Most Americans understand the Bible as a rulebook for how to live your life, but fewer think of it as a hymnal. Yet the long history of American—mostly Protestant—hymnody, set to the cadence of the King James Bible, is embedded in our collective religious consciousness. (Think Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic” or Read more
Across the Pacific, people are picking up the bones of their ancestors like shells on the beach. Burial grounds are being washed away by rising tides. Communities are shoring up seawalls with old tyres. I was raised on the beautiful island of Tonga. When I was a child, my parents and grandparents would come out Read more
When we explore the historic writings of the Church, we often find veins of gold that enrich our spiritual life. Usually, the gold is in a simple statement and sometimes it is quite ancient. Always it is right for the moment we discover it. This is the way God works. I still cherish a vein Read more
In the past two weeks, a former refugee family stepped into one of our churches. They were days away from the end of their short-term lease and had nowhere to go. The rental market in Wellington was so tough, they said, in this season. Did we have anywhere they could stay? Even if it just Read more
In a sermon given in Auckland, the spiritual head of the Anglican communion has challenged the Church to overcome its fears. Preaching at a packed Holy Sepulchre Church in Newton, Archbishop Justin Welby said the Church has “so often lived in fear and often does so now”. “Fear causes our quarrels, whether it is sexuality Read more
Identity theft is a major crime around the world. It usually involves stealing personal details: name, age, address, social security details; banking information and the like. In a strangely analogous way, there is concern growing that forces mysterious may even be stealing our Catholic identity! If we had to report such a theft, how would Read more