Today, Captain Peter Lloyd started his sermon based on Luke 16:19-31. The point of the parable is to be careful about our attitude and actions with regard to money. It also raises the subject of hell.  Peter talked about the fact that we have insufficient knowledge of people to be able to pass judgement and we need to remain humble in our thinking about others.

In our service today, Anne shared her reflection on Luke's gospel chapter 16. What can we learn from this parable of the shrewd manager and how do we ought to live?

This Sunday is our monthly Intergenerational service which takes the theme "Lost and Found" from the gospel reading.  We explore this from a variety of approaches.  This week has been marked by the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.  During the prayers we reflected on her, her Christian faith and had the opportunity to light a candle in memory of her.

Today we focus on the Letter to Philemon and Christian Fellowship with its profound commitment, joys and costs. 

Peter has met with the leadership of three parishes in the last two weeks - all battered by the lockdowns but all with hope for the future.  He reflects on these and calls us to renewed commitment to following the Lord.

In our service today, we focus on God as the One who heals.  He declares it in the Old Testament, David assures us from the Psalms and we see Jesus healing in the Gospel. 

Today's video is from our monthly, intergenerational service - with the theme of Faith.  Follow along as we explore where faith comes from with the help of Jenga blocks, Indiana Jones and Abraham!  In the service, we talked about Bible promise cards - a set may be downloaded below.

Today is our patronal festival when we celebrate our life together as a parish and look to the example of Stephen our patron saint.  Peter looks in the sermon at Stephen as a man who was called to serve food but became a man of perception, purpose and power.

As we continue through Colossians we move from the high description of who Christ is and how he has rescued us to the practical outworking in our lives.  Paul tells us some things in us need to be put to death and we need to strip off some behaviours like dirty clothes and put on fresh clean clothes.

In today's service, Captain Peter Lloyd shared from Colossians 2:6-15.  He reflected on four of St Paul's principles on how to handle times of uncertainty. No matter what the world throw at us, no matter how dire the circumstances are, we know that God is looking after us.

Today's video is from the 8am service.  The theme of the sermon is the Good Samaritan. 

Today Ian preaches on Galatians 6  and the principle of Sowing and Reaping. What choices do we make and what are their consequences?  We need to choose to sow to the Spirit and not to the flesh.

Today we hear of those who put conditions on following Jesus; "First ... me!," as Torben point out in his sermon.  We need to seek wholeheartedly the Kingdom of God.

Te Pouhere (The Constitution) was revised in 1992 so that the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, NZ and Polynesia was organised into three tikanga (peoples) so each of Maori, Pasifica and Pakeha could share resources and organise their affairs in their own culturally appropriate ways. Helen explores relationships between people groups and concludes with the necessity of love.

The Day of Pentecost. We celebrate this 'Birthday' of the Church.  As Jesus promised, he sent the Holy Spirit on the disciples in power and they were transformed while 3000 people were converted and baptised that day!  Ian looks at the work of the Holy Spirit and encourages us to ask for more of his work in our lives.

What does the Ascension mean?  How does it affect us and what is the call on us today?  Helen explores these questions as she looks to the Ascension of Jesus to reign in glory.

Today Peter Lloyd preaches on the basis for trust in tough times:  the testimony of Scripture and our personal experience of God's faithfulness.

Over the last few weeks, we have looked at passages from the New Testament which tell us of the glory of the risen Christ and how the early church developed in the light of the resurrection. Today we looked at Revelation 21:1-6 and Acts 11:1-8. Jesus offers the water of life to the thirsty. Are you thirsty for real life, for satisfying purposeful and eternal life? For that is what Jesus offers - to be enjoyed now and also in the afterlife. He offers it for free to those who will follow him.

As we continue through the Easter season, we see today Jesus as saving shepherd who can be trusted to keep us.  We see Peter walking in Jesus footsteps in raising the dead.  We see something of the worship of Jesus in heaven.

Here we are in the Easter season which runs for 50 days as we rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  Today's readings present three encounters with the risen Christ told by eye-witnesses.  When the disciples met Jesus by the lake, he restored Peter from shame into acceptance and responsibility.  Here we find lessons for us as we find our way in greater wholeness or help others on that journey.

Notices:

• We have Messy Church next Sunday and also the last Sunday of May.
  
• The AGM is on 22nd May.  Nominations for Vestry and Synods Representatives close 5pm next Sunday.
  
• Tax receipts are produced by the Diocesan Accountants and usually come at the end of May.  We know they have had staff shortages because of COVID, so this may delay their production.  Note that you don't need the Tax receipts to submit your tax return, the claim is a separate process after the tax return is assessed.
  

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed, Alleluia!  We celebrate the resurrection, with Wendy taking us through "The Colours of Sunday", a Scripture Union presentation on responses to the Resurrection account.  We also had three visitors help out with the music group which gave a strong music group for a significant celebration! 

On the Sunday before Passover, Jesus entered Jerusalem with a great crowd rejoicing over him but some were not happy about this.  What was happening?  What do we learn from this?

Today we start to tell the story of Easter.  The focus is on the meal at Bethany, but this is a sweet relief in the midst of the gathering threats against Jesus life.  Here the sisters and brother, Mary, Martha and Lazarus express their thanks to Jesus  for restoring Lazarus to life.  Here Mary pours out her precious perfume to honour Jesus.  How do we honour our Lord? 

Mothering Sunday has its 16th century roots in people returning to the church where they were baptised.  By 19th century, servants were given that Sunday off to go home and the maids would gather spring flowers as they walked and take a posy to their mothers.   We honour our mothers, the churches where we as individuals  were raised in the faith, the Parishes that planted this parish.   Peter in his sermon honours the commitment and love of mothers and shows how Jesus said that our Christian relationships will be of the same nature and character.