When we landed back in Christchurch the parishioner who picked us up from the airport had hoped to show us something new in the vicinity of the Church, namely the functioning pedestrian traffic lights across Harewood Road. We were disappointed. Those traffic lights were still not working, just as they had not been when we…
As in much of Europe church bells are ever-present in Switzerland. They mark the time by striking every quarter hour and on the hour indicate the actual time. Of course, that means that most church bells are electronically controlled and on automatic timers. Church bells are also rung before church services and in some places…
The location of the vicarage being adjacent to the railway line brought back memories for Gayle of where she lived during her Primary School years. At that time her family lived on a small block of land that backed on to Morrinsville. It too had a railway line adjacent to its boundary. This section of the line was a convenient shortcut when…
The article below from “Capable Life” in the United States, brought to mind the saying, “Home is where the heart is.” “Home is where the heart is.” has a long history and has been attributed to Pliny the Elder from Roman times in the early first century A.D. The longing for a safe home reminded me of the aspirations of slaves in…
As I look out of the Dining Room window I see this view of the gate. I wondered four things. What is it called, what is its purpose, why was it placed there and when was one first made? Its formal name can be written in two ways, either Lych Gate or Lynch Gate. The…
A few days ago we were waiting at a bus stop. There was posted an advertisement I had seen before. This time I decided to re-read it thinking doing so would fill the waiting time for the bus to arrive. It was an advertisement by an insurance company advising a benefit newly they have added to their original car insurance product. In…
Recently, as I have been walking through our local shopping centre, I have been pleased to see the management of the centre has made every effort to establish a positive mindset in all who come to meet with friends, brows or shop. The most visible way they have chosen is to inscribe on well placed, large notices the phrases, “You are loved”…
One of the many joys, while living here in the vicarage, has been watching the local birds present in the yard, their numbers, and the wide variety. I have observed a number of species which are new to me even though they are similar in size and often have feather colouring similar to that of the common sparrow. Beaks and song do…
Last week I received a request from my 18-year-old granddaughter. “How do you address God at the start of a prayer?” This was followed up by three others question. These are also addressed in this article. Prayer is essentially communicating with God. The “How Tos” begin with an understanding of to whom we are praying. As Christians, we believe that there is…
As I begin, I would like to acknowledge Bill Thew’s call home to be with his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and to acknowledge his valuable input into the life of St Paul’s. Our sincere condolences as you who grieve: to Mary and her family and to all who worshipped with Bill. With the thoughts of the theme of last week’s service,…