Social Services Sunday
Today in our church’s calendar it is Social Services
Sunday. A day to remind ourselves that we, the Anglican Church in New Zealand,
are the largest provider of non-governmental social services in the country.
Yes, we are bigger than the Salvation Army. We provide more programmes, touch
more people.
In this Diocese Anglicancare Waiapu seeks to deliver
quality Christian social services that strengthen and develop communities. Bishop
Andrew Hedge states that Anglicancare is the means by which Waiapu is
able to reach beyond the walls of the Church and provide caring and loving
service in response to the needs of the wider community[1]. It is a
multi-million dollar enterprise which continues to struggle under a lack of
funding from governmental and non-governmental sources.
Social services is one of the five strands of
mission. It is intergral to who we are, and Anglicancare Waiapu is a central to our living
out this part of our mission. But the mission belongs to us all, and we cannot
just leave it to Anglicancare.
In the readings from the New
Testament this morning, from Ephesians and John, we are reminded of God’s
unbounded love and limitless generosity. We are invited to not only be grateful
for all this but are also invited to be people who have allowed this to shape
how we see the world and engage with the people who live in it, all the people
and not just people we like or people like us.
This is why responding to human need by loving service[2] is an
intergral part of our understanding of mission. In doing so we proclaim the
Good News of the Kingdom.[3] When
we are marked by the cross and become people of unbounded love and limitless
geneoristy, we will live in such a way that human need is met and the good news
is proclaimed. These are not things we strive to do, but are who we are.
What then might we need to let go of to be
further marked by this love and generosity?
[1] http://www.anglicancarewaiapu.nz/
[2] 4th strand
of the 5 Strands of Mission - http://www.anglicancommunion.org/identity/marks-of-mission.aspx
[3] 1st Strand
of the 5 Strands of Mission - http://www.anglicancommunion.org/identity/marks-of-mission.aspx
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