Newsletter of Knox Church, Dunedin December 2017 – February 2018, Number 312 Minister’s letter Advent: finding the real purpose of living again I write this amid preparing to conduct a marriage service. The promise a couple makes to be faithful and loyal astounds me. Those words spoken between two frail humans are an audacious commitment made without any idea of what lies ahead. They believe they know each other enough to risk life together. We never know enough of the future to make a risk-free commitment. Life is only ever fully lived in faith and faith is taking a risk, choosing a side, placing a bet. We would never know love if we never risked. God’s whole enterprise is risked in a child born to refugees in a tiny nation ruled by a genocidal emperor. As the child grows, good news takes hold. Shaped by Judaism, he is fired by a spirit, captivated by a vision, driven Our communal soul shrivels when we make by a call. No little call: ridding the world of ourselves ultimate, believing we can rule injustice, liberating the world from sin, filling creation. the world with love, achieved through non- I have been trying to make a similar point in violent commitment to the way of God. relation to shops opening on Easter Sunday. His life is such that we celebrate his birth. We http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/ marvel at the cosmic promise contained in the programmes/thepanel/audio/2018621615/ fragile manger-child. We pause to consider church-minister-urging-caution-before- how we can live more of his life. We gather to doors-open-for-ed-sheeran be built into Faith enables us to find the his body to do point of our living and to live what he did into it. Knox News Knox and more. I pray Advent and Christmas That hundreds helps you find the point again. gather on I pray it for myself. Christmas In Christ, Eve at Knox Kerry suggests there [Read the full text of Kerry’s are still people submission to the Dunedin who want to City Council on Easter Trading touch his life, on P3 of Knox News.] be touched by Knox News is published quarterly by Knox Church, Dunedin. his life. They sense there is something more Editor: Jill Rutherford [email protected] 03 here. 477 0891/ 021 0844 5122. Design: Scott Blackwell, lekelly. [email protected] Contributors: Kerry Enright, Alison They sense that full life needs more than Tait, Chris Bloore, Helen Thew, Neil Grant, Jordan Redding, Ian Thomson’s convenience. Our communal soul shrivels Lee Somerville, Eleanor Bell, Liz Somnium, Brendan McRae Fashion Show when we allow ourselves to be defined by Photos: Ian Thomson If you have any story ideas, suggestions or are keen to join pictures: Page 17 human systems, empires, economics. our writing team, please contact Jill. Knox Church Council news The Council 2017-18 met for the first for our mission over the next three- time on Wednesday, 22 November. year period. The meeting is akin to a “changing of the guard” where we farewelled and The Knox community has taken part thanked Donald Shand, Rosemary in a number of community activities Tarbotton, Chris Bloore and Pat in recent months — sharing in the Hoffman, who were retiring from observance of Parihaka with Flagstaff Council and welcomed Jordan Community Church at Arai Te Uru Redding, Louisa Sinclair, Claire Marae, recognising White Ribbon An invitation to Barton, Rachel Dudley-Tombs and Day, and supporting an Oil Free Warren Jowett. Otago film screening. find a better way Our new Council is now truly We saw the supporting of the film to celebrate representative of our congregation as a form of proclamation of the with a range of age groups, students, Gospel, a core dimension of which is Last December New Zealanders spent young parents, young adults and the care of creation. We are delighted $6 million on credit card transactions. those with life experience. This is an that in Advent we will be combining The build-up to Christmas can seem exciting time in the life of Knox. We with Holy Name for a retreat in the as if we are all drowning in a sea of are very privileged to have people of second week in December. This will financial debt with endless lists of gifts such a calibre willing to serve. take a simple format where all that is to buy. required is for participants to commit The “Advent Conspiracy” is an invitation Over the past two or three months, to a daily quiet time of prayer either to walk away from the marketing lie Council has spent many hours as part of a group or with a prayer that spending money is the best way to drafting a Knox Church Plan 2018- companion. express love. 2020. This document has gone The four tenets of the Advent through many iterations. We have As we draw close to Advent and the Conspiracy guide us, our families and tried to include the contributions of end of the academic year, we have congregation through the season of said goodbye to a number of preparation for Christmas: students who have been part • Worship more fully, remembering of our community this year. how much God has given us. We hope some will return in • Spend less money on gifts that are the New Year to continue their not wanted or needed. studies. Others we said farewell • Spend more time with one another. to, and pray for them as they • Spread love everywhere through embark on the next stage of supporting agencies that work for life’s journey. We have also been justice and equity. joined by new families and we Christians around the world have found many members of the congregation welcome them warmly. that the Advent Conspiracy transforms who have contributed through this season into one that is happier, more thoughtful reflection and 2018 calls us with a sense of hope connected, and freer to focus on Jesus. participation in focus groups. and a plan where we can share a life Full information (and video) at the We are hopeful this plan will be together following Jesus and sharing website www.adventconspiracy.org adopted by the congregation in the our faith with others. near future and will provide a guide — Alison Tait, Council Clerk A lesson from history From the Editorial in the Otago Daily Times on Thursday, cannot expect to travel faster than we do in railway trains, 20 August 1868, comes this gem, with thanks to archivist to talk at a distance more easily than by telegraph, or to Lyndall Hancock: pass over the sea more pleasantly than by mail steamer and “The rate of progress is so rapid in the present day that first-class passenger ships. Our sons and grandsons will it almost threatens to exhaust the possibility of making have an easy time of it, for they will have nothing to do progress in the future... If we have not achieved everything but to improve our inventions and take advantage of our that is to be achieved, we have at least anticipated discoveries. We have dug the mines and they will spend the everything. We cannot hope to be taken by surprise. We gold.” Page 2 Reflections on the meaning of Easter in society This is the text of Kerry’s submission world in sacrificial love, tenacious hope humanity outside economic rhythms. to the Dunedin City Council on that survives what appears ultimate The church has the concept of sabbath, Easter Sunday Trading. failure and the capacity of Jesus to resting from work. break through deathly power. It is helpful if that rest can occur on This submission comes from Kerry For these and other reasons, in the week dates which broader society recognises Matthew Enright as minister of Knox prior to Easter and especially on Good so children can be home from school Church, George Street, Dunedin as Friday and Easter Sunday the church and workers from work. In Aotearoa, an individual, not on behalf of Knox celebrates its major festivals. because of our history, that has Church because Knox Church learned The church does not seek to impose its included Easter weekend. of the call for submissions late; so its beliefs and celebrations on people who governing body did not have time to do not follow Jesus. It does not expect here is therefore a cost to society formulate a submission. people to celebrate what it celebrates. Tif agreed dates are removed. It Knox Church has been part of the city Given their central significance, is a cost to the functioning of society of Dunedin since 1860 and is located however, it does believe society needs to including in the core elements of society in the central business district. It is allow followers of Jesus to join in these such as family relationships. There are a community of people who seek to celebrations. basic elements of society that enable follow Jesus, a Jew who lived in the Therefore, it would wish there to be its flourishing and that suffers if there early part of the First Century. Drawing freedom for followers of Jesus not are not agreed dates for enhancing the on his Jewish heritage, he outlined a to work on Good Friday and Easter relationships within that society. vision for the world which led to the Sunday in particular, in such a way Further, the church is concerned for the formation of a movement that became as to enable them to join with other wellbeing of workers and proprietors.