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Hopeless or hopeful?

Someone once “A person can live three days without water; 40 days without food. But only five minutes without hope.” During the 2nd World War, the allied command were staggered at the number of young men dying in lifeboats after their ships were torpedoed. They hadn’t been injured, they weren’t sick, they just gave up and died. Eventually programmes like Outward Bound were started to teach these young men that they could endure far more than they believed. It gave them hope and amazingly...

Rules are rules, aren't they?

Have you ever played a game with younger members of your family, and someone has suggested that you bend the rules a bit to make it easier for the youngest player. And invariably someone else will object – no that’s not fair – the rules are the rules. The law is the law, and we can’t make exceptions for anyone.There are I suspect times when all of us don’t think the rules apply, at least not to us in that situation, and yet most of us are very quick to point the finger at anyone else w...

Can I be changed?

Years ago I met a guy whose life had been radically transformed from what I had known him to be. The gentle, caring and generous guy I encountered was nothing like the foul mouthed, brutal guy I had known many years before. Fred, put his transformation down to his encounter with Jesus.  ‘Jesus changed my life from the inside out’ he said. And it showed. Fred’s change wasn’t just a temporary thing – he was in effect a new man.And that, is the hope of the Gospel, what we once were, ...

What will I give up for Lent?

Lent is often understood to be a time when people give something up. In the church it has been known as a time for giving up luxuries so that the money saved might be given to the poor.  Perhaps as we look at what is happening in Aoteraroa/New Zealand at the moment we might consider how we could give to support those who are struggling following the cyclone and storms.But it may be that this would be a good time for us to give up other things – as in things we do rather than physical thin...

Lent - what's it good for?

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Lent in the church year.  Lent covers the next 40 days leading up to Easter, not counting the Sundays. Traditionally Lent has been used by Christians as a time to reflect on their relationship with God and with the world in which we live. It is often associated with fasting, the giving up of food to allow time for prayer, meditation on the Scriptures and reflection. So perhaps you’ve heard people say I’m giving up, whatever, for Lent.Lent was also a time ...

What can we do?

Perhaps like me you have watched in amazement at the flooding and damage that has occurred around Aotearoa/New Zealand over the last few weeks. Many of us will have friends and family who have been affected by the storms.  Here in Kāpiti we have been spared the wind and rain and the suffering which so many others are now facing. We have much to be grateful for.  Many of these communities will be requiring our help and support in the months that lie ahead.Jesus reminded us that we have...

How far would you go?

The Proclaimers wrote that they would walk 500 miles and then 500 miles more just to be with the one they loved.  The song implies that here is a person who is so in love that they would walk a huge distance to demonstrate that love. What would you do to show your love for another person?The book of Hosea in the Bible tells the story of the prophet, Hosea, whose wife is unfaithful and ends up been sold into slavery. But Hosea so loves Gomer that he goes down to the market, buys back his wif...

Something for everyone

Saturday 18 February from 9amCome and grab a bargain at our garage sale.  Here's some of what is on offer -Books, toys, records, dvds, furniture, baby stuff, kitchenware, electronics and more.And it all has to go. Priced from $1 up.Please bring cash as we have no electronic payment available.See you there!...

Even if you abandon me

The book of Hosea in the Bible tells the story of a prophet whose wife is unfaithful. She leaves the man she has married and sleeps with other men. She breaks all the promises she has made to Hosea. But Hosea is not prepared to just let her walk away and he goes out in search of her and seeks to win her back. In the Bible the story of Hosea and Gomer becomes an acted-out example of God’s love for his people, who like Gomer, have turned their backs on the promises they have made. Here we learn ...

We're starting up again

mainly music kicks off again Wednesday 8 February 2023 from 10am. Cost $2 per child or $3 per family. This programme is a fun way for parents and their children to spend quality time together based around music and movement. It is an opportunity for us as a church to connect with and offer something back to the community of which we are a part. It’s also away for us to demonstrate care, concern and support for those with young children....

Love that won't let go

How often do you find yourself feeling abandoned by others? Maybe your work colleagues, your friends or even those closest to you. It hurts when those who we believe love us or have our backs, turn away and leave us all alone.Hosea was a prophet in the Old Testament, a man whose life became a public display of abandonment and betrayal to the people around him. Gomez, his wife, abandons their marriage and runs off after other men. And God tells Hosea that the feelings he feels are the very way Go...

Is it worth it?

Over the summer break I came across a quote by C.S. Lewis, creator of the Narnia stories, and self-confessed reluctant convert to Christianity. Lewis wrote these words“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance, the only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”  ― C.S. LewisThese words remind us that some things can never be only a little bit important – their truth changes everything about the way we live.  Or at least it should. It re...

Love

This coming Sunday is the fourth Sunday of Advent, which marks the period of time in the church year, as we wait and prepare for the arrival of Christmas day. The theme for this week is love. Love is a pretty cheap word today – we love our cats, cars and Netflix shows and yet often are unable to love those in our own families. This Christmas carol written by John Wesley points to a different type of love. Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heav’n, to earth come down, fix in us thy hum...

Christmas Carol Singalong

Come and join us Sunday 18 December from 6.30pm as we celebrate with carols and a retelling of the Christmas story.  All welcome. Supper will be served....

Joy

Today is the third Sunday of Advent and the theme for this week is Joy. Joy is one of the words the angels used when they announced the birth of Jesus to a bunch of shepherds sitting on a hillside. Luke records it like this  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Saviour...

Peace

This coming Sunday is the second Sunday of Advent, which marks the period of time in the church year, as we wait and prepare for the arrival of Christmas day. The theme for this week is peace. Peace is not just the absence of conflict but the good news that everything is in harmony with each other – God and us, us and others, us and the world we live in. John is his Gospel wrote these words, spoken by Jesus,“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gi...

Hope

This coming Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, which marks the period of time in the church year, as we wait and prepare for the arrival of Christmas day. It’s a reminder to us, who already know that Jesus has come, of the long period of waiting the people of Israel endured as they waited for the birth of the Messiah. As Christians we believe Jesus was the fulfilment of that long waited for promise and so we carry within us the hope that Jesus offers to everyone – life in connection with ...

You gotta serve someone

It’s a few years since Bob Dylan penned those words for a song he wrote. The song was a reminder that all of us serve somebody, so the key thing is to decide just who or what it is you will serve. This coming Sunday is called Christ the King Sunday in the church calendar, a reminder that Jesus is king of all. Most of us will say we’re not really into kings or giving allegiance to anybody but ourselves. We’re our own boss, our own man or woman. But as Dylan said, we all serve something - mo...

Behind it all

I have on my computer two images to use today. You may have seen recently some of the photos of the galaxies as presented by the James Webb satellite. For those familiar with the Hubble telescope images, these new images are even more impressive and compelling. A photo dubbed ‘The Pillars of Creation’ is so awesome. The second image, the one above, is that of a silver eye – a tiny little bird that flits around our garden. Both these images, special as they are, remind us of the one who cre...

For all creation

The Good News of the Jesus story is that God wants to make new every aspect of our world and that includes the environment in which we live. The Psalms or Poems of the Bible tell how the whole of creation longs to see the world made good. Listen to these words from Psalm 96. Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he is co...

A families pain

We are posting this report from the police as the family, who we have connections with, wait for news of their missing daughter. Can you help provide answers for them? Please pray for Breanna’s family at this difficult time. Police are continuing their investigation into the disappearance of 22-year-old Breanna Muriwai who was last seen in the early hours of Sunday the 28th of August at Te Horo Beach. The clear focus of the investigation is to find Breanna and to establish the circumstances o...

What we worship

Last weekend I watched the Black Ferns win their first pool game of the Women’s Rugby World Cup. 40,000 people crammed into the stadium to support their team and when they won, the crowd heaped upon them their praise and adoration for such a great game. Several years ago an ad here in NZ showed the same stadium with a crowd and the All Blacks with the word ‘worship’ written across it. We often worship a winning team, we pile glory and honour upon them, declaring their worth. N.T Wright say...

What do you see?

It’s easy when we look at what is happening in our world at the moment to wonder where God might be in the midst of it all. Has God just left us to our own devices? Does God even care? Covid, war, rising living costs, corrupt politicians – the world sure seems messier than when I was a child. So is God absent or is it perhaps that we are looking in all the wrong places? Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote the following little poem Earth’s crammed with heaven And every common bush afire with G...

For all to see

A mirror is a device that reflects light back from itself.  But if you are standing off to one side slightly than there is every chance you may miss the reflection. A mirror ball by contrast reflects lots of light all over the place so that everywhere is covered by the reflection and if the ball is rotating then that light moves around as well. One mirror by itself is easily missed or if it is tainted or fails then the light is easily lost. But on a mirror ball if one mirror fails or is bro...

Who will I vote for?

In the mailbox this week I received my voting papers for those standing for public office in our local body elections. So many different people standing, so many different agendas, along with all sorts of promises of what they will or won’t do. How on earth are we supposed to choose?  We could choose the person who most agrees with our own agenda, whatever that might be. Or we can instead try and choose the people who will act with honesty and integrity, doing what is best for all those w...