It is nearly twenty years since the publication of A New Zealand Prayer Book, He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa. The three archbishops have issued the following statement.
Dear friends,
Grace and peace to you from God.
Sunday the 29th November this year sees the 20th anniversary of A New Zealand Prayer Book, He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa.
The prayer book has become a Taonga of this church but has also enriched the lives of Anglicans around the world. It is appropriate to give thanks for this treasure on the last Sunday in November this year. Valuing how many people have been supported, resourced and strengthened by over 900 pages of text, prose, poetry and theology. It is truly said that what we orate in prayer we believe, in what we believe we do (lex orandi, lex credendi, lex labore). This is the Anglican experience of common prayer shaped by widely shared liturgical texts and all the faith based words we use in prayer, contemplation, and Eucharist. On this anniversary, we can be reminded of the words at the beginning of the book
The Lord’s song has been sung in this twice-discovered land since before Samuel Marsden first preached the Gospel on that Christmas Day in 1814 in Oihi Bay.
With the publication of A New Zealand Prayer Book, He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa the song is continued, the task of the Provincial Commission on Prayer Book Revision is completed, and new voices begin to be heard.
It is our hope that the use of these services will enable us to worship God in our authentic voice, and to affirm our identity as the people of God in Aotearoa – New Zealand.
Please encourage the celebration of this treasure on the last Sunday in November in what ever way you feel moved to do so. The prayer book itself will be your inspiration.
++ David
++ Jabez
++Brown
This site already has much on this Prayer Book. I will put up another post soon. Meanwhile there was a series I wrote using the model of language to illustrate liturgy – this has
Kiwi Anglican liturgy history part 1 (= liturgy as language 2)
Kiwi Anglican liturgy history part 2 (= liturgy as language 3)
as well as liturgy as language 1; liturgy as language 4; liturgy as language 5
thansk for this reminder
It is a wonderful book – very impressive even for those like me who do not read Maori. The english in it is very good and I like teh structure too – now I must get around to buying myself a copy!
I found this a verv moving and personally influential book; Maori & English side by side. Love it.