Colourful Dreamer

I wonder what it was like for the disciples living this story of rejection and mission we are hearing in Mark, with Jesus saying, “Why are you afraid? Do you still not trust?” [1] I wonder what it was like being in Mark’s community, living in uncertain and fearful times? When I was ordained 35 years ago the church still held an important place in our society. Now it feels like we have been pushed to the side-line and rejected. And Covid has changed the landscape again. I wonder what it is like for us with all that causes us fear and uncertainty. Rejection is a hard part of life. St. Francis called it perfect joy. But he was a little crazy. As Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reminds us Paul was constantly rejected. He did not meet people’s expectations of what a super apostle should look like and his message was too inclusive. In Marks gospel we find Jesus’ family being shamed by his actions and rejecting his message and ministry. Those who seemed to know him best told him to get ba...

  Christmas 2020 So here we are Christmas 2020 After a year of COVID-19 Which has reshaped our lives And for some Too many Their hopes and dreams for the future A year that has left us at best feeling that whole Christmas thing just seems a little bit harder this year amidst the weariness and grief and guilt – for some but there it is and here we are.   This little piece of RNA   this scrap of genetic material   that needs a host to be alive Has changed our world For better and for worse We have watched the bumbling of so many governments around the world With so many paying the price with their health Their mental health Their lives. We have seen economies suffer And so many, women in particular out of work Struggling to pay the bills. And we have seen so many live sacrificially for others Medical people around the world Those in essential services working on despite the risk We saw neighbours looking out for eac...

Last Sunday, as part of our joyous regathering, we celebrated our Church constitution – Te Pouhere, which weaves us together like a whāriki or woven mat, Māori, Pasfika and Pākehā. Like the flax strands in ngā whāriki, each Tikanga or cultural strand takes part in the life and mission of our church knowing their voice and way of living the gospel is as important as anyone else’s. It is a gift of God. At the same time Anglicans in Auckland were gathering for prayer led by ADJust, the Diocese of Auckland Young Anglicans for Social Justice. They prayed that all lives would matter around the world, not just the lives of the dominant, or of men, or the powerful. They prayed that in USA and other European dominated countries like our own, that Black Lives would Matter as much as white lives. They prayed for God’s justice to prevail. And then, behind a cross, they joined the Black Lives Matter march. Part of what that march called for in this land is that we honestly address our history a...

When I was ordained 30 years ago the church still held an important place in our society. All that has changed. We have been pushed to the side-line and replaced. We feel rejected. Rejection is a hard part of life. St. Francis called it perfect joy. But he was a little crazy. As Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 12:2-10) reminds us  Paul was constantly rejected. He did not meet people’s expectations of what a super apostle should look like and his message was too inclusive. In Marks gospel (Mark 6:1-13) we find Jesus’ family being shamed by his actions and rejecting his message and ministry. Those who seemed to know him best told him to get back to where he belonged – a lowly carpenter. Jesus warned his disciples to expect the same. This week’s readings invite us to consider how are we rejected, and how we respond to that - with generosity and compassion; or outrage? And who do we reject because they do not meet our expectations? Is God speaking though t...