Thought for the week

Welcome to our services of worship today. Last week Rory kicked off our Care for Creation series looking at our mandate from scripture to be good stewards of God’s creation. He left us with a provocative question; are we doing a good job of this? If you missed it you can listen to his message…

It’s quite exciting to be starting this sermon series on Caring for Creation.   It really does feel like one of those “God moments”.  Quite independently several things have come together to allow this preaching series and the accompanying small group studies to happen.  The enthusiasm and  response from the congregation has been genuinely encouraging. Clearly,…

Welcome to our services today. The 1st Sunday after Pentecost is celebrated as Trinity Sunday, honouring the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the trinity can be very difficult to explain and most explanations fall short in some way. We say we worship one God so we are firmly monotheistic and yet there…

The following is an excerpt from the Moderator’s Pentecost message.  You can read the whole thing on our website www.timarupres.org.nz At Pentecost, the Spirit of God comes in a manner that is both reassuring and   completely alien; unless we understand this we will be doomed to look in the ‘wrong way’ for the   Spirit moving amongst…

This week Brent and I have been putting our thinking caps on as we prepare for our “Caring for Creation” sermon series, beginning at Queen’s birthday weekend.  We are blessed to live in a rich and fruitful world, and, as God’s children we are called to participate in God’s care for creation.  Are we doing…

Welcome to our services of worship. I trust you will connect meaningfully with God and one another today. Last weekend 5 members of the parish attended the Alpine Presbytery gathering in Christchurch. A range of speakers spoke on the theme of Social Enterprises which is where business acumen meets social concern and profits are generated…

When I was in Wellington recently, I had the opportunity to go to Te Papa with my 12 year old grandson Kieran to view the Gallipoli: The scale of our war Exhibition. It was Kieran’s fourth time and my first. I mentioned to Kieran that   others had found the exhibition overwhelming and I may find…

Welcome to our combined service this morning. As one parish in two  locations it is necessary to join together regularly to strengthen our    common identity and to remind ourselves that it is not the buildings we worship in or the style of worship we prefer that matters. Rather it is the worship, in spirit…

It’s certainly been a chilly week!  I’m not sure that any of us were prepared for winter to bite just so early.  As the days begin to close in, perhaps you’re getting into a bit more reading.   I had a person email me the other day and ask which translation of the Bible they…