Joel Houston on Fame, Faith and Stepping Away

Joel Houston on Fame, Faith and Stepping Away

Some of the most honest conversations about faith happen when people stop performing.

Joel Houston, the Australian songwriter and leader of Hillsong UNITED, stepped back from the stage about three years ago. In a recent podcast conversation with Miami pastor Rich Wilkerson, held while Wilkerson was in Australia for the Parable Conference, Houston explained why. A report on The Daily Declaration by Rod Lampard describes it as a candid look at fame, the burden of ministry, grief over church and the search for a faith that isn’t a show.

It’s an unusual thing for a well-known Christian artist to say out loud: that being at the centre of the most successful worship brand of his generation left him feeling empty. This post looks at what Houston said, what the Bible has to say about performance, humility and rest, why his story matters for ordinary believers as well as celebrities, and how to hold a testimony like this with both gratitude and discernment.

What Houston Said

According to the report, Houston reflected on several themes:

• A reluctance about the platform. Raised in a pastor’s household, he said he never saw the stage as something to aspire to, but as something that carried a burden. He thought you had to be anointed, “or whatever word you want to put on it,” or exceptionally talented, and he never felt that way.
• Years of questioning. COVID changed things, and so did turning 40. He started asking what was next and says he has wrestled in prayer with the difference between what he wanted and what he sensed God was calling him to do, with no clear picture.
• Insincerity. He said it would have felt insincere to simply carry on with the thing he had always done because it was the easiest thing to do. He recalled going hard from a young age, and being blessed by success that went far beyond his expectations.
• Dying inside. “Inside I was dying,” he said, “and I couldn’t explain why,” even though everything they touched felt as if it worked. He realised that wasn’t it.
• Grieving the church. For two or three years, he said, he didn’t really go to church. It wasn’t because he didn’t love it, but almost because he loved it too much. Things happened, and it felt like a divorce. He gave his whole life to that church and never imagined it wouldn’t be the one he’d be part of. He says he remains rock-solid in his faith, still has a strong conviction about what the church is meant to be across the earth, and has since found a church community.
• The pressure of expectation. He acknowledged the tension of being seen as a “nepo baby” and of the expectation that he would one day fill his father’s shoes. He credits his father with never pressuring him.
• The beast of fame. Famous for being in the church, he said, made him uneasy. “I didn’t want to feed that beast in my life.” What kept him grounded were friends who didn’t care about what he did.
• Two choices with fame. One is to embrace the persona and pursue it like an addiction. The other, which he says he chose, is to treat it as one part of life, and to live a normal life in every other moment.
• A forced sabbath. He described his hiatus as something like an enforced rest, and said that he welcomed it with relief. He now hopes the second half of his life will count more than the first.
• Closer to God at the piano. “I felt closer to God,” he said, sitting by his piano or computer late at night with no one around, “than some of the most intimate, amazing moments that I’ve had on stage.”
• Honesty about struggle. He mentioned briefly that he had used alcohol as a coping mechanism and wondered whether he was a fake. He said healing came through songwriting, as a gift of grace and not for an album or the church.
• A hope for honesty. He said it’s more effective when people are honest about where they are in the journey of sanctification, and that what helped him was seeing others who didn’t appear to have it all together.

He also made it clear that he doesn’t see this as the end. After the season of stepping back, he said, part of him feels it might be time to step back in, saying “yes” when it’s hard to find a reason not to. His hope is that “the fruit of the Spirit” would be seen in people’s lives.

Wilkerson responded with a warning about a culture that rewards likes and shares: “If we’re not careful, they’ll applaud you all the way to hell.”

Why This Conversation Matters

It’s tempting to treat this as an inside story about a famous band. But the struggles Houston describes aren’t unique to celebrities.

• Performance isn’t confined to the stage. Many believers feel the pressure to appear as though they have everything together, in church and online. Social media amplifies the temptation to curate a polished spiritual image.
• Ministry can become a machine. Pastors, worship leaders, youth workers and volunteers often carry heavy loads and burn out. Success can mask spiritual emptiness.
• Pastors’ children carry particular weight. Many grow up with expectations and scrutiny that they didn’t choose.
• Church loss is real grief. People leave churches for many reasons, including conflict, scandal, change and burnout, and the experience can feel like a bereavement. Hillsong has been through intense public scrutiny in recent years, and Houston’s reflections hint at what that has cost people who grew up in its midst.
• Honesty heals. As he says, it’s often seeing others who are honest about their struggles that helps us most.

What Does the Bible Say About Performance and Humility?

Scripture has a lot to say on this subject.

Beware of acting for an audience. Jesus warned against practising righteousness in front of others to be seen by them (Matthew 6:1–6, 16–18). When you pray, go into your room and shut the door. When you fast, don’t look gloomy. He rebuked the religious leaders whose deeds were done to be seen by others (Matthew 23:5). Houston’s discomfort with “performative Christianity” has a firm biblical basis.

The danger of the fear of man. Galatians 1:10 asks whether we are trying to please people or God. Proverbs 29:25 says that fear of man is a snare. Proverbs 27:2 says, “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth.”

Success is not the measure. When the seventy-two returned rejoicing that demons submitted to them, Jesus told them not to rejoice in that, but that their names are written in heaven (Luke 10:17–20). John the Baptist said of Jesus, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). Paul reminded the Corinthians that neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6–7).

Withdrawal for prayer. Jesus himself often withdrew to lonely places to pray (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16). Moses spent forty years in Midian, and Paul went to Arabia after his conversion (Galatians 1:17). Elijah heard God not in the earthquake or fire but in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11–13). Houston’s experience of feeling closer to God alone at a piano than on stage echoes a long biblical pattern.

God meets us in the wilderness. Psalm 63 is a song of David seeking God in a dry and weary land. Houston’s wish to feel “out in the wilderness crying out to God” is a familiar spiritual longing.

Strength in weakness. Second Corinthians 12:9–10 says God’s power is made perfect in weakness. A leader’s honesty about weakness isn’t a failure of ministry; it can be the beginning of a more truthful one.

Confession and community. James 5:16 calls us to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another so that we may be healed. Healing generally happens in relationships, not in isolation.

Rest. The Sabbath was given as a gift (Mark 2:27), and Jesus invited the weary and burdened to come to him for rest (Matthew 11:28–30). A “forced sabbath” can be a mercy.

Leadership. Peter warns elders to shepherd the flock willingly, and not lording it over them, but being examples (1 Peter 5:2–3). Paul cautions about appointing a recent convert as an overseer, lest he become conceited (1 Timothy 3:6). Spiritual leadership is a responsibility, and Houston’s reflection that it must be carried “heavily and lightly at the same time” is a thoughtful way of putting it.

Our Take

Here’s where we’d like to add some commentary.

1. Honour the courage it takes to say this.

For a figure in the public eye to say publicly that success left him empty, that he stepped away from church and that he struggled with alcohol is not easy. We should respond with compassion, not with judgement or gossip.

2. The issue isn’t unique to one church or one industry.

It would be easy to treat this as a problem with Hillsong, or with Christian music. The temptation to confuse platform with calling, or visibility with fruitfulness, exists in every pulpit, small group and social media account.

3. Authenticity isn’t a brand.

There’s an irony in noticing that “authentic” can itself become a performance. The test isn’t whether one speaks about vulnerability, but whether it’s lived out in ordinary life, in marriage, friendships, the local church and private prayer.

4. Don’t use this as an excuse to abandon church.

Houston is clear that he never stopped loving the church and has since returned to a church community. The New Testament doesn’t envisage a solo faith. Hebrews 10:24–25 urges believers to keep meeting together and encouraging one another. If you’ve been hurt by a church, take your time, grieve honestly, and look for a healthy community rather than none.

5. Worship is for God, not for the audience.

The report notes the observation that parts of the Christian music industry can seem more concerned with satisfying consumers than serving the gospel. Whether or not that’s fair to particular artists, the question is worth asking about any form of church life: who is this for?

6. Leaders need care.

Pastors, worship leaders and ministry workers need rest, friends who don’t need anything from them, honest accountability, and permission to say they’re struggling. Churches should ask how they care for their leaders as people.

7. There’s life after burnout.

Houston says he has peace, and that he believes his best days aren’t behind him. It’s a hopeful reminder that God redeems seasons of exhaustion and doubt.

The Other Side of the Conversation

In fairness, here are some other perspectives:

• Some listeners may feel that a long break from ministry and church is a luxury that isn’t available to most people, who have to keep working and serving whatever they feel.
• Others might say that Houston’s comments are vague, and that without details about what happened, it’s difficult to know what lessons to draw. He may have good reasons for not saying more.
• Supporters of large worship ministries would point out that many people have come to faith or been strengthened through the music, that many of the people involved are sincere servants, and that a large platform isn’t inherently inauthentic.
• Cautious voices might note that criticism of “performative Christianity” delivered through a podcast and a media report is itself part of the media economy, and that we should be careful about turning confession into content. That doesn’t mean the confession is insincere, but it reminds us that authenticity is hard to measure from the outside.
• Those who have left churches after hurt might find Houston’s story validating, while others who have stayed through hard seasons may feel challenged by it.
• Some Christians would add that worship leaders and pastors are more susceptible to these pressures in a culture that rewards charisma, and they would advocate for structural changes, not just individual honesty.

Each of these has something to teach, and they aren’t in conflict with the basic point that God cares more about our hearts than our performance.

What You Can Do

• Ask yourself where you are performing. Is there an area of your spiritual life, at church, at home or online, where you’re more concerned about how you look than about being honest with God?
• Make space for hidden prayer. Set aside time when no one sees, no one posts and nothing is produced.
• Find a safe friend. Choose one person with whom you can be honest about your struggles.
• Care for the leaders in your life. Thank them, pray for them, and ask how they’re doing, not just what they’re doing.
• Take rest seriously. Practise a weekly sabbath, in whatever form is realistic for you.
• Be patient with those who are grieving a church. Listen first, and don’t rush to fix.
• Stay connected. Even if you’ve been hurt, look for a community that will walk with you.

If You Are Struggling

If you or someone you love is using alcohol or other drugs to cope, or feeling overwhelmed, support is available. In Australia, you can call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015, or Lifeline on 13 11 14, at any time. In an emergency, call 000. Your GP, a counsellor or a pastor can also help.

Questions to Reflect On

• Where do I feel pressure to look more spiritual than I am?
• When have I felt closest to God, and what was I doing?
• What has the church meant to me, and where might I need to grieve or forgive?
• Who in my life knows the real me, and who could I be honest with this week?
• How can I support a pastor, worship leader or ministry worker who may be tired?

A Short Prayer

Lord, you see us in secret and you love us as we are. Free us from the need to perform, and from the fear of what others think. Where we are tired, give us rest. Where we are hurt, give us healing. Where we have lost our way, draw us back to the quiet place where we hear your voice. Bless those who lead worship and ministry, and keep them honest, humble and well. Make your church a place where people can be real, and let the fruit of your Spirit be seen in our lives. Amen.

Further Reading

This post was prompted by Rod Lampard’s report, “I Never Wanted to Feed That Beast”: Joel Houston on Fame, Faith and Stepping Away, published by The Daily Declaration. Houston’s comments were made on a podcast conversation with Rich Wilkerson, held during the Parable Conference hosted by Parable Church.

Tags: Joel Houston, Hillsong UNITED, fame, performative Christianity, worship, burnout, church, Christian commentary

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Is Australia “Going Backwards”? What the OECD Chief Actually Said, What the Evidence Shows and How Christians Can Weigh It

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When the head of one of the world’s most influential economic organisations says a country is going backwards, people pay attention. When he’s an Australian, a former Liberal finance minister who knows the country well, it carries even more weight.

A recent report on The Daily Declaration by Rod Lampard describes comments made by the OECD Secretary-General, Mathias Cormann, in a conversation with former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson. It frames them as a “damning indictment” of the Albanese Government and links them with concerns about immigration, housing and cultural cohesion.

This post looks at what Cormann has said, in the interview and in his wider speeches and reports, what the OECD data shows, where the evidence supports the criticism and where it complicates it, and how Christians can think about prosperity, family, housing, immigration and trust with both honesty and charity.

What Cormann Said

According to the Daily Declaration report of his conversation with Anderson:

• Fiscal buffers and pensions. Nations need buffers to absorb economic shocks. Ageing populations and falling birth rates put pressure on pension systems, and, as he put it, “either you pay more on the way in, or you get less on the way out, or you stay longer contributing.”
• Housing. Affordability is a problem of supply and demand, and the answer is to ensure supply keeps up with expected demand, including by improving planning and local zoning arrangements.
• Immigration. Australia has always relied on waves of migrants, and will continue to need workers to make up for population ageing and skills shortages. He acknowledged the sensitivity, and said the pressure points arise because immigration is handled by the federal government, whereas housing supply is handled by the states. Without a plan, he said, the intake will put pressure on infrastructure and housing.
• Trust. Maintaining public trust is what gives a government the licence to continue operating a migration program and a foreign investment program in the national interest.
• Competition. “Australia used to be top of the pops on competition policy, on reform to drive productivity. We’ve been going backwards. We’re now sort of in the middle of the pack.” The level of regulation, he said, had become too high, and the company tax rate is high compared with the OECD average. “We used to be at the global competitive edge. Right now we’re not.”

Anderson added several points of his own: that housing affordability is pushing young mothers back to work against their preferences, that young Australians have given up on saving for a home, that family formation is being delayed, and that, since the attack at Bondi, there’s a deep concern in Australia that some immigrants aren’t culturally aligned with what Australians value, which feeds a breakdown of trust. Australia’s foreign-born population, he said, is about 32 per cent, compared with about 15 per cent in Britain and the United States.

What the Wider Evidence Shows

The interview is only part of the picture. Cormann has said much more in a speech at the Centre for Independent Studies on 17 October, in the OECD’s January 2026 Economic Survey of Australia and in a report on growth and competitiveness released in April.

According to those documents and coverage of them:

• Real incomes have fallen. The OECD survey found that real disposable incomes declined markedly as the post-pandemic inflation surge eroded real wages and pushed up mortgage payments.
• Competition has weakened over two decades. The survey found that business dynamism has fallen while market concentration and profit margins have risen. Productivity in construction is lower than it was twenty years ago. Cormann described the trend as “concentration up, margins up, dynamism down.”
• That’s a long-running trend. It spans two decades and several governments of both major parties, which is important context for the claim that the problems are the fault of the current government.
• A path to higher incomes. Cormann argued that returning productivity growth to its long-run average of 1.6 per cent would leave each household around $14,000 a year better off by 2035, and that restoring competition to early 2000s levels could add $2,000 to $6,000 per household annually.
• Tax reform. The OECD says Australia relies more on personal and company income taxes than most other advanced economies, and recommends broadening the GST base and considering a higher rate, with compensation for low-income households; replacing stamp duty with land tax; indexing personal tax brackets to inflation; and cutting company and personal income tax. Taxes on income supply more than 60 per cent of Australian revenue, compared with an OECD average of about 36 per cent.
• Housing supply. House prices have risen more than in most OECD countries over thirty years. The OECD says the only thing that brings rents down is more housing, and recommends easing planning barriers and permitting denser construction.
• A warning on immigration policy. In his speech, Cormann pushed back on arbitrary caps on immigration, saying the populist backlash should be countered by boosting housing and infrastructure supply, and by attending to the composition of the intake, rather than shrinking the country. He also argued that mainstream parties don’t win voters back by copying populist policies.
• Economic outlook. The January survey said that GDP growth was expected to rise from 1.1 per cent in 2024 to 1.8 per cent in 2025, then to 2.3 per cent in 2026 and 2.4 per cent in 2027, with inflation stabilising. In other words, the OECD describes an economy that is “relatively resilient” and normalising, with long-standing structural problems.

So the picture is more nuanced than “going backwards.” On competition and productivity, the OECD’s judgement is blunt, and Cormann’s description of Australia as having slipped from the front of the pack to the middle is a fair summary of the data. At the same time, the OECD sees an economy with high living standards that has coped relatively well with shocks.

Is This an Indictment of the Albanese Government?

The report says that while Cormann avoided getting political, his analysis “should be read as a blunt criticism of the Labor government,” and “certainly not an endorsement.”

That’s one reading, and there’s a case for it: the current government is responsible for many of the policy settings Cormann criticises, including planning arrangements it has influence over, regulatory burdens and tax settings. But some caution is warranted.

• Much of the problem predates this government. The OECD’s finding is about two decades of declining competition and dynamism, under governments of both sides. Cormann himself served in the Coalition government for seven years as finance minister.
• He praised reform of both parties. In his Kennard address, he invoked the economic reforms of Hawke and Keating, as well as of Howard and Costello, as a model for what is needed now.
• Many of his recommendations are politically hard for both sides. Raising the GST, replacing stamp duty with land tax, and cutting income taxes all attract objections from different quarters.
• Housing is a federal and state problem. Cormann identified the disconnect between federal immigration and state housing supply, so responsibility is shared.

A more accurate summary is that the OECD chief has told Australia’s political class, of all parties, that the country needs a new wave of economic reform, and that the cost of delay is borne by households.

What About Immigration and “Cultural Cohesion”?

The Daily Declaration report draws attention to the immigration discussion, and it’s worth setting out several points with care.

• The numbers. About a third of Australia’s population was born overseas, a high proportion by international standards. The comparison with Britain and the United States, roughly 15 per cent each, is broadly in line with official statistics, though definitions vary.
• The OECD’s position. Cormann said Australia will continue to need migrants, and that the problem is a failure of housing and infrastructure planning to keep up, not migration itself. His prescription is to build more and plan better.
• Cohesion and trust. Anderson’s point that prosperous societies are high-trust societies, and that people are losing confidence in institutions, is widely echoed by researchers. Concerns about integration, public safety and cultural differences are real and shared by many Australians, including many migrants. They’re also issues that can be discussed without suggesting that any group is unwelcome.
• Caution about generalisation. Statements that “some of those people are perhaps not culturally aligned” should be handled carefully. The great majority of migrants contribute to Australia in many ways, including as workers, carers, business owners and members of churches. The Bondi attack, as the Royal Commission is examining, involved particular individuals and a particular ideology, and it would be wrong to treat it as a verdict on all newcomers. Many migrant communities, including Muslim and Jewish ones, were among those most directly affected.

Christians can hold, at the same time, a concern for orderly planning, public trust and integration, and a conviction that every migrant is made in God’s image and deserves dignity.

Fertility, Family and Housing

One of the most important threads in the interview is the link between housing costs and family formation. Several facts are relevant:

• Australia’s fertility rate has fallen to around 1.5 births per woman, well below the replacement level of about 2.1.
• Many young Australians report delaying marriage and children because of housing costs, financial insecurity and the cost of raising a family.
• Anderson’s observation that young Australians have concluded that saving for a home is pointless is anecdotal but widely echoed in surveys, and it fits the OECD’s finding that house prices have risen faster than incomes.
• Cormann highlighted the benefit of women’s workforce participation. Anderson countered with a point about many mothers who would prefer to work less if they could afford to. Both perspectives have support: many women want careers, and many want more time with children, and policies that give families real choices are best.

Behind the statistics are young couples, often Christians, who want to marry, buy a home and raise children, and find it hard.

A Christian Lens

The Bible doesn’t prescribe a tax rate or a zoning law, but it offers wisdom for thinking about the economy and the nation.

Work, fairness and honest dealing. Proverbs 11:1 says that dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, and honest weights are his delight. Second Thessalonians 3:10–12 commends honest work. Colossians 3:23 says to work wholeheartedly as for the Lord.

Concern for the next generation. Proverbs 13:22 says that a good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children. Psalm 127:3–5 describes children as a heritage from the Lord. Policies that make it hard to form families, or leave debts to future generations, deserve scrutiny.

Housing and place. Micah 4:4 pictures each person sitting under their own vine and fig tree, unafraid. Isaiah 5:8 pronounces woe on those who add house to house and field to field until there’s no room for others. Housing policy has a moral dimension.

Wise planning. Genesis 41 portrays Joseph preparing for lean years in the good ones. Luke 14:28 reminds us to count the cost before building. Proverbs 15:22 and 24:6 commend counsel and wise guidance.

Taxes and government. Romans 13:6–7 teaches that paying taxes is part of our duty, and Jesus said to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s (Matthew 22:21). That doesn’t settle the rate or structure, but it means taxation should be treated as a serious matter of stewardship and honesty.

The welcome of the stranger. Leviticus 19:33–34 commands Israel to love the foreigner as themselves, and Jesus said that welcoming the stranger is welcoming him (Matthew 25:35). Christians can also hold that nations have a legitimate role in ordering migration for the common good.

Prosperity isn’t the goal. Luke 12:15 warns that life doesn’t consist in an abundance of possessions, and Jesus told his followers to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). A healthy economy matters, but it isn’t the highest good.

Beware of nostalgia. Ecclesiastes 7:10 cautions, “Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions.” Looking to the reforms of 1976 for lessons is wise, but pretending that the past was simple is not.

Our Take

Here’s where we’d like to add some commentary.

1. Take the diagnosis seriously.

Falling real incomes, weak productivity, high housing costs and declining competition are real problems, and the OECD’s findings should concern all Australians. The cost falls hardest on young families and people on lower incomes.

2. Resist turning it into a party-political slogan.

The data show a two-decade trend under both major parties. Using the OECD to score points against one government may satisfy the committed, but it doesn’t help to solve the problem or persuade those who see it differently.

3. Housing is the heart of the matter.

Supply, planning and infrastructure are the issues that touch families most directly. Christians can encourage local churches and community groups to engage with planning processes and to consider how they could contribute, for example through church land used for housing.

4. Look carefully at the immigration debate.

Cormann’s argument that the answer is to build more and plan better, and not simply to cap numbers, is one position in a legitimate debate. Others argue that lower intakes would ease pressure on housing and services. Christians can weigh the evidence and disagree, while treating migrants with respect and avoiding collective blame.

5. Trust is built, not demanded.

Anderson’s point that prosperous societies are high-trust societies is important. Trust is built by honesty, competence, fairness and results, and by leaders who admit mistakes. The church can model trust by being trustworthy.

6. Support families practically.

Whatever happens in Canberra, churches can help young families through mentoring, childcare cooperatives, housing help, meals, financial literacy and friendship. These small acts can make a big difference.

7. Measure by more than GDP.

Productivity and growth matter, but so do marriage, children, friendship, rest and worship. A faithful response to economic challenges keeps these in view.

The Other Side of the Conversation

In fairness, here are some other perspectives:

• The government and its supporters would say that global shocks, high interest rates and a legacy of underinvestment explain many of the pressures, that its competition review, housing accord and tax cuts are steps in the right direction, and that the OECD itself says growth is returning to potential and inflation is stabilising.
• Critics of the OECD’s prescriptions note that raising the GST and changing stamp duty hit different groups in different ways, that some of the suggested reforms are politically contentious, and that the OECD’s preference for market-oriented reforms isn’t the only possible path.
• Advocates for lower immigration argue that the OECD underplays the effect of rapid population growth on housing, infrastructure and wages, and that “build more” takes years while pressures are immediate.
• Business groups and many economists argue that skilled migration is important for growth and the budget, and that cutting intakes could harm the economy and worsen the ageing problem.
• Social conservatives emphasise family formation, and argue that policy should do more to support marriage and children, including through tax and housing settings.
• Others would say that economic growth alone doesn’t answer questions of meaning, community and trust.

Each of these voices contributes something, and a thoughtful reader can weigh them without assuming bad faith.

What You Can Do

• Read the sources. The OECD’s Economic Survey of Australia 2026 and Cormann’s address are public, and they say more than any summary.
• Pray for wisdom for leaders of every party, for young families under financial strain, and for the nation.
• Engage locally. Consider housing and planning proposals in your area, and think about how your church could help.
• Support young people. Mentor, encourage and offer practical help to couples and families.
• Be generous. Look for ways to help those struggling with housing and cost-of-living pressures.
• Speak with grace. Discuss these issues without contempt for those who disagree.

Questions to Reflect On

• What do I think is the biggest obstacle to young Australians forming families, and how could I help?
• How do I weigh economic prosperity against other goods such as family, faith and community?
• Do I hold my political views with enough humility to hear those who see things differently?
• What could my church do to help people with housing, work and family life?
• How can I build trust in my own sphere of influence?

A Short Prayer

Lord, you are the giver of every good gift, and you care for the work of our hands. We pray for Australia, for those who lead and those who work, for young couples who long for a home and a family, and for older Australians planning for retirement. Give wisdom to those who make economic and immigration policy, and honesty to those who report on it. Help us to build a nation that is fair, generous and trusting. Teach us to seek first your kingdom, and to trust you for our daily bread. Amen.