E NEWS 21ST JUNE 2024
Kia ora, Talofa lava, warm Pacific greetings. It’s another beautiful day outside, sunny but crispy. I hope you have all been wrapped up warmly and unlike me keeping those nasty winter bugs at bay.
As you know I had a nasty flu last week which morphed into a lung infection diagnosed after I spent Saturday in A & E at Hutt Hospital. It was nice to have the Cunningham’s pop in to visit me and give me a casserole and macaroni cheese meals to bide me over a couple of days. Thank you Maxine and Jim. I had a skype supervision on Tuesday in my office at SAOTT and my supervisor said, “what are you doing at work?” she said I looked and sounded terrible all the while I had a blood nose whilst I was talking to her. Long story short, she insisted I went home and worked from home until I was fully recovered. I thought I was well enough to return to work; however, I overestimated my recovery. A dear friend came over to bring morning tea on Wednesday and saw how sick I was and made the decision to stay and look after me. She’s still here and will go to her home later today. As the song goes “that’s what friends are for!”.
This Sunday is Matariki Sunday for us at SAOTT. Many other churches may choose the following Sunday as Matariki begins on the 29th to the 6th July however, given that this is the 5th Sunday in June it is also our Lay Preachers Sunday and Barry Keenan is organising our special Lay Preacher Sunday’s with some of our lay people in the parish to continue to explore what it means to be a progressive church etc. Something to look forward to. The term “Lay Preacher” is probably outdated nowadays especially for us at SAOTT. Maybe we need to find another appropriate term for the 5th Sunday of the month? If you can think of anything let me know but it has to reflect the idea that this time is an opportunity for those who have not been ordained to be able to lead a service of worship and the reflection. Being of the reformed tradition we believe in the “priesthood of all believer’s” so this affirms the knowledge, skill set, role and place of lay people in our church.
Tomorrow the Glamophones will be putting on a concert at church called “Legends – Songs of Life and Love by our favorite stars” it starts at 6pm and as is their usual tradition concludes with supper in the hall. Always a fab occasion.
I’m looking forward to being back at the helm on Sunday and seeing you all again, it feels like ages since I had my holidays and then being on sick leave. I did wonder if getting sick was a culmination of doing too much, but anyway I’m learning to read the signs, as we all do when struck down with illness.
Please do take care and ka kite ano. Nga mihi, Fei
You can view the full E-news here:https://mailchi.mp/4353097ad8bb/this-weeks-newsletter-from-st-andrews-on-the-terrace-9449656
