Advent

We remain people of the south. None of this wet white or sludgy Christmas with melting snow. For the last week we have had real southern summer - such a familiar feeling with real sunshine and warmth. I need a bigger hat! A-la the westerns of old, perhaps a cowboy version, having already had two sessions with our beloved doctor and her liquid nitrogen cylinder which reminds me of a shaving cream or instant whipped cream dispenser! The manifestations of actinic keratosis have been nuked! Of course its also termed senile keratosis which is a novel thought as my next 50-something birthday is next week! :-) Perhaps a larger bowling hat will help!

We have reached some milestones as I alluded to in my shorter earlier epistle. All three children are now post-secondary education. How we remember with exhaustion years of school trips. We are also in that peculiar state where we have indicated we are leaving Wellington but realise that there is still much to be done in the interim months - December to March! The waiting game? A time of preparation...

For this reason I have been reading again on parish/congregational ministry - the work of "pastor" with its peculiar demands. Appropriately I have begun with "Ministry Burnout" by John Sanford, interspersed with a newish biography on John Calvin! The first of these reminds me about what Gordon MacDonald termed "VDP's" - the very draining people termed by Kunkel (as quoted by Sanford) as "clinging vines." I am sure I will have lots of VIPs - very inspiring people!

My reading of the book on Calvin's life reveals a fascinating pattern which the reformer conformed to - he was hired as a chaplain and then hired a lesser mortal to do his job at a lower rate of pay. Thus he had time to study and research! An entirely acceptable practice, it seems, which I have sadly discovered too late in my work as chaplain here! Bother.

The Advent season here is not really adhered to by the bulk of shoppers - they are not waiting but shopping like crazy. The spending season has been rolling along. The anticipation of presents I am sure is exciting for the youngsters. We enjoy the Christmas traditions - they have a nurturing function in terms of the wonderful memories that are evoked.

Waiting on the Lord is another thing altogether. Tomorrow the bishop of Wellington is preaching at our local church. I am sure he will enlighten us all. We visited the Cathedral this morning and saw some amazing paintings by children of Gaza - which expose the raw pain of war and conflict and the hope of new life and peace. There must be much waiting for new beginnings in so many parts of the world.

We remember those families of the 29 trapped miners at Pike river - who are now waiting only for the recovery of their remains. We remember those who are waiting for employment, for healing, for faith and hope to be restored. From tomorrow's readings:

Rom 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

May you be blessed at this time as you wait on the Lord, and reflect on his first and second comings.