Vicars Letter 14th March 2025

Rev Guy Benton

Kia ora All Saints

Guy here this week. We are now well and truly into our season of Lent here at All Saints for 2025. I love what Kath from Silverstream brought on Sunday about using this time as preparation and training as we walk towards the cross.

It's timely. We are in this season as I have been feeling a prompting to look at preparing some resources and ways to participate and develop spiritual formation, particularly spiritual disciplines. Funnily enough, the world has morphed and we now call them spiritual practices; maybe discipline is too harsh of a word. As I was in Christchurch this past week with other clergy from around the country I found myself in conversation about a particular resource that focuses on Spiritual disciplines (SD), the conversation turned towards identifying that the SD are like warming up and training for the "game", but that it seems that we have turned these into the "game" itself, raising the question of, when are we going to play the game?. I found it fascinating that we so easily take something that is there to challenge and train us for the "game" and turn it into a self-satisfying exercise that we use to just continue to build ourselves up. Formation and SD are there to prepare us for the "game," the work of the kingdom, not to be the end game itself; they are also there to challenge and strengthen us, not just puff us up and satisfy us to no end.

As we journey together this Lent, let us be prepared to be challenged and strengthened as we enter the "game." As Kath talked about, giving, prayer, and fasting are all ways of expressing and reflecting the kingdom not only in our own lives but also to those around us.

If you are asking how to get into the "game" or what the "game" is, don't feel ashamed. Reach out and ask. I would love to have that chat with you. If you are asking what spiritual disciplines are, or that sounds harsh or hard, don't feel shame. Reach out. I would love to have that chat with you.

Christ seeks a relationship with us void of the things that seek to keep us apart. Let us look deep this Lent and seek to train and prepare ourselves alongside one another as we walk towards being Easter people.

Make sure you check out all that's happening in the parish's life over the next few weeks. I'm mainly pointing out the announcement of our new Youth team and our two combined services on the 23rd and 30th of March.


Much love to you all