Colourful Dreamer

Highlights of the last three weeks have been meetings really. The Anglican Centre for Youth Ministry Studies had a great meeting where we talked about what we are going to do. Not in theory, but the nuts and bolts. And I am off tomorrow for another two day meeting to really give that a good going over. I am the kind of person that needs others ideas to spark off, and I have felt really constrained not having that starting point. We are trying to do some different things with the seminars that will engage people who are there, but also provide good material for dissemination through the web. A week ago I was asked to run a discussion on our year of youth at the Auckland Diocesan Youth Synod. Youth Year is a three Tikanga year that will run from the beginning of Advent this year (4 Sundays before Christmas) to that same point in 2006. The point of the discussion was to work out some of what might be done during this year at the Diocesan level and at the parish level. What struck me was h...

I had a really interesting experience last night. One of my directees came to see me, and we talked about how we script our lives. In essence, we talked about how we use certain events in our lives to create a script or narrative through which we interpret and give meaning to other events that happen to us. Some of these are not very helpful. One of my questions was about what kind of script God would write for this person. What did he think God would say about him? His observation was that while intellectually he could affirm these words and attitudes, this God Script as we called it, they didn't connect with his felt experiences. Interestingly, it is these felt experiences that shape his own script or narrative. Why is it we listen to the negative experiences that lead us away from God's love, and not to the experiences of God's love, that would allow us to know more intimately the God Script for our lives? In a way we choose to live in desolation, turned away from God, ...

Yesterday I went to the installation of the new bishop of Dunedin. I went to this to both welcome him as the National youth facilitator for our Tikanga, to farewell him from our diocese, to support him as the Bishop Protector of us Franciscans, and to ensure he was safely installed. It was a great occasion to be part of. In the speeches afterwards, Bishop Phillip from Taranaki talked about George being very pedantic, which he is. But he described this as George being careful about processes, and therefore careful about people. I guess I had instinctively known this, yet it clicked for me. Being careful about processes is being careful about people. To often people get a good idea, and charge ahead with it. The trouble is people get hurt, and the good idea never has the chance to become a great idea. It was a good learning for me, and I will try hard to be careful about processes in future. I went to the last service of a much loved vicar today. It was inspiring to be part of a communit...

Easter! A time to reflect on what meaning Jesus’ death and resurrection has for this world we live in, and for our day to day lives. I went to a very good service on Thursday night at the Methodist church in town. PowerPoint of English stain glass windows of the Stations of the Cross, with good music and excellent readings and prayers. My 13 year old thought the whole thing had been 20 mins max, not the 45 it was. Friday I did do church, but spent much of the day writing a reflection based on my own walking of the events on my last full day in Jerusalem. Still not finished though. Then I went for a 14 km walk for the last half of the afternoon, while the rest of the family went to a kids programme Bonnie was running. Saturday was spent with family (ish) well, Michael and friend, and Bonnie. Sunday was spent with friends (and church) Monday was the highlight. We set up our living room as a theatre and watched all three Lord of the Ring movies, extended version. I think it was about 11 ½...

It has once again been a while since I last wrote here. In that time I have been to, visited or met with: • Wellington for a meeting of Strandz (Anglican Children, Youth and Family Ministry Unit: tikanga pakeha). There we worked hard on a proposal for two very part time children’s ministry enablers to work across the 7 Dioceses. This has also been endorsed by our ministry council. We also worked hard on a web site, to be launched later this year. • commissioned as the National Guardian for OSS • my Board of Oversight meeting. • the new Taranaki-Waikato Youth Network Co-ordinator • 2 Centre for Youth Ministry Studies Management Committee meeting in Auckland • a meeting of the Anglican Ministry Educators Network in Wellington • the Diocese of Waiapu’s annual Top Parish weekend, this year held in Rotorua. • Churches Youth Ministry Association. • The Tikanga Pakeha Ministry Council (TPMC) • My own spiritual director • Several of my supervisees and spiritual directees, as well as being appr...

It has been a while since I lasted blogged. I am now back in Aotearoa – New Zealand. The flight home was great, although it took 36 hours from the time the Sherut picked me up in Jerusalem until I got home. The highlight was getting an upgrade to business class from Hong Kong home. Not only did I get the nice comfy seats, better level of service (2 air hostesses to 9 passengers), and the slightly yummier food, but also (and almost more importantly) access to the airline lounges in Hong Kong (where I whiled away 4 hours after wondering around the airport for 2 hours and made sure of good enough coffee at Starbucks) and then a further 3 hours in Auckland (including a shower. Man I needed that) It also meant I was first off the plane in Auckland, first through immigration, my bags were off first, and so first through customs and the x-ray machine. Wicked! One notable moment was forgetting my backpack at Hong Kong security, and then having to find my way back down to security when I worked...

What a day. I went back to the City of David, and bought a ticket this time. That came with a wee booklet informing me about of what I was looking at. Made much more sense this time. Then I went into Warren's shaft, (that's what I needed the ticket for), one of the first archeological digs from the 1800's, then down into the shaft dug maybe even before David for people to collect water out of the Gishon spring. I hadn't intended walking Hezekiah's tunnel (dug about 2,700 - 2,800 years ago) but three others came as I was leaving, so I just jumped on in there, shoes, socks and all. About 1/2 hour later we popped out at the pool of Shiloam (I make no promises for the spelling here) Amazing stuff to wlk through this windy shaft dug so long ago. This German group behind us just stripped off when they got out. Is there no shame?? Then dripping wet I headed off to my real aim for the day, to walk with Jesus on his last journey. I headed up Mt Zion, pausing at the Basilica ...