Resources for faith and life |
Welcome to 'Conversations' ...
Worship, prayer, preaching, inspiration and song from Aotearoa New Zealand |
|
Brought to you by Silvia Purdie from Christchurch, New Zealand Check out ...
Covid-19 section with poems, Biblical reflections, prayer and mental health resources |
|
I am suspicious of Psalm 37.
I mean, I want to be one of those
whose righteousness shines like the dawn (v6).
But I don’t trust the categories.
Who decides who is righteous and who is wicked?
“For the arms of the wicked will be broken
but the Lord supports the righteous” (v17).
Who gets to inherit the land and live in security? (v3 & 29)
The Israeli or the Palestinian?
Who will God protect from whom? (v40)
When the President says that the police “keep us safe”
who is “us”?
Not the black man dying on the tarmac.
Psalm 37 tips the injustice of today on its head -
those who prosper now
may not be those God is lifting up.
But is silence and calm our calling
in the face of oppression? (7-8)
Or might the Good Spirit be in the raised fist?
What if we are all a mix of good and evil?
blessed and cursed?
The categories of righteous and wicked
cut too deep
and are too tightly bound
to the colour of our skin.
I mean, I want to be one of those
whose righteousness shines like the dawn (v6).
But I don’t trust the categories.
Who decides who is righteous and who is wicked?
“For the arms of the wicked will be broken
but the Lord supports the righteous” (v17).
Who gets to inherit the land and live in security? (v3 & 29)
The Israeli or the Palestinian?
Who will God protect from whom? (v40)
When the President says that the police “keep us safe”
who is “us”?
Not the black man dying on the tarmac.
Psalm 37 tips the injustice of today on its head -
those who prosper now
may not be those God is lifting up.
But is silence and calm our calling
in the face of oppression? (7-8)
Or might the Good Spirit be in the raised fist?
What if we are all a mix of good and evil?
blessed and cursed?
The categories of righteous and wicked
cut too deep
and are too tightly bound
to the colour of our skin.
|
Available HERE: "Short of Breath" a 5-part study on theological reflection in the complexity of Covid-19. |
|
|
New Sections! I'm working hard this year on 'Eco-Mission'. Check out the new 'Creation' sections, with material on motivations for ecological mission, and reflecting on the NZ context. 
Photo and painting by Jessica Ramage
|
Psalm 20: the Answer to my Call
To read Psalm 20 you need to decide who is the ‘you’ and who is the one speaking. Then the last 3 verses are ‘we’ – who is ‘we’? Here’s one possible reading, from an understanding of Jesus’ role as intercessor. This is Jesus speaking, “Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.” Romans 8:34. Jesus, Lord Jesus, I hear your word to me today: Silvia, I pray for you today, I declare God’s truth for you today. The Lord answers you in your day of trouble the name of the Lord protects you help comes from the Holy Place you are sustained from Zion. Silvia, the Lord remembers you and all you have laid down the Lord honours the price you paid, burnt in holy fire the Lord is giving you what your heart desires the Lord is fulfilling your whole purpose. Shout for joy, for you are overcoming! Fly the flag of victory of the name of the Lord for the Lord is enacting all you have asked for. You are anointed, you are chosen, you call and the Lord answers - his hand opens for you, wait and see! Some stand on strategy, others trust in their own authority but you and I, all we have is the goodness of God. Others will collapse and fall in the day of trouble but we stand up and stand firm. Father, oh my Father, we call to you and you answer us, you uphold us. |
Doing OK in traumatic times
I never used to much bothered by stress, but the last couple of years have been fairly difficult for me. And now with global pandemic and financial crisis none of us are immune from trauma. We all have to learn to manage our own stress. If not, we take it out on the people closest to us, which is not great. Or stress makes us sick, which is also not at all helpful.
Trauma is really unpleasant. It sets off inside us a bunch of most uncomfortable sensations. It’s like swallowing a box of fire crackers and never knowing when one is going to go off. It’s like your internal body clock has sprung a cog and is whirring and dinging and donging randomly and there’s a constant buzzing and clattering inside.
There’s no quick fix. We are in this for a long time and there’s worse to come. The way through is not about grand solutions, or getting away from it all. It is being where you and learning to be safe in your own skin.
These are questions I am finding helpful for living with stress
How am I re-traumatising myself?
In stress, your mind is on alert. It craves information about what threatens you and will turn it over and over. It is hard to think straight or to think about anything else. In stressful times we do have to worry about the problems, watch the news, face the facts. But we have to not do this all the time. How are you going to contain the panic and not let in infect the whole day? Work out for yourself how much is good for you and what is not (scary movies probably not!). Set aside chunks of time with no distractions. You can’t control the bad news but you can manage how it gets to you.
How am I calming myself?
We have to take full responsibility for our own state. That is the definition of emotional maturity. Stop expecting anyone else to take care of you. Figure out what calms the stress response in your own brain. This will probably include slow breathing, physical exercise and relaxation. It might include cuddles (cats are good for this!), hot baths, favourite books or puzzles. It might include chocolate and alcohol, but go easy. Most important of all is holding your own ability to ride out the unpleasantness. It will pass. I am not enjoying this at all but I’ll stay as calm as I can anyway.
Am I being kind to myself?
How do you talk to yourself? Catch and evict any self-put-downs. When I’m in a trauma space it’s hard to get stuff done, and I have to take myself firmly in hand. But in a good way - “Come on, Silv, let’s do one hour’s work, then you can relax.” Be nice to yourself. No point being horrid in your own head.
Is my space tidy enough?
When we are stressed most of us get sloppy when it comes to housework. Problem is, when mess piles up and spiders look down at you from the ceiling, it feels worse. Make yourself clean the house. If you’re really stressed, just do a little bit at a time. Decide where things should live and put them there when you’re not using them. It really will help.
How can I pray?
I wish this question was easier to answer. After a lifetime of spiritual practices I feel a bit deserted by prayer at the moment. We all have times when what used to work no longer does. That’s OK. Explore what does work, as in, what you can concentrate on for a few minutes. One thing that always matters is gratitude. If all you can pray is ‘Thank you’ occasionally, for a nice meal or a beam of sunshine, that’s enough. Psalms are always good. Prayer books might help, or a stone to hold while you walk. Ask someone to pray for you. Be gentle with yourself, for that is God’s way. Christ is holding you, present with you close as close, no matter what you’re in just now.
I never used to much bothered by stress, but the last couple of years have been fairly difficult for me. And now with global pandemic and financial crisis none of us are immune from trauma. We all have to learn to manage our own stress. If not, we take it out on the people closest to us, which is not great. Or stress makes us sick, which is also not at all helpful.
Trauma is really unpleasant. It sets off inside us a bunch of most uncomfortable sensations. It’s like swallowing a box of fire crackers and never knowing when one is going to go off. It’s like your internal body clock has sprung a cog and is whirring and dinging and donging randomly and there’s a constant buzzing and clattering inside.
There’s no quick fix. We are in this for a long time and there’s worse to come. The way through is not about grand solutions, or getting away from it all. It is being where you and learning to be safe in your own skin.
These are questions I am finding helpful for living with stress
How am I re-traumatising myself?
In stress, your mind is on alert. It craves information about what threatens you and will turn it over and over. It is hard to think straight or to think about anything else. In stressful times we do have to worry about the problems, watch the news, face the facts. But we have to not do this all the time. How are you going to contain the panic and not let in infect the whole day? Work out for yourself how much is good for you and what is not (scary movies probably not!). Set aside chunks of time with no distractions. You can’t control the bad news but you can manage how it gets to you.
How am I calming myself?
We have to take full responsibility for our own state. That is the definition of emotional maturity. Stop expecting anyone else to take care of you. Figure out what calms the stress response in your own brain. This will probably include slow breathing, physical exercise and relaxation. It might include cuddles (cats are good for this!), hot baths, favourite books or puzzles. It might include chocolate and alcohol, but go easy. Most important of all is holding your own ability to ride out the unpleasantness. It will pass. I am not enjoying this at all but I’ll stay as calm as I can anyway.
Am I being kind to myself?
How do you talk to yourself? Catch and evict any self-put-downs. When I’m in a trauma space it’s hard to get stuff done, and I have to take myself firmly in hand. But in a good way - “Come on, Silv, let’s do one hour’s work, then you can relax.” Be nice to yourself. No point being horrid in your own head.
Is my space tidy enough?
When we are stressed most of us get sloppy when it comes to housework. Problem is, when mess piles up and spiders look down at you from the ceiling, it feels worse. Make yourself clean the house. If you’re really stressed, just do a little bit at a time. Decide where things should live and put them there when you’re not using them. It really will help.
How can I pray?
I wish this question was easier to answer. After a lifetime of spiritual practices I feel a bit deserted by prayer at the moment. We all have times when what used to work no longer does. That’s OK. Explore what does work, as in, what you can concentrate on for a few minutes. One thing that always matters is gratitude. If all you can pray is ‘Thank you’ occasionally, for a nice meal or a beam of sunshine, that’s enough. Psalms are always good. Prayer books might help, or a stone to hold while you walk. Ask someone to pray for you. Be gentle with yourself, for that is God’s way. Christ is holding you, present with you close as close, no matter what you’re in just now.
"Letters about plastic"
I'm writing to businesses that I personally use to challenge them on their plastic packaging. Many companies in NZ are actively working hard to reduce plastic, and as consumers we need to be congratulating them on achievements and pushing them to do more.
Look me up on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/lettersaboutplastic
I'm posting on the Facebook page the letters I write and the responses I receive.
Join me - post your own letters there.
I'm writing to businesses that I personally use to challenge them on their plastic packaging. Many companies in NZ are actively working hard to reduce plastic, and as consumers we need to be congratulating them on achievements and pushing them to do more.
Look me up on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/lettersaboutplastic
I'm posting on the Facebook page the letters I write and the responses I receive.
Join me - post your own letters there.
|
|
|
The Psalms in a fresh voice for kids, families and worship
|
|
Family Tree: Material about my family tree, ancestry, where my ancestors came from in England ...
|
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 SONG ... original music, for worship and for kids ... 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. 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.
|
|
|