Vicars Letter 21st February 2025

Rev. Summer Benton

Kia ora All Saints Whānau,

​I don’t know about you, but I still feel like I’m finding my rhythm for the year. I have different clinic hours this year, the kids have different after school activities, and Quinn (alongside many of our other year 6s here at All Saints) has now joined Junior Youth group which makes for a late Thursday night! It can be busy - and somewhat overwhelming as we try and find our rhythm. 

The rhythm we are trying to find is important for so many reasons. One, so we don’t forget things, like yesterday morning when we didn’t remember two of the girls’ floorball trainings until 15 minutes before they started! But more importantly, so we don’t go through our year frantic, busy, and stressed. So we can find margin, space, connection, and centering with God and with one another.

When we are busy and frantic our nervous systems are in a sympathetic response, which means our bodies and minds are primed to keep us safe. Various muscles engage, our heart rate increases, blood flow in our brains redirects so that we can think fast. And this is a great if we are in danger or needing to do something scary. But this isn’t how our bodies are meant to function all the time. And when they do, and we are chronically busy or stressed, we loose connection. We are unable to connect to ourselves, to others, and to God. We must create space in our life to hear God’s voice, to feel God’s peace, and to follow God’s leading.

This year at All Saints we are focusing on our parish value of “Jesus Centered”. And when we read the Gospels we can see Jesus’ example to us through his life of how to set up rhythms of connection - with God and with community. 

So I encourage you all, as you fall into the rhythms of this year, to prioritise space for prayer and connection. Fight against the busyness and chronic stress that this world presents us with and instead stand firm in the peace we are offered by living into Kingdom values and following the example of Jesus. 

See you all in the room on Sunday! 

Ngā mihi nui,
Sunmer