April’s topic: the Lord’s Prayer

The ministers of the New Apostolic Church receive a copy of the Divine Service Guide, a publication in which the Chief Apostle provides thoughts for the sermons. In many District Churches this occurs on a monthly basis. Some countries, however, receive a yearbook, which contains a whole year’s worth of articles. In the month of April our sermons focus on the Lord’s Prayer—at least in those parts of the world where the monthly Divine Service Guide is used.

We say the Lord’s Prayer in every divine service, but we probably do not always reflect on its rich content. The wealth of the Lord’s Prayer is to be made clear and comprehensible to the congregation. The last Sunday in April, for example, is dedicated to the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, the doxology, which is the praise of divine glory. Here we first of all praise the kingdom of God, the presence of which we already experience today, and whose future we long for. We praise the power that is God’s and that is directly expressed in His creatorship. We also praise His glory, which we encounter directly in Jesus Christ and in the sacraments that He has instituted. The word “forever” with which the doxology closes, alludes to the fact that God is also the creator and ruler of time.

New Facebook profile

newapostolic.org is the name of a new Facebook profile of the New Apostolic Church. It features quotes from divine services held by Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider. District Apostles Rüdiger Krause and Rainer Storck are contributing as well. The idea is to feature one quote a day. So far there are 50. After the first few weeks it can be said that the response is encouraging. More than 3,000 users like the English version and nearly 3,000 users like the German version.

Dialogue between Apostolic Community and New Apostolic Church resumes

Representatives from the Apostolic Community (Apostolische Gemeinschaft) and the New Apostolic Church met in Hanover (Germany) on 12 April 2016. The two apostolic churches want to reappraise another chapter in their mutual past: Apostle Brückner and his leading ministers were excommunicated from the New Apostolic Church by Chief Apostle Niehaus in 1921; a group of 6,000 members left with the Apostle at the time. The atmosphere at the meeting in Hanover was brotherly and cordial. Another meeting has been planned for 3 June. For more information go to www.nak.org.

District Apostle from Brazil visits Spain

Malaga is the fifth largest city in Spain and one of the most popular and attractive tourist destinations in Europe. The city has a special charm. Its culture, many of its distinct traditions, cozy restaurants, an enviable climate, and the fabulous hospitality of its wonderful inhabitants make the city on the Costa del Sol a tourist magnet. District Raúl Montes de Oca of Brazil was able to convince himself of this when he came to celebrate the service for the departed with the congregation there at the beginning of March. District Apostle Markus Fehlbaum, who is responsible for Spain, had asked him to come. It was an unforgettable experience for all who were involved.

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Peter Johanning
15.04.2016