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We have heard all the argu-ments before. ‘Oh, we cannot offend Muslims and Buddhists and Hindus in our schools by handing out Bibles.’ I have heard that argument so much and you know what really upsets me? That statement does not tend to come from Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, no! in my experience they are quite happy for the Bible to be handed around and read.
Furthermore, it is my personal experience that Muslims espe-cially like to debate scripture. They like to engage in talks about faith. They are not offended at what we believe! In fact, many are offended that we, who say we believe, are so weak in defending our belief.
Our faith-based schools in New Zealand have waiting lists. Peo-ple from other faiths flock to the schools from other parts of the world and New Zealand. This is evidence in itself, that those ar-guing we can’t hand out Bibles in schools because it will offend people from other faiths, are ab-solutely wrong.
Moreover, it is my experience that those who oppose
N E L S O NN E L S O NN E L S O NN E L S O N
Dear Cathedralites, I am becoming increasingly frus-trated at the way in which the Bible is being banned from our society. It appals me that no longer can the Gideons go to schools and hand out Bibles. Instead, they have to resort to standing out on the footpath amidst a whole lot of foot traffic, skateboards, and people rushing to the bus in order to hand out the book of life.
O c t o b e r 2 0 2 0
NELSON CATHEDRAL: L IVELY, FUNCTIONING, & GOD HONOURING
CCCC AT H E D R A LAT H E D R A LAT H E D R A LAT H E D R A L N N N N E W SE W SE W SE W S
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Children's Ministry
2
Parish Nurse 3
The Bible Cathedral Music
4
5
What’s On
6
Warden’s Wardrobe
7
www.nelsoncathedral.org
The Very Revd Mike Hawke
to page 4
The Bible is the
Greatest book
in the World
The Bible is inspirational. It provides us with a guide to life, yet society is now so suspicious of it.
Saturday
31st October
5.00pm – 7.00pm at the
Cathedral
Page 2 October 2020
Children’s Ministry
LLLLearning earning earning earning
EEEEquipping quipping quipping quipping
AAAAppreciating ppreciating ppreciating ppreciating GodGodGodGod
PPPPraising raising raising raising GodGodGodGod
L.E.A.P. Nelson Cathedral’s Children’s Church
John Laing
Greetings One and All. As I write its early evening and the rather inclement weather has abated turning into a pleasant night. Tomorrow I head North to Otaki for a week of speaking engagement at the Forest Lakes Christian Camp. I return on Saturday the 3rd of October to put the final touches on our annual Children's Holiday Programme. As you are well aware this will be the first one this year due to Covid restrictions so we are putting a cap on registrations to 25 per day.
The Family Fun Night planning is coming together nicely and we are hoping for a good attendance this year. I learned from a person that has knowledge that the Richmond Baptist Church’s Halloween alternative only runs every alternate year, thus causing our numbers to swell as people look for a safe alternative to their children roaming the streets begging for candy.
Children's Church seems to be surviving well despite the challenges of our Covid restrictions and our numbers are encouraging. I like to keep on track with the inspirational Bible Characters that Dean Mike looks at each week and sometimes we will look at some of the Heroes of Faith out of Hebrews chapter 11. Recently we studied Jephthah. A sad story that teaches us not to make promises we cannot keep. I believe Jephthah had a huge chip on his shoulder due to his rejection by his siblings. Thus causing him to want to win at all costs, and thus make promises he should never have made and if we are to believe what some Bible commentators say it was at a hugely expensive cost. (Judges 11:29-40) Let your yes be yes and your no be no.
Blessings to you all.
John Laing Children’s Ministry Worker
PET SERVICE Sunday 27 September
Clockwise from top left: Westie checks; Jake and Simon with friends; Procession with David Lucas verger, Dean Mike and speaker Andrew Newton and wife Nicky; Bev Greig and adopted friend; Blessing of the Pets; Choristers and the Butterfly Song Pre-service gathering; Regular parishioner Vivienne Ade with speaker Andrew Newton’s puppies.
Page 3 October 2020
Parish Nurse
Parish Nurse
Judith Fitchett
Are we all breathing a sigh of relief as we go back to Level 1? I hope you are well but
do keep using the sanitiser, coughing/sneezing into your elbow, a diary of where
you’ve been and those masks handy. It’s all part of keeping ourselves safe.
At a recent staff meeting we had a visit from Susan Finnegan who had more
suggestions on keeping safe in different situations. Susan has had a variety of
positions with NZ Police and she was invited to speak to us following several
incidents around the Cathedral.
To report a scam Phone 0508 638723 (0508 NETSAFE)
Online www.netsafe.org.nz/report/
For information www.consumerprotection.govt.nz
We all know about calling 111 in an emergency. e.g. A crime is happening now and
the offenders are still there or just left. Someone is in danger or badly injured. There is
a serious risk to human life or property
But did you know NZ has a non-emergency number? Use 105 to report anything else
to the Police that has already happened. e.g. Items have been stolen from your car or
home while you were away or you have lost property. 105 is a free nationwide service
day or night for NZ’ers or overseas visitors and can be dialled from mobiles or land-
line phones or go online to 105.govt.nz
Leaflets and information on Neighbourhood Support Groups, Free Legal Help and
111/105 numbers can be found on the Parish Nurse notice board.
Mental Health Awareness Week was in September and 2020 has certainly been a time when many of us have had to reconsider the experiences, actions and surround-
ings that make us feel good, stay well and uplift our wellbeing. If you are receiving
the Cathedral News electronically you can click on this hyperlink for more
information.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/home/ways-to-wellbeing/
If you need more urgent information the following numbers provide 24 hour support.
Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor
Lifeline – 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP)
Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
Healthline – 0800 611 116
Samaritans – 0800 726 666
With blessings from Parish Nurse Judith
My contact details:
Ph 027 3198 511 or email [email protected]
or ring the office 5481008
CAMEO Devonshire Tea's
Friday 2nd October 2.30 pm – 3.45 pm. &
Friday 6th November 2.30 pm – 3.45 pm.
Come and bring a friend. Everyone welcome
Confirmation
Service
With Bishop
Steve
Sunday
20 September
October 2020 Page 4
the handing out of free Bibles in schools are usually middle class males from a Pakeha perspective. Even more than that, many of those I have talked to about this have their own personal traumatic stories about a particular minister, a Dean or a Sunday school teacher who caused trauma in their lives – which now still has not been resolved!! Many of these opponents have personal issues with faith. I feel sorry for them, but help is available to work through those traumatic issues. Instead, many try and work their anger at denying others from having access to the Bible; psychologists call it ‘transference’.
In 1953, at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, she was handed a Bible, and told that “this book is of the greatest value in the world”. She was told: “let its law lead you. Let its gospel guide you. Let it be the thing that defines your monarchy.” What has changed in the last 60 odd years to contradicts that message?
The Bible is the greatest book in the world. 66 Books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testa-ment. The Bible is inspirational. It provides us with a guide to life, yet society is now so suspicious of it. We put it on our shelf; we refuse to let our children read it. I believe this is at own peril and to the peril of our so-ciety at large.
What is so offensive about Jesus that we don’t want our children and grandchildren to hear about him? New Zealanders are now growing up without any acknowledgment of the greatest one who ever lived; of whom the dating system is named after, His disciples who we name our children after, the symbol of the cross, which is the most powerful sign of the world, the inspiration of thousands of pieces of music including the ‘Messiah.’ Even at cricket matches the crowd sings ‘Jerusalem’, at the FA cup final they sing ‘Abide with Me’; all based on Jesus in the Bible.
The fact that Gideons and people like Ron, committed to Gideons, now are relegated at best to footpaths outside of school boundaries because they are not allowed to hand out Bibles to the school students inside the school area is pitiful, I find it offensive and a sad indictment of where our society is headed. I admire Ron and the Gideons who in spite of these setbacks and abuse they receive (and in some cases of absolute vitriol) are still determined to give a free Bible to students. That’s the sort of courage that Jesus had in his three years on earth. Rather than capitulate, it is a battle worth fighting.
May we voice our opinions lest the vocal minority once again have their say and have their day.
Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) wrote: “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture. The book widens and deepens with our years.”
Elizabeth Elliot (1926-2015) wrote:” The Bible I think of as a straight edge which shows up our own crooked-ness. We can’t really know how crooked our thinking is until we line it up with the straight edge of the Bible.”
Augustine of Hippo (354-430) wrote: “The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home”.
John Wesley (1703-1791) wrote:” I want to know one thing, the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end He came from heaven. He has written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price give me the book of God! I have it. Here is knowledge enough for me; let me be “a man of one book.”
How can we ignore those sorts of quotes from such significant people? Yet here we are, endangering our society and our families by forbidding Bibles to be handed out freely in our schools!
In His service,
Mike
Come and join us
Word and Worship Service
Sunday at 7pm
Informal worship, teaching, and opportunity for prayer ministry
CAMEO at the Cathedral Come And Meet Each Other
Friday 2nd October &
Friday 6th November
from 2.30 – 3.45 pm
Come and bring a friend
Everyone welcome
Free – Koha/donation opportunity
The Bible is the Greatest Book in the World - Continued from page 1
An opportunity for
you to come to the
Cathedral for a chat,
a sing-a-long,
a Devonshire tea
and a prayer.
Page 5 October 2020
Choir is always a little tough in term 3, even without Covid, as people are taking breaks as they look forwards to future services such as the
Pets Service and Advent and Christmas. We have begun on Christmas and Advent music on
Thursdays ~ Christmas in 12 rehearsals! I continue to introduce the choristers over the next
few months… this time the two older boys…
Melanie Carruthers
Jake Beekmeyer (Yr9 - Garin College)
Favourite Anthem: Ave Verum Corpus - Elgar Favourite Secular Band: Imagine Dragons Hobbies other than choir: Youth Theatre, Youth Choir, Karate, Book Club, Theatre Sports Bragging rights: Won the Garin College Mahi Toi Jr Cup 2020 ! Why do you like singing with the cathedral choir? I like singing & have heaps of friends in choir Why is it important for the cathedral to have a choir? It’s a different way to worship God Things I look forwards to? Sitting the Bronze Exam – and Christmas!
Simon Booth (Yr9 - Nelson College)
Favourite Anthem: Carol of the Bells Favourite Secular Song: n/a Hobbies other than choir: hockey, piano, learning organ Bragging rights: “I don’t like to brag” - Completing the dark blue medal, Getting the contribution to Music Cup at prizegiving last year at school ! Why do you like singing with the cathedral choir? Expressing my voice, Being able to sing a solo at mums confirmation service Why is it important for the cathedral to have a choir? It makes our services sound lovely Things I look forwards to? 2020 September 2 day choir camp in Wellington (with Wellington Ca-thedral), Pet service, Bronze medal, Christmas carols
Hello from the choir,
From left to right:
Laura Tremblay & Michaela Carruthers – Dark Blue Ribbon
Joanna Samuel & Hannah Astridge – Light Blue Ribbon
Georgie Astridge – White Ribbon (Surplice)
Jessica Samuel – Light Blue Ribbon &
Jake Beekmeyer – Dark Blue Ribbon
Absent:
Simon Booth, Madeline Bethwaite,
Page 6 October 2020
WHAT’S ON
Tuesdays
Walking group meet at the Cathedral at 9am every Tuesday for a 1 hour walk. Morning tea at the Cathedral afterwards.
Wednesdays
The Flax group is presently in recess. Exercise Group - 11am Craft Group - 2pm - 3.30pm Quiet Room.
PRAYER AND HEALING MINISTRY
IN THE CHAPEL
Friday 30th October 2020 If you need prayer, please do not hesitate to contact
Revd Tapita Ching on 027 255 3013
ASSOCIATION OF ANGLICAN WOMEN AAW CATHEDRAL BRANCH
The September and October meetings of AAW Cathedral Branch have been cancelled due to the current Covid situation.
We may hold a meeting in November but you will be informed of this later.
THE HOLY DUSTERS Due to the current Covid situation there will
be no further cleaning days during 2020 Hopefully we will return during 2021
Like many heritage buildings in the New Zealand Nelson Cathedral is safe but over the next few years needs to be
strengthened so that heritage can be preserved for future generations.
It will be a big project of course and can only be done in stages.
At last months Vestry meeting Rev Dr Graham O’Brien, chairman of the subcommittee, reported on a further
meeting he and I had in early September with the architect Andrew Irving and engineer Alistair Cattanach.
The next step is further information gathering: Test hole bores which will not require resource or detailed
archaeology consent will be undertaken. Those boreholes will be adjacent to the Cathedral walls between the
walls and the pathway. Andrew, the architect, will be coming back to the Vestry on the details of where and when
before they begin.
Further information will be obtained by internal assessments. At this stage no invasive investigation is required
and there is no need for internal scaffolding. Following that the process of consultation with the parties who
should be informed and those his consent will be required can begin.
That will include firstly our parishioners of course, Standing Committee , the Bishop, archaeological and heritage
architects, Council and the community. I am excited about this project and I hope others will be also.
Our Cathedral is a place that matters in the widest sense and being part of ensuring its heritage and it’s proclama-
tion as a spiritual centre for the Christian faith is a privilege.
I’m hoping that through legacies like parishioners in the past have given and community contribution we will
meet the required cost , the amount of which should be known after the next stage of investigation.
In his sermon at the Confirmation Service on Sunday 20 September Bishop Steve spoke on the Biblical analogy of the Church to a building, and of Christ the cornerstone. (1 Peter 2: 1-10 )
The Bishop alluded to our Cathedral project in the following words:
“There are many images given in the Bible for the Church ; the body, the bride. One is a building.
When the opportunity comes, we will be looking at the strength of this building, it’s foundations and how it’s
connected together. The beauty of the Cathedral is in the way the stones have been put together.”
But it is not just the physical building. He referred to 1 Peter 2:5:
“...rid yourselves ,therefore ,of all malice and all guile insincerity envy and all slander.”
and asked, “Why?”
“Because you yourselves ,like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house.
Bishop Steve referred to his youth in Kenya and a visit to a quarry noting the quarrymen carving stones and the
uniqueness of various shapes sizes and colours, and went on to say,
“like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house. Each person in the body is important, each
stone plays a crucial part in the strength and beauty of the building. Let’s allow God to keep doing his work
in us.”
Thank you all again for your support
Graham Allan Warden
Page 7 October 2020
Meditation Group Meets in the Chapel
6.00 pm –7.00 pm
(Note time Change)
Every Tuesday
All are welcome
Warden’s Wardrobe
Living stones built up as a spiritual house
Dean: The Very Reverend Mike Hawke Ph 548 1443 or 021 711726 Email:[email protected]
Children’s Ministry Worker: John Laing Ph 027 2959261 [email protected]
Parish Nurse Judith Fitchett Ph 027 3198511 [email protected]
Office Administrator: Teresa Coombs Ph 548 1008 [email protected]
Dean’s Warden: Graham Allan Ph 548 8166 or 027 244 8184 [email protected]
People’s Warden: Jenny Dickie Ph 548 7705 or 021 342 227 [email protected]
Cathedral Office First floor of tower. Hours: Mon to Fri 9.30am-12.30pm Phone 548 1008 or fax 548 3264 Email:[email protected] Website: www.nelsoncathedral.org
Postal address: P.O. Box 657 Nelson 7040
DIRECTORY SERVICES IN OCTOBER
The Cathedral Services are now being streamed live to the internet. They can be watched by following the link on the Cathedral Website or https://www.youtube.com/ and searching Nelson Cathedral, then click on the one showing Live Stream. Previous services can be viewed until they are deleted.
Cathedral News welcomes contributions from parishioners and readers. If you have a contribution or perhaps an idea for an article please contact the Editor ([email protected]) or the Dean ([email protected]).
Deadline for next issue: 23rd October 2020
Sunday 4 October 8 am Holy Communion 10 am Family Eucharist St Francis Day Service 12 30 pm Whakatu Anglican Mission Service 5 30 pm Sung Evensong 7 pm Word and Worship Informal, charismatic style service
Sunday 11 October 8 am Holy Communion 10 am Family Eucharist 12 30 pm Whakatu Anglican Mission Service 5 30 pm Sung Evensong 7 pm Word and Worship Informal, charismatic style service
Sunday 18 October 8 am Holy Communion 10 am Choral Eucharist and Children’s Church Trafalgar Day Service 12 30 pm Whakatu Anglican Mission Service 5 30 pm Choral Evensong 7 pm Word and Worship Informal, charismatic style service
Sunday 25 October 8 am Holy Communion 10 am Choral Eucharist and Children’s Church 12 30 pm Whakatu Anglican Mission Service 5 30 pm Choral Evensong 7 pm Word and Worship Informal, charismatic style service
Sunday 1 November 8 am Holy Communion 10 am Choral Eucharist and Children’s Church 12 30 pm Whakatu Anglican Mission Service 5 30 pm Choral Evensong 7 pm Word and Worship Informal, charismatic style service
Weekday services are held daily in the Chapel at 12.15pm except Wednesday 10am and Saturday 8am.
BI-MONTHLY SERVICES AT
BISHOPDALE CHAPEL 1st Thursday of the month at 11:15 am
Holy Communion (Celtic Liturgy) and
3rd Thursday of the month at 11:15 am Said Communion Service using liturgy from
the New Zealand Prayer Book.
All are very welcome
