Temple Mount and Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, looking over the Kidron Vallay

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Norway - Day One

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  After that long break I've decided to finish reflecting on my sabbatical in 2023. In part I have to do all the photos anyway, and in part it is a thing of joy to look at those photos and to try to remember what we did over those three or more weeks. We left St Georges with a number of other pilgrims in a sherut organized by the College. I was already feeling the effects of our food stall meal the night before, Bonnie started at the airport. It meant we were careful about what we ate and kept an eye for toilets.  We flew through Warsaw on Polish Airlines, a Star Alliance member. That meant we had access to lounges, and I would earn enough points to keep gold status for another year.  It was a long day travailing and we were pleased to arrive in Oslo to be met by our friend and host, Kenneth. Kenneth was an exchange student who came to stay with us after his first hosts proved to be  very inappropriate. It was so good to see him again and to see him in his house. He ...
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Celebrating a Constitution on Matariki!

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On Sunday I was asked to take the service and preach at St Peters Anglican Church at Mount Maunganui. For our church here in Aotearoa-New Zealand it was Te Pouhere Sunday, where we celebrate our church constitution. And it is Matariki - the  Māori  New Year. Here are the notes from my sermon where I try to hold them together to see how Matariki might help us celebrate who God calls us to be in this land at this time. Celebrating a Constitution on Matariki!   Mount Maunganui – Te Pouhere Sunday 2025 Readings : Hebrew Scripture:        Isa 42:10-20    Epistle:                        2 Corinthians 5:14-19 Gospel:                       Luke 6:46-49   What I want to say: Have a conversation about Te Pouhere and why we might celebrate it reflect on Matariki and what that might invite...
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Norway Day Four - Bergen

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The colourful wooden houses of Bryggen     Fløibanen Funicular Day four was a day to explore some of the beautiful city of Bergen. We had arrived the night before after picking up the wonderful Rebekah from the airport on the way into town. Our accommodation had no parking so we had to walk awhile to get there. Once there we found ourselves in the heart of the touristy area. Below us was the Fløibanen Funicular that goes up Fløyen Mountain. And we were on the edge of Bryggen which features colourful wooden houses on the old wharf, once a centre of the Hanseatic League's trading empire. Our accommodation was upstairs with great views. But also little heating and the ceiling matched the sloping roof line. I hit my head so many times trying to do simple things like get into bed and getting stuff out of my bag. It was like being in Kate's Dunedin student flat again. But it was so convenient, so warmth could wait a day or two...
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