Thursday, May 06, 2004
Spirituality of humour
Most of us don’t laugh enough. Most churches don’t laugh enough. A spirituality of humour is in important part of being human.
For those near Auckland, Peter Majendie is one of the funniest people I know and a great storyteller. He is doing 2 shows at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival.
A Deaf in the Family
Wed 19th, Fri 21st May, 7:15 pm
Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, THE EDGE.
One man stand-up storyteller with a reflective view of life as an 8 year old through the eyes of a 50 year old. Powered by his hearing-aid batteries, Petes stories of New Zealand life and culture are tinged by deafness and no small amount of cynicism. (With deaf sign interpreter Friday).“Brilliant … Certainly engaging” – The Christchurch Press.
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
bodies of god
I like the Body of God. I like the sense of diversity, of different parts each making a unique contribution.
Today I saw the Body of God mistreated. A friend, flamed. An email that played the man not the ball. An email that assumed that the Body should be uniform; and that the only worthwhile parts of the body were dressed in the same uniform. It failed to appreciate giftedness; that God made some to be sociologists and some to be researchers and some to stirrers. We dont all have to be middle-class, male, practioners.
Later that day I saw the Body of God in action. I saw truth and love mixed. I saw a person, by being true to herself, bring life. I saw a personality, enthused by the Spirit, and so used.
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
don binney: standing in front of spirituality
I walked around the Auckland Art Gallery yesterday, and particularly appreciated the work of New Zealand artist Don Binney.
I have seen his work in books. His work is so much bigger in real life. He also uses textures superbly.
The large size and stylised format suggested for me transcendence, the biggness and boldness of God and life.
Yet Binney is a New Zealander who paints very New Zealand themes, landscapes and birds. So the contextual nature suggested for me immanence, God close and engaged with our world.
Often the bigness (transcendence) of God and the closeness (immanence) of God are juxtaposed. Groups/churches/people do well at one but not the other. It was nice to see both mixed.
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
resourcing life
A danger of Christianity, of church, of the emerging church, is that we focus all our energy on making church right.
While there is a lot to put right, ultimately we exist to resource people in their following of Jesus, and most of this happens outside church. So we need to provide models of integration.
This Sunday I launched “Resourcing work” prayers at Opawa. Our vision to encourage people to walk and grow with Jesus. One way we can do that is to pray for people in their work situations.
This week we rang up people at Opawa who worked in the health professions nurses and radiographers. We asked them about their job what they liked, what frustrated them, what we could pray for.
They brought a symbol of their work and so on Sunday X-rays and catheters and bandages sat at the front of the church. And we prayed …
God
You are the healer
You heal through medicine and through miracle
You heal through people.
We thankyou for all those who work in the health field nurses, radiographers and health professionals.
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