Dear Friends,
It is an absolute delight to begin this week’s message with Congratulations to the Reverend Surrey Lamont who celebrates her 100th birthday today. Surrey lives in Ashburton where she has served the church faithfully through many, many years. Surrey was ordained a priest in the then Parish of Tinwald in 1999 and served St. Andrew’s church in that capacity into her early 90s. Thank you, Surrey, for your faithful service in Christ’s name.
On Sunday morning St Faith’s, New Brighton in the Parish of East Christchurch celebrated the 100th anniversary of the stone church on that site (where worship has been conducted since 1886). It was a privilege to be part of the celebrations and during the service to baptise Evin Luke and to confirm Kim Parrent. I thank Archdeacon Katrina Hill and her team for their work in enabling the celebration to take place.
By mid afternoon Friday this week, I will have concluded participation in carol services, prize givings, leavers’ services and one leavers’ ball at our six Anglican schools. I commend all our schools for a busy and productive year and for their commitment to Anglican character. I thank our chaplains and principals for their spiritual leadership and promotion of the Christian faith. It is a privilege as bishop to be included in these events.
On Saturday morning, we were at a 150th anniversary celebration service for St Matthew’s church, Dunedin. This church has had a very special place in my life. I was child there, 1965-71, when my father was vicar. Then from 1984-86 it was my spiritual home while I was studying at Knox Theological Hall. The church itself is an architectural gem. Incredibly, from an initial planning meeting on Christmas Eve 1872, it only took 23+ months until its opening on 3 December 1874 for the church to be designed and built. Perhaps we are returning to such timelines with recently announced changes to the resource management act and to consenting processes generally. (Mathematically inclined readers will have correctly noted that the 150th anniversary this year was a delayed celebration from a year ago).
Please pray for Byron Behm and Alice Carrell as they prepare to become new students at St. John’s College in 2026 as part of their preparation for ordination. They will join continuing students from our Diocese, Luke Watson and Jamie Somerville.
Important services are coming up this weekend, to which all are welcome:
7 pm, Friday 12 December, 2025 in the Church of the Epiphany, Jollies Pass Road, Hanmer Springs for the induction of the Reverend Hilary Willett as Vicar of Hanmer Springs.
5 pm Sunday 14 December, Evensong in the Transitional Cathedral will celebrate the 175th anniversary of the arrival of the First Four Ships on 16 December 1850. I am the preacher. Although our secular city and provincial leadership are paying virtually no attention to this important anniversary, we who value our heritage in Christ through the Church of England settlement of this region may take up this opportunity, or other opportunities in our local parishes, to give thanks to God for his goodness.
Other services of note to diary are:
7 pm, Sunday 21 December 2025, Nine Lessons and Carols at the Transitional Cathedral.
7 pm, Tuesday 20 January 2026, at St. Christopher’s, Avonhead, when the Reverend Joshua Taylor will be inducted as Vicar of Avonhead.
7 pm, Friday 23 January, 2026, at St. Barnabas’, Fendalton, when the Reverend Dr Andrew Butcher will be inducted as Vicar of Fendalton and the Reverend Kay Webster will be welcomed and commissioned as Senior Associate Priest for the Parish of Fendalton.
I commend forming Bible study groups for Lent and recommend for study the next instalment of Theology House’s Lenten study series, In the Spirit of Lent. The edition for Year A (2025-2026) again includes art by the Reverend Sarah West and text by Gareth Bezett, Theology House director. Orders can be made at https://theologyhouse.ac.nz/resources/in-the-spirit-of-lent-year-a/ and books will ship from mid-January 2026 in plenty of time for Lent. Copies are $9 each.
Advance notice about an exciting new exhibition calledCathedral Square Unearthed: this special 2026 event will be held inside the Cathedral in the Square, and aims to bring Cathedral Square’s early history to life through fascinating objects uncovered during post-earthquake archaeological excavations. Timed to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the 22 February 2011 earthquake, this free event will offer our community a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with the people, places, and moments that have shaped our city. Tickets to Cathedral Square Unearthed are available now here. While the event is free to the public, donations may be made at the time of registration to support the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Project.
This coming Sunday, 14 December 2025 is Advent 3. The epistle reading is James 5:7-10. It is impossible to escape the words “patient/patience/endurance” when reading this passage (6x in the NRSV). In Advent we are challenged, as years go by and the Lord does not return, “Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.”
Arohanui,
+Peter.