Due to the national response to the COVID-19 crisis all church services at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Papanui, have been suspended until further notice. On the instruction of the Bishop of Christchurch the church will be closed until further notice from Tuesday, 24 March 2020, even for personal prayer. It will still be open on the Tuesday for any last minute arrangements,…
Helping People to Meet God • Make Friends • Grow in Faith
Helping People to Meet God • Make Friends • Grow in Faith
Vicar’s Blog (Page 23)
The Bishops have advised that as of Monday, 23 March 2020, there will be no public worship services at Anglican Churches in New Zealand until further notice. The Prime Minister has advised that we are on a Level 2 pandemic alert. That means, in particular, that people over 70 years of age or at high…
We’re in a time when the threat of infection and the fear of death disrupts all normal interactions between people. It is wise to take all reasonable precautions. And that is different for each person. Those who are most at risk need may need to adjust their life radically. We all need to play our part in inhibiting the spread of this…
For the Common Good A response to the harm done the Muslim community on March 15, 2019. Following consultation, we release this statement: As people of various faith traditions, we recognise that we share common space; the common space of this planet and city we all call home. For those of us committed to the Christian faith, our Muslim neighbours are our…
Our son Sebastian was born earlier this week. It is great to finally hold him in our arms, after we’ve been waiting for him for so long. We’re relieved that he has had the care to arrive safely. His brother and sister were excited to touch him for the first time. We have received many messages of congratulations. The news of this…
With the increasing spread of the coronavirus, there is some concern about how this may affect us as church. The Bishop has published the following guidelines: “We should always follow good public health and hygiene habits. For public worship, the Bishop advises: 1. Wash hands, particularly celebrants (I am doing this). 2. Use hand sanitizers. (As soon as we can get some…
Moving house is always a great time for a clean-out. I have moved frequently through my life and so had many opportunities for a clean-out. Nevertheless, it is always amazing how much stuff we have amassed in a relatively short span of time. As I go through the belongings I always weigh up whether we might use an item in future or…
Breaking Bread Jesus frequently ate with his disciples and the crowds, breaking bread and sharing it with those around him. At the last supper Jesus “took bread, gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them …” (Luke 20:19). Similarly, the first church met together to break bread and remember the Lord’s death, resurrection and coming. Breaking bread together meant sharing…
CHURCH BELLS We lived in Switzerland for 2½ years, where I studied for my doctorate at the University of Bern. We lived in Thun, a city by a lake. We decided to come back to New Zealand, where I would complete my studies at St John’s College in Auckland. New Zealand is a beautiful country, but so is Switzerland and it was…
You may have noticed that I use the pulpit when I preach. That is not so that I can shout at the congregation, but rather because of the symbolism of the pulpit and the heritage it represents. Some preachers prefer not to use the pulpit because they seem to talk down to people. And yet, the pulpit is actually a symbol that…