What an uncreative title. Mid winter where? Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand, and the most stable in the wobbly islands. The volcanic craters now green and happily shorn by sheep or mechanical movers are evidence of a fairly dormant present and one-off blasts from the past. The weather has been wet and mild, and all in all it's not the kind of winter we have had in the last five years in the Capital. Wellington continues its traditions of a variety of winds (northerly or southerly, fast or fairly fast) and extreme cold. Auckland is quite predictable in a different way - you get all seasons in a day on a regular basis.
Our house is a Manse, thus part of a working arrangement and suitably close to the "church" where work takes place - in theory. The truth is that the church is out there in the community, and the community itself is a mission field, a caring opportunity and potential for a wide range of possible engagement. So "work" happens everywhere and a lot happens here in the study, where this aging brain and still enthusiastic heart tries to make sense of the weekly readings and make the message relevant to the two morning congregations. And of course there is the renewed opportunity of all age worship and children's stories and songs in the second service which is a kind of "family" service. We are blessed with a team of people who carry out all kinds of ministries, and trust that the work will grown in scope and influence.
Today was a typical Monday at this time of the year - an array of weather patterns most of of which involved copious precipitation. There was a dry patch when we processed out to the hearse at the end of a service of thanksgiving for the life of one of our elderly members. In that sense it wasn't a typical Monday, but I will have another "sabbath". It's also the 20th of June 2011, a remarkable date as my dad was born on this day in 1911. I am battling to get my head around this phenomenal moment in my life. What a thought - not that he could have made it to 100 (he died at 60), but that I have this link in two generations that goes back so far. Well I am thinking of him today especially - his birthday was always close to Father's Day in South Africa. The memories I have, however blurred, are primarily those of a good man, which was testified to by people I met years after he died - people whom he had worked with and who noticed that he was always fair! Justice I guess remains a passion of mine too. A worthy heritage.
The Auckland lifestyle has been tainted by the endless rain (yes we were warned) and the fact that you can get sick here and take a while to recover. It seems the equivalent bugs in Wellington blew away quicker or were frozen. My beloved has battled to recover for two weeks. We are expecting some sunshine hours tomorrow and will get out for some vitamin D therapy. I am sure the summer will be nicer.
Our middle child has a birthday on the 22nd. His age matches the date this year. So we also have a mid-winter celebration in the family. And of course our numbers have grown - young Jessie the Labrador X is now about 18 weeks old and is adjusting to life in our family. We are blessed with a lovely park across the road with a walkway and stream, ducks included. I think I shared that with you before - I am still amazed at what a nice setting it is.We have not been to the beach much, but I do still enjoy the proximity of the sea.
I have conducted four funerals in 10 weeks. Two have been folk with cancer. One very brave lady who lived behind the church (building) was Irish born and lived in South Africa for some 20 years - in the same street where my 100 years ago dad and my late mum lived when they were married, and where we grew up! A lovely family and look how our paths have crossed - across the oceans! As the years progress I do become more aware of my own mortality and incessantly grateful for each privileged day. I quipped at today's service that where Paul says "love keeps no record of wrongs" - the task of such love becomes easier when you get older - you tend to forget easily anyway! Love remains patient and kind - and never easily angered. The part of that passage that we don't think of enough is the line that says "then we shall see face to face". I wonder what that means and who is involved?
So mid-winter in Auckland is milder than our last five years. No doubt our blood will thin, and we will complain that the place is too cold in the years to come. Compared to the 45 degrees mentioned by a parishioner recently returned from India, this remains cold! There is still plenty of green on account of the rain. And the skies are mainly grey.
I pray that your winter - if that is your season - is kept warm by the extent of God's love and the love of those who care enough. If you are heading for summer, then may it be lovely and bright for you.
Peace from these very wobbly islands, where some barely sleep because the earth is so disturbed. May they too soon have stability and peace.
Robin and the rest.
