In my sermon last Sunday I mentioned the 2nd century letter to Diognetus. Only one copy of this letter survived among writings from Justin Martyr. The text was then more widely published in 1592. Unfortunately, the manuscript was destroyed during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, so that experts can only refer to the published texts. The letter is a defence of the…
Helping People to Meet God • Make Friends • Grow in Faith
Helping People to Meet God • Make Friends • Grow in Faith
Vicar’s Blog (Page 20)
In recent weeks we have been looking at the Prophets in our Wednesday Bible Study. Generally these prophetic books contain warnings and messages of doom and gloom, but they also contain visions of hope. As we looked at their message, we could feel the frustration at human sin, stubbornness, and apathy. The prophets knew that there was a close link between human…
During the recent synod of the Diocese of Christchurch, Edwin Boyce, the Diocesan Manager, gave a presentation on ethical investment and the way the Church invests its funds. The General Synod Office has also recently published a report (Motion 11 Report – He waka eke noa) on the investment of funds by the Anglican Church. Currently the Anglican Church in New Zealand…
On the 7th November St Paul’s will be open as part of the Christchurch Heritage Festival. The festival this year is an opportunity to share the stories of the past that explore and celebrate our historic journeys through arts, culture and identity. In preparation for that I have also met with representatives of the Papanui…
When we left Cambridge, Waikato, we were given some warm socks so that we could survive the cold South Island winters. Yudy and I had lived in Christchurch in the winter of 2013 in a fairly cold house with little money to run the heating. My Caribbean wife therefore remembered Christchurch winters with some trepidation. Because our current house is fairly big…
Watching a baby grow is always fascinating. They develop so quickly! As we see our baby Sebastian do new things, we are constantly reminded of the times when his older sister and brother reached that milestone. When were they comfortable lying on their tummy? When did they turn over? When did they sit up? When…
I am currently reading a book about the work of the Missionaries among the Māori in the early and mid 19th century. Be warned! You might hear snippets from that history in future sermons. As more and more settlers poured into New Zealand, the missionaries tried to persuade Māori not to sell too much land.…
St Paul’s now has an Environmental Management Plan, which is used to monitor environmental performance of our activities and seeks to implement care for the environment in our decision making. In response to a motion from Diocesan Synod last year we were required to formulate a parish response to climate change. However, it is best…
Our stay in Arthur’s Pass occasioned a wee dose of nostalgia, not only because I thought about past times I spent in mountains, but also because I remembered something about the history of the word. The word nostalgia was coined by the Swiss physician Johannes Hofer in 1688 by combining the Greek words nostos (homecoming)…
This Sunday is Social Services Sunday. It is a day to remember and pray for the many social service agencies of the Church. The care for the poor and vulnerable has been a characteristic of the people of God since Ancient Israel. The Church has always been called to respond to human need by loving service. But the development of social service…