A Sunday Diary Post - or reflections on the first day of the week

DAILY DIARY.
Last week being so hectic I thought I should do a daily dairy again. Okay I am one day late already. SUNDAY was a blessing. It had some interesting moments. Like only one guitarist out of three arriving. And his guitar refused to tune itself. A second did arrive, and a new person on the sound desk who actually is a sound engineer. That worked. And there were people there who didn’t run off for mothers’ day parties.
For years we have had a notice on the screen suggesting people be quiet as they prepare for worship. That didn’t work. Sunday - the new one says; “We’ve tried to get you to be quiet before church. That didn’t work. So enjoy yourself as you prepare together” – or words to that effect. There were people who found that funny. The message worked. You can read it at bbpsermons. And the song which I had not sung for more than 30 years. A wonderful morning really. Praying that there will be fruit.
At home the phone rang – Specsavers reminding me I have an appointment Monday. (Did they read about me forgetting the concert last week?). We did remember that the car was about to run out of petrol. On that trip noticed that someone had almost destroyed the neighbour’s fence at church. That’s why the signs say - “park front in only” so as not to reverse into the fence again (which has been replaced at considerable cost). So I interrupt the tea-time and ask the three people who ignored the signs to sort it out. The lady with the very long car realizes the problem. The others are indifferent. The man with the red car starts debating the sign. I explain we ask all to conform as eventually someone will forget and bash the fence. He says his car is small and has reverse lights. I ask him if he argues with the police about the rules. That didn’t work. Suggest if he doesn’t like the rules he park on the street. He does. (Prof Alfie Rooks always said people in red cars were dangerous. Until I arrived one day in my orange car. He stopped saying that.) Of course the lady with two dogs in the car parked in the “No Parking” place (blocking access for us) seemed to think that the rules don’t apply on Sundays. I got her to move into the vacated place of the previously almost-bashing-down-the-fence car. Front in first. Her dogs did not complain that the view wasn’t as nice. She did not argue. Much.
Decided I should never drive past the church on Sunday afternoons. Went back to the garage to use the almost-expired half-price car wash ticket. After seeing real soap on the car decided that the previous car wash had failed. Explained to the man that last time I had not got my money’s worth. He says I should say so on the day. I say – how do I know what is not working unless I see when it does work? Like the soap in abundance today. He gives me a free voucher – probably to get rid of me.
So mothers’ day is in the midst of all this. One son buys lunch. The other arrives for dinner and a jolly time is had by all. I am rejoicing that I have found new shoes to replace the ones my eldest “borrowed” last time for work. So he says last night: “have you got some shoes for me so I can go straight to work” etc. Much hilarity. They have no idea why I am laughing my head off at dinner. I clean the shoes and of course they fit him. Again. Mind you my new ones are a better shape – which relates to the reason why I had those aborted blood tests – my swollen foot. I will be able to see the blood test results today on the fancy portal. Before the doctor. Not that I will have a clue what they mean.
What a wonderful day. It’s Monday today. I’ve listened to dear friends and what tough weekends they have had. How easy my life is. I won’t forget the appointment. And I will update you as we go along. Did I tell you I have two funerals on Thursday? Husband and wife. Please pray for the family. More later. Here endeth the daily diary…. Not a sacred diary. Just mine… Sunday done.

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Comm

A very busy week indeed...

So what kind of week has it been... no one will read this anyway so here goes... Sunday was great. best part was the chariot the kids made so Philip could run along side it on the spot as we explored the question - how far would you go to share God's love with others.... does it include taking up athletics? Ah well the rest was more like an interactive classroom discussion on baptism. I always say that monologues are boring as sermons anyway.
Monday - we forgot to go to a concert we had tickets for. Got to look at options for new specs. Should have gone to specsavers to notice the reminder about the concert.
Tuesday is a blur. Wednesday night home group I remember clearly.
Thursday was straight to the doctor then blood tests. That did not go well. Got a rookie who did something wrong. I passed out of course. For quite a while. Been a while since that happened. Gave me a shocking headache for the afternoon. And a Session meeting in the evening. The fish and chips before was good. Did not agree with me and the night was not great... Of course you've stopped reading now anyway. Friday morning the blood people phone first thing. The blood whatyoumacalled it. Fail. Had to give more blood today. Of course the head blood person was at hand. Mainly music came first. Helped lead a large crowd of kids and mums. Great songs. Blood drawn at lunch. A funeral arranged in between for next week. Took the best wife in the world out this afternoon as she is working tomorrow. Which means Sunday's sermon will be a Saturday final production. had a major debate at the Warehouse with the boss about the fact that the yellow sticker's special price was the same as the normal one for the shoes on the shelf. Not a very special offer. Became a determined consumer wanting an answer. He blamed the national pricing people. Friday ended with fish and chips. And no one is reading this anyway. Discovered I can check my blood tests on line but half of them failed because the blood had clotted... And I didn't faint this time.
And how was your week? An awful lot happened in between all this including a great time at Interserve on Wednesday and a various other gatherings. Inspired by missionaries working in various countries ending with stan that I can't pronounce.
And of course the doctor prescribed a green script. The green people are coming to get me. Watch this space.
Now you know why I am thinking about the week that was...
Yay! I remember we had church on Tuesday, and the local pastors' association meeting at lunch time. I went to the local Christian bookshop to fetch things ordered a couple of weeks ago. Then went with a lady in church who needed someone to go along to look a replacing her car... Tuesday church was a great time.... spoke on John 10:27-30...

Christmas reflection - The Lord and the Dance.

Will you be alone this Christmas? There is such pressure from families to BE TOGETHER. It works of course when families live in the same town (or country!). These days we find our relatives dotted all over the globe.

The chances are you may be alone. More than that, some of us may well FEEL alone in the midst of our family gatherings and all the tinseled celebration. And we’re supposed to be so JOLLY – that’s what the carol says anyway.

The truth is that for many Christmas can be very cold and bleak. Our minds are bombarded with so many memories at this time of the year – memories of those we loved who are not with us any more – of moments in our lives that can never be recaptured. It simply hurts.

What is it really all about then? There is no snow (or “snowperson”) for us to make in the Southern Hemisphere. The Father Christmas bubble has long been popped. And even our gifts are often not well received (observe the queues on the 27^th December as the exchange ritual begins).

There are those who suggest that we do it all differently. That Christmas as we know it has been totally hijacked by the commercial world. It is suggested that we have a spiritual Christmas – a totally “religious” celebration sometime in September, where we focus on the birth of Jesus and its implications for us as Christians.

I suspect that somewhere in that new tradition someone will pull out a mince pie and a turkey or some other tasty bird. Why then do we need to turn everything into a party? Is this really a commercial plot?

Perhaps not. Perhaps our party natures reflect a need for something deeper - a need to really celebrate life. The problem is that many of us are like an awesome sound system – unplugged. Or dancers in a choreographed dance of life – who are deaf and can’t hear the orchestra play.

The true source of joy and celebration is still the child in the manger. We fail, however, when we leave him there as an infant forever. As a man he fulfils all our human expectations. He is all we could ever become. As God, He is the source of real joy and delight that goes beyond the Christmas elevator jingles and jazzed-up carols.

Listen to what He says:  "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: " `We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon.'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." (Matthew 11:16-19a)

They could not pin him down. Neither can we in this generation. One thing is for certain, you’ve never danced until you’ve discovered the depth of His tune.

There is a song that He plays that is wider and longer and higher than your favourite Christmas music, more enriching than your most esoteric experience, more profound than the movie that revolutionized your thinking, or the novel that grabbed your heart. The angelic beings sang His song, and simple shepherds were riveted to the spot. They then abandoned their posts to investigate the heralded good news. The starry hosts were disrupted and wise ones traveled many miles to determine the exact nature of the jolting in the cosmos.

A young girl and her beloved sang His song as they guarded and protected this refugee child from a paranoid King who committed infanticide and ripped open the hearts of many a mother. In time men and women from all walks of life sang His song. Through the generations millions have sung it. Will you sing His song? Will you dance His dance? I suspect that for many of you the celebration has not yet begun. It can. Today. There is no need to be alone.

Have a lovely Christmas wherever you are!

Robin

2015 - My Odyssey

In 1968 there was a movie released called 2001 Space Odyssey.

2015 is almost gone.

How bad that I have not written in my blog. My bad as they say.

In the midst of war and terror, mass migration and rampant refugee relocations, people are spending crazy amounts of money on the World Cup Rugby. Chasing a leather ball.

And we on the ends of the earth in the shaky islands are enjoying a quiet weekend.

What a journey. People fairly ask - why did we come here? Great question really. Journeys are idiosyncratic - unique and inexplicable. We are called, sent, driven, or seek new horizons.

Well to the two faithful followers of this blog - who knows if you get this message.

It's like a message in a bottle. You just don't know where it will land.

I'll press launch anyway. Perhaps it will signal a new creativity again.

Hello world, cyberspace, universe.

Revvy  here.

Out.

August

Hi!
It is I - again!

I last wrote to you in February. I am sure it must have been something profound. Words are my tool - my friends - my notes - my colours painted on a canvas of troubles and joys. So here I am again. After my spluttering start in February. February is still lying there.

Well it must be said that 2014 has done more damaged than I predicted. The world's a messier place - conflicts abound - refugees clutter many dusty places - the misplaced are often certain that they will never see home again - and if they do what is left will crush their hopes and memories of a better former day.

So breakfast is done - there are pills before food and pills after. For me more pills to supplement my dwindled supply of neurotransmitters so essential for every move I make. Thanks Doctor James (1817) for giving your name to this perplexing condition.

I am on study leave! I almost forgot. My sortie into post-structuralist theories is going well so far. The paper itself is "Conflict Resolution" aka Mediation - and the specific approach "Narrative Mediation". I had a week of lectures/tutorials/role play and need to write up a verbatim of the final session. It's going to be fun watching myself on video. The best thing about the week's work was landing with a lovely group - the "big 6". There has to be a South African or two there to come up with that name. I really should get back on Moodle and do some more work there!

On a more cheerful note - most of the official winter days are behind us. There is still snow in predicable places but not here in the city of sails! Plenty of rain still - one never really knows how many different conditions will assault us in a 24 hour period.

Talking about assaults - the weather did take a turn on the day I signed up at a local Gym. I promised the lady instructor that I would not be the first person to lose concentration and be sent flying by the tread mill. So far so good. My primary exercise remains walking Jessie - my close companion who is delighted that I have sixty days off work for my studies. She is faithfully at my side as we speak - surrounded by an array of doggie toys. The moment I move - she will hand (mouth?) to me something to engage in tug-of-war or catching.

Here she is - as a puppy! The fully grown version is gorgeous too.

Well August is pressing on. Yesterday was the 8th - my mother's birthday. She left us on the same day as Princess Diana. There will be more memories lurking when the 31st comes. Funny thing is that I still have days when I think it would be good to give her a call! I wonder what she would be saying about the muddles the world is dealing with today?

As we get older our memories seem mixed up - I can't remember sometimes where we lived (or where they lived) in our previous 5 towns, but I remember the faithfulness and kindness of those amazing saints who were our allies in the proclamation of His Kingdom. They were mainly humble folk - faithfulness matters most. Humility is summed up in this Maori saying: Kāore te kumara e kōrero mō tōna ake reka. "The kumara does not say how sweet he is".

Well we are counting the days until Spring. Until then

Robin aka RevvyP

Hello 2014

I last wrote on this blog a year ago. How frightening that something you love can die in you. Creativity, energy, the very life and power of your words can be sucked out, dulling mind, heart, soul and passion and crushing that once fuller flow of these created code-bearers. Words. Spoken they give life or sting, cut and bruise. Written they speak to you again as you see yourself and something of your deepest being on the page or screen.

Where did I go? Why this long silent blankness?

And what inspired this start again? A boy called Ben who spewed out heart and entrails on another page.

He is one of many young men who inspired and challenged me - I have to admit this here - I miss those heady interactions, conversations, hours of sparring. The loss like spear piercing, blade slicing. As when winded - all that groaning and gasping.

So why did I leave them behind? They asked me that too - why are you going? A call - I said - back to what I used to be and do.

Had I only known how it would try to kill me. Doubts, rejection, pain and anger that dulled and crushed so that I could not scream as I would or should. Their arrogance and mockery - crueler blows and slicing dicing words, posts, reports and choruses.

So thank you Ben. Your honesty and open-hearted declarations and wrestlings have spurred me on. Have helped me put this pen to paper once again - restored a sense, a glimpse - a taste of hope again.

A spluttering stuttering start is better than none at all.

Hello twenty fourteen. A year yet to announce its new assaults. Here I am. I will face you and you will not destroy or drown out this voice - these sentences - this heart will not be silenced. This song will again be sung, this silent one will speak and paint new scenes and vistas with these words - again.

Waitangi Day on a wave

A sunny day today, marred by a horrible earthquake and news of a Tsunami watch here in New Zealand. More concerning are the reports of vulnerable people in the Pacific on their more vulnerable islands. Worth keeping an eye on things in the whole area and staying off the beach today.
I've not had too many persistent nightmares in my life. Some of the recurring ones are too messy to share with you. But there was always the picture of a very large Tsunami. Growing up  in "Durbs by the sea" made that a kind of possibility in the back of one's mind.
It's dreams that are next on my hit list. Anyone found a decent seminar or retreat on interpreting dreams? There is one coming up this year on the Shore (our North Shore which used to be a posh part of Auckland a bit like the old Durban-North and the new Balito). Would love your thoughts on how these dreams work.
About Waitangi day? Not a lot to say really. I think a large chunk of the population seems a tad indifferent to the whole history. I also think it requires more serious study from all. The average kiwi is happy to have a holiday and noses will be put out of joint if the country with the most sails per capita is chased out of the water on this lovely day of recreation. Stupid Tsunami - they will think as are forced to step out of the recreational bubble they live in.
And many will have to stop being sightseers to the tragedies of life. Amazing how many flock to the beach to see what is happening when Tsunamis lurk. Information overload of course means that we are a bit shruggy about the needs of the masses. People will lose everything, and we will muddle on with our own issues or pleasures.

Happy Waitangi Day! If you know nothing about the history click here...

And congratulations to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who celebrates 61 years since she became Queen - the sad day on which she heard that her father had passed away. She was in Kenya at the time. So many interesting links to Kenya these days! Go Kenya!

Watch this space!