Chapel Messages
Tuesday 02/07/2024
Good Morning AllWoohoo Tuesday of the last week of term. We are nearly there!
Our theme for this final week of school is GIVE THANKS
The reading from Psalm 28 has King David describing ‘evil’ as those people who are all nice and good
on the outside but really are full of hate on the inside. King David’s enemies use this fake politeness
to hide their true intention to bring King David down. So David asks God to help him to deal to these people.
For David God was his Rock, his guide and mentor, his protector, guide and guard. David trusted God implicitly.
In these ways and David’s relationship with God, he came to know and to see the truth of who God was.
When we know this truth we can’t help but be THANKFUL, can’t help but want to GIVE THANKS because
our faith speaks to the same truth of who God is. Our every word then and thought, every action is one
which reflects not only what we deeply know but speaks to God’s character and nature.
The same enemies David had to deal with back in the day continue to exist today. The joy comes in knowing
we know what we know and the depth of that knowing. We are encouraged to continue to trust that truth.
Have a blessed day
Rev Ali'itasi Aoina-Salesa
Superintending Chaplain
Monday 01/07/2024
Good Morning AllWelcome everyone to the final week of Term 2.
OUR CONDOLENCES and SYMPATHIES to the family of Old Boy Nalin Shyam who passed away last week in Australia.
The Chapel theme for this week is ‘GIVE THANKS.’
The song ‘By the rivers of Babylon ..’ by Boney M. which sings of the period when God’s people were exiled in Babylonia as slaves. They would gather by the rivers of Babylon and mourn, weep, lament, yearn to return to Zion/Jerusalem.
They asked the question ‘How do we sing the Lord’s song in this foreign land?’
God’s people worried that being enslaved for so long they would forget the Lord’s songs, their culture, their identity, God.
They forgot too why God had allowed them to be enslaved but remembered and rejoiced when GIVING THANKS upon their return.
This year marks the 10th year of not being able to use the W.H. Smith Memorial Chapel.
In 2014 we returned after the holidays to be told the chapel did not meet the earthquake code and so were not permitted
to use the Old Chapel again. As a community it came as a huge shock. Our ‘Zion’ so to speak had been taken from us and in a way we experienced a sense of ‘exile,’ of loss and yearned to return. We GIVE THANKS for over 100 years of this worship place.
As migrants to this land Aotearoa New Zealand, some Pacific families are now 3 and 4 generations deep. How do we hold on to our identity, our culture, our way, our language, our songs in this land? Our places of worship are our ’zions’ where we practice our faith, our language, our culture, our identity and remember to sing the songs of our Lord. We GIVE THANKS!
This morning the School was welcomed back to our current place of worship after a week’s absence.
We GIVE THANKS for our return to a place which we identify with very strongly as a community of faith.
Have a blessed day.
Rev Ali'itasi Aoina-Salesa
Superintending Chaplain
Thursday 27/06/2024
Good Morning AllManawatia a Matariki - Happy Maori New Year honours, acknowledges and welcomes in Matariki
Nga mihi o Matariki te tou hou Maori - Happy Matariki!
THANK YOU to Matua Matiaha and Koka Lia who led the school’s Matariki celebration with a sleepover, hangi and early
morning visit to the local maunga to see Matariki a cluster of stars which rise in the skies around the months of June/July.
It signals the beginning to the Maori New Year, a time of -
Remembering the past - acknowledging those whanau who have passed away during the year
Celebrating the present - gathering together with whanau over kai
Planning for the year ahead, the future with hope
The theme for Matariki 2024 is ‘Matariki heri kai’ meaning ‘Matariki the bringer of kai.’
In Te Paipera Tapu reference is made to matariki in the books of Amos and Job.
In Amos 5: the Pleiades is referred to for the same cluster of stars which stems from Greek mythology.
The significance is not lost in that a ‘new thing’ is happening.
Enjoy matariki.
Have a blessed day and long weekend
Wednesday 26/06/2024
Good Afternoon AllThe penultimate day of the week given the celebration of Matariki on Friday.
The Bible reading for this week is from Luke 6:37-42.
The key verse v38 Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over,
will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
GENEROSITY is a gift and blessing which enables us to live alongside one another and experience life in its fullness.
It is a blessing given to everyone and we cannot know the full gift of GENEROSITY unless it is shared.
The blessing then comes in GENEROSITY being shared so that everyone can experience what it is to give and to receive.
GENEROSITY finds its fullness, its hands and feet, its sharing, its giftedness in each of us. If we don’t share we won’t know the full
blessing of the gift and so too deny others the inherent blessing.
What do we give to?
Does what we give invite others to give?
Does our giving bless others?
Have a blessed day
Monday 24/06/2024
Good Morning AllOur chapel theme for this week is GENEROSITY
The Bible reading is from Luke 6:37-42.
The key verse: v38 Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together
and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
CONGRATULATIONS to all our teams who represented us on Saturday playing rugby.
It was a wonderful morning with players giving GENEROUSLY of their skills, energy and spirit to play their best.
The outcome a win to the 1st XV who played St Johns from Hastings
A win to the 1st XV Girls who played a visiting team from the USA
A win to the U14s who played Otahuhu
‘Give and it will be given to you … a good measure … will be poured into your lap.’
THANK YOU to all our Coaches and Management staff who give GENEROUSLY of their time to enable our students the
opportunity to play sport.
THANK YOU to our parents and families who always come to support our school and our children. Your GENEROSITY
is beyond measure.
Jesus here is simply speaking about the broad life principle of our spirit of giving. When we give GENEROUSLY the promise
is we will receive in equal measure.
Have a blessed day