2011 was a wild year for me. Driving through Eastern Europe, a train across China, a earthquake in Turkey, a revolution in Egypt, taking my kids to monkey forest in Indonesia. And best of all, landing back in NZ to celebrate Christmas as a family. Tonight I am leading a short reflection time at our…
Read MoreAsh Wednesday
Its Ash Wednesday today and we are not doing anything special this year. I think the main reason is because many of us fasted right after the Christmas/New Years celebrations – a fast that included missing food, toxin removals through juices, clearing out junk and unwanted clothes and stuff, reflecting on the previous year, and…
Read MoreChristmas Day
So its Christmas Day, the day we remember the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. This one is the biggie of the year for us. My wife is making raspberry turnovers and sausage souffle for breakfast as her family has done since she can remember. Last night we did a Polish tradition for Christmas Eve.…
Read MoreFeast of St Ambrose – Dec 7
Today is the feast day of St Ambrose, the famous bishop of Milan. Veal Chop Milanese is the recipe for St Ambrose. Costoletta alla Milanese (Veal Chop Milanese) 4 veal chops salt and pepper 1 egg 1 cup bread crumbs 6 tablespoons butter Have the veal chops cut about 1/2 inch thick. Beat the egg…
Read MoreSt Nicholas Feast Day
Ah yes. December 6. St Nicholas, bishop of Myra and the inspiration behind Santa Claus. This one slipped by but Bea Marshall got on my case for not mentioning it, and rightly so. She also told me what her family does to celebrate: “It’s one of the highlights of sdvent for us marshalls – on…
Read MoreAdvent Conspiracy
“Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by worshipping Jesus through compassion, not consumption.” The conspirators behind this include my friends Chris Seay and Rick McKinley. Rick says “A lot of churches are participating in taking back Christmas by telling a better story with our Worship.” Check it out and get…
Read MoreSt Andrew’s Day
Today is St Andrews Day, a day to remember St Andrew, one of Jesus’ disciples. St Andrew’s feast has been celebrated with various kinds of food in Scotland over the years ranging from wild hare, singed sheep’ head, haggis, and fish because Andrew was a fisherman when Jesus called him to follow. Some say any…
Read MoreChristmas Message From Stromness
Tonight I give the Christmas message at the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony for our little town of Stromness, Orkney. Thanks to Rev. Fiona Lillie of the Church of Scotland for the invitation. My plan is to read out a short poem by Orkney’s most famous poet, the late George Mackay Brown from Stromness. Its called…
Read MoreDaily Office
Northumbria Community has their Daily Office online. A few of us are starting to use it individually, and also online together like the skype chat that i missed last night. (Sorry). Check it out.
Read MoreHarvest Festival
The Baptist church down the road from us is having a Harvest Festival which is popular among Protestants, although the timing is unsure. Harvest Festival usually at the end of the farming year and it is similar to the Jewish Feast of Ingathering. Its a time to bring in the food produced on our land…
Read MoreFeast of St Hubert
Today in our rhythmic remembrance of the Christian calendar, we think of St Hubert who liked to hunt. He probably wouldn’t be too popular in todays world. The story is that just before firing his arrow at a deer, he saw a cross between its antlers and it changed his life. He later became bishop…
Read MoreAll Soul’s Day – and some thoughts on our yearly pilgrimage
Today is All Souls Day [also called Defuncts Day) and its a little morbid if you ask me. Its about commemorating the dead. Yesterday was All Saints Day, when we commemorated the saints in Christ that have died. Today the horizon widens and its basically anyone who died, whether they were saints or not. Its…
Read MoreAll Saints Day
Today is the first day in the Celtic year and its also All Saints Day. A day to remember the saints and believers in Christ who are passed on and are now with Christ. Bible verses for the day are from Northumbria: Hebrews. 12:1-2, 22-23, Revelation 7: 9-10, 19:5. On All Saints Day, “Soul cakes”…
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