Richard Bonifant

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16 June 2024

Ordinary 11

Ezekiel 17:22-24

Mark 4: 26-34

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One of the features of being back in the long season of ordinary time is that we begin hearing gospel passages in which Jesus shares parables with his followers. These short metaphorical stories were a favourite way Jesus chose to share wisdom. The way parables work, is that they take something familiar but then exploit that familiarity to suggest something unpredictable and surprising. When I think of teachers I’ve had, who also enjoyed being unpredictable, my mind goes to one particular psychology lecturer. At seemingly random moments this professor would throw some extremely colourful language into her lectures.  And by colourful, I mean that she demonstrated a truly impressive creativity when it came to swearing. 

Cate Thorn

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9 June 2024

Ordinary 10

1 Samuel 8:4-11, 16-20

Mark 3:20-35

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Jesus and his newly named disciples are inundated, not able to rest or eat properly. Jesus’ family think he’s lost the plot and is being overrun. Out of concern they want to rescue him, to take him away from those that crowd about and besiege him. As if to confirm their concern, we almost immediately hear scholars of the religious establishment, from Jerusalem, where the religious elite reside, theologians and thinkers, those respected for deep learning and erudite scholarship, turn up. They too are seeking to bring reason and reasonableness to the table.

Richard Bonifant

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2 June 2024

Te Pouhere Sunday

2 Corinthians 5:14-19

Matthew 7:24-29

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In gathering together my thoughts for today I will admit to having spent some time resisting my worst impulses when it comes to the celebration of Te Pouhere Sunday. It feels a little selfindulgent of the church that we have set aside a Sunday every year to reflect on how we have come to arrange our life, because that is what the name Te Pouhere refers to, our Anglican constitutional arrangements. As you can tell from that last sentence, there is a certain critical perspective I bring to this day. But rather than waste time focusing on Anglican shortcomings, I am going to jump straight to some aspects of the Te Pouhere story that are often overlooked, misunderstood, and might even inspire us to be a different kind of institution.

Richard Bonifant

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26 May 2024

Trinity Sunday

Isaiah 6:1-8

John 3:1-17

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For many St Francis is remembered for such things as rejecting a life of privilege for one of poverty, and creating a new approach to Christian monasticism. However his greatest offering to Christian theology is often reduced to something of a caricature: Francis preached to the animals. Yes, Francis did preach to the animals, but in doing so he was helping Christianity recover a neglected part of its tradition. While we should always be careful in making generalisations, I can say quite broadly that for most of its history Christianity has taken only minimal interest in the natural world. At its worst, Christianity’s view of the natural world has been destructive and bears some responsibility for the ecological issues facing the world today.

Richard Bonifant

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19 May 2024

The Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21

John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

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One of the things we often take for granted about church communities is the intergenerational aspect of a healthy church. Having been a lifelong church attendee I have always known and interacted with people whose age is at times very different to my own. For most of my friends, particularly my non-church friends this is not the case. Most people only connect deeply with those of their peer group, or maybe those a year or two either side. Belonging to difference church communities has given me connections with people far outside of my peer group, which has been an enriching part of belonging to a church.

Richard Bonifant

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12 May 2024

Easter 7

1 John 5:9-13

John 17:6-19

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In the name of God, Creating, Redeeming, and Giving us Life. Amen.

 

I don’t know about you, but even now I find myself having small moments when I suddenly remember how hard the pandemic lockdowns were. Here in Auckland, we were locked down for a total of 189 days. Together we spent more than half a year, mostly at home, away from our normal patterns and routines, hoping that our efforts would protect the lives of the most vulnerable in our community. Philosophically I am glad that our community was able to come together in this way, while also appreciating that the cost was high for many of us, and the process of returning to a pre-covid way of life is still a work in progress.

Cate Thorn

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5 May 2024

Easter 6

Acts 10:44-48

John 15:9-17

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The season of Easter continues this sixth Sunday of Easter today. A season of resurrection proving encounters and image generation, to assure us of, perhaps ensure Jesus’ continuance. The images of shepherd, of vine, are bound into the fabric of life, of the world of Jesus followers, just as Jesus is. In our world we are, for the most part, distanced from such images – perhaps if we were stock farmers or viticulturists it would be different. Assuming we still think God encounter in the ordinariness of life is a possibility, what might that look like?

Richard Bonifant

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28 April 2024

Easter 5

1 John 4:7-21

John 15:1-8

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In the name of God, Creating, Redeeming, and Giving us Life. Amen.

In the past Anzac Day commemorations played an important part in the life of this community. There was a time when Anzac Day would see parts of the church overflowing with flowers and wreaths as special services were held. Following World War One memorial plaques were placed in this church along with flags and other objects used in military service. This stone pulpit was dedicated to the memory of those who died serving overseas. These choices were incredibly important to this community in that time, because like so much of New Zealand society, young men left this church never to return home.

Richard Bonifant

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21 April 2024

Easter 4

1 John 3:16-24

John 10:11-18

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In the name of God, Creating, Redeeming, and Giving us Life. Amen.

Some years ago when I had just begun my ministry in another community I found myself preaching on the texts we heard this morning. Jesus the good shepherd is a passage many of us are extremely familiar with. I am no different, and upon discovering that I was to preach on this topic for the first time I did what so many other fledgling preachers have done before me. I remembered things that I had heard others say about this passage, and did my best to plagiarise their ideas. I knew what I was doing wouldn’t produce a great sermon, but I did think at the very least, I would succeed in regurgitating enough familiar ideas that those listening would approve.

Bishop Ross Bay

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18 April 2024

Induction of the Reverend Richard Bonifant

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We've had one of our old friends from parish youth group days staying with us this last week. Andrew went off to the UK most of 40 years ago and decided to stay, so it's always good to see him when he gets to come home or when we are there. Back in the day we did a lot of tramping together and the other night he was remembering a tramping story from Tongariro National Park. We were doing the round the mountain track and on the first day one of our number fell and hurt their arm. They were happy to keep going and none of us thought it was too serious. Only when we got back home and they went to the doctor did we find out they actually had broken their arm - pretty stoic of them to keep going.

David Williams

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14 April 2024

Easter 3

Isaiah 7:10-14

Luke 1:26-38

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For Sunday 11 February 2024 I prepared a sermon that linked Waitangi Day and Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a covenant document with a reading from the prophet Isaiah on the requirements of ‘covenant people’ whose calling is to ‘make justice shine on the nations’, and ‘to open eyes that are blind’. Having tested positive for COVID 19, I was absent that day and Cate Thorn read my notes for that sermon. I watched her doing so, and I thanked her for that. She also suggested I should actually turn up and deliver another sermon – in person this time. So here I am.

Denise Kelsall

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7 April 2024

Easter 2

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Cate Thorn

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31 March 2024

Easter Day

Isaiah 25:6-9

Mark 16:1-8

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Not so long ago, just two days gone, with

Flexions of anger

And blare of certainty

We did it, we showed him

Yeah, he failed us, didn’t do what was promised

Didn’t do as we expected – wasn’t the Messiah we expected

Didn’t pull together an army to overthrow our oppressors

Didn’t rescue us, sort out injustice, make the baddies pay

Didn’t fix everything

Make the broken and bad stuff go away

Make everything right for us

Nah, we’re the victims here.

Amanda Mark

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29 March 2024

Good Friday

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Amanda Mark

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29 March 2024

Good Friday

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Wilf Holt

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17 March 2024

Lent 5

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Linda Murphy

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10 March 2024

Lent 4

Exodus 2:1-10

John 19:25-27

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My earliest memory of attending church was Mothering Sunday when I was about four years old. Mother made a posey of flowers and I remember it included lavender. During the service at St Philips in St Heliers I presented her with the blessed posey. Today is Mothering Sunday the fourth Sunday of lent our Lenten journey is nearly over. We have a very short but powerful Gospel.

Amanda Mark

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3 March 2024

Lent 3

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

John 2:13-22

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We could take the story in today’s Gospel, often referred to as the cleansing of the temple. We could question Jesus’ anger as many have done. We could look at the story as part of the sequence of events which leads up to Jesus’ crucifixion, the increasing hostility of the Jewish authorities towards him as he continues to challenge their focus on outward practice over inward focus and attention.

Cate Thorn

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25 February 2024

Lent 2

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Mark 8:31-38

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Context influences everything. We’re in the context of this beautiful church, built in a style that reflects its Anglican Christian roots. Roots that bring with it a tradition with liturgical rhythm and right now we’re in the season of Lent. A season we simplify our living as we prepare for the pivotal feast of Easter.  It’s in this context we hear the readings of the day. Genesis tells of a pivotal moment in the God, Abram/ Sarai relationship. Through committing to covenant relationship with God Abram becomes Abraham and Sarai Sarah. 

Cate Thorn

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18 February 2024

Lent 1

Genesis 9:8-17

Mark 1:9-15

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Rainbows after devastating floods, desert places and wilderness times after drowning into new life baptism, covenant making and God promise-keeping such are themes that appear in today’s readings this first Sunday in Lent. 1 Peter, the third lectionary reading for today, although not read here connects Jesus baptism and the Noah and flood story. It directs us to the part of the Noah tale we, at least as adults, most struggle with. The devastation in the tale, the utter destruction - so few, just eight, were given chance to survive (in religious parlance be saved). 

Cate Thorn

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11 February 2024

Ordinary 6

Isaiah 42:1-9

Luke 2: 9-14

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• The sentence, collect and first reading are from Second Isaiah (chapters 40–66), which were written about 538 BC after the experience of the Exile in Babylon. The prophet’s disciples write of a ‘covenant people’ with a calling to ‘make justice shine on the nations’, and ‘to open eyes that are blind’.

Diana Rattray

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4 February 2024

Ordinary 5

Isaiah 40:21-31

Mark 1:29-39

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When I was in my early twenties I worked in a parish in Christchurch. I was “employed” in a full time role without a job description or contract and for not a lot of financial return. The church saw it as tentmaking – in retrospect I see it as more exploitative. I worked ridiculously long hours and did all sorts of weird and wonderful things. I did learn a huge amount – mostly what I would not do again, and a lot about myself, that I couldn’t just work constantly and always be helping others – I had to stand up for myself and take time out – I needed the wisdom and guidance of others who had walked the road before. I also needed to learn to say no.

Susan Adams

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28 January 2024

Epiphany 4

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Mark 1:21-28

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When I first read the opening verses of the Gospel reading set for today, the 4th Sunday of the 5 Sundays of Epiphany this year, It felt familiar and reassuring. Jesus and his new friends went to church because it was a holy day. Well, they went to the synagogue in Capernaum, on the northern end of the Sea of Galilee. A bit like us, coming to church because it is Sunday. And, a bit like us, it seems those who were gathered - in the forecourt of the synagogue - enjoyed the authoritative teaching he offered. " He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." It's always great when you listen to someone who knows what they are talking about and you can follow what they are saying.

Amanda Mark

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21 January 2024

Epiphany 3

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Cate Thorn

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14 January 2024 

Epiphany 2

1 Samuel 3:1-10

John 1:43-51

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Samuel, Philip, Nathanael, each called by name in different setting, and varied contexts. Those first three times Samuel is called neither he nor Eli recognize the One whose voice is calling. Perhaps it’s not surprising, after all the passage opens telling us that “the word of God was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.” Only after the third time does Eli recognize it for what it is - God calling. Then Eli knows what to do, how to instruct Samuel. Through Eli, Samuel learns how to listen for, how to recognise God.

Amanda Mark

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7 January 2024

The Epiphany

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