Resources for faith and life |
Welcome to 'Conversations' ...
Worship, prayer, preaching, inspiration and song 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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Welcome to Advent!!
Yes, the (church calendar) year has ended and Advent is here yay!!!
You'll be needing Christmassy Adventy stuff ... visit the page under the 'God' menu, with lots of material in there.
Also, Psalms especially relevant for this time of year are now at the top of the 'Psalms' menu.
You'll be needing Christmassy Adventy stuff ... visit the page under the 'God' menu, with lots of material in there.
Also, Psalms especially relevant for this time of year are now at the top of the 'Psalms' menu.
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Advent Candle lighting, 2: Peace
Come, light of the world, come live in our hearts, come move in-between us, come shine in the darkness. This candle shines for peace, for peace is needed now in our world. Peace is a hunger and peace is a gift, a gift of the Christ child, born in the night Come, light of the world be our peace, we pray. |
Tough Advent Topics ... right through to the Ultimate Destiny of the Universe!!!
Read all about it in my meaty new section: "End Times"
Read all about it in my meaty new section: "End Times"
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Lord Jesus, you who came to us, born in a manger -
Bless us and keep us. Bring us to the Father. Saviour Jesus, you who suffered and died for us Bless us and keep us. Bring us to the Father. Glorious Jesus, risen from the dead, seated in heaven, ruler of heaven and earth - Bless us and keep us. Bring us to the Father. Gracious Jesus, pour out your spirit on us, your people - Bless us and keep us. Bring us to the Father. Mary and Joseph and an inconvenient birth
Let’s ask questions of the old familiar story … Do you really know it as well as you think you do?? Photo: Stained glass window
in the chapel at Burnham Military base. |
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Welcome to Advent. In our church calendar Advent is the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas. In our church theology it is a time of waiting. We wait for the Christ child. The themes of Advent stir up longing and hope, a keen awareness that life is not how it should be or how it will be, that we are caught in the in-between times this side of eternity. The prayer of Advent is, ‘Come, Lord Jesus, Come’.
The trouble is, the four weeks before Christmas don’t feel like that at all. Christmas each year seems to jump out and grab us before we’re quite ready for it. Oh no not Christmas again, already! There’s hardly time for waiting, it’s more - ‘coming ready or not!’.
Life rushes on and yet in a Jesus place in our hearts we are waiting. So we say ‘Come Lord Jesus’. Even in the busyness we can rest a while. Even in the stresses and anxieties and so much that is not working out as we think it should, we can trust.
Our Advent candle for today is hope. This is something to lean on as everything else comes and goes. Hope gives us the courage and resilience to wait. Hope is the glimpse of what is coming.
The trouble is, the four weeks before Christmas don’t feel like that at all. Christmas each year seems to jump out and grab us before we’re quite ready for it. Oh no not Christmas again, already! There’s hardly time for waiting, it’s more - ‘coming ready or not!’.
Life rushes on and yet in a Jesus place in our hearts we are waiting. So we say ‘Come Lord Jesus’. Even in the busyness we can rest a while. Even in the stresses and anxieties and so much that is not working out as we think it should, we can trust.
Our Advent candle for today is hope. This is something to lean on as everything else comes and goes. Hope gives us the courage and resilience to wait. Hope is the glimpse of what is coming.
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Holy Communion from Jeremiah’s vision of restoration
- Jeremiah 33 Jeremiah looked around at a ruined city, and prophesied restoration and rebuilding “Once again” he declared, “there will be sounds of joy and gladness. Once again there will be weddings and celebration. Gratitude will flow once again after the desolation.” And the people responded: Give thanks to the Lord, to the Lord of hosts for the Lord is good! God’s love endures forever! Jeremiah spoke the word of the Lord: “The days are coming when I will fulfill the promise I made to my people. In those days a branch will sprout from King David’s line He will do what is right and the land will be saved the people will live in safety. He will be called True Saviour, the Righteous One.” We are the people of this branch, the people who follow Jesus Christ. We live with faith for he has come and he has shown us the Father. We live in hope for he will come again and bring all things to himself. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. We are people who wait upon the Lord, in prayer and in hope, in fellowship, in mission and service, in all things depending on the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus who is alive and present with us now; by whose power these elements of bread and grape juice become for us the body and blood of Christ. We are people who remember Jesus, how he was born, babe in a lowly manger how he lived, how he taught, how he prophesied, how he suffered. We remember mostly how he loved and how, on the night before he died, he gathered those he loved most dearly close to him at the Passover meal, and how he took bread and broke it and gave it to them saying ‘This is my body, which is broken for you.’ And after the meal he took a cup of wine and he gave thanks to this Father in heaven, and gave it to them to share, saying ‘This is my blood, sign of a new covenant, poured out for all for the forgiveness of sin.’ Friends, on this Advent Sunday we share together in holy Communion with Jesus Christ, True Saviour, Righteous One who has chosen us, called us, blessed us and made us new. Take and eat, take and drink, in memory of him. More Advent Communion litanies HERE |
Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7
Prayers for others The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Dear God, we pray for all people who feel lost in the dark in this life. Be near to those who feel sad, heal those who are sick. Give light to those who cry out to you, Lord Jesus, we pray. You have given your people great joy; they rejoice in what you have done. Dear God, we pray for families everywhere this Christmas time, that there will be real joy in every home No matter how much money or food or how many presents, may there be joy in belonging in family May every child feel that they are loved this Christmas, and every old person feel that they are loved. For a child is born to us! A son is given. Dear God, we pray for little babies, and for those not yet born Bring them safe into this world Make us a society where every child is cared for. He will be called, “Wonderful Counselor,” “Mighty God,” “Eternal Father,” “Prince of Peace.” Dear God, we pray for peace for our world, peace in our time May people everywhere find true peace from knowing you, Mighty God and Eternal Father. His authority shall grow continually and there shall be endless peace This we pray, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Amen. |
A Christmas Psalm: based on Psalm 96
Sing a new song to the Lord
All the earth, sing!
All you people, sing!
See God’s glory, it is coming!
Tell of God’s salvation, it is coming into the world!
Speak of greatness, strength to overcome.
Come out to meet the Lord, proclaiming his name.
Come into his holy place and tremble.
All the earth, tremble in wonder.
All the galaxies, rejoice in praise!
All the oceans and all that lives in the sea – sing for joy!
All the fields and forests and all that lives on the land – shout for joy!
For the Lord is coming -
he is coming to make everything new,
he is coming to put things right.
Rejoice for the Lord is coming …
But will we see him, born in a manger?
Will we proclaim him, son of Mary?
Will we welcome him, this stranger in a strange land?
Will we honour him, this unexpected judge of the world?
Lord God, we see you, born in a manger.
Lord Jesus, we proclaim you, son of God and son of man.
Loving God, we welcome you; come make your home among us.
Lord Jesus, we honour you and praise you and choose again to follow.
Sing a new song to the Lord! Amen.
Sing a new song to the Lord
All the earth, sing!
All you people, sing!
See God’s glory, it is coming!
Tell of God’s salvation, it is coming into the world!
Speak of greatness, strength to overcome.
Come out to meet the Lord, proclaiming his name.
Come into his holy place and tremble.
All the earth, tremble in wonder.
All the galaxies, rejoice in praise!
All the oceans and all that lives in the sea – sing for joy!
All the fields and forests and all that lives on the land – shout for joy!
For the Lord is coming -
he is coming to make everything new,
he is coming to put things right.
Rejoice for the Lord is coming …
But will we see him, born in a manger?
Will we proclaim him, son of Mary?
Will we welcome him, this stranger in a strange land?
Will we honour him, this unexpected judge of the world?
Lord God, we see you, born in a manger.
Lord Jesus, we proclaim you, son of God and son of man.
Loving God, we welcome you; come make your home among us.
Lord Jesus, we honour you and praise you and choose again to follow.
Sing a new song to the Lord! Amen.
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New material ...
STRESSFUL SITUATIONS in ministry A word of advice for newbies and old hands in ministry on dealing with crises. Sooner or later in your ministry, things will get ugly. Shit happens. People get hurt. People get mad. And the underbelly of your coping strategies gets dragged out into the light. When that happens, how you respond as a church leader will make a huge impact on the outcomes. Wedding Resources Updated material on weddings, and some work-in-progress about the Commitments of marriage. The blessing of God be upon you and go with you
The authority of God be over you and around you The grace of God be in you and freely given by you The peace of God be yours, this day and every day. Amen |
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Fresh work on the Psalms ...
Looking for ideas about how to use Psalms more in a worship service? New page in my Psalms section: HERE Enriching Worship with Psalms (a workshop for the Canterbury Lay Preachers Association) How does the Revised Common Lectionary use Psalms? I've been right through the 3 year cycle of the Lectionary and drawn up an index of which Psalms are used for which seasons in which years. This has highlighted for me how the Lectionary chooses Psalms and verses within Psalms. I find the results troubling. If you use the Lectionary, check out my new pages & analysis HERE. |
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Family Tree: Material about my family tree, ancestry, where my ancestors came from in England ...
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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 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.
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