Body, soul and spirit for women

Encouraging women

2000. Aglow New Zealand encourages women to become whole in body, soul, and spirit in an age where it can be fashionable to focus on form rather than content.

Creating good families

Impacting Christians and non-Christians

2000. “We exist so that God, working in and through us, will use us, to help people know, apply, experience, embrace and proclaim God’s truth on marriage and family. The result is godly families reaching others with God’s truth”, explains Andy Bray, Director of FamilyLife (in New Zealand), a ministry that encourages a variety of couples at various stages in life in their marriages and roles as mothers and fathers.

‘Presence’ at the games, circa 2000

“Special Presence” at Sydney Games

2000. The YWAM New Zealand outreach team experienced a “fruitful” three weeks at the Sydney Olympic games this year says Jay Granat, team leader.

Outreach on

Calling Kiwis to the Olympics!

2000. Blood, sweat, and tears is going to flow from thousands of people worldwide at the Olympics this year. And it will not be just the athletes. The YWAM 2000 Games outreach in Sydney, where the Olympic games are being held in September, will be well underway with an estimated three thousand people. Lots of travelling, little sleep and battling crowds is the order of the day but promises to be one of the most memorable and exciting times in someone’s life. The NZ organizers are looking for 250 New Zealanders to take part.

Ecumenical appeal

Appeal for cyclone-struck Niue

2004. Christian World Service (CWS) is raising money to contribute to the rebuilding of cyclone-damaged Niue.

Cyclone Heta devastated Alofi and the only hospital on the island on January 6.

Supporting chaplains in state schools

Hand of friendship to state schools

2001. The missionary on your doorstep is something vital for the Church to recognize, says Helen McGhie, National Chaplaincy Coordinator of the Churches Education Commission (CEC).

“Academically rigorous” religious and values education

Advancing religious education in state schools

Religious education seems to have no place in a secular society, but there are those who want to change this.

Encouraging prayer across nations

And some came from across the ditch

2007. An intercessor encouraged New Zealanders to get involved supporting Australian Christians in praying for their country at the National Solemn Assembly in Canberra.

Church leaders working together

Partners in Ministry – From relational unity to functional unity

2003. A “rookie” pastor found that churches were not co-operating as strongly as ideal, and he desired a greater unity. It was not enough to motivate Stefan Schlogl, Pastor of Victory Christian Centre, to action but when God spoke to him about initiating fellowship between ministers in the Hutt Valley, he immediately sent letters to some of them sharing his vision.

Caring, loving, supportive environment

City Mission

2000. “People at the bottom of the heap” are the focus of Christian based Wellington City Mission.

Until we meet again

May our farewells speak blessings until we meet again

Forgiveness is a good choice

2015. You could be twenty steps away from forgiving someone who has hurt you. Yes, forgiveness is a process.

Blind Mission casts a vision

To give sight to the blind

2000. Vision 2020 is Christian Blind Mission International’s (CBMI) latest development.

Christians and voting

It’s gold for Jesus’ party

2005. Avalon Baptist Church in Lower Hutt choose a gold background for this election-related sign so as not to confuse onlookers that it supported a particular party.

Response to Christian controversy

At odds with kingdom values

2004. A church minister has suggested that what the Enough is Enough march demonstrated was at variance with kingdom values.

The church responds to cultural changes

Cultural shifts offer challenges for church

2004. Religious belief is not declining in New Zealand and other Western countries – the situation is increasingly described as a change from “religion” to “spirituality”, so is the consensus from sociologists, theologians, and academics from around the globe who say there is a resurgence of spirituality and belief in God outside of institutionalized Church.

Church responds to Halloween

Saints and Angels links church and community

2003. Don’t dress up like a ghoul. Come along as Saint John or the angel Gabriel, or Moses. The Saints and Angels party encourages children to come dressed up as an angel, saint, or character from the Bible, rather than Halloween costumes.

Christians stir controversy at Parliament

Enough is Enough

2004. The Rally for Human Rights preceded hundreds who marched Monday in the Enough is Enough rally taking a message to Parliament’s steps about the sanctity of marriage, proposed legalizing of civil unions and the Care of Children Bill deemed to undermine the marriage institution.

Understanding “The Persian Rug”

How does one understand today’s poem “The Persian Rug”. Although it may sound like red carpet service for politicians despite their misdemeanors, it does not mean that at all. I can imagine a politician’s flaws being overlooked, though, and life goes on as normal, but this has nothing to do “The Persian Rug”. Quite simply the poem is spiritual. I am not using a strict religious metaphor from the Bible. I could have used another idea than the one I did, but I use “Persian rug” because it sounded like something exotic and transcendent which fitted in with my meaning. It is about how Jesus treats a person despite their flaws and sins. He died for sin but is not condemning someone for their sins. In a way he is treating the person in my poem like royalty even though he does not deserve it. This is God’s goodness to that person.

The friend

An oppressor they called him;

Two thousand years of oppression!

And women are down?

Blame it on the Apostle Paul (some would say)

Women got to be submissive in Paul’s day

So, what does this say

About the Lord?

A misreading others say, as

Jesus was good to women–

And they loved him back.

By the mere, more than mere, fact they responded to him,

Was their love for a man who revealed his pure heart

To their souls

Jesus included women,

He did not reject them,

Scold or deny them

He showed them respect.

Maybe a women felt she got no respect

But Jesus friended them as they were.

Guided them where he could;

With gentle loving wisdom,

Which was understood

And despite the wrongs that were done to them,

Jesus gave them the grace to rise above.

If they feared a ruler,

They get a true servant instead.

Who is respected back

For the love that he gives.

The case

Departmental assistance not required and unwanted

In the belly of the artist living off the love of the Lord

Found in him.

Assign a case manager to this poor soul so he will prosper they said

And earn his way in.

For he will belong when his stripes have been attained.

But he had remembered the Lord in his youth,

The case manager did not know Departmental assistance not required.

We do life a certain way, you’ll belong that way they said.

Where indeed you will, dear man…

But in the belly of an artist living off the Lord

Was found the deeper recesses of water

That had nourished his soul

If they hadn’t come

He might still be at peace

In the deeper recesses of his soul.

In the artist living off the Lord

The Lord was still here,

Abundant life had already fashioned

Departmental assistance was not required.

The artist’s spirit could not be broken.

Deeper waters already brooding.

Alive

I have been reflecting on the Gospel of John. The read has been enjoyable and compelling. This week, I have been reading the chapter on Lazarus and I learnt why Jesus rose Lazarus from the dead. I now share my findings from the gospel itself.

Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha, who lived in the village of Bethany, two miles from Jerusalem, in the first century. Jesus at the time was staying on the far side of the Jordan and was told that Lazarus was unwell.

Two days later, Jesus said to his disciples that Lazarus was physically dead. Jesus explained to his disciples, who were with him, that he meant that Lazarus was resting–meaning his disembodied spirit was resting in Hades, the waiting place for judgment of the dead (as David Pawson explains in “The Road to Hell”). Lazarus was not in heaven or hell. He was resting, in a waiting place for the spirits of the dead.

Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters and was going to wake Lazarus up, so his spirit would come back to his body. Lazarus would come back to life. Jesus went to Bethany and met up with Mary and Martha. Lazarus had been in a tomb four days and Jesus prayed and Lazarus came out of the tomb, alive.

Why did Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead? Love. Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters. They would have been grateful they got their brother back and Jesus delivered on this for them.

I discovered that Jesus’ love in raising Lazarus has a much wider application as well.

More writing to come read: articles etc.

I’ve been thinking…and there should be more writing and literature on this blog, in the future, than general writing and life talk although I will probably still include that. I would like to see more poetry and reflections and reviews of books, movies and music.

Myths and facts

I have come across some odd sayings in my day. But more than odd, they were controversial sayings, but delivered palatably, with even with a hint that it should be accepted. Except when I heard it, I may have had the advantage of my knowledge over others in the crowd.

The controversies were told at church, but if one knows their Bible quite literally, as I do, you would think twice about the saying. You would recognize it as controversial and that it did not quite fit the evidence of the Bible. Maybe they were aiming for mass and consumer acceptance, but I sat there dismayed. Waiting for someone to correct. So here it is. The fallacies that appeared from time to time on my journeys. How do I reply…

Church unity at ‘high level’ and revival anticipated

Harvest expected in Lower Hutt

2000. Unity between churches in Lower Hutt Valley is unprecedented says Facilitator of Partners in Ministry, Seth Fawcet. He says many people who have been in Lower Hutt for a long time are testifying they have never had this sense of unity.

Brands

I was in the middle of watching a advertisement about sagging skin and the product they claimed would get rid of this ‘physical problem’ under the eyes. It seemed it would alleviate the emotional pain that came with having physical unattractiveness as well. That was never said, but isn’t feeling unattractive emotional? Then put the cream on again and again and make sure you get a good night’s sleep for good measure! That does not solve the emotional side of it.

I was hearing the reviews customers gave about the product and how it solved their problem. I always find reviews in advertisements a little if not a lot ingenuine. How can one prove the review is sincere in a format intended to promote a product? I guess some people feel this way about churches.

Identity

So, as I was talking about in my previous post, I have been taking notes on the gospel of Mark. From what I gather, if I remember right, the gospel of Mark is about personal identity. Namely, the identity of Jesus.

‘Souls saved’ during pandemic – Zoom helped

Members of a Christian group in New Zealand have been spreading the faith. Through their efforts, some students have put their faith in Jesus Christ while others want to know more, during a year marked by the Covid19 pandemic.

Older writers keep on going

The musing said to the aspiring novelist, the novelist was getting no younger:

Hope the younger ones do well for the traditional publishers that are still going. Depending on what they would write for them. Nothing short than…As for you, you may just find something else. Something better. So, for you, I will keep the possibility of ‘afresh’ avenues open. But keep knocking on the door, from time to time.

Grappling with faith

Image Journal, as well as proving helpful descriptions about the submission process (see previous post), also provided helpful descriptions of one’s relationship to faith in their submission guidelines.

All the work we publish reflects what we see as a sustained engagement with one of the western faiths—Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. That engagement can include unease, grappling, or ambivalence as well as orthodoxy…

Let me say first that they are an arts journal in which faith is involved in that. What they’re saying is an engagement with faith that is uneasy, or grappling, ambivalent, or orthodox. I find their distinctions helpful and true. One can be uneasy about faith, grapple with faith, be ambivalent, or be orthodox. And one can approach art from those perspectives. These distinctions opens one up to the question of where one stands. Which way? Is one uneasy about faith? Grapples with faith? Is ambivalent? or is orthodox? I think Image Journal don’t try to convert people to one way or another, but I think they are a journal and forum for discussion, thought and illumination about the arts and faith, although I’m not directly quoting their about page.

Mission and connecting to the culture

Do Christians go in and try and make converts first or listen and learn the languages and customs of cultures so they can relate the Christian message better to the culture? Or do Christians become assimilated by the culture they are trying to connect with?

No longer in my hands

At the start of the week, I submitted two pieces, one article and one devotion, for consideration for publication. It felt good that the job was done and that the submission process had begun, that it was no longer in my hands as it was. Looking forward to what happens.

Another submission

It is not an easy road getting published, but I had some good news about a month ago that a meditation I submitted to a journal is being seriously considered. It has passed the “first round” or phase one and is on the short list as it was. The outcome, I’ve been told, will take quite a while, which goes to show how rigorous getting selected for publication can be. Not easy.

A mission on the journey

Or a mission, to pursue the possibility (not probability at this stage) of submitting a unique work of fiction or poetry by the end of next month, to a publisher that is open to receiving it. In the words of a former supervisor of mine, I look forward to it.

Start thinking about it today. Work on it tomorrow.