FATHER WELCOMES

Father welcomes all his children
to his family through his Son.
Father giving his salvation,
life forever has been won.

1. Little children, come to me, for my kingdom is of these;
    life and love I have to give, mercy for your sin.

2. In the water, in the word,

in his promise be assured:
those who are baptised and believe shall be born again.

3. Let us daily die to sin,
let us daily rise with him —
walk in the love of Christ our Lord, live in the peace of God.

Father welcomes all his children
to his family through his Son.
Father giving his salvation,
life forever has been won.


1973. The day before our daughter was born, I had a tune running round my head. Kristin was finally born, by caesarean section, on the evening of Thursday 12 July, and John Sabel, student chaplain and good friend, suggested I write a baptism song for her. The tune in my head became the chorus, and I recall consulting Luther's Large Catechism for the verses and playing the song on the Sabels’ piano that Sunday. Dorothy wasn't feeling much like songs at the time, but even she was pleased at the result when I sang it to her in the Ashford Hospital. It's been the most popular and widely used song of any I've written, and I'm not sorry about that. The experience of having a child, of being a parent, led to a joy that completely took me by surprise. Mixed with the other main ingredients — the parable of the prodigal son and the sacrament of baptism — that joy was transformed into this song. It pleases me that it has become a kind of signature tune. Thanks, Kristin and Dorothy!


 

ALWS 5/10/23

To say I've been inactive on my website is a serious understatement! I've written nothing here since early 2021. 

So, does this mean the world has stopped for us, that nothing is happening?
A major event for us in 2022 was moving house in October. We had been in Modbury Heights since July 1993.Now we're back in Klemzig.

In May we travelled to the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia, seeing work supported by Australian Lutheran World Service. Dorothy and I are Ambassadors for the ALWS programme, Lives You Touch. We are encouraging people to leave money in their will for the work of ALWS. We committed to leave a third of our will many years ago and hope many others can touch lives in this way.
Since then we have visited Box Hill & Loxton with Jonathan & Julie Krause as part of the Asante presentations, promoting the cause of ALWS. Still to come this year are Asante events in Toowoomba & Rochedale (Nov 26 & 27) and Perth (Dec 10)

Looking forward to seeing many people on these occasions.