The Mole, Port Chalmers

Tanker, MV Teroa, outward bound. On the right is Taiaroa Head which we saw in the previous post. We're on the other side of the harbour here.

New Zealand Fur Seal which came out of the sea to have a closer look at me.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Otago Peninsula Gallery

Looking down the harbour towards Port Chalmers.

…and back up the harbour towards Dunedin.

Taiaroa Head—the end of the Otago Peninsula and home of an The Royal Albatross Centre. Albatross!

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Dunedin Gallery

Where Jude and I began together.

The city from Signal Hill…

Where Jude was baptized and where, with her, I experienced my first Evensong and my Anglican journey began although I didn't know it at the time…

The very font…

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Otago Fences

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Evening Prayer in the Twenty-First Century and Blowing on My Embers

I posted this photograph on Twitter last Wednesday: the brightness of his presence through the clouds seen in the reflection of the trees and the sky on the iPad page. Pleasing. I noticed the photograph before I noticed verse 7 near the bottom of the page. 

It comes from the Daily Prayer feed from the Church of England via Aimer Media's Daily Prayer app and my iPad camera. 

Daily Prayer gives me Morning, Evening and Night Prayer each day. I don't have to look up what day it is, or the readings, it's all there so I can follow my nose through the office without even switching apps. It is Scripture set to prayer and two readings from Scripture morning and evening. I don't have to be feeling spiritual or holy, it just picks me up wherever I am and however I'm feeling and carries me along in that mysterious yet absolutely trustworthy and true  holy stream which is the Daily Office. Brilliant. 

Then, there came this message on Twitter: 

Maple Anglican ‏@MapleAnglican  Jun 25

@kiwirev It's an Ember Day?!?!?! #WasntThatTwoWeeksAgo

…to which I replied: 

Gene Packwood ‏@kiwirev  24h

@MapleAnglican According to the CofE Daily Prayer iPad- iPhone app it is.

Maple Anglican then pointed out, correctly, that we'd just had Ember Days two weeks ago during Whitsuntide (BCP for "just after Pentecost") and wondered whether there was an error in the app. The makers of the Daily Prayer app then entered the conversation: 

Aimer faith apps ‏@AimerFaith  14h

@kiwirev I have found it is correct - EDs are normally observed Wed, Fri & Sat in the week before Sunday nearest to 29 June

…which a little Googling showed is true for the CofE. Concerning Ember Days, Rules to Order the Christian Year states: 

Traditionally they have been observed on the Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturday within the weeks before the Third Sunday of Advent, the Second Sunday of Lent and the Sundays nearest to 29 June and 29 September.

The intriguing thing is that what Maple Anglican says is true also. For Canadian Anglicans,

Ember Days of solemn prayer and fasting are traditionally kept at the turn of the four seasons (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after Advent 3, Lent 1; the Day of Pentecost and Holy Cross Day). The origins of the tradition are obscure, but in time Ember Days came to be associated almost entirely with solemn prayer for ordinands. In this case the BAS suggests they do not need to be kept at the traditional times, but in relation to local diocesan ordination arrangements. The Ember Days, like Rogation Days, have been de-emphasized in liturgical revision since the 1970s, but there seems to be a reviving sense of their pastoral usefulness. They can be helpful in engaging the church in intentional and deep prayer for its whole ministry: for peace in the world, missionary work, Christian unity and economic justice. (From here)

Who knew? So far I haven't found why we do the week after Pentecost and they do the week before the Sunday nearest June 29. It's one of those lovely, odd Anglican things. Perhaps The LORD thought we need an extra set of Ember Days. 

To me, the important thing is that we just keep praying whatever the day. Ember Days are a lovely idea for prayer whatever the week—special days to drill down a bit deeper, to keep the devotion-to-Jesus-Christ embers burning, to fan them into flame (2 Tim 1.6) and to be a nice dry bit of Anglican kindling for Jesus, ready to burst into flame should he come to baptize me with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 3.16). 

Many thanks to Maple Anglican and Aimer Faith Apps for the conversation and for making me do a little extra blowing on my embers. 

Relationships: a Funeral Homily with Reference to Ecc 3 and John 14—for George Brice

A lovely day to be laid to rest. Here is what I said:

There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. George Brice’s season lasted ninety two years. A lot can happen in ninety two years. The time came for many people to be born into George’s family—children, grandchildren and great grandchildren—the time came for some to die; in the midst of all that there was tearing down, rebuilding, crying, laughing, grieving, dancing, scattering, gathering, embracing, turning away, searching, losing, keeping, throwing away, tearing, mending, silence, speaking up, loving, hating, war and peace.

Most of that is the language of relationship; good ones and bad, joyful or sad, healthy or broken. We’re all here this morning because we all had either a relationship with George or a relationship with a member of his family.

A relationship is a state of connectedness between people (especially an emotional connection). We're all here because of an emotional connection with George or with a member of his family.

We are born to be in relationships. Relationships are precious; the most important things in our lives. Good, healthy relationships are the source of the greatest joys we will ever experience.

Relationships can also be difficult and complicated. They’re messy. They can be painful; excruciatingly so when close ones break down. Relationships take time, forbearance and forgiveness. Lots and lots of forgiveness.

Because of gentleman George Brice’s life and death, the resulting relationships, and this reminder of our our own mortality you and I now have this opportunity to consider some important things. How are our relationships doing? Are there any that need to be restored? Are there people we need to forgive? Do the people we love know it? Make sure they do. Tomorrow may be too late. Remember especially the power of touch and all the good things Chase told us about in her tribute to her great grandfather.

Why do you think that Jesus said, “Don't be troubled,” in the passage from John? Because he had a loving relationship with the people he was talking to. He had an emotional connection with them, just as we have with George and/or members of his family. He knew that life can be hard and painful. He knew that we all have to face death; of relationships, of people we love, of people from whom we are estranged, our own. He didn't want them to worry and feel hopeless about that. He wanted to give them hope by giving them a new and better way to engage with the complexities of life and death. This new way begins with a relationship. Jesus wanted the relationships with his disciples to continue because he loved them. So it is with us.

The Bible was written so that we can know that we also are loved by Jesus, that Jesus wants to be in relationship with each one of us—to have a rich emotional connection with us—so that we, too, will not have to troubled. Not only that, Jesus is also saying we are not only born for relationships in this life, but also to enjoy them in the next, so it is important for us to consider what Jesus says about what comes after death.

In our reading from John Jesus told his disciples that there are many rooms in His Father's heavenly home, that He, Jesus, was going on ahead of them to prepare places for them in that heavenly home, and when everything is ready, He would come and get them so they will always be with Him where He is—just as Ken described those family dinners only more so.

So it is for us.

Jesus went on to say, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

The rooms come out of a relationship. Jesus is the way. Follow his example. Jesus is the truth. Learn about that truth in the Scriptures. Jesus is the life. His heart on earth now beats in his body the Church. Become a part of the life of the church, his life, so your heart will come to beat in time with his. The Church is where his truth is taught and where we learn to live our lives in The Way he taught.

Making an honest effort to explore these matters and to act on them would not only a be a good way equip yourselves to get through life’s troubles in one piece, but will also enable you to make the most of the relationships in your lives and to honour George Brice.

Images from a Week in Waterton

Pro HDR for this one. All using my iPad. Have a boo at the rest. Click on the thumbnails for larger versions :-)

Spring Time in the Rockies

Taken with my iPad 2 using Pro HDR. Heading out of the park after the clergy conference.