If you missed the service you can watch it here now [ click to watch! ]
Our brother Colin was born in Toowoomba on October 23, 1934 and died peacefully at Dove Palliative Care Unit on Tuesday August 22. Colin was patient, faithful, thoughtful and dedicated. His faith in Jesus shaped everything. His sense of humour remained even in testing times and he often told jokes about religion. I miss picking Colin up on Sunday afternoons and driving him to the Witta service. His knowledge of Christian and Lutheran history was remarkable. His insights into spiritual life were encouraging and centred on GRACE. Colin was strong willed (some say stubborn) and had clear views which he expressed openly. For instance, he believed the church needed to change to accommodate newcomers and focus on mission. He felt that modern worship songs were sometimes shallow, but he affirmed the need to grow. For those who wonder about this ‘spiritual housekeeping’ you should know that Colin agreed that the Church needs to face the past and have a clean out (spiritually) from time to time! When I was considering the call to St Luke’s and Witta, Colin expressed support to me for the idea that we needed to take some risks and plant new things. That was a big part of me saying ‘yes’ to this call. In recent months I perhaps saw Colin more often than anyone except his family. He was ready to go home. He desired to depart and be with Jesus. But he was willing to wait patiently. He prayed for our community and for all of you. His heart was with Jesus. Now Colin’s body and life are resurrected with God. Christ is risen, he is risen indeed, and so is Colin! – Pastor Matt 28/08/2023