I know last year my friend and former colleague the Rev. Dr. David Clark MP was castigated for his Covid rule-breaking as the minister of health, for which he was demoted or moved sideways. However, one of his first political triumphs in parliament was the members bill drawn in his name on 7 February 2012 which 'Monday-ized' the ANZAC and Waitangi holidays. This bill ensured that when these celebrations fell on the weekend, we would still get a day off. Surely, he must have a warm place in the heart of most employees just for this? Call it a moment of grace, something given and received freely.
We move from our challenging series on Revelation, through the delightful shared services of summer, into a time where leading up to Easter we will have a series on 'Luke's parables of grace.' There is such richness of literature implied within this simple title, stories and concepts that have spilled from the religious world into common understanding, narratives like the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. But are they commonly known and appreciated? We will explore them.
2020 was an 'interesting' year, with apocalyptic goings on in the world and in the preaching. "Enough!" I hear you cry. I have had a growing sense we need to have a time where grace is spoken and heard. I'm not saying Revelation is without grace, for Jesus is the main event and the whole point. Yet it is time for something different. Like the cool of the morning before the heat of the day, or a tranquil sunset to the west, grace, rest, hope and peace are needed.
Let us then journey together in 2021. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.