Kia tau ki a koutou te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua
願 父 神 所 賜 的 恩 惠 和 平 安 與 你 們 同 在
Grace and peace to you from God

WAITANGI DAY

I want to begin by saying “Happy Waitangi Day” to my fellow Kiwis and to those who have made Aotearoa-New Zealand their home. As I write this page, there is only one hour left of our National Day; my aim is still to push “send” before the clock clicks over to midnight.

My prayer is that you’ve had a wonderfully relaxing day and that whatever you’ve done (or not done) that you have, at some point had opportunity to reflect on how blessed you are to live in this beautiful land; to reflect on how abundantly the God of Nations has loved and still loves this place.

175 years ago in 1840 the Church through its missionaries helped make possible Te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi. The Church played an important role in laying the foundations for this nation and has continued over the past 200+ years to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to its inhabitants.

What part should we, the Church, play in modern, 21st century New Zealand?

Historian and theologian, Allan Davidson writes –

While the church is a declining force in our society numerically it still has an important contribution to make to the creation of civil, tolerant, inclusive society. Rather than act as chaplain to the nation, the question is, how far the vocation of the church is to be that of a prophet at the gate? The role of the prophet is to ask the hard questions. Rather than speak from the centre, the church is finding more and more that its position is alongside those on the edge.

In Deuteronomy we read –

People of Israel, what does the Lord your God want from you? The Lord wants you to respect and follow him, to love and serve him with all your heart and soul, and to obey his laws and teachings that I am giving you today. Do this, and all will go well for you. The Lord defends the rights of orphans and widows. He cares for foreigners and gives them food and clothing. And you should also care for them …. (Deuteronomy 10:12-13,18-19).

Let’s ask that in a slightly different way: people of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand, what does the Lord your God want from you?

Theologian, Walter Brueggemann, commenting on these verses from Deuteronomy said that loving and serving God is expressed in practicing a missional (or missionary) ethic to execute justice, provide food and clothing, and to love the stranger.

Can’t you also hear someone else speaking to you / us / the Church here … one who said the same sorts of things about loving our neighbour and our enemy? Didn’t Jesus also invite his followers to break bread and share wine, coming together as many diverse people, united around one table?

Te Tiriti o Waitangi reminds us of the original commitment between two peoples to work together for the good of Aotearoa.

Indeed, we Lutherans, by virtue of the fact that we have been born here or have chosen to live here, are partners to the Te Tiriti, and in the spirit and bonds of love in which we meet and live, we have been invited to be the means by which God’s love – not just in words, but in actions and attitudes – can come to life in this nation of Aotearoa.

Sing a song of Aotearoa / New Zealand guarded by the sea; Mountains, lakes and braided rivers, Home to peoples blest and free; Whanau, families - hoping, dreaming, For a land of peace and love, Where true aroha is given, Under Southern Cross above.

Sing a song of Aotearoa / New Zealand shaped by the sea; Land is groaning, tears are falling For the hope of unity; Māori, Pakeha together Live upon this common ground, Working, saying, looking, praying Truth and justice may be found.

Sing a song of Aotearoa / New Zealand washed by the seas; Joy and sadness in its peoples' Whakapapa, family trees; Men and women and their children, Tane, wahine, tamariki, Riches found in many cultures, Wealth seen in diversity.

Sing a song of Aotearoa / New Zealand formed by the sea; Struggling with the past and present With the debts of history. Mana, power, sought and given, Sometimes used for good or ill, Hopes for reconciliation, Truth to find and hopes fulfil.

© A.K. Davidson 2004

MEETINGS

As I indicated in my last update, the meeting season has begun. In coming weeks I will be attending and participating in the following meetings –

• The Joint Liturgy Group – an ecumenical gathering of liturgical churches in Aotearoa – Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist and Lutheran (Auckland)
• Council of Synod / Gateway Gift Trust Board (Auckland)
• College of Bishops (Adelaide)

Please pray for these meetings, that debate, conversation, and decisions may give glory to God and seek to strengthen the Church in its call to participate in God’s ministry of love to the world.

REFRESH

REFRESH is coming to a place near you if you’re in the North Island (to the main-landers – we haven’t forgotten you, and will plan something that meets your needs as well). REFRESH is an LSM initiative; a one-day event to inspire, encourage and equip you for ministry in your local context. For now, REFRESH will replace Kogudus.

Every congregation has received information on the two REFRESH events planned for March and April, so please make sure you pick up a registration and information flyer.

Just a reminder again, that if any of you are near Wellington, Palmerston North or Auckland in mid-late March, make sure you get along to hear Ensemble Nobiles.

Ensemble Nobiles visited New Zealand in 2009 and performed a concert at St Pauls Wellington and sang for morning worship there as well. They’re coming back again in March to perform a concert with the Anglican Cathedral Choir and to sing for worship at St Pauls, and then to perform in other places in New Zealand. The five young men who make up Ensemble Nobiles met each other during their nine-year education in fine arts as members of the St. Thomas Boys Choir Leipzig (this is Johann Sebastian Bach’s choir and church). Their repertoire ranges from late medieval mass songs to modern age works.

• Saturday 21st March at 7.00pm – Concert with the Choir of Wellington Cathedral of St Paul
• Sunday 22nd March at 10.00am – Singing for Morning Worship at St Pauls Lutheran Church Wellington
• Sunday 22nd March at 8.00pm – Concert at St Andrews in the City, Palmerston North
• Tuesday 24th March at 7.00pm – Concert at St Lukes Presbyterian Church, Remuera

I got a wonderful surprise today when the young men of Ensemble Nobiles sent me a special Waitangi Day message; their version of our National Anthem. Check it out at –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSmZmkwtpXI. 

OUR STREET … SPIRIT-INSPIRED VISION FOR MINISTRY IN WHANGANUI

A week ago, Pastor Phil Husband – Harrison Street Community Church / St Johns Lutheran in Whanganui – handed me a few pages containing their plan for ministry in the coming year. I haven’t checked with Phil if I can share this (it’s getting too late to phone him now!), but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind me encouraging you with some of the things the Spirit is leading them to in ministry in 2015 –

• God loves all people and his love endures forever. We are called to serve God together. We strive to do this by growing and nurturing our own personal relationship with our Heavenly Father to become equipped to build new relationships. Our true purpose is to connect all people with our awesome God.
• Our aim is to be a church without walls which brings the love of Christ to every person in our street and community. In order to do this we are developing a vision called “Our Street.”
• In Harrison Street there are 142 houses. In our street we are aware that people are struggling socially, economically and spiritually. In our street we are aware that people are hungry and are in need of the basic necessities of life. In our street people need the love of God.
• We have a purpose as Harrison Street Community Church; to share the Good News with the people in our street.

Are you encouraged by reading that? I am. Please pray for Phil and his team of dedicated people who have been led by the Spirit of the loving Lord Jesus into this mission and ministry passion and vision.

APPOINTMENT OF UPPER MOUTERE YOUTH WORKERS

Billy and Tesser Werner have been appointed and installed as Community Youth Workers in Upper Moutere.  Billy and Tesser replace Abbey and Andy Bensemann who concluded their ministry at the end of last year.

God of grace, through your Holy Spirit, gentle as a dove, living, burning as fire, empower your servants Billy and Tessa for their ministry as Youth Workers in Upper Moutere.  May every grace of ministry rest on these your servants.  Keep them strong and faithful, steadfast in Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen.

ALMOST MIDNIGHT

It’s almost midnight on this Waitangi Day; it’s time for me to push ‘send’ …

MĀNAWATANGA / BLESSING

Kia tau ki a tātou katoa Te atawhai o tō tātou Ariki, a Ihu Karaiti Me te aroha o te Atua Me te whiwhingatahitanga Ki te wairua tapu Ake, ake, ake Amine

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all Forever and ever Amen

+MARK

Pastor Mark Whitfield BTh MSM
Bishop of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand / Pīhopa o te Hāhi Rūtana o Aotearoa

Kia tau ki a koutou te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua
願 父 神 所 賜 的 恩 惠 和 平 安 與 你 們 同 在
Grace and peace to you from God

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I’m not sure what you’ve been up to since I last wrote just before Christmas. Whatever you’ve been doing, wherever you’ve been, I trust that you had time to soak up the glorious gospel of God’s incarnation at special Christmas worship services and with family and friends. Maybe you’ve also had time to relax and be refreshed a little during the New Year period … at a bach on the coast, on holiday in a place you’ve never been before, sometime in the garden or with that new book you got from Christmas, in front of the TV for the Boxing Day Test, lazy evening BBQ dinners with friends on the back deck … or maybe you worked right through, but at a more leisurely pace.

Whatever you’ve been doing and wherever you’re being, may the Spirit of Jesus stir in you excitement and energy as you contemplate the way God plans to use you for his wonderful purposes in this New Year.

PLANNING FOR THE YEAR IS UNDERWAY

I’ve already spoken with most of our pastors and some of the lay-leaders throughout the LCNZ since the new year has begun, and I also get a sense from these conversations that local congregations are gearing up for the year ahead … AGMs, planning days, visioning days etc. My own congregation (St Pauls Wellington) is having its Planning Day tomorrow after worship. So, if that’s what’s happening for you then I pray blessings as you seek God’s will with regard to participating in His wonderful mission of love to the world.

The Council of Synod (COS) Exec has already met via teleconference this year and other District committees and teams are preparing for their first meetings, all with a view to supporting the Church in the mission it has been called to. These are the meetings coming up that I invite you to pray for: Lutheran Support Ministry LSM (31.01), COS (13-14.02), College of Bishops (16-18.02), LLL (07.03). There has even been one meeting to start planning for events in 2017 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Stay tuned; it’s exciting!!

A BIG YEAR AHEAD

It’s a big year ahead too. Will this be the year of the Hurricanes? Surely, my team will move from being the best team on paper to being the best team on the paddock!

Quite apart from the Hurricanes (and the Cricket and Netball and Rugby World Cups), our Church – the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand – will meet in General Synod in Brisbane in September / October, and amongst the many matters to be discussed will be the matter of Women in the Public Ministry (Ordination of Women). There is a separate General Pastors’ Conference in Hahndorf (South Australia) in July. And of course, we have our own District Convention of Synod at Harrison Street Community Church (St John’s Lutheran) in Whanganui towards the end of May.

Can I please remind you that registration of delegates for both General Synod and District Convention are due by the end of this month? (Please refer to my letter to all congregations dated 21st November 2014) for more details).

ENSEMBLE NOBILES

Six years ago, Ensemble Nobiles visited New Zealand and performed a concert at St Pauls Wellington and sang for morning worship there as well. They’re coming back again in March to perform a concert with the Anglican Cathedral Choir and to sing for worship at St Pauls, and then to perform in other places in New Zealand. The five young men who make up Ensemble Nobiles met each other during their nine-year education in fine arts as members of the St. Thomas Boys Choir Leipzig (this is Johann Sebastian Bach’s choir and church). Their repertoire ranges from late medieval mass songs to modern age works.

• Saturday 21st March at 7.00pm – Concert with the Choir of Wellington Cathedral of St Paul
• Sunday 22nd March at 10.00am – Singing for Morning Worship at St Pauls Lutheran Church, Wellington
• Sunday 22nd March at 8.00pm – Concert at St Andrews in the City, Palmerston North
• Tuesday 24th March at 7.00pm – Concert at St Lukes Presbyterian Church, Remuera, Auckland

IN OUR PRAYERS

• That as the New Year begins we would open ourselves to be led in life and ministry where the Spirit of God wants to lead us
• And for a willingness to be led in those Godly directions
• For our committees and teams as they plan ways to support God’s mission through His Church
• For drought relief throughout New Zealand – especially for farmers
• For those dealing with tragedy and difficult situations – especially for the family of the young child who died in the grounds at Whanganui Hospital
• For the planning of the big events during the year – General Pastors’ Conference, General Synod and District Convention

Almighty and eternal God, we thank you for all the good things you have given us in the past year. Let the New Year also be filled with your blessings. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

MĀNAWATANGA / BLESSING

Kia tau ki a tātou katoa Te atawhai o tō tātou Ariki, a Ihu Karaiti Me te aroha o te Atua Me te whiwhingatahitanga Ki te wairua tapu Ake, ake, ake Amine

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all forever and ever.  Amen. 

Kia noho a Ihowa ki a koutou; the Lord be with you.

+MARK

Pastor Mark Whitfield BTh MSM
Bishop of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand / Pīhopa o te Hāhi Rūtana o Aotearoa

Kia tau ki a koutou te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua
願 父 神 所 賜 的 恩 惠 和 平 安 與 你 們 同 在
Grace and peace to you from God

THE LORD HAS ANOINTED US AND SENT US TO BRING GOOD NEWS (TE RONGOPAI)

Around this time next week – on Christmas Day – thousands of people will be gathering, as the Kiwi Christmas carol says, upon the grassy ground at Oihi in Rangihoua Bay in Northland to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Aotearoa – New Zealand.

The people gathered round upon the grassy ground, And heard the preacher say: “I bring to you this day Te harinui, te harinui, te harinui; glad tidings of great joy.” (Te Harinui, Willow Macky)

I loved preaching on the words from the prophet Isaiah this last Sunday –

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour …. (Isaiah 61:1-2)

And as I preached, I was overwhelmed by this sense of the Lord’s anointing in this land of Aotearoa – New Zealand; an anointing that began almost 200 years ago on Christmas Day, 1814, when Samuel Marsden announced the good news (Te Rongopai) to the congregation that had been gathered together by Ruatara, chief of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) –

‘Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord (Luke 2:10-11).

With these words, New Zealand was forever blessed and anointed by the Incarnate One who had come to make his incarnation here. Two hundred years on, and you and I together with many who call this place home, continue to be blessed and anointed and loved back to life by the Good News who is Ihu Karaiti / Jesus Christ.

I have written before of the incredible joy with which the gospel was received that first Christmas Day. Between three and four hundred Ngāpuhi Māori performed Te Hari a Ngāpuhi (the dance of joy of Ngapuhi) as an immediate response to Marsden’s gospel proclamation; such was their sense of the Lord’s blessing and anointing.

Friends, we belong to a Church whose foundations are the very essence of the gospel. We are a good news Church because it is the good news of God’s love for us in Christ that sets us free from sin and death. We are those who through our baptism have been anointed with grace and mercy. We are those whose lives are called back to life as the gospel of God’s love touches our lips with bread and wine. We are those who live by the Words of eternal life contained in scripture.

I’ll be honest with you – I’m not going to perform a dance of joy or a haka, but I am so thankful to God that I am alive at this exciting time in our nation’s history that I probably would if I could … if you know what I mean (I do have a bit of a bung knee at the moment, you see). I sense a deep presence of the Spirit on me as your servant-leader; as one anointed and called, to anoint and call you again to your mission, which is God’s mission of love and grace to the world.

My question is this: how will the Lutheran Church of New Zealand allow itself to be used by God in the next two hundred years to be the means by which many others are anointed with God’s Spirit and blessed by his grace? Will our prayer in this next chapter of Aotearoa’s gospel history be, Come, Holy Spirit … anoint us again and use us to proclaim the good news of Christ? My prayer is that this will be our prayer.

In A Statement for the Gospel Bicentenary (He marau mō te Rongopai huri ruarautau) prepared by the New Zealand Christian Network, we read –

Tapatahi atu kia Apotoro Paora, ka whakahautia e mātau e kore mātau e whakamā kit e rongopai, nō te mea koia te mana o te Atua hei whakaora mō te katoa e whakapono ana.

With the apostle Paul, we declare that we are not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe (Romans 1:16).

Thank God for his anointing in this place, and especially for his anointing in your own life.

Let us pray –

E Ihowā Atua (O Lord God)

O ngā iwi mātou rā (Of all people)

Āta whakarangona (Hear us)

Me aroha noa (Cherish us)

Kia hua ko te pai (May good flourish)

Kia tau tō atawhai (May your blessings flow)

Manaakitia mai (Defend)

Aotearoa (New Zealand)

The National Anthem of New Zealand

CHRISTMAS DAY WORSHIP … AT OIHI … AND AT EVERY LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AOTEAROA

On Christmas Day 1814 a service and a sermon preached by Samuel Marsden, to a Māori and Pakeha congregation, began Christian mission in this land. It was the partnership of Marsden and Ruatara which led to a pivotal moment in our history and the development of the special relationship between the two peoples, Māori and Pakeha; it was a step towards nationhood.

I am delighted to have been asked to participate with many other National Church Leaders in the Ecumenical Service to be held on Christmas Day next week at Oihi. I have been invited to be the guest of Te Pīhopa Te Kitohi Pikaahu of the Te Tai Tokerau (The Anglican Bishop of the Northland Diocese, Kito Pikaahu) and so will be travelling to Waitangi on Christmas Eve afternoon, attending Christmas Mass at St Pauls Anglican Church in Paihia later that evening, and then travelling to Oihi by water taxi on Christmas morning for the Bicentennial Ecumenical Service.

This service will be broadcast on TV One at 11.00am on Christmas Day.

Even though you can’t be at Oihi with me, I don’t want you to miss out.

So, I have made available to all LCNZ pastors and congregations, resources for worship which will enable you to hear the same call to worship, pray the same prayers, sing some of the same songs (especially Te Harinui), and hear the same readings pretty much ‘in sync’ with the congregation gathered at Oihi.

I have encouraged pastors and worship leaders to consider reading Luke 2:10-11 in Te Reo Māori, and if you’re really lucky, you might even hear a sermon based on the first gospel reading ever proclaimed in New Zealand.

My sincere thanks to the pastors and worship leaders of the LCNZ for acknowledging this significant event in local worship around the Church.

Here are details of Christmas Worship in LCNZ congregations as I knew them at the time of publishing this update (please check our website for addresses of our congregations –www.lutheran.org.nz/church) -

Mountainside, Auckland

• Christmas Eve, 7.00pm – with Children’s presentation
• Christmas Day, 10.00am – Worship including celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the First Proclamation of the Gospel in Aotearoa-New Zealand

Botany, Auckland

• Christmas Day, 10.00am – Worship followed by Fellowship Lunch

Hamilton

• Christmas Eve, 7.00pm – Lessons and Carols
• Christmas Day, 9.00am – Divine Service with Holy Communion

Whakatane

• Christmas Day, 9.30am – Worship

Hawkes Bay

• Christmas Eve, 11.30pm – Worship at Clive
• Christmas Day, 9.30am – Worship at Haumoana

Marton

• Christmas Day, 9.30am – Christmas Worship

Manawatu

• Christmas Eve, 7.00pm – Combined Parish Worship
• Christmas Day, 8.30am – Worship with Holy Communion (Trinity, Feilding)
• Christmas Day, 10.00am – Worship with Holy Communion (St Lukes, Palmerston North)

Wellington / Wairarapa

• Christmas Eve, 7.00pm – Family Service
• Christmas Day, 10.00am – Festival Service with Holy Communion including also the commemoration of the Bicentenary

Upper Moutere / Hope

• Christmas Eve, 7.00pm – Family Service
• Christmas Eve, 11.15pm – Reflective Service
• Christmas Day, 9.30am – Worship

Christchurch

• Christmas Eve, 7.00pm – Carols and Readings
• Christmas Day, 9.30am – Shared Service (St Paul's Lutheran Church and Emmett Street Christian Centre)

LAY-WORKER RESIGNATIONS

The LCNZ office has recently been informed of the resignations of Andy and Abbey Bensemann as Youth Workers in Upper Moutere, and of Ben Grulke as Parish Worker in the Manawatu Parish. We thank God for blessing his Church through Andy, Abbey and Ben, and we pray his blessing on them as he leads them to other means of serving him.

ORDINATION – PASTOR JASWANTH KUKATLAPALLI

On Sunday 7th December, Jaswanth was ordained as a pastor of the Church, anointed with the Spirit of the Lord and invited to proclaim the good news; the gospel of Christ. Having spent the last few years journeying alongside Jaswanth on his path to ordination, it was a wonderful moment for me together with Pastor Joe Kummerow (Jaswanth’s Vicar Father) to lay hands on Jaswanth as he knelt before Bishop John Henderson and heard these words –

By the authority which our Lord Jesus Christ has given to his church, I ordain and consecrate you, Jaswanth Aleph Kukatlapalli, to the holy office of the public ministry, in the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What a great joy that his father Johnson, mother Anuja, and brother Jabin could also be present for this occasion.

Jaswanth, we pray for you every blessing as you prepare to take up your first call in the Wodonga Lutheran Parish in Victoria. Jaswanth’s installation date has been set for Sunday 15th February next year.

(Photo of Pastor Joe Kummerow, Pastor Jaswanth Kukatlapalli, Pastor Nicholas Kitchen formerly from Feilding and Bishop Mark Whitfield at the Ordination Service.  This photo is courtesy of Rosie Schefe, Editor of The Lutheran)

LCNZ OFFICE CLOSED – CHRISTMAS / NEW YEAR

The LCNZ office will be closed from midday on the 24th December until the morning of Tuesday 6th January 2015. During this time, I will be in Oihi and then in Geelong (south of Melbourne) where we will celebrate Christmas with Leanne’s side of the family in Australia for the first time in 14 years.

If anyone has a need to make contact with the LCNZ office then please phone either the LCNZ Administrator Robert Hagen on (021) 425676 or Assistant Bishop John Davison on (07) 8395768 or on (027) 5078897.

MERI KIRIHIMETE KI A KOUTOU (Merry Christmas)

For unto us a child is born. He is the Messiah who saves the world. Leanne, Chelsea, Brittany, Charlotte and I pray that your Christmas will be absolutely wonderful as you bask in the light of the Saviour’s love! And Happy New Year as well!

 

---

MĀNAWATANGA / BLESSING

Kia tau ki a tātou katoa

Te atawhai o tō tātou Ariki, a Ihu Karaiti

Me te aroha o te Atua

Me te whiwhingatahitanga

Ki te wairua tapu

Ake, ake, ake

Amine

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all Forever and ever Amen

Kia noho a Ihowa ki a koutou; the Lord be with you.

+MARK

Pastor Mark Whitfield BTh MSM
Bishop of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand / Pīhopa o te Hāhi Rūtana o Aotearoa