Turn Aside - Pastor's Pen for 12th June 2026

Takapuna last Sunday

I managed to find a gap in the showers for a bike ride on Sunday. I got to the far end of Takapuna Beach, turned aside from the main road and sat in the sun for a little while. Not long, but just enough to soak up a little winter sun and appreciate the quietness after all the singing, praying and talking of the morning.

I was flicking through a little book of Celtic prayers today, finding something called the Bright Field. I read; "Life is not hurrying on to a receding future, nor hankering after an imagined past. It is the turning aside like Moses to the miracle of the lit bush..."

It's easy to have to much screen and social media time these days, and not just for the young. I keep reminding myself to step away from the posts, messages, reels and memes, instead turning to old prayer books for inspiration and bike rides to find a sunny spot, even a run through the bush if it doesn't hurt too much. Imagine if Moses was too busy checking his messages to look up from his journey and see the burning bush, to turn aside and find that holy ground.

I encourage you turn turn aside from the busyness and see God's goodness. Pause a while and listen to the quiet. Shalom