Writing
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Those before me knew
how to stroke the steep sodden hills of Wales
just enough to yield a little milk each day
and sufficient mutton for stewing. more» -
Isn't it time though to break up the holy huddles that can exist in our faiths and churches and cast aside the religious internal obsessions which have little or no relevance to the rest of society and the world? Only then do we have the hope of finding a way forward. more» -
Thus far, none of our women Bishop's were born, or brought up in New Zealand, Aotearoa, or Polynesia. It raises questions for us as women in theological education and mentoring. For instance, why are our own women consistently overlooked? more»
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It is just before dawn as I begin to write. Outside my bedroom window, a yellow-eyed blackbird sings in the fading of the night. Another blackbird sings on the soundtrack of a song written by Paul McCartney, in response to the struggle of African American people for their civil rights, some 45 years ago, more» -
As we walk the earth for a short time of belonging, windswept and untamed environments bring us deeper, through imagination, into the mystery of why we are here and the memory of time. more» -
Redemption will come about when the spirituality of political, economic, religious and cultural institutions, their interests, pathologies and fears are confronted, so that the total entity is transformed.
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At a time in my life when I was deeply sorrowful, it was the ocean and the seashore, which became the places and source of my healing. A journey with Hilary, Columba and Maui along Cloudy Bay. more» -
You simply notice one sweet day that you are at peace ... more» -
Forget angels! It's honeybees, around for at least 150 million years, that were sometimes thought of as the messengers between heaven and earth. more» -
Marriage equality provides the Anglican church with an advantageous place in public discourse as it is no longer burdened with being a moral guardian of difference based on gender. more» -
As dawn breaks on Easter Day, the clarion call of the cockerel on the Otago Peninsula will reconnect us to the heart of Being. more» -
There was a dandelion clock in our garden on Sunday. Only one. A delicate timepiece. Hints of a dancing theology? more» -
Tender petals will open in The Vatican Gardens in April, heralding a new beginning at Easter. Resurrection flowers. more» -
It was for the promise of a sixpence that I recited Burns' epic masterpiece, Tam O' Shanter. Hilary Smith celebrates the birthday of the bard. more» -
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Here a mouth opens,
thirsty to receive.
The girl stares down at it,
as if at a puzzle, shocked if this is the answer,
stares in terror and wonder at what she has done. more» -
Tradition and ritual, a love that never dies, sharing food with friends, creative courage, a mother and her child and a freedom of the spirit. Magnificat moments. Christmas stories. more» -
In the morning, Christmas morning, the frangipani tree with star shaped flowers blooms so brightly. It seems as if heaven's stars are caught in its branches. more» -
On national television and before a live audience Clara van Wel stirred the gloss of competitive celebrity, revealing unnervingly simple questions about meaning, belonging, acceptance and love. more» -
'I am with you always' doesn't mean Jesus will be with a particular church in Syria, France or New Zealand. Susan Smith suggests instead that the Spirit blows where she wills. Coming to grips with that new life can mean facing grim realities. more» -
As Hilary begins to write Christmas cards she remembers that nothing in the garden is finished. Pathways and streams diverge and interconnect, no beginnings, no endings. Like the gospels, full of loose ends, unfinished business and unanswered questions. more» -
I was ordained at the end of 1984. On reflection this seems to have been at the end of the male dominated Anglican Church in this country. For my ordained life the experience has been marked by a deepening feminisation of the Church. For a bloke this has not been without discomfort, even a sense of threat. more» -
Without a ground of faith between people, within institutions and among communities, it will be near impossible for any law or regulation to gain a meaningful hold. more»