Last year I was getting ready for my second day of the Diocesan synod. I was sighing as I put on my jacket. My daughter asked me where I was going that day and what I would be doing. I told her that I was going to a church meeting, where I would be listening…

Last Sunday St Paul’s had the annual general meeting. Thank you to all those who attended that. The following positions were filled: People’s Warden: Liz van Til Synod Representative: Rod Wintour Treasurer / Vestry Member: Hank van Til Vestry Member: Patricia Leadbeater We really should have had an additional synod representative and vestry member. I…

You may have noticed that occasionally there are inserts in our newsletter from various organisations that seek donations. I am always wary of bombarding parishioners with too many donation requests. In fact, Ruth and I are constantly turning away requests from various organisations seeking to elicit donations from parishioners. However, when they are organisations or…

Following my sermon last Sunday I’ve had a few conversations about Artificial Intelligence (AI). Most people are justifiably concerned about it. I think that concern is also reflected in our society at large. Despite that concern, it seems that a greater role for AI is inevitable. It will certainly affect our lives. No doubt AI…

Currently I am normally taking five rest home services a month. The size and alertness of the congregation is quite different at each rest home. At some rest homes we have communion regularly, at others occasionally, and at another one normally not at all. Recently I was at a rest home which caters for residents…

The Parish Annual General Meeting is planned for 28 April 2024. We fall under the Charities Regulations, as well as Church Statutes. Therefore, such an AGM has to satisfy a whole host of requirements. We will review the past year and also consider a motion on the property. If you want to bring any other…

Some of the most famous music written by Johann Sebastian Bach are the St. John’s Passion and the St. Matthew’s Passion, which recount in detail the trial and crucifixion of Jesus in musical form. They continue to be frequently performed and set the tone for Good Friday. It is known that Bach also composed a…

Recently I read an article on road safety online and decided to also read the comments under it. Most of these had one message: “If we didn’t have all these bad drivers on the road, there would be no problem.” Clearly, it was always the fault of others. That reminded me of the statistic that…

The other day I was taking the bus to the Port Hills as I often do. On the way I usually read a book and enjoy the trip. But this time it was not possible. There were too many distractions. A young woman loudly discussed her circle of friends on her phone, analysing the tensions…

Last year we went to the Dominican Republic to visit my wife’s friends and family. The return journey back to New Zealand took us via the United States. In total, we had four flights to catch, making our way from Santiago (Dominican Republic) to Christchurch. The journey turned out to be difficult with several delays…