Reflections

You’ve heard me prattle on about this window before. You know the one where the three guys are offering gold, frankincense and myrrh. I am acutely aware that sometimes I am like the gentleman that has the gold. There are lovely, shiny, sparkly things that I give. There are other occasions where I find myself...Continue reading→

“Let’s do some ironing” a reflection for Trinity Sunday “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” On first reading of these words a sense of frustration bubbles up within me.  How come I can’t know the many things God wants to say to me today? I can deal...Continue reading→

“When we just don’t get it.” A reflection for Pentecost June 5th Today I want to monkey around with Philip’s challenge.  Philip said to Jesus, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ The word ‘us’ is intriguing. I wonder whether the disciples had been gossiping about Jesus and decided that they needed...Continue reading→

The lesson of the scrap bucket. We have a scrap bucket in the rectory. Well actually, it's a recycled 4 litre ice-cream container. No lid, just the base and it sits hungrily on the kitchen bench. Into it goes my apple core from breakfast, the veggie scrapings and various other unmentionables. It’s a handy device...Continue reading→

It was a privilege to cook some sausages recently. Yep,..a little gang of us gathered outside a supermarket and cooked some sausages. It was a rip-snorter of a day even if the weather wasn’t exactly tropical. One of us cut the onions, another made sure the sauce bottle squirted, another was in charge of the...Continue reading→

Welcome back … welcome home…A reflection for Easter 7 Have you ever wondered what the homes were like in Jesus’ time? We are often told that people went to each others’ home but we are not told about the corner spa, the wall paper or the front fence. For example Jesus heals Peter’s Mother in law at...Continue reading→

Elections… they’re a piece of cake One of the bonza things about living in Australia is that we have a choice come election time. There are political parties in various colours ( a bit like the Wiggles someone cheekily suggested) with different policies, different points of view and we are free to choose. Sometimes we...Continue reading→

Today the Easter Jesus is preparing his disciples for his imminent departure. He is also promising to send them the Holy Spirit who will be with them forever. So He is saying a farewell.  What He says and the way He says it, are important for us on at least two levels. First, His ascension and...Continue reading→

“I John”. A reflection for Easter 5 You will have probably noticed that our 2nd lesson is from the book of Revelation. This tricky book is all about how things will pan out at the end of time and God will come in triumph and sort out our sorry mess. It’s written in a language...Continue reading→

You might need some quiet reading by the fire and these words might help. Question. What’s tougher than being a parish priest? Answer. Being a Bishop Question. Whats tougher than being a Bishop? Answer. Being a Prison Chaplain. Question Whats tougher than being a Prison Chaplain? Answer. Being God. I well remember following a wise...Continue reading→

In praise of the one who sets the table Some of you will recall with affection and esteem the Reverend Marjorie Keeble. Marjorie had a marvellous ministry in this parish and for much of it she soldiered on here by herself. The good news is that Reverend Marjorie is coming back for a visit on...Continue reading→

Our airport moments. A reflection for Good Shepherd Sunday The 4th Sunday of Easter always has the theme of The Good Shepherd. So what I need for today is a good story about shepherding. Fortuitously Bishop Gary, our chief shepherd, kindly gave us an excellent one on Holy Monday at the renewal of priestly vows...Continue reading→

153 red - fin a reflection for Easter 3 Those of you who were very good and came to the Quiet day at Port Fairy earlier in the year now get your reward. You can now have the rest of the day off as I am using what I said then as the gist of...Continue reading→

The Wonder of Working bees. Recently we had two working bees and they were on the same day and everything. Some of us went to pack up the Book fair, until next year… and some of us went and polished shiny stuff in the Church ready for Easter. Both were important, both were exciting and...Continue reading→

It must have seemed a peculiar sight. A straggly baggly group of people walking the streets of Hamilton with a thumping great cross. Every so often this gaggle stopped, said some words and sang a hymn. How peculiar to see in our secular society, a religious symbol in broad daylight. Yet there we all were...Continue reading→

I have always loved the story of Thomas. How he had slipped out to get the groceries down at the market while the other disciples got to see the Risen Jesus. You know, the spices, herbs, veggies, fish and figs oh.. no roast lamb as it was still too expensive. No cheese either, as the...Continue reading→

Of rumour and bribery And you would have thought that would be the end of it. When someone is crucified by our trusty team they’re dead. Stone cold, clinically dead. They’re not getting up and singing anywhere. And that’s what the ‘whole break the legs’ ‘stab the side’ thing is all about. To make sure...Continue reading→

The wise old priest and I  were looking deep into the flames in companionable amiability. That unspoken bond whenever two or more people gather around a fire. It’s been going for centuries now. The fire… a meeting place… a cooking place, an eating place, a safe place. He was senior to me in years of age...Continue reading→

Palm Sunday You’ll recall that I helped to arrest this Jesus guy in the garden. We then marched him off to meet some friends called Gonzo and his goons. They are exactly as they sound. Rough, tough and ready to give a bit of biff, Henchmen par-excellence. Their job is to make the person before...Continue reading→

So we come to that day of days when we’re really not quite sure what we’re supposed to be doing. Like, we know that we should be doing something, but just how do you mark a day when God dies at the hands of humans. Well, you tell the story, you remember, maybe weep, give...Continue reading→