Dear Friends,
Last Wednesday evening I was privileged to take part in Open Heaven, an amazing service of prayer and praise, in the Wolfbrook Arena, attended by over 5,000 enthusiastic, joyful Christians from many if not most churches in Christchurch and beyond. “Open Heaven” is a great name for this now annual event: it felt like we were in heaven – the heaven of great worship, envisaged, for instance, in Revelation 4 and 5.
Today is Ash Wednesday and I am glad to be sharing in three school services (St. Margaret’s College, Christ’s College, St. Mark’s School, Opawa) and then, this evening, at 5.30pm in the Transitional Cathedral for the annual Anglican-Catholic Ecumenical service, with Bishop Michael Gielen preaching.
As we begin Lent in 2025, I am delighted that over 700 copies of Theology House’s Lenten studies book have gone out the doors of the Anglican Centre to many parts of our Diocese and beyond to parishes in other dioceses. There is something about Lent which brings the word “intentional” to my mind: if we are serious about following Jesus, then what extra intention might we offer Jesus in this season of journeying with Jesus to the cross? Bible study in groups is one possibility. Fasting from something (Chocolate? Alcohol? Social media?) in order to focus on Jesus is another possibility. Increasing our prayer times, giving to God from our resources and service projects for our communities are also possibilities. All such intentions are offerings from our thankful hearts: Jesus intentionally went to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) to die on the cross for our sakes (Mark 10:45), that we might live for him (2 Corinthians 5:15).
The Reverend Chris Parry-Jennings died yesterday, after long illness. His funeral is at 2pm, Tuesday 11 March, 2025, in St. Christopher’s, Avonhead. Please pray for Helen and their family as they mourn the loss of Chris and as they prepare for the service on Tuesday. Chris was ordained deacon and priest in England and served in several parishes there before coming to this Diocese in 1967, where he served in the parishes of Shirley, Lincoln, Lower Riccarton, Heathcote-Mt. Pleasant, Upper Riccarton and Akaroa-Banks Peninsula. Chris also had roles in chaplaincy to Lincoln University and for SPCK-NZ. In my experience of Chris, he was a gracious, enthusiastic and hard-working minister of the Good News of Jesus Christ, and much loved by his parishioners.
In this year, 2025, when I encourage us to continue our emphasis on Prayer from 2024, there is much to pray for: for peace and justice in our world; for economic good sense among the major trading nations; for Christian faithfulness to the teaching of Jesus Christ and for Christian devotion to Jesus as the one Lord and Saviour of our world; and – always – for the Regeneration of our Diocese in this decade.
It was a privilege to be at St. John’s, Highfield, Timaru with the Reverend Lucy Flatt on Sunday morning for their 8.30am and 10.30am services. It was very good to meet new people in the congregations and to see excellent progress on a new roof for their hall complex. Later that day Teresa and I were at St. Margaret’s College, Christchurch, with Principal Diana Patchett and middle and senior school students for their first Eucharist Service for 2025.
Bishop Anthony Poggo, the Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion, has been visiting Anglican provinces in the Oceania region in recent weeks, including a visit to Aotearoa New Zealand. Although Christchurch has not been included in his itinerary, it was excellent yesterday to join a Zoom meeting with him and other bishops from Tikanga Pākehā. Please pray for +Anthony as he and Church of England leaders makes arrangements for the Crown Nomination Commission which will select the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
For a local episcopal prayer need, I ask for your prayers for Bishop-elect of Dunedin, the Reverend Anne van Gend as she prepares for her ordination as a bishop and installation as the next Bishop of Dunedin on Saturday, 29 March.
In relation to Patrick Chrisp’s appointment, announced two weeks ago, to serve in the Parish of Hornby, Templeton and West Melton, if any reader knows of a house/flat to rent (with at least two bedrooms) in the Hornby or adjoining suburbs’ area, please contact Veronica Cross, my EA, at bishopsea@anglicanlife.org.nz .
I commend “A Short Course in Christian Living” to you, facilitated by the Diocese of Christchurch’s Cursillo Community. Running from 6pm Friday 21 March to 4pm Sunday 23 March 2025 at Cracroft, 151 Cashmere Road, Cashmere, Christchurch, this weekend offers refreshment in the basics of the Christian faith and Christian discipleship. Further details are noted elsewhere in e-Life.
This coming Sunday, 9 March is Lent 1. The Gospel reading is Luke 4:1-13. Jesus is tested through temptations to ditch the will of God in favour of the will of the Evil One. Those temptations are often also our temptations: to settle for material comfort rather than seek God’s spiritual food; to acquire human power at the expense of devotion to God; to assume God’s power is at our disposal.
Arohanui,
+Peter.