Dear Friends,
It was good to be in St John’s, Woolston on Sunday morning and in St Paul’s, Glenmark on Sunday afternoon, with the latter being a special service to induct the Reverend Dr Elspeth Wingham, previously Priest in Charge, to be Vicar of the Parish of Glenmark-Waikari.
This Saturday 8 June, beginning at 10am, Teresa and I will be speaking at an event organised by the Diocesan Council for World Mission, at Holy Trinity, Avonside. We will be sharing with words and pictures about our visit to the Diocese of Western Tanganyika in 2023. All are welcome. Details elsewhere in this e-Life.
Later that day we travel to Temuka for the 125th celebrations of worship, mission and ministry in St Peter’s church and surrounding districts. Details for this weekend (dinner Saturday evening, service Sunday morning) can be found elsewhere in this e-Life.
Then beginning Monday 10 June, we will be at our annual Clergy Conference – this year in Methven. Please pray for all participating, and especially for Bishop Ana Fletcher (Diocese of Wellington), who is our guest speaker. Our theme is “reFresh: our ministries, ourselves“. The Conference concludes on Wednesday 12 June – e-Life may be published a little later in the day than usual.
Interim ministry is an important feature of life in our ministry units at present. I thank the Reverend John Sheaf for his recently completed ministry in the Parish of Opawa-St Martins. I am grateful that the Reverend Canon Brenda Bonnett is the new Interim Priest in Charge in the same parish for the next period. Meanwhile, my gratitude for interim ministry extends to the Reverend Jan Brodie (Linwood-Aranui), the Reverend Peter Hurricks (Burnside-Harewood), and the Reverends Susan Gill and Peg Riley (Hororata). The Reverend Tim Handley arrives soon to begin interim ministry in the Parish of Westland. Please pray for the Lord of the harvest to supply new servants to become vicars of these vacant parishes.
Working quietly through the past few years, Fuzzy Robes is a Diocese of Christchurch-based music group. Their latest work is reviewed on Taonga by the Reverend Tim McKenzie. I commend their musical offering to you and to our whole church.
Bishop Kaleem John, Bishop of Hyderabad, Pakistan will be in our Diocese in mid-July, preaching at the Transitional Cathedral at 10am on Sunday 14 July, and participating in other events which mark the connection between our diocese and his, especially through the many years of CMS mission partners ministering in that part of Pakistan.
Another advance notice today is that at 4pm Thursday 11 July 2024, in the Burwood Hospital Chapel, the Reverend Maui Stewart (Māori Chaplain) and Mr Eddie O’Connor (Burwood Chaplain) will be formally commissioned in their respective chaplaincy roles. Please RSVP to Sandra Wright-Taylor by 9 July if you are able to be present for this occasion.
Rose Marriott, widow of the late Reverend Wal Marriott, died last Friday. A memorial service for Rose is being planned for late June 2024.
This Sunday 9 June is Ordinary 10. Last week I made a mistake about the Gospel for Ordinary 9 and gave the Gospel for Ordinary 10! That is, Mark 3:20-35. This passage is a good example of what is sometimes called a “Markan sandwich” or, if you prefer a technical word with more syllables, an intercalation. The two layers of bread are words about Jesus in relation to his natural family. The filling is a searching encounter with opponents of Jesus. The overall nourishment of the sandwich – the point of the passage – is that we are completely aligned with the will of God.
Arohanui,
+Peter.