A Call to Pick up Each Other’s Bags
We had a great time gathering as an Anglican whanau at the Training Days in Wellington and Palmerston North on Saturday 5 and 12 August.
In both locations Bishop Justin spoke on the parable of the wheat and the weeds from Matthew 13, emphasising that we will all experience hard times, or “the weeds”.
“We have to work out how we live in this reality, the wheat and the weeds together,” he said.
“I feel like the challenge from God is, how will we respond in the hard moments? Will we take it out on others, or will we pick up each other’s bags?”
In Palmerston North we heard Bishop Justin’s call to pick up each other’s bags even when times are tough echoed throughout the day starting with Rev Dr Rangi Nicholson’s workshop on what being a just church looks like in response to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We heard that picking up each other’s bags can look like learning more about local stories; as Matua Rangi shared some information about the church’s historical involvement in land injustices of the Manawatu and Rangitikei regions outlined in the Ngati Raukawa Treaty Settlement claim. On a similar note, in the Bishop’s ‘ask me anything’ Pre-Regional Synod session there was an extended reflection on his time in Israel-Palestine, in which ‘picking up each other’s bags’ looks like the importance of listening to a diversity of people of political persuasion, religion and ethnicity. A particularly important message as we enter election season and learn more about what it means to be Jesus people in this space too.
In the North of the Diocese the manaakitanga was warm as usual, not least because of the wonderful kai prepared and provided by the local Association of Anglican Women team. The soup was especially appreciated on a typically crisp but clear Palmerston North day. A particular shout out too to the wonderful front of house skills of Ishmael Fletcher (8, from St Peter’s Gonville) following Dad’s footsteps in the hospitality industry by so professionally taking Common Good coffee orders. A big thank you too to MC Andrew (All Saints’ Palmerston North) and worship leaders Amy and Michael from St Matthew’s Palmerston North.
At the Wellington Training Day, Rev Scottie Reeve led a ‘Preaching 101’ workshop, providing a helpful structure on how to put together a sermon, while in ‘Hold Fast to God: Exploring the spiritual practice of fasting’ Rev John Crawshaw explored the historic basis of fasting in the worldwide church, presenting some compelling reasons as to why it is still a relevant practice today. An afternoon workshop on ‘Discerning a Community Development Initiative’ saw Rev Martin Robinson sharing about the provision of a drop-in centre in Naenae’s Hillary Court and how St David’s Church had worked with the community to create a safe space for local connection.
We left both Training Days with our cups full, with plenty of rich content to reflect on and valuable conversations had with one another.
