Thought For The Week 14 July 2024

Last week I had the joy of attending the annual Alpine Presbytery Retreat in Hanmer Springs.

The facilitator was retired Bishop of Dunedin Kelvin Wright who opened our eyes to the use of photography as a spiritual practice. Many of us think of spiritual practices in quite limited terms: reading your bible, prayer, attending church and the like. Kelvin challenged us to use photography as a means of opening our awareness to the God who is always present. Photography can help us focus on what is really there and can highlight the order and purpose of the world around us and draw us into God’s presence.

I liked this quote: “Spiritual practices involve doing something you can do in order to do something you can’t”. It is almost impossible to live a perfect Christian life on our own strengths and merits.

Spiritual practices however, remind us we are not on our own, we can draw strength and encouragement from God. One of my favourite practices is walking, which has a rhythm of its own and a pace that slows down one’s thinking and provides space to contemplate, pray and be present to God.

I took the cover photo following the theme ‘winter’. The frost on the retainer wall provides a pleasing form and reminds me that even the ordinary mundane things in life can be transformed when ‘frosted’ by the divine.

Nga manaakitanga ki a koutou katoa (Blessings to all)

Brent