Christchurch South Parish
St Marks Somerfield
Our Core Values:
Acceptance Caring
Creativity Outreach
Teamwork Worshipfulness
Christchurch South Methodist Parish - Contact details:
St Marks Church and Hall
Cnr Barrington & Somerfield Streets, Somerfield, Christchurch 8024
Presbyter:
Rev Andrew Donaldson
C/- Parish Office, 7 Somerfield St, Barrington, Christchurch 8024
Phone: +64 (03) 981 0699
Email: stmarks7@clear.net.nz
Worship Times:
St Marks Somerfield 10:00 am Sunday
SUNDAY May 6th Easter 5, Holy Communion
10:00 a.m. Rev Andrew Donaldson
SUNDAY May 13th Easter 6
10:00 a.m. Tania Shackelton
SUNDAY May 20th Easter 7/ Ascension
10:00 a.m. Rev Andrew Donaldson
SUNDAY May 27th Pentecost (Wesley Day)
10:00 a.m. Rev Andrew Donaldson
Rev Andrew Donaldson's May piece!
Over thirty years ago I began study towards my degree at Canterbury University. My intention was to complete a degree in economics but graduated in Religious Studies and Sociology. I thoroughly enjoyed Religious Studies and took Hindu Studies to stage three. I have kept up a keen interest in religions that differ from my own. I quickly learned that 'truth' truly is in the eye of the beholder. I grew up in the Christian faith. Growing up in New Zealand in the 60's and 70's if there was going to be religion in my life there was only ever one choice. The centrality of Christ in our religious story, and growing up Methodist, the importance of the centrality of Christ in my own life, remains important to me. William Schweiker professor of theological ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School stated, "It would be odd for a Christian to say Jesus Christ is not as important as the Buddha, or for a Buddhist to say we can give up on the Buddha for the light of the Torah". It would be equally sad if we were not to acknowledge the importance of other religious faith traditions and the stories of their central teachers. In a series of 10 lectures on world religions one religious scholar began his classes with the following prayer: "Thank you, Lord, that you have revealed yourself to us. We pray that you would use tonight and the remaining nine weeks after tonight to reveal yourself even more clearly as we study the religions of those who have sought truth in all the wrong places."
Today we live in a society that is far more religiously diverse than it was in my childhood. Back then diversity consisted of the various Christian denominations. In my immediate neighbourhood that was Roman Catholic, Baptist and Methodist.
Today we should not be surprised to find the central religious teacher or religious hero in many homes is someone other than Jesus of Nazareth. It could be the Buddha, Mohammad, Rama, or someone we may not have ever heard of. Sadly in some Christian traditions an outright claim on truth is made and nothing else can be tolerated. Anything other than a particular view of Christianity is to be accepted. However Christ taught compassion and hospitality as the calling for his followers. These deeds are central of many of the world's religions. In the face of a multi faith society, compassion and hospitality challenge us to respect those of our neighbours who hold to a different faith tradition.
To love and respect our neighbour does not mean that we deny our own belief system. To be able to respect our brothers and sisters we must first be able to respect our own traditions and faith. Eboo Patel writes "People ought to believe that their own religion is distinctive and unique and fuller than other religions, … I would also hope they would know the stories in Christianity -- from the Good Samaritan to Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma -- that calls them to have positive relationships with people in other faiths [and people of no faith]." Today the word ecumenism takes on broader meaning within the New Zealand context. We can no longer just think of the Christian traditions. Within our Christchurch experience we have recently taken steps in our remembrance ceremonies to include broader faith networks as we discover earthquakes do not discriminate. In reality our civil religion still follows Anglican patterns and so our corporate memorials have struggled to be more inclusive. This is still all quite new, however, we have shown ourselves to be willing to undertake that struggle. In this regard we as a wider Christchurch community brought the realm of God a little closer.
Andrew
St Marks Church Organ
Our pipe organ was damaged in the February 22nd, 2011 earthquake and has now been replaced by a Rogers 578 Digital Electronic Organ. It was played for the first time in the service on January 29th.
Email: stmarks7@clear.net.nz
Phone +64 3 981 0699
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