Last week I had the privilege of visiting Iolani Palace in Hawaii.  As guests we were invited to view the lower level of the Palace, which included a magnificent staircase and throne room (and the little throne room).  What captured me most, however, was the royal dining table.  As one of the last guests to make my way through I was able to linger a little longer.  I can honestly say I was moved.  I...

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 In this Season of Light we have also been invited to engage with another of Jesus' post-resurrection encounters. He appears to a group of his disciples on the shores of Galilee while they are out fishing on the lake. Read the whole story in John 21:1-19. Below is my prayer.  May it be for you today as an autumn morning. Season of Light 2: Jesus, unmoor me – Yes, set me adrift – I sense in the cold light You are somehow  ...

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Hi, this is Adrian Taylor and OneVoice is giving me room to create! I'll be sharing some prayerful poetry as I mediate on the Lectionary texts for each week. Join with me as I explore the form of the 'collect' and listen to the Spirit of God.Over recent years I have become increasingly interested in Christian meditation practices. So this blog space is the result of my desire to write and share inspirations as a...

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The church calendar has had 2 millennia in the Northern Hemisphere to find meaning. Easter happens in Springtime, meaning the promise of new life is resounded in buds and blossom and lambs leaping. Pentecost happens in the summer heat, giving embodiment to the fiery presence of the Spirit. Advent and Christmas happen in the dark of winter, meaning the candles are lit when the days are their shortest, and the longing for the coming of...

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Earlier this week I had a conversation with my five year old son, Sam about the significance of Holy Week. I have been fascinated by Jesus' statement, 'Father forgive them, they don't know what they're doing' (Luke 23:34). If Jesus reveals to us who God is (Col 1:19, John 14:7) then this offer of grace to those who aren't even looking for it is mind boggling.I wanted to help this truth make its home in...

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The story of the Prodigal Son comes up in the lectionary readings this Sunday. People who know me will be aware that I believe this short story to be a better piece of work than anything from Narnia, the Lord of the Rings, Roald Dahl or even Captain Underpants (the last two reveal something of my son's bedtime reading demands at present).When we look at the three stories of Luke 15 together we often  focus...

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Over the weekend I had the privilege of leading a church leadership team on a retreat exploring creative worship. To begin I led them through the traditional flow of worship, in a pretty non-traditional way.Beginning with our Call to worship, we scattered around the complex. We listened to this song, and as we felt drawn to respond, we came and took our seats in the circle.We moved into thanksgiving, where we wrote the names of...

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The Rev Catherine Hollister Jones was a Deaconess in the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. She was among the first women to be ordained. She was a sage guide and mentor of mine. Our daughter Lucy Heather Catherine Gordon is named (in part) in honour of her. She passed away at the beginning of last year.A month or so ago I was asked by a friend to write a song celebrating the 50th anniversary...

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Here are the songs (with links and music where possible) that we used over the two days of the Synod AGM.God of our Fathers and Mothers by Malcolm Gordon, lead sheet: God of our Fathers and Mothers LSResurrection Hymn (See what a morning) by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. Full sheet music available here. Chord chart and lead sheet available on SongSelect: www.songselect.co.nz (CCLI members only).Beneath the Southern Cross by Malcolm Gordon, leadsheet: Beneath the Southern Cross LSOpen our eyes...

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'The Empty Tomb' by George Richardson - available for purchase here: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-empty-tomb-george-richardson.htmlIt is well attested in the New Testament that God raised Jesus to life (1 Cor 6:14, Eph 1:20, Acts 4:10 and others). Jesus didn’t raise himself. In fact, the book of Acts alone contains almost a dozen references to the truth that God the Father raised Jesus to life. Acts is the second part of Luke’s gospel. My friend Sarah, a bonafide Lukan...

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