Lockdown Day 10

Today has been a day of technological disaster… well that might be an exaggeration, but in lockdown mode it feels like it! It began when we lost our internet, and discovered “they” had decided we hadn’t paid our bill -so they sent us a new bill that told us we were up to date with payments… hmmm… so Richard then spent a couple of hours trying to get through to a person -who told us it would take 4-5 days to get reconnected… Add to that a bundle of issues when we tried to upload the Palm Sunday service for tomorrow… and the frustration grew.

On the flip side though , it has been a beautiful day and when not trying to get tech-sorted, we have enjoyed brunch on the deck, gardening and a lovely picnic on the front lawn. The last rose was picked and put in a vase to enjoy inside. It is good to step outside of the frustrations and remember that there is beauty.

I guess we will all have times of frustration during the lockdown -some will be way more significant than ours were today. But it is always important to take time to remove ourselves from those difficult spaces, at least for a time. To go outside or phone a friend. To smell a rose or drink a cup of tea. Some way that grounds us beyond the current issues weighing us down. May you find your rose too.

Lockdown Day 9

Today I am reflecting on bubbles -and how beautiful and yet how fragile bubbles are. I love the way bubbles can create such delight -typically in children, which I have often witnessed in mainly music sessions when I have brought out bubble blower from the special box. But when at the Pop-up Globe’s Romeo and Juliet recently -in pre-Lockdown days, I also saw the delight in adults, as thousands of bubbles descending around us. I wonder what memories of bubbles you have -blowing them in a bath to entertain a child, perhaps.

Bubbles do come in lots of different sizes, but whatever the size, they are complete in themselves, and beautiful. As I ponder, I am reminded of our need to be satisfied with the bubble we are in -whatever that might look like, and find the beauty there. Often the beauty is easier to see from the outside, but I invite you to discover something beautiful about your bubble today.

Young Church children at KPC are being given a daily challenge and recently they were challenged to draw their bubble… below is the one Reuben drew -which somehow makes my task of finding beauty in our bubble that much easier today :) Apparently I am waving, not posing!

Lockdown Day 8

We have now been in lockdown for a week and my prayer is that people are starting to find new rhythms that are working for them. When we stayed at Nether Springs two years ago we loved joining in the monastic rhythm of daily life there. They teach the 5 pillars of the monastic rhythm and I think this is a time when we could all use these pillars, no matter what our age or stage. I offer them to you as a way to reflect on the daily rhythm you are establishing in this new normal. Each one is ideally included each day and they are as follows -

1. worship -time to pray and praise and connect with God

2. work -the manual kind -doing a physical task whether it is making your bed or the dinner

3. study -take a book from your shelf you have been meaning to read or try audio books or just spend some time looking deeply at something

4. solitude -make time to specifically be alone, to face your own thoughts and feelings

5. community -ensure you remain connected -whether by phone or email or zoom or a smile as you walk…

Lockdown Day 7

Today is my Mum’s birthday so the challenge was how to celebrate at a distance. The wider family chat group are sharing favourite memories and her phone I suspect, will be extra busy today. She delighted in a momentous trip out in her car -to get her flu jab! She felt like it was a birthday gift being out with actual people -especially when she discovered the woman at the doctor’s recpetion desk was a fellow parishioner :)

But most of all she loved seeing her family from a distance, each in our bubbles, as we sang happy birthday before retreating back to our own bubbles, leaving balloons on her letterbox. I am starting to see with new eyes the importance of small things done with love. A teddy bear in the window; chalk messages on the pavement, phone calls and zoom connections…. whatever way you choose, may your day include a small thing done with love.

Lockdown Day 6

Today we managed to get our website back up -phew! So I have posted my past days’ blogs which I had been writing but not able to post. Tonight we will be having our first Parish Council meeting via Zoom -and I am looking forward to updating the team and looking at exciting ways forward in this new normal. Zoom is a significant part of my new normal and I am so grateful we have these amazing technologies through which we can connect. However, when walking along the waterfront, I delighted in seeing a couple of wonderful parishioners waving down at me from many floors up. Real face to face connection, even though from a distance, has a whole new delight in these days. Let us enjoy the contacts we get, whether through a screen or along a telephone line or the smile of someone walking on the opposite side of the street. My reading this morning was from Psalm 133, with these words -

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! …For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life for evermore.

Our unity may be experienced in different forms, but it is unity that brings blessings indeed.

Lockdown Day 5

Today I began a new rhythm using the Les Mills exercise class in the morning.  Not the typical exercise I would choose but it was good to do something other than a walk. Tomorrow we will try a different one. Rhythms take time to develop and this will take time to work out what seems to work for me and for us.  Time outside is important too. -Time in the glasshouse or garden where things can feel a bit more normal. Time for family and time by myself.  Time for prayer. Time for connection. Time to think and process... I have started to think about small groups –perhaps this is the time for Zoom Groups –to encourage connections as part of our communal rhythm. Watch this space. (NB No photo for this one :))

Lockdown Day 4

Today was our first Sunday in a bubble. We had hoped we were sorted for the parish to watch our service on the website but the server failed L -fortunately we managed to email out the YouTube link...  so I hope you were able to find it if that was what you wanted.

At our place we also enjoyed the Young Church kit based on the Ezekiel story of the valley of dry bones. We shared what our favourite bone was and raced to put our skeletons together.  And we talked about the hopes we have for new life that can come out of dry bones. 

For me though, as I placed myself in the story Reuben was reading to us, I realised that in Ezekiel’s shoes, I am not so sure I would have had such faith. When God asks me –can these bones live –and all I see is dry bones –I am challenged to move from saying “not a show, Lord” to Ezekiel’s next layer response –“only You know, God”.  To not leap to the assumption that what you see is all you get. To comprehend that God is able to do the miraculous in our midst. I want Ezekiel’s willingness; his openness to God at work, even in the most unlikely places.  My hope is that this space will build my hope in what God can do in our midst.

Lockdown Day 3

Today we managed to film our first service of worship at home -a real family affair with all hands on deck. It means that tomorrow we can all worship together as a church community simply by going to this website and clicking church online. If you had a Worship Kit delivered before the Lockdown, you can use the resources in it -candle; picture on an easel and world ball.

My prayer is that this will help you to create new rhythms in your life. Worship @ Home will be a new way of doing Sabbath, just as we are discovering new ways of doing so many of our daily activities. Establishing new rhythms is important for our own well being. We will each discover different ways that work for us -and others that don’t.

As we walked this afternoon round the block (and found teddies in the windows of 38 houses) I loved seeing the sea -ever changing and yet ever the same. I was reminded that the sea has its own rhythm -the ebb and flow of the tide. This is the rhythm we need to esptablish for ourselves. There will be ebbs and flows as we do this new normal. Things that take us inward and things that draw us outward. I encourage you to find your own rhythm of prayer, conversation, space, work, food, exercise, entertainment and anything else that you need to be fully alive -both inwardly and outwardly.

Lockdown Day 2

Today when we took Scamper for a walk around our block we delighted in seeing the many teddy bears -and all sorts of other creatures - in peoples’ windows. The will to offer joy is such a profound part of our shared humanity. It reminded me of the verse in Proverbs 17 that says a cheerful heart is good medicine. We offer one another good medicine when we share joy in these simple ways -whether a teddy in your window or a smile through a phone line. I loved to read of a friend today who secretly made her window bear wave at a child going past, bringing extra delight! Sometimes though we have to be a bit creative in the ways we share joy -now more than ever. For us, with a large front yard, our windows are too far from the footpath for a bear to be visible, so we had to think outside the box a little. The photo below shows our answer. The reality is though, that we can all share some joy in some way. So spread the medicine of joy over these next days and weeks -you never know who might just be needing it.

Lockdown Day 1

I have decided to write a daily blog through this period of lock down –a chance to put my thoughts down and to share with the community of KPC. Please return to this website whenever you want to catch up.  

Today being the first day of Lockdown, we as a family have spent time getting organised and making ways to create a rhythm in our days. It has been a very busy week as we prepared and delivered worship kits for the parish, including Sunday services, Young Church, Messy Church and gifts for all mainly music families. We have also been extending our church website so people can participate in regular Sunday worship and even join in a mainly music session.

At the manse, we have also started getting our heads around the school component of Reuben’s day –especially the fun daily challenges for the family that his lovely Hub teachers are providing. Today we all followed instructions to draw an owl –which of course got quite competitive... as you can see in the picture below. But as each of our owls were connected to the one tree I reflected on how privileged we are to have a home nest we feel safe in. A favourite story as a child for me was “The Best Nest” which concludes with these words –I love my house, I love my nest; in all the world, this nest is best”

These owls however, also got me thinking about my favourite psalm, in which sparrows find a home and swallows find a nest. Not surprising I suppose, that under stress we return to those texts that are held most closely. Psalm 84 begins -

How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
    Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.

This passage reminds me of the interconnectedness between home and church. Between the place we make our nest and the place we find God’s altar. Perhaps the altar is closer to home than we realise. Perhaps in our bubble we will discover afresh that it can be a place of worship too; a dwelling place of the Lord Almighty.  May you discover in these weeks ahead that your nest bubble is also the place where God dwells.

The Slow Way

Spending a week on a canal boat is a choice to go slow. Not that it is easy –the locks are hard work –especially when there are twenty three in a row. But travelling this way, you can’t expect to get to where you are going with great speed. I suspect this is more the way of the church than we would like –hard work at times, and slow moving. Unexpected friends are made and people enter to help for a season. And as we keep moving, a rhythm develops and a beauty is discovered, that is so often missed in the fast lane. Each evening we have enjoyed sharing the discipline of Compline –a monastic form of evening prayer. Taking time to sit with beauty is a blessing, but it is also a discipline. It teaches us gratitude and space to listen and to be. The challenge of course is to find this way of being beyond the canal –in the midst of ordinary everyday life. 

The Low Door

Last Sunday morning we attended worship at Holy Trinity, Stratford upon Avon –the place where William Shakespeare was buried along with other members of his family. It is a beautiful and very old space with small chapels to the sides as it is built in the shape of the cross. On arrival we discovered that this was a special service led by the bishop  to celebrate 100 years of the Coventry diocese and the relationship they have with the Willows church school which is part of the community of the Cross of Nails –based in the original cross of nails made from roof nails found in the bombed Coventry cathedral in 1940 and seen as their call for seeking reconciliation. School children paraded a replica cross into the service and people shared how it was being carried around the various church schools of Coventry.  

My favourite bit however was actually entering the church –for the large doors were closed and the entry was through a door within a door –a door with a very low lintel. So to enter church you had to bend down and lower your head. Here was this physical invitation to come humbly to worship.

At the conclusion of the service, I had planned to take a photo of the door as we left –however –to my surprise- the larger doors were swung open wide. No need to bend down now –forgiven and restored, we can leave with our heads held high –out into the community. 

Postscript: When I told Reuben what I was writing, he quickly said “I didn’t have to bend down” And I realised yet again, the warm invitation of Jesus to children that requires nothing –and perhaps even calls us all to come as children...

Cuthbert

Our second retreat at Nether Springs was on Celtic Spirituality –the life of Cuthbert in particular. We discovered some of the stories of his life and death –and after his death... and we had a day trip to the holy island of Lindisfarne where he spent much of his life. Although I struggled with identifying him as my saint... I did discover a richness in the way his life pointed to the life of Jesus. Various stories stood out for me and near the end of our time together we were given time to reflect –the result of which for me was the following poem –it is photographed as the drawing of the experience was as much part of the reflection as the words. Perhaps on my return you can ask me to explain it further in terms of the stories of Cuthbert’s life.

Hospitality: The Pearl of Great Price

Our first retreat at Nether Springs was called Hospitality, heart and home.  In the centre of our gathering, sat a small pottery figure of a person sitting holding a pearl. It reminded me of one of Reuben’s favourite parables... the pearl of great price. And as I had time to reflect on hospitality, it became for me, more and more, like a pearl of great value.  Pearls are becoming a bit of a feature for me this year –some say thirty years of marriage is a pearl anniversary... and that is us this year. As I reflect on what is of most value in my life I realise more and more it is about relationships and about love. Hospitality is at the heart of both –it is the way we open ourselves and what we have to others and to God. I give and receive that hospitality –that opening of self to the other - in our marriage, and I also give and receive it within many other relationships –with people and with God.  Hospitality says we have time and energy available for you. If we get too busy, we can run out of the space we need for true hospitality.  Jesus understood the importance of both giving and receiving hospitality –he is our generous host –most apparent at the communion table, and yet we also invite him into our lives as an act of our hospitality toward God. I look forward to further unpacking these concepts of hospitality on my return.

The overgrown labyrinth

Out near the vegetable garden on the seaward side of Nether Springs is an overgrown labyrinth –made up of mainly buttercups with a motley range of other weeds thrown in. It was once a beautifully kept labyrinth, but by the time we came upon it, it was rather ragged.

However, Reuben was very keen to do it, especially in the evening when the bees no longer buzzed... so off we headed. As we made our way slowly through the growth, I was reminded of the way labyrinths tend to trick you –just when you think you are coming close to the centre –almost touching the heart of God, you find yourself back at the outer rim.

Our lives with God can be like that –just when we think we have it sorted we find ourselves from the heart of God. At Nether Springs a common quote is “When you lie on the breast of Jesus, you feel the heartbeat of God.” So when we find ourselves out on the edge, perhaps it is time to rest on the breast of Jesus.

Why I don't like American airports

In the last few weeks we have been in a few American airports –Houston, Washington DC, Orlando and Miami... no plane trip was on time and I have had a “pat down” every trip... but each place would announce its welcome to that place. I seemed to feel more unwelcome each time –not knowing the rules –getting caught out with my fitbit or a bracelet that would set of the dreaded beep. Shoes off, food out, empty your pockets... all assumed rituals of this welcome.

And it got me thinking about the way we welcome people at church –do our actions live up to our signs? What assumptions do we keep making –assumptions that people will already know how they are to behave, where they should go, what they must show of themselves. Information shared with kindness can be so empowering when you are unsure. A lack of knowing what is expected can make us feel vulnerable –certainly not welcome. God asks us to be welcoming to the stranger –so perhaps stepping back from the familiar is useful from time to time, to remember what new people might feel more welcome if they had been kindly told.

Reclaiming Jesus

We all know that American politics is currently in quite a state, but what I didn’t really comprehend was the deep pain of so many church leaders as they deal with the church’s relationship with politics. As we gathered with about 1700 preachers –mainly from around  America –in venues thick with the imprint of voices like Martin Luther King Jr –there was no doubting the call to speak for the voiceless as Jesus would do and to challenge the politics that undermine his theology.  

Just before the conference, evangelical leaders from around the US had gathered to seek a unified voice –many leaders who were at the conference, others who were in Washington for this event –like Walter Brueggemann, Cynthia Hale, Richard Rohr, William Willimon  –and other names newly familiar, like bishop Curry who preached at the recent royal wedding, and old familiar names like Tony Campolo, Ron Sider and Jim Wallis. A large group of key church leaders voicing their rejection of the Christian faith being co-opted by partisan politics and calling churches to pray, study, reflect and act.  “The church’s role is to change the world through the life and love of Jesus Christ. The government’s role is to serve the common good by protecting justice and peace. When that role is undermined by political leadership, faith leaders must stand up and speak out,”

The declaration addressed six of the most pressing dangers to the Christian faith: the rise of racism and white nationalism, the mistreatment and abuse of women, the treatment of the poor and vulnerable including immigrants and refugees; the pervasive lying in political and civil life that has become normal, the virtual threats to democracy from growing autocratic behaviour, and the xenophobic heresies of “America first.” It sought to return to our primary identity in Christ: and cast other false racial, ethnic, cultural, and national identities aside, calling Christians to be followers of Jesus before anything else.

And so Richard and I joined the throng to process through the streets of Washington DC in candle light to the White House, where the declaration was read aloud and we all sang This little light of mine, each holding our small candles. It was a powerful moment as we reclaimed the power of confessing our faith –Jesus is Lord, the light in our darkness.  This is a city full of people making political stands, probably mostly ignored, but at least for each one of the thousands gathered there- the church was remembering to be the church.

Space for the Children

The first venue for the Festival of Homiletics was the Washington DC Cathedral –and after completing our registration, we tagged along on a tour that had already begun. After the spacious beauty of the main worship space we went past another side chapel to what they called the “Children’s Chapel”. In this delightful space, past a statue of a welcoming child, through the wrought iron gates that had many hidden creatures formed within, were small chairs with cushions stitched with animals, stain glass windows showing Bible stories involving children, even a child sized organ... all speaking an enthusiastic welcome to children. Just as Jesus welcomed children, so did the architecture and furniture of this space.  As I sat and enjoyed it, and imagined children gathering within it, I was also aware of the many spaces that are not so inviting for children.  Aware of the way we can create spaces for children because actually we don’t want them in other sacred areas. Jesus welcomed the children into a place where the disciples thought they didn’t belong. Our challenge is to make welcoming space for children, in our architecture –but also in our hearts and behaviour.  

My impending study leave

We are already into May and it seems like the year is racing by... my upcoming study leave that once felt like a world away is getting incredibly close -Richard and I fly out on Sunday afternoon, 20 May.  Our first five days will be spent at a "Preaching and Politics" conference (Festival of Homiletics) in Washington DC. Rebekah and Reuben then fly over to meet us and see that amazing city before we head to Orlando for a holiday gifted to us by a generous couple in the parish. Rebekah heads back to NZ and we then take Reuben on to the UK. We head to Nether Springs, Northumbria Community for two retreats, entitled "Heart, home and hospitality" and "Celtic Spirituality: St Cuthbert".  Next we drive down to Stratford upon Avon for a week where Richard will visit some jails around Birmingham and I will be researching From The Rich Young Ruler and Nicodemus to Kohimarama: Reaching the Rich with the Gospel. The church currently seems to be “better” at offering the gospel to the poor –having an impact amongst the wealthy is a difficult task and a significant part of our parish’s reality. I want to do some reading and explore what creative ways might be possible in this area.                                                                                                                                                                   Then Amelia and Mum join us and we board a canal boat at Rugby for a week -more time to read and think in a beautiful setting...  A couple of days in London, a few in Paris, an overnight in Hong Kong and we arrive back in NZ on 14 July.                                                    While I am away our intern Grant Ridout will be taking responsibility -with the full support of Parish Council and Rev Brett Johnstone in the background.  I will blog on this site while I am away so if interested, keep checking back here to catch up on what I am doing and learning. In the meantime, before I leave, if you are wanting to catch up, please let me know sooner rather than later so I can meet with you as well as ensuring I get my to do list done before I get on that plane!