Vicars Letter 21st March 2025

Rev Guy Benton

Kia ora All Saints

Many of us have been digesting the Lent study together, Restoring the Story: The Good News of Atonement, which has been a rich time of discipleship for many of us. We noticed the other day that the Lent study lacked any reference to the New Testament scripture in Romans 3 about Jesus as the Atoning sacrifice, which is so rich and beautiful and full of goodness. Pull it up and take a look here.

This is such a beautiful portrait of just how far God went for us, and this harks back to Leviticus and the way the high priest would make a sacrifice in the temple to atone for the people's sins (all those things we shove in the way of our relationship with God). What is beautiful and what we unpacked in a group this week is that Jesus becomes the Great High Priest (you hear this often in our communion liturgy), he becomes the sacrifice (he is the lamb who was slain), and he becomes the place where the atonement can be found (it's in Jesus that we find freedom from sin). How rich and beautiful!

I marvel at the depth of God's love for each one of us and the lengths he will go to! Take my life, God! Take it all!!

This weekend we have our combined 10am service, a large portion of our parish is at the annual diocesan Ministry Leaders Family Camp, pray for us as we gather there with 500 others from around the diocese to worship, pray, learn, and connect.

A reminder that we are gathering on the 30th for our annual AGM (approving finances) and a shared lunch.

Parish Council met on Wednesday this week for the second time this year, focusing on budget preparation and possible responses to increasing access to AEDs. We rebuilt our core culture foundations as we do every year, around things such as trust, communication and conflict, commitment to our team, accountability, and focused results. It was a really fruitful time; continue to pray for your Parish Council; they are a group that is deeply committed to God's kingdom coming, lives being transformed, and leading our community well through stewarding and governance.

Much love to you all,