Heading into Ordinary Time

Kia ora whānau,

I hope you all have had a wonderful week as we move past Pentecost and head into the long winter of ordinary time (at least according to the church calendar). I think some of us may welcome ordinary time after the year we have had so far. The constant readjusting of our lives is difficult to manage at times. It seems that we have had to hold any plans we make so lightly that they hardly seem like plans at all. Uncertainty has been the one constant. If you are feeling a bit tired because of it, that is probably normal.

There is another constant in our lives, however. At least there is the promise of one. The promise is the constant presence of God in our midst. Pentecost is about the abiding empowering presence of the Holy Spirit given to God's people. We have become the dwelling place of God. It's where he lives. Not in some vague god-within-us self-help kind of thing, but the actual presence of the living God. When we become aware of his presence, we suddenly have something that is sure no matter what the circumstances of our lives. So, perhaps during ordinary time this year, there is an opportunity to learn new rhythms of recognising the real presence of Jesus with us. Spending time in prayer and immersing ourselves in his written word are foundational for that. These are both things that we do in silence and solitude individually and but also as we gather together in community.

And speaking of community, I am so grateful for the many prayers that you all have prayed on behalf of my city, Minneapolis, and for our dear friends and family back there. It has been so encouraging for us during this painful time. We have felt held by many of you. It has also been encouraging for our friends to hear that God's people on the other side of the world have been praying for them.

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Mark