September devotion
Appreciating your Great (or Small) Cloud of Witnesses
Kia tau ki a koutou te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua.
Grace and peace to you all from God.
At the beginning of last month, I had the incredible joy of attending the conference of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. It was made even more special for me as I was invited to lead the opening worship in the chapel of Duke University in Te Reo Māori and English.
450 Lutheran Church musicians, choir directors, pastors, organists, composers, and theologians gathered together to sing, pray, worship, and learn. What an amazing blessing to be in the midst of this gathering – organs, brass, choirs, and a thousand voices singing the hymns of the Church in unaccompanied harmony (something Lutherans do really well) at the Hymn Festival in the new Roman Catholic cathedral. At times I was overwhelmed by what I was in the middle of, and had to stop in order to try and take it all in.
On my first Sunday back from the conference, the second reading was from Hebrews, describing life as a race run before a great stadium of witnesses cheering us on. I couldn’t help but preach on those words, because what I experienced in the worship at the conference was nothing less than a living glimpse of that reality.
Hebrews 12 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses … let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus ….
Coming home to numbers far smaller than 450 or 1000 here at St Pauls, I was reminded that the great cloud of witnesses isn’t only found at conferences or in the big historic moments of history or the Church. It’s here too, every Sunday, in the small clouds of God’s people who faithfully gather. It doesn’t matter whether we’re 450, 1000, or 25. Each time we gather, sing, pray, and confess our faith, we are bearing witness to Jesus. We are encouraging one another, that this race is worth running, and that Jesus is worth following.
And our song is never just ours. When we join in worship with those around us, we are also united with angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven. We sing with those who’ve gone before us – parents, teachers, friends, saints known and unknown. Their witness strengthens us. Their lives say to us: keep going, keep looking to Jesus.
At the heart of Hebrews 12 is not the cloud, but Christ. He is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. He has already run this race, endured the cross, and now reigns at the right hand of God. The witnesses inspire us, but Jesus alone saves us. He is the One who brings us safely to the finish line.
So when worship feels small, as it does in most of our locations in the Lutheran Church of New Zealand, or when faith feels weary, remember this: you are not alone. You are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. You are encouraged by the community of faith you belong to, and most of all, you are led by Jesus, who runs with you and for you.
Gracious God, thank you for the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us – for the saints of old and for the faithful in our own community of faith now. Even when our gatherings are small, you make them strong with your presence. By your Holy Spirit please keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Sustain us on the journey and help us to be witnesses who point others to your love. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Te aroha, te whakapono, me te rangimarie tatou, tatou e.
Love, hope and peace be amongst us all.
Mark Whitfield
Pastor and Emeritus Bishop
St Pauls Christchurch
August 2025
