Friday 23 August 2024
This week has been a very special week in the life of the College. As well as offering our usual schedule of Chapel services, we were delighted to be able to host a very important service that launched our new Foundation Service Books/Ngā Karakia Mihinare o Kingi Kāreti.
The genesis of this service book began way back in 2020, during the global pandemic as I realised that our previous service books in the Chapel were in desperate need of both repair and updating. Given the fact that we’ve used the New English Hymnal since the eighties, and also that many of the hymns in it, used archaic language and terms, it seemed as the Good Book says “good to me and the Holy Spirit”, that we should update our service books to include hymns, himene, waiata and lotu, as well as liturgy that was more reflective of our three-tikanga Anglican identity. For this reason, over the last four years, the Chapel has been seeking to produce a worship resource that would help us to worship together, as Jesus describes it in John 4 “in Spirit and in truth”, but also one that helps students pray and sing in their own ‘heart language’.
This service book offers the best of the New Zealand Anglican Prayer Book/ He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa and draws in some of the himene from the Māori Anglican Book of Common Prayer, the New English Hymnal, commonly known as our Green Hymnals, and a selection of contemporary worship songs. When you open its pages, you will find songs/ waiata that are part of our long history as an Anglican Church, but also some contemporary ones, too - and yes, that includes Shine, Jesus Shine. Is this resource perfect? By no means... but please don’t go looking for any imperfections! However, that’s why these books are encased in leather covers, because there will come a time when they too need updating and by making these covers removable, we will be able to reprint them seamlessly.
These service books, Nga Karakia Mihinare O Kingi Kareti represent an important milestone along the way as we continue to centre ourselves on our Anglican identity and seek to uphold the way of Jesus as an educational establishment. Finally, a sincere thank you to everyone who has been involved in this long process of bringing this service book to fruition. To the Bishops for giving their blessing for this project and their support of it, to Reverend Warner Wilder who first instituted the first King’s service books and set the pattern for inclusive worship in the Chapel. To the Māori and Pasifika staff and parents here at the College a massive thank you for all your help and encouragement in pointing me in the right direction and providing wise counsel. I’d like to say, specifically, a huge thanks to The Venerable Lyndon Drake, Paula J. Wilson and Stacey Morrison for their invaluable work for ensuring the Te Reo was accurate, along with Mr David Tapene who helped ensure we included the most appropriate hīmene and waiata. To former Archdeacon of the Pasifika community here in Auckland, The Venerable Leatuao Larry Tupa’i-Lavea, our sincerest thanks. To the amazing King’s College Marketing and Development Department over successive years, headed more recently In 2025 we will be commemorating the centenary of the King’s College Memorial Chapel and its place as the heart of our community. Since 1925 the Chapel has been a centre of support, personal alignment and inner strength. Through the Chapel and our Anglican faith, our students are guided to look beyond themselves and to live lives of service and consideration of others. In preparation for this milestone, we have created 400 new service books, encased in beautiful leather-bound coverings, ensuring use for generations to come. Each book contains prayers, services and an extensive selection of hymns and worship songs used in our regular Chapel Services. These new books will also reflect our three-tikanga relationship between Pākehā, Māori and Pasifika and include prayers and songs that reflect the community we serve.
Peace and grace,
Rev’d Gareth Walters – Senior Chaplain
