We live in an age where everyone can be considered to be an expert in everything, and it is politically insensitive (at least) even to suggest that someone who has...
building blocks
Today's offering from The Liturgy Guys is especially timely for the parishes in our Christchurch diocese that are in the process of building or restoring churches. The...
building a church
Five years on from the devastating Canterbury earthquakes, a number of parishes around the diocese are looking to build new churches to replace destroyed and damaged...
building a church ?
I know that a few parishes in the Christchurch Diocese are considering building (or restoring) parish churches to replace those destroyed or damaged by the Christchurch...
transfiguring
Today's feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus has got me thinking again about church building. Let me explain the connection. A couple of years ago with a group of...
The House of God
In preparation for the rebuilding of churches destroyed in the Christchurch earthquakes, Bishop Barry Jones last week announced his intention to publish a document...
church building 101
don't forget that you can leave a comment on this post at the bottom of this page In his letter to the priests of his diocese this week, Bishop Barry Jones (Bishop of...
Latest Posts

Ascension
Most people think of the Ascension of Jesus as being a ‘departure’ moment. Jesus was here and now he is gone. We imagine Jesus going up into the clouds and the disciples waving farewell from below.
This is an unhelpful image.
It is essential that we understand what does happen and what does not happen in the Ascension event.
It would be easy to wrongly think that in his ministry showed us how to build the city of God on earth, and now he has gone and the mission is left to us.

touching the sacred
A few years ago I was on Rēkohu Chatham Islands for what has become one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most sacred days, the ANZAC day of remembrance in gratitude for those who gave their lives, their health, their youth, their service that we may live in peace.
The art above was produced by one of the students at the local Te One school.

every which way
A good number of Food For Faith readers have discovered one of the more recent FFF initiatives, the weekly Homily Studio.
The recording of this half-hour podcast is one of the highlights of my week.

in the room
Today’s reflection marks the end of the FFF Lent-to-Easter daily email posts. Thank you for your company on this journey. While these daily posts (for those who have signed up for the Lent / Advent reflections at this link) will take a break until Advent, those who have signed up to receive every post or regular posts at this link. You might take a moment now to visit this page now to check your email preferences.
During retreat this week I found myself pondering just how difficult it is to accept that God, in Jesus, is really with me today.

disciplined discipleship
As I write I’m nearing the end of retreat days with a group of fifty priests from across the USA. As I mentioned a couple of days ago the diversity and youth of the group is remarkable with the majority being aged under 40 and a good number ordained for fewer than five years.