Anglican Down Under: Sacred and Spiritual Links - Monday 22 December 2014 including Oihi commemorations

The very big news of sacred and spiritual activity in Aotearoa New Zealand this week is the culmination of celebrations of the preaching of the gospel for the first time in our islands on Christmas Day 1814.

One major events was yesterday and a further event takes place on Christmas Day itself.

Taonga has articles here and here.

Bishop Kelvin Wright's Available Light blog has a series of posts on his pilgrimage from Dunedin to Oihi here.

The following links are supplied by a UK colleague:

Advent links remain available here for this fourth Sunday of Advent:

http://anglicanmainstream.org/advent-resources-2/

There will be a round up of Christmas services in the next few days.

Meanwhile I hope some of this may be of interest:

#1 Archbishop Glenn Davies preaching powerfully at the Sydney memorial service; #2 Raphael Samuel, recently made Bishop of Bolivia on God and his purpose; #3 Archie Coates on the presence of God with us; and #4 All Souls Langham Place have a series on Christmas Begins with Christ.

Prayers for you this coming week.

SERMONS AND TALKS

1. Sermon from a Service of Hope and Prayer - Archbishop Glenn Davies - St Andrew's Sydney Audio

http://tinyurl.com/jvovzrg

2. How God Restores His Purpose - Bishop Raphael Samuel of Bolivia - Holy Comforter, Sumpter, SC Audio

http://tinyurl.com/pr9egvc

3. Message of Christmas:God with us - Archie Coates - St Peter's Brighton Audio

http://tinyurl.com/nth2f88

4. Christmas Starts with Christ - talks from All Souls Langham Place

http://tinyurl.com/q7rrm2n

Commentary for Sunday 21st December

5. Preaching Ideas and Commentary - Rev Peter Carrell

http://tinyurl.com/mepevk8

6. The Sunday Readings - Rev Stephen Trott

http://tinyurl.com/q3ckgk5

WORSHIP

7. The bells of St Peter's Congleton in Cheshire - BBC Radio 4

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04vd68x

8. Choral Evensong from Manchester Cathedral - BBC Radio 3

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04v25tb

9. Sunday Holy Communion livestreamed from St Helena's Church, Beaufort, South Carolina at 10:15 am Eastern Time, 3:15 pm London Time

http://www.sthelenas1712.org/

10. Sunday Worship from Methodist College, Belfast - BBC Radio 4

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04vd697

11. Advent Carol Service still available from St John's College, Cambridge - BBC Radio 3

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04svfqf

12. Sunday Hour - BBC Radio 2

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04ttnm4

13. Archived Choral services during the holidays from the chapels of King's College Cambridge

http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/choir/webcasts.html

and Trinity College, Cambridge

http://trinitycollegechoir.com//webcasts/listen-again/

and St John's College, Cambridge

http://www.sjcchoir.co.uk/webcasts

and New College, Oxford

http://www.newcollegechoir.com/webcasts.html

PRAYER

Please pray for the Ebola Crisis and for those working for a cure; for Christians and all facing persecution and crime in Iraq; for the persecuted church and in particular in Nigeria, Egypt, India and Iran; for peace in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza; and for the Diocese of South Carolina.

14. Topical Prayers - Church of England

http://tinyurl.com/6wnk2pk

Nigeria: Archbishop Kwashi 'Poor Nigerians need protection' - BBC News

http://tinyurl.com/l7xuckc

Nigeria government 'outraged' by kidnap - BBC News

http://tinyurl.com/mane87z

Egypt: Christian convert facing maltreatment in prison – CSW

http://tinyurl.com/kpbtm6l

India: Christmas 2014 ‘evokes not joy but fears’ for India’s Christians – WWM

http://tinyurl.com/laenvx3

Iran: Charges dropped against Church of Iran clergy – CSW

http://tinyurl.com/qhyyvl5