sustain:if:able kiwi

how secular is new zealand?

Hat tip to New Zealand Post. These are the 2005 Christmas stamps. New Zealand post have very nicely sent us the orginals as computer files. We wanted to use the stamps as contextual, everyday visual images for our Christmas services, and their images on the web were too small. A few phone calls later and many MegaBytes later and we are ready to roll with some great powerpoint to rear project on white sheets around the auditorium.

Looking at these images yesterday caused me to wonder;
how secular is New Zealand when our national stamps still carry a Christian message?
how diverse are New Zealand spiritualities when our national stamps carry the Christian story?

spirituality of coffee

The church now owns a coffee machine. But I didn’t want it as a status symbol or to be relevant or look cool. I wanted it because there is something about the spirituality of coffee making that makes the act of taking a break and the act of sitting with friends special. It can potentially re-enchant relationships and space.

We are training barrista’s in the new year. But I don’t want to just train them to make coffee. I also want to offer practices of hospitality and spirituality. Anyone out there done this? Any barrista’s out there have prayers and practices of blessing they use? Anyone thought about integrating coffee making into their Christian spirituality?

formational environments initial reflections

I posted yesterday asking the question: what has formed us spiritually?. I’m really appreciating the comments. We had a church Board meeting last night, and we finished the meeting by asking each other the question. It was a great discussion and confirmed for me why I am at Opawa. The values of journey and spiritual growth that radiate from the church Board are great.

And I got passionate. Wouldn’t it be great to be part of a church known in the city for forming people spiritually. Go there and you’ll grow.

Two initial reflections on the comments and feedback I’ve been getting.

1) The importance of hard times. Some strands of Christianity invite you to leave your problems at the door, or offer you a good-times Jesus. Yet if people are saying that hard times are part of spiritual formation, what does that do for the need for truth telling in our church environments.

2) No-one has mentioned sermons yet. But then I thought about the influence of people, who I often first met through their preaching. So preaching becomes the meeting of a person and being shaped by their passion, rather than imparting information.

Update. When I thought about my key people who had influenced me, i realised that almost all of them had spoken/preached/taught to me at some time. Their influence was mainly through the time they gave me and their gift mix which spoke to my gift mix. But their influence was magnified and increased because of things they said.

formational environments

I’ve been thinking recently about “spiritual formation.” How do we grow, how are we shaped into the image of God? Coming to a long-established church, so much seems adhoc, a group here or a sermon there. So I have been pondering what it means as a church to become “formational environments”?

It’s such a big question and I have not even been sure where to start. So this morning, I personalised the question. What has “formed” and grown me over my life?

I identified some key people – with names like Peter and Marjory and Mike.
I noted the importance of being given opportunity – in ministry and with encouragement.
I recognised the necessity of space – which for me was theological seminary and the PhD process.
And somewhere in there are regular habits – of reading and reflection and prayer.

people + opportunity + space + regular habits; together these have been for me significant formational factors.

But my experiences are not necessarily universal. So, I’d value your input. Over your life, what have been the key events/circumstances/things that have formed you spiritually?

horoscopes and Christianity

so if the “wise” in Matthew 2 were star followers, and most likely Magi (magicians), does that not mean that horoscope reading and UFO spotting and magic is potentially a spiritual search?

and how can we keep the Christ at the centre, while encouraging such spiritual search that could lead people to the Christ?

and is this Christmas text therefore actually hugely subversively missional?

or am I making too many logical jumps?

resourcing spirituality this christmas

The Overview: Christmas is a hectic season and each year we are faced with the challenge, the opportunity, the question – how to wait, how to prepare spiritually, amid the end of year rush? The Advent Journal is an attempt to encourage personal preparation for Christmas.

The concept:

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life transitions and resourcing spirituality

This week, Beth, part of the church, turns 5. Last week, Matt, part of the church youth group, got his driving license. A month ago, Helen and Ray, church stalwarts, went into a retirement home.

These are significant life transitions for each of them: new environments, new freedoms and responsibilities, times of change and letting go. The question is how the church honours these transitions. On Sunday I am planning to give Beth a sticker, for her to put on her lunch box. In the shape of a heart, it can remind her of God’s love and the love of the church community.

going to school
getting a driving license
retiring and retirement homes.

What other key life transitions should the church be honouring?

If we live in a spiritually alert world, then part of the mission of the church can be to resource the spirituality of these life transitions. What about “retirement packs,” filled with resources to engage the spirituality of those going into aged care?

And how? I know about 5 year olds. What should be done to spiritually resource first time drivers, or to let God be part of the saying goodbyes that are part of retiring?

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, Pete’s 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.

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 don’t 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.

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.

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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