Social Services Sunday

Today in our church’s calendar it is Social Services Sunday. A day to remind ourselves of the work that we in this diocese do through Anglicancare Waiapu. In this parish that means the work of Merivale Whanau Aroha Childcare.

Anglicancare Waiapu seeks to deliver quality Christian social services that strengthen and develop communities. Bishop Andrew Hedge states that Anglicancare is one of the main 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]. 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 to also be people shaped by this love and generosity. When we are marked by the cross at baptism we become people of unbounded love and limitless geneoristy, and are called to live in such a way that human need is met and the good news is proclaimed. 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]

What then might we need to let go of to be further marked by this love and generosity?

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[1] http://www.anglicancarewaiapu.nz/

[2] 4^th strand of the 5 Strands of Mission - http://www.anglicancommunion.org/identity/marks-of-mission.aspx

[3] 1^st Strand of the 5 Strands of Mission - http://www.anglicancommunion.org/identity/marks-of-mission.aspx