Writing
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In the great silence
the flowers seeded and grew,
the rain fell, the land took a breath,
exhaled.
The sun turned on its wheel
heedless to the forecast doom. more» -
Jesus is no sterile savior. He is not interested in remaining tidy and removed. With a beautiful and earthy economy of gestures, Jesus reveals himself as one who is willing to fully inhabit the messiness of our world and of our lives. more» -
Be thankful now for having arrived,
for the sense of
having drunk
from a well,
for remembering the long drought that preceded your arrival... more» -
Nor can this blackened sky, this darkened scar
Eclipse that glimpse of how things really are. more» -
Here at the outset of Lent, what can you see of the landscape that lies ahead of you? Might there be another place you need to go, physically or in your soul, before you are ready to enter the landscape that calls you? more» -
And while we seek a healer
or rider on the horizon,
God plants himself as
a diamond laid down in the rough. more» -
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The new song we would sing on Christmas morning is more a lullaby than a national anthem, it is a quiet, thankful song that longs for peace and rest and comfort, it is a song that sings of grace. more» -
I will not talk about the light that is everywhere, how far you have to travel for the sky to be completely black (and even then there are stars, there is the moon’s borrowed brightness). more» -
It is a weird experience, being pregnant with twins...It is a very humbling experience, learning about the wisdom held deep in your body. More than that, it was my first really visceral experience of co-creation with God. more» -
God, my God of birth pangs
and pain that finds release... more» -
Manuka flower honey
devotion of bees
sweet wine
rosemary
frankincense
scenting the drowsy air. more» -
Into this world, this demented inn,
in which there is absolutely no room for him at all,
Christ comes uninvited. more» -
Joy – a strange word with which, from time to time, I’ve had a precarious relationship.
Possibly because it’s my given name. There have been times I knew in my deepest being the name didn’t fit who and what I experienced myself to be. more» -
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Tenderly hold those who grieve,
those who worry about loved ones more» -
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There are years when the Christmas spirit is hard to come by, and it’s in those seasons when I’m so thankful for Advent. Consider it a less flashy but still very beautiful way of being present to this season. more» -
Look upon your church and its pastors
in this season of hope
which runs so quickly to fatigue
and in this season of yearning
which becomes so easily quarrelsome. more» -
We live in a world in which bigger and better define our expectations for much of life. We have become so focused by super-size, super stars, and high definition that we tend to view life more» -
The season of Advent
means there’s something on the horizon
the like of which we have never seen before. more» -
In the holy family, particularly in this time of refugees and advent, we see how important one small family is, one small child is, one small collection of people. In light of the complexities of more» -
Phone : 09 473 2600
Other enquiries : reception@vaughanpark.org.nz
Vaughan Park Anglican Retreat Centre
PO Box 89 085, Torbay
Auckland City 0742
New Zealand
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A partnership resource of the Diocese of Auckland and Te Pihopatanga o Te Tai Tokerau | Powered by controlroom.co
A partnership resource of the Diocese of Auckland and Te Pihopatanga o Te Tai Tokerau | Powered by controlroom.co