Colourful Dreamer

Some thoughts as we get into Advent. I was on holiday at the end of last week. These are based on my thoughts from 3 years ago. Mark Davis 1   writes, “The apocalyptic waiting of the Advent season, is torn between avoiding rudimentary distractions and living with desperate faithfulness in a world where God is at work. And as disparate as   those   two options sound , they describe perfectly the dynamics of Advent 2015. In a world where environmental destruction is heating the planet and bringing threats of drought to one corner of humanity, we are invited to “Tech the halls” with new and improved gadgets. In a world facing the worst refugee crisis of the modern era, we are invited to focus on a “war on Christmas” over red coffee cups. In a world where terror chills the heart in one moment, pumpkin spice warms the body in the next.”     Advent Hope    Advent Hope is not a static thing. Like the evolution of hope between Jeremiah and Luke, our understand...

This sermon can be listened to here   Gate Pa – Year B   34 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Reign of Christ Sunday, Readings: Psalm              Psalm 132:1-12, 13-18                                                                                     First Reading :    2 Samuel 23:1-7       Second Reading :   Revelations 1:4b-8                     ...

This week churches around the world are marking the end of another liturgical year and celebrating Christ the King or the Reign of Christ Sunday. For us it is also Aotearoa Sunday, which really reminds us of how slow we were in this land to live out the reign of Christ with ngā iwi ō Aotearoa and the first Anglican Church in this land. And it is Stir-up Sunday – all of this stirs us up, I hope. Today we hear the last words of David the King. He wasn’t a great king. His son and grandson blew it. He is not a great model of what the “kingship of Christ” is about. And yet his reign is held up as the pinnacle, and his last words are worth reflecting on. In contrast to this royal image of Christ the King, we hear Pilate’s interrogation of Jesus in John’s gospel. An interesting choice given how little “king language” appears in this gospel. Here we meet a Jesus who did not accept the traditional understanding of king. He was nothing like David. His kingship is revealed in his crucifixion....

You can listen to this sermon here Gate Pa – Year B 33 rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Readings: Psalm                           1 Samuel 2:1-10 (Hannah’s Prayer)              First Reading:              1 Samuel 1:4-20                        Second Reading:          Hebrews 10:11-14, 19-25       Gospel:                          Mark 13:1-8                    ...