Colourful Dreamer

This holy night we wait in silent expectation looking forward for        presents        family        food        peace This holy night this not so silent night echoes with Mary’s cry filled with pain, hope terror, wonder at what is happening to her her world at this birth weeping in relief and joy the baby joins her symphony This holy night this not so silent night echoes with child cries sitting on Santa’s knee hungry trapped in violence lost in poverty homeless in a car This holy night this not so silent night echoes with all God hopes for food for all hope for all water for all peace for all homes for all joy for all a place for all love for all May this holy night bring all that you hope for

In the first week of December our Parish had planned to hold a dinner at the Merivale Whanau Aroha Early Childcare Centre. This Centre is run by Anglican Care, and this Parish is included in the oversight of what happens there. It is an important way we have a presence in that Community. There were 170 parents and children etc form the families that attend, and staff from the Centre and a few invited guests booked to attend. This was special. A proper sit down Christmas meal offered as a gift.. Sadly on the Sunday morning before the meal (which was on Tuesday) a significant figure from that community was found dead in his backyard. He had been involved in an assault the night before, helping out a couple being harassed and assaulted by a group of young people. It was originally thought that had led to his death. It has been since shown that the two events were not related. Why am I writing about this? Because when I read about his death I completely underestimated the effect o...

In case you have not heard, I was nominated to be Bishop of New Westminster in Vancouver, Canada. The election was a couple of weeks ago, and I have pleased to announce that I was not elected. Don't get me wrong. I would have gone if elected, and I would have given my all. And I would have really enjoyed working in that Diocese. But I struggled to see how they could elect someone who they had not met. The woman who did win looks like a really good choice.  To be honest I was briefly disappointed, but only briefly. It was a good decision for them and me. I really enjoyed the process before the election, which for those in North America was very public. It was as public for me, only hardly anyone knew to look and so it wasn't as public, if that makes sense. It was far more time consuming that I had anticipated. It took a while to get together my CV, a personal statement to the diocese and a video answering some questions. All this went up on their website. And that the...

My wife Bonnie is preaching this week. Here are her thoughts on the theme for the week. This Advent we have focussed attention on the theme of waiting. In the foyer we are greeted each day by the words: we are waiting; kei te taritari tātou. We hope these words have provoked a question:   what are we waiting for? Today’s gospel is the story of Mary and Joseph’s transition from being a young betrothed couple to the parents of God’s son, Jesus. It is told from Joseph’s point of view. What might it have been like for Joseph to wait through Mary’s pregnancy? Try putting yourself in Joseph’s sandals and imagine what he might have gone through in the 7-8 months from when Mary was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit to the birth? We know and love the Christmas story with all its colourful characters but Joseph had no idea how things would pan out. He didn’t even know what the child might look like – whose image would a child of the Holy Spirit carry? Would it bea...