On Tuesday 18th February, most of the St Barnabas staff started our day in the church before heading to the Nevilles’ farm
Led by the Rev’d Dr Anne Shave, we started the day with a guided session exploring our stone church. After a delicious morning tea (see photo), we decamped in the church van to Barbara & Richard Neville’s farm in Clarkville where we spent the rest of the day. We enjoyed great food catered by Thrive Cafe (from the City Mission).
Using Exodus 35 as our guide, we looked at the fulfilment we experience when we are able to use our gifts, and what support we needed from each other this year.
To end the day, we each chose a kete (a woven Māori basket) as a way of expressing two Māori whakatauki (proverbs):
“Ehara taku to he toa takitahi, he toa takatini kē” (my success is not mine alone but is from the strength of many) and
“Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi” (With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.)
We also prayed this together:
Lord God, e te Atua te Ariki,
who has made us all into one body in Christ,
Enable us to honour one another in our work.
Help us to understand the ways in which we depend upon another.
Teach us to bear one another’s burdens
and share one another’s joy.
In our varied occupations
enable us to serve one another with dignity and carefulness.
May we receive with gratitude the work of other people.
So continue your work of binding us together in your human family.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
By Andrew Butcher