Colourful Dreamer

I both groaned and applauded this news posting.  The applause is for the priority being given to young people and children. At last our church seems to be waking up to the fact that we need to make them a priority, that they are important to God, and need to be for us. I groaned because this seems to come out of a desire to grow the church, not because God finds children and young people important and desires us to live out God's love and care for them. I also groaned because yet again we strip out the 5 strands of missions and focus on them one at a time, as if we can do evangelism without pastoral care, or confronting unjust structures or caring for God's earth. They are all strands of one mission, God's mission. We do not have five discrete missions we can pick and choose from. And the longer we try to pick and choose, the longer "our mission" is rendered ineffective. When will we embrace God's mission in it's entirety, and join God in this work, ...

 Gate Pa – Palm Sunday 2013 Readings: Hebrew Scripture:     Isa 50:4-9a    Psalm:              Psalm: 118                  Epistle:            Phil 2:5-11       Gospel:            Luke 19:28-40 What I want to say: To explore the fact that Luke’s version of this story is a leaving party and not a welcome Explore Jesus as a model for us, both as a “leaver” and as a suffering servant, using Henare Taratoa and Heni Te Kiri Karamu What I want to happen: People to enter more deeply into the story of Holy Week from today, so that story might shape how they see the world and live out their faith. The Sermon     ...

It is hard to keep hoping for a just and peaceful outcome to the current situation in Israel and Palestine. Israel thinks it can harass and persecute Palestinians into accepting the Jewish state, and be held in submission for eternity. Like that has happened anywhere else. The Arab Spring shows the lie of this position. And so more people die, injustice flows like a river, and slowly the rest of the world gives up hope, gives up on Israel, and we watch the Middle East unravel.  How long Lord must all these people wait. How long?

Today we hear the story of Jesus triumphal exit out of Bethany and Bethphage. In Luke’s gospel the parade part of the story is set some distance from Jerusalem. It is set in a place that John’s gospel indicates (like in last week’s gospel reading) was a place where people supported Jesus. It is they that cheer Jesus on and lay cloaks and palms on the road. This is not a fickle crowd about to change sides.  This story marks the beginning of a journey that leads to the cross. In Luke’s gospel Jesus is in control of the whole process. You get the sense he has planned what will be, including the colt, and the room and supplies for the last supper. It is Jesus that leads us to the events of Good Friday and Easter. And it all happens as he intended. Do we enter this final week with the same level of intent? Do we walk with Jesus towards the events of Good Friday? One of the ways we understand Jesus is the suffering servant. The passage we hear from Isaiah today is one the su...

  Gate Pa – Passion Sunday 2013 Readings: Hebrew Scripture:     Isa 43: 16-21     Psalm:                          126       Epistle:                         Philippians 3: 4b-14   Gospel:                        John 12: 1-8 What I want to say:       when we are truly found by love then our only response it to repent (not other way around)       when that happens we are radically changed, and invited to live out of that love rather than our own effort What I want to happen: People to reflect on/pray about – do I live in resp...