In contrast to Christmas, the date of Easter changes every year. We talk about Easter being early or late. Why is that? Because it is in part determined by the cycle of the moon. In the early church the remembrance of the Resurrection of Jesus was held at the same time as the Jewish Passover. Because the Jews use a lunisolar calendar—a…
Helping People to Meet God • Make Friends • Grow in Faith
Helping People to Meet God • Make Friends • Grow in Faith
Recently there have been several directions by church authorities regarding Communion that seem to restrict practices. One of these was issued by the Church of England and is therefore not directly applicable in New Zealand. The Canons of the Church of England state that for Communion “the bread, whether leavened or unleavened, shall be of the best and purest wheat flour that…
Recently the Acumen Edelman Trust Barometer was released. Through surveys this tries to measure the level of trust in societies. It has run for several years worldwide. While in 2024 the survey still measured a neutral level of trust, in 2025 the survey showed that overall there was a level of distrust in New Zealand. More people distrust their leaders than trust…
In preparation for our time away, we have been going through many a drawer and wardrobe to reduce some of the clutter. During that process I’ve come across many pieces that have hardly been used during our stay in the house—whether they are toys or clothing. Other things have been regularly used in the past, but not so much recently. And then…
Recently more detailed census statistics on religious affiliation have become available. In particular, I was interested in looking at the age and gender of those people.In the 2023 census it is quite clear that Christian affiliation correlates significantly with age. People in the 25-29 year age group are least likely to be religious, while those over 80 years old are the most…
Recently I was in Waipara and had some time on hand to explore the area. I decided to eat my lunch in the shade beside St Paul’s Anglican Church in Glenmark. I was fortunate enough that right then a “friend of Glenmark Church” arrived to get something out of the building. That way I could…
Tim Writes …When going on study leave a vicar is asked to be involved in arranging an interim minister. I had informally talked to a retired Anglican priest in Christchurch, who was open to the idea of coming to St Paul’s for some time. But the Bishop had other plans for that person. The Bishop…
Clergy are eligible to apply for a maximum of three months’ leave after every seven years of service in any diocese, calculated from ordination, commission or appointment. I was ordained deacon on 15 December 2017 and began work as a curate on 15 January 2018. That’s why I applied for study leave and a grant…
In my personal devotions I have recently come across a few verses that stressed that humans may make plans, but often things turn out quite differently. They also suggest that God’s hand is somehow part of this different course of events. I was thinking that this also held for church affairs. In the office here…
On the weekend I was at a public reserve and noticed the dog poo in the grass. “Who would not clean up after their dog?” I thought. Someone clearly had not been considerate and I was getting a bit annoyed. But then I thought back a few years. I remembered how not that long ago…