The story of faith has always been one embedded in difficult and desperate situations and in the face of oppression and empire – whether that’s Egypt, Assyria, Greeks, or Romans – yet in the end, the seed of love always continues. Seeing that God seems to be present to work again and again across history is something we can hold onto in the face of overwhelming challenges.

As we consider our calling as a transformative movement of local faith communities, how are we forming ourselves as people with spiritual disciplines that help us thrive?

We do not need to be afraid. God is faithful. God goes ahead of us. If we have faith to believe that to be true, then we will faithfully seek where God is already at work.

I can see that we as humanity tend to follow at least one of three coping mechanisms or behavioural responses when faced with an engulfing tide of threatening or disturbing events.

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”).

Matthew 1.23

I had a moment last month where my past caught up with me. I walked into Thorndon New World and saw an elderly gentleman. I thought “I know who you are, but it can’t possibly be you.”

Bishop Justin encourages us to attend the the Leading your Church into Growth hui on 17-19 October.

In the Bishop’s News for August 2023, Bishop Justin reflects on his recent time in Israel-Palestine while on sabbatical and the call for us to be ‘living stones’.

Greetings whānau, as we begin the Holy Week journey with Jesus to the cross and beyond. We kicked off last night with Chrism service at the Cathedral, and I’m looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible over the next two nights in the Wairarapa and Manawatu for our other two services.

Maybe it’s because we as Bishops have spent the last two years dwelling in the short letter of 1 Peter (which – product placement! - will also be our Lent Studies text for 2023), that the phrase ‘a living hope’ (1 Peter 1:3) has come back to be a lot in the last few weeks.