Today [Saturday 18 October] is St Luke’s Day, hence the reading from Sirach in praise of physicians and pharmacists, but I don’t want to offer a Sermon on St Luke.
I want to see what those readings might say to the AAW.
But, I realised, while I’ve spent most Sundays of my life in a church with an AAW banner like that one hanging here, I’m remarkably ignorant of the story of AAW. I’m not beating myself up too much, I’m not the core demographic after all, but I needed to do some homework.
In 1876 Mary Sumner, a vicar’s wife in Hampshire, started the Mother’s Union. It remained small until her husband George was made archdeacon of Winchester. At a church congress the Bishop Ernest Wilberforce (father Samuel, Dean of Westminster and Bishop, Oxford; Grandfather William Wilberforce) asked Mary to speak, which, reluctantly, she did, and it seems didn’t stop. By 1886 the idea had caught on in the Diocese and that same year, the first international chapter was birthed.
Where?
Where else but ground-breaking NZ.
Even better – it was here in Avonside, Christchurch.
It wasn’t until 1969 that the name was changed and the scope broadened to allow all Anglican Women no matter what their marital or maternal status was.
And, Otautahi, you’re still punching above your weight.
• Nelson – 6 branches
• Wellington – 10
• Dunedin – 11
• Auckland – 12
• Christchurch – 16!!
A strong heritage of connection, collaboration, and mission,
Which brings me back to our readings.
Sirach first
One of the apocraphyl or deuterocanonical books sometimes called Ecclesiasticus (not to be confused with Ecclesiastes just to get us all thoroughly confused) It is set as a reading for St Luke for obvious reasons
But what does it say to this congregation?
I’m struck by the groundedness and good advice of these words…
My child, when you are ill, do not delay,but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you.
…
Then give physicians their place, for the Lord created them…
There may come a time when recovery lies in the hands of
physicians, for they, too, pray to the Lord
Reminds me of the quote (variously attributed to Augustine or Ignatius of Loyola) “Act as if everything depended on you; pray as if everything depended on God.”
It remind me of the principle aim of AAW – To unite in prayer and participate in the mission of the church.
To pray, and to do.
To do, and to pray
It’s precisely what Christian women have been doing since Jesus, and a work continuing to this day
[ As a side note – Hallelujah for the appointment of Sarah Mullaly as Archbishop of Canterbury – and Lord have mercy for the ways in which that news has been received by some. ]
But that pattern of praying and doing shines through in the work of the AW. The circle Magazine is filled with prayers and stories of mission.
And it’s seen in points of connection with others…
• Link with Fellowship of the Least Coin
• Link with Anglican Missions
• Conversation at the AGM about supporting women seafarers
• Working with the Nest Collective
• Clean-up kits for Vanua Levu, Fiji
At the Diocesan AGM we set our target for Mission giving,a target which had been decreased in previous years, and still wasn’t met from the year before. Whereas I note that last year, nationally, an ambitious target of $10,000 was set for the Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation in
Rwanda, and more than $17,000 was collected!
So, AAW, be encouraged! You are excelling at the pattern of prayer and mission that is core to the faith.
What about our second reading?
What might that say to those gathered this morning.
The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few
Are there any truer words to sum up our culture at the moment?
– So much to do
– and it seems in the Anglican Church, just a handful of grey haired saints to do it.
But please, don’t lose heart.
The value of such groups and organisations is massive.
I would say immeasurable, but people have measured it.
Robert Putnam might be a familiar name to some of you. 25 years ago he wrote the seminal book, “Bowling Alone: The collapse and revival of American Community”
If you’re looking for a cheat’s way to get the basic story, check out the provocatively titled, “Join or Die” documentary on Netflix (if its the only thing remembered – remember that)
Here’s the thesis – the later half of 20th century saw plummeting embership of almost every group conceivable, and with it, society suffered.
Bowling participation increased by 10% between 1980 and 1993, but league bowling dropped by 40%.
This illustrates a shift from communal to solitary or less organized activities Between 1960 and 1990:
– PTA membership dropped by over 50%.
– Regular church attendance decreased by roughly one third from the 1960s to the 1990s.
– Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, Sports clubs, unions, interest groups sharing stamps and rocks and knitting patterns, they all plummet.
– I don’t have the figures, but I imagine the AAW has the same story
Value of Social Ties and Community Involvement:
Social Connection and Health:
– People with more social connections (family, friends, religious, and civic groups) are 2 to 3 times less likely to die early than those with fewer
connections.
– Being socially disconnected is as bad for your health as smoking, obesity, or lack of exercise.
Trust in Others:
– General social trust (“most people can be trusted”) fell from about 60% in 1960 to around 30% by the late 1990s.
Economic and Educational Benefits:
– Children whose parents are involved in civic associations and have strong community ties do better in school.
– Communities with higher social capital have better economic erformance, lower crime rates, and better public health outcomes.
The sending of the 72 (and indeed, the communities of the early church) are a picture of connection and community. They go in pairs. They don’t hop from one house to another but put down roots in one household.
They get to know one another, in precisely the sort of pattern that I imagine happens week by week or month by month in your various chapters.
And when this happens, the Kingdom of God has come near to you.
So, I guess what I’m trying to say is, “be encouraged.”
Thank you for the holy work done in the last 139 years since 1886 here in Christchurch.
Thank you for the work of this last year alone.
Thank you for the work of prayer and mission.
Thank you for the simple act of gathering together regularly in Christian community.
This is a good and holy work.
This is a gentle breaking in of the Kingdom of God.
God Bless the AAW for all that you do.
AAW Festival Eucharist Service, October 19, 2025,
The Transitional Cathedral
‘To pray, and to do. To do, and to pray’
Sermon by The Very Revd Ben Truman. Dean of Christchurch.
Readings: Sirach 38: 1-14, St Luke 10: 1-9
Used with kind permission