Thought for the Week 21 June 2026

We welcome to our service today Barbara and Kingsley Sampson from Christchurch. Barbara is a Spiritual Director who led a very good prayer retreat yesterday attended by around 15 people. She will speak on the “hidden life”, reflecting on Luke 18:9-14.

Have you noticed that the world is awash with sport at the moment? There’s a world cup tournament in the biggest game in the world (football), a women’s cricket world cup, Super Rugby final (well done to the Hurricanes!- unless it was the Chiefs- I’m writing this on Thursday!), Wimbledon, the Commonwealth Games coming up.. Like it or loathe it, sport is a modern cultural phenomenon that creates community, sparks conversations and generates its fair share of controversy.

So, just for fun, I thought it might be interesting to do a preaching series on the merits and follies of our modern sports obsessions. For five Sundays from August 2, we will explore a range of aspects about sport, such as how our faith interacts with it, the benefits we receive from it, and the dangers inherent in how sport is presented to us and consumed by us.

And I’d like your help: I’d like to hear from you your greatest sporting achievement, fondest memory (maybe an historic game you went to or participated in) or just something you love (or hate) about sport. Each week we will share some of these stories before the sermon. Please write your story and place it in the box on the foyer table. Don’t forget to put your name on it.

Nga mihi nui, Brent