Norfolk Island Church Of England

Thanksgiving on Norfolk Island

Since the 1890’s the community of Norfolk Island have been decorating All Saints Kingston and celebrating Thanksgiving together.

The Pilgrims, following their first harvest in the New World in 1621, hosted the very first Thanksgiving; a celebration feast offering thanks to God for his bountiful provision, protection and care over them in the New World.

The first U.S. National Thanksgiving day of celebration started with a proclamation signed October 3, 1789 by the country’s first president, George Washington. “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

In 1863 amid the civil war, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a National Thanksgiving Day “No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans. mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.”

How did the most American of holidays end up on a remote Australian territory in the middle of the South Pacific?

Mark Johanson (with our own Tom Loyd) of the IB Times explains (http://www.ibtimes.com/how-thanksgiving-became-holiday-remote-norfolk-island-893484):

“On Norfolk Island there is one day when all congregations join together, and that is to celebrate Thanksgiving Day,” he explained. “The Pitcairners always celebrated the English Harvest Home festival, but it was not until the mid-1890s that All Saints Church was specially decorated for the service.”

This was Isaac Robinson’s idea, Lloyd said. Robinson was an American trader who settled on Norfolk as agent for Burns Philp & Co Ltd., later becoming Norfolk’s Registrar of Lands and the island’s first (and so far only) United States consul.

“The idea of Norfolk having an American consul does sound slightly absurd today,” Lloyd admits, “but in those days American whalers made frequent calls, and Robinson proposed dressing the church up American-style for Thanksgiving.”

Three of Robinson’s friends helped him decorate All Saints Church in the capital, Kingston, using only palm leaves and lemons, and though he died and was buried at sea the next year, his notion caught on. For Norfolk’s second Thanksgiving service, the parishioners brought down all sorts of produce to decorate the church.

“The tradition became to tie corn stalks to the pew ends and pile flowers on the altar and the font,” Lloyd said. “At first, each family took home its own fruit and vegetables after the service, but today they are sold to raise money for church preservation.”

See you at All Saints!

Long Dry Patches

I don’t know about you but for me I go through pretty long dry patches where I don’t get to read my Bible all that much.

God does not tell us that we need to read the Bible everyday. What he does say is much more fascinating. In Psalm 1 and Joshua 1 God says that we ought to “meditate on the scriptures day and night”.

This actually makes getting into our Bibles even more important. It’s not just something we read, it’s something we think about. Constantly.

In Matthew 4:4, Jesus said that we can’t live by bread alone but by every word of God. It’s like a light unto our path, a two-edged sword, a fire, and a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.

I want to be clear that our relationship with God doesn’t rise or fall on our reading habits. Instead, when we realise that God speaks to us through his Word, we should want to read it more!

Having trouble reading the Bible?

I don’t know about you but for me I go through pretty long dry patches where I don’t get to read my Bible all that much. If that’s you too – here’s two practical tips.

1. On your mark. Get set. Go! (read it)
2. Pray it

1. Read the word

If you don’t know where to start reading, then start reading Mark. In fact, it’s a great place to restart – even if you restart a thousand times.

It contains the stories of Jesus’ life and tells them very quickly. No long genealogies and no drawn out narratives. In fact, one of the words you’re going to see a lot in the book of Mark is “immediately”. It’s a fast-paced book but with plenty of depth. It’s the sort of book where you can start at any chapter and read a section. You’ll get a story from the life of Jesus and you’ll be refreshed by the reminder of his greatness.

2. Pray The Word.

Pray in response to the verses you read
Pray in response to the verses you remember
Don’t close your Bible when you pray, but let the priorities of the Bible shape your priorities in prayer.

Police Remembrance Day Service

Each year, the 29th September holds a special significance for Police throughout Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and the Solomon Islands. It is a day for police to pause to honour officers whose lives have been cut short while performing their duty as a police officer. Here on Norfolk Island a Service of Remembrance was held at All Saints Kingston on Tuesday morning, and those who gathered we’re encouraged to remember with thanksgiving those whose lives have been lost in the line of duty, to pray for those who experience their loss most deeply, and to give thanks for those who continue to face danger to ensure the safety of us all.

Church of England Chaplain, Rev. David Fell reminded the congregation that “these officers were not simply Police: they were also someone’s partner, spouse, parent, child or friend. None of those who have died left home on their final day on earth knowing it would be their last. It is difficult to imagine the grief of those left behind, which will be deeply felt on important family occasions such as birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries. Our hearts go out to those who have been bereaved and we will remember them in our prayers. He then said, “Police officers face risks and dangers in their daily responsibilities in order to ensure the safety of others. We all benefit from their courage, discipline and training and we offer our thanks, especially for those who have lost their lives. Their sacrifices also push us to reflect on our own lives, how we serve and what legacy we would like to leave behind”.

After singing “O Valiant Hearts”, Detective Senior Constable Matt Lee prayed the Police prayer. Sergeant Catherine Tye, Officer-in-Charge, Norfolk Island Police Force then read Psalm 46 and the second hymn “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” was sung. An Occasional Address was then given by His Honour, Gary Hardgrave, Administrator for Norfolk Island before Sergeant Tye read the Honour Roll. The service ended with the Police Ode read by Constable Cheryl Snell, of the Norfolk Island Police Force and an anonymous Police Poem titled “I am” (Remembrance) read by Mr George Smith AM, former Minister for Police.

Dream Big!

It’s October 2028. The world’s greatest sporting event is upon us. It’s the NRL Grand Final. The St. George Dragons and the South Sydney Rabbitohs are playing to win the Provan-Summons trophy. The two best teams of 2028 are locked at 12 all with time fast running out.

With thirty seconds left Souths have the ball, and with the referee eyeing the clock they desperately make one last attempt to break the dead-lock and avoid “Golden Point Extra Time”. After some terrific lead up play the speedy South Sydney winger receives the ball and makes an incisive run into the Dragons half. He’s scored several great “trys” already this finals series. This run is just as good as the rest and he looks every bit like scoring in the corner. But just as he attempts to ground the ball Dragons full back Ernie Fell, with a Superman-like dive, punches the ball loose …but he doesn’t just punch it away, he miraculously catches it and holds on. With only seconds left he quickly shifts the ball infield to his teammate, Wendell Fell, who runs back down the the field, puts up an incredibly precise chip right to the middle of the in-goal area where he shoulders away three defenders and grounds the ball for the win.

The referee blows his whistle! Game over! St. George wins the Grand Final, to the sheer joy of their father sitting in the front row.

What is your greatest desire for your loved ones?

If you talk to many parents their answer will be ‘I just want my kids to be happy ’ but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that what they are actually saying is that they want their kids to make them happy.

Maybe you want them to be a doctor, an engineer, or a stockbroker. Perhaps to experience earthly happiness derived from physical security or family not plagued by problems or divorce. A big family of their own full of healthy children; a long life exited by peaceful old age.

What do you want more than anything for your loved ones?

That they live a happy healthy long life? That they change the course of human history somehow? That they invent a new technology or even cure cancer?

Earlier this year we learnt from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians that we should dream bigger. Much bigger.

In the first chapter of Ephesians, verses 3-14 are devoted by the apostle Paul, to describe all of the immeasurable blessings that are given by God to his children. He talks about election; predestination, adoption, redemption, forgiveness and ultimately, He gave the Holy Spirit as a sign of the inheritance that will be coming our way for eternity.

Twelve of the most glorious verses we have in all of scripture.

In verses 15-17 Paul tells us what kind of response is produced by a heart that has grasped the meaning of the previous twelve verses. Paul says, “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”

In Acts chapter 20 we find out that Paul went house to house in Ephesus preaching the Gospel to people with many tears. Here we have the greatest evangelist begging people to salvation and yet people remained stone faced in their love for their sin and hate for the Lord. Fast forward a few years and Paul in a Roman jail receives word that many of those whom he had spent time with for three years pleading with them to forsake their sin and believe in the Lord, have finally given their lives to the Lord, and have a great love for their fellow believers. Men and women, who hated the Gospel, now sit in the front row on Sunday mornings, in love with God’s word and God’s people.

And Paul says that this news is bringing him unspeakable joy and that he hasn’t stopped giving thanks to God for their salvation.

Why so happy? Very simple, you cannot read verses 3-14 and walk away bored about such promises. Not only would a sensible person crave these blessings for themselves, but they would dream, that any loved would be able to experience these blessings as well. And Paul’s greatest concern in life was that as many people as possible would join Him in worshiping Christ forever. When he heard that people he had invested time into and even shed tears over, had believed the Gospel, his joy (despite being in a Roman cell to face Caesar) was unending.

I need to ask you a question I’ve been asking myself lately; What is your deepest concern for the people God has surrounded you with?

Is it their health? That they live a trial free life? That they win a meaningless footy game?

What we are called to is to take Paul’s example and desire above all else for our loved ones that they would be saved, and would join us in giving our Savior the praise he deserves.

We all dream about things for our loved ones. Let’s dream big!

A year of Protest on Norfolk Island

It has been a year of protest on Norfolk Island. This has raised for me a challenging and pressing question: as Christians, should we protest and picket the government?

After all, human government is deeply biblical. Look back to Genesis 1:28, where God commanded Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” Authority, by nature, reflects God’s authority. Romans 13 echoes this foundational biblical theology, “for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Rom. 13:1).

Traditionally, although there have been protests organised by Christians (think Martin Luther King), Christians have been mostly negative about protesting. The recommended response to injustice has been to go to God in prayer and leave the matter with Him. In 2 Timothy 2:1-2, Paul urges that ‘petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness’. One of the effective means by which Christians live out their godliness is through prayer for the king to the King of Kings.

Despite this, we still need to remember how our modern governments work. Ancient governments did not claim to represent individuals in the way our modern Western democracies do, so protests made little impact (and publicly protesting against the policies of Rome or Assyria was fairly pointless unless you wanted an immediate, public and brief encounter with the lions in the amphitheatre).

I think there is probably a case for Christian protesting today. More importantly, I think today’s governments actually expect some measure of protest. Increasingly it seems they create and announce policies with little thought and even less consultation and then – fingers crossed – impose them on the public. If they are met with strong objections, then the policies or laws are hastily withdrawn, redrafted and resubmitted. In a culture where only those who shout are heard, any failure to protest may be presumed consent or approval.

Perhaps you’ve heard of “Just War Theory”? It’s one of the ways Christians have responded to armed conflict. I think there are some similar principles, which can probably be proposed for a political protest – a “Just Protest Theory” if you will. After all, both war and protest are powerful forces that can easily tempt us to do wrong things – anger and hatred; grumbling and complaining; gossip and slander; insubordination and rebellion; anxiety and worry – these are just some of the wrong responses that can arise whenever the conversation takes a political turn. It’s even easier to get carried away when you are surrounded by the sound of marching feet, waving banners and the shouts of solidarity.

LET ME CAUTIOUSLY SUGGEST FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR PROTEST:

We should protest on behalf of others rather than ourselves. Our duty to love our neighbour may involve us in protesting for them.
All other means of influencing the governing powers should have been exhausted. Protest should always be a last resort.
We must be assured that our protest will do more good than harm.
There must be a clearly defined and widely understood aim for our protest (it’s all too easy for things to degenerate into anger and dislike).
The limits of any protest must be set beforehand. Christians can have nothing to do with words of hatred or – even worse – acts of violence.

Moreover, in all that we do, we should try to bring Jesus into our protest. There is a widespread suspicion that the Christian church is no different from all those other community groups that exist only for their own benefit. Protests are an opportunity to show that actually we do care for others. Perhaps you can already think of ways our protesting can be pro-testimony and pro-Jesus?

Finally, Christians should pray for the salvation of our leaders. Paul writes, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people…Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.” (1 Tim. 2:3–6).

Praying for the salvation of our leaders is good in the sight of God. The salvation of souls is in keeping with God’s gracious nature and His sovereign purposes; it is the reason Christ died on the cross. When we pray for our island, we must not limit our prayers to the latest policy decisions and other temporal issues. We must also pray for the souls of those in government and civil service, that by God’s grace they might be saved through faith in Christ!

Questions for reflection…

Here are some terrific questions for reflection / your time with the Lord this week.

How real has God been to your heart this week?

How clear and vivid is your assurance and certainty of God’s forgiveness and fatherly love? To what degree is that real to you right now?

Are you having any particular seasons of delight in God? Do you really sense his presence in your life, sense him giving you his love?

Have you been finding Scripture to be alive and active? Instead of just being a book, do you feel like Scripture is coming after you?

Are you finding certain biblical promises extremely precious and encouraging? Which ones?

Good Days and Bad Days

Mother’s Day is one of the most celebrated days of the year for the simple reason that no one got here without a mother. Nevertheless, it’s a difficult day for many. There was a time in our own life when it represented a very painful day. Before we fell pregnant with Wendell, we lived through miscarriage, infertility and IVF. At church, it sometimes seemed as if it was the “real” women who were honoured, while the infertile women (and their husbands) grieved in the shadows. Not only is it a hard day on those who are infertile, but also for those who have lost a child, or are alienated from one. When we are experiencing a prodigal child, it’s extremely painful to sit in a service and hear the virtues of motherhood extolled when we may feel like we have failed God in our parenting. The key to all of this is grace. Through God’s church, we minister to each other during the good days and the hard days, and so whether you’re celebrating or suffering this year, I pray God’s grace for you. I pray you will be strengthened in the grace that strengthens and is strengthening all of us: “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).

Here’s a beautiful prayer I read on the internet this week:

To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you

To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains – we appreciate you

To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away – we mourn with you

To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with tears and disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say thoughtless things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is.

To those who are foster mums, mentor mums, and spiritual mums – we need you To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you

To those who have disappointment, heartache, and distance with your children – we sit with you

To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you

To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we acknowledge your experience

To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst

To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children – we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be

To those who step-parent – we walk with you on these complex paths

To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren – yet that dream is not to be, we grieve with you

To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve and rejoice with you

This Mother’s Day, we walk with you.

We pray these things to you as our Father, who loved us before the world began, and will love us forevermore.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lest I forget Gethsemane

we nawa gwen forget dem

ANZAC Day 2015 marked 100 years since the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. Norfolk Island’s own contribution to both world wars was, per capita, the largest in the Commonwealth, which is proudly remembered by all islanders. This year the dawn service was held, not at the Cenotaph, but at the location of the first service in 1917, Emily Bay.

The fact that we remember the Gallipoli campaign as a great national day must be odd to people of other countries. The Americans have Independence Day, the French have Bastille, the British have Waterloo and Trafalgar, but ANZAC Day centres on an ignominious defeat in a side show theatre of the Great War. It sounds like foolishness, but of course we understand that this defeat symbolised something far greater.

The Bible speaks of a far greater defeat that stands at the epicentre of human history. A defeat which seems like foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved is the very power of God (1 Cor 1:18). The foolishness is of course the death of Jesus the Christ, which is still a stumbling block to so many in all their ‘wisdom’.

Last Saturday we will rightly say ‘lest we forget’, as we remembered the great sacrifice of others for out mortal bodies, but last Sunday we remembered the immeasurably greater sacrifice of Jesus for our immortal souls.

Lest I forget Gethsemane,
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.

David Fell is the Chaplain of the Church of England on Norfolk Island, an Anglican Church that loves Jesus, loves each other and loves Norfolk Island.

UNIT Youth is almost here!

Next Friday night at the Parish Centre, the combined churches of Norfolk Island launch a new High School youth ministry called UNIT Youth.

UNIT Youth is a new initiative designed to provide excellent and intentional ministry to our young people – it’s an exciting program specifically designed for teenagers, where they can gather with other kids for fun, friendship, and Christian teaching. The first night of UNIT gets off to a fiery start with what we are calling Pyromaniac Craze Night. Why not join us for a relaxed BBQ dinner at 6.30pm before the night kicks off at 7.00pm.

Mitchell Mahaffey has been employed to lead UNIT. Mitch is an experienced Youth Worker from the Sunshine Coast in QLD and holds a Certificate IV in Youth Work as well as a Certificate III in Outdoor Education. A team of adult volunteers including Mark and Jess Scott, Ashley and Grant Newman and even Rev. David Fell will assist Mitch. We are highly confident that your children will be carefully led and supervised by Mitch and his team. We are doubly confidant that they will receive teaching and mentoring that will greatly enhance their growth and development as young adults, especially in the Faith. In fact, we believe that UNIT will become a genuine centre for counter-cultural influence, both protecting kids from negative peer pressure, and helping them to critically evaluate and navigate society.

But here is the thing – we need your support. We value partnering with parents in all of these things and we urge you to support this new venture by encouraging your kids to come!

We can’t wait to see you there!

Friendship

The most central image for church goes right to the heart of our identity, it’s that we are family; brothers and sisters in Christ; sharing the one heavenly Father.

In his book The Four Loves, CS Lewis shares a beautiful meditation on his friends [Charles Williams] death in an essay entitled ‘Friendship.’

In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity; I want other lights than my own to show all his facets. Now that Charles is dead, I shall never again see Ronald’s [Tolkien’s] reaction to a specifically Charles joke. Far from having more of Ronald, having him “to myself” now that Charles is away, I have less of Ronald . . . In this, Friendship exhibits a glorious “nearness by resemblance” to heaven itself where the very multitude of the blessed (which no man can number) increases the fruition which each of us has of God. For every soul, seeing Him in her own way, doubtless communicates that unique vision to all the rest. That, says an old author, is why the Seraphim in Isaiah’s vision are crying “Holy, Holy, Holy” to one another (Isaiah 6:3). The more we thus share the Heavenly Bread between us, the more we shall have.

Lewis is saying that it takes a community to know an individual!

How much more is this true of Jesus Christ? Christians commonly say they want a “relationship with Jesus”, that they want to “get to know Jesus better” but… We will never be able to do that by ourselves! “Only if you are part of a community of believers seeking to resemble, serve, and love Jesus will you ever get to know him and grow into his likeness” (Tim Keller, The Prodigal God, pp. 126-127).

David Fell is the Chaplain of the Church of England on Norfolk Island, an Anglican Church that loves Jesus, loves each other and loves Norfolk Island.