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Stories from our past |

The St Matthew's Altar Cross

The story of St Matthew's altar cross

Worship

St Matthew-in-the-City |

Welcome to St Matthews Digital

Nau mai, haere mai, welcome to St Matthew’s Digital. This is the online platform of St Matthew-in-the-City Anglican Church, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. To find out about services (including the livestream of the Sunday 10am service) , events, and the life of the community in Auckland visit www.stmatthews.nz. Here you are invited to belong to a community of people who share a desire to be enriched in their spirituality and faith. You may be a person of faith, you may not follow any faith; all are welcome. We invite you to explore our video and written material. You will find links to other communities we follow.

New Liturgical Robes for St Matthew-in-the-City

 New Liturgical Robes. On Sunday 27 February 2022 we dedicated a new set of robes - chasubles, stoles and banners - designed by Miranda Brown. This was the culmination of a four year project. Watch the video to hear our design story. 

Hybrid worship

Ryan Panzer writes about online worship - "hybrid ministry" which is when we are online and in person https://www.ryanpanzer.com/blog

Advent and Christmas |

The 2021 Christmas special

 A Christmas service filmed in St Matthew's, with a reflection from Vicar Helen Jacobi on the Christmas story found in Luke's gospel 

Advent and Christmas |

Advent wreath making

Cate Thorn shows us how to make an Advent wreath at home. This was a lockdown video. The Advent Wreath making starts at 9 minutes 50 seconds. 

Topic: Christian practices
Climate Justice |

Climate Crisis

 20 September 2020. 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. St Matthew-in-the-City, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand 

Topic: Season of Creation
Climate Justice |

Agents for Life

 6 September 2020. 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. St Matthew-in-the-City, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand 

Topic: Season of Creation
Lockdown Worship |

Lockdown Video for Lent 5

 Our first worship video recorded at home at the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic on 29 March 2020, the fifth Sunday of Lent. 

Topic: Lent
Lockdown Worship |

Separately together in these times

 The first Sunday when church was cancelled at the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic; a reading and sermon recorded in the church before we moved into the first lockdown 

Topic: Lent
Advent and Christmas |

Christmas in the dark

 Helen Jacobi explores John 1:1-14 and its concept of light 

Topic: Faith

Engagement

Media interviews

Vicar of St Matthew's Rev Helen Jacobi is often interviewed in the media - here a a few links 

Justice issues |

Lambeth Woes: Bigger barns, Higher Walls

 Helen Jacobi challenges the Lambeth Bishops to include all 

Topic: LGBT
City Mission |

City Mission work

 Whaea Rose Harrop talks about the work of the City Mission with a Maori lens 

Topic: Tikanga Māori, Social services sunday
Stories from our past |

Matariki

 David Williams preaches for our first Matariki Sunday and explores the meaning of the day 

Topic: Tikanga Māori
What do we mean by? |

Te Pouhere Sunday

 Wilf Holt explores the implications of Te Pouhere Sunday (the day we celebrate our three tikanga church) 

Topic: Tikanga Māori
What do we mean by? |

Pentecost

 Cate Thorn looks for the coming of the Holy Spirit in our city 

Topic: Pentecost

Climate Crisis Statement

At the end of 2021 a group of St Matthew's parishioners wrote this statement to outline our thinking on the climate crisis and to invite us to take action.

What is religious freedom

Helen Jacobi presented to the Justice Select Committee on the Conversion Practices Bill in September 2021.

City Mission |

Good News

 Helen Jacobi describes the good news of the blessing of the new City Mission building, Homeground 

Topic: Christmas
City Mission |

Auckland City Mission and St Matthew's

City Missioner Helen Robinson speaks about the history of the relationship between the City Mission and St Matthew's which goes back 100 years. 

Topic: Social services sunday

Learning

What do we mean by? |

What is faith?

 Cate Thorn explore what we mean by faith with Hebrews 11 

Topic: Progressive Christianity, Faith
What do we mean by? |

Wisdom

 Helen Jacobi explores the concept of wisdom on Trinity Sunday 

Topic: Progressive Christianity, Faith
Women in the Bible |

Noticing the Slave Girl

 Helen Jacobi looks at the unnamed slave girl in Acts 16:16-34 

What do we mean by? |

Thomas: Doubt and Faith

 Susan Adams explore doubt and faith through the lens of Thomas 

Topic: Progressive Christianity
Advent and Christmas |

Living the Story

 Cate Thorn explores how we can live out the Christmas Story 

Topic: Christmas Characters
Women in the Bible |

Let’s talk about Mary and Eve

 Cate Thorn explores the way we have approached Eve and Mary through the ages and suggests another way 

Topic: Progressive Christianity, Saints, Mary the mother of Jesus

Breaking the Silence

 Helen Jacobi unpacks the Mark version of the Easter story 

Topic: Jesus, Progressive Christianity, Easter

Judas and Pilate are included

 Cate Thorn reflects on the roles of Pilate and Judas in the Good Friday story 

Topic: Lent, Progressive Christianity, Good Friday
What do we mean by? |

Where does scripture take us?

 Cate Thorn wonders about scripture and our assumptions when we read the Bible 

Topic: Christian practices, Progressive Christianity, The Bible
Advent and Christmas |

God for an exile

 Cate Thorn explores the poetry of Isaiah 

Topic: Prophets, Isaiah
Advent and Christmas |

Watching trees

 Helen Jacobi explores the concept of hope brought to us by Isaiah 

Topic: Prophets, Isaiah
Advent and Christmas |

In days to come

 Cate Thorn introduces us to the prophet Isaiah 

Topic: Prophets, Isaiah
What do we mean by? |

Big questions

 Helen Jacobi explores one of the big questions - why does a loving God allow suffering? 

Topic: Christian practices, Progressive Christianity, Faith
What do we mean by? |

Oneness

 Cate Thorn explores the concept on one God, unity and community 

Topic: Progressive Christianity, Faith
What do we mean by? |

Jesus is Lord?

 Helen Jacobi explores what we do with the concept of Jesus as Lord in our 21st century progressive faith 

Topic: Christian practices, Progressive Christianity, Faith
What do we mean by? |

Resurrection season again

 Cate Thorn explores what we might believe about resurrection as 21st century progressive Chrsitians 

Topic: Christian practices, Progressive Christianity, Easter, Faith
What do we mean by? |

Forgiveness

 Helen Jacobi explores the concept of forgiveness found in the parable of the Prodigal Son Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 in light of the Christchurch Mosque shootings 

Topic: Christian practices, Lent, Faith
What do we mean by? |

Being a people of the land

 Hirini Kaa explores a tikanga maori approach to the land 

Topic: Christian practices, Lent, Tikanga Māori
What do we mean by? |

Face Slapping 101

 Wilf Holt examines Jesus’ teaching on Luke 6:27-38 - love your enemies and turn the other cheek 

Topic: Christian practices, Faith
What do we mean by? |

Tough Words

 Helen Jacobi examines Jesus’ teaching in Luke 6:17-26 “the Beatitudes” and explores how we deal with tough words like “blessed are the poor” 

Topic: Christian practices, Faith
Advent and Christmas |

Mary and Elizabeth - a biblical antenatal group

 Helen Jacobi explores the Advent season through the characters of Mary and Elizabeth from Luke’s gospel 

Topic: Christmas Characters
Advent and Christmas |

Joseph - raising good men

 Helen Jacobi explores the Advent season through the character of Joseph 

Topic: Christmas Characters
Advent and Christmas |

John the Baptiser

 Cate Thorn explores the Advent season through the character of John the Baptist 

Topic: Christmas Characters
Advent and Christmas |

Elizabeth and Zechariah speak

 Cate Thorn explores the Advent season through the characters of Elizabeth and Zechariah from Luke’s gospel 

Topic: Christmas Characters
Women in the Bible |

Mary Magdalene

 Helen Jacobi talks about her favourite saint Mary Magdalene 

Topic: Saints, Mary Magdalene
What do we mean by? |

Matthew's Leadership

 Chris Farrelly reflects on Matthew’s leadership style 

Topic: St Matthew's Day, Saints
What do we mean by? |

Faith?

Helen Jacobi wonders what we mean by the word ‘faith” 

Topic: Christian practices, Progressive Christianity, Faith
What do we mean by? |

Hospitality

Hirini Kaa speaks about the Christian Practice of Hospitality 

Topic: Christian practices, Tikanga Māori
What do we mean by? |

Facing death

 In this All Saints’ Day sermon Helen Jacobi unpacks the story of Lazarus - unbind him and let him go 

Topic: Christian practices, Progressive Christianity
Lent and Easter 2015 |

Finding our voice

 In this sermon Helen Jacobi explores the Mark version of the resurrection and wonders how and when the followers of Jesus found their voice. 

Topic: Progressive Christianity, Easter
Lent and Easter 2015 |

Good Friday sermon "Silence"

 What do "progressive Christians" think about Good Friday. In this sermon Helen Jacobi says sometimes all we can do is be silent in the face of suffering. (Mark 15) 

Topic: Progressive Christianity, Good Friday
Lent and Easter 2015 |

Wilderness

 University chaplain Carolyn Kelly reflects on the wilderness of Lent and how it can help us to grow in our faith. 

Topic: Christian practices, Lent

Meditation & Prayer

Healing |

Perfume

Helen Jacobi completes the 2022 Lenten series exploring anointing as part of healing 

Topic: Christian practices, Lent
Healing |

Prodigal Grace

 Cate Thorn continues the 2022 Lenten series exploring grace as part of healing 

Topic: Christian practices, Lent
Healing |

Theologies of repentance

 Cate Thorn continues the 2022 Lenten series exploring repentance as part of healing 

Topic: Christian practices, Lent
Healing |

Lamenting

 Helen Jacobi continues the 2022 Lenten series exploring lament as part of healing 

Topic: Christian practices, Lent
Healing |

Temptations

 Cate Thorn begins the 2022 Lenten series exploring healing with the gospel of Luke 

Topic: Christian practices, Lent
Prayer |

Midday Prayer from Lockdown

 A service to pause with in the middle of the day. 

Topic: Midday Prayer

Arts and Music

The Music of Christmas |

Silent Night

 A reflective version of Silent Night, played on the piano by Matthew Howes, Leader of the St Matthew's Voices 

Topic: Music
The Music of Christmas |

The Great O Antiphons: O Emmanuel, O Virgo Virginum

 The St Matthew’s Voices sing the O Antiphons, each one using a different name for Jesus 

Topic: Music, Advent
The Music of Christmas |

The Great O Antiphons: O Sapientia, O Adonai

 The St Matthew’s Voices sing the O Antiphons, each one using a different name for Jesus 

Topic: Music
The Music of Christmas |

The Great O Antiphons: O Oriens, O Rex Gentium

 The St Matthew’s Voices sing the O Antiphons, each one using a different name for Jesus 

Topic: Music
The Music of Christmas |

The Great O Antiphons: O Radix Jesse, O Clavis David

 The St Matthew’s Voices sing the O Antiphons, each one using a different name for Jesus 

Topic: Music

The Grand Piano

 This video introduces our grand piano to you - it arrived in July 2018 and we have been in love with it ever since. 

Topic: Music
St Matthew-in-the-City |

Farewell sermon for Michael Bell

Rev Helen Jacobi's farewell sermon to St Matthew's Music Director Michael Bell

Topic: Music
Lent and Easter 2015 |

Reflecting on the music written for Lent

Michael Bell reflects on the music written for Lent.

Topic: Lent, Music

Heritage

Stories from our past |

The St Matthew's Altar Cross

The story of St Matthew's altar cross

Stories from our past |

Our Land?

 On Waitangi Day Helen Jacobi explores the history of the land St Matthew’s sits on 

Topic: Tikanga Māori
Stories from our past |

St Thomas and the Way

 Diana Rattray delivers a sermon written by Helen Jacobi on St Thomas and St Matthew’s connections wit the former St Thomas church in Freemans Bay, Auckland 

Topic: St Thomas
St Matthew's Day |

A birthday present for Matthew

 Bishop John Bluck reflects on the kind of church we are called to be if we follow our patron saint Matthew 

Topic: Christian practices
Stories from our past |

Hilda Fricker

 The story of parishioner Hilda Fricker who died in the 1918 flu. 

Topic: Plaques in the church
St Matthew-in-the-City |

Mercy not sacrifice

 Archbishop Don Tamihere preaches on St Matthew’s Day 2019 on the Christian practice of mercy 

Topic: Christian practices, Tikanga Māori, St Matthew's Day
Stories from our past |

St Thomas' Church, Freemans Bay

Waiora Port tells the story of St Thomas’ Church before it was demolished in the 1970s 

Topic: St Thomas