01/2015/EN Our 2015 motto: Joy in Christ Proving, changing, renewing: divine service in Luxembourg The Catechism in questions and answers Focus on the global congregation: an overview of our Church media New Apostolic Church International community 01/2015 CONTENTS ■ Editorial ■ Doctrine 3 Moving closer together 20 The Catechism in questions and answers ■ Divine service in 22 Chapter 1: Europe The revelations of God 4 Proving, changing, renewing ■ Global news ■ A visit in America 24 A pioneer becomes District Apostle Helper 10 Hope in the resurrection 26 Religious diversity under one ■ A visit in Asia roof 28 The focus is on the global 12 Recognizing the Saviour congregation ■ A visit in Africa 30 Meeting of religions makes a difference 14 Perfect like God 31 Illustrating our motto ■ Children’s corner “Joy in Christ” 16 Three men in the fiery furnace 18 At Mateo’s in Montevideo in Uruguay 19 Letterbox ■ Cover: Marcel Felde ■ Back cover: Jessica Krämer 2 EDITORIAL community 01/2015 Moving closer together Dear Brothers and Sisters around the world, al n o I am very happy to be able to present this new international nati er member magazine of the New Apostolic Church to you. You nt K I are reading the first issue of community, which will from A N now on be published once every three months and supplied to ■ every New Apostolic household around the world in a print or online version wherever possible. The name of the magazine, community, says it all. in October 2013. In addition to community, the online news magazine nac.today is also part of this strategy, and serves to ■ Communication. The new member magazine is to help supply you with news from around the New Apostolic world ensure that important information—whether in the form on a daily basis. of divine services, doctrinal matters, current affairs, or developments in the Church—reaches as many of you as May these innovations strengthen our joy in Christ—in keep- possible, dear brothers and sisters. ing with our 2015 motto—and help us all to move a little closer to our goal. I hope you have succeeded in beginning the new ■ Unity. We have one faith and one goal. That is why it is year—which is no longer new now—in this way, and I wish important for us all to be on the same level wherever you a great deal of joy, much growth in the mind of Jesus, and possible when it comes to our doctrine as we hear it in the blessing of the Most High over the coming months. the divine services and as we implement it in our daily lives. Yours sincerely ■ Community. We are an international community with many differences resulting from social and cultural back- grounds. Reports about our diverse and varied congre- gational life around the globe are to help us get to know each other better and learn to understand each other. The aim is to have the international church move closer to- gether and grow together more than ever before. Jean-Luc Schneider Some of you might miss the Our Family magazine. But we have determined that we will be able to reach far more mem- bers this way than we ever have in the past decades. It is for this reason that the District Apostle Meeting decided on a new communication strategy during a conference in Canada 3 community 01/2015 DIVINE SERVICE IN EUROPE Proving, changing, renewing e d el F el c ar M ■ Divine service in Luxembourg on 11 January 2015 Romans 12: 2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” 4 DIVINE SERVICE IN EUROPE community 01/2015 Dear brothers and sisters, esteemed guests, here and in the The Bible text I have read is well-known and also very time- connected congregations, I am happy that I can be here in ly. Paul writes to the Romans, “And do not be conformed to Luxembourg with my brothers and sisters and that we can this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” take another step together this year, a year we have declared When you hear “world” you automatically think about evil to be a year of joy in Christ. I have already received quite a and bad people and all kinds of things. But that is not what few messages from people telling me, “What a way to start is meant here. This Bible text is about the time, the spirit of the year of joy! Have you seen all that is going on?” Still, dear the times. Paul wants to show that, on the one hand, there is brothers and sisters, we are going to stick with it: we want to the almighty God who does not change. Never. He does not have joy in Christ this year. need to change. After all, And there is good reason He is perfect. Not even “Our names are written for us to have joy in Christ! certain events can pressure First, because God will con- Him to change. His actions in heaven because the Lord tinue to give us beautiful and deeds are not influ- gifts that we can delight in. enced by the happenings Jesus has saved every one And even if there are diffi- on this earth. “For I am cult days ahead of us—this the Lord, I do not change” of us a seat in the fellowship is something that we all (Malachi 3: 6). have to deal with. Every- with God.” one has a hard day now And on the other hand, and then, and this year will there is the spirit of the be no exception, but we times as an expression of still have reason to rejoice. This has nothing to do with being the constant change that is going on in humankind. I do not cheerful and jumping for joy, but we will feel that the Lord is want to develop a new theory now, but let me address two very near to us, especially in times of trial. It is a special kind points: the relationship to God and the relationship to the of joy when you realize, “The Lord is right there.” neighbour. Both are in a state of constant flux. When things are going well for people they do not turn to God as much. But There is one reason in particular to rejoice in good as well as when things are going badly they run to Him for help, “Please, in not so good times, and this the Lord Jesus Himself gave, God, You have to help!” And people’s behaviour and what is “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject happening in the world has a great impact on interpersonal to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in relationships. At times someone is good and nice, and the next heaven” (Luke 10: 20). We spoke with the children yesterday moment everything changes and he becomes the worst enemy. about heaven and what it is. That was a very interesting discus- Everything is in a constant state of change. World events have sion. I will not go into it now, but you can think about it. “Re- a bearing on our relationship to God, our relationship to our joice because your names are written in heaven.” What does neighbour, our opinions, and our relationship to the truth. that mean? It means that the Lord died for us so that we can And when we see this we begin to understand Paul better, have access to heaven, to the fellowship with God. The Lord “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed has preceded us there. “I go to prepare a place for you. And if by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Paul ad- you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John monishes us to focus on God. In other words, “Don’t let the 14: 2, 3). spirit of the times sweep you along!” Dear brothers and sisters, our relationship to God must not change, no matter what. Our How can this be explained? I have often told the children. It is relationship to the neighbour should also not be influenced by simple. Imagine you are going to a big event, for example a big what is happening in the world. Our focus is the almighty God service, and you send a friend ahead and ask her to save you a and what He wants and what He says. His truth is our truth. seat. She will put her hymnal on the seat or maybe a handbag We will not let ourselves be influenced by the majority. And or something else. And if somebody comes to sit down, she even if the whole world wants to see things differently, we will will tell that person that the seat is already taken. “But why?” persist, “Sorry, our focus is God, and the will of God has not “Well, my friend is sitting there.” And when your friend ar- changed. The law of God has not changed. We cannot go along rives you tell him, “This is your seat!” And this is exactly what with this.” Even if we were only a very small flock—which we the Lord Jesus is doing for us. He went to the Father to save a are not, by the way—as Christians, as a believing people our seat for you and me, “This is my brother’s seat, my sister’s seat. focus is on God. The happenings in this world must not have I have saved it for them.” Our names are written in heaven a bearing on our relationship to God or our neighbour. We because the Lord Jesus has saved every one of us a seat in the cannot say, “Sure, but everybody is doing it and that is what fellowship with God. Whenever we think about this we have everybody thinks.” No, Paul tells us that we must prove what reason to rejoice. is good. It is up to us. I cannot dispute that and say, “But every- 5 community 01/2015 DIVINE SERVICE IN EUROPE Apostle Jens Lindemann from Germany addresses the congregation body else is doing it differently.” No, I am responsible for my relationship to God and the neighbour. It is my job to check whether something coincides with the will of God. “Prove what is that good …will of God.” What is good? Paul says that the law of God is good, the commandments of God, those which God gave Moses (Romans 7: 12). And whether the world is upside down or not, our focus is God. We are go- ing to stick with the commandments of God, the law of God, which He gave to Moses. They have lost none of their validity. Part of this law is the law of love. “You shall love your neigh- bour as yourself” (Leviticus 19: 18). That is what we have to focus on. The Lord Jesus described in a very vivid way what it means to love one’s neighbour. He said, “Therefore, what- ever you want men to do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7: 12). This is as simple as it gets. It applies at all times and in all situations, also today, in the year 2015 in Europe, in Africa, and in America. We have to constantly examine our- selves whether this is still the case. Do I still act like that? Do I still think that way? What is good? Good is the law of God, the Ten Commandments, and the principle of loving God and loving each other. Paul continues and says, “Prove what is that good and ac- thing that cannot be said often enough in today’s society. That ceptable … will of God.” That means we have to think about does not please God. That also applies to us. what pleases the Lord. There were times when the disciples thought they were doing what Jesus expected of them, but Another time, John came to the Lord and said, “Teacher, they were wrong. The Lord had to tell them, “That is not how we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons we do things.” The dis- in Your name, and we ciples had understood forbade him because “God is not pleased if we their task. It was their he does not follow us” job to fulfil the law. It (Mark 9: 38). John was hurt our neighbour in our was their job to serve outraged that this man the Lord, and it was cast out demons in the endeavours to proclaim and their job to proclaim Lord’s name but was the gospel and defend not a disciple. The Lord defend our faith.” it. All of this was per- intervened and said, fectly clear to them, but “Do not forbid him, they did not always set for no one who works the right priorities. Think of Peter. He knew that he had to a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. defend the Lord. When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, he For he who is not against us is on our side” (Mark 9: 39–40). drew his sword and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off I am sure Jesus’ reaction was surprising for John. John was his right ear (John 18: 10). This did not please the Lord. “You sure he had done the right thing. Maybe he even expected cannot defend me like that.” What conclusions do we draw the Lord to praise him, “Good job!” But the Lord saw things from this? God is not pleased if we hurt our neighbour in our differently. I have often thought about this incident. This man endeavours to proclaim and defend our faith. This is some- did not believe in the Lord and did not follow Him. He most 6 DIVINE SERVICE IN EUROPE community 01/2015 Top: Contribution by the mixed choir Left: Apostle Rudolf Kainz from Austria ministers to the congregation Dear brothers and sisters, many people on this earth do not share our faith. They do not share our faith in Jesus Christ, in the Son of God, and yet they make every effort to help their neighbour and to serve God. God uses them as an instrument to help others. It would not please God if we were not to re- spect these people, but were to despise them or even attack them. This is not an invention of my own. This is something that goes back to words of the Lord Jesus. This esteem does nothing to diminish our faith. We believe in Jesus Christ. We walk the path that He paved for our salvation. We believe in likely did not see the Son of God in Jesus, yet he did good the return of Christ, we believe in the Apostle ministry. But, and helped his fellow human beings by driving out demons. In please, there is no reason to condemn and despise others. We other words, he did miracles. So obviously God was with this know that God can also work with other people and help and man and used him as an instrument to help others. And he bless them, and they can do good deeds. It pleases God when was not even a disciple of Jesus. And Jesus said, “That is fine.” we respect them. 7 community 01/2015 DIVINE SERVICE IN EUROPE There was another time when John came and said, “And when ship with God hinges on our relationship with the neighbour. His disciples James and John saw this, they said, ‘Lord, do The two are inextricably linked. One cannot exist without the You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and other. He said Himself, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the consume them, just as Elijah did?’” (Luke 9: 54). The Lord altar, and there remember that your brother has something Jesus rebuked them and told them, “No, you may not do that.” against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your He was not pleased about this. He did not want the disci- way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and ples to force people to accept Him by threatening them to send fire from heaven if they did not accept Him. God is not pleased if we try to motivate people by threatening and frightening them. We have to love God and our neighbour. We have to set the right priorities. We have to understand this law prop- erly and implement it. The Lord Jesus explained that our relation- Right: Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider with members after the service Bottom: Contribution by the choir during the service 8 DIVINE SERVICE IN EUROPE community 01/2015 offer your gift” (Matthew 5: 23–24). This shows that we can- to go to the Gentiles. Peter had to change his perspective. It not serve God and at the same time condemn and hate the is not any different with the Church. We have to constantly neighbour. The love for God and the neighbour are insepar- examine whether our teaching is in line with the will of God ably linked. or whether we need to change something. When we realize, “Yes, now we understand the Lord Jesus better!” we have to The Lord Jesus also made it clear that we cannot choose our make changes, have to adapt, because what we have been neighbour. It would be great if I could decide whom I love. teaching is no longer in line with the will of God. What we The Lord Jesus determines who my neighbour is! The neigh- have been teaching has not been wrong, but in the meantime bour is the one who is sick, the one who is in prison—im- we have come to understand that the will of God has moved agine that!—and the stranger who is so completely different, on. And then we small humans just have to adjust ourselves. whose culture, whose faith, and whose views differ from ours Important is the will of God. And what applies to the Church (Matthew 25: 35–40). Him you are to love! You yourself can- applies to every single one of us. We cannot afford to come not determine who your neighbour is. The neighbour is the to a standstill because of traditions, “We have always done person God has put next to you. Of course, as long as the things that way.” Let us take a critical look at ourselves and foreigner stays in his country and is far away, we love him. ask, “What is my position with regard to God and my neigh- But now God has maybe decided that sick and poor people, bour? What can I change? What do I have to change? What offenders and strangers live in your village, in your town. God should I change? Very uncomfortable, that. For me, too. That wants it that way. They are your neighbours now. God has or- is something I don’t like to do, but it is absolutely necessary. dained it to be this way. Please, now it is up to you to find out “Prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of what pleases God. God.” Examine what you still have to do in order to come up to the perfection of God, in order to come closer to God. We can see that our faith, the New Apostolic faith, is some- thing very concrete. It quickly comes down to practical as- Many consider changes a nuisance. They are a cause for pects. God determines who our neighbour is. The person God annoyance. But for the faithful who take these things has put next to us is the person we are to love. seriously—these adjustments, this calling into question, this constant examining—these changes can be a source of great joy The Lord Jesus went on to explain that charity is not a substi- simply because the Lord Jesus said, “I like that! Here is my tute for serving God. Both belong together. Some people think blessing!” that if they serve their neighbour they will not have to serve God. That will not work. You know the story about Mary who anointed the feet of Jesus with very expensive perfume. One of the disciples thought it was nonsense and said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always” (John 12: 1–8). He wanted to show that service to others is not a substitute for service to God. Both are required. That is what pleases God. CORE THOUGHTS “Prove what is that … perfect will of God.” God is perfect. He does not need to change or to adjust or to adapt. He is perfect. That is all there is to it. But we are not perfect. We have to ex- Our relationship to God and our neighbour must amine ourselves to see what still needs to be changed—not so not be influenced by events and happenings and that I fit in with the spirit of the times, but that I can hold my things in our immediate environment. We align own when measured against the perfection of God. We have to ourselves with the will of God, which expects of us constantly question ourselves, and that applies to the Church as well as to every individual. What is the will of God? What that does the Lord Jesus want? We have to ask ourselves repeatedly, and if necessary adapt when we realize that God has moved on ■ we love God and the neighbour. but we have not yet understood His intentions. ■ we are tolerant and respect others. Something similar happened to Peter. He thought that sal- ■ we agree that we have to improve and mend vation was for Israel. The first commission he received was our ways in order to reach perfection. to go to the children of Israel and not to the Samaritans (Matthew 10: 5). But then God showed him that he was also 9 community 01/2015 A Visit iN AMERiCA er wien azil ans Z AC Br H N ■ ■ Hope in the resurrection At the end of the year 2014, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider visited members on the South American continent. On the Saturday evening he gathered with the ministers and their wives in a ministers’ meeting, and on the Sunday he conducted a divine service in a hotel, which was attended by some 500 participants. With its 20 million inhabitants, the greater metropolitan area 300 kilometres. The trip to the central church can quickly be- of São Paulo in Brazil is one of the most densely populated come a nerve-wracking ordeal. However, the ministers who urban areas in the world. Many records are constantly be- had been invited to a special gathering with the Chief Apostle ing broken in this city of nearly 6,000 skyscrapers: the city is on Saturday, 15 November 2014 would likely not have had any home to the largest residential building in the world, namely problem lining up in one of the endless columns of vehicles the Copan Building erected by Oscar Niemeyer for 5,000 res- on the road that weekend to get to this unique event in the idents. It is here that records are broken for downtown traf- church in Bosque da Saúde, especially since this was to be the fic jams that extend for an average of roughly 150 kilometres first chance for most of them to meet Chief Apostle Jean-Luc every day—and going strong. The longest one so far was Schneider. Members from the eight congregations in the 10