your ransom. Others died that you might live; I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me and honored, and love you.

Today's Sermon

Some weeks ago, at Dieter Ruff s farewell celebration, Dr Rolf Beilharz spoke on the relevance of Religion in our modem society. I was drawn to the parallel Rolf drew that, in effect, we have allowed for the steady progression of Science from its early days as compared to religion, which appears to have remained stagnant.

Science, by its nature, depends on the proof or disproof of a set of known parameters. Take the microscope as an example. When people only had their eyes, it was impossible to believe matter smaller than was readily visible existed. The first break in this belief came when people began to use droplets of water to magnify items. The 16'h century saw the development of the first compound microscope, using a combination of lenses and mirrors to amplify what had previously been hidden. A new world opened up. Development continued and by the first quarter of the 20th century, the electron microscope appeared.

If we look at this in evolutionary terms, we went from seeing objects using the magnification of only the naked eye through to the ability to see items at atomic levels. If someone in the 16^th century had said that matter smaller than a nanometer existed, they would have been treated as a heretic, but today, we accept this as proven fact with no conditional exceptions. Science has been allowed to evolve because it could prove unequivocally that what went before was the result of good thinking, but now, more enlightened thinking had disproved those theories.

Not so religion. Although adopting various different guises throughout history, the essential message of our religious beliefs has remained the same. Whether we speak in Islamic, Mormonic, Tsaoist, Christian or any of the hundreds of other terms, religion is about people and how they'inter-react with each other. Whether history speaks in fundamentalist terms or in terms of liberalism, the essential message is the same.

Isaiah expounded a fundamentalist belief which could be viewed as a direct response to the troubled times. As chaos developed, so the world trended back to the known order - do the right thing and your troubles will go away. A simplistic view, but in no way different to our normal reactions as human beings. Human history shows this same trend irrespective of the age or circumstance and it would appear to be an ever repeating cycle - liberalism followed by fundamentalism followed by liberalism.

Who- amongst us has not meticulously gone back to obeying the speed restrictions after receiving a speeding fine? In essence, we stretched the boundaries of our society, got caught, and then quickly jumped back inside those same boundaries.

All of us learn this response from a very early age - it is a condition of the human psyche - Stretch the boundaries as far as they can go, then drop back. As the father of two teenagers, this trend is amply displayed nearly every week. Can I go to the movies with my friends - be back at twelve? PM! Dad, I need to go shopping at Chadstone straight after school. Daaaad!

This. need to stretch the boundaries is what has led to our development in scientific, industrial and social terms. It is unique part of the human condition and is what allows (almost makes) us want to experiment with the enviromnent that surrounds us. A consequence of that condition is that we are responsible for the actions that we take - when these are positive, our first reaction is rejoicing. When negative, our first reaction is to pull back.

Looked on in a historical sense, our religion has played a significant part in all that we have achieved as humans on this planet. Religious endeavor has been responsible for some of the greatest accomplishments of humankind, but equally, it has also been responsible for some of its most dismal failures.

One example is the work that missionaries have carried out. Bringing the fruits of modem medicine, hygiene, cultivation and education to underprivileged societies must be seen as a positive, life-enriching undertaking. In areas where the socioeconomic climate would in itself prevent the progression of that society, missionaries have consistently and positively influenced the fabric of those societies so that they too may benefit from the evolution of human endeavor. So too though, have missionaries failed. In their zealotry to bring about these necessary changes, they have seen themselves and their version of religion as being superior to that of the native incumbents. In many cases, those same harbingers of the word of God have been responsible for the total destruction of the core fabric of those same societies. I believe this happened because there was a moral disconnect between the missionaries understanding of these peoples culture and that of the their own missionary purpose. By implication, it is not possible to have the benefits of modem human endeavor without changing the social and religious belief of the people receiving them. The two are mutually inclusive. Examples abound and are as close to us as our own native incumbents in Australia - the Aborigine.

The word missionary stems from mission and one of its dictionary meanings reads, 'a group of people sent by a religious group, especially a Christian church, to a foreign country to do religious and social work'. Tied irretrievably together, the aim of the mission is to bring the incumbent culture to the standards set by that church and its beliefs.

Entire cultures have been decimated as the native incumbents battled to come to terms with the imposition of this foreign invasion. I really wonder what would have been the outcome, amongst those cultures that have suffered, if the missionaries had adopted Isaiah's core belief that God is responsible for mankind. In my words earlier, 'His main contention to support this stance came from his infallible belief that God, and only God, could determine the fate of nations - if God chose to provide security for his people, then he would do so provided they had earned and deserved that security'.

Then again, I might be wrong. An equally legitimate argument may be that God had sent these missionary invaders into the incumbent society to challenge their beliefs because he felt they had erred away from his path. The missionaries were Gods weapons of retribution on a society that had fallen from his path. But I don't really think so.

The Mission to Mars

A recent article in The Age Good Weekend attracted my attention. Titled 'Rocket Rage' and written by Williain Speed Weed (I kid you not), I read with anticipation the latest developments in the race to put man on our next nearest neighbor, the planet Mars. What attracted my attention was the content of the lead sentence and I quote, 'Forget about the technical problems that could wreak havoc on a mission to Mars. The real worry is what seven astronauts will do to one another after being trapped in a tiny capsule for nine months'.

The article proved enlightening in that it highlighted the vast range of issues that face ordinary people who are forced, either by necessity or design, to endure long periods in close confines with fellow humans.

Although not restricted to space travel (the article also cites cases of arctic explorers trapped for long periods in pack ice) the interaction of people in close confines has lead to a new range of studies on human behavior.

NASA's past selection criteria for astronauts has always been on the basis of people who have the 'right stuff - physical and mental stamina, high intelligence and innovation, cool in periods of high stress. These criteria, however, no longer apply. Although expert in putting three men into space for two weeks while they complete their mission to the moon, NASA have limited experience in keeping people in space for longer periods.

Mir to the rescue. Observation of the astronauts on the Mir space station has uncovered some startling information on human cohabitation. The unsuccessful docking of a Russian supply ship in 1997, which caused extensive damage after a collision and the subsequent abandornnent of the main Spektr module, has been put down to that most human of frailties - physical and nervous exhaustion. The collision was blamed on the culmination of stress experienced by the flight commander due to previous incidents - an onboard fire, an extended and grueling session of in-flight repairs and a clash of personality resulting in the breakdown of relationships with one of the other flight crew.

In preparation for the Mars flight, a Russian and an international crew of cosmonauts has been living in the Mars Flyer isolation chamber at the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow. On December 31^st 1999, the New Years celebrations were disrupted by a fistfight that broke out between two of the Russian crew. Shortly afterwards, one of the cosmonauts pressed unwanted kisses on a female member, resulting in the two crews being ordered to their separate living quarters, mission control externally sealing the entry hatches to each area.

The issue is simple - how to get people to coexist and cooperate with each other for extended periods of time. This question has caused a major rethink in scientific circles primarily because that long held belief of 'the right stuff' has proved to be the major obstacle. Pre-flight training has always concentrated on physical conditioning, reflexive action and task oriented schedules. A fact stated in the article was that NASA's psychological budget is only $3million, well below even their annual advertising budget. The significance of this misappropriation come to the fore when viewed in the words of one Mir Cosmonaut 'All the necessary conditions of murder are met if you shut two men in a cabin and leave them together for two months'.

Obviously, action is being taken - psychological testing has found that the mix of crew should span all personality types not just male over-achievers. There are studies currently putting together the ideal flight crew. The range of personalities will include a person who is naturally a leader, one who is naturally a nurturer, one who is naturally a councilor and one who is naturally emotive.

Irrespective of this careful selection, there is one overriding pressure that every crewmember will encounter - they will be the first crew to fly beyond earth. The Apollo astronauts, the Mir crew, in fact every manned space flight, had one consolation to their isolation that will not be available to the Mars crew - they could still see the Earth. The ever-present image of home will be denied any crew that fly to Mars, as their rocket ship takes them further and further into the heavens. Even radio communication will suffer increased delay as the distance increases. This, coupled with the ever-present fear of death, is the greatest challenge to any Mars mission.

Needless to say, appropriate actions are being taken but the proof of their effectiveness will only come when we begin to loose sight of the rocket as it begins to span the vastness of space.

Round up

Why do I bring this article into our service today? Because I believe it carries with it a significance that is pertinent to the core theme - that we must learn to coexist with each other. That coexistence depends largely on how we choose to interact with each other on our little planet earth, and it is a lesson that we have not learned yet.

I had the pleasure of attending the St Leonard's School Church service a few weeks ago and was very impressed by a poignant commentary presented by one of the students. I thank both the school and the students who allowed me to have a copy. Monika will present it to you now.

If Jesus were a teenager today

If Jesus were a teenager today he would listen to Midnight Oil. He'd tell Marilyn Manson to get out of his tree and come to lunch. He'd wear t-shirts with Greenie slogans and Amnesty International buttons. He'd have a tattoo that says 'Love Can Conquer Anything'. He would be on Big Brother and they would discuss morals and ethics, there would be no sexual innuendo. Nobody would leave unless they wanted to. And those that did, would have important messages for the world such as 'Love Thy Neighbor'. He'd tell parables where AIDS sufferers, street people or the disabled were heroes and politicians and multinationals were the bad guys. He'd heal road-shredded skaters, roller-bladers and wasted heroin addicts. He'd tear down all the dirty posters outside newsagents. He'd carry a bag of bikini tops to the beach. He'd surf - with or without a board. He'd question the rock industry. He'd scoff at the fashion industry. He'd tear shreds off the media. He'd tell the church to wake up or go out of business. And sooner or later he'd have to start dodging bullets when appearing in public places.

And though the world would hate him, we would love him with all our hearts, minds and souls - wouldn't we?

When I heard that piece, I thought, 'what a great reminder to us all'. Jesus does live in today's society. There are people who think like he did and who want to get on with each other. Interestingly, this succinct piece meant more to me than the far longer, more educated dialogues of the two presiding religious officials - one a deacon, the other an archdeacon. What I do remember of their speeches was not the content, but rather, their opening remarks. On introduced himself as a Presbyterian, the other as a Methodist - a sign that the consolidation of these two previously free standing churches under the one Uniting Church banner still carries some soreness.

Men on Mars, Missionary works, Isaiah and the relevance of religion in current society- what ties them together?

Simply one message - that mankind needs -to learn to get along with each other. The conduit to this divine state does not lie in the trappings of modern affluence. It does not lie in the wonders of technology. It does not lie in what mankind enforces on other man. The message is simple - the covenant that Jesus made and we through him as free thinking Christians - the Ten Commandments.

Irrespective of how the various churches dress them - ours included - these lessons in life convey the basic rules as God saw fit to pass them on to mankind on Mount Sinai in Palestine over three thousand years ago.

The covenant at Sinai

The Decalogue given at Sinai is a free, voluntary act from God that forms the basis of the obligations that we as his community can accept together with its intrinsic lasting relationship with God.

These commandments are the answer to how we as individuals and as whole nations of people can maintain peace among a large and diverse population, separated by geography, affluence and political status. They allow us to perform the necessary social functions of cooperation and protection. They define how to control attacks upon our individual or group security or property. Above all, they define the ethically acceptable norms as to how we go about our worship of God, unshackled from the organized and ritualized processes we seem hell bent on interposing between our selves and our God.

(1) The commandment to have no other gods.

(2) The commandment not to worship false idols.

(3) The commandment not to take the name of God in vain.

(4) The commandment to observe the Sabbath.

(5) The commandment to honour father and mother.

(6) The commandment not to kill.

(7) The commandment against theft

(8) The commandment against adultery

(9) The commandment against false witness

(10) The commandment against coveting what one's neighbor has.

Not all of the Ten Commandments are ethical obligations, but they summarize the need God saw to provide a set of clear guiding principles that would lift his chosen out of the chaos that is the world.

Whether we're with a group of people stuck in an icepack, travelling to Mars or just driving to the supermarket, these ten principles can be applied wherever we interact with other people, and because they do, yes, they are still relevant to our lives today.

Let us pray.

Thank you for you time, your attention and your company. May I wish you all a pleasant, comfortable afternoon amongst friends.

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SAAL 27-5 Bentleigh on Dieter Ruff's Retirement

Elder Rolf Beilharz

It gives me great pleasure to welcome so many Templers and friends to this day of thanksgiving and celebration on the occasion of the retirement of Dieter Ruff, who has led the Temple Society so very well for many years. By meeting here today, we are expressing our thanks and gratitude to Dieter and his ever-supportive team-mate Isolde, and at the same time celebrating the continuity of the Temple Society in this time of change. Here we have the change of leadership of our Society as responsibility passes to Peter Lange in Germany, and on a larger scale there are the many changes we experience in our daily lives as the technological, money-hungry world threatens to overshadow our somewhat more-old-fashioned ideals.

We'll start our short service by singing three verses from the Templer Hymn, Nr. 1 in the New Hymnbook. The verses are 1,2 and 9. Please sing in German or English. Veronica will lead us in to the first verse.

Our text today is from Mark, Chapter 6, verses 30 to 44. Read Text.

In the Temple Society, our founder, Christoph Hoffmann, gave us both the freedom and the responsibility to use our intelligence to make honest judgments about what we know to be true and what we can believe. We have the capacity and the right to be constructively critical of what we read, and this includes our reading of the Holy Scriptures, like the Gospel from which I have just read. We should not be afraid to use this intelligence, when we consider what our life is about and what decisions we should make.

Science and technology on the one hand, and commerce on the other, are powerful forces in the world of today. So much so, that many people discard the entire notion of religion, including the Bible, because they perceive it as being irrelevant in today's advanced society, and certainly in direct conflict with current scientific knowledge. In other words, either science is right or the Bible is right, and clearly, in the minds of many, it is the Bible, which is out-of-step. Our text is an example. How can 5 loaves of bread and two fish feed 5000 men? This food could have been split among say 100 people and they would still have been very hungry. Taken literally, the feeding of 5000 people by 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, and collecting 12 baskets of leftovers, is impossible today, and was also impossible two thousand years ago. The Bible seems to be wrong. But is science always right?

Science comprises the gathering and testing of information, and the formulation of general laws based on that information. It is the nature of science to be continually checking what we think we know, and to replace what we now see as wrong by a newer truth. Many scientific explanations of the last 500 years are now known to be wrong, and have been replaced by newer explanations. For example, one very big change in our understanding was our realization that God did not need to design each kind of animal or plant separately. As long as life is variable and the variations are partly heritable then the process of evolution ensures that each different environment automatically selects those organisms that fit best into that environment.

We can say that scientific knowledge is true for the present moment. That is the best we can do. But our grandchildren in 50 years time are likely to smile at how wrong many of the explanations are which we believe to be true today. So, would you expect the science of the biblical writers to be true today? Clearly not!

Have you ever thought that the writers of the Bible wrote their stories in the words and explanations which were accepted as true in their time? Everything people write reflects how they understand the world around them. In writings from long ago, we today find the descriptions of nature to be wrong. In biblical times, for example, angels were seen as a normal part of nature. People became sick if demons entered their bodies. They were healed when the demons were driven out. Jesus was credited with having such healing powers. Thirty years after his death, among people who had only heard about Jesus but never met him, he was thought to be so perfect that he could even walk on water. In the rest of Chapter 6, after our text, Jesus rejoins the boat in which his disciples were rowing across the lake by walking from the shore over the water. An increasing exaggeration of the main idea, that Jesus was powerful, had led to his having extraordinary abilities, far above those of ordinary people. In biblical and also Greek times, there were no clear boundaries between ordinary humans and more powerful humans who were believed to be descended from gods.

Exaggerating the powers of Jesus is no different from what happens today when a legendary footballer wins the match with a long kick after the siren. The actual kick might have been of 50 yards. In retelling the story the kick becomes 50 metres, then 70 metres and later nearly 100 metres long. To me our text for today could be a description of a revered Jesus, who had been given increasingly exaggerated powers with the telling and re-telling of the story. It is also possible that our text was always symbolic and not meant to be taken literally.

Seeing science and the Holy Scriptures as exclusive alternatives is counterproductive. It forces people to reject one or the other. The discrepancies between the Bible and today's science are of the same kind as between the science of the Middle Ages and present-day science. We don't think of modern science as an alternative to early science, in conflict with it. We recognise the development of knowledge that has taken place over the centuries, and have simply replaced wrong explanations by better explanations, a process which continues today. The same progress is possible in our interpretation of the Bible. If the events of the New Testament were to occur today, they would be described in very different terms to those in the Bible. We Templers are at liberty to dispense with any of the mystical detail which appears out of step with modern knowledge, but we would be very foolish to ignore the basic messages proclaimed by Jesus, which reveal a deep understanding of mankind

Almost 2000 years ago, Jesus called people to enter God's Kingdom, on earth. The gospels tell us what he meant. He wanted people to change their ways radically from selfishness to love of others. And he spelled out the changes needed, forgiving rather than judging, not hitting back when being hit, and so on. As today's Israel is showing us, if you cannot forgive and must hit back, the alternatives to a radical change of heart are horrendous and very sad.

Is not what Jesus taught the same as what modern reason is suggesting? If we accept a change of heart as a religious task, worthy of much effort to achieve, then we might actually improve the social conditions of mankind. That is the religion of the Temple Society. And nurturing this religion, utilising modern knowledge, and with a goal worth striving for because its rewards are great, has been the major responsibility of our President Dieter Ruff since the 1980s. He has been a wonderful leader and we owe him and Isolde sincere thanks. Let us thank God that he gave us Dieter to guide us and Isolde as support.

Normally I would now close the service with the Lord's Prayer. Today, however, the choir will do this for us. I ask the choir members to assemble now to sing the Lord's Prayer, in German.

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Mother's Day Service Boronia Hall

13^th May 2001; Elder Renate Weber

As people arrive ask them to light a candle.

Open with the playing of the "Humming chorus" from Madame Butterfly.

Welcome to today's Mother's Day Service. It is lovely to see so many mothers, daughters and sons and in laws here today. Let us rejoice together by singing Morna's lovely song of the same name to begin our service. It is number 61 in our hymnbook. ("Let us rejoice together") Veronika will play it for us first so we can sing more confidently. We have our beautiful children here this morning and I'd like us all to share a story before they go off with Monique to do their own special activities. It's called "Dear Mum, Thank You for Everything" and even if the words are too hard for our littlest ones we will all enjoy the animals in the pictures.

"Dear Mum Thank You for Everything" by Bradley Trevor Greive.

We accept our mother's role in our lives as a matter of course. Mothers bring their child in to the world with a mixture of pain and joy. From conception to birth is a special time for a woman, from two unique cells, a complete new human being is created. The embryo/ foetus undergoes its developmental nine-month journey and so many hopes and wishes are expressed during this time. We watch expectant mothers swell and bloom with the baby they are nurturing. Now days a mother and father usually decide very carefully when a baby will fit in to their scheme of things and have much scientific technology to help them along the way. (This week the first Australian IVF baby turns 20). Parents actually see their developing baby before it is born. With ultra sounds the first baby picture to go into the album is often the 12-week-old foetus. After the birth the life long commitment really hits home as we feed, change, protect, nurture, and educate our children to become fully functioning, independent, healthy adults. But we don't stop being mums do we, (even though I know my children wish I would) and I am very aware of being my mother's daughter and know how she worries about each of her children.

Celebrations honouring mothers have been celebrated for a long time. In Phrygia in Asia Minor, Cybele the daughter of Heaven and Earth was honoured; the Romans celebrated Magna Mater (the Great Mother) and the ancient Greeks held a celebration to honour Rhea, The Mother of the Gods. During the 1600's in England, Mothering Sunday was celebrated. This was the 4^th Sunday of Lent and honoured the mothers of England. At this time there were the rich and the poor classes; the poor people worked and lived in the homes of the wealthy, far from their own homes. On mothering Sunday these servants would have the day off and go home to spend the day with their family. A mothering cake was often brought along to provide a festive touch. As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honour the "Mother Church" -over time the two festivals blended and people honoured both their mother and the Church. In the United States in 1872 Julia Ward Howe suggested Mothers Day be a day dedicated to peace and she organised this annual event in Boston. Then in 1907 Ana Jarvis from Philadelphia worked hard to establish a national mother's day. She was a child during the Civil War and heard her mother express her hope that "sometime, somewhere, someone will found a Mother's Day." She was convinced that if the family honoured their mother on a special day, the fighting and hatred would end" She finally succeeded to have her mother's wish fulfilled in 1907 on the second Sunday in May. Many countries of the world now celebrate Mother's day at this time.

What are your family traditions for this day? For my children and me the Primary School always contributed to our Mother's day celebration. Children were encouraged to draw or create a new special message for Mum. Dad was approached for his donation and pocket money was always important at this time so that a bargain could be purchased at the Mother's Day Stall. On the Sunday I was provided with breakfast in bed. The tray was decorated with a flower from the garden and then we'd all sit around the bed and watch the unwrapping of the "treasures." I can remember one Mother's day feeling very disappointed that Winfried, my husband, hadn't bothered with a gift. His reply when challenged, "You're not my mother!" I was a little hurt but then later explained to him that he had made a significant contribution to me becoming a mother, so I always received a bunch of flowers from that time on!

What does it mean to be a mother? You see many advertisements in the media about the many roles a mother plays in her children's lives, giver of life is probably most important, followed by nurturer, teacher, chef, chauffer, maid, encyclopaedia, financial lending institution, just to name a few.

Our biblical text for the day is about a mother and her daughter in law. The Old Testament text comes from the Book of Ruth. Ruth is a Moabite woman who is married to an Israelite. When he dies the mother in law, Naomi gives her permission to return to her people but Ruth chooses to stay with the Israelites and later marries again and becomes the great grand mother of Israel's greatest King -David. In the story of Ruth we are shown the blessings that can come to an outsider who turns to God.

This is the story that takes us up to our reading. During a severe famine in Israel, Elimelech and his wife Naomi and their two sons go to live in Moab. While here the two sons marry. Then the family experiences a tragic set of circumstances. Elimelech dies and so do the two sons leaving Naomi without husband or sons. As conditions appear to have improved in Judah, Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem. She and her daughters in law (Orpah and Ruth) set out but then Naomi gives them her thanks and blessing and suggests they go back home to their mothers. She is quite blunt with them saying, "The Lord has turned against me."

I'll ask Kirrily to read the bible passage now,

Ruth 1:14-18 Where ever you go, I will go

"Again they started crying. Then Orpah kissed her mother in law good bye and went back home but Ruth held on to her. So Naomi said to her, "Ruth, your sister in law has gone back to her people and to her god. Go back home with her"

But Ruth answered, "Don't ask me to leave you! Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die and that is where I will be buried. May the LORD'S worst punishment come upon me if I let anything but death separate me from you!"

When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more."

Thank you Kirrily.

I found this reading very moving. I had heard it before but not in context of the biblical setting, rather, when a couple took their wedding vows. We often hear mean jokes about mothers in law but here was a woman so committed that she accepted her husband's family's religion and followed her mother in law back to their place of origin where she had never been. Early last Century, (doesn't that sound funny when we are talking of the 1900's) the marriage laws were quite strict and set out the woman's role as she repeated the marriage vows -love, honour, and obey. It was also usual that the woman took on the husband's name. I can remember being very hurt when I looked at the Imberger family tree many years ago to see the line stopped with me. I was not considered significant on this family tree. However, when Mykel, my eldest son was born there was much joy and we had a huge family celebration with three great grandmothers surrounding the Weber "Stammhalter". (There is no descriptive word to replace this term in English. Literally it means holder of the family tree, so "heir" doesn't really give the same meaning. ) It meant that the Weber family name would live for another generation. The joy was repeated when a second Weber son was born on Christmas Eve a few years later. Our daughter arrived two years after that and our family was complete! In latter years couples write their own wedding vows and often the woman doesn't take on the husbands name, so that link to the family seems much looser. Would we follow our mother in law to the country of her birth and vow to stay and be buried where she died? I guess there are some women who may take that path today but I think not many!

At the time of Ruth, intermarriage was not all that common, people appeared much more racially exclusive. But Ruth decided to go with her mother in law. She was a hard workingwoman not one to sit back and be looked after. She asked Naomi, her mother in laws permission to go out to the field of her relative, Boaz and follow the harvest workers, picking up the grain which they left. Ruth assumed the role of breadwinner for the family quite literally! Boaz offered her water and protection and later married her after securing the land of Elimelech for Naomi and Ruth. The Lord blessed Ruth with a son and Naomi with a grandson. The boy was called Obed. Obed became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David. The women of the Bible, like Mary mother of Jesus, are recognised in their role as mother and in making a significant contribution to history. How true the saying behind every great man there stands a woman!

I thought about this service for a quite a while and liked the idea of having candles to provide a warm soft light and to add a motherly feminine touch. I looked at candles at the $2 shop and at other shops and originally although I wanted them to be various sizes, I wanted the colours to match. What it here today is very different to that isn't it? Thank you all for lighting a candle as you came in.

When I walked through the house and saw how many different candles we had in different shapes and colours and even smells, I realised I'd found the perfect solution to my goal. No matter what the shape of the candle, when it is lit it will provide light. These candles today represent us. The light shining from them can symbolise our divine energy spark or soul. Sometimes it burns more brightly than at other times. May be we are happy and experiencing success- life is good, the light is bright and radiates out to others. At other times our light is feeble. This can be because the wick is too long or too short, we haven't spent time looking after it. We don't see ourselves in a positive light, being significant in our relationship with others, being effective in our jobs, being useful. We need to take time to nurture our divine spark and to realise that no matter how "faint" we feel the light we radiate is, it still makes a difference!

The candles are all also different shapes and even colours. Some taller, some very small, some round square fat or thin. This can represent the body in which we live. It is our only one, so we need to look after it. As we use it just like the candle it gets burned up. We could say the candle represents our life. Deep down we all know and some us have trouble even thinking or talking about it, but our bodies are finite- when all the wick is burnt our life spark no longer sheds physical light on this earth. (I believe we all have a divine spark of light energy, some may know it as our soul which is released back into the atmosphere/heaven when we die.) Some times the candle also burns unevenly, when it is in a draught or when the wick is not quite in the middle, and the outside wall melts down and the wax spills out. To burn evenly we need to be able to move in our thinking and in our acceptance of what life throws at us. We need to be adaptable to change. Sometimes the light is blown out by adversity and we have not had the chance to use up all the wax. There is always some of the wax surrounding the candle left, which could be the earthly remains, but without the wick, the divine energy spark, the candle can't radiate out light.

I would now like to share some time for thanksgiving with you.

Please remain in your seats.

Dear God, Thank you for making us each unique, with our own body, mind and divine spark of light energy. Give us the strength and courage to make the most of what we are. Let our light burn brightly to comfort and enlighten the lives of those who surround us.

Let us also give thanks to all the mothers in the world. May they have some time of peace today as they perform all the many chores expected of women through out the world, whether it be carrying water from the well, breaking bricks in the streets of Dakar, grinding corn in Africa, preparing a meal in Germany, working to support the family, or caring for a sick parent or child or changing a nappy. Let us send them love, gratitude, light and peace.

Let us also say a prayer and send light to those women who are expecting or who become mothers on this day. May their journey be one of joy, coloured by love and the support of their family and friends.

The next group of women we should acknowledge are all those women who have mothered someone even though they did not give birth to them. To adoptive mothers, those lovely great aunts, the grandmothers, the schoolteachers, those who have mothered children under their care, we give thanks.

God, let us also give thanks for those mothers and grandmothers who are no longer in our midst. Let us remember the happy times we shared with them while they were alive. If we had disagreements with them let us be big enough to say "I forgive" or "Please forgive me for the times I was less than grateful or said hurtful thing". Nothing can be achieved by holding on to hurts or disappointments. I hope that those who have lost a beloved mother find peace and joy in the memories that they shared with their loved ones because it is in these memories and in you and your children that they live on. Lord help us become good sturdy building blocks as we strive to create the Kingdom of God on Earth. Let us hold together with the strong mortar of family and community as we celebrate this special day of light and peace dedicated to the mothers of the world.

Please take a minute to send you r own special message of light and appreciation or just take time to be.

Let us sing the Prayer of St Francis -Hymn number 93

By setting aside a special day to give a card or a gift or flowers on Mother's day we are taking the time to say thank you for loving me during my time of growth even when I was less than easy to be with, even during my rebellious phase, even when I turned my back on you, you still loved me and had my best interest at heart. It doesn't have to an expensive card or gift, we don't have to fall into the Hallmark trap and think we can't say the words that are in our hearts. For most mums the best present they could get would be a kiss, a hug and a thank you from their children. Spend some of that irreplaceable commodity -time- with them. Accept them for whom they are, with all their annoying habits and faults because we are all less than perfect aren't we!

Let us stand now if we are able and say the Lord's Prayer together.

"Our Father in Heaven,

Hallowed be Your name,

Your Kingdom come,

Your will be done on earth as in heaven,

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins.

As we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us when in temptation and deliver us from evil,

For the Kingdom, the power and the glory

Are yours forever.

Amen"

Thank you. Please be seated.

Let us spend just a few moments to also send out a message of peace. Let us first seek for peace with in ourselves. Still those rushing thoughts, did I turn the oven on will there be enough to eat, will the children fight at the table in the restaurant? Let us calm ourselves. Next let us send out thoughts of peace to our families-imagine your families faces one by one or in a group and send them love and peace. Finally remember Ana Jarvis' mother's hope if families honoured their mother on one special day the fighting and hatred would end. As action follows thought, let us strongly believe that on this one day we set aside to celebrate our mothers there will be peace. Being a mother is not always easy. We usually do what we see as being the best for our children but often that view is not shared by our offspring. I hope today we all experience some love, peace and light from and with our family. Children of all ages be kind to your mum today, say thank you for giving you life. She gave birth to you and it's up to you what you make of life. Let our life light burn brightly and illuminate those whom it touches. Happy Mother's Day!

Let us conclude with the sung blessing 108 in the new hymnbook. Veronika will play it first and then we will sing it together.

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Good Friday Service

Bayswater, 13 April 2001;
Elder Alfred Klink

Music: Befiel du deine Wege... 15 Verses 1, 2 & 4
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden... 81 Verses 1 & 9
Lobe den Herren... number 64 Verses 1, 2 & 5

Today is Good Friday, in German Kar-Freitag, from the Old German käre, to Jammer or suffer. This is the day Jesus' life on Earth climaxed, almost 2000 years ago, with his dramatic death on the cross. In all of Christendom it is a day of deepest religious significance and reverence. Whatever their creed or denomination, whatever their belief, on this day they join in spirit worldwide and remember Jesus and his suffering. Even the Time Magazine features Jesus on their front page. - Good Friday is of course not a fixed date. Easter, and with it the whole Christian Passion-Week is tied to the phases of the moon, and the actual date can vary from year to year by up to five weeks; from the first day after the spring Equinox (the 22^nd of March) to the latest date the first Sunday after the first full moon following Equinox can be (the 25^th of April). The Council of Nicaea, in AD 325 decided that Easter must be on a specific Sunday, so the celebration of Christ's death and resurrection is no longer tied to the fixed date of the Jewish Passover (during which it happened).

To begin our Service let us sing the hymn Befiel du deine Wege, number 15, verses 1,2 &4

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that historic first Palm-Sunday, he knew exactly what he was doing. It was part of a chain of events he initiated, his chosen mission in life that culminated in the deep emotional struggle Jesus had with himself in the Garden of Gethsemane. There the full realisation of the, for him now inevitable misery, pain and suffering took hold of him. There the die was finally cast. One more time the natural instinct to flee from danger, to hide in anonymity rose up in him. But no, for him there was no meaningful way out except to drink the cup he had poured for himself to the bitter end. All his friends had advised him not to venture into Jerusalem just now. The Passover celebrations were about to start and the authorities of the city would be watching for signs of public unrest, and any disturbance was sure to be dealt with severely. Yes, he knew what he was getting into, and he knew there could only be one outcome in this head-on confrontation with the establishment. His destiny was clear to him. The prophesies of old would be fulfilled. - Jesus, he who in his mission to bring his message of peace to the people of Israel, had walked the length and breadth of the country on foot, he who never had opted for bodily comfort for himself, he now borrowed an animal, an ass, to ride into the city. Because it was written by the prophet, 'tell the daughter of Zion (Jerusalem) your king is coming to you, riding on an ass that is a colt's foal.'

People came and welcomed him with open arms, plucked palm fronds from the trees on the side of the road and waved them in front of him shouting hosanna and strewed leafs and flowers at his feet. "Hosanna," they sang, "the son of David has come in the name of the Lord! - Blessed is he." Here was their deliverer. The champion of the poor and the oppressed, he would lift the burden from their backs and keep the tax-collectors from their doors. He was the one destined to bring back the glory of king David's time and end the hated Roman occupation of the land. "Hosanna to the king of the Jews".

These were the same people who five days later, when Pilate offered them the choice to pardon either Jesus or a convicted murderer, yelled with one voice."let him be crucified, let Jesus be crucified, we want Barabbas!" and Pilate, in a symbolic gesture, washed his hands. What had happened? What made the people turn so quickly against Jesus? What had he done that was so wrong? - He had not done what they expected him to do! He had not pulled down the Roman garrison Antonia, he had made no attempts to chase out the oppressors from the city, he had not taken over the reins of government. With all his publicly demonstrated powers over nature and the elements, his God-given talents to overcome affliction and diseases, he had done nothing to ease the lot of the people of Israel. He had misled them in their expectations. What he did do is he went and had dinner with a hated tax-collector. He went to the Temple and drove out the poor merchants trying to make a meagre living by selling a few sacrificial Passover animals. This was not the deliverer they expected. -

Passover is the festival when the whole Jewish nation celebrates their release from Egyptian bondage, told in the second book of Moses. God, as a punishment for not letting His people go, had threatened to kill every firstborn child, in each house throughout Egypt that was not specifically marked by the blood of a sacrificial lamb. And so it happened. Only the Jewish houses were spared by the avenging angels. Pharaoh had to let God's people go. Since then, the week-long Passover (the Feast of Unleavened Bread) has been the biggest celebration, and one of the holiest periods in the Jewish calendar. - The word Passover is actually an expression used in three different ways: it defines the week-long period of the festival during which no leaven may be kept in the house; it is the sacrificial animal each house has to give to the temple and it is the meal at which the symbolic sacrifice, normally a roasted lamb, is eaten.

Jesus, at a private Supper on the first day of Passover, with only his twelve disciples present, offered himself as the sacrificial lamb, the Passover, to the twelve. He broke unleavened bread, handed it around saying the traditional blessing, "praise be to you oh God, who have made the bread come from the Earth..." but instead of concluding with the customary "..this is the bread of misery our fathers ate.." he added " this is my body which I am giving for you". He poured red wine for them and added, "..this is my blood, the blood of the New Covenant, which is poured out for all men." He was offering his body to the people, he was pouring out his life-blood for them, he was giving his life as a sacrifice, so that they could live new lives.

Many books have been written about this Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples. About its deeper meaning in light of the events that followed. The meal's significance as a symbolic ritual is after all one of the cornerstones of the Christian Churches. Religion, having loaded man with original sin, had to find a way of reconciliation with God and, in the spirit of the time settled for a supreme sacrificial offering. Man's righteousness is restored exclusively by divine grace for any man with faith in the merits of Christ's atoning sacrifice, says the Church. We Templers do not share the credence in this sacrificial symbolism with other churches. Christoph Hoffmann, in his "Sendschreiben über Tempel und Sakramente" dismisses the magical, interpretation of the Last Supper as a misrepresentation of the events, and expresses the regret that Martin Luther, in his sweeping reformation, did not also cleanse this erroneous sacrament from excessive symbolism.

By distancing themselves from the glorification of Christ's crucifixion, Templers can concentrate on the living man; on his teachings and on his exemplary life. Jesus, to us, was a man with a mission, he had an idea, a vision of an ideal society, his Kingdom of God, and he took the chance to bring about reform in worldly government by passive people resistance. Stripped of all its artificial and mystical overtones Jesus' mission was simple: To blend the prophesies of old with his vision for a new world-order. He offered the Jews a chance to change their ways. He showed them how to eliminate social and moral conflict, by giving to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what belongs to Him. He taught them how to take pleasure in one's own ability to give, so that others less fortunate may live and enjoy life also. How to prepare a world where trusting love reigns supreme and people feel secure in the knowledge they are surrounded by an environment of human compassion. The kingdom of God on Earth. His actual words may have been different to mine, but then, that was 2000 years ago.

His message was not understood. None of his disciples shared his vision. He could not even discuss his problems with them or voice his deeper self-doubt to them. On that last night in Gethsemane they fell asleep when he wanted their support. - They were simple people, fishermen and tax collectors who were ignorant of the significance in the historic writings of the Jewish people. Their thoughts centred on the bodily needs of today, they worried about their safety and well-being away from home, in an unfamiliar environment. So their master Jesus was captured.

Text: Mark 14; 53-64

And so, as he himself had predicted, as it was foretold in the scriptures, Jesus died on the cross, an innocent lamb, a sacrifice to the vision that man may live in peace with himself and his God.

We will now sing the choral O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden,.number 81, verses 1 & 9

Deep emotions are a rich source of creativity. Much beautiful music, books, films and countless paintings have been inspired by the humanitarian conflicts embedded in religious beliefs. It is difficult to imagine our world without those creations. Our culture depends on it. Emotional experiences provide the scope for the human mind to rise beyond the limitations of the physical world. The question then is, are conflicts, pain and suffering an integral part of our being, and essential to human creativity? All indication are that they indeed are and that we need them. We know these days the biblical vision of everlasting happiness and eternal bliss on Earth is an illusion. Not because the practicalities are impossible. No. Many experiments have been done in which all of life's necessities were provided to the participants and yet these supposedly ideal conditions did not produce long-term happiness, contentment or the ideal society amongst the participants. The philosophy of Communism is perhaps the largest example of such organised bliss. On a Nation-, or even world-wide basis, it failed. It failed because any advanced form of life will not be satisfied with merely existing. I have said it before, man was not thrown out of the Garden of Eden, he left because he could not stand the monotony any longer. Not even a domestic animal is content in a cage, even a golden one. Our mind needs intellectual stimulation and our body needs physical challenges. Modern philosophy must reflect this awareness.

The philosophy Jesus was teaching at the time was radical. In those days, 2000 years ago, the people of Israel believed in the power of the sword and in miracles. Their world was controlled by the Old Testament and the prophesies of holy men. Even the few people who believed in Jesus foresaw the difficulties in changing people's attitude, with nothing more than a promise and a singular example. Today we still baulk at the magnitude of the change Jesus envisaged. While we may now be able to explain how the Earth was created, what moves the sun and the stars, understand how the weather and the elements interact, how procreation works and how to stay physically healthy, we have not gotten any closer to the type of human society - the Kingdom of God - that he was advocating two millennia ago. All understanding of the biological make-up of our bodies has not yet helped us to prevent armed conflict between nations, cruelty against our fellow human beings and wide-spread famine and starvation on the Earth. We accept with a shrug of the shoulders the daily news of atrocities in Borneo, the ongoing killings in Palestine; the spread of the Balkan conflict in Macedonia, to name just the few that make headlines at the moment. And for 2000 years we have been preaching the message: Love your Enemy.

I shall qualify what I am about to say with the following reflection: It was the philosopher Karl Popper who said "...history is what we make it. We can interpret history as the history of class struggle, or as the history of the struggle between the open and the closed society, or the history of scientific and industrial progress. All of these 'histories' are perfectly acceptable, and you could very likely name another five just as legitimate as those I have mentioned. But will any of them be unbiased by personal vision? Of course not. We are inclined to see what we want in history, and fail to see (or give the necessary credence to) whatever does not agree with our pet theory. In other words, there is no unbiased history, we automatically create the history that matches our vision for the future."

Love your enemy. It is such a simple statement. By eliminating human conflict it would solve so many social problems. Why has it not found widespread acceptance? You would think all it takes is a bit of willpower and it's done. But it's not that easy. You see, for millions of years evolution has used the enemy-principle to advance living species against each other. They use each other as stepping stones up the ladder of progress, be it as predator or competitors for food. You get faster I get swifter, you become cleverer, I more camouflaged. We all have seen those graphic David Attenborough documentaries were wit and power are matched against speed, agility and endurance in the struggle for life. It is in our blood. It's part of our animal heritage. Our current society, I mean here society at large, not specifically the Temple Society, has built its recipe of success around this competitive killer instinct in man. It fosters the mentality of winning to the detriment of others. To change this primitive philosophy requires a conscious decision to act in a way which improves at the same time the living conditions of other people. Instead of fighting one-another for a greater share of natural resources we should promote intelligent, scientific awareness and technology in our efforts to raise our living standards. Direct our natural, competitive instincts towards better and more efficient use of existing resources and more effective ways of providing for our needs.

But we must be serious about this. It is of little use to condemn the horrors of war and preach love your enemy on Sunday, while-ever society keeps on decorating war heros and commemorating Anzac Day. Winning in sport or at gambling is just another form of sanitized war and not socially productive. So you see, the cure cuts deep! Our attitude to the purpose and meaning of life must change. The struggle of man against man does no longer serve any evolutionary purpose, it is now purely an entertainment for the masses and should be faced out from our societies. It is a left-over from primeval times of the dinosaurs when mating struggles ensured survival of the fittest. While-ever our social environment does not change significantly from such people-to-people conflicts, our intellectual struggle against this natural endowment will fail because it makes no sense to our subconscious instincts. 2000 years is a long time to preach a message, the same message. If that message still has not got through to the people, we have to ask ourselves sooner or later, could the fault lie with the message, or the way the message is presented? Surely something must be missing!

I think any proposed change in our way of life must be balanced with an environment that supports and encourages such a change. The change must bring a benefit to the individual. Life is a very prudent administrator, it allocates bodily resources to where-ever the demand in the body is greatest. A classic example is the rapid deterioration in bone structure of astronauts in an environment where strong bones no longer provide an advantage. Or the loss in muscle power of an athlete out of training. Whichever part of the human body or brain, or whatever thought presently produces better and bigger results, or greater satisfaction and pleasure, will get preferential treatment. Before loving you enemy, or even just your neighbour, can become a motivating force in society, a social environment must first be created in which such love is physically and emotionally more rewarding to the individual than fighting or hating. If we do not actively work on creating such an environment, we will in another 2000 years still be "Wünschen und Warten", wishing and hoping for Jesus' vision to become reality. Professor Gavin Brown, Vice Chancellor of Sydney University, recently has put it thus: "We predict the future by inventing that future. What our society needs most is a good dose of intellectual aspirations".

Lets listen to a little story on how Jesus in an ever so natural way used the environment to press home his message. I remember the story from way back, perhaps from an old school Lesebuch in Palestine. You may recognise it.

'The story of the old horseshoe".

Jesus and the two disciples Simon and Andrew had left a village in Galilee where they had received meagre hospitality, and were on a dusty road to another place. The sun was coming up high and Simon, walking behind Jesus, complained about the unfriendly people in the last village, who had not provided them with any food to eat nor wine to drink; that he was hungry, his throat was parched and the hot sand hurt his feet through the thin sandals. "Master", he asked, "what happens when we get to the next village and again no one will offer us food and shelter. We may well starve to death. Will you allow us to do a bit of begging? Everybody does it, surely it is not a sin. Andrew and I will do it, if you are worried about being seen begging". "Simon Peter," Jesus said in a stern voice, "how little faith you have. Don't you think our Lord knows we are in need and that He will provide for us?" Simon looked around himself. There was nothing to see in any direction, no people, no houses, no animals, no stream, no fig-tree, not even an olive tree for shade. Nothing but sand, rocks and a dusty road winding its way right up to the horizon. He gave a deep sigh and hurried to catch up to the others who had walked ahead.

"Look, Simon" said Jesus, as he caught up again, "look, there is a horseshoe lying in the middle of the road. Go and pick it up so we can take it with us. " Simon, who was hot and sweaty and did not feel like carrying the extra weight around with him, said, "it is just an old bit of iron, it is worthless. No one would give us anything for it," and he kicked it into the ditch by the side of the road. Jesus smiled as he walked over and picked up the horseshoe himself and fastened it in the folds of his robe.

It was late afternoon when they at last reached the next village. As they passed a blacksmith shop Jesus went to the owner and showed him the horseshoe. The man's eyes lit up as he saw it and he exclaimed, "where did you find this shoe? I recognise it. It is one of a matched set I made for a wealthy customer to correct the gait of one of his valuable horses. The horse must have thrown it. I shall let him know immediately that it has been found. In the meantime please accept my hospitality, please stay with us and join us for supper. My wife here is an excellent cook. Our house is your house." With this he ran off to tell the owner the good news.

"The Lord certainly works in mysterious ways" whispered Simon to Andrew sheepishly as the three of them entered the cool dwelling, washed off the dust of the road and sat down to enjoy some refreshing grapes.

What we have learned in the two millennia since that fateful week in the month of Nisan brings with it an obligation to apply that knowledge intelligently, both as an individual and as a society. Today we are in a position to be not only responsible for ourselves, but also for mankind, for our environment and for the planet Earth. It is a sobering thought, after all those years we have finally realised the meaning of Genesis 1-28 "I have given you dominion over the Earth and everything that moves and grows on it." And that was the end of the sixth day.

To conclude I would like to quote to you a passage from one of Hermann Uhlherr's recent Saals. To me it is beautifully put, and it reads like a prayer. If you can, would you please rise while I read it out to you:

Whenever we try to understand, or analyse, or put into effect the message of Jesus Christ, we come ultimately to the instruction "love one another" in one form or another.
If this instruction were easy to follow, we would not talk about it, we would not continually have to remind ourselves that this is what we must strive for; if it were easy we would simply go and do it! That we don't succeed is because it first requires becoming spiritually more aware.
Loving one another, in the sense of Jesus' message, is a state of mind, a way of life which does not fit all that well into our modern lifestyle.
But anyone who has lived in harmony with God's purpose, be it ever so briefly, knows the joy and deep personal satisfaction there is in doing so.

Thank you, God, for giving us the ability to share these emotions.

We conclude our Service with the Hymn: Lobe den Herren, number 64 Verses 1, 2 & 5. After that please remain seated for a bit and let Krista Imberger's music frame this picture of Good Friday.

I now wish you a memorable Easter Weekend, and remind you there will be an Easter Service on Sunday morning in Bentleigh, with Peter Uhlherr.

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Sommerfest Service

Bayswater, 4^th March, 2001
Elder Theo Richter

Good morning to you all and welcome to our Sommerfest Service for 2001. Today is a very special day on the Templer Religious and social calendar because it is the only function in the year where we can truly say that our members, from all Templer communities, have the time and opportunity to come together as one group. It is a day for celebration, for community and for common sharing of those ideals that make us the Temple Society.

The term community comes from the Middle English communite, which means citizenry. This word is derived from the Old French, again taken from Latin commonitas, fellowship, from communis, common. We can, of course, extrapolate here and give it another derivative - the word community stems from two words - comm being a shortening of common and unity meaning united - Common Unity or United together.

With this thought in mind, may extend the warmest welcome to you all. Welcome to our members and friends from Melbourne; welcome to those who have travelled from Regional Victoria; welcome to our South Australian and New South Wales counterparts who have made the special effort to be with us today. And the greatest welcome is reserved for our members from the Temple Gesellschaft Deutschland - our sister community in Germany - their trip is one of truly gigantic proportion.

From that community, let me welcome Frau Lore Paulus who has come for an extended stay from Germany and is currently living in the Guest facility. Frau Paulus, you may wish to stand and be welcomed by the community.

Are there any other special visitors here today who should be identified and introduced?

In this spirit of community, let us all please turn to our neighbors or those seated in front or behind you and extend the hand of welcome and friendship.

Let us formally commence our Service today with the Hymn 'Lord of the Morning' which is Hymn number 67 in the new hymnbook. We shall sing verses 1 and 3.

'Here is the new day, ready to live.
Here is the new morning life that you give.'

Two lines from the first verse of our hymn that speak both of the joy of life as experienced with the dawn of each day, and of the sacrifice that Jesus made that we, God's children, could live free and unencumbered.

At this time of year, at this Sommerfest, these are the two themes that all of us celebrate. The first is thanksgiving for the physical fruits of our labors - the crops that we grow in our gardens. The second is thanksgiving for the spiritual fruits of our endeavors - the relationships that we build with those people around us and with God. Very much, these two are intertwined. Our successes are measured as much by our ability to produce flourishing fruits and wholesome vegetables as they are to produce tangible and meaningful interactions with all who we meet in life's journey.

For those of you here today who are not familiar with the meaning Sommerfest in the Templer social calendar, allow me to spend a few minutes in explanation.

The Sommerfest celebration started in the late fifties out of a desire of its members to come together and celebrate their new life and community in Australia. It probably draws its concept from the community gatherings that were held in Palestine, the land of our forefathers, and which regularly occurred on the 1^st May each year.

This was the day of the Mai-Ausflug - the grand Excursion - which saw the members of all the Templer colonies get together on the one day to celebrate their belief and their community.

People woke early on the appointed day and commenced packing the pre-prepared delicacies, drinks, the Primus kerosene stove for heating the water, blankets and any other essentials required to sustain them on the sometimes long journey to the Ausflugs Platz the site of the Excursion. Everything being packed onto horse-drawn wagons or donkeys, whole trains of Templer communities hit the road, singing and otherwise enjoying their time as they made their way to that years communal site.

Once there, individual family groups setup their domains and people grouped together to spend the d-ay feasting, catching up on all the latest news and taking part in the many community activities. At the end of the day, with considerably less food than in the morning, but with each person well sated and talked out, everything was repacked into the wagons and people headed home again. For some, this was the only contact they had with members of family and friends from other communities for the whole year until the next Ausflug.

In Australia, the tradition continued. Although originally held over the Australia Day weekend in late January, the same annual community gathering - the Sommerfest brought together the communities from all over Australia to celebrate that same spiritual and physical consolidation, as had the Ausflug in Palestine.

On this piece of land, minus this hall, or the car park, or the tennis court, or the bowling alley, the community gathered to enjoy. They enjoyed the wealth that comes from a group of like-minded people getting together to enjoy a big day out under the big Australian sky, shaded by tents and canvas tarps on an open paddock that they had purchased from community funds only a few years earlier. These early festivities were also marked by the same fundamental needs underlying the earlier Ausflug in Palestine - the need for people to meet, to share experiences and to catch up on old friends.

I hope you will indulge me as recount some of my own experiences as a nipper in the early sixties. I still have many vivid memories of hot sunny days spent on this land at Sommerfest. Those same trees we all shelter under below the tennis courts were fledgling saplings, valiantly striving to establish themselves in the cracked earth. Coming up on the Saturday before with dad and his friends to peg out the space where the family would sit under a tarp drawn over a steel frame. On Sunday, Kartoffelsalat und Würstchen - potato salad and spicy sausages, being gobbled up in the frantic race to get back to the kids activities. The shilling that Oma gave each of us to spend at the Bazaar and the wealth of trinkets that shilling could buy. Ice-cream that was melting before you'd left the stall that sold it. The dulcet tones of 'Achtung, Achtung' issuing forth from the myriad of PA speakers as a precursor to each public announcement. The big men sweatily engaged in the Tug'o'war and even more sweatily engaged in the annual Soccer grudge match. The Biagkapelle playing on the veranda, or later, under the now partially grown trees near the Tennis courts. Kaffee und Kuchen - coffee and cakes served by the ladies-auxiiiary - the latter always freshly baked and the former always freshly brewed. Children's games held on the soccer oval - always in the afternoon and always with temperatures in the high 30's. Volkstanz - traditional Swabian folk dancing - always scheduled just before and always suffering under the same temperatures.

As a young boy, the most thrilling event of the day was to catch a ride on the JG funny car. It was an old Vanguard with a roof job - i.e. it didn't have one, having been cut off years before with a gas axe, three gears and reverse on the steering column and very little in the way of brakes. This little legend was faithfully stored at Erich Frank's place for the rest of the year but was faithfully rolled out a few weeks before the big day. The big guns in the Youth Group would all gather at Erich's place. Have a few beers. Give the old girl its annual mechanical (look at the engine, kick the tyres, fill the petrol and recharge the battery). Have a few beers. Dispense the final coup-de-grace, a complete redo of the paint job using second-hand paint collected from donors, lovingly applied with 4 inch paint brushes. Have a few beers. Admire their work. Have a few beers. Then go home.

Of course, I didn't learn about the few beers until much later, as a teenager, I was one of those whose exalted position in life was to prepare the funny car for the Sommerfest.

One overriding memory of those far away days is the image of the Old Folks, the Palestina Templers, sitting in large groups in the shade, recounting their respective lives in those far off colonies. Theirs was a time warp that saw them once again gathered on the May-Ausflug, surrounded by their peers, gossiping in German, and sometimes Arabic, about their daily lives.

To say that these Templers lived the Templer religion would be to simply state a fact.

They understood whom they were, what they had achieved, and where they were heading. Their communion with their God was felt in every life's breath, in every turning of the earth, in every planting of the seed that would, by the time of the next May Ausflug, be the harvest that they would celebrate.

As a child, my grandmother used to recount to me this way of life, often tempered by the passing of time, but still remarkably accurate in its vividness, its hardship and its achievement.

Sitting with the old Templers under the sparse eucalypts in the big paddock at Sommerfest was to relive an era that we younger, Australian born could never imagine. No wonder they would answer to their often asked question 'Who's son are you?' with the slightly faraway gazed response 'Yes, Eleonore's son, Schwesterle from Sarona' or 'Yes, Karls Sohn, Halil from Wilhelma'. In their minds eye, they were taken back to the time where they first met your mother or father, proudly displayed by their parents several months after their birth, on the May Day Ausflug, in the shimmering heat of colonial Palestine.

And those words from our hymn still echo with the sad passing of these Templers:

'Here is the new day, ready to live.

Here is the new morning life that you give.'

They understood that the strength and spirit of their community came not from the hardship of the climate or the labours of their times. Rather, it came from the assistance they gave each other when the times were tough, from their shared triumphs or when they met on their May Day Ausflug, to recount and to share in theirs joys and experiences.

'Here is the new day, ready to live,

Come friendship or hardship, they were ready to give.

Their faith bore them onwards, their backs took the load,

In their search for his Kingdom, along their life's road.

To dwell on the hard times was to surrender to fear,

So they looked ever forward, where God's pathway shone clear.

Here is the new day, ready to lives.

Here is,the new morning life that God gives.'

Let us rejoice in thanksgiving of our forebears endeavors, of our endeavors and of those endeavors of our children, by singing together the hymn number 98 ' Sing Praise and Thanksgiving',. We shall sing all three verses.

For our text today, have chosen the words of Jesus as written by Luke in Chapter 8, verses 4 to 15 as he tells the parable of the farmer who sowed his crops.

In the texttoday, we see Jesus at the time of his first ministry in Gaililee. For a while he had settled in the great city of Capernaum where we heard of the miraculous healing of the Centurions slave and of the prostitute anointing Jesus' feet in the home of one of the Pharisee's. Shortly thereafter, Jesus set out on his pilgrimage with the twelve chosen, touring the villages and cities of Gaililee as he spread the word of God throughout the area. Our text takes place on one day during that tour where a large mass of people had gathered together to hear his words.

'One day he gave this illustration to a large crowd..... and steadily spread them to others who also soon believe."

It's interesting when we look at a community such as ours, that we are fortunate to be able to get along as well as we do. As I said in my opening words, Common Unity - a widely diversified group of people who are bound by one belief or goal, that of realizing God's Kingdom on Earth.

If we took a cross section of the people that make up the Temple Society in Australia, it would not differ greatly from that of any other group of people. We all have our own prejudices, our own diverse beliefs, our own opinions.

Sometimes, because we are human, we make errors in judgement or let our defenses slip with the result that we let down our own guarded defenses and inadvertently offend someone or fail to live up to their expectations of us. This causes hurt, but in most cases, those who are hurt let the incident slip. People basically don't enjoy confrontation and will do anything to avoid it.

Recently, attended a seminar where we broke up into discussion groups to theorize on how modern companies are changing their attitudes towards customers who complain about their products or services. Where once companies would create 'Customer Complaint' departments whose sole reason for existence was to bury genuine customer dissatisfaction with mounds of paperwork, these days, most responsible companies actually encourage feedback from the customer. They actively ensure that every customer complaint is pursued to it final resolution, often offering ten for one replacements, to ensure that the customer is fittingly recompensed for inconvenience. The information and learnings gained from servicing these complaints is then.fed back into the various departments, where it is put to use to stop similar complaints arising again. Their reasoning is simple - most companies have realized that for every customer who openly complains to them, there are 100 who won't, but those same 100 customers who don't complain will spread the news of bad service throughout their network of friends and relatives.

We were swapping stories that we had heard when one of the participants related that he knew of one couple who had made an art form of being dissatisfied. Apparently, they go out of their way to find fault and to complain. Having realized a free.meal at a restaurant, or received ten replacement boxes of cereal as the result of their complaints, they would proudly boast of their putting one over the restaurant or cereal manufacturer. In his own words, he actively avoided going out with this couple because he knew the night would end up in embarrassment for his spouse and himself.

Take away 50 percent of that story to allow for exaggeration, and you still have a very sad story about a very sad couple. To think that this couple is so involved in their endeavors that they don't even see the disharmony that they are causing.

This fact alone was what really surprised me when heard about the story. There is so much energy consumed in always seeking the negative view, it forces an imbalance in the natural energies flowing through that persons body. Equally, this negative energy eventually transcribes itself into the psyche, the living core of that person and hardens them to the joys of life. Think how taxing it must be to continually seek the things that are negative in life, and then try to make profit from finding them.

We need to remember the words of Jesus as he related the parable of the Sower. 'The hard path where some seeds fell represents the hard hearts of those who hear the words of God, but then the devil comes and steals the words away...'. If this couple had only the energy left to allow them to see what they were doing to themselves and to their environment, how twisted and fruitless their useless profits were, surely they could change and find the rebalance that was missing in their lives.

It goes without saying that they are no longer considered friends by my work colleague.

It is very enlightening to share these stories with other people because it makes us all look back and reflect on who we are and where we fit into God's kingdom. If we take Jesus parable of the Sower to heart, I'm sure that most of us could find people who fit one of the four paths he describes - the hard ground, the stony ground, the thorny ground and the good soil.

As we describe our path towards God's kingdom, perhaps there are times when each of us have been on each of these grounds. Our search is never a simple progression from point A to point B, but rather, it is a series of little leaps and giant strides as we search for and find the essence of our relationship with God.

The hard ground represents those times when we are in full pursuit of earthly riches, leaving the more subtle, gentler altruism's behind as we accumulate wealth and worldly possessions. It is during these times that we are farthest from our goal, simply because that goal is clouded and hidden behind the figurative sparkle of the mammon offered in its place. Spiritually, we are going nowhere.

The stony ground represents those times when we oscillate between our search for true happiness and the wants of the world. We yearn to be happy, but are too drawn to our wealth to be able to let go. As Jesus said, when the hot winds of persecution blow, we lose interest and fall back on the tangible elements of our lives - those that we can touch and count. Spiritually, we are going backwards.

The thorny ground represents those periods in our lives when we are tested. Our resolve to be who we want to be is tried in the open court of life. Under the pressure of conflict and hardship, we buckle and bend, our resolve weakened by too many 'what ifs' and 'if only I had knowns'. Our ability to interact with those who live around us is foreshortened by this constant conflict and we become spiritually stunted as we seek the clear ground without ever thinking to climb the nearest tree.

And what of the good soil - the soil that is needed to grow and mature those pure thoughts that we sometimes have. Finding that state in our busy lives is not easy and the experience seldom lasts long, but these times do occur, when we are in balance with ourselves, the world around us and all with whom we come in contact. The good soil is the times when we are open and receptive, the times when we see clearly the path before us and, more importantly, when we put into practice the learning that we have gleaned from those other, more difficult, times. The sun seems to shine stronger, the air is fresher, the colours around us more vibrant. Music is more melodious, our feet dance and our minds sing with the joy and pleasure in life. This is when we are most effective as people. This is when we turn to God and are thankful for who we are and what we have. This is when we begin to act and react like God's children, secure in the knowledge that we are in his care and have his blessing.

As said before, people's lives are cyclic. In most years, we would probably weather at least two or more of the states we have just discussed. That means that we can't get complacent because ours is the journey and it last for our lifetime.

To explain this better, the closest analogy can think of is the stars in the sky. Have you ever sat outside on a clear night and just observed the stars? I know that their apparent movement is just a reaction to the light passing through the earth's atmosphere, but have you watched as they pulse - the individual points either expanding away from or contracting towards their central core?

Now lets think of the stars as people. The central core is our spirituality and the multi pointed beams are the influences on out life. Imagine that each point has an opposite, counterbalancing point on the other side of the star. Thus, love is counterbalanced by hate, serenity is counterbalanced by turmoil, vision is counterbalanced by blindness, humility is counterbalanced by aggression, and pleasure is counterbalanced by pain.

In the ideal world, all points of our star would be equally long, forming a perfect halo around our central core - the state of perfect balance, of perfect happiness, of perfection itself. This is God's dream for us - the Kingdom that we so earnestly seek.

There we are, all happy well-balanced little stars floating around in the heavens minding .our own business. Hello.............. star, how -are you today?. Hmm,.fine, fine. Hello

Star, how are you today? Oh, excellent, excellent.

There we are, minding our own business when - suddenly, along comes a dirty great meteor and hits us smack in the nose. What happens?

'Why you dirty little meteor, that hurt!' Our pleasure point decreases, our pain point increases. 'Get back here you, you meteorite, I'm gonna smack you in the face!' Our humility point decreases, our aggression point increases. ……star! Did you see what that meteorite did to me? I'm gonna get him for this!' Our love point decreases, our hate point increases. And slowly, the perfect halo is distorted.

Most of us are elastic and we soon get over the issue - perfection returns and our halo's equalize, once again bringing us into equilibrium. But what if we allow the transgression to consume us? What if we let each negative action feed on the other negative actions? The sum of two negatives is a greater negative. Add more fuel to the fire and it gets larger. Think about this - pain begets more pain, aggression begets more aggression, hate begets more hate, and the sum of these imbalances soon start to suck the very light out of our star-shine.

Friends, if I let that happen, what do we become? Yes, our former beatific spirits those well balanced little stars in the sky, become black holes - emotional wasteland, evil feeding on evil.

Jesus understood that. He saw what we could become if left to ourselves and he set out, by following God's divine plan, to liberate us from that plight. His death opened up the floodgates that allowed us to be liberated from the detritus of human dejection and allowed us to move in the direction of open and honest communion with God his father.

My main message to you all today is that we have choices. We can hang onto our losses, or we can learn from them and move on. We can hang on to our pain, or we can learn from it and move on. We can hang onto our anger, or we can learn from it and move on. All it takes is a conscious choice made by ourselves and a little responsibility for having made that choice.

Let me relate an observation. I was part of the first Grand Prix staged in Melbourne I think back in 1995. At the time, there was a lot of protesting, mainly by the residents around the track. It was a common sight to see small groups of residents camped around the gates, sitting on foldaway stools, clipboards in hand, gathering petitions objecting to the venue. I haven't gone every year but have had the odd chance to get down to the track in the intervening years. This year, I went again - six years later and guess what? There were the same faces, on the same foldaway stools with the same clipboards.

I don't doubt that there is genuine concern by these residents that the park is being damaged and that they lose their amenity to the park for a few weeks each year. What I find difficult is to understand that they would hang on for so long.

We all have choices and for these people, there are several choices available to them.

They could become acclimatized and, although not necessarily happy for the season, they could adopt a patient visage and wait out the end. They could choose to move away, thus removing the issue that causes them pain. Or they could do as they do, patiently wait out the Grand Prix season - almost in silent objection - each year, in the hope that one-day it will just go away. That is tenacity.

The moral to this story is also its salvation. Despite their diametrically opposed views, over the years, quite a few ardent racing fans have made quite lasting friendships with the resident protesters - they see each other every year at the same time in the same place. It is a common sight to see a Ferrari or Bennetton bedecked fan sharing a coffee at the protest tent engaged in friendly banter with a resident protestor, all involved at peace with the other. The perfect start to the perfect day and another sign of the marvelous adaptation that makes us all so very human.

So. Today. This Sommerfest is about adaptation. It is about being perfectly balanced little stars. It is about being God's good earth. It is about peace, tranquility and friendship. It is about openness and sharing. It is about kinship and trust. It is about new and old stories recounted at leisure. We drop our guards and welcome each other in the spirit that unites all mankind - love of ourselves, love for one another and above all else, love of our Father the Lord God. Let us move forward and celebrate as we share in the one-day where all Templers can come together and rejoice our common heritage amidst family, friends and acquaintances. And let us offer our hearts in thanksgiving that we are able to be here, small parts in this great whole.

Please join me as we recite Our Lords Prayer.

Before we close, would like to offer the humble appreciation of our community to the volunteers who make this event happen every year. There are too many to name by name, but their efforts begin in the previous year and tirelessly they work in the weeks and days leading up to today's culmination. And at the end of this day, they take it all down again, store it, and do the same thing again next year. It is not a thankless task, because we all applaud their efforts and thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

And now, in closing this service, I would like to set some special homework for everybody here. If at no other time in the year, today is the perfect opportunity to meet someone new and talk to them. I would like to charge you with the responsibility of welcoming three people you don't know into our midst as if they were long lost friends and to help them share in the spirit that we call Community. Nurture and cherish their thoughts and opinions because they are also a part of this great path that we follow.

Our last Hymn today is number 72 in the Templer Hymnbook' Morning has broken'. We will sing all three verses.

Thank you for your attention and may you all be blessed with great joy on this beautiful and meaningful day. Enjoy and give thanks.

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SAAL 25.03.2001 Bentleigh

Elder Rolf Beilharz

Geoff McCallum, who was scheduled to give this service, has asked to stand down from his duties as an elder for the time being. I have accepted his wish and that is why I am here today.

Welcome to our service for March. Have you ever stopped to ask: what are we saying when we use the word "service" for what is really a period of contemplation on Sundays in this community hall? In German the word used is Gottesdienst, meaning literally the service of God. Presumably the English word "service" also implies that we are serving God, we wish to be servants of God.

Does God need our service? If God is the all-powerful creator of the Universe he probably gets on perfectly well without us. The most likely sense of the word "service", meaning that we wish to do something for God, is that we should here think about what humans can actually do for God. And that is likely to be what humans can contribute to God's creation, that is, the world and the life on it. It is this thinking about how we can serve God, which is the appropriate reason for gathering on Sundays and doing what we are doing now. The actual service, however, what we then do, has to manifest itself in all of our life, in the attitude we have towards the universe, the world and the life that is on it, and how we treat the world and the life on it. And this means we get down to what we may read in the bible, such as loving our neighbours as we love ourselves. The best service we can give God, or whatever you wish to call that power responsible for our being here, is to be truly human, humane, friendly to others and caring for the world and the life on it. We should employ our talents for the good of other humans, for the rest of life and for the sustainable future of the world on which we live. I believe that is the modern way of expressing what Jesus in his time called striving for the Kingdom of God. In the Temple Society that is our religion. And it provides the goal for all of our life at all times. On Sundays we take a pause and think about how well we are doing in our striving.

I want to discuss this topic today and I can do that best by using the text that was in our lists for last Sunday. But before I become too serious, let us all joyfully sing a hymn of joy.

Nr. 17 in our new hymnbook "Brüder singt ein Lied der Freude", Verses 1 - 4.

Sing hymn.

Our Text for last Sunday comes from the gospel of Luke Chapter 16: Verses 10- 13.

Read text. " … You cannot serve God and Money."

In the Sermon on the Mount in the gospel of Matthew, this last statement also occurs, "you cannot serve God and Money". In the gospel of Matthew, this statement is one among many often quite radical statements indicating that a complete, and radical, change is required in people. Matthew has arranged his gospel in themes. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 are a collection of the teachings of Jesus. The beginning and the end of these chapters suggest that Jesus was talking to a crowd of people from a high point. That's where the name Sermon on the Mount comes from. Matthew starts his next theme, healing and miracles, in the chapter that follows the Sermon on the Mount. When you read our text as part of the whole collection of teachings, it is clear that it is a fundamental change that Jesus wanted from his listeners. Jesus called the result of what such a fundamental change of attitude will achieve, and the behaviour of individuals and the society they will create, the Kingdom of God. Jesus felt strongly that God had given him the task of explaining this kingdom and inviting people to change so that they could achieve it. As the radical change required is not easy, people would have to strive hard for it. In other words, choosing between God and Money is part of the fundamental change required among people to achieve the kingdom of God. In this kingdom you must serve God above thinking about money.

In the gospel of Luke, from which I read the text, the text followed the story of the rich man whose steward was not being honest in administering the rich man's wealth. As the steward knows he will be sacked and as this will plunge him into poverty, the steward reduces the debts of the people who owe his master money, so that they will treat him kindly when he is in poverty. The master can see what is going on and actually praises the steward's cleverness. Verses 8 and 9 of the chapter are: And the master applauded the dishonest steward for acting so astutely. For in dealing with their own kind the children of this world are more astute than the children of light. So, I say to you, use your worldly wealth to win friends for yourselves, so that when money is a thing of the past you may be received into an eternal home. Our text then followed.

The connection with a thoroughgoing change in attitude for people to achieve in this life, does not come over as strongly in Luke as in Matthew. Luke is giving the main point, you cannot serve God and Money, within a story which is already affected by a trend that grew in Christianity after the death and resurrection of Jesus. This trend sees Jesus not as the man who taught great wisdom, but as the son of God who had to die on the cross so that those who believed could be saved in a future heaven. Did you notice the reference to an eternal home into which the disciples who had used their money to make friends will be taken in future? I personally believe that the way Jesus thought is expressed more accurately in Matthew. You will see why as my arguments develop.

Let's stop quibbling over unessential things and concentrate on the main point. You cannot serve God and Money. What does this mean to us? What was Jesus telling us?

We all know that Jesus invited people to strive for and enter the Kingdom of God. In the Lord's prayer, which Jesus gave his disciples, and through them to us, it says: your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. This is a very clear statement that the kingdom of God is to develop on this earth. What must happen for this kingdom of God to come to earth so that God's will will be done on earth as in heaven?

Time and time again religious people have thought about how they are to get into God's kingdom. It seems to me that people would prefer that God himself just brings the kingdom to earth and gives it to us. Then we would all join immediately, wouldn't we?

There have been many times in history when people believed that the present ugly world would end soon to be replaced by God's glorious kingdom. Even in the time of Jesus, there were Jews who asked Jesus whether he was the promised messiah, whom all Jews had been waiting for for so long. Jesus never said that he was. As it was, most Jews concluded that Jesus, however much of a stir he had caused, was not the expected messiah, and Jesus finished up dying on the cross instead.

After the Easter events, when some disciples had become convinced that Jesus had been raised from death, the original Christian community in Jerusalem also had the expectation that Jesus would come down from heaven to institute the kingdom of God. In this community, people sold their goods, gave the money to the community and lived from day to day in the expectation that God's kingdom would appear very soon. That is probably one reason why nothing was written down about the life and teaching of Jesus for about 40 years after his death. Only after this time did the gospel writers try to reconstruct what had happened to Jesus and what he had taught. Some of the modern researchers I have read believe that Jesus himself, at least before his mission started to go wrong, believed that God would reward his work with the appearance of this kingdom. But, the fact is that God did not give the kingdom to the waiting people. And as you will see, the crux of what Jesus taught is that people must create the kingdom of God by their efforts.

Even the founding of the Temple Society owes something to similar hopes that God would bring his kingdom. The pietists of Württemberg expected this to happen in 1832. Like all earlier such hopes, this expectation was also not fulfilled. Then, in 1848, came a revolution in Germany, which resulted in the formation of the first German national parliament. Christoph Hoffmann had earlier studied theology. He was concerned about the difficult situations in which many poor people in Germany lived and, when he was elected to this parliament, he hoped that something might now be done about the poverty in the land. But the parliament was not interested in such things and did not survive long. After these several failures to alleviate the lot of the poor, Christoph Hoffmann went back to a thorough search for the causes of the difficulties people were facing. The search included the bible and Hoffmann found his way back to Jesus, the man who had taught such wisdom, and who had actually shown us how the kingdom on earth can be brought about. In the kingdom, poverty disappears like all other things that are disharmonious and bad for the lives of people. The answer was very clear and simple and had been there all along. But people had so far missed it in their wishful thinking that God would do the work.

What is this clear and simple way that Jesus had laid out for attaining the kingdom of God? Read the Sermon on the Mount. It is there in all its simplicity. Humans, change yourself radically from looking out for your own selfish good, and use whatever talents you have for the welfare of all! Change your ways from hitting others back, to letting them hit you again. Forgive others, rather than take them to court. Achieve this attitude in all ways in which your natural selfishness can be replaced by your concern for the good of all. In biblical language it sounds slightly different. If someone hits you on one cheek, turn the other cheek and let him hit you there as well. In biblical shorthand it is the twin commandments: Love God with all your might, and love your neighbour as you love yourself.

When you achieve this conversion in yourself, and when your friends do that too, then your little group has the beginning of the kingdom of God amongst you. Then let your example be like the sourdough, or the yeast, that finishes up affecting the whole loaf. If the people who interact with you are impressed by your example, your kingdom will grow and there is no reason why all of humanity should not change and enter this kingdom of God.

It is through the sincere striving of people to make themselves better, that a better society will appear. Each person must undergo a thorough change in attitude and accompanying behaviour. There is nothing whatsoever preventing people from achieving such a change from which a more harmonious state of humanity will grow, other than their natural selfishness, greed, thirst for revenge and so on. In modern words you could say, Jesus invited us to change from the animal-like Homo sapiens to the true possibility of becoming humans "in the image of God" as the old bible writers put it. Because humans can think and plan, it is now possible for humanity to view the world as something precious, for which we must assume responsibility, and which we must not allow to be ruined by our laziness and thoughtlessness. With good will, we can arrange worldly things such that no one needs to remain in poverty. All of this is possible. It would be very sad, if we failed to get humanity to strive for and achieve this, just because it all seems too hard.

The Temple Society has set this striving for true humanity as its religious goal. The striving starts by each individual changing his whole being from selfishness to being concerned with the welfare of the community. And the striving is an everyday matter. It is not reserved for Sundays, or religious meetings.

We could perhaps think that all we Templers are doing is to make life hard and painful for ourselves. Why should I continually let strangers I come into contact with hit me on the other cheek as well. This really is a bad exaggeration of what the kingdom of God is. And what is more, it is quite a wrong picture.

Think about it the other way round. What happens when you don't strive for God's kingdom, and when you don't forgive others but insist on hitting them back. Then you have humanity as it exists today in many parts of the world, where the world really does seem very bad.

Just imagine an old people's home in which residents did not forgive each other their faults. Many of the things which can be considered faults are caused by the fact that the offending people are getting older and losing control over some of their bodily and mental abilities. At heart, they are not evil. By taking offense at the occurrence of such faults, other people only make their own lives difficult. Forgiving people their weaknesses rather than seeking to change them into what we want is the obvious way to remove the tension and aggression. Such a change from being offended by others to forgiving each other one's weaknesses, is all it takes to recreate harmony and peace, in which all can live happily. This is a small example of how one achieves, through change in attitude, the kingdom of God within one's community. It should be clear that the little bit of effort to change oneself produces a huge return in our quality of life. Our own old people's home does make life pleasant for its residents. We must all be very thankful for the way in which Dr. Schreiber and all his staff and our own care worker, Helga Anderson, are facilitating the physical and care environment to allow such harmonious life to be retained among older Templers.

Unfortunately, the situation is very much worse in the many parts of the world which we see every night when we watch TV. Our old home in Palestine, now called Israel, is a case in point. Let me say it without beating around the bush. Who is going to be the first Palestinian, or the first Israeli, to say to the other side: "Here is my other cheek, hit me again. I prefer that to hitting you back"?

Most people will say: "This is an utterly ridiculous question. You cannot expect people not to revenge all the people the others have already killed. Once they have been revenged, then we can talk about peace". You can see how difficult it is to stop fighting. And you can also appreciate the wisdom Jesus had when he proposed his remedy. Humans have the ability to forgive, start afresh and live in peace.

But, forgiving is very difficult and in our nature we are programmed to hit back and to revenge ourselves. But which is better? Swallowing our pride, our thoughts of revenge, our loss of face and all the other things that seem important to us, and then sincerely forgiving, or continuing with the revenge-first actions, which come to us so naturally?

Clearly, forgiving is better, but, are we prepared to do it? Just hold this mental picture of warring and fighting, which most people expect to occur automatically, against forgiving, which is the wise thing to do. I think this comparison is the best way to understand what the bible writers meant when they described mankind as being made in God's image, and thus, different from the other animals. Man is very much like other animals in defending its own selfish self or close family. But mankind can also see the wisdom of how strife could be banished. It is not impossible, just hard. And if true peace and harmony is what we want, we have to do the hard thing and forgive others, without spoiling it by taking revenge first. We need a thorough-going change of mind and we need to become happy with what it entails so that we can enjoy its consequences of peace and harmony.

Let's get back to our text. What about the contrast between God and Money? You cannot serve God and Money.

Have you noticed how the western civilization in which we live is orienting all its evaluation and decision-making on economic criteria? You expect commercial firms to do that. They strive to write a profit in black numbers in the bottom line. While they make a profit this is good for shareholders as well as for the workers. Unfortunately, we have so focussed on this bottom line that large firms, particularly multinationals, seem to make decisions in which concerns about people are lost in the need to make profits. One just closes those workplaces that are unprofitable.

The situation has become worse in the last 10 or 15 years, as governments have used the same economic rationalism in their administration, as commercial corporations use in their commerce. Public services have been corporatised, often parcelled up and sold off in the process of privatisation. This process of making services private is supposed to make life better for us, because the commercial competition will make services cheaper for us than when they were run by governments.

Have you noticed what this does to people. Whereas we used to be people or humans, we have now become consumers. Consumers are always expected to be selfish. Their quality of life increases when competition drives down the price of goods. We will benefit if our same amount of money can now buy more goods and services. All evaluation is in Money. Even our welfare is measured in the goods money can buy. The happiness of people is now measured entirely by the mass of goods they can buy. Money rules. Mankind exists to consume material goods. God has become lost from our sight and this goes along with the fact that science now explains everything from a material view and we don't need God as a cause that affects our daily lives anymore.

Here we have just confused two different aspects of the concept "God". Science does explain most things from perfectly natural causes. We no longer need to invoke God to explain how clocks, TV sets, or living organisms work. Nature has natural causes which we can learn to understand, just as the things we make have technical causes that work because we constructed them to work. But God as a shorthand name for the ultimate creative force, which is responsible for our being here, living on planet earth in the Solar system which is part of the universe, remains a very important idea. God, understood as the ultimate force, deserves our admiration, respect and thanks. And it is this power, God, which is being set opposite to Money in our text.

With this qualification clearly understood, the present world view, in which man exists to serve Money, is completely wrong. It is 180 degrees reversed. I am not a consumer. In fact, my family raised me to be a saver, and I resent as a slur that I am seen only as a consumer and spender. I am a human person, a person among other persons, and my happiness lies not in accumulating or spending money in consumption, but in the relationships I have with other people. And what I want is relationships of complete trust honesty and friendship. What comes to mind is another piece of biblical wisdom. What does it profit a person if he or she gains the whole world and loses his or her soul. This saying describes a successful consumer, gaining the whole world, but losing his friends in the process. No, I want to keep my friends, my real friends, not the ones who surround me because I am rich. I assume that you are thinking in the same way.

What selfish consumers have not yet seen clearly is that if you are going to gain from cheaper and cheaper goods and services, costs have to be cut. This must result eventually in lower quality. Did Melbourne's Burnley tunnel spring a leak shortly after it opened because it was built poorly? Clearly selfish consumerism can lead to a life of a very poor standard. And you have no guarantee that you will have any true friends.

Herein lies the meaning of our text: You cannot serve God and Money. If you serve money, your values will be selfish. You may become rich, even gain the whole world, but you are likely to lose all real friends in the process. To be a true human, you will be happier if you serve God. And as we saw earlier in this talk, serving God is really your striving to bring about the kingdom of God, here on earth to be shared by all people of similar mind. They will all be working to change conditions for the good of everyone, and maintaining a sustainable world, which has a pleasant environment for us all. When people strive to the best of their talents and abilities to make the world better, there is no need for anyone to starve. Sensible community leadership exercised with goodwill towards all members can arrange food distribution appropriately. We should then have such harmony and peace amongst us that God, however you may picture this force in your mind, will be pleased to live among us. Let's sing a song of praise to God.

We'll sing from the new hymnbook Nr. 47 "Ich singe Dir mit Herz und Mund": Verses 1, 2, 6 and 8.

Can I leave you with a challenge. Do you think we Templers can interest our fellow Australians in the following. Human beings above all are human beings who are happiest among friends they can trust and when doing something for the common good. The role of money and the economy should therefore be, to allow real humanity of this kind to be achieved by people. Can we provoke at least some discussion of these ideas. There are probably many people out there who are looking for such a comprehensive change of values.

Let's finish with the Lord's prayer.

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your Kingdom come,

Your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us when in temptation

And deliver us from evil.

For the Kingdom, the power and the Glory are Yours forever.

Amen.

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SAAL 18.03.2001 Altersheim

Elder Rolf Beilharz

Herzlich Willkommen zu unserem Gottesdienst. Dieser kurze Satz hat mich angeregt übert den Begriff Gottesdienst nachzudenken. Bitte erlaubt mir ein kurzes Kommentar zum Begriff Gottesdienst.

In der Tempelgesellschaft versuchen wir Gott im alltäglichen Leben, und jederzeit, zu dienen. Was wir regelmäßig hier an diesen Sonntagen tun ist, uns aufmuntern und darüber nachdenken wie wir unseren Dank gegenüber Gott am besten während der ganzen Woche ausdrücken. Die kurze Antwort auf die Frage wie wir das tun ist: Wir wollen alle unsere nächsten Menschen lieben und mit Freundlichkeit miteinander das uns gegönnte Leben in Frieden und Harmonie genießen. Und das Singen bekannter Choräle gehört zur freudigen Harmonie unseres Lebens. Also lasst uns singen.

Choral im Neuen Gesangbuch Nr. 17 "Brüder singt ein Lied der Freude", Verse 1 - 4.

Unser Text für heute kommt aus dem Lukasevangelium 16: 10- 13. Lese Text.

In der Bergpredigt, im Matthäusevangelium, steht dieser Schluss auch. Ihr könnt nicht Gott samt dem Mammon dienen. Wenn ich die zwei Texte in ihrem Zusammenhang in den jeden der zwei Evangelien lese, gefällt mir der Zusammenhang bei Matthäus besser. Die Bergpredigt ist eine Sammlung der Lehren Jesu. Daraus erkennt man, es war Jesus wichtig, dass Leute sich gründlich in ihrer Gesinnung und in ihrem Betragen ändern sollen.

Bei Lukas, vor unserem Text steht die Geschichte des untreuen Verwalters der, als er wusste dass er aus seiner Stelle entlassen werde, den Schuldnern seines Herren Teile ihrer Schulden erlies, so dass diese Leute ihn dann, wenn er selber arm wurde, besser behandeln würden. Sein Herr hat ihn wegen diesem weiteren Betrug sogar gelobt. Er hat die Schlauheit des Verwalters erkannt und gewürdigt. Mir selber ist an dieser Lukas-Geschichte nicht klar, was genau man jetzt loben darf oder tadeln soll.

Wir wollen uns aber nicht über Nebensachen den Kopf zerbrechen. Schauen wir auf die Hauptsache. Ihr könnt nicht Gott samt dem Mammon dienen. Was will uns dieser Satz sagen? Wir machen einen Umweg, um den Hintergrund in welchem Jesus zu verstehen ist, etwas klarer zu sehen.

Jesus sprach über das Reich Gottes. In dem Vaterunser Gebet, das Jesus seinen Jüngern, und also auch uns, gegeben hat heisst es. Dein Reich komme, dein Wille geschehe wie im Himmel so auf Erden. Also, Jesus wollte dass das Reich Gottes auf die Erde kommen soll unter die Menschheit. Jesus glaubte dass seine Aufgabe ihm von Gott dem Vater aller Menschen gegeben war. Diese Aufgabe bestand darin, die Menschen in das Reich Gottes zu führen, sie einzuladen in dieses Reich einzutreten. Und was muss man tun um in dieses Reich zu kommen?

Schon seit langer Zeit, und immer wieder, haben religiöse Menschen sich Gedanken darüber gemacht, wie man in das Reich Gottes gelangen kann, den Himmel, Nirvana oder wie man es sonst genannt hat, zum Beispiel, Paradies. Es sieht so aus als ob es uns Menschen am liebsten ist wenn Gott selbst uns das Reich schenkt, ohne dass wir selber etwas tun müssen. Dann würden wir natürlich alle gleich dort eintreten.

In der Religionsgeschichte hat es schon viele Zeiten gegeben wo die Menschen das Ende unserer schlechten Welt und das glorreiche Darauffolgen des Gottesreiches sich hergewüncht haben, und dann innig darauf warteten dass Gott jetzt dieses Weltgeschehen hervorbringen werde. Dieser Wunsch lag auch hinter den Erwartungen der Juden in der Zeit Jesu, als sie ihn fragten ob er der zu erwartende Messias war. Wie wir wissen, hat die Mehrzahl der Juden sich dann trotzdem gegen Jesus entschieden, und er wurde am Kreuze aufgehängt.

Auch die erste Christengemeinde in Jerusalem hat geglaubt dass Jesus bald wiederkommen würde. Nach dem Ostergeschehen, als der Glaube aufkam dass Jesus wieder vom Tode auferstanden war, hat sich diese erste Jüngergemeinde so eingerichtet dass man alle Güter verkaufte und brüderlich miteinander in der Gegenwart lebte und auf das Kommen des Gottesreiches wartete. Ich glaube es war Paulus der damals geschrieben hat, dass Heiraten und sonst andere Sachen die vorher wichtig waren für die Zukunft, jetzt nicht mehr nötig seien, denn Jesus würde ja bald wieder von Gott zurückkommen und das Reich Gottes errichten. Es geschah jedoch nicht so, der Wunsch blieb unerfüllt.

Danach hat es in der Christenheit noch öfters solche Erwartungen gegeben. Auch die Entstehung der Tempelgesellschaft ist zum Teil eine Reaktion auf solche Erwartungen. Die Pietisten Württembergs erwarteten dass die Welt in 1832 enden werde und das Reich Gottes eingeführt werde. Wie alle frühere solche Hoffnungen, wurde auch diese Erwartung nicht erfüllt. In Deutschland kam dann 1848 eine Revolution die zum ersten Deutschen Nationalparlament führte. Dieses Parlament, in welches Christoph Hoffmann gewählt wurde, hat die Sehnsucht Christoph Hoffmanns auf Besserung für die armen Menschen Deutschlands auch nicht erfüllt. Nach diesen Nichterscheinungen der Wunschgedanken für bessere Zeiten, hat Christoph Hoffmann gründlich darüber nachgeforscht wie Menschen zu besseren Zuständen kommen können. Er hat auch fest in der Bibel gesucht und hat wieder zu dem Menschen Jesus zurückgefunden, der schon damals uns die Antwort gegeben hat wie man ins Reich Gottes kommt. Aber diese an sich klare Antwort ist dann immer wieder durch Wunschgedanken verdrängt worden.

Und was ist diese klare Antwort des Jesu? Sie ist in der Bergpredigt, und in weitern Bibelworten wie in unserem Text enthalten. Der Mensch muss sich von Grund auf ändern. Wir müssen unser Wünschen und Streben nach unserem eigenen Wohl, welches von Natur aus uns leicht fällt, aufgeben und es ersetzen durch das Streben für das Wohl der Menschheit im Ganzen, und der Welt in welcher wir leben. Es bedarf eines großartigen Umdenkens unserer Werte und Ziele. Die eigenbezogene Sucht nach UNSEREM Glück muss abgelöst werden durch das Streben nach dem Wohl aller. Und ob das gelingt kommt auf ein grundlegendes Umdenken bei jedem einzelnen Menschen an. Wenn wir allen Anderen, Jesus sprach von den Nächsten, gönnen dass sie auch erhalten das gleiche Wohl welches wir haben wollen, dann fangen wir an das Königreich Gottes zu gestalten. Wenn alle danach trachten, dass die Wünsche der Anderen unseren eigenen Wünschen gleichgestellt werden, dann wächst die Freundlichkeit und die Eifersucht fängt an zu schwinden. Mit solchem Trachten nach Harmonie können wir Menschen einen besseren Zustand unter uns erschaffen, und wir brauchen nicht mehr darauf warten dass Gott, oder sonst irgend ein Wunschonkel, das Paradies uns vorbereitet.

Die Tempelgesellschaft hat diese Arbeit am Reiche Gottes, am besseren Zustand der Menschheit, als ihr Ziel gesetzt. Diese Arbeit fängt an mit einer grundlegenden Änderung unseres Sinnes. Und man arbeitet an sich um diese Änderung zu erreichen im ganzen Leben, nicht nur Sonntags im Saal.

Wenn ich das so sage kann man meinen dass wir uns nur Arbeit machen wollen, so dass unser ganzes Leben eine Schufterei ist. Warum soll ich die ganze Zeit dem Nächsten meine zweite Backe hinhalten, so dass er mir eine zweite Ohrfeige geben kann? Das ist wirklich ein liederliches Bild vom Reiche Gottes. Und dieses Bild ist auch falsch.

Denkt mal andersrum. Was passiert wenn man nicht nach Gottes Reich trachtet und nicht anderen vergiebt sondern zurückschlägt, und nicht die zweite Backe hinhält? Dann hat man die Menschheit so wie sie in vielen Teilen der heutigen Welt aussieht.

Ich denke dass es in unserem Heim unter euch friedlich zugeht, dass ihr nicht ärgerlich auf alle Kleinigkeiten reagiert. Sicherlich passiert es unter alten Menschen, dass manche Sachen geschehen die man lieber nicht haben oder sehen wollte. Aber, ihr wisst ja, dass wenn man älter wird, der Körper und auch der Kopf nicht mehr alles so machen wie man es eigentlich haben will. Alte Leute mit ihren Schwächen sind nicht von Herzen böse. Sie sind nur alt, was auch uns allen anderen noch geschehen wird.

Wenn wir uns trotzdem aufregen, machen wir nur uns selber das Leben schwer. Gewöhnt euch daran die kleinen Fehler zu übersehen, oder sie zu verzeihen, und dann kommt es ganz von selbst dass ihr in Frieden und Harmonie miteinander ein schönes Leben feiern könnt. Dann seid ihr nämlich auf dem Weg das Königreich Gottes auf Erden, hier im Heim zu gestalten. Eure Bitte, Dein Reich komme, geht in Erfüllung. Von aussen scheint es mir als ob ihr hier im Heim wirklich so lebt dass Gott unter euch Freude hätte. Macht so weiter. Das Trachten nach dem Reiche Gottes ist also nicht immer nur eine harte Arbeit, sondern es führt zum schönen friedlichen Leben das eigentlich sich alle Menschen wünschen. Wir dürfen auch dafür sehr dankbar sein dass die lieben Leute, Dr. Schreiber mit seinem Staff, die uns betreuen, dieses Trachten nach dem Reiche Gottes im Heim uns so schön ermöglichen.

Leider sieht es in vielen Teilen der Welt unter Menschen ganz anders aus. Man denke nur an das heutige Israel, was da vor sich geht. Wer wird der erste Palestinenser oder der erste Israeli sein der dem anderen die zweite Backe hinhält und sagt: "Komm schlag mich nochmal. Das ist mir lieber als dass ich dich jetzt schlage"? Die meisten werden sagen: "Das kann man doch nicht erwarten! Sicherlich müssen die toten Palestinenser oder die toten Israelis erst mal gerächt werden vor wir mit der Gewalt aufhören."

Ihr seht dass das was wir am leichtesten tun, zurückschlagen und uns rächen, zu immer weiteren Gewalttaten führt. Es ist wirklich sehr schwer zu sehen wie man aus diesem Zyklus von Gewalt und Rache herauskommt. Soll man warten bis alle die nicht verzeihen können tot sind. Oder darf man hoffen und beten dass Menschen auf beiden Seiten sich zur Verzeihung der Anderen durchringen können. Es wird schwer sein. Es ist aber dringend nötig. Also, die Alternative zum grundlegenden Umdenken ist weit schlechter und trauriger als die Arbeit die das Umdenken herbeiführen und das Trachten nach Frieden beginnen lassen kann.

Jetzt müssen wir zurück zu unserem Text kommen. Wie steht es mit dem Kontrast zwischen Gott und Mammon? Ihr könnt nicht Gott samt dem Mammon dienen.

Habt ihr beobachtet wie die Zivilisation in der wir leben, in allen reicheren Ländern die wir kennen, ihr Denken ganz nach wirtschaftlichen Kriterien richtet. Firmen und Geschäfte haben das schon immer getan, und man kann es von ihnen erwarten. Wenn sie unter dem Strich mit schwarzen Zahlen Profit schreiben dann ist das gut sowohl für die Aktionäre als auch für die Angestellten. Leider hat man sich so in diese Denkweise hineingesteigert, dass man bei großen Weltfirmen sich eigentlich nicht mehr um die Menschen an einem bestimmten Ort kümmert. Um die Kosten zu verringern schließt man das Werk mit den größten Kosten. Das ist oft in den Ländern wo der Lebensstandard schon hoch ist. Wo Leute arm sind und für geringe Löhne arbeiten kommen eventuel die schwarzen Zahlen leichter. Ich will hier nicht aussagen ob man Werke in Australiaen oder in Asien schließen soll. In beiden Kontinenten wollen Leute Arbeit haben und wir dürfen nicht einfach nach unseren Vorurteilen entscheiden. Die Situation ist komplex.

Noch schlimmer ist es in den letzten zehn Jahren geworden, weil auch die Regierungen jetzt dieselbe Denkweise, auf Englisch "Economic Rationalism", übernommen haben. Man teilt die staatlichen Angestellten in Gruppen und verkauft die verschiedenen Arbeitseinheiten an private Instanzen, von welchen man erwartet dass sie uns Verbrauchern das Leben billiger machen werden, im kommerziellen Wettkampf bei z.B. dem öffentlichen Transport, oder dem Straßenbau, und in Australien auch bei Spitälern und sogar bei Altenheimen und Pflegeheimen. Überall regiert der Mammon. Es sieht so aus als ob der Mensch nur wegen dem Mammon auf der Welt ist.

Ich sehe das als ein gänzlich verkehrtes Bild! Wir Menschen haben uns leider nicht dagegen gewehrt uns als Verbraucher stempeln zu lassen. ICH will nicht ein Verbraucher sein. Von der guten Templerfamilie meiner Eltern bin ich als Sparer erzogen worden. Mir ist das Menschsein unter Menschen viel wichtiger als alles andere. Verbraucher leben als Egoisten. Sie gewinnen an der Konkurrenz. Was bis jetzt noch nicht klar erkannt wurde ist dass Kostensparen auch oft mit schlechter Arbeit zusammengeht. Unser Beispiel hier in Melbourne ist der Tunnel unter dem Yarra. Warum fließt Wasser in diesen Tunnel, schon so kurz nach seiner Fertigstellung. Und warum scheint das Gesundheitswesen in Australien immer schlechter zu werden? Ich weiss nicht wieviel an diesen Nachrichten wahr ist. Aber auf jeden Fall ist zu erwarten dass, wenn man immer nur Kosten spart, die Serviceleistungen für den Verbraucher immer schlechter werden müssen. Aus eigener Erfahrung weiss ich dass das bei unseren Universitäten der Fall ist.

Hier liegt die konkrete Bedutung unseres heutigen Textes. Du kannst nicht Gott samt dem Mammon dienen. Der Mensch soll nicht nur ein Verbraucher sein, er ist Mensch, und soll so Mensch sein dass das Königreich Gottes auf Erden sich unter den Menschen verwirklichen wird. Leider hat sich in der ganzen westlichen Welt unsere Weltanschauung ganz auf die nur weltliche, wirtschaftliche Anschauung fixiert. Dabei ist der Mensch als Geschöpf Gottes, wie es die Alten ausdrückten, aus unserer Sicht verschwunden.

Sagen wir es deutlich. Die Rolle der Wirtschaft und des Geldes ist dem Menschen das Leben möglich, harmonisch und schön zu machen. Wirtschaft und Geld sind Mittel zum Zweck Mensch zu sein, in all seinen Möglichkeiten. Und dieser Zweck wahrlich Mensch zu werden geht in Erfüllung wenn das Reich Gottes sich in der Welt verwirklicht. Wissenschaftlich können wir das so sagen. Die Menschheit soll sich in Richtung wirklich humanem Menschtums entwickeln. Das geschieht wenn wir Menschen als erstes nach dem Reiche Gottes trachten. Und dafür braucht die heutige Menschheit ein gründliches Umdenken, so weit dass jeder einzelne Mensch Gott, und nicht dem Mammon, dient. Denn danach folgt ganz von selbst dass jeder dem Nächsten all dasjenige Gute gönnt das er oder sie selbst haben möchte; ein Leben in Frieden und Harmonie in welchem sich der Schöpfer des Weltalls zu Hause fühlen würde.

Wir beten.

Vater unser im Himmel!

Geheiligt werde dein Name.

Dein Reich komme.

Dein Wille geschehe, wie im Himmel also auch auf Erden.

Unser täglich Brot gib uns heute,

Und vergib uns unsere Schuld, wie auch wir vergeben unseren Schuldigern.

Führe uns wenn wir in Versuchung sind, und erlöse uns von dem Bösen.

Denn Dein ist das Reich und die Kraft und die Herrlichkeit in Ewigkeit. Amen

Choral: Neues Gesabgbuch Nr. 47 "Ich singe Dir mit Herz und Mund": Verse 1, 2, 6 und 8.

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Service and Community Afternoon Bayswater

11^th February 2001

Elder Renate Beilharz

Invitations to take part in this meeting were distributed to all neighbours by the Bayswater-Boronia Community.

Pianist: Sonia Glenk, Musical introduction

Welcome to today's Sunday Service. A special welcome to any friends and neighbours who have joined us, we hope you feel comfortable amongst us. Welcome also to the Sunday School class, who have joined us for the start of the Service.

For many of us, Sunday is the day when we can take the time to stop and be thankful for what we have, so we will begin our service with a traditional song of praise. It is a song that was written about 800 years ago by a monk called Francis of Assisi, and because of this, uses rather old fashioned language. As we sing it, I'd like the Sunday School children to try to work out what all the things are for which Francis of Assisi is praising and thanking God.

We'll now sing All creatures of our God and King. Song four in the hvmnbook, the first four verses. Please remain seated for the hymn.

What are some of the things for which we thanked and praised God in the song? Sun, Moon, Wind, Clouds, Morning, Evening, Water, Fire, Earth, Flowers, and fruit.

Yes, we should be thankful for these things, and praise God. But we also need to be a bit more active in our praise and thanks giving - we also need to look after our world, we need to treat it kindly and carefully. We need to be environmentally conscious, now, before it is too late.

The Sundav School class will now leave with Monique. They will continue to discuss the environment in class, and do some activities related to this topic. Any other children who would like to join them, feel free to do so.

Sunday School leave

Jessica will read the Bible text for today which is from Matthew Chapter 25,

verses 1-13. If we look at this parable with our modern eyes, it may seem unnatural and made-up, but it tells a story about wedding customs in Jesus' time. So to help us put the parable into context, I'd like to provide this explanation of Palestinian weddings by William Barklay, a bible commentator:

The point of this story lies in a Jewish custom which is very different from anything we know. When a couple married, they did not go away for a honeymoon; they staved at home for a week they kept open house; they were treated, and even addressed, as prince and princess; it was the gladdest week in their lives. To the festivities of that week their chosen friends were admitted. and it was not only the marriage ceremony, it was also that joyous week that the foolish girls missed, because they were unprepared. The story how they missed it all is perfectly true to life. Dr. Alexander Findlav tells of what he himself saw in Palestine. He wrote, "When we were approaching the gates of a Galilean town, I caught sight of ten maidens gaily dancing along the road ahead of us. When I asked what they were doing.I was told that they were going to keep the bride company till her bridegroom arrived. 1 asked my driver if there was any chance of seeing the wedding , but he shook his head, saying in effect: 'it might be tonight, or tomorrow night, or in a fortnight's time, nobody ever knew for certain.' Then he went on to explain that one of the great things to do, if you could, at a middle-class wedding in Palestine was to catch the bridal party napping. So the bridegroom comes unexpectedly, and sometimes in the middle of the night. It is true that he is required by public opinion to send a man along the street to shout. 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming!' but that may happen at any time. So the bridal party have to be ready to go out onto the street at any time to meet him. When the bridegroom has arrived, and the door has been shut, latecomers to the ceremony are not admitted." That was Dr Findlav's experience in the early 1900s. The whole drama of Jesus' parable was re-enacted near him.

Like many of Jesus' parables, this one has an immediate and local meaning, and also a wider and universal meaning. In its immediate significance it was directed against the Jews. They were the chosen people; their whole history should have been a preparation for the coming of the Son of God. They ought to have been prepared for him when he came. Instead they were quite unprepared and therefor shut out.

But the parable has at least two universal warnings.

Firstly. There are things that cannot be left to the last minute.You can't leave studying for an exam until the night before, although I do know some students who would hope differently. It takes time for a person to develop a skill, or character, if he does not already possess it, when some task offers itself to him.

Similarly it is too late to start enjoying life when it leaves you. The saving, "Live each day as if it is your last" is relevant in this respect. Being prepared for death is not something that many of us do as a matter of course, but it is worth a thought. Some of things I could be asking myself are: Have I lived my life in a way of which I am proud? Am I happy with how I would be remembered? Am I prepared to meet what ever God has in store for me at my death? And the answers - that is a very personal thing that each of us will provide in their own way in their own time.

I rarely talk about death at services, but watching the recently televised movie "On the beach", has once again made me aware of how precious life is, and how fragile all life on Earth can be. That movie chilled me to the core. For those that don't know the story, in the end all human and animal life on earth are killed due to radiation poisoning as a result of a nuclear war. While it caused me a sleepless night, I do know that it is not too late yet, and I am, in most cases, an optimist. We can do something about world peace. We can do something about maintaining a healthy world environment.

I know that God needs us all to be working for the good of our world. If every one works in a small way, whether it is donating money to environmental research, or helping resolve the conflicts we see around us, we are all taking on the task of bringing God's Kingdom to Earth, before it is too late.

Our next song is called God you call for faithful service. It is sung to the popular Beethoven tune of Come and sing a song of joy (Brüder sinqt ein Lied der Freude). But the words are those of Ian Collins an Australian poet who has given us some new and beautiful songs of worship. The words of God you call for faithful service touch on the need to care for the environment, to care for ourselves and others and to work towards peace. All things I believe we need to tackle before it is too late.

Song number 36, all four verses.

I said earlier the parable we started with had two warnings - the first was there are something you cannot leave until the last minute. The second is that there are things that cannot be borrowed.

While my initial reaction is to class the 'wise girls' in the parable as selfish, I do believe we need to know and realize that there are things in life which cannot be obtained from other people, you have to go out and get them yourself.

I mentioned earlier that it takes time to develop a skill, and that it cannot be left until the last minute. In addition to this it must be said that no one can give you a skill, you cannot borrow a skill from another person. You need to learn and develop it yourself. Of course there will, or should, always be people to support in developing that skill - but no one can do it for you. As a teacher, that is sometimes the hardest thing to teach students, that they are responsible for their own development, not their teachers or parents, that they cannot borrow an education, rather they must work for it.

Of course there are also simple things in life which you cannot borrow. Experiencing a movie first hand is much better than hearing someone tell you about it. We are individuals, and need to experience things for ourselves, to really get the full understanding or meaning of an event.

We can't borrow another person's experience, and if we expect others to do our work for us, then we miss out on the experience, and all the learning, that goes with doing the task ourselves. Once again, the best example of this are students who want the teacher to spoon feed them all the information they need to complete the tasks they need to do to get a pass. But, if they were to think through the issues for themselves, they would benefit much more from their work, and consequently get more than just an average 'pass'.

To get the most benefit out of any activity, you have to put some effort of your own in. This is most obvious when working with others towards a common cause - whether it is working with an environmental group, the guide or scout movement or your local church community. Sharing with others, serving others in some form or other is an experience that cannot be borrowed, and an experience that I believe enriches the soul more that any other.

'Love your neighbour as yourself was Jesus' commandment to us. It is a reciprocal thing, if you love your neighbour, work with your neighbour, vou will be doing yourself a service.

Could everyone please stand up for prayer. I will conclude the prayer with the 'Lord's Prayer' , the words of which are printed in the hvmnbook immediately after song number 129.

God,

Once again we come together to thank you for the beautiful and complex world you have given us to live in and experience. We ask that you give us the wisdom to look after it the way we should.

Please help each one of us to be prepared to meet the challenges that life brings us. Let none of us have to cry it is too late - too late to bring back the beauty of your world, too late to experience the joy of love about which Jesus spoke, too late to have the pleasure of serving others.

Let us finish with the prayer that Jesus taught us. Please join me in saying the Lord's Prayer.

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be your name,

Your Kingdom come,

Your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,

As we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us when in temptation and deliver us from evil.

For the Kingdom, the power and the glory

Are yours forever.

Amen.

We will now sing our last hymn - Pass it on - song number 89, all three verses.

Sonia will now play some concluding music. Please remain seated at the end, as I have some community notices. A reminder about the Bayswater Community working bee taking place next Sunday morning concluding with a sausage sizzle lunch.

We invite you all to join us for afternoon tea. I wish you all a pleasant, relaxing Sunday Afternoon.

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AH SAAL 21.1.01 - 10.45 a. m.

Elder: Herta Uhlherr

Vorspiel: Meta Beilharz - 'Die Uhr'

Willkommen an diesem Sonntag-Morgen. Wir singen zu Beginn dieser ersten Feierstunde im Jahr 2001 den Choral: "Mit dem Herrn fang alles an", Nr. 70 im neuen roten Gesangbuch. Wir haben jetzt einen Satz neuer Gesangbücher hier im AH und hoffen dass Ihr mit der Zeit eine Freude daran haben werdet. Die Lieder, bekannte und neue deutsche und englische, sind alphabetisch geordnet und numeriert.

Choral: ' Mit dem Herrn fang alles an'.

'Mit dem Herrn fang alles an' ist ein ausgezeichneter Vorsatz für's Neue Jahr. Ich finde es gut, wenn man am Anfang von etwas Neuem sich darauf besinnt, dass es segensreicher ausfallen wird, wenn man es mit Gott unternimmt.

So wollen wir unsere Andacht mit Gebet und einer kurzen Stille beginnen.

Gebet:

Lieber Herrgott, wir danken dir, dass wir leben dürfen. Wir danken für das viele Schöne und Gute, das es gibt. Wir danken dir vor allem für deine Liebe und für die Freundlichkeit von Menschen, durch die deine Liebe zum Ausdruck kommt. Wir bitten um deinen Segen über dieses neue Jahr und über unser Denken und Tun, damit wir, wo immer möglich, zu deinem Reich der Liebe und Freude beitragen. Sei auch bei allen unsern Kranken und Leidenden.

Amen. - - - Danke

Templer sagen, wir wollen der Lehre Jesu folgen. Nun, der Hauptinhalt von Jesu Botschaft ist das Reich Gottes. In der Gemeinsamen Glaubenserklärung der Templer steht "Reich Gottes bedeutet eine Vervollkommnung des Menschen und der Welt, eine vertrauensvolle Beziehung der Menschen zu Gott und untereinander." Also geht es eigentlich immer um unsere Beziehungen - einmal zu Gott und auch dem heiligen, geistigen Kern im Inneren des Menschen, und dann um unser Verhalten unseren Mitmenschen und uns selbst gegenüber.

In seinen Briefen im Neuen Testament schreibt der Apostel Paulus viel über wie sich die neuen Christen in den jungen Gemeinden seiner Zeit verhalten sollen. Eine ganze Menge davon gilt auch heute noch. Oft schreibt er ermutigend, manchmal aber auch enttäuscht oder gar böse auf seine Schäfchen, wenn sie immer noch nicht verstehen wollen, was Gemeinde und was friedliches Zusammenleben im Sinne vom Reich Gottes fördert, und was nicht.

Der Text für heute spricht vom Rücksichtnehmen auf unsere Mitmenschen, vorn sich gegenseitig achten und Anerkennen um der Liebe willen, weil wir doch alle Kinder Gottes sind in denen sein Geist zum Ausdruck kommt, (für uns mal mehr und mal weniger erkennbar).

Text: Auszüge aus dem Brief von Paulus an die Römer. Kap. 14, 1-19 (adapted).

Da steht die besondere Bitte: Nehmt euch des anderen an und vermeidet es, über abweichende Ansichten mit ihm zu streiten. Der eine hat die Überzeugung, er dürfe alles essen; der andere dagegen lebt nur von Pflanzenkost. [In Paulus Gemeinden sind auch Judenchristen, mit Ansichten über was koscher ist, und was es nicht ist].

Wer alles ißt, soll den nicht verachten der bestimmte Speisen meidet, genauso umgekehrt: wer nicht alles meint essen zu dürfen, soll nicht auf den herabschauen, der alles ißt. Wer bist du denn, dass du meinst, ein Urteil abgeben zu können über einen andern...

Der eine hält einen Tag heiliger als den andern, ein anderer wieder hält alle Tage gleich. Jeder handele hier nach seiner Überzeugung [und nach seinem Gewissen]! Wer einen Tag besonders heraushebt und alles ißt, der tut es für den Herrn und dankt seinem Gott dafür. Wer dagegen nicht alles ißt, tut es gleichfalls für den Herrn und auch er dankt Gott dafür. Leben wir, so leben wir dem Herrn-, sterben wir, so sterben wir dem Herrn- im Leben oder Sterben sind wir des Herrn. Wie kommst du dazu, dich zum Richter über deinen Bruder zu machen? Oder wie kannst du deine Schwester verachten? Wir müssen uns doch jeder einzelne vor Gott verantworten.

Lasst uns darum nicht mehr einer den andern verurteilen sondern lasst uns unsere Gedanken darauf richten, dass wir unserem Mitmenschen nicht Anstoß oder Ärgernis bereiten. Ich bin überzeugt, dass nichts an sich unrein ist. Wenn aber dein Bruder dadurch betrübt wird, dass du etwas ißt, das er für unrein hält, so lebst du doch nicht mehr in der Liebe. Liebe will ihn ja nicht innerlich schaden.

Außerdem: im Reich Gottes geht es doch wahrlich nicht um Essen und Trinken, sondern um Gerechtigkeit, Friede und Freude im Heiligen Geist. So lasst uns dem nachstreben, was dein Frieden und der gegenseitigem Förderung dient.

'Nehmt euch des andern an'. Ich weiß, dass ihr das hier im AH vielfach untereinander tut, was schön und gemeindefördernd ist.

'Vermeidet es, über abweichende Ansichten zu streiten'. - Wenn das nur leichter wäre! Wie oft nehmen wir uns vor - bemühe ich mich - nicht über Kleinigkeiten zu streiten. Das verlangt ziemlich viel Selbstdisziplin weil jeder eben so gern recht haben, oder es besser wissen will. Schon hat man den Andern wieder zurecht gewiesen, und wollte doch toleranter sein!

Wieso meine ich eigentlich, ich hätte recht? Es handelt sich ja nur um eine (vielleicht fixe?) Idee in meinem Kopf Die Idee in meines Nächsten Kopf ist für ihn genauso richtig wie die meine für mich. Kann denn nur einer recht haben? - Oft sind verschiedene Ideen alle richtig. Und manchmal irren sich mein Nächster und ich beide. Und über so was streiten wir-, lohnt sich denn das überhaupt? Gescheiter wäre es, wenn wir beide miteinander darüber lachen könnten.

'Wer bist du denn, dass du meinst, ein Urteil abgegeben zu können über einen andern...'

Unser Text erinnert uns daran, handelt im Sinne des Herrn, aus Nächstenliebe, die den Andern weder kränken noch herabsetzen will.

Nun - seien wir ehrlich - manchmal will etwas in uns einen Andern doch kleinmachen, vielleicht weil wir halb unbewusst hoffen, dass wir selbst dadurch größer oder besser erscheinen. Wie fühlt man sich hinterher? Oft gar nicht besser, sondern schäbisch und man schämt sich. Weil der Mensch eben so programmiert ist, dass ihn liebloses Verhalten bedrückt und seine Seele schrumpfen lässt, während freundliche Zuwendung, das Herz wärmt und weitet und - wie die Uhr im Vorspiel - zuversichtlich weiterschlagen lässt. Diese Erkenntnis kann uns helfen zu verstehen, wie sehr unser eigenes Wohlbefinden davon abhängt, wie wir uns benehmen.

Das gilt auch für wie wir auf das Benehmen Anderer reagieren. Wir können es uns abgewöhnen, mit Mühe und gutem Willen, so misstrauisch zu sein und alles gleich persönlich und krumm zu nehmen. Haben wir denn vergessen, dass es auch uns passiert, dass Worte anders rauskommen als wir's meinen, und wir, ohne es zu beabsichtigen jemand kränken oder weh tun können? Wir können es uns abgewöhnen, die beleidigte Leberwurst zu spielen und öfter dem Andern verzeihen, der's wahrscheinlich sowieso nicht böse gemeint hat; und wenn schon, dann haben wir immerhin die Wahl, das nicht ernst zu nehmen, Wissen wir denn, aus welchem Grund der Andere gerade bissig ist? Nichts zwingt uns, zurück-zu-beissen. Jesus rät sogar, die andere Backe hinzuhalten. (In der Januar Warte des Tempels sind übrigens zwei aufschlussreiche Artikel zu diesem Thema über 'Feindschaft überwinden durch Freundlichkeit' und die 'Entfeindungsliebe".)

Ein Wort östlicher Weisheit sagt es so etwa: Alle Freude auf der Welt entsteht dadurch, dass Menschen einander von Herzen alles Liebe und Gute wünschen. Aller Kummer auf Erden kommt daher, dass Menschen nur an sich selbst gedacht haben. (Hm ... ) Könnte das stimmen?

Dass man auch an Andere denkt ist ein Zeichen von Reife. Wenn wir verstehen, dass wir nur ein Mensch unter vielen sind - nicht weniger wichtig als die andern, aber auch nicht wichtiger im Weltgeschehen, dann erst werden wir frei von der Illusion, dass sich alles nur um uns zu drehen hat. Auch hilft es uns, uns vorzunehmen, alles was unsere Welt und ihnen Lebewesen schadet zu vermeiden und zu tun, was gut und segenbringend wirkt.

Wir werden an diese umfassendere Perspektive erinnert, wenn wir staunend vom Wunder z.B. einer herrlichen Blume, dem Ozean, dein weiten Ausblick von einer Anhöhe, von den nachtklaren Sternen, oder auch von Musik ergriffen werden- dieses Wahrnehmen hilft uns, alles von einer ganz anderen Größenordnung aus zu sehen. 'Da schrumpfen viele von unseren Sorgen und Angelegenheiten im Verhältnis, und es wird wieder in uns Raum geschaffen, der uns erlaubt an Andere und Anderes außerhalb uns selbst zu denken.

Sind wir uns bewusst, ob wir gewohnt sind, Menschen und Situationen gelassen und heiter zu begegnen, oder mit sorgenvollem, ängstlichen oder finsteren Gesicht? Und wissen wir, dass wir, jeder einzelne von uns, auch wenn er bescheiden meint, noch so unwichtig zu sein unsere Mitmenschen und unser Umfeld beeinflussen? Beobachten wir, welche Wirkung, unsere Behauptungen und Antworten auf andere haben? Ob wir zum Beispiel Andere erfrischen und stärken, oder ob wir die seelische Atmosphäre verpestet haben? - Freuen sich Leute, wenn wir kommen, oder weichen sie uns aus? Und was sagt das uns über was wir Positives oder Negatives ausstrahlen? Das sind Fragen, die recht unbequem sein können, aber bestärken, dass unsere Gesinnung, unsere Worte und unser Tun die Qualität unseres Lebens bestimmen.

Unser Text sagt (V. 1 0) -. Wie kommst du dazu, dich zum Richter über deinen Bruder zu machen? Oder wir kannst du deine Schwester verachten? Wir müssen uns doch jeder einzelne vor Gott verantworten.

So viel liegt an uns selbst, nicht immer nur am andern. Wir hören Teil eines Oboenkonzerts von Zippoll - (tape)

'Lasst uns darum nicht mehr einer den andern verurteilen, sondern lasst uns unsere Gedanken darauf richten, dass wir unseren Mitmenschen nicht Anstoß oder Ärgernis bereiten, sonst leben wir doch nicht mehr in der Liebe.' Du willst deinen Mitmenschen ja nicht innerlich schaden?

Wie fühlt man sich, wenn man jemand wehtut; oder giftige Wörter sprüht? Meiner Erfahrung nach ziemlich schäbig, und zum Reich Gottes trägt Schäbigkeit nicht bei. Gut, es kann vorkommen dass uns mal eine giftige Bemerkung herausfährt, oder auch dass wir gedankenlos jemand weh tun - dann können wir uns entschuldigen. 'Keiner hat die Autorität, einen Andern zu hassen, oder zu verachten' heißt es im Osten - ein Echo von Paulus' Aussage.

Die Welt und wir Menschen sind eben noch nicht vollkommen, obgleich wir uns vielfach bemühen, es zu sein. Wenn wir halb unbewusst verlangen, alles sollte idealer sein, dann werden wir dauernd Enttäuschungen und Gründe zum Kritisieren finden. Realistischer und hilfreicher ist es, wenn wir versuchen, uns Menschen als komplexe, noch unvollkommene Wesen besser zu verstehen, die manchmal schwach und ängstlich, manchmal aber auch inspirierend und heroisch tapfer und gut sein können. Reich Gottes als 'Vervollkommnung' deutet schließlich auf eine Entwicklung im Gang hin, nicht auf ein erreichtes Ideal.

'So lasst uns dem Nachstreben was dem Frieden und der gegenseitigen Förderung dient' (V. 19).

Nun - was dient dem Frieden und der gegenseitigem Förderung? Ein paar Vorschläge:

Freundlichkeit - Einander ermutigen und unterstützen. Meistens tut das gar nicht weh!

Respekt - Da hapert's manchmal, besonders wenn uns ein immer verwirrter werdender Mensch 'auf den Wecker' geht. Aber - der Vewirrte ärgert uns nicht absichtlich, er ist krank, und abgebrochene Nervenverbindungen in seinem Hirn verhindern 'normalesr' Benehmen. Vielleicht können wir, anstatt ungeduldig zu werden, versuchen uns vorzustellen, wie beängstigend und verunsichernd es ist, wenn man sich nimmer auf sein Gedächtnis und die Fähigkeit, seine Bedürfnisse und Gefühle in Wörtern auszudrücken, verlassen kann - wie verloren man sich da fühlt. Dass aber ein Mensch mit Dementia unsere Freundlichkeit und Herzenswärme noch spürt, auch wenn Wörter nimmer verstanden werden, das sollten wir uns merken. Die Liebe kann eben doch Wunderbares vollbringen.

Wir hören-. Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe - auf Russisch, aber wir wissen ja, um was es geht. Wer möchte kann's im Gesangbuch Nr. 46 verfolgen.

Musik - Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe (tape).

Was auch ein rechter Liebesdienst ist, ist aufmerksames Zuhören, wenn uns jemand etwas mitteilen will, das ihm sehr wichtig ist - richtig zuhören, ohne dass wir mit unserem Senf dazwischenreden, oder mit unseren 'besseren' Geschichten oder Erlebnissen den andern übertrumpfen wollen. Da gehört eine gewisse Reife dazu, die uns erlaubt, unsere eigenen Bedürfnisse eine Weile zurückzustellen. Rechtes Zuhören verlangt und entwickelt Aufmerksamkeit - man achtet auch auf die Körperhaltung und die Gefühle, die zum Ausdruck kommen wollen und schenkt diesen Anerkennung- nichts trifft den Sprecher härter, als wenn ihm gesagt wird: so solltest du dich nicht fühlen, wenn er sich aber so fühlt? Zuhören verlangt und entwickelt auch Geduld, Humor, Selbstdisziplin, Toleranz und Großmut, und bring uns dem Sprecher näher - was alles dem Reich Gottes dient. Falls wir nach unserer Meinung gefragt werden, kann es besser sein, wenn wir behutsam zurückfrageilwas ist dein Gefühl in dieser Sache - was ist dir wichtiger, dieses oder jenes? Vor was hast du Angst? Welcher Weg, würde dich bestärken oder glücklich machen? - Meistens kommen die Fragenden zu ihrem eigenen Schluss, ohne unsere, vielleicht für sie gar nicht zutreffenden Ratschläge (Dabei sagen wir doch so gern unsere Meinung!). Zurückhaltung ist manchmal auch ein Liebesdienst.

'So lasst uns dem nachstreben, was dem Frieden und der gegenseitigen Förderung dient.' Das ist immer die freundliche, mitfühlende, geduldige Aufmerksamkeit Andern und auch uns gegenüber, das was Menschen vereint und erhebt. Was Menschen entzweit und verbittert lassen wir lieber weg, - wir haben kein Recht zum verurteilen, wie wir gehört haben. Und wenn wir wissen, dass wir bald jemand begegnen, der unsere Geduld und Freundlichkeit auf die Probe stellen wird, dann können wir unsern Vater um Hilfe bitten. - Mit dem Herrn fang alles an! - Und wir dürfen uns freuen und dankbar sein, wenn es uns gelingt, einander Freude zu machen, was ja auch oft geschieht - schließlich üben wir uns ja schon jahrelang darin.

Wir wollen beten:

Lieber Herr, Du weisst, dass wir es meistens gut meinen wollen. Hilf uns, uns so zu verhalten in Gedanken, Wort und Tat, dass deine Liebe in uns zum Ausdruck kommt, uns und unseren Mitmenschen zum Segen.

Vaterunser - Wollt ihr es mitsprechen? Es steht auf der Seite nach dem Lied Nr. 129.

Sprechen wir auch gleich den Segen miteinander und benutzen uns statt dich.

Nun singen wir noch den Choral Nr. 17 im neuen Gesangbuch 'Brüder, sing ein Lied der Freude' V.1-3.

Nachspiel- das bekannt Sonntagslied. 'Das ist der Tag des Herrn' (tape).

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SAAL Bentleigh: 31-12-2000. New Years Eve

Elder Rolf Beilharz

We sing first from the new Templer hymnbook the hymn Nr. 37 Großer Gott wir loben Dich, all 4 of the printed verses. Sing in English or in German as you please. It is a song of praise of the ultimate power responsible for the universe. We have traditionally called this power God.

Sing hymn

It is usual at this last service each year to pause and remember those Templers and friends who died during the year. Please stand as I read the names of members and friends who are no longer with us.

Christian Bäuerle (Germany), Luise Katz nee Kazenwadel,

Helga Uhlherr nee Hoffmann, Traude Weber nee Krügler,

Margarete Schlenker nee Vollmer, Gisela Frank nee Wurst,

Ursula Hänel nee Beilharz (Germany), Winfried Weber, Luise Doh, Edmund Graze,

Erich Hahn, Beate Schilde nee Hoffmann (Germany),

Luise Weinmann nee Deininger, Werner Baldenhofer, Erna Kazenwadel nee Richter,

Heinz Beck, Erika Lendholdt nee Beck (Germany),

Elsbeth von Opel nee Keller (Germany), Emma Sawatzky nee Baumert (Germany),

Margarete Engelhardt nee Gerstenmeier, Bernard Eppinger, Heinrich Knaub,

Hedwig Beilharz nee Hinderer (Germany), Hertha Weber nee Frank,

Dr. Karl Imberger (Germany), Elsa Hasenpflug (Germany), Rudolf Kuebler,

Ilse Goedicke nee Stütz (Germany), Helene Reichert, Luise Dreher,

Erhard Baldenhofer, Walter Jung, Liselotte Thaler nee Wagner (Germany),

Cornelia Wörz,

Just before this Saal, I was told that Judy(?) Stoll, wife of Ted Stoll, died in South Australia, late December.

Thank you, please be seated.

Our text for today is from Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 4: verses 1 - 22. So that you can understand what our text is about, I'll also read the beginning of chapter 3.

Read chapter 3: 1 - 10. Then read 4: 1 - 22.

I wish to use this text to develop three related ideas about science, religion and where we Templers fit in. I hope you find it interesting and worth concentrating on, before we relax and celebrate what is the real beginning of the third millennium of the Christian era. Today is the last day of what should have been the 2000^th year after the birth of Jesus. And it would have been, if people had known exactly when Jesus was born and had not also made a numerical mistake in the calculations.

1. Let us focus particularly on the words of Peter and John: "Is it right in the eyes of God for us to obey you rather than him? Judge for yourselves. We cannot possibly give up speaking about what we have seen and heard." Is this any different from what I could say, in today's words? "Why should we not say what we know to be true, just because you don't want to hear the truth. What would you yourselves do? We can't stop saying what we know to be true." The apostles were obviously right in the thought they expressed, just as I am right when I express the same thought in today's words. However, there is a huge difference in what the apostles almost 2000 years ago, and we today, understand the truth to be. As my first idea, I want to discuss this topic, what is truth?

Have you ever thought about how people saw and understood nature in the year 1, or in the year 1000 BC for that matter? The world was a flat place under a heaven, which formed a half-sphere above the flat world. The sun moved across this half-spherical heaven in the daytime while the stars did the same at night. There was a seasonal shift in the exact path the sun and stars took, but the same pattern of shifting repeated itself each year. On the world were people, animals and plants. All of these things had been made by God, essentially for people to enjoy and to utillise.

People were recognised as being different from all other living things, because God had made them "in his image" as it says in the Bible. This recognition is important. Mankind is different in a critical way from all other living things, and it is seen as being in some way similar to God, who created everything. The Bible tells us that mankind knew the difference between good and evil, once Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. From that time onwards, humans had to be responsible. They had to do good and avoid evil. They also realised that, however much they wanted to do good, this was hard. It was much easier to do evil.

Did it ever occur to you that, if man is made in the image of God, then it becomes very easy for people to picture God, the ultimate Creator, as being similar to man? In many ancient societies, it was an older man who wielded authority. Automatically, people would therefore find it easy to picture God as looking like an older man of authority.

So the world and the life on it, what we today call the universe and use science to describe its nature, was described in earlier times in the words used in the Bible. This biblical world, of course, has many concepts, which we no longer accept as true. When the bible speaks of angels, even these were part of nature as understood then.

Belief in the existence of angels and fairies persisted in our civilised Christian world until well into the last 200 years. If you read verse 3 of the Templer Hymn written by Christoph Hoffmann, the founder of the Temple Society, God's intended place for mankind is described there as above the angels, whereas in reality we are below or among the animals. Most of us today are inclined to think that Hoffmann could not have meant this to be taken literally. Surely he was using angels symbolically. But I doubt that that would have been the case when my parents were children. From my childhood I remember clearly that guardian angels were spoken of very seriously, by people who were comforted by the thought that they were watched over by an angel. The word comforted gives us the clue. Humans find it easy to believe in things or beings that make them feel good and safe.

The last thing I want to do is to make fun of anybody's belief or faith. What I am trying to show is that the way young people today think of nature is very different even from the way nature was understood early in this century. How much more different must have been the understanding 2000 years ago. The point I want to make is that, to the writers of the Bible, what they wrote was how they saw nature. What we now find wrong in the Holy Scriptures, is not the thoughts about man and his relations with the ultimate power in the universe, but the way these thoughts were expressed in the understanding of nature in those days. That mankind finds it easier to do evil than good is as true today as it ever was. Similarly, the idea that the creative force that made the universe, whatever we call it, is impossible for us to comprehend, is as true today as the statement in the Old Testament, that Jews should not make images of God.

2. To start discussing my second idea, let's remind ourselves of our text. Peter and John said quite correctly that they could not do other than to keep telling the truth as they saw it. The particular truth they were preaching was that Jesus had risen from the dead and that this was God's way of saving those people who believed in the resurrection of Jesus and hence, of mankind.

If I follow their injunction to speak the truth, as I understand it, then I have to say that I think their belief about why Jesus died is wrong.

I have at other times spoken about the historical research that has been done in the last 100 years into what happened when Jesus taught and died, and about what then happened in the early development of Christianity. The story as it has developed into dogmatic teaching in Christianity is using beliefs like bodily resurrection and going to sit with God, which made sense 2000 years ago, but no longer describe nature, as we understand it. That is the problem with dogmas. Once they are declared to be true, in the words of their time, they cannot be changed, and hence become unbelievable as time passes.

Other important facts are that the gospels and the Acts of the Apostles were not written until the 70s of the first century. In the period from the death of Jesus until then, most contemporaries of Jesus had died. Also the highly educated apostle Paul, who had never met Jesus and was not interested in his life, had developed an old Jewish idea that God needs a sacrifice. Jesus, free of sin, was this sacrifice whose death would atone for the sin that had befallen all mankind at the time Adam had eaten the forbidden fruit that had made mankind like God. It is this idea of Paul's that is recorded in Luke's gospel and his Acts of the Apostles.

This idea of Paul's is quite foreign to anything that Jesus had ever said about God. To Jesus God was like a father who loved and cared for his children. These children are potentially all of humanity, but particularly those individuals and communities who trust God and who express this by living in peace and harmony with others. Yet, by the time and in the places where the gospels were written, Paul's idea had replaced the memories of the generally uneducated people who had heard Jesus and carried out in life what he had taught. Furthermore, these original Christians were Jews, and the Jews as a nation had rebelled against Rome and been defeated and scattered in a decisive battle in the year 72. When Luke wrote his gospel and Acts, Jews were not popular in the Roman Empire. Fortunately for us, the gospels have retained sufficient of the teachings of Jesus to allow us to still catch a glimpse of the real Jesus and his message. This message is that people can and should change themselves and should strive to make the world a better place, and that everyone is invited to do this. There is no need, in fact it is wrong, to wait for God, or anyone other than ourselves, to start making the world better.

Look at the situations we now see in our former homeland of Palestine. Both sides find it impossible to give up any of what they see as their rights, or to forgive the actions of the other side. What remains is a continuous cycle of hatred and revenge, which it seems impossible to break out of. Just how difficult it is to break this cycle of hatred is seen when, while the negotiating leaders seem to be making progress towards an understanding, the hardheads on each side are actively undermining the possibility of peace by deliberate violent acts. Right wing Israelis even assassinated their earlier Prime Minister who had given way a little to the Arabs so that a start on the road to peace might be made. As Christoph Hoffmann wrote, echoing the prophets of the Old Testament: If you chose not to hear and understand what God is saying, you will feel the painful results on your own body.

Let me close the discussion of my second idea by telling you how we Templers have been put in a very special, possibly unique, position with regard to the harmonious development of both religion and scientific understanding in this modern world. Christoph Hoffmann was among the first to again recognise that Jesus had invited all people to change their attitudes and behaviour and to strive in their lives to achieve a better world. Jesus used the term Kingdom of God to describe the goal we are to strive for. And this term Kingdom of God has become the shorthand, which we Templers have used freely, possibly without thinking clearly what that actually means.

Christoph Hoffmann has also freed us Templers from the prison of dogmatic Christian thinking. He recognised and stressed that a person cannot be expected to believe something he or she knows to be wrong. This simple sentence has made us free to follow the latest scientific understanding of the universe, without compromising our religious striving. In fact, there has been a large proportion of Templers who became notable scientists, when they had the opportunity of a good education as we have had in Australia. We are in a position to utilise all scientific understanding freely to help sincere religious striving for a better world. Other groups, whether they are religious, or scientific, or alternative New Agers, seem to have much more difficulty combining scientific thinking with serious religious striving in a constructive way.

3. My third and last idea is the challenge presented to the Temple Society at this point in time when we are passing from the second to the third millennium of the Christian era. However, let's get it clear straight away. The time when one millennium changes to another is arbitrary and really quite unimportant. Firstly, this millennium is only relevant to the Christian way of counting years. Muslims have their own, different count of years. Secondly, because we don't really know anything about the birth of Jesus, we have never pinpointed the day at which year one should have started. What we are working with is a system in which we give numbers to years, because it is convenient to have a system of dates that we all agree on, so that we can communicate meaningfully with each other. The actual numbers we use are quite unimportant. So, why the fuss about millennia?

To the extent that people do celebrate particular times, and become open to present and future possibilities, changing of years, centuries and millennia give us opportunities where new ideas might be taken up more readily than say on a date like the 27^th of July 1936. That day happens to be my birthday, but no one else was terribly interested in doing anything new or special then. So, to the extent that others might be more open to new ideas now than at other times, what has the Temple Society got that may be useful to mankind?

Many scientists today are atheists, very few are religious. Of those that are religious, many suspend their critical thinking when they practise their religion.

Many religious people do not think critically as a scientist does. They find it easy to accept dogmas that they are told, for example that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so that they can look forward to a similar supernatural event when they die. They might be comfortable in their own belief, but they are unlikely ever to contribute any new information about what happens to organisms living in this world. Often religious people actively oppose what science is telling us, for example about how living forms arose in evolution from other forms of life, as humans did from apes. It is rare for seriously religious people to have an open, scientifically critical attitude to separating apparently true possibilities from clearly wrong ones in nature.

Children from religious families often have problems with the belief of their parents when they compare this with what they hear at school. If they decide to drop religion, they typically reject religion altogether, and become negative in attitude towards it. They throw out the baby with the bathwater as the saying goes.

And there is yet another very large group of modern humanity which rejects traditional religions as well as mainstream science. We can call such people New Agers. They are looking for alternative wisdom, different from what science tells us, because they don't like how science results in technology which can overwhelm us. And they search for religious experience perhaps in mystical religions, or religious practices such as meditation, as long as they are free of dogmas.

People in all of these common descriptions above have inhibitions of one kind or another which interfere with a positive, creative harmony between what can be known by critical thinking and what can be experienced in religion.

All of us have met really good people, as good as any Templer, in other religious, scientific or New Age groups. That is wonderful. As well, there are many young people strongly convinced that something is wrong with our world. They are searching for ways to preserve the planet. They see thoughtless application of technology and damage to the ecology of the planet, so that we now face the possibility of real and dangerous climatic change overtaking us. Do such good people and the sincere, young searchers for a better ecology have a supporting organisation, such as a community of like-minded people, in which their good work will bear fruit?

In the Temple Society we are apparently unique in being free to use our critical, scientific thinking to distinguish the glass from the gold, as Christoph Hoffmann's hymn says. And we can then apply the gold we have separated to such purposes, which will truly improve the welfare of the larger community of people. Improving the welfare and happiness of all people is the neutral way of saying what Jesus called striving for the Kingdom of God. Jesus said that in the Kingdom of God we should love God with all our being. This means that we should have an overriding respect for whatever created the universe, and for the universe in which we live. This respect should inhibit us from damaging it thoughtlessly. Then, we should express our love of God through loving our neighbour. This means we should treat all other people, who are also God's children, as we treat ourselves. And this means we must not exploit others unfairly, whether they be people in underdeveloped countries, or our workers, or our bosses, or the people who have more, or less, money than we have, and so on.

If we focus on using our talents and abilities for the good of the larger community, and are prepared to forgive others their weaknesses and mistakes, rather than seek to punish them out of revenge, a better, more truly human community will result. If we use science to prevent ecological disasters, mankind will have a longer time available to enjoy its true humanity. One major problem we still have to solve is the increasing overpopulation of humans on earth. Even this problem should be soluble if we plan its solution by striving for the welfare of all people alive now and those still to be born.

Can you see the possibilities for the Temple Society in this time when many people are uncertain about life on earth? A change in thinking away from individuals striving selfishly for their own benefit, to using one's talents for the benefit of all, is necessary. That is what Jesus was telling us nearly 2000 years ago. If Christianity can find its way back to what Jesus taught, as the Temple Society has done, then it can again become a unifying force towards humanity in the image of God. If it cannot, the Temple Society stands alone. We should welcome all the other searchers for a better world, whether their concern is ecological or again finding a religious purpose in an otherwise meaningless life. Our existence can provide a spur for responsible action, as well as being a community in which people can express their striving. Such are the possibilities for the Temple Society. We can gather people of goodwill and motivate all people towards truly beneficial use of talents towards a better world. And the vision can include the whole world. Are we up to this challenge?

In case you think this is all too much for our little TS, you have put your finger on a very important sore spot. Suppose the Temple Society were to die because we could not motivate our youngsters and their friends to become members. The world would be the poorer for it. So, the first job for us in the new millennium is to convince our own youngsters and our neighbours to become members, who are proud and willing to carry this vision of a better world into the future. I would be very sad if our vision were to be lost to the world.

Let's now close with the Lord's prayer.

Our Father in heaven

Hallowed be your name,

Kingdom come,

Your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us when in temptation and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours forever.

Amen

Let's finish this service with an old-fashioned hymn of thanks to God. Think of it as expressing our thankfulness for the opportunity to be alive in a time in which the little Temple Society could make a real contribution to the future of this world. The hymn is Nun Danket alle Gott, Nr. 75 in the new hymnbook. We'll sing the first two verses, in German or English as you please.

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last updated 2 March 2002 by Alfred Klink