Dear Friends,
It was good to be with God’s people at the church of St. Philip and All Saints, Marchwiel, Timaru on Sunday morning. Today I am writing this message from Palmerston North where I am participating in three days of meetings with the bishops of our church.
This coming weekend I will be present for an interfaith event at the Christchurch Buddhist Temple on Saturday morning commemorating the birth of Buddha and praying for world peace. On Sunday morning Teresa and I will be at Ordinations and Commissionings for clergy and kai karakia for Te Hui Amorangi o Te Waipounamu. These will take place at Te Tōmairangi o Ihu Karaiti at Te Pā o Te Waipounamu, 290 Ferry Road, Phillipstown, Christchurch. Archbishop Don Tamihere will be the ordaining bishop.
Planning for our annual Synod in September is underway. In respect of Diocesan youth representatives for the Synod we would like to invite parishes / ministry units with young people aged between 16-24 years old who would be interested in attending synod as a Diocesan Youth Rep to send in nominations. It’s super simple – just fill in the form here. Diocesan youth reps have voice and vote at Synod. Nominations need to be made by Friday, 2 May. If you have any questions, please contact Rev’d Sammy Mould by email or phone.
A week or so ago we learned of terrible, destructive quakes in Myanmar.
Ian McInnes of Tearfund writes, “We’re moving fast together with our local Christian partner, who has been working in Myanmar since 1995 and has a trusted relationship with communities there. Your church’s financial support could put faith into action and… Provide life’s essentials, such as food, safe drinking water, hygiene items, emergency shelter supplies, mosquito nets, bedding, and more! … From my experience responding to disasters, every second matters when lives are at stake. So, your community’s support this Sunday will make a tangible difference in getting the right supplies and people to communities in serious need. You can donate your church’s offering online or via bank transfer. We’ve also created a PowerPoint slide you could download and use.”
Thank you for being a community that puts your faith in action and for holding the people of Myanmar in your prayers. We pray that God would use his people far and wide to bring relief to our brothers and sisters in Myanmar right now:
Account Name: The Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund T/A Tearfund
Account number: 12-3024-0505787-01
Code: 236-25
Ref: 1041628
Cole Yeoman, a parishioner in the Parish of Bryndwr, is currently living in the West Bank. From time to time in e-Life we will be bringing Cole’s reports of life in the West Bank where immense pressure is being exerted by Israel on Palestinians – on their lives, their residences and their livelihoods – in a 21st century version of colonisation.
Meanwhile the terrible suffering and unnecessary deaths all wars unleash on the innocent continue in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan: we continue to pray to the God of peace for peace – a real, lasting and just peace.
This coming Sunday, 13 April is Lent 6 – Palm Sunday. The Gospel reading is (at least) Luke 19:28-40. If our service includes both the Liturgy of the Palms and the Liturgy of the Passion then there is an additional gospel reading, Luke 22:14-23:56 or Luke 23:1-49. An appropriate focus for Palm Sunday is to ask the question, “What kind of king is Jesus, who comes into Jerusalem in peace and humility”, and who will die “King of the Jews” in a few days’ time?
Incidentally, Ian Paul offers the observation that in Luke 19:28-40 there is no mention of ‘palms’, only of ‘cloaks’.
Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. Throughout our Diocese there will be extra services and special services through Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Maundy (or Holy) Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. On Tuesday, in Avonhead in the morning and in Temuka in the early evening there will be our annual Chrism Eucharists with opportunity for clergy present to renew their ordination vows and for oils for rites of our church to be blessed. May we all, across the ministry units of our Diocese grow closer to Jesus Christ, deepen our solidarity with him in his sufferings and experience afresh the power of his resurrection (Philippians 3:10-11).
Arohanui,
+Peter.