by | Nov 4, 2005 | Uncategorized

Two Weddings And A Wedding Singer
Tomorrow there are two weddings, one for Sam & Maria that I’m not attending, here at Windsor; and another that I am singing at for Alex & Lisa in Manurewa. Strangely enough, both weddings collide in Cheltenham/Devonport where the receptions are being held at respective venues.

A Wedding Blessing
May you know and live out grace
with one another, keep each
other warm in coolness and
never let coolness win if
what is required is a touch
a hug or an apology. May
God’s wisdom be in your
ears as you listen, your eyes
and hearts as you truly
see one another. Mostly
may God and those around you
constantly remind you of
the Greatest Love, the highest
cause, and may all your
life and love together celebrate
and serve that Truth. Amen

by | Oct 28, 2005 | Uncategorized

Here’s Another News Report
Strikes me as somewhat sad and condemning that we are currently seeing more news reports, tributes and commentary on the life of Rosa Parks than we are about the ongoing disaster zone in Pakistan. Read here for a blog on the spot.


I’m a history buff, particularly 20th Century history. The human story started racing ahead as we filled more pages than we ever dreamed of with our ideas of progress, philosophy, invention and prevention. We cured diseases and discovered new ones. As quickly as our ability to record our history developed, so did our voracious apetite for preserving our triumphs and tragedies in all forms of prose, image, moving image, soundbites and cyberspace.

Throughout history the human race have been storytellers. In every culture, we have maintained, developed and kept our history in the oral tradition. In our storytelling, it becomes nearly impossible to resist the urge to bring out the romance of every story. Sometimes I think this has skewed our ability to determine what is pre-meditated intent, and what is unintentional influence as we write, re-write and re-tell our stories.

Rosa Parks
I loved the Rosa Parks story. I loved her for her stubborness, for her simpleness. For her ordinariness. She was just a woman who was tired at the end of a long day. But in no Modern History Of America, nor even in the journals of the Civil Rights movement, did I ever read or even come to understand that there was pre-meditated intent behind her actions on the bus that day. Her humility in admitting even then, that she simply couldn’t be bothered make her admirable.

Long Way to Pakistan
Now that she’s dead, her heroism is even easier to grasp hold of. Let’s re-tell the story. And fair enough, because human beings need to hear our own stories of triumph and stubborn unwillingness to give in, in order to inspire us. Now there will be a Movie of the Week, and family estates that will benefit. And all of this is good and acceptable, because it will raise awareness of an important story. The ordinary can triumph, your voice can be heard, you can make a difference.

But at the cost in our news reports, of remembering the current human story. The tragedy and need that is so malignant, growing each day, in a part of the world where individual heros are so rarely recognised, and yet we have the opportunity to do so much without needing to be praised for it. Daily the body count will continue to grow, and we will mourn one hero after another as they pass on through the rest of 2005.

We will perpetuate the practice that we venerate Rosa Parks for contributing to ending. We will discriminate the plight of a nation, and villify the value of one life with our remembrance, while thousands and tens of thousands die while we continue not to tell their story.

Donate money, do whatever you like. Switch channels and speak knowingly at the water cooler about the disproportionate and discriminatory media.. do whatever you like. But do it honestly, in light of the fact that as a human race, we are still plagued with our own hypocrisy.

by | Oct 19, 2005 | Uncategorized

Song Of The Moment : James Blunt


I have seen peace. I have seen pain,
Resting on the shoulders of your name.
Do you see the truth through all their lies?
Do you see the world through troubled eyes?
And if you want to talk about it anymore,
Lie here on the floor and cry on my shoulder,
I’m a friend.

I have seen birth. I have seen death.
Lived to see a lover’s final breath.
Do you see my guilt? Should I feel fright?
Is the fire of hesitation burning bright?
And if you want to talk about it once again,
On you I depend. I’ll cry on your shoulder.
You’re a friend.

You and I have been through many things.
I’ll hold on to your heart.
I wouldn’t cry for anything,
But don’t go tearing your life apart.

I have seen fear. I have seen faith.
Seen the look of anger on your face.
And if you want to talk about what will be,
Come and sit with me, and cry on my shoulder,
I’m a friend.
And if you want to talk about it anymore,
Lie here on the floor and cry on my shoulder,
I’m a friend.

This Time I Want To Change The World
The first annual Human Security Report is discussed here. According to it, the incidence of violence across the world is in decline, despite the current situations in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Congo and so on and so on. Makes for depressing reading if you’re a fatalist who also thinks the recent earthquakes, tsunamis and killer fires are signs of the end times. What does it say about the ‘Terror State’ stranglehold that the media has on us.

by | Oct 18, 2005 | Uncategorized

Don’t Fence Me In
You have to live out of a deep well not big fences.
What I mean by that is the best way to keep your cattle close and in the right place is to dig a deep well so that they have plenty of water. Building big fences doesn’t solve the thirst issue, and they’ll push against the fences..

So in living a faith journey I think the same principle applies. Having plenty of fences around only limits and damages your view of the horizon, you just see the fence and you’re far more likely to walk right up close to the fence. So we have to be careful about the rules that we put in place and concentrate on a life that is based on living out of the desires of our heart, and drinking deep of the right well so that our heart is living in the freedom of God’s love, otherwise we become about sin management and not about God being at work.

Sin management is dangerous because it undermines the power of the Gospel.
Jesus says Go and Sin no more, .. the contextualisation of that leads you to a place of recognising that the Going.. live (and sin no more) .. is much more specific to the particular activity she was involved in. When the Israelites became about sin management.. they lost the point of the whole God Story.. no longer was it about God’s redemptive power and the unfolding story of the Gospel, but it was about the ability of humanity to control circumstance, sin and society.. which drew them into the roles of Pharisee, sadduccees… a tragedy really.

So hence.. I don’t know how you make decisions about what you can and can’t do, because it seems that each choice has to be examined, rather than blanket ruling.. and also … life is for living in the moment. …
therefore.. hmmm see my dilemma?

Break My Heart If This Doesn’t Change You
Had lunch with Luke today and shared angst about the state of the generation. Lately I’ve been highly emotionally charged when going to bed and taking nightly devotions. It feels like something of the revolutionary spirit, something of the desire, something of the Cause is missing from some of the community I’m part of.

The desire to belong to a cause and the willingness to give and take all that comes with it. Instead of the burn that should be there, there is an emptiness. It’s like the Ecclesiastical Generation. Pursue and enjoy everything, denying ourselves no pleasure. It’s only at the end we shall realise that all is vanity and emptiness. All is meaningless, the sole purpose, meaning and integrity of our lives is found is Loving God. Living out of Kingdom values. A life of intentionality. My bloo rushes and I feel hopeful again. But it’s momentary, because I look around and feel desperately alone… Where are my comrades of the Revolution?

by | Oct 17, 2005 | Uncategorized

Living In A Generous Spirit

Just because I live in the context of people who aren’t poor, is no excuse to live an ungenerous life.