Dear Friends Years ago my parents went on a bus tour of parts of Eastern Europe and included in the cost was breakfast in the hotel each morning and, I think, some dinners, but they had to fend for themselves for lunch (though the tour operators always deposited them in Read more…
On Tuesday evening many in our church attended the events that were held, one in Garema Place and the other in Nara Park, to remember those killed in Christchurch last Friday. Our family went to Nara Park with hundreds of others to express our grief for the people of New Read more…
This week, in our journey of spirituality, we look at Spiritual Reading. It is, as Thompson writes in her book ‘Soul Feast’, an opportunity to look at ‘The Dance of Lectio Divina’; meaning, using the Scriptures as a means to deepen our prayer and spirituality. The practice of Scriptural meditation Read more…
Today we gather to worship God – just as people have been gathering in this place for ninety years! Hallelujah! And throughout the week – as I have been thinking about why we gather for worship and why we have been doing it here in this place for ninety years Read more…
What is the best thing you have ever tasted? For many of us, over the last couple of weeks, it was probably gelato! Or perhaps it’s some of the family favourites that get served at Christmas. For those of us who believe in delaying gratification, it is that first bite Read more…
Upon returning from Nicaragua, I chanced by the newly released Quarterly Essay entitled, ‘Moment of Truth: History of Australia’s Future’ by Mark McKenna. I couldn’t put it down; in fact, I wept, so powerful was the story painted of the struggle of the indigenous community of our nation. In one Read more…
Epiphany is a Christian feast day, a day in the liturgical calendar for remembering one of the events in the life of Jesus, celebrated in many churches around the world in many different ways. The word ‘epiphany’ comes from Koine Greek, ἐπιφάνεια, epipháneia, and was used of the appearance Read more…
Dear Friends To live is to grow. In fact, many dictionary definitions of ‘life’ mention the capacity for growth as a central characteristic; along with activity, reproduction, etc. It is striking, how well this principle also applies to our spiritual lives. Jesus Himself compares the spiritual life to that of Read more…
Dear Friends At camp, as part of our evening worship service, we ate pretzels! Pretzels are associated with Lent and we used them to engage in a Lenten exercise, of eating slowly and deliberately, thinking about the taste and the texture as we ate, because the season of Lent is Read more…
Dear Friends Retreat – “… the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” – Luke 5:15-16. Talking about rest is often like speaking another language, in Read more…