ENews Friday, 21 August 2026
Talofa lava, tēnā koutou, malo lelei for Tongan language week and warm Pacific greetings! Well, it has been a very busy week! As you will recall, I was in Palmerston North last Friday and Saturday for the Central Presbytery gathering. It was a good opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and to hear some thought-provoking presentations.
One of these was from the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, the Right Reverend Peter Dunn, whom I went to theological college with way back in the 1980s! Peter shared some reflections from his visits around the country and spoke about what he has been seeing and hearing across the Church. He concluded by talking about the work currently being undertaken by the PCANZ in response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care, particularly the Church’s commitment to a survivor-centred approach to redress and its response to survivors.
We also had a keynote presentation around the biblical image of our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, with a particular focus on nutrition, diet and wellbeing. We heard about foods mentioned in the Bible and reflected on how some of that ancient wisdom connects with what we now know about nutrition. There wasn’t necessarily anything revolutionary in being reminded that what we eat can affect our physical and emotional wellbeing but sometimes we need to hear these things again!
It was certainly a bit of a wake-up call for some of us ministers. When life is busy and we’re rushing from one meeting or pastoral commitment to another, healthy eating can sometimes disappear fairly quickly from the priority list!
This week has continued with plenty of meetings. On Wednesday evening we had our Facilities and Finance Management meeting, and tonight I was at Queen Margaret College Board meeting.
This afternoon St Andrew’s hosted a lovely gathering of ministers working in the inner city. Seven of us gathered for coffee and afternoon tea, and it was wonderful simply to catch up with one another. We also began talking about an idea connected with Eco Church and the Season of Creation. We are exploring the possibility of a pilgrimage around some of the waterways of our city, reflecting on their history, significance and relationship with the life of this place. One of our ministers will be talking further with Mo Mansill, who has suggested that this could become something the city churches might undertake together next month. It is still very much a work in progress, but watch this space!
This Saturday, our City Cluster Group will gather at Huntleigh in Karori in the Lounge at 10.00am. We will be sharing morning tea, so if you are planning to come, please bring along a plate of food to share.
And then we come to Sunday which is going to be a particularly busy day for me!
Our morning worship will explore the theme of xenophobia. We return to the story of the Hebrew people in Egypt, where a new Pharaoh comes to power who does not remember Joseph or what Joseph had done for Egypt. Fear of the growing Hebrew population becomes suspicion; suspicion becomes oppression; and eventually fear leads to the horrific command that Hebrew baby boys be killed.
It is an ancient story, but sadly the dynamics behind it remain very contemporary. What happens when we begin to fear people because they are different from us? What happens when difference is portrayed as a threat? And how quickly can fear of the stranger become exclusion, prejudice and even violence?
These are some of the questions we will sit with together on Sunday. Following worship, special General meeting and coffee, we will have a Peace Chat with our guest Linda as part of our Social Justice programme.
Straight after church will be our Special General meeting to look at our Budget and Finances.
Then, at 3.00pm, St Andrew’s will host the Queen Margaret College Founders’ Day Service, where I will also be participating.
So yes another full weekend ahead! If you are able to join us for any of these gatherings, it would be lovely to see you. Don’t forget our livestream reflection around 10.15am on SAOTT Facebook page.
Have a wonderful weekend, take care of yourselves and one another, and I look forward to seeing many of you on Sunday. Ka kite anō, Fei
You can read the full E-news here: https://mailchi.mp/7d1429430e42/this-weeks-newsletter-from-st-andrews-on-the-terrace-10142097
