Sunday 25th April 2021

“We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us
– and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” 
(1 John 3:16-24)

ANZAC Day
Today the lectionary readings encourage us to reflect on the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. Here in New Zealand, these readings no doubt have a different resonance for us on ANZAC Day than they will have for people in other parts of the world whose church services are centred upon the same passages.
On this day we remember and give thanks for men and women who courageously served our country in times of war. We think, too, of those who continue to serve in the armed forces and of people who are working to establish peace in conflict-ridden parts of the world. We pray for all those affected by war, and we pray for peace.
We pray, too, that we may grow in understanding of what it means for us to lay down our lives for others.
 
For those unable to come along on Sunday, Hamish has recorded a video covering the kind of messages we will be talking about in the service, which you can view here: https://youtu.be/IRRWxgo2-c8