Committed to Jesus’ healing of people, situations, nations ...These were essential for the functioning of the church – as Paul writes îto equip the saints for ministry, for building

The Order of St Luke the Physician Aotearoa New Zealand Committed to Jesus’ healing of people, situations, nations, and creation

HEAL-LINK May 2019 –Ascension Issue 340

Reflections from our National Chaplain Jenny - following her visit to Te Wai Pounamu. First and foremost - I thank everyone for a God inspired trip from Invercargill to Blenheim with precious stops between. It became clear to me that both the members and friends of our Order are seeking unity, information, resources and recognition as they pray to bring wholeness in body, soul and

spirit to all in God’s glorious kingdom.

Speaking with young students uncovered that they wanted to be included but were unsure how, I suggested that the older members of our Order could pray for them whenever they mentioned issues like bullying, acne, exam stress and other health issues - anything that is important to younger people and to ensure their privacy remains intact. I believe the students think it might work because anonymity is guaranteed.

We were definitely in the presence of the Holy Spirit when we were praying, laying on hands and anointing those who attended any of the many services.

During my travels I witnessed the miracle mixture of interdenominational clergy present at many of our services. I ask you to please pray that they will find their way forward - to not only preach and teach but actively pray for healing for those who are in such great need, body, soul and spirit, regardless of gender, race or creed.

Praise God!

Jenny REV. JENNY QUINCE Email: [email protected] Contact number: 021 027 77 444

Ascension Sunday Ascension Sunday reminds us that Jesus prepared His disciples for when He would leave them to sit at the right hand of God, His Father in heaven, and there He would prepare a place and intercede for them and us. - John 14.1-3 Jesus made one truly wondrous and encouraging promise to His disciples –He would send the Holy Spirit to guide and enable every believer to perform the work of the Gospels. - Mark 16.19, This promise is for all believers that ‘He will come back again and take us all to be where He is’ - Acts 1.11. Jesus began preparing the disciples to go into Jerusalem and wherever else He would lead them in Mark 16: 15 and Luke 9:1-6. Jesus explained that after His ascension they would be clothed in power from on high - Luke 24:5-9 and Acts 1:7-8, They were to take the Gospel message and preach to the nations about repentance and the forgiveness of sins in His Name. This encompasses the healing of sicknesses and disease.

For forty days after His resurrection Jesus taught and prepared His disciples, then He raised His hands and blessed them and ascended into heaven. Let us remember the angels who appeared after Jesus’ ascension and said ‘This Jesus whom you saw go up into heaven, will come again just as you saw Him go up’. Acts 1.11.

The disciples remembered all that Jesus had told them and returned to Jerusalem with great joy to await the promised Holy Spirit - with power to enable them -Luke 24.50-53. Let us join them - we are equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit – we can continue the work of the Gospel and heal the sick in the power of the same Holy Spirit that Christ gave to His Disciples. We are called to be doer’s of the Word that Jesus gave us; ‘go out and preach the Gospel and heal the sick.” That is Jesus’ call to you and I as members of His Church and of our Order of St. Luke. What are we waiting for? Let me encourage you in the mission field that exists outside your front door. Praise our Lord. Amen.

Bruce Rev. Bruce Hellyer – email: [email protected]

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A truly great read –from Josh Klinkenberg The Art of Healing – A Journey into the Miraculous It warmed my heart to review a significant book by this New Zealand author. His approach is very simple and practical. Learning to heal, as Jesus healed, is an “ART” and like any other art - it has to be practiced. This is a reminder to us all, that we have been given “power and authority over all demons, to

cure diseases, to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:1-2 Readers are encouraged to pray healing for someone each day while scriptural guidelines are also offered. Josh maintains that we see so few healings is because we are not proactive – we can learn, develop, mature and become effective by practicing healing in the name of Jesus. He encourages us to stop procrastinating and making excuses – we need to trust we are empowered by the Holy Spirit – guided and equipped – we can step into all that God has given us – identify with this and know this is what God plans for each of us. Josh can be contacted at [email protected] .

Frank Rev. Frank Rigg - email [email protected]

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Our precious Prayer Co-ordinator Kevin Gwynne passed on a

Crafted Prayer Starter received from Frances - I have taken

the liberty of making it less personal – using italics for the words

we can change to customise it for whomever we wish to pray.

Father God - I thank you that you will never leave or

forsake any of us or our dear ones. May we all always

feel your tangible presence. Please summon your

power in their lives and show your glory and majesty by

banishing any weakness, hurt or illness. I ask you to

strengthen their bodies, souls and spirits. I speak for

peace throughout their minds and bodies – may they be

strong in knowing your great love for them. May their

immune systems and injuries be healed through the

mighty resurrection power of Jesus. Please work your

miracles to deliver them from all and any evil - I pray in

the name of our brother and Saviour Jesus – Amen

Let us consider the implications and significance of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, under

four headings, each beginning with a ‘P’, against the background of this reflection of St Augustine:

‘You ascended from before our eyes, and we turned back grieving, only to find you in our hearts’

1. Parting - Following his crucifixion and resurrection, as well as earlier in his earthly ministry Jesus gave the disciples ample warning that he would be going to dwell with the Father in heaven. Jesus’ purpose in going to the Father was to enable the spread of God’s Kingdom abroad. He instructed the disciples to wait, as ‘power from on high’ would come upon them and offered the assurance and promise: ‘I am with you always.’

2. Presence - The disciples were richly blessed in being in the presence of Jesus

both before and after his resurrection. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus, who recognised Jesus’ presence by the way he broke the bread and blessed it, reflecting back to the last supper. Through faith we have awareness of Jesus’ presence, especially in worship and in partaking of Holy Communion. We are mindful of Jesus’ presence when with other believers; sharing prayer; in time of pain and through acts of mercy: ‘Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.’ Thus we bring to mind the last part of the insight of Augustine: ‘only to find you in our hearts.’

3. Praise - The whole Ascension experience is immersed in praise. Jesus lifted his hands to bless the disciples while they ‘worshipped him’. On returning to Jerusalem they were ‘continually in the temple worshipping God’ and rejoicing that the Son was reunited with the Father.

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The pattern of ancient Christian liturgies – celebrating Holy Communion, had praise being near the beginning of worship and an integral feature of our worship. Praise also links closely with thanksgiving - St Paul wrote ‘In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. …’ By putting one’s prayer of intercession in a praise focus, being thankful for the blessings given. Focusing more on the generous nature of God and less on problem allows the prayer to be answered in God’s way and God’s time . May I suggest a balance of prayers of thanks thus praising God and the prayers of intercession / request. I also consider the praise aspect links with prayer of adoration of God for all God is.

4. Preparation - The Ascension was preliminary to what Jesus had mentioned was to come – he had described the nature of the Holy Spirit as comforter, advocate, teacher, paraclete (the one who comes alongside to help)and as ‘power from on high.’ Another aspect that specifically followed the Ascension is as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, ‘When He ascended on high,…….he gave gifts to his people. ‘ These were listed as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers – we recognise them as the gifts of ministry. These were essential for the functioning of the church – as Paul writes ‘to equip the saints for ministry, for building up the body of Christ.’ (Eph 4.7 – 12). In other words, the Ascension of Jesus to the Father enabled the mission and ministry of the church to function and grow. Put very simply, it looks like God had already planned the functioning of the church community. The gifts and ministries mentioned in Ephesians are not the only ones by which the church functions today – nowadays there is a wide variety of gifts in people - including music, administration, creativity, service and hospitality. Yet there they have the same common purpose - they are for ‘the equipping of God’s people for the work of ministry and the building up the body of Christ.’

To conclude let us ‘lift up our hearts to heaven….’ as we unite in praise of this most holy observance - and with St Augustine praise Jesus the Christ,

‘You ascended from before our eyes, and we turned back grieving, only to find you in our hearts.’

Derek Rev. Derek Lightbourne – email: [email protected] Page 5

Mission to Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Tauranga Over the last week-end of April, Gwen and I had the opportunity of representing the Order at Holy Trinity Anglican church in Tauranga. Together with Dorothy Finlay, former Midland Area Convenor and the church leadership, we arranged a Prayer Ministry Workshop on the Saturday morning; to further equip their Prayer Ministry team and other leaders. The spiritual hunger of the forty five attendees was amazing.

The Sunday began with beautiful folk, mainly elderly, at the 8am service and a brief opportunity for ministry. Later the 10am service offered the opportunity for all who felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to come forward for prayer and our ministry continued until nearly 1 pm.

An unexpected development was the invitation for us to return for ten days in August! In a world that is hurting we need compassionate servants in our churches, equipped with the Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Let us take this challenge to the Order of St. Luke the Physician in New Zealand to offer Jesus’ Healing Ministry.

Frank

Rev. Frank Rigg - email [email protected]

Printing and Embroidery for our Order!

Send your Tee-Shirts, tops and Hoodies for embroidery or printing! You may choose any colour for the embroidery or printing. The embroidery wording will change to suit your region – and bottom line will be – Jesus’ Healing Ministry. Embroidery COST - $6.00

brand can be printed on the back of any garment with these words from Malachi 4:2 – The Sun of righteousness will arise –

with healing in his wings. Branding COST - $18.75

Send the items with a self-addressed bag for them to be posted back to you. Please contact Lynne-Stella Hassett to arrange your order. [email protected] or 04 971 8709

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Fr. John Rea as the Honorary Chaplain Rev Bill Sim. our former National Chaplain welcomed Fr. John Rea as the Honorary Chaplain of the Order of St Luke the Physician in New Zealand at the mid-Winter Tararua Area Day – at St James Anglican Church, Lower Hutt in July 2018.

Thank you Fr. John, for agreeing to be part of our Healing Order – your example is so encouraging. Changes in the Northern Area

At St James Anglican Church Kerikeri on 16th May 2019 – the Northern Area Chaplain Rev Fiona Gillibrand was inducted and new member Toni Pryde Welcomed and commissioned as the new Secretary; with Christine Spence as the new Treasurer. We thanked those who stepped down - Terry Eastwood - Treasurer and Tara Sucrasara - Secretary. Convenor Rev Pam Harrison-Boyd presented those being inducted.

Southern Area changes Rev Bill Sim and I

Decommissioned Alyson Manning

as National Administrator and

Commissioned Alyson & Bon

Smith as Southern Area Co-

Convenors Page 7

Members of our Executive are very pleased announce that Rev Bruce Hellyer - with the help of his wife - has agreed to take on the role of National Administrator of our Order – Thank you Bruce!

National Chaplain

National Administrator

National Treasurer

Membership

Heal-Link Editor

Rev Jenny Quince

Rev Bruce Hellyer

John Williams

Bon Smith

Lynne-Stella Hassett

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

(021) 2777444

(07) 855 9447 (03) 453 0410

(03) 489 3808

(04) 971 8709

All members are always invited to contribute

It is our newsletter! Please email your copy to our editor:

Lynne-Stella Hassett at: [email protected]

or post it to: 10 August Ave,

Homedale,

Wainuiomata 5014

Please phone if you wish to talk - 04 971 8709

Request from our National Treasurer, John Subscriptions for the period 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020

Due - 30th September 2019.

Subscriptions are $25 for single membership and $40 for couples

Payment can be made online to Order of St Luke –

SBS, George Street, Dunedin - 03-1369-0205393-000

Cheque Payments can also be posted to

John Williams - National Treasurer

43 Pitcairn St

Belleknowes

Dunedin 9011

Please note: Subscription Forms have been sent out with this issue of

Heal-Link, either as a separate electronic attachment with your

email, or as an additional page on your printed copy of Heal-link.

Order of St Luke Subscription for

1 July 2019 – 30 June 2020

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th September 2019

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Please indicate the subscription: Single $25 Double $40

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If you no longer wish to be a member please indicate with a tick here

Please post or email form to John Williams (address below)

If paying on line or bank deposit pay to: \Order of St Luke

Use your name & subs as a reference SBS 304 George St, Dunedin

Post or email this form, to the Treasurer 03-1369-0205393-000

Please enter the date paid here:

If paying by cheque, please post cheque with this form to:

John Williams (National Treasurer Order of St Luke)

43 Pitcairn St

Belleknowes

Dunedin

9011

Email [email protected]