When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he began to speak and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. “Bless

Oranga Ake o Te Iwi o Te Ao - Tātou Tātou E te Atua kaha rawa, whakapaingia mātou i tēnei hui whakahirahira. Whakakotahitia mātou i roto i tō aroha, ārahina mātou e tō Wairua Tapu, kia tupu ai tō rangatiratanga i waenganui i a mātou. Āmine. Almighty God, bless us as we gather together. Unite us in your love and lead us by your Holy Spirit, so that your kingdom may flourish among us. Amen. E te whanau a te Karaiti, members of Te Pīhopatanga, clergy and lay representatives of o

The installation service of The Reverend Andrea Jerry Ryan as Vicar of the Parish of Ōtūmoetai is to be held on Saturday 14 November at 3pm Clergy to robe in Alb and Red Stole

Eight candidates standing for the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti and Napier Electorates attended a Meet the Candidates event before an attentive and supportive audience of 170 people on Tuesday evening. The event, hosted at the Waiapu Cathedral, was moderated by Martin Williams. The Dean of Waiapu, The Very Reverend Ruihana Paenga opened and closed the evening with karakia. A beautiful waiata sung by Haley Maxwell, Te Pāti Māori, began the evening as the first speaker. Candidates were asked

Christ Among Us: an Advent journey into peace, joy and love Advent begins on Sunday 29 November. This year’s 3-session Advent study focuses on the values embedded in our Waiapu Strategic Vision, and dovetails with three of the traditional themes for each Sunday of Advent. It’s now available on the diocesan website and will be sent out to parishes shortly. It’s designed for two different contexts: groups meeting in parishes or other ministry units (for example, schools o

When the Pharisees heard that [Jesus] had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commandments

Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap [Jesus] in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one, for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Sh

Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and

Bill Bird as he was better known was born on 14th. February 1905 at 97 Ethel Street, a tenement block in Benwell in the heart of industrial Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Nearby were brick works which filled the air with smoke and soot from their coal fired kilns. His father Donald William Bird was a railway clerk to one of the lines that ran alongside the Tyne River servicing the factories. When his mother Martha Hann (née Nicholls) died at the end of 1909, he and his younger sister P

Greetings all, General Synod It’s been a busy month since returning from General Synod Te Hinota Whanui in Tonga. The Synod itself was an extraordinary event, held for the first time in the Kingdom of Tonga and in the year when the nation celebrated 200 years since the arrival of the Gospel. A particular special aspect of the Synod was the very generous hospitality provided by the parishioners throughout the week, and that we were honoured to have several opportunities to

E te Whānau a te Karaiti o te Pariha o Ōtūmoetai , greetings and peace to you all in the name of Christ. I am pleased to announce that I have appointed The Rev'd Andrea Jerry Ryan to serve as Vicar of the Parish of Ōtūmoetai. Andrea will serve half-time in the parish, while also continuing half-time in her role as Kaiwhakawhanake Māori Development Manager for SociaLink Tauranga. This arrangement will bring Andrea's gifts for priestly ministry, pastoral care, and community eng

The point is the fruit [Jesus said] “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went away. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them in the sam

Who Christ is, is how we should live. If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. Let the same min

Grumbling and Grace “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock,

It’s not about the maths! Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if my brother or sister sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him, and, as he could not pay, the lord ordered him

This is about community [Jesus said] “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If you are listened to, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If that person refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one

Bishop Andrew will Collate the Venerable Dr Deborah Broome as Archdeacon of Hawke’s Bay Cities and Hawke’s Bay Coast, at Evensong at the Waiapu Cathedral on Sunday 30th August at 5pm. People from both Hawke’s Bay Archdeaconries are especially welcome to attend. Clergy Dress: Choir dress (or alb & red stole)

The cost of following Jesus From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine

Mālō e lelei. Ni sa bula vinaka. Tālofa lava. Namaste. Tēnā koutou katoa. Grace and peace to you all in the name of our Risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. For the first time, General Synod / Te Hīnota Whānui gathers in the Kingdom of Tonga. We offer our humble greetings to His Majesty King Tupou VI, to the Royal Household, and to the people of this ancient and storied Kingdom. We give thanks to the Diocese of Polynesia, to the Episcopal Unit of Tonga, and to all whose mana