Vicars Letter 15th august 2025

Rev Guy Benton

 

Kia ora, All Saints

This week, my family and I are on holiday together in the South Island, adventuring and skiing. Each year during this time, we make a conscious effort to take time together to do things we love together and create moments of adventure and wonder. Summer grew up skiing and I grew up by the beach. I never knew a person was a mountain person or a beach person until I met Summer, I just assumed people were both because when you grow up in New Zealand, you aren't far from either, so you didn't really have to pick. 

Every time we get away to the mountains, I am always struck by the greatness of them! It's really one of those moments where I stand there and say "OH MY GOD!" like really, My God has made this! How can one look at this and not stand in awe of the creator? 
Its closely followed by how thankful I am to be able to experience the wonder, the awe, the beauty, the intricacy of it all. 

This week, Tricia Hendry will be preaching at 9 am on the T of our ACTS Prayer Model, Thanksgiving. We are now really starting to build a model of prayer that is tangible and practical. Spending time praying prayers of adoration, as Rebekah talked about last week, prayers of tidying our house, or prayers of confession. This week will be about prayers of thanksgiving. 

Interacting with God around the things we are thankful for. So I pose to you a question leading into the weekend, and for you to bring to your prayer partners this weekend and the following week. What are the things your are thankful to the Lord for? People? Moments? Healing? Strength in times of suffering? Opportunity? Relationship? Challenge? Love? 

Come this Sunday, either to 9 am or your House Church, ready to add another bit of scaffolding to our deepening prayer lives, crying out for the spirit of God to move amongst us. 

As I mentioned above, Summer, the kids, and I are away from the 16th to the 24th of August. If you need anything during that time, please reach out to Cassandra or Chris Worsley via email. Cassandra and Chris 

Love in Christ