May 8th 2020,

St. George’s Anglican Church Gate Pa, Tauranga.

Vicar’s Blog:

Kia ora tatou katoa – grace and peace to you all.

It has been an interesting couple of weeks. A highlight last week was producing a

video to help people mark the anniversary of the Battle of Gate Pa. Since the 150th

commemoration events in 2014, each year we have held a commemorative event at

4 p.m. in our church. Because we could not do that this year, so instead we offered a

video which was clearly made by someone learning as he went. We invited people

to take 20 minutes to recall the events of 156 years ago, and to consider how we

might work to create a more just society today. It was shared to several other

Facebook pages, and over 3,700 have viewed it. You can find it on our Facebook

page and on our new YouTube channel.

Yes, we now have a YouTube channel to post services and other resources to. From

conversations with some of you I understand that some people are still struggling to

see the services on our Facebook page. I am sorry about that. So to help with that

we have created this YouTube channel called “Anglican Parish of Gate Pa,

Tauranga”. The services will be posted on both Facebook and YouTube. Please

join us in watching either one at 9.30 am on Sundays, and then for the Zoom

morning tea afterwards.

I apologize for those who could not find the service last Sunday. It was there at 9.25

a.m., but then I did something, and it disappeared. I am not sure what I did, but

I will try not to do it again.

Some of you have asked when we might be able to meet in church again. The short

answer is not for a while. When we do restart, we need to do things a little bit

different at level 2 to meet the requirements of that level. The Diocese has produced

a very thorough set of guidelines, which the vestry has discussed at our weekly

zoom meeting. Even if we go to level 2 next week, we will not recommence

services until May 24th at the earliest, and maybe not until Pentecost Sunday on

May 31st. There are a number of issues to work through including how to maintain

social distancing, how to administer communion, and how to give out the pew

sheets. There will only be one service, probably at 9 a.m. We will need to work out

how to continue to livestream the service to Facebook, and if we can YouTube, as

well. Because of the guidelines around catering there will be no morning tea

afterwards at church. It is both tricky to offer, and there are issues around cleaning

afterwards. We maybe could go to a seated café instead. We will not be allowing

people to use our facilities during level 2, again due to cleaning requirements. We

are working with Centrepoint on how they can reopen in some capacity, which we

hope will be soon after we go to level 2.

The Parish Office will open the week after level 2 begins. The whole site needs to

be properly cleaned before we go back in, including both the offices. Once open

there will be requirements around hand sanitizing, keeping an adequate distance

from Patricia, and filling in contact tracing forms. Again we need time to set that up

before we reopen.

We understand that this will be disappointing for some, and we would welcome

feedback. The vestry will continue to meet on a weekly basis for the foreseeable

future while we work our way through this. While all this seems a bit of a drag, I

fully support these measures. I am so glad we live in this country with a proactive

and compassionate government. Unlike many other countries we have a really good

chance of eliminating this virus and returning to some kind of normality.

So, let’s keep working at this and with luck we will be able to return to our normal

pattern of life and of being church, while taking some of learnings into the future.

So, in the meantime, be kind to yourself and others. Stay safe. Stay calm. Wash

your hands.

The readings for your Together in Prayer next week are:

Monday - 11th May – John 14: 21 -26

Tuesday –12th May - John 14: 27 – end

Wednesday – 13th May – John 15: 1 - 8

Thursday – 14th May – John 15: 9 – 17

Friday – 15th May - John 15: 12 - 17

Saturday – 16th May – John 15: 18 - 21

6th Sunday of Easter/ Te Rātapu Tuaono o te Aranga

- Acts 17: 22 – 31

- Psalm: 66: 8 – 20

- 1 Peter 3: 134 - 22

- John 14: 15 - 21

Collect for the Sixth Sunday of Easter

God who speaks in silence;

help us wait in quietness.

When you seem absent,

grant us the faith that knows you are there,

bringing to fulfilment all you have started.

Through Jesus Christ our Liberator,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Amen

Be kind to yourself and others. Stay safe. Stay calm. Wash your hands.

LIMERICK POEM - PUKEHINAHINA They crept to the trenches to hide away Quietly waiting, wondering how long to stay Muskets at the ready Holding them steady A battle that we still remember today From the gully below, cannon balls flew Shivers went through their bodies, lets face it, they knew Eight hours of fire The sound was dire Let us never forget the men that they slew.

- Mackenzie Hohaia a student at Tauranga Intermediate

WE ARE KIWIS

With the past six weeks of lockdown, we have all had time to reflect on our lives and the choices we have made, that have led us to where we are today. After many years of planning, a day in February this year brought with it new beginnings and a place we can now call home.

February 6th 2020 was Waitangi Day. An historical day for all New Zealanders and a holiday too. For us, it was the day we were to become citizens of New Zealand.

It was the first time a ceremony was to be held on that day at the Historic Village in Tauranga in the old Town Hall. Together with our South African neighbours and guests-Marie and Alain, who had seen us through the difficult first few years of emigration-we made our way nervously to our seats in the hall.

The Mayor of Tauranga, Tenby Powell and dignitaries entered the room and together with fifty one other candidates, we swore allegiance to the Queen and New Zealand and to be good citizens of our new country. As a couple, we made our way up to the stage where we were congratulated by the mayor and received our certificates of citizenship with cameras flashing!

To the playing of bagpipes and cheering crowds, we paraded down the main road of The Village to the Village Green where we were greeted by Maori and as new citizens received a small gift of a silver fern and sang the National Anthem!

It was so special to receive hugs from Faye, Bonnie and John and Patricia who were there from St George's. Here we want to say how grateful we are to all of you for opening your hearts and accepting and welcoming us with such kindness into the St George's family. May God bless each one of you.

David and Dianne

Together in Prayer on Sunday. At 9.30 on Sunday mornings we will use the service starting at p.476 in the prayer book. This can be found at https://anglicanprayerbook.nz/476e. Or you can email Patricia for the Service Booklet sent out this week. Again, you are invited to join with me in your own home praying the service and reading the lessons together. I will provide some notes for the sermon each week.

We will also try livestreaming the Sunday service from John’s house. We will be using our Facebook page. Go to https://www.facebook.com/GatePaAnglican/. And hopefully you will see us, and you can join us in the service.

Tauranga Community Foodbank are accepting donations online: https://taurangafoodbank.co.nz/

Skippers Canyon, Central Otago in autumn is beautiful.

Jensen’s Kiwifruit

Autumn Harvest

Abundant Life in Lockdown

Something for the Young and Not So Young at Heart.

Vicar Rev’d John Hebenton 021 679202

Email: john.hebenton@waiapu.com

Parish Office Patricia Price 578 7916/021 0292 1498

(Office hours – online via email or phone)

Vicar’s Warden Clark Houltram 543 2366

People’s Warden Faye Mayo 543 3369

Parish email admin.gatepa@waiapu.com

Parish Website www.stgeorgesgatepa.com

Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/GatePaAnglicanVicars blog

http://colourfuldreamer.blogspot.co.nz/