Reflection 6 October – Joy Kingsbury – Aitken – “Mercy is twice blessed”
The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. ‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest. It becomes the throned monarch...
Reflection 22 Septembe – Mountains Matter – Linda Cowan & Christine Arnold
Reflection -Mountains Matter 22 September 2024 Christine Arnold, Linda Cowan (Christine) Mountains are generally solid and permanent features of our landscape. They have formed over centuries and do not change significantly during a human lifetime. Though we do...
Reflection 8 September – Open Up! – Rev. David Coster
Sunday 8th September 2024 Pentecost 15 James 2:1-10 & 14-17 & Mark 7:24-37 Open Up! One of the criteria considered by our Immigration Service when consideration is being given as to whether a person can reside in New Zealand on a permanent basis is...
Reflection 1 September – God saw that it was very good – Joy Kingsbury-Aitken
Reflection: God saw that it was very good, by Joy Kingsbury-Aitken, 1 September 2024, Planet Earth Sunday The first chapter of Genesis is neither history nor science and yet it is profoundly true. It is pre-scientific poetry, acknowledging God as the creator of...
Reflecti0n 25 August – The Armour of God – Linda Cowan & Christine Arnold
THE ARMOUR OF GOD by Linda Cowan & Christine Arnold All our readings from the epistles over the past month have come from the book of Ephesians. I started to ask myself what I actually know about Ephesus and the Ephesians and it didn’t add up to a whole...
Reflection 11 August – How Do We Handle Our Differences? – Rev. David Coster
Ephesians 5: 15-20 and John 6: 35 & 41-51 How do we handle our differences? by Rev. David Coster I am not too sure how many of you watch “24 Hours in A & E” on Bravo TV. Often Joy and I do. It is a very interesting programme that shows loss and love in a...
Reflection 4 August – “You are the man!” – Joy Kingsbury-Aitken
Reflection by Joy Kingsbury-Aitken on 2 Samuel 11:26 – 12:15 & Matthew 5:1-12, 4 August 2024, “You are the man!” When working towards the Bachelor of Theology degree in the 1990s, I had the privilege of studying the Old Testament under the guidance of the late...
Reflection 28 July – Why does the church think our partnership with Burnside Primary School is important? – Christine Arnold
Why does the church think our partnership with Burnside Primary School is important by Christine Arnold God calls us to act out our faith. The prophet Amos preached to people in the northern kingdom of Israel. It was a time of great prosperity, religious piety, and...
Reflection 14 July – Put Down or Praise – Rev. David Coster
Ephesians 1: 3-14 & Mark 6: 14-29 Put Down or Praise by Rev. David Coster It never fails to amaze me that when someone disagrees with another, they attempt to put them down, ridicule them, or make them look like an idiot. Parliament is one of the worst...
Reflection 7 July – “Let the Ancient Words Impart” – Joy Kingsbury-Aitken
Reflection on Nehemiah 8:1-4a, 9-18 and Mark 4:1-9: “Let the Ancient Words Impart” by Joy Kingsbury-Aitken It appears the commandment that humanity most neglects is the one that begins “You shall not covet”. At the heart of all armed conflicts is the desire of one...