Colourful Dreamer

  It is hard to know what to write this week. Life has suddenly become very uncertain. It is hard to even know what church will look like. And in all that I am supposed to come up with a theme. Maybe the theme this week is learning to live in God in all this uncertainty. And we have two sources of help in this week’s readings. The first (Matthew 15: 10-28), is the Canaanite woman who out taught the Teacher. This story looks back to when Jesus taught about the abundance of God in feeding the 5000+. It begins with Jesus teaching his disciples that the important thing about actions is not whether we are obeying external rules for a perceived reward, but what they reveal about our hearts. Who we are is more important than what we do. And then Jesus goes into Gentile-land where he is confronted by one of the locals whose heart is full of faith. She is not a Jew. She does not behave properly. She is unclean. But she knows who Jesus is and needs his help. Out of her heart filled with persis

This sermon can be listened to here Gate Pa – 12 th   Sunday in Ordinary Time- Year A - 2020 Readings: Psalm                          Psalm: 86:1-10, 16-17 First Reading:               Genesis 21:8-21 Second Reading:        Rom 6:1b-11    Gospel:                        Matt 10:24-39 What I want to say: We have spent 10 years hearing about not having maps for how to do church anymore. We certainly had no maps for doing church over the last 3 months. We had to make it up as we went. What I want to happen: What was your best experience of church during the lock down What was the hardest thing What was the gift of that time What three wishes do you have for the future as a result of your lockdown church experience “What do you see as the long term positive and negative effects of COVID-19 for your parish?”   The Sermon           1.      Introduction: Couple of years ago Bishop Andrew used Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Te

This sermon can be listened to here Gate Pa –   11 th Sunday in Ordinary Time- Year A -2020 Readings: Psalm -                       Psalm 116:9-17                         First Reading -        Genesis 18:1-15         Second Reading -   Romans 5:1-8             Gospel   -                   Matthew 9:35-10:8                      What I want to say: As we return together, lets spend some time hearing each other’s stories What I want to happen: Spend time listening to and sharing with each other. The Sermon        1.      Introduction: On Friday I went for a cycle ride at about 7am. As I sat at the base of Mauao looking at sun trying to break through the clouds I wonders why it was so dark when we were still so far from the shortest day -          Realised -          Just over a week away from shortest day. -          Where did that time go? When last in this building when we were last in this building -          Still hot -          Summery really