Kia ora All Saints

The last couple of weeks since Easter, we have had a focus on the Holy Spirit through Pentecost and then, of course, on Trinity Sunday, and then last week, we had our friends Julia and James Coleman preaching on prayer. During the sermon on Trinity Sunday, we explored how the world is in decay and that the Spirit breaking through is the first fruit of what is to come when Christ redeems the world. 

Today (Friday, 27th June), the lectionary reading is from Romans 8:18-30 which is that very passage where Paul talks of creation groaning, and even those of us who have had the first fruits groan as we eagerly await Christ's redemption. 

As I was praying for us all for this coming week, I couldn't help but think how powerfully this sits amidst our rhythm (all be it sometimes uncomfortably or confusingly) of Go Sundays, where we stand together and say that yes, we Worship in the Temple, yes we worship in the Home, but we also recognise that we need to be Out there with our communities. The world is desperate for Christ's love and redemption, desperate for the Kingdom to break through and heal, desperate for homes, families, minds, and hearts to be loved, healed, liberated, and brought back into relationship with the one who created them. 

So let those of us who have tasted the first fruits of the Kingdom through the Spirit go out this Sunday in whatever way we are connecting with others, whether it be Food for Thought, Litter Blitzing, Coffee with friends, creating spaces of hospitality, or prayer walking. Lean into the difference, ask the Lord to show you something of his Kingdom, be prepared to be surprised. 

We pray your Kingdom come on earth as in Heaven. 

By way of reminder, there are NO Central Gatherings this Sunday; we are all charged to GO OUT! check your inboxes for a special email about Go Sunday if you are wondering what you can participate in or check out the main e-news. 

We hope and pray there are stories to share of how God used you. 

Love in Christ

Kia ora All Saints

We have just made our way through our season of Lent, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost, making our way to Trinity Sunday last week. I think this has been a powerful season to see how our God has continued to make way for us to have relationships and connections, make way for us to have liberation and freedom from the bondage of sin, and created a way for us to have life and continued restoration and healing in him through Jesus and the power of the Spirit. 

As New Zealand has its time of celebrating Matariki, let us spend time together this Friday - for our working bee - celebrating, caring for, and tending to the resources we have been blessed with here at All Saints; as we do that, let us be reminded that before anything else God is with us! We can often find ourselves weighed down with anxiety or stress about what we are going to do with our resources, or lack of them, or the burden of them all. In the book of Haggai, God speaks to his people who are anxious and worrying about providing. I love that he doesn't come to them through the prophet Haggai and say, "You haven't done enough; you aren't trusting me enough; be better." Instead, he comes and simply says, "I am with you"

Let us stand in that place, recognizing that God is with us, and live our lives from that place. 

We have James and Julia Coleman with us this Sunday for both Central Gatherings; they will be speaking to us about some practicalities of prayer, and they have asked if people could bring a notebook and pen with them this Sunday. Julia and James are some of our most trusted friends in the arena of practical prayer, and we are excited to have them with us. They will be preaching and teaching from the passages Habbakuk 2: 1-3 and John 10: 7-29 if you are keen to read ahead. 

It is also our friend Jonathan and Fiona Bayliss's last Sunday with us here at All Saints before they move on to their new adventure. They have been a part of this parish for many, many years, and so we will be sad to see them go, but let us gather this Sunday at the 10:30 Central Gathering to pray them out. 

Don't forget that tomorrow's Working Bee (Friday 20th) is from 2-5pm with Fish and Chips to follow. 

We look forward to seeing you all there. 

Love in Christ

Kia ora All Saints

I have found myself thinking back to our time together at Pentecost last Sunday and being reminded of the energy in the room, the worship, prayer, and gathering together to praise God. I'm reminded of the 48 hours of prayer Friday - Sunday last week, those moments of being part of a chain of people praying continuously, and the tangible experience of the Kingdom breaking through in that place. 

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday in our church calendar. A Sunday where usually pastors throw away any sense of bible readings and try and theologically explain the vast cosmic wonder of the trinity in one Sunday! Lots of three-leaf clovers and water, ice, and steam analogy! None of these really help or are accurate. This Sunday, we will stick to our gospel reading, which is John 16:12-15, note that its only four verses!, I encourage you to read these ahead of time and see what you feel like the spirit is saying to you about the father, the son, and their relationship to the spirit. 

If you are in a House Church, I encourage you to get along and unpack this week's discussion and draw on our conversation from last week about being filled with the spirit. Remembering, we talked about when we are filled with the spirit, we are brought into the presence of the Future, the Lord, and the Nations. 

If you are at 9 am I will see you there. 

A reminder that next Friday, 20th June, is our Matariki Working Bee from 2-5pm, with dinner to follow. We are looking forward to seeing you all there. Check out the info in this newsletter and sign up. 

We are also excited next Sunday at both our Central Gatherings to have our good friends Rev James and Julia Coleman from Stokes Valley come and preach to us on some of the practical ways they have seen their prayer life develop; they will bring scripture and practical to us. James and Julia are leading a new church plant in Stokes Valley after being sent from St Mary's Silverstream. James, Julia, and I all served at St Mary's Karori together many years ago. They also have vast experience in preaching, teaching, and writing about prayer and the work of the spirit. It's exciting to have them come join us as we continue to cry out to the spirit of God to breathe life into our community. 

Lastly from me, our young adults have organized a Scottish dance, Ceilidh, as a way of fundraising money for the AED at All Saints; click here for tickets and information; this is a great opportunity to invite your none church friends to a fun event for a great cause. 

Love in Christ

Kia ora All Saints

Today starts our launch into Pentecost for 2025; we have our 48 hours of continuous prayer starting at 10 am (Friday, 6th June) and running through until Sunday at 10 am, when we will all gather for a combined Pentecost gathering.

I often wonder if Pentecost has become for us a little bit like Glad Wrap. Glad Wrap is a brand name, not a product; it's actually cling Wrap, but We know it as Glad Wrap; in America, it's called Saran Wrap, the same thing known by a brand. When we think of Pentecost, maybe we think of an outthere branch of the Church known as Pentecostal.

But let us not forget truly what happened at Pentecost. The Lord was truly faithful to his people. He sent his messenger in the form of the spirit to unite his people. People from all tribes, places, and languages come together. A promise kept to redeem the world. The Kingdom is coming on earth as in heaven.

I am excited for us to gather to pray, calling on the name of the Lord, desiring to see the kingdom breakthrough, and interceding for our friends and family.

One of the beautiful pictures of the Pentecost moment is when Peter stands up and recounts the biblical story. He doesn't stand up and try arguing his point as the world sees it; he simply reminds people of the good news, through Jesus Christ on the cross, by the power of the spirit to bring us back into a relationship with God.

POWER!!

We don't need to make this up. It's all there for us to know, understand, and believe. We are never too mature for the Gospel! Ever! Never! It is always strengthening and maturing us till the day we drop!

Praying with and alongside each of us as we gather. If you aren't in a prayer vigil slot yet, there are still a couple to get into; if you have a friend, house church, or prayer group who has a booking, ring them and ask to join in! It's a time not to be missed.

Sign up here

See you all at 10 am Sunday morning for a joyous celebration of Pentecost - not the Glad wrap version.


Love in Christ