Inspired by the beautiful set up of St Matthew’s Masterton, Bishop Justin encouraged Synod that while we are presented with great challenges, we can still attend the wedding feast.

His reflections encompassed both the demographic challenges facing the western church as well as wider society such as the global pandemic, climate change and escalating conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East.

He carried on to give examples of where the more fragile life gets and the harder it gets, there are signs that the more the kingdom is coming in full.

“We can’t say it’s good, but it goes well in our souls. And still we stand,” he said.