Let us pray (in silence) [that our hope in God may influence us daily] Pause Keep the household of your church, O God, [or Keep the whānau of…] safe in your tender compassion, so that we who entrust ourselves totally to your heavenly grace may always be defended by your protection; through Jesus Christ who… Continue Reading
I had the next post for reading Matthew in slow motion prepared to be published today, but then observant Rev. Ellen Bernstein (Vicar of St Stephen’s, Tamahere) noticed that the readings for this Sunday (image above) in the NZ Anglican Lectionary booklet for 2017 are not from any lectionary that we have agreed, as a… Continue Reading
We are in the middle of The World Buskers Festival. I have written previously about busking as a model for worship – particularly for leading worship. So this post has a throwback-Thursday component. I want to add to previous reflections a new thought. Busking is essentially street theatre – gathering a spontaneous crowd. I think… Continue Reading
Sunday’s second reading (1 Corinthians 1:10-18) was almost a Monty Python sketch as St Paul started with declaring he had baptised no one and then remembering more and more names, finally concluding, “I do not know whether I baptised anyone else.” In the midst of this, there was something that stood out for me: Or… Continue Reading
I strongly advocate for all ages and all stages to, as much as possible, gather around God’s table [See, for example, my chapter Children at the Eucharist in my book Celebrating Eucharist]. On holiday, I happened to go to church at St Andrew’s, Plimmerton, which had a way (I have not seen before) of helping… Continue Reading
As this year the Sunday Gospel reading focus is on St Matthew’s Gospel, I thought I’d start some of my personal study and Lectio Divina with that Gospel. [NB. I am using ‘Matthew’ as a convenient term for the author of the first Gospel in the order of the Christian canon]. 1:1 Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ… Continue Reading
Over twelve thousand people engaged with the post Millennials Are OVER Church. [Incidentally, far more did so on facebook than on the blog – which is itself worth further reflection]. The number one reaction to the post was: it is not just millennials who are over church. [The carping versions of that point would have… Continue Reading
