Resources for faith and life |
Welcome to 'Conversations' ...
Worship, prayer, poetry, passion and inspiration from Aotearoa New Zealand |
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Brought to you by Silvia Purdie from Christchurch, New Zealand Silvia is the Minister at Cashmere Presbyterian Church. Check out their website. |
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Preparing for Pentecost:
Spirit who defies defining (a litany for Pentecost by Silvia Purdie) Spirit of God, who defies defining You of many names Beyond our controlling or image-ing We praise you! We welcome you! We need you! Spiritus Sanctus, Wairua Tapu Sacred and Holy and Wonderful Infinity who chooses intimacy Breath of God, Pneuma Breath of life, wind of heaven You hovered over creation Blow through us Holy fire, flame of Pentecost Renew passion in our hearts for the salvation of the world Power of God, Dynamos Transform our weary souls Enable us to speak and act boldly Gift-giver, Charisma Pour our talents on your people Build your church Embrace of God, Awhi, Paraclete Comforter and friend Close beside us in every moment Aroha, Agape Draw together a people who love Spirit of unity, Spirit of peace Sophia, Wisdom, Inspiration Open our minds to truth Open ancient scriptures fresh for every time and place Teacher, trainer Sanctify us, change us Grow us up in Christ to be who we truly are Spirit of Jesus The same power that worked every miracle That burst open the tomb Bring us to Jesus Spirit of God, who defies defining You of many names Beyond our controlling or image-ing We praise you! We welcome you! We need you! |
I've always loved this James K Baxter poem,
Song to the Holy Spirit Lord, Holy Spirit, You blow like the wind in a thousand paddocks, Inside and outside the fences, You blow where you wish to blow. Lord, Holy Spirit, You are the sun who shines on the little plant, You warm him gently, you give him life, You raise him up to become a tree with many leaves. Lord, Holy Spirit, You are the mother eagle with her young, Holding them in peace under your feathers. On the highest mountain you have built your nest, Above the valley, above the storms of the world, Where no hunter ever comes. Lord, Holy Spirit, You are the bright cloud in whom we hide, In whom we know already that the battle has been won. You bring us to our Brother Jesus To rest our heads upon his shoulder. Lord, Holy Spirit, You are the kind fire who does not cease to burn, Consuming us with flames of love and peace, Driving us out like sparks to set the world on fire. Lord, Holy Spirit, In the love of friends you are building a new house, Heaven is with us when you are with us. You are singing your songs in the hearts of the poor Guide us, wound us, heal us. Bring us to the Father. – James K. Baxter, ‘Song to the Holy Spirit’, in Collected Poems (ed. John Edward Weir; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1979), 572. |
After Easter ... The Acts of the Apostles
The book of Acts is the story of the early church. It tells in many ways and in many places this same story; of ordinary people participating in extraordinary events in the name of Jesus.
The book of Acts begins in Jerusalem, here with Peter and John and the crippled beggar in the Temple, and it ends in Rome. It covers nearly 3 decades.
It begins here in the Temple but most of the action in the book of Acts happens in private homes … as well as a few public places, roadsides and court rooms. But as I said before, home is the most important, for people learning about fellowship and family and belonging and worship and the breaking of bread. God moves house.
It is the story of women and men who discover that they can do and be so much more than they believed possible.
It’s about strong personalities trying to work together in team, sometimes succeeding and sometimes splitting. It’s about leadership and arguments and surprises and disappointments. It is always about prayer. It is always about the risen Jesus at work through his Spirit.
Part One: Acts chapters 3 & 4 and the healing of the crippled beggar guy
Acts 3
... a narrative sermon about the healing and what happened next.
... concluding with a reflection inviting you to enter into his experience
His story is a leaping and jumping one, moving from being stuck, stationary, sitting on the Temple steps day after day, never entering into the presence of God, always outside … to going right into the Temple, and then finding the presence of God even more powerfully, not in the Temple but in the home of the church.
He went from a life-long bone-deep weight of shame, being under God’s curse, to a utterly unexpected body-hurling declaration of God’s grace and favour.
The book of Acts is the story of the early church. It tells in many ways and in many places this same story; of ordinary people participating in extraordinary events in the name of Jesus.
The book of Acts begins in Jerusalem, here with Peter and John and the crippled beggar in the Temple, and it ends in Rome. It covers nearly 3 decades.
It begins here in the Temple but most of the action in the book of Acts happens in private homes … as well as a few public places, roadsides and court rooms. But as I said before, home is the most important, for people learning about fellowship and family and belonging and worship and the breaking of bread. God moves house.
It is the story of women and men who discover that they can do and be so much more than they believed possible.
It’s about strong personalities trying to work together in team, sometimes succeeding and sometimes splitting. It’s about leadership and arguments and surprises and disappointments. It is always about prayer. It is always about the risen Jesus at work through his Spirit.
Part One: Acts chapters 3 & 4 and the healing of the crippled beggar guy
Acts 3
... a narrative sermon about the healing and what happened next.
... concluding with a reflection inviting you to enter into his experience
His story is a leaping and jumping one, moving from being stuck, stationary, sitting on the Temple steps day after day, never entering into the presence of God, always outside … to going right into the Temple, and then finding the presence of God even more powerfully, not in the Temple but in the home of the church.
He went from a life-long bone-deep weight of shame, being under God’s curse, to a utterly unexpected body-hurling declaration of God’s grace and favour.
Blogs and articles
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A series of reflections on God and life.
New Year Musings Be Yourself ... but not too much!
a reflection on 'self' in ministry |
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Preaching article: |
New Sermons
Other Resources added:
A new Communion Liturgy written for including young children in the communion service. I'd love your feedback about this.
New resources for Funerals, including for farewell gatherings around a bedside, and some evocative poems.
New resources for Funerals, including for farewell gatherings around a bedside, and some evocative poems.
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In 'Conversations.net.nz' you will find: GOD ... resources for worship, especially 'Calls to worship' and confession - prayers and home-grown 'psalms' - sermons - Communion liturgies - all-age worship ideas & reflections for children's ministry PSALMS ... reflections on Biblical Psalms interpreted and reworked for prayer and for use in worship LOVE ... poetry, discussions on marriage & intimacy and dramatic explorations of Biblical love stories ... reflections on grief and death ... and lots of lovely photos! 
Because I believe ... that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true! that growing to maturity in Christ takes work that courageous honesty of heart and soul is required that worship is wonderful that each person is a taonga, a treasure, no matter the age, assets or abilities that the local church is the hope of the world. |
In conversation ... ... chatting with friends over coffee ... finding words for the moments and movements of mind & body, my spirit alive with God-Spirit ... getting to know Jesus Christ, ever curious as to what he would say and do ... bringing every fibre and phrase into the eternal conversation of Father Spirit Son ... conversations with children and elders, with church as it is and as it might be ... with my people in my place and offered to everyplace ... with pain and with celebration, with beauty and with scars, with the sacred and the ordinary, with scripture, song and silence. A practical word about this website: I am in the process of changing all my file attachments over to PDF with a simple 'click' link format. Bear with me, might take me a while. All material here is copy-right free; you are free to copy and paste to your heart's content. I just ask that you acknowledge the source and help promote my website. |
