stinky breath day

What a stink day!
... you know how sometimes you're just going merrily about you day and each part isn't so bad but for some reason your overall vibe of the day is A%$E! Many, many little frustrations, problems and mysteries all gang up on you and laugh, taunting you with thoughts like "don't get upset- this happens all the time" and "you can't control this problem" and while they are all true still they sit and snicker, muttering nasty things about you behind their hands when they think you're not looking.
Adding to the malaise and general discontent of a day like this one, there are some good things that happen during the day but so distracting and irritating are all the little wee problems, with their laughing and muttering, that the good things are gobbled up and dissolve into what comes to be known as, an a%$e breath day

So, now, to piss off the muttering, chuckling little problems I will now talk about the good bits of my day in an effort to extend their lives and minimize the effect of the a%$e-breath day.
GOOD THING #1. Our Alarm went off this morning. This is good because yesterday (the first day of the week due to a public holiday on Monday in NZ, for all you international readers!) it did not and we awoke stunned and confused an hour after we would usually be woken.
GOOD THING #2. I did 2 loads of washing and now they are inside -not dry, but not soaking wet. Just that kinda cold dryness that you know indicates residual wetness.
GOOD THING #3. I worked with my computer and it did what I wanted it to. This is good because later it did not.
GOOD THING #4. We have a supermarket just three doors down from our house. This is good because I utilized it's facilities not once, not twice, but three times today.
GOOD THING #5. I did a photo job, taking photos of a cool flash house after the sun had set. This is good 'cause it's doing the business I'm (trying) to start, it was fun, I'm getting paid for it and it got me away from the frustrations laughing at me at home
GOOD THING #6. I am now walking out the door to babysit some lovely kids who (usually!) like me and that always feels good, 'cause kids have no reason to bother lying!

Alternative Worship at Connect

Our church has a "connect" service every first and third Sunday nights of each month, including just yesterday. Connect is one of five faith communities based from our church, Discovery Christian Centre, for 18ish-30ish yr old type people and our services are cafe-styled kinda things with an interactive message that often include discussion questions for around the tables and a big old break to grab another coffee and or cake.

So that's the context, the community. As I stated in a recent post I was organising Worship for Connect this week and was looking into various ideas of Alternative Worship. I did it and it went really well, so I thought it would be beneficial to feed back (and record!) what, exactly, I did.

The gathering began with an extended "social" cafe time (fellowship) chatting with one another round the tables. Then we went into discussion about what Connect could actually, actively do around the place (follow on from last connect gathering)
Then came worship. The main lights were turned off, leaving nice mood lighting from lamps directed up the walls and candles on different tables around the walls. A Karanga was heard as part of a song by Jazz/fusion NZ Christian band Chris Mason Batley Group using the unique Maori welcome cry in a Christian context as a cry of welcome to the Holy Spirit with woman's voice and haunting saxophone crying in counterpoint to one another. As the music played, text on the screen welcomed viewers/congregation to bring all that they are to worship, listing such things as "joys and fears," "faith and doubts" "Culture and Sensuality" amongst others. "God is here and all are welcome" it stated and invited people to express themselves to God. As the song ended participants were invited to visit any or all the stations set up around the room, or to "sit, read, write or pray" alone at their table if they wanted.
There were 6 stations against the walls. They each had a printed A4 of "instructions" on the wall with some candles on the table beneath for light.

1. David wrote Psalms to God as a way of being authentic to God and expressing himself… Take time to write your own psalm, or use pieces of psalms from the bible to create one appropriate for where you are

2. Write a letter…to God, to someone from whom you seek forgiveness, to yourself as a reminder of God’s work in your life

3.We often use songs as part of our worship. Think of words from worship songs
that resonate with you and piece together your own unique song to God.

4. Use colours and shapes to express yourself to God

5. Look at the cross. Read the stories. Think of what happened that day.
Stop. Reflect. Respond.
His body broken for you
His blood poured out for you
(this station included print outs of appropriate Bible verses, from The Message translation. There was a cross leaning against the wall for people to consider, a bowl of chunks of a selection of specialty breads and a bowl of coke with a ladle and glasses for people to pour themselves and drink and partake in communion in their own time.)

6. Take your single candle. Using the flame from the big candle, light your own. Offer prayers and thanks as you place your candle in Cross. You are part of something
bigger than yourself
(there was a small table with a pile of unlit small round "tea light" candles. Participants took a candle and took it to the front of the church and lit it from a big candle on a deflowered flower pedestal. From there they walked up the 3 steps to the raised 'stage' thing at the front of the church where I had stacked some hollow-stone blocks into the shape of a cross. People took their lit candles and placed them inside one of the free compartments of a hollow-stone block. I'll try to post a photo)

After ten minutes music started to play again and the screen read "Enjoy the music. We will join in prayer at the end of the song". The song was "Karakia" also by Chris Mason Batley Group, also fusing elements of New Zealand culture with Christian meaning, this time it was the Lord's Prayer spoken over chilled jazz, first in Maori, then Mandarin, Samoan and English - as from the Message Translation The cues on the screen prompted participants to stand and join in prayer, following the words on the screen for the English version of the Lords' Prayer. As the music died away people kept on with the things (writing, drawing etc) they had started and the vibe was very chilled and easy. When people finished they left the room to chat. It went really well.
If anyone would like a digital version of any of the resources I created you are most welcome to email

THUNDER (the cool silent art auction) is over...

THUNDER, my big dirty old silent fundraising art auction is officially over. It finished on Saturday night with the "Hammerfall party" which really wasn't the happening place to be for Queens' Birthday Weekend Saturday night. Many people went holidaying for the long weekend while others stayed in to watch the All Blacks game. So there wasn't the party atmosphere and there were no bids on the night but the auctions did finish and money, ultimately, was made. $837 to be exact. I suppose that's pretty good- I'm definitely happy with it. Still wouldn't mind an anonymous generous backer to come forward, but all in quite ok with how things went.
(Anyone thinking or looking at running their own silent art auction please feel free to contact me for info on how I did it.)

Melva's Sticky Date Pud

Melva's Sticky Date Pudding
This is my friends Melva's all time favourite dessert, now a hit with me too- super good quick, easy recipe great which simply screams "tremble at my feet- I'm a freakin' gourmet whiz" for any occasion... I reckon the addition of a few simple walnuts could have those partaking of this dish rushing to give you titles, medals, cash prizes, family heirlooms and other such highly valued sundry items! Best served with plain vanilla or french vanilla icecream to compliment the sweet saucy goodness.

1 cup dates, pitted & chopped
1 tsp baking soda
1c boiling water
2T butter
1c soft brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2c self-raising flour (1 1/2c flour & 2t baking powder)

Preheat oven to 180degC.
Mix the dates and baking soda in a bowl. Pour boiling water on top and leave until needed.
Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition. Fold in the sifted flour, stir int he date mixture and pour into a greased 18cm square or round cake tin.
Bake for 30-40mins until a skewer comes out clean.

For the sauce: combine ingredients in a saucepan-add cream last once sugar is dissolved and mixture is gently bubbling. Simmer for 5mins. Keep stirring so it doesn't stick on the bottom.
Set aside until ready to serve.
Sauce #1: 1c soft brown sugar, 3/4 c whipping cream, 1t vanilla, 2T butter
Sauce #2: 3/4 c brown sugar, 1/4c cream, 2T golden syrup, 1/4c butter
(I mix and match the sauce from the ingredients I have at the time...I usually do sauce one and include golden syrup instead of vanilla).

O.E.... Y?

So what's the deal with travel?

I don't think it's bad or wrong or anything. In fact I'm about to embark in a overseas sojourn with my husband around Europe for two months! (after traveling with my choir for 1 month) But why do we do it? I mean, I know the Eiffel Tower exists, but if I'm anywhere in the vicinity I find directions, go there and look it. Why? It's not that I didn't believe all the other people who have already seen it. I've seen photos, I've heard stories- yet I will go there. It is a fair bet to say that Jay and I will go to visit the Eiffel Tower when we are in Paris. How odd. I don't imagine it will bring any new and exciting revelations into our lives. It won't change the way we see the world. But we will go there.

Oh how strange we human creatures are!

Is it just me or is it weird to leave all you know, those we love and the communities to which we belong to see other places and stuff. Are we peeking into someone else's reality to avoid our own? Or is that just a guise to meet different people and see if we might be happier elsewhere? or to find out if we're at all similar or very different? or to glean information, learn things from them that we don't know?

And the weirdest thing is I feel the most "kiwi" when I'm away from here. I feel somehow proud of our distant speck of dirt in the Antipodes, happy in the knowledge that far-off, richly blessed Aotearoa is the place I call home.

The stranger on a strangers' fridge

I just got another phone call from a local stranger who read in the local paper about my screenprinted tops fundraising initiative. That's good- I got the lady's details and took her order and it's all happening. Great!

But I can't help but think that the article was run for one day about 3 weeks ago... Why did you ring now? Did you keep the article to forget about for a while then remember and think "ah! Yes, I really must ring that young woman and buy one of her shirts" Was I sitting on your fridge? Or did someone else see the article and think of you, put it in an envelope and keep it in their handbag 'til they saw you?

How strange to think that I might be the stranger on a strangers' fridge.

out-of-the-box worship: initial thoughts

I've been asked to put something together for worship for "connect" the 18-30ish postmodern-ish faith community, this coming Sunday. I want engage the group with something different and meaningful and so I've been going to a snoop around the intraweb. I'm looking into doing some alternative worship type thing. I've stumbled across a bunch of really interesting sites
www.altworship.org.uk
www.alternativeworship.org
www.rejesus.co.uk/spirituality
www.exileschurch.org/freehouse/retrospective
Please check 'em out and let me know what you think and I'll let you know what I come up with in the end. Should be fun... alternative worship is so rich and creative and diverse- drawing from a range of Christian traditions but creatively translating them to be relevant now!
I'm loving it.


Definately something I'd like to explore more.