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Christian Conference of Asia
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Program Clusters: Special Programs:
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8 April 2012
Reflections
"Come and See"A Reflection on the occasion of the CCA Pastoral Visit to the Churches of Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it.”(1Corinthians 12:12-13, 26)
To our brothers
and sisters in the churches in Aotearoa New Zealand, Grace and Peace to you,
As an expression of solidarity of your sisters and brothers in the
Asian churches we have come for a pastoral visit on the 1st anniversary of the
22 February earthquake in Christchurch. Our visit commenced arriving on Ash Wednesday,
observing the silence, as the nation stood still at 12:51pm to remember the
tragic and devastating events in 2011.
When the disciples began to follow Jesus – Jesus asked “what are you
looking for?” This touches on the question of their motivation to follow Jesus.
But the disciples’ response was: “Where is your place?” Jesus answered, “Come
and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him
that day. (John 1:39) Jesus was in the world where struggles are found. This pastoral
visit with the churches found them where Jesus is with the people and
communities struggling today.
This visit has taken us to see the people of Christchurch and we
remained with them for three days. During this time we had the opportunity to ‘come
and see’: to see a city shaken and broken, to see a people still shaking, to
see a church that is questioning, to see turmoil and uncertainty as well as
hopes and new opportunities.
We saw and heard the heartbreaking stories that have shaped the city
during this past year. We also saw and heard the stories of hope in the midst
of the brokenness.
We visited local congregations in New Brighton and were inspired to see
the local parishes/congregations working together not as ‘church in the
community’ but rather as ‘church with the community’ to meet the needs of the
people.
We heard of the churches door knocking whole communities to see what
support was needed by each household. We saw the new community initiatives to
provide a safe space for the people to gather and talk and share their agonies
and fears and encourage each other in the face of uncertainty.
We heard how communities valued that the church remained after the government
agencies left. This has enabled people without a church background to
participate as equal members of a team able to hold those whom others wouldn’t
normally want to hold. The church is being transformed from struggling to be
the church in the community to now being the church with the community.
We heard from the regional church leaders that since the earthquake,
providing the basic needs of food and accommodation is a priority. One leader
shared of a new partnership that has developed with a Private Trust ensuring
adequate resourcing is available to provide for the immediate needs.
The significant statement “when the quake happened and the buildings
fell away so did some of our thinking as well. Neighbours were able to talk to
neighbours.” reflects one aspect of the transformation that is taking place
post-earthquake. We repeatedly heard of a new hope for the churches beyond the
boundaries of denominationalism.
We heard from denominational leaders that the future has new
opportunities and the challenge is how to embrace them. We heard the commitment
that priorities for the church’s future are ministry with the people and
maintaining the rich sense of community that is present since the earthquake.
We heard the hope that any rebuilding plans will give consideration to
new places of worship that may be shared and new ways to worship as the
gathered community. The earthquake has released people to worship in parks, on
beaches, schools and in community buildings. The worshipping community is found
in the living stones not the crumbled stones.
We saw the resilience and courage of the people who acknowledged that
the prayers of the world have supported and carried them as they emerge from
the rubble of the earthquake.
We met with various ecumenical groups who are working together in
developing strategic plans for the churches post-earthquake.
We repeatedly heard “we have the opportunity to talk and think differently.
We are now a gathered church rather than a geographic church. Our challenge is
how to be the church post- earthquake.” ‘What we can do together is now more
important than what we might have done in the past alone or separately.’
We clearly heard openness to greater ecumenical planning and
cooperation and encourage the churches to have the courage to embrace new ways
of being the church together with the community.
We shared the significance of first anniversaries being a point in time
when people and communities begin to embrace the future in a new way. Similarly
Ash Wednesday begins the journey to Easter where we embrace the hope of the
resurrection and the newness of life. The churches are also embracing the
newness of being church in city shaped by the earthquake.
We humbly received the message from the churches in Christchurch to the
churches in Asia:
·
The
churches in Christchurch expressed their thanks and appreciation for the pastoral
visit.
· The
churches acknowledged that they have been humbled by the prayers and expressions of support from the churches in
Asia and around the world. “We are more used to offering support in
time of disaster and to receive support from those who we have supported in the past is very
humbling.”
·
We ask
the churches in Asia to call us to account as to how we have used the opportunity for new ways of being the church.
The earthquake not only shook the ground but has shaken the notion of
what it means to be the church. The churches in Aotearoa New Zealand are
encouraged to:
·
continue
strengthening the fellowship (koinonia) of the churches;
·
embrace
the new opportunities currently before them;
·
continue
to discover new ways of being the witnessing church (martyria);
·
build on
the knowledge of the needs of the people in the community to develop
further ministries of
service (diakonia).
We write to the churches in Asia to continue
expressing solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Christchurch, uphold
them in prayer and when possible encourage those who are able to visit the
beautiful region of Christchurch.
We write to the churches in Aotearoa New
Zealand expressing admiration for the churches in Christchurch as they minister
with the community meeting the post-earthquake needs of the people and the
community.
We encourage continued openness and
exploration for new ways to be church when gathered, witnessing and serving in
a post-earthquake city.
We also encourage the churches throughout
Aotearoa New Zealand to have eyes to see the new movement of the spirit in the
church and ears to hear the call to fresh expressions of being church
reflecting both ecumenical and community cooperation.
Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy
he
has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus
Christ from the dead... (1 Peter 1:3)
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang Rev.
Tara Curlewis,
General Secretary CCA General Secretary
National Council of Churches in Australia
posted by communications on Monday, April 09, 2012 |
