Refreshing lives, transforming faith, at the heart of the community Haere Mai, Piki Mai
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Planning for this year′s Family Fun Night on October 31st is now under way. This has become a very well attended
and enjoyed alternative to Halloween and numbers have grown each year.
As a parish we provide a free evening for the children and adults of the parish and we charge only for the food and drinks provided.
The free entertainment, however, does come with a cost to the parish and in past years we have had good sponsorship from
parishioners. If you can help this year please contact Raewyn in the office.
Helpers to man stalls are also required.
If you wish to help and would like to learn more about the following crafts, Flax weaving, paper box folding, etc please give
your name to Raewyn in the cathedral office and we will organise a practice session.
Parents Group
Coffee morning/ Playgroup for parents & preschoolers.
Next get-together:
Tuesday August 12, 10:30 - 11:30
in the Quiet Room.
All welcome.
Many thanks to Melanie for baking a delicious gateau for us all to enjoy at the last meeting.
AAW Meeting
2pm Tuesday, 18 August
Speaker: Joyce Jones
Quilting - an OK addiction
Cathedral Library
A great selection of Bible-based books and videos for all the family.
The library is open most Sundays after the 10 am service or by arrangement - contact Debby.
Aaugust is the month we celebrate the laying of the foundation stone of the cathedral in 1926. Since this original ceremony was performed by the
then Governor-General in early August, we have taken this time to celebrate who we are and indeed, whose we are.
Other parishes have patronal festivals but we are privileged to take the annual remembrance of the transfiguration as our starting point. There are
several things you can do as you prepare to celebrate Foundation Day ′08.
Do read the accounts of the transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels. You can find them at
St Matthew 17:1-9, St Mark 9:2-8, and St Luke 9:28-36.
Once you have a grasp of Jesus′ mountain top experience you will then
get the measure of the Lord whose name this Cathedral is proud to bear. For this Jesus was affirmed in his mission by God the heavenly
Father, the giants of the past representing the Jewish Law and the Prophets (i.e. Moses and Elijah) and even by his beloved disciples,
one of whom (Peter) wanted to encapsulate the moment by building some semi permanent structures!
The mission of Jesus was about to take a new turn. The transfiguration was really the start of Jesus′ passion which culminated in
his trial, his crucifixion and resurrection in Jerusalem. It was at this supreme moment that Jesus received the divine approval when
God said, "This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" (St Matthew 17:5) We can take it from this that we
can have utter confidence in Jesus and that whatever situations we find ourselves in personally or collectively, as the visible Body of Christ
today, we too are divinely loved and are well pleasing to God.
This is important to know this month as the ten yearly Lambeth conference will have come and gone and all the words of the prophets of
doom will have come to naught! As a Church we don′t need extra structures to keep us together but a return to the mountain top faith of
the transfiguration. We need to put Christ first because we know who he is; we need to listen to the voice of God which is always affirming and
never condemning; we need to know the Word of God in scripture and learn to live by it; and we need to make sure that worship is the highest
priority in life, for it is only then we can know and be known by our wonderful Jesus.
Another thing you can do to prepare for Foundation Day ′08. is to read or
re-read NELSON CATHEDRAL – The Story of the Church on the Hill.
Copies of this valuable little history are available at a reasonable cost on the bookstall. The book bears great testimony to those who established
the Church here, epitomized in the building of our cathedral church. As you read the accounts, you will see how faith drove the early settlers to establish
Nelson as a spiritual centre, a responsibility we continue to this day.
What a busy time ahead for our Cathedral family! In August we have our Foundation Day Celebrations. September starts with the Cathedral/Franciscan Retreat,
then Praise Be and ends with the 150th celebrations.
But it doesn′t stop there! October brings the Pets Service, Arts Festival and Cathedral Family Fun night!
All these exciting events require preparation. Many committees have been meeting for some time to make plans and arrangements. We have
the choice whether we get on board and enjoy the excitement or stand on the sidelines watching. As spectators we can cheer others on and we can join in the celebrations too.
I guess it′s the same with life. God has a plan for our lives. We can join with God in bringing that plan to fruition or we can stand on the
sidelines. Sometimes we even turn our backs on God′s plans and walk away but Christianity is a team activity. We are all needed to play
our part, with each other and with God. Each person′s part is different; some are in the thick of things, working to make things happen,
others aren′t physically up to that but they can still provide the resources and encouragement. We need people to cheer us on and tell us
when it′s time to rest a while too. Just like any team sport there are those on the field and those off the field, coaching, washing uniforms,
supplying equipment; all are part of the team.
None of the activities we plan for can be a success without all the parts coming together. People are needed to take part and to support, to cheer
on and to join in. And under all this activity we need God′s direction and support brought about through prayer and obedience. Paul tells
us in Ephesians 4:4 – 6 "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all". The body of Christ is the church. We are all in this together, and God is through all and in all.
Take a few moments now to think what part you will be playing in the team.
Next month on August 3rd, in September and April 2009, we celebrate and remember the importance of the Cathedral in the life of our community and diocese.
For many people over the years the visit to the Cathedral or the time worshiping here has been a turning point in their lives.
For others it may have been just another experience to store away in the box of recollections. Yet I believe everyone who visits this
cathedral leaves something of themselves, and takes away something of this place with them.
In the same way I believe that those who have worshipped here in the past and given so much of themselves in the work for
this place have left us a rich heritage to be treasured.
We can walk where those saintly people have trod and we can worship and pray where they have worshipped and said their prayers.
We can journey through life deeply aware of the past, or if we so choose, we can walk the same landscape unseeing and unmoved.
We may not be able to control where life will take us but we can choose how we react to it.
Come and journey with those who have worshipped at Christ Church Cathedral Nelson and seek a deeper meaning to the road of life.
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The way we use language can be fun and frustrating. Lying awake during the night listening to the
New Zealand cricketers win - for a change - I heard one of the U.K. commentators say,
"Goodness. What a Horlicks he made of that." I assume he meant, "What a mess that was"
and I was left thinking "I wonder what a Horlicks drinker would say."
All this diverted my attention away from the cricket for a while.
Is "What a Horlicks he made of that" in the same category as "Don′t be a big girl′s blouse"
I wonder and I ask myself what is wrong with a big girl′s blouse?
Don′t answer.
Another more familiar phrase, "I think I was sold a lemon" - I always think it′s a very sad thing to
say about a lemon. I′d be worried if there wasn′t a lemon somewhere in my kitchen. I′m reminded
of the 17th century English vicar who was sent from a London parish to somewhere in the wilds of Yorkshire; his main
complaint was that he was 10 miles from a lemon - I assume he meant it was difficult to make a good gin and tonic.
Some of my musings about language are compounded by a group I belong to - a few odd retired clergy, a couple of lay
people (not so odd) meet in a local pub one morning a week at 10 a.m. (So far we only drink coffee or soup, but you never know.) Given
the current strange goings-on in the worldwide Anglican church, it is not surprising that that becomes part of our conversation.
I realised that I was getting rather tired of the way we use two particular words: Conservative and Liberal. ′Conservative′
always seemed a derogatory label, whereas ′conservative′ is a very good word - conserving/caring for the
environment. And ′liberal′ is also being used in a particularly derogatory way. What is wrong
with ′liberal′? It is closely related to freedom, liberty, generosity. I suggested for example that rather than
calling me a so-and-so liberal, it would be much better just to call me a heretic, because I think that was what was intended.
At this point our conversations were helped along with news of the book Heresies and How to Avoid Them (Hendrickson, 2007), a
collection of essays edited by Ben Quash and Michael Ward. According to the contributors, heresy is attractive because it appears to
solve a specific problem, but it does so at the expense of the coherence of the Christian faith. Orthodoxy, on the other hand, protects
the faith in its entirety.
A guiding principle of this book is that heretics are not villains but genuine truth-seekers. Gone is the usual list of theological errors and
reasons to reject them because, according to Ben Quash, we "have reason to be grateful to heresies because they have forced us to
think our belief out more deeply and thoroughly." By understanding the logic and motivation behind heresies, we can more
fully appreciate the orthodox answers.
The Anglican Church in New Zealand During the Second World War by Dr Geoff Haworth,
$45 including postage available from
Wily Publishing,
41 Bellvue Ave,
Papanui,
Christchurch,
gmrhaworth@xtra.co.nz
Many books have been written about the Second World War and New Zealand′s involvement in it.
Archdeacon Geoff Haworth′s book introduces a new dimension to the genre: the role of the Anglican Church.
This is a comprehensive account of bishops and padres, parishes and individuals and the contributions they made
to the war here and overseas.
This book is the published version of some research undertaken by Geoff for doctoral study purposes, but it is
readable and very well illustrated. For Anglicans within the Nelson Diocese there is much of interest.
The details can remain in the book so as not to spoil curious readers, suffice to say that new light is
shed on the ministry of our ′wartime′ bishops (Hilliard, briefly, as he returned to Sydney in 1940, and
Stephenson), and some individuals mentioned will be recognised by members of the Diocese alive today.
The work on this book has been undertaken while Geoff has been Vicar of Papanui, Christchurch, and subsequently
as a ministry educator and enabler in the Diocese of Christchurch.
We are privileged to have Archdeacon Dr Geoff Haworth in the Diocese of Nelson to speak about his book,
with special reference to the history of our Diocese during the war years.
All are welcome, 4pm Sunday 24th August, 2008 at the Cathedral, Nelson, followed by light refreshments.
There will be an opportunity to purchase the book at a reduced price!
Archdeacon Dr Geoff Haworth will also preach at the 6pm service, Sunday 24th August, Nelson Cathedral
Claude and Patrick Meffan travelled to Nepal to minister to the people of Nepal
Ministry is important to the life of all those in the Cathedral Parish and can take many forms. From those who lead worship,
to the servers, the choir, the flower guild, the parish nurse team just to name a few.
Recently two of our parishioners, Claude and Patrick Meffan travelled to Nepal with the New Zealand Youth to Everest
organisation to minister to the people of Nepal. This organisation, which was started in 1988, first travelled to Nepal to
clean up the area and remove the rubbish left by many expeditions trekking to Mt Everest.
The trips today are open to all school children over the age of 15years, and to adults if places are available. 20 places
are open twice a year. In recent years the emphasis has changed from ′cleanup′ to reforestation
and school assistance, sponsoring young Sherpas in education, helping farmers improve their crops and
improving school conditions. The trips are led by John Gully who comes from a well known Nelson Family.
One of the important aims of the group is:-
Youth to Everest is committed to assisting less fortunate Sherpa children and families with food, clothing and accommodation.
Into this setting travelled Claude and Patrick during the April school holidays. Flying into Kathmandu and then to Lukla
they then tramped to Thyangboche which was on the way to the Everest base camp. Here they stayed for 3 or 4 days interacting
with the Sherpas and Claude helped with some teaching in a school.
As a brief aside I must include the following which is taken from the list of gear that they suggest you take. Toilet paper - three rolls (Nepali toilet paper is like 60 grit sand paper)
The setting for the trip was inspiring and the realisation that you were near the top if the world was evident in the morning sunrise seen from their accommodation.
In an email to family and friends at home Patrick made many comments regarding their feelings at the time and I quote some below.
The view from my room is spectacular. Although still 20km away as the crow flies Mt Everest peeks above the ridge leading up to Lhotse, the summit.
On Everest.
A trail of white streams from the eastern ridge the only indication that man is not welcome there.
Trekking into the Himalayas is as much about experiencing the culture of the Sherpa people as seeing the scenery.
On cultural lessons.
We now know a few fundamentals of the Buddhist religion like recognizing Mani walls and travelling
clockwise around all sacred monuments even if that requires ropes and crampons.
A final thought for the day from Lama Geshe from Pangboche who gave us all an individual blessing;-
Give up all intention to harm others from your heart
And do your best to benefit them all
If each and everyone feels the universal
responsibility to do so
We will all enjoy the feast of peace.
An experience such as this, taking your culture and beliefs to another to share, is truly a strong form of ministry.
This last photo of Claude is taken with a local soldier. The Chinese influence is obvious.
To be filmed at the Cathedral on Wednesday September 17
Keen singers are invited to rehearse under the direction of Bishop Richard Ellena in training for TV One′s
Sunday morning hymn programme, Praise Be
Nelson last featured on Praise Be in 2001, at the time of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the opening of the
first church on the hill. Dean Charles Tyrrell says he is very pleased the programme is coming back for our next 150th milestone.
This time the city and the diocese will be celebrating the establishment of the bishopric and the elevation of Nelson to city status in 1858.
Praise Be Producer, Ron Pledger, says the congregational singing is very much ecumenical and is open to the whole Nelson community:
Anyone who wants to come along for a ′big sing′ will be very welcome.
Singers are asked to commit to three evening rehearsals and to the three hour recording session in the evening on Wednesday September 17.
It is a year since the choir lost its very dedicated leader John Wesley Barker and at this time we remember him with affection and send
our thoughts to his wife, Angela. His leadership was a great asset to the choir and as we know we are still waiting for a permanent
replacement and this is in our prayers at all times.
In the interim, Roger Williams led us for nine months, and for this we were very thankful. Now the job of leading the choir has fallen to a
committee of choir members and this has made for a very busy time for all. With the very skilled playing of Hilda Bester on the organ, the
music choices of anthems by Roger Ledingham, the music being sorted by his wife Sue, the junior choir being taken by myself, Hugh Nielsen
and Brian Bailey and with the overseeing by the Dean, we are getting by and, I feel, we are still producing a very good lead in the worship at the Cathedral.
The juniors, led by Stephanie, Elzanne, and Melanie, are producing a very good sound and the younger ones are rising to the occasion
to follow the leading three. Numbers in the front row are a little on the light side but recently we did acquire two new girls. We would like
more to ensure we have the building blocks for the new musical director when he is appointed.
In the back row we have the stalwarts of the choir and two very capable young men who contribute strongly to the worship. Hopefully
young Tom, our junior organ scholar, will be playing for us soon and will help take the pressure off Hilda.
If you know of youngsters who may wish to join us contact Raewyn in the office.
This position is to support and develop a ′parish′ based approach to Social Services throughout the Anglican Diocese of Nelson
This challenging and varied position will be based in Nelson but will involve some travel around the top third of the South Island working with a wide range of Anglican church leaders.
It is anticipated that the successful applicant will most likely have a relevant tertiary qualification and experience working in the community.
This position could be adapted to a part-time or a ′job share′ situation.
An information pack and application can be obtained from
I recently attended a very informative talk on prostate cancer by a professor Mark Frydenbeg who stated that the 2nd leading cause of male
deaths is prostate cancer. It occurs mainly in men over 50 years and is the most common cancer among New Zealand men.
It is most important that men go for a check up with their own GP where a simple examination is carried out. For more information and support
the Cancer Society national number is 0800 226 237, while the our local Cancer Society which is so very helpful with a wealth of valuable
information available is 03 546 3920.
The recommendations at this talk were:
Eat healthily,
have blood pressure checks
keep weight level down
get vitamin B from fish and a little sun
reduce fat and
eat 2 brazil nuts daily for selenium levels.
I have placed a book on the Parish Nurses board which is a guide for men with prostate cancer to improve their understanding of it.
Please don′t hesitate to ask if we can be of any further help.
Dear friends,
What a busy time ahead for our Cathedral family! In August we have our Foundation Day Celebrations. September starts with the Cathedral/Franciscan Retreat,
then Praise Be and ends with the 150th celebrations.
Next month on August 3rd, in September and April 2009, we celebrate and remember the importance of the Cathedral in the life of our community and diocese.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod
The juniors, led by Stephanie, Elzanne, and Melanie, are producing a very good sound and the younger ones are rising to the occasion
to follow the leading three. Numbers in the front row are a little on the light side but recently we did acquire two new girls. We would like
more to ensure we have the building blocks for the new musical director when he is appointed.
This position is to support and develop a ′parish′ based approach to Social Services throughout the Anglican Diocese of Nelson
I recently attended a very informative talk on prostate cancer by a professor Mark Frydenbeg who stated that the 2nd leading cause of male
deaths is prostate cancer. It occurs mainly in men over 50 years and is the most common cancer among New Zealand men.
