Dear Friends,
It is good to be back in the Diocese and at work again after two months of study leave. Those two months were mostly spent in New York (where one of our children lives) and my study project was to work on a book on interpreting the Bible. I have written a lot of words but will quietly work on improving the quality of them in spare time through the next year. Imminent publication is not to be expected. I am grateful for all the extra work undertaken in my absence by many people, including our Diocesan senior leadership team led by Vicar-General Mark Barlow and our Anglican Centre staff led by our senior managers, Gavin Holley and Rachelle Mathews. My special tribute is to Veronica Cross, Bishop’s EA, who kept emails needing to be forwarded to me to a bare minimum!
The cover photo of today’s e-Life features Cole’s talk at the Transitional Cathedral about his six months in the West Bank. It was attended by 250 people, with positive feedback. Cole is now in the North Island, having spoken around eight venues in the South Island. He continues his talks in the North Island and welcomes anyone to come and hear.
Many important services are coming up, to which all are welcome, including the following:
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At 10.30am, Saturday 29 November, in the Transitional Cathedral, I will ordain to the diaconate: Wanjiru (Ciru) Muriuki (for the Parish of Riccarton-Spreydon), André Muller (for the Parishes of East Christchurch, Linwood-Aranui and Avonside),and Bruce White (for the Parish of Burnside-Harewood) as deacons. Clergy should robe with albs and red stoles. The Reverend Jenny Wilkens will be our preacher at her last service as our Diocesan Director of Ordination pending her retirement from her main role as Senior Associate Priest in the Parish of Fendalton in January 2026.
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The Transitional Cathedral Advent Carol Service is at 7pm, Sunday 30 November 2025.
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The Reverend Hilary Willett‘s induction as Vicar of Hanmer Springs is at 7pm, Friday 12 December in the Church of the Epiphany, Jollies Pass Road, Hanmer Springs. Due to the small size of this church, clergy intending to be at the service are asked to RSVP to Veronica Cross, bishopsea@anglicanlife.org.nz, by 5pm Wednesday, 10 December 2025.
The 175th anniversary of the arrival of the First Four Ships to Lyttelton, and thus the official founding date of the European settlement of Canterbury is 16 December 2025. At 5pm Sunday 14 December, Evensong in the Transitional Cathedral will celebrate this anniversary. I am the preacher.
The Transitional Cathedral Carol Service will be at 7pm, Sunday 21 December.
Last week Teresa and I were privileged to attend two events connected with 2025 being the 175th anniversary of the European settlement of Canterbury at which the honoured guests were Viscount and Lady Cobham – the Cobham family’s connection to Canterbury being through an ancestor, George Lyttelton, Chairman of the Canterbury Association which organised the settlement in 1850, and whose family seat, Hagley Hall, furnished the name of Christchurch’s largest park. (Viscount Cobham’s father was a very popular Governor-General of New Zealand, 1957-62).
On Wednesday, an event organised by Ken Clearwater and others, acknowledging the first anniversary of the publication of the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the Abuse in Care in State and Faith-based Institutions, was held at Validation Park, Birmingham Drive. The theme was “our day, our voice.” I salute the courage of those who gave testimony that day to their experiences of abuse. We should continue to be appalled at the dark stain on our history as a country and on the histories of our churches because of the abuse vulnerable persons have suffered when in care. We should also continue to press the Government to follow through on the recommendations of the report. I cannot speak for other churches, but the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia continues to work on the recommendations which were made applicable to our past, present and future.
At the weekend, Teresa and I were able to be in Hanmer Springs, where a fine Saturday (without the hail and heavy rain other parts of Canterbury suffered) saw a wonderful and well-attended annual parish fair take place in the grounds of the Church of the Epiphany, and an even finer Sunday saw locals and visitors gather for worship and fellowship.
This coming Sunday, 23 November 2025 is Ordinary 34 but celebrated by many churches as “Christ the King” or “The Reign of Christ Sunday”. It is the Sunday before Advent begins and a traditional collect, “Stir up, O Lord…” gives the Sunday yet another name, “Stir Up Sunday”. It may also be celebrated as “Aotearoa Sunday”. The Gospel reading is Luke 23:33-43 which may seem odd, since it is a passage taken from the story of the crucifixion of Jesus, but in this passage, Jesus is declared by his executioners to be “The King of the Jews”. Through other New Testament passages (including our epistle for the day, Colossians 1:11-20) we are invited to think of Jesus being exalted as king of the whole world. On the cross, King Jesus dies. Through Advent, we seek the return of our king.
Arohanui,
+Peter.