Colourful Dreamer

As we hear Jesus give his new commandment it all sounds so easy. But history shows that Christ’s followers have often struggled to show love for our fellow Christians, let alone to those not “one of us”. We struggle to even describe what this love is. Is it acceptance, or helping others out? Jesus acted like a servant and washed feet, calling that love. Jesus died a humiliating and excruciating death on a cross, and called that love.   What then is love? And who are we to love? Many early Christians said people like us, Jews! Peter was caught between all that he knew to be right, and the call of the Spirit which led him to visit and eat with Gentiles. Paul went further and put the law to one side and said love fulfils the law. Jesus told a story about unsavoury people like robbers, innkeepers and Samaritans. This seems much harder than that original little saying felt when we first heard it. On Thursday we remembered all New Zealanders who fought in defence of this land ...

  Gate Pa – 4 th Sunday in Easter (21 April 2013) Readings: First Reading:                         Acts 9:36-43      Psalm:                          23 Epistle:                         Rev 7:9-17   Gospel:                        John 10:22-30   What I want to say: What would it mean for us to be faithful?             commonly thought – allow people feel good (warm fuzzy)          ...

I have to say I agree absolutely with this. But it is so hard to convince a parish on the brink that this is what we need to do. Even when we think of ways to living out the whole love your neighbour thing, it is amazing how quicly it gets colonised by "this will bring people into church", which fo course mostly it won't. And that is ok.

Last night New Zealand became the 13th country in the world to allow gay and lesbian people to marry. It was an historic night. God's work of bringing life and goodness to all people was done. Just in case anyone is confused as to where I stand  on this issue I offer you this newspaper article. This is the third time I have been asked for my opinion on this issue by the newspapers. Last week our Diocesan website published an article entitled Finding true essence of marriage by Rex Ahdar. To be honest I found this to be a poorly argued piece from someone who although qualified in law was really masquerading as competent to argue the line he was taking, which was much more about history, sociology, and religious studies. I am glad to see a response has now been posted. But what this original opinion article did force me to do was think more about why I thought Ahdar's piece was so floored. And that came through in my interview. The work for us now as a church is to do a lot ...

Gate Pa – Easter 3 2013 Readings: First Reading :               Acts 9:1-6, (7-20) Psalm:              30         Epistle:             Rev 5:11-14      Gospel:            John 21:1-19     What I want to say: Jesus physical resurrection is a sure sign that God is in the business of redeeming this world, and is not just interested in what happens later that means we have to be interested in God’s work of redeeming, recreating, resurrecting this world, bringing it from death to life God is compassionate, and invites us as far as we are able to go, for now, but keeps on inviting us to go further What I want to happen: people to feel encouraged and hopeful people to think about/...