Kia ora e te whanau
To reprise the beginning from last week………
‘Our Future Together’ – Our Kings Birthday Forum is looming larger.
You have Questions? Parishes may well have questions that they wish to put to partner leaders. Please send them to me, and we can then sort them and pass them on for Leaders to consider before the event.
UCANZ Standing Committee Membership
One of the things we need to do at our Kings Birthday Forum is elect a new Standing Committee. The ‘rules’ determine that each of the Partners are able to appoint two representatives – a total of six. The number that can then be elected is six plus one – seven.
Standing Committee meets monthly for up to 1½ hours by zoom, and normally with one ‘in-person’ meeting each year – usually in Auckland.
We’re calling on Parishes and Forums for nominations for elected members. Please include a brief resume of church experience. Please do it soon. Nominations can be sent to Rev Stephanie Wells, at rev.stephanie.wells@gmail.com .
Leadership and Personal Development
On Prayer
I’m a big fan of E.Stanley Jones (1884-1973). Jones was an American Methodist Missionary to India – one of the heroes of the faith of the 20th century. I’m currently working through ‘The Way’ – one of Jones’ books divided into 365 reflections – one for each day of the year. The title, and approach of the book, recognises that early Christians were not labelled as such, but were known as ‘people of the Way’. This prioritises a lifestyle rather than a belief position. This book describes ‘The Way’. I’m up to his dealing with the matter of prayer, and Jones beautifully puts it like this:
We come now to the method by which we allow grace to invade us and work with us. The Way is the way of prayer. Many definitions of prayer have been given. I add another: Prayer is cooperation with God. In prayer you align your desires, your will, your life to God. You and God become agreed on life desires, life purposes, life plans, and you work them out together. That is prayer. Prayer, then, is not trying to get God to do our will. It is the getting of our will into line with God’s will. But the will is not a separate portion of us; the will is the self in action. So prayer aligns the whole self to the whole Self of God. Prayer is therefore attunement. Just as when a note on a well-tuned piano is struck, the corresponding note on a well-tuned violin will vibrate in unison; so when God strikes certain notes in the divine nature, we find our heartstrings vibrating in unison, provided prayer has attuned us.
We quoted in another connection, this definition of prayer, “To bring the whole of life into the presence of God for cleansing and decision.” “For cleansing and decision” — prayer cleanses, it chastens our desires, realigns them so that you cannot tell where your desires end and God’s desires begin. They are one. Since the desires are one, the decisions are one, and the power is one. You lay your impotence alongside God’s potency and lo, your impotence has merged into potency, yes, into omnipotence. When you learn how to pray, you learn how to live — vitally, vibrantly, victoriously.
Emotionally Intelligent People Use 2 Simple Phrases to Ignore Hurtful Comments
I found this one really useful. It takes away our auto-response need to judge or take offense, by providing a very simple strategy in allowing room to keep our own emotions in check while responding appropriately to the other.
Now for something completely different!
Understanding why we are so polarised
It may be that, like me, you have people whom you love, yet whom you now barely recognise. The way they think, the values they espouse, the ideas they have rattling around in their heads, are so at odds with the way that sane people (people like you and me, obviously) think, that we wonder how much longer we can continue to be in any form of relationship with them.
I was greatly helped by a July 2016 article by Jonathan Haidt. It was written just after the Brexit result was known, and before the November 2016 election that installed Donald Trump in the White House the first time. There are presenting issues, like the tsunami of immigrants seeking sanctuary in Europe, that are no longer front and centre, yet the underlying issues remain the same and have been heightened over the intervening years – both internationally, and here in our home country. Haidt references a 2005 book of political scientist Karen Stenner in helping us to understand what it is that sets people off against one another – that each is acting consistent with their experience and world view. My hope is that you will find this article as helpful as I have. It can be accessed here:
Homilies & Preaching Resources
My response to the Gospel text of Luke 6 vs 27-38 for 23rd of February is to repost a homily I gave 3 years ago on this text – I didn’t think I could significantly improve on it. Jesus invites us into a radically counter-cultural way of seeing and living. It can be experienced here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fvL8G9aFe0
Trevor Hoggard is here using the 2nd set of readings from the Common Lectionary. His texts for 23 February are Hosea 14 vs 1-9, Galatians 5 vs 2-10, and Matthew 6 vs 1-8 . His sermon is a call to be genuine before God, and can be engaged with here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTCuoFt_Bog&t=12s
Gospel Conversations – (out of the Dunedin Anglican Diocese) hosts a conversation of 4 Theologians and Practitioners at the beginning of each week around the Gospel lectionary text for the coming Sunday. The site with all its options can be accessed here: https://www.calledsouth.org.nz/gospel-conversations/ . This coming Sunday’s offering focuses on the Feb 23 focusses on The Sermon on the Plain – Luke 6 vs 27-38. It can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMQFaEU1eaE
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Ngā manaakitanga
Andrew Doubleday
UCANZ Ministry Facilitator