Thought for the week
Thought For The Week 11 February 2024
Over the summer our parish council have been engaged in prayer and discernment for the future of our parish. We are aware that there are some big challenges on the horizon. We set aside this month’s Council meeting to prayerful listening. While it is too early to have a clear picture of our future, there are some […]
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Thought for the Week 4 February 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa As we approach Waitangi Day on 6 February, talk of the Treaty and what it means for our country and our people is to the fore. There is some rhetoric that is inflammatory and harmful. Some policies from within the new coalition government have prompted uncertainty, anger and fear. There are many […]
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Thought For The Week 17 December 2023
It is almost Christmas time – a time of hope and joy. And yet…. does it feel like that? We live in very unsettling times with many feeling the stress of trying to make ends meet, to find a place to live, to have food to eat, to have access to healthcare, to have any […]
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Thought For The Week 10 January 2023
The image on the front of your service sheet this week is a mixed media artwork by an artist from Ukraine, Irenaeus Yurchuck. It is more striking in colour to be sure, but I think you can still see the main elements in black and white. Bombed-out apartment buildings dominate the frame and juxtaposed down in […]
Continue ReadingThought For The Week 03 December 2023
As I write this, it is a couple of weeks until we light the first Advent candle – the candle of hope. And it seems to me that hope is something we all need in order to live life well. There is so much in the world that works against having hope: war, violence, injustice, […]
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Thought For The Week 26 November 2023
Welcome to our special Stir Up service today. When I first heard the expression ‘stir up service’ I imagined it was a time when the church focused on issues that needed stirring up and airing out. Sort of a therapy session to get things off our chest! Or an organised bun fight! Fortunately, it’s about […]
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Thought For The Week 19 November 2023
As I was considering this week’s Gospel reading of Matthew 25:14-30, the Parable of the bags of gold (or talents), I came across this poem by Eddie Askew, inspired by this passage. I thought it was too good not to share and hope it is a blessing to you. Lord, I understand, That what you’ve […]
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Thought for the Week 12 November 2023
With two weeks to go before our AGM I have been thinking about our vision and future sustainability of our parish. At our last parish council meeting we invited Alpine Presbytery Executive Officer Martin Stewart to lead us in discussion around the challenging issues of how we continue to resource our mission and ministry in […]
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Thought For The Week 5 November 2023
If you heard me say ‘mission’ in church, I wonder what images come to mind. Perhaps you may think of evangelism, sharing the good news of Jesus with others or nurturing others in the faith. Maybe, when you hear the word ‘mission’ you think of caring for others, letting the light of Christ shine through […]
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Thought For The Week 29 October 2023
Blessed are the peacemakers Today it is 18 days since the Hamas and Israel war began with a terror attack by Hamas on Israel. I have watched this unfold in the news with horror and prayed that there would be a ceasefire, prayed that these appalling crimes against God and humanity would end. Instead, the […]
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