I'll be bringing prayers, a dedication and a benediction at the Browns Bay ANZAC dawn service again this year, which means a very early start. It's always a privilege to be asked to officiate. The sun will rise, but on what? Not even the RSA is in unity, there are two factions trying to find a viable way into their future in Aotearoa. We have a world currently held ransom by old, rich, corrupt and powerful men, in which war is like a game. Children, journalists, medical worke

The Feijoa harvest is upon us. Several things are clear; my wife loves to eat them, the Feijoa hedge by the church needs a very good pruning after the harvest, we don't spray or fertilise the plants, so the fruit can be small and sometimes unpromising. However, there is currently an abundance to the point I need to cook and freeze quite a lot. The windy weather has been accelerating the falling of fruit, so before we know it, the Feijoa season will be over. After nearly six d

Rum-Go aground at Milford Beach I'm pretty sure the skipper of the yacht Rum-Go didn't plan for it to be on Milford Beach on Monday morning. Better than being dashed on rocks I'm guessing. Driving past Murray's Bay on Tuesday, the wind seemed even worse, smashing waves over the raised causeway. A lot of things appear to be a bit off course at the moment. The economy, cost of living, fuel security, adverse weather, the state of the world. It makes me feel like I've run agroun

Forrest Hill Sunrise The religious and secular authorities of Jesus' day didn't take the time or have the inclination to take on board what he was saying, to allow his teaching, healing, saving life to modify their view of the world. How interesting a history it would have been had they done so. Instead they did what the power brokers in every generation do; they killed the one they we afraid of, the one they didn't understand, that which posed a threat to their power. I can'

Palm branches at Sunset, Forrest Hill This Sunday, the tradition of the church marks Palm Sunday . Jesus entered Jerusalem not on a war horse, but on a donkey. Celebrated by the crowd on that day, but humble. Palm branches waving, but soon to be executed by the imperial power with the complicity of the religious authorities. The gospel illuminates and stands against the misuse of temporal and spiritual power in every era of human history. Speaking of Palm Sunday in 2025, Kath

Long Bay For a couple of days this week, I have been attending the Northern Presbytery minister's retreat at Vaughan Park, Long Bay. This is now an annual thing and is much appreciated by most colleagues. Very easy to get to for us North Shore folk. It's good to be reminded one has fellow travellers on the ministry journey. We support and pray for one another. This time we have had the benefit of hearing from our national church moderator, Rt. Rev. Peter Dunn. He is a very hu

At times when the world seems to be uncertain, when political unrest and armed conflicts are manifesting around the globe, I find myself withdrawing inward. My son recently expressed words to the effect of; "Great, I'm just becoming an adult and the world is going to ****." It reminded me that it would be better to live and demonstrate faith and hope outwardly to him than a blind withdrawal inward. It reminded me to hold in prayer the young and others feeling a profound anxie

Pauanui from Mt. Paku, Tairua I found my way up Mt. Paku in some free time we had before a family wedding on the last Saturday of February. It took me a little while to find the summit track, but the climb was worth the view. The weekend was full of social time with cousins and family. I'm glad I had the balance of a little solitude climbing a hill and enjoying nature. I was thankful and prayerful. In contrast, it's fair and honest to say I've struggled with prayer and solitu

As I run or walk through Centennial Park, I often see this image of a Wētā carved into a park bench. You can see right through it, because it is simply a hole with legs and antennae added. On our Lenten journey I invite you to consider the 'rich young ruler' we meet in several of the gospels. In his conversation with Jesus, he claimed to have kept all the commandments of God since his youth. "Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you ow

Cityscape from Forrest Hill Having been tempted to follow the path of self-determination rather than God-following, the proto-humans we meet in the early chapters of Genesis experience what we now call the Fall, a departure from grace. Following their giant screw-up, God subsequently prescribes a more difficult path for them than what might have been; "By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat, until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were ma

Milford Beach this week I feel blessed by the local environment here on the shore. It's relatively easy to find connection with God's creation in bushland and beach, very close to home. This is still possible amid the challenges of a growing city beset with economic, congestion and infrastructure problems which will likely increase in the near to medium future. Homelessness in Auckland has roughly doubled in the last year or so. There are some promising ministry responses in

Hansen Memorial, Rangihoua Heritage Park, Northland The writer to the Hebrews, considering the Christian's salvation hope, writes; "We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest for ever..." (Heb 6: 19-20) In using the temple imagery, the writer proposes that the believer is anchored to the very presence of God, the Holy of Ho

Over the summer I listened to parts of Kelly Tarlton's Final Treasure Hunt on National Radio. I recommend it to anyone interested in the late adventurer and entrepreneur Kelly Tarlton or New Zealand's history. In 1769 the ship Saint Jean Baptiste , captained by Jean-François Marie De Surville lost three of its massive anchors during a storm in Doubtless Bay. Two of the anchors were recovered in later years but the focus of the treasure hunt was to find the third one. To be

Thanks largely to Fiona's efforts and the interesting variety of plants she purchased from Grow Forrest Hill spring sale, the summer crop of tomatoes is exhibiting a marvelous diversity. It reminded me of the Church, in all our variety. As a people of hope who look towards a new heaven and a new earth, we can see scripture leading towards John's vision of "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing befor

City from Esmonde Rd. In my sermon this week I lament the contents of that box of chocolates known as Favourites. It's fair to say not all of them are my favourite, it's a mixed bag. Turkish Delight is borderline and Cherry Ripe is a crime against humanity in my humble opinion. All the others are fine by me. As that famous fictional character Forrest Gump's Mamma always said; ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.'” As congregations in the P

Christmas once again seems to have caught up with me. I suppose other issues have been top of mind, centred around family, health and well-being. However, as the festive season and summer break are upon us, it is good to take stock and give thanks. There is a lot to be thankful for, from the perspective of church life; I'm thankful for the end of term prizegiving service that included young people we just had and for those who took it upon themselves to re-enliven a ministry

It was timely to be in Napier recently, to be present and assist with some issues my parents are having in their retirement village life. This was at a time when my brother was temporarily out of action following surgery. It was sobering to hear my Mum express confusion about who I was. She was expecting "Martin, from Auckland." I assured her that was me. There is a kind of unraveling at play. The stories are less distinct, the timelines more uncertain. My Dad, also living wi

Otuihau Whangārei Falls Apostle Paul manages to write from prison in the early 60s CE his most joy-filled epistle to the Philippian Church. Being in prison sounds like a bit of a downer to me, but Paul has this waterfall of joy flowing out as he urges his readers to always rejoice. The source of his joy is the Lord, and his hope of Christ's return, at a time of God's choosing. He encourages the believers to keep their hearts and minds on the important things of faith, with wo

As I was doing about thirty laps of the AstroTurf sports field at Forrest Hill on Monday morning, I began by listening to an online devotional based on Luke 16: 19-31 about the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus was a beggar languishing at the gates of the rich man who generally ignored him. It made me think. As we enter the Advent season, we do well to pause and meditate on what scripture has to say about the sharing of resources with those who have little, by those who have mor

John 7:18 records these words of Jesus; "Those who speak on their own seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false in him." Jesus was indicating to his fractious listeners that he was not just 'blowing his own trumpet', but was an integral part of God's mission to the world. He was and is both the messenger and the message. His words were not just human words, but the words of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Sadly,