Vicars Letter 28th November 2025

Rev Guy Benton

Kia ora, All Saints

If you are anything like me, you hate waiting! Like, I really mean it, I hate waiting. I remember as a kid at Christmas being unable to control the excitement and nerves of Christmas day and the thought of opening my presents. Waiting for school exam results, for which I dread, waiting for the birth of our children, waiting for my coffee order, waiting for people to write back amidst conflict, and there are many more, but suffice to say, I hate waiting. 

And yet here we find ourselves on the eve of Advent looking to adopt that exact posture just as all the generations of God's people have done before us since the very beginning, since the fall of our first parents, and God made a promise that would permanently orient his people towards the future. And I will put enmity
    between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring[a] and hers;
he will crush your head,
    and you will strike his heel. (Gen 3:15)

In Short, the promise of a coming conquering son. 

Since then, God's people have been waiting. Lemach, who has Noah (Gen 5:29), who waits (Gen7:6), Arbaham waits (Gen 12:2; 15:4; 17:16) (Gen 21:1-3), Isaac has to wait (Gen 25:20-26), Jacob waits years for Rachel, only to end up marrying Leah from the line of Judah (the promised line) (Gen 29:20-30; Gen 29:35; 49:10), Naomi waits with Ruth for Boaz, from whom comes Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David (Ruth 4:18-22). Hannah endures years of barrenness before she receives Samuel (1 Sam 1:1-20), the one who anoints David as God's chosen King (1 Sam 167:10-13). David's accession doesn't come immediately; he has to wait (2 Sam 5:4). And of course, God's promise to David that his son would sit on the throne forever isn't fulfilled until Jesus (2 Sam 7:12-16), some 1000 years later. 

We have been waiting since the beginning. And we continue to wait. 

We are what we call between two Advents. That Christ has come in Jesus, but is yet to come again as promised to restore and heal the world back to himself. 

So we find ourselves with the reading from Matthew 24:36-44 this week. Advent week one, Hope, watchfulness, waiting! 

I encourage you to read through this passage between now and Sunday and ask the Lord to speak to you. 

How are you at waiting? And what are you waiting for? 
We are reminded of Jesus promise through the apostle Paul He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)

I look forward to gathering with you all on Sunday for worship together at 9 am and 10:30 am. 

In a spirit of waiting, I would like to encourage you all if you are able to pick a day over the next week to fast and pray for our three young people (Alice, Micah and Luke) who are being baptised on Dec 7th at 10:30 am. You might like to pick a day from post-dinner to dinner the next day, to pray and intercede on their behalf. You might find the Lord gives you a word for them. Feel free to write it down and bring it with you on Dec 7th, or email it to me, and I will collate it for the participants. 

We have all our Christmas information available in our newsletter and on our website now, if you would like to share it with friends. 

A reminder that we have 9 am and 10:30 am each week until Dec 21st, then we have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Gatherings. 

Summer series gatherings start Dec 28th through till Feb 8th - combined short liturgical service at 10 am each week.

Much love,