Colourful Dreamer

This week marks the beginning of Advent, when we begin our journey towards Christmas. Advent is a time of preparation, and we usually understand that to be a time of preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas. Traditionally in Advent we focus our preparation on the themes of peace, hope, joy and love. Today we begin with the theme of peace. The gospel reading this morning reminds us that this time of preparation also has a future aspect. Advent is not only about the first Christmas, it is a time of deliberate preparation for the second coming of Christ, however we understand that. It is looking forward to when the reign of Christ is fully establish and all God is working for comes to be. This morning’s gospel also reminds us that this is not a passive activity where we sit around and wait for God. This is a time of examining how we are involved in living in such a way that we point to the coming reign of Christ. We are, as Matthew says, to watch. Biblical scholar Bill Loa

 Gate Pa –Christ the King Sunday, 2013 Readings: Hebrew Scripture:                 Jer 23:1-6                         Psalm:                                      Luke 1:68-79                                       NZPB Page 39 Epistle:                                    Col 1:11-20 Gospel:                                    Luke 23:33-43 What I want to say: We need to be really careful about how we talk about and live out “Christ the King.” It is too easy to just replicate what the rest of society expects and look no different. One way we can do that is to approach Christmas as a time of good news for all people, and to prepare in that vein, rather than as a family time What I want to happen: I want people to engage in a Fairtrade animal friendly giving kind of Christmas The Sermon       1.      Introduction:  What images, words, phrases come to mind when hear phrase – “Christ the King”? It is a tricky phrase comes with a lot cultural and relig

The Feast of Christ the King , or Christ the King or the Reign of Christ Sunday, is a relatively recent addition to the western liturgical calendar . In 1925 Pope Pius XI was worried about the growth of secularism and the rise of non-Christian dictatorships in Europe, and Catholics being taken in by these earthly leaders.   In response he instituted The Feast of Christ the King in his 1925 encyclical Quas Primas . Pius hoped the institution of the feast would have various effects. These included: 1. That nations would see that the Church has the right to freedom, and immunity from the state ( Quas Primas , 32). 2. That leaders and nations would see that they are bound to give respect to Christ ( Quas Primas , 31). 3. That the faithful would gain strength and courage from the celebration of the feast, as we are reminded that Christ must reign in our hearts, minds, wills, and bodies ( Quas Primas , 33). [1] By 1970 its observance was adopted by Anglicans, Lutherans, and many

I live in a country governed by people who deny climate change. They also deny that poverty exists in this land. They suggest that talking about climate change in relation to the calamity in the Philippines is playing politics, and they are saddened by it. I am sure that our government's representatives stood and applauded this speech. I am also sure that like many who stood and applauded, they will do nothing to help this conference come to any meaningful conclusion. I feel so impotent in the face of what is happening to our planet. I feel outraged that people of faith would treat this world, which is not our world, but God's world, with such callousness. I feel despair that we seem hell bent on bequeathing our children and their children and planet that will be inhospitable to human life. And we seem stuck by short term greed. God help us all. And yet, some how believing that the kingdom of God is among us, I am called to hope, and to act as if we can change this situatio

Here I am again taking services at the RSA. An odd thing for someone who really is a pacifist. As I said at ANZAC Day I do this because I do think it is important to remember and honour all those who have gone to fight, even if most of the time I struggle with what the wars they were fighting in were all about. There are a lot of myths around about how these wars were for our freedom.  What really surprises me is how much that thinking has shaped the liturgical resources available on line. So many of the prayers give thanks for the freedom and peace we enjoy because of these wars. Lines like " We thank you for the peace and freedom our nation enjoys as a result of their sacrifice" constantly appear. I have to confess I simply could not pray this yesterday and left the line out. Lets be clear. War ends conflict for now. It never brings peace. And these wars were not for freedom. On Marsland Hill in New Plymouth there is a war memorial for the Anglo-Boer War which gives th

  Gate Pa – November 12 2013 Readings: Hebrew Scripture:                 Haggai 1:14-2:9                      Psalm:                                      145:1-5-17-21 Epistle:                                    2 Thess 2:1-5, 13-1 Gospel:                                    Luke 20:27-38 What I want to say:             Ask what we remember on remembrance Sunday             suggest that we remember and honour those who went working prevent any others having to do same             inspired by example of Te Whiti and Tohu among others in this land             do that by not getting stuck in what is before us and keeping hold bigger picture of God’s ongoing work What I want to happen: People to be inspired to work for peace, in our communities, country and world The Sermon       1.       Introduction: talk about Remembrance day – what are we remembering?                         courage of those who went                         folly of war talk ab