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20th December 2013
Kia tau ki a koutou te atawhai me te rangimarie o te Atua
願 父 神 所 賜 的 恩 惠 和 平 安 與 你 們 同 在
Grace and peace to you from God
NOTE FOR LCNZ PASTORS, PARISH/CONGREGATIONAL SECRETARIES
Please cut and paste as much of this update into your regular weekly bulletins, newsletters, and parish magazines, and regularly invite people to subscribe to regular LCNZ UPDATES / Bishop’s Page by going to www.enews.lca.org.au
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METROSIDEROS EXCELSA … IN THE HIGHEST
As I drove along the Kāpiti Coast just north of Wellington a few days ago, I noticed that nature itself, in the form of the New Zealand Christmas Tree, Pōhutukawa, is getting ready to greet the birth of Christ again. Brilliant red, sparking blooms are emerging from the deep green foliage … in much the same way that the blooming rose comes as a little flower in midst of coldest winter (Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, Lutheran Hymnal 622).
The One that we have called for to come … Saviour, Messiah, the One that will rescue us from the lonely exile of sin and the gloomy clouds of night … is blooming and blossoming right before us and in us, as we pray –
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O holy child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray. Cast out our sin, and enter in; be born (bloom / blossom / flower / grow) in us today.
Charles Wesley wrote that Jesus was pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel. I find the idea that Jesus would lay aside his divine privileges for any reason – especially for me; for you – is nothing short of incredible, but he did so in order that we might bloom and blossom again, that his incarnate love might come to life in us … and that we would no longer die –
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Mild He lays His glory by, born that we no more may die, Born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth.
He flowered that we might flower again. What a great reason for singing glory to God in the highest; glory to the new-born King.
I reckon the botanists knew what they were doing when they gave Pōhutukawa its botanical name, excelsa from the Latin, excelsus … sublime, the highest. I’d like to think that they wanted our native Christmas tree to be a reminder to us of the song the angels sang when God came to earth … Gloria in excelsis Deo … glory to our sublime and beautiful God who comes to be born in us that we might flower again in his love.
Wherever you are throughout Aotearoa this Christmas – the Coromandel Peninsula, out east at Te Araroa or up north, or even at the Basin Reserve – I encourage you to look for Pōhutukawa – Metrosideros excelsa … and sing glory to God in the highest.
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Because a tree had brought us doom, was Jesus born of Mary’s womb, To blossom high on Calvary’s tree the crimson bloom that makes us free. (Pōhutukawa Carol, Douglas Mews)
To you all – Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete; wishing you all joy and peace at Christmas. Me te aroha nui atu o mātou katoa; lots of love from us all here in the Whitfield family … Leanne, Mark, Chelsea, Brittany and Charlotte.
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CHRISTMAS WORSHIP THROUGHOUT THE LCNZ
Mountainside, Auckland
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Christmas Eve, 6.00pm
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Christmas Eve – Carols and Readings, 11.00pm
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Christmas Day, 10.00am
North Shore
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22nd December – Carols and Readings, 5.00pm
Botany
Hawkes Bay – Redeemer Lutheran / St Francis Cooperating Parish, Clive
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22nd December, Special Young Peoples Service at Clive, 9.30am
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22nd December, Community Carol Singing Service at Farndon House Clive, 7.00pm
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24th December, Welcome Christmas Service at Haumoana, 11.30pm
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25th December, Christmas Day Service at Clive, 9.30am
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29th December at Clive, 9.30am
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5th January 2014 at Haumoana, 9.30am
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12th January 2014 at Clive, 9.30am
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19th January 2014 at Haumoana, 9.30am
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26th January 2014 at Clive, 9.30am
Whanganui
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22nd December – Carols on the lawn, 6.00pm
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25th December – Worship, 9.00am
Marton
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25th December – Worship, 9.30am
Manawatu
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24th December – Parish Service of Carols and Readings, 7.00pm
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25th December – Feilding (9.00am) and St Luke’s Palmerston North (10.00am)
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29th December – Feilding (9.00am) and St Luke’s (combined at 10.30)
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5th January – Feilding (9.00am) and St Luke’s (combined at 10.30)
Wellington
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24th December – Family Service, 7.00pm
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25th December – Festival Service, 10.00am
Upper Moutere / Hope
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24th December – Family Service, 7.00pm
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24th December – Christmas Eve Reflective Service, 11:15pm
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25th December – Christmas Day Service, 10.00am
Christchurch
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24th December – Christmas Readings, Carols and Holy Communion, 7:30pm
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25th December – Jesus’ Birthday Party, Carols & Birthday Cake for all!, 9.30am
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BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKER SEMINARS - FEBRUARY 2014
A reminder that during the month of February next year, the Director of Reconciliation in the LCA / LCNZ, Pastor Bruce Zagel and his wife Kathy will be conducting Blessed are the Peacemaker seminars throughout the LCNZ. Look out for seminar and registration details in the next issue of the Olive Tree, due out now.
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NATIONAL OFFICE CLOSED DURING CHRISTMAS – NEW YEAR
The National Office of the LCNZ will be closed from Monday 23rd December to Tuesday 7th January 2014. However, during that time, Robert and I will pop in from time to time to check for phone messages and important emails.
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BRIEF NEWS ITEMS
CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS WEBSITE – www.redboots.com.au is a Christmas website where you can watch a movie, read a story, play games and music, send e-cards, or find recipes to cook yummy Christmas food.
HAPPYLAND ONLINE ADVENT CALENDAR – back by popular demand, our Happyland Online Advent Calendar is here again with a new look this year! We are putting together so much fun and inspiration in the lead up to Christmas, remembering that Jesus is the reason for the season! Go to www.happyland.com.au.
HAPPYLAND STORIES DVDS HAVE ARRIVED! You can purchase Lutheran Media’s 'Happyland Stories' DVD for only $10. Contact them by filling in your details at the following link – click here: http://lcaenews.cmail2.com/t/t-l-gyklht-fttjtjll-n/. Stories include Master Chef, Life Saver, Forgiven, It's Possible and You are Special. T hey come with printable colouring-in pages and are the perfect gift this Christmas!!
FACE TO FACE – you can tune into www.facetoface.org.au for your Christmas message on Blue Christmas, What is Christmas?, and Three Wise Men and a Baby.
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Kia noho a Ihowa ki a koutou; the Lord be with you.
+MARK
Pastor Mark Whitfield BTh MSM
Bishop of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand / Pihopa o te Hāhi Rūtana o Aotearoa
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