Anchor - Pastor's Pen for 8th February 2026

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 Holies, through Jesus Christ. This is a profound thought. This scripture is where the Boys' Brigade motto "Sure and Steadfast" comes from and for some of us at least, that organisation was profoundly life changing. From about 1977, I was blessed to attend one of the largest and best resourced companies in New Zealand. The numerous adventures, challenges and camaraderie were the vehicle in which authentic spirituality arrived in my life. It anchored me to the rock.

What it means to be anchored to Christ, is the exploration of a lifetime. The Boys' Brigade hymn sticks with the anchor theme (unsurprisingly) and asks a searching question; "Will your anchor hold in the storms of life, when the clouds unfold their wings of strife?" The answer is a firm yes, but it can only be realised by pressing into God with faith, for surely life brings some storms.

I feel a deep sadness when I see Christian leaders both here and overseas anchoring themselves to political causes that persecute the very people, "the least of these" we meet in Matthew 25, the very people the church should be ministering to. It is sad to see legacies of faith being tarnished in order to pursue power and influence. Better that we are known for our service to the poor, the troubled and the immigrant than for the loudness of our protest. Priest and writer Henri Nouwen wrote; “When we refuse to see the image of God in others, we prepare our hearts for violence. Racism and genocide begin not with weapons, but with a failure to love.”

The hymn's refrain goes; "We have an anchor that keeps the soul, steadfast and sure while the billows roll, fastened to the Rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love." In a changing world, we must pay attention to the anchor chain of our life, and what or who it is attached to. Shalom