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

This time next week many members of the church will be packing their bags, catching planes, thumbing a ride, heading up or down State Highway 3 … on their way to the River City, Whanganui for the District Convention of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand.

Unfortunately, His Royal Highness Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales (Prince Harry) got the dates a wee bit wrong and turned up in Whanganui this last week, so the ‘royalty’ at our Convention will actually be you … and there’s nothing at all wrong with that … for you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood (there you go – royalty!), a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).

We are gathering under an invitational theme – Holy Spirit, you are welcome here; fill us with God’s love, and our theme song goes like this –

Wairua Tapu, Kuhu Mai Holy Spirit, welcome

Nau mai ki konei You are welcome here

Wairua Tapu Arahia Guide us, Holy Spirit

Korero mai ano Speak to us again

Why would we invite the Holy Spirit to be present at our Convention? Why would we invite the Holy Spirit to make itself welcome in our Church … in our gatherings, our worship, our ministry, our service? Why would we ask the Spirit to fill us with God’s love and to speak to us again?

Here are some pretty good answers to those questions -

• Because the Holy Spirit will lead us into the truth about God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth (John 16:13).
• Because the Holy Spirit will bring life to the Church and its people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live (Ezekiel 37:14).
• Because the Holy Spirit will make all things new. When you send forth your spirit, you renew the face of the earth (Psalm 104:30).
• Because the Holy Spirit calls me to Jesus (Explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed).
• Because the Holy Spirit enlightens me with his gifts, makes me holy and keeps me in the faith (Explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed).
• Because the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, makes the whole Church holy and keeps it safe with Jesus Christ (Explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed).

My prayer is that as we gather as Church in Convention, that the Spirit of God will stir in us a deep passion and desire to be more and more like Jesus; people of love and grace, people of mercy and justice and hope, people with a heart to share God’s love with anyone and everyone.

GUESTS AT CONVENTION

Included in the guest list at our Convention (minus Prince Harry) are the following people –

• LCA Bishop, Rev John Henderson
• Secretary of the Church, Rev Neville Otto LCA
• Executive Officer, Peter Schirmer
• LCA Professional Standards Unit Director, Liz Crawford
• LCA Business Manager, Debbie Venz
• LCA Board for Mission Director, Glenice Hartwich
• LCA Communications Coordinator, Linda McQueen

We also hope to welcome a number of representatives from other churches in Whanganui, and maybe even the Mayor and the MP for Whanganui.

ONE CONVENTION; TWO VENUES

Our hosts for the weekend are the saints of Harrison Street Community Church (St Johns Lutheran). We will hold our Opening Worship Service at the church on the corner of Harrison and Liverpool Street at 9.30am on Saturday morning. Our Convention Worship with Holy Communion at 9.30am on Sunday morning will also take place at the church. All other sessions, devotions and the Convention Dinner will be held at the Kingsgate Hotel in Victoria Avenue.

After the Opening Service, we will participate in a short Hikoi (March) of Prayer from the church to the Kingsgate in order to pray for the ministry location and opportunity that our sisters and brothers at HSCC serve.

CONVENTION OFFERING - NEPAL

Please come prepared to make an offering to assist Australian Lutheran World Service (ALWS) in their ministry of love to those affected by the earthquakes that have struck Nepal. The ALWS team are already working in some of the hardest hit areas. ALWS has staff and infrastructure ready to give immediate help. Through this offering we will also support an Emergency Response Hub in Kathmandu operated by ALWS.

WAIRUA TAPU - SING THE SONG

I have invited all LCNZ congregations to sing the waiata, Wairua Tapu kuhu mai(Holy Spirit, welcome) in their worship next weekend. I invite you to do this with a real sense that you are praying alongside those of us who gather in Whanganui for an outpouring of the Spirit in every part of the Church and in every heart of those who belong to the Lord.

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

THE REVERSAL OF THE TREE

I had the joy of leading worship and preaching at Botany Lutheran Church on Sunday, and as part of that servant-leadership of praying these words as we prepared to receive the supreme gift of love, Christ’s body and blood in the sacrament –

It is indeed right and good, Lord God, holy Father, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. On the tree of the cross he gave salvation to all, so that, where death began, there life might be restored, and that the enemy, who by a tree once overcame, might by a tree be overcome. And so, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we adore and praise your glorious name: Holy, holy, holy …

I love the, almost rhythmic and play-on-words structure of the highlighted sentence about the tree … who by a tree once overcame might by a tree be overcome.

Here, my dear fellow descendants of fruit-eating Adam and Eve, is the great reversal. Sucked-in, bitten into the fruit of the tree you shall not eat of, we have been overcome by the evil one; drawn into his death and dying.

But for the One on the new tree … that foolish looking tree I spoke of last update … a cross which you will adore tomorrow as you gather for Good Friday worship. Here is the great reversal. A tree now saves us from the tree that killed us. This tree and the One hanging on it now gives life. As for death and dying? IT IS FINISHED! Death has been reversed (changed) into life.

And so this weekend IT IS FINISHED and CHRIST IS RISEN can again be your confident confession of faith. God bless you with joy as you celebrate Easter this weekend.

O tree of glory, tree most fair, Ordained those Holy Limbs to bear, How bright in purple robe it stood, The purple of a Saviour's Blood!

Upon its arms, like balance true, He weighed the price for sinners due, The price which none but He could pay, And spoiled the spoiler of his prey.

To You, Eternal Three in One, Let homage meet by all be done: And as you by the cross restore, So rule and guide us evermore.

Vexilla regis prodeunt Vernantius Fortunatus 530-609 (LHS-758)

Ngā mihi o te Aranga; happy Easter.

DISTRICT CONVENTION - 23rd & 24th May - Whanganui

This year our Church will meet under the theme of Wairua Tapu Kuhu Mai – Holy Spirit, you are welcome here; fill us with God’s love. Representatives from all LCNZ congregations will gather at Harrison Street Community Church (formerly St Johns Lutheran Church) Whanganui on the weekend of 23rd and 24th May, to worship together, to fellowship together, to hear reports and stories of how the Spirit has been welcomed and is working in the lives of God’s people (His Church), to plan for the future, to elect servant leaders, to hear our Bishop, John Henderson preach at the Sunday service, and to support by our presence the exciting ministry happening at HSCC.

Please ensure that you have chosen your delegates and registered them for Convention.

IS GOD CALLING YOU TO SERVE?

Do you know someone in your congregation who might be nominated for servant-leadership roles on Council of Synod, Lutheran Support Ministries (LSM), Finance Advisory Committee (FAC) and Lutheran Laypeoples’ League (LLL)? If so, please talk about it with your pastor, your congregational leadership … and most importantly, with the person that you believe could be a blessing to the Lord’s Church … and then let the LCNZ office know.

REFRESH

Last Saturday about 40 people gathered at St Matthew in Hamilton for REFRESH I. It was incredibly encouraging to see people from Whakatane (almost their entire congregation; well done!), Hamilton, Botany and Mountainside receiving refreshment from the Lord through his servant, Dean Eaton.

REFRESH II takes place at St Lukes Palmerston North on Saturday 11th April from 9.30am to 3.30pm. I’m also really encouraged by one parish writing personally to all members inviting them to participate. Here’s something from that letter of invitation –

What are your hopes and ideas for the future of our church?

[Dean Eaton, a mission specialist from the Lutheran Church of Australia will facilitate] a special seminar looking at refreshing our vision for local mission, growing our own and our churches faith journey.

Where and how might our parish grow?

It’s not too late to pick up a registration and information flyer, fill it in and post to the LCNZ Office, or to register on-line at http://www.lutheran.org.nz/refresh.

(Photo of Dean leading at St Matthew Hamilton)

EASTER WORSHIP IN THE LCNZ

If you’re travelling throughout Aotearoa this weekend and want to find a Lutheran worship service, here are details of worship in each of our congregations –

BOTANY

• Good Friday 10.00am Meditations on the Cross
• Easter Sunday 10.00am

MOUNTAINSIDE

• Maundy Thursday 7.00pm
• Good Friday 10.30am
• Easter Sunday 10.30am

HAMILTON

• Maundy Thursday 7:30pm
• Good Friday 10:30am
• Easter Sunday 7:30am and 10:00am

TAURANGA

• Easter Sunday 10.00am at Joan Tessendorf's home, 53 Pelorus Street, Welcome Bay

WHAKATANE

• Good Friday 10.00am
• Easter Sunday 10.00am

KAWERAU

• Easter Sunday 10.30am

HAWKES BAY

• Maundy Thursday 7:00pm at Clive
• Good Friday 9.30am at Clive
• Easter Sunday 9.30am at Haumoana

WHANGANUI

• Easter Sunday 9.00am

MARTON

• Good Friday Walk 9.00am (begins at St Martin)
• Easter Sunday 9.30am

MANAWATU

• Maundy Thursday 7.00pm at St. Luke’s
• Good Friday 9.00am at Trinity Feilding 10.30am at St Luke’s
• Easter Sunday 9.00 am at Trinity Feilding 10.30am at St Luke’s

WELLINGTON – WAIRARAPA

• Maundy Thursday 7.30pm
• Good Friday 10.00am
• Easter Sunday 10.00am

UPPER MOUTERE / HOPE

• Maundy Thursday 7:30pm
• Good Friday 9:30am
• Easter Sunday 9:30am at Upper Moutere 11:15am at Hope

CHRISTCHURCH

• Maundy Thursday 7.00pm
• Good Friday 9.00am
• Easter 9.00am (followed by morning tea)

LEAVE

I will be taking some leave over the next few days and returning to work on Thursday 16th April. If you have an urgent pastoral need during this time, please contact Robert at the National Office on 04 3852540 or Assistant Bishop John Davison on 07 8395768.

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

Each Lenten season, I find myself re-reading bits and pieces from Max Lucado’s He Chose the Nails. These last few days I’ve been reading and reflecting on some of the things Max Lucado had to say about the cross. I wanted to do this in light of the second reading we heard last Sunday –

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God(1 Corinthians 1:18).

I’ll let Max speak here –

The cross. Can you turn any direction without seeing one? Perched atop a chapel. Carved into a graveyard headstone. Engraved in a ring or suspended on a chain. The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. An odd choice, don't you think? Strange that a tool of torture would come to embody a movement of hope.

Would you wear a tiny electric chair around your neck? Suspend a gold-plated hangman's noose on the wall? Would you print a picture of a firing squad on a business card? Yet we do so with the cross.

Why is the cross the symbol of our faith? To find the answer look no farther than the cross itself. Its design couldn't be simpler. One beam horizontal – the other vertical. One reaches out – like God's love. The other reaches up – as does God's holiness. One represents the width of His love; the other reflects the height of His holiness. The cross is the intersection. The cross is where God forgave His children without lowering His standards.

How could He do this? In a sentence: God put our sin on His Son and punished it there. God put on him the wrong who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Envision the moment. God on His throne. You on the earth. And between you and God, suspended between you and heaven, is Christ on His cross. Your sins have been placed on Jesus. God, who punishes sin, releases His rightful wrath on your mistakes. Jesus receives the blow. Since Christ is between you and God, you don't. The sin is punished, but you are safe – safe in the shadow of the cross.

As boldly as the centre beam proclaims God's holiness, the crossbeam declares His love. And, oh, how wide His love reaches. He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart by Max Lucado. ©2000 Max Lucado.

St Paul writes –

We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1: 23-24).

Friends, the cross is more than just the power and the wisdom of God. Here we see God’s love most perfectly come to life.

Sounds crazy eh; foolish even? But it works.

Blessings as you continue to walk towards the cross this Lent; blessings as you trust the cross and the one who hangs on it for you!

WAIRUA TAPU KUHU MAI - LCNZ DISTRICT CONVENTION

This year our Church will meet under the theme of Wairua Tapu Kuhu Mai – Holy Spirit, you are welcome here; fill us with God’s love. Representatives from all LCNZ congregations will gather at Harrison Street Community Church (formerly St Johns Lutheran Church) Whanganui on the weekend of 23rd and 24th May, to worship together, to fellowship together, to hear reports and stories of how the Spirit has been welcomed and is working in the lives of God’s people (His Church), to plan for the future, to elect servant leaders, to hear our Bishop, John Henderson preach at the Sunday service, and to support by our presence the exciting ministry happening at HSCC.

Please ensure that you have chosen your delegates and registered them for Convention.

IS GOD CALLING YOU (OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW) TO SERVE?

Do you know someone in your congregation who might be nominated for servant-leadership roles on Council of Synod, Lutheran Support Ministries (LSM), Finance Advisory Committee (FAC) and Lutheran Laypeoples’ League (LLL)? If so, please talk about it with your pastor, your congregational leadership … and most importantly, with the person that you believe could be a blessing to the Lord’s Church … and then let the LCNZ office know.

INSTALLATION OF PASTOR JASWANTH KUKATLAPALLI

On Sunday 15th February, Jaswanth Kukatlapalli was installed as pastor of the Wodonga Parish (northern Victoria) comprising the congregations of St Johns Wodonga and St Marks Yackandandah. I sent greetings on behalf of the LCNZ for the occasion and have been in touch with Jaswanth in recent days. He is settling in well to what sounds like a busy parish life. He is under pressure to switch allegiances to an Aussie Rules team – the Sydney Swans (thanks to my wife’s Uncle John Simboras who is Jaswanth’s mentor pastor). Please pray for Jaswanth, that he will remain faithful to the Hurricanes and the All Blacks.

But more seriously, please pray that the Lord will watch over Jaswanth during these early weeks and months of ministry, and that he will know great joy and blessing in proclaiming the gospel to God’s people.

In the photo: Pastor Ernie Kiss, Pastor Tim Jarick, Pastor Jaswanth Kukatlapalli, Bishop Greg Pietsch, Pastor Graham Zweck, and Pastor John Simboras.

REFRESH

Just a reminder to register for REFRESH –

• St Matthew Hamilton, Saturday 28th March, 9.30am – 3.30pm
• St Lukes Palmerston North, Saturday 11th April, 9.30am – 3.30pm

REFRESH is an LSM initiative; a one-day event to inspire, encourage and equip you for ministry in your local context to be led by the LCA-NZ Mission Facilitator and Church Planting Mentor, Dean Eaton.

You can either –

• Pick up a registration and information flyer, fill it in and post to the LCNZ Office, or
• Register on-line at http://www.lutheran.org.nz/refresh.

ENSEMBLE NOBILES

Just a reminder again, that if any of you are near Wellington, Palmerston North or Auckland in the next 2-3 weeks, make sure you get along to hear Ensemble Nobiles.

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

CARDINAL JOHN DEW

I wrote to Archbishop John Dew on behalf of the members of the LCNZ to congratulate him on his recent appointment and induction as a Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church and received a lovely letter of thanks and greeting back from him. I am looking forward to personally greeting and congratulating him at our next National Church Leaders meeting next week in Wellington.

NEIGHBOURS DAY

St Pauls Lutheran Church Wellington are having a King Street BBQ on Saturday 28th March; an opportunity for connection with and blessing of their local community. They are doing this as part of Neighbours Day Aoteoroa.

Neighbours Day Aotearoa is a collaborative campaign organised and supported by Lifewise, Inspiring Communities, the Mental Health Foundation, Neighbourhood Support NZ and Public Libraries of NZ.

Whether you live in a suburb, on a city block, in an apartment or on a rural property, you have neighbours – and knowing your neighbours matters. Neighbours Day continues to be a catalyst for thousands of Kiwis to connect with their neighbours and turn their streets into neighbourhoods, ata whainga te pa harakeke.

Atawhaingia te pa harakeke – this whakatauki or proverb speaks to the essence of what Neighbours Day is looking to achieve, nurture familial bonds in the solidarity and unity of community. Atawhaingia is to nurture, protect, cultivate and love. The Pa Harakeke is the Harakeke (flax) grove of the village, used as a metaphor for an intertwined community.

COUNCIL OF SYNOD MEETS

It’s just over a month since your Council of Synod met for its first face-to-face meeting of the year. The COS Exec has had two teleconference meetings as well since the beginning of the year.

We were delighted to welcome Pastor Richard Fox, Director of Lutheran Media to our meeting. In fact, Richard came over for a long weekend and visited a number of media outlets in Auckland, all with a view to exploring the possibility of starting a Lutheran media ministry in New Zealand once again. Richard reported to COS about the encouraging conversations he’d had with the media. Please pray that the Lord will open up to us a way to once again proclaim the gospel to Kiwis through the media.

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