Friday, November 07, 2008

grow with peace along with Parihaka

Grow, Sunday, 7pm (Nov 9, 16, 23) explores the theme of peace.

First Sunday up will include the Parihaka story. This is a powerful and moving story, centred on the events of November 5, 1881, at Parihaka, a small North Island settlement, in which Maori practised peaceful and non-violent resistance in the face of white settler invasion. It is a much better thing for Christians in Aotearoa New Zealand to be reflecting on than Guy Fawkes Day, so if you’re a Christian blog reader in Christchurch, please join us.

We will also brainstorm peacemakers in the Bible, sing to Dave Dobbyn’s Welcome home and be offering some tips for personal peacemaking in our homes and workplaces.

Posted by steve at 04:25 PM

4 Comments

  1. Why only for Christians?

    Comment by Jack — November 9, 2008 @ 4:08 pm

  2. hmmm, good point, Jack. perhaps cos i think the church should provide some leadership on this one, put their hand up. so it’s not meant to be an exclusive statement, more a frustrated, come on church!

    steve

    Comment by steve — November 9, 2008 @ 5:50 pm

  3. Parihaka is one of my personal inspirations. I think I first read about it in ‘A Force More Powerful’ and I’m glad to see that you’re talking about it at Opawa.

    We had a Parihaka event on 5th Nov at St Mary’s, Addington. There is a small group forming which is advocating for 5th November to be linked to Parihaka rather than Guy Fawkes, as a New Zealand and non-violent story of resistance to state power. There’s also issues of acknowledgement, repentance and reconciliation with the descendants of Parihaka community and Te Whiti.

    If you’d like to be connected with this group, let me know and I’ll pass on some emails.

    (Now that Spirited Exchanges looks like it’s closing down, I might start turning up to Grow or Espresso…)

    Comment by Nate — November 10, 2008 @ 11:37 am

  4. thanks nate. good to know other groups are getting into it. we did a small service in our home last year, and so doing it at church was another step for us. it seemed to go well. would love to see you at either grow or espresso. both are different to each other, grow more structured in it’s inputs but quite random and more intergenerational also — espresso more free flowing, more 20-40s, and reliant on the energy of those who come,

    steve

    Comment by steve — November 11, 2008 @ 9:26 am

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