Lockdown Liturgies

Are you missing your faith community? Do you wish you could find some progressive, inclusive, contemporary liturgy while you can’t get to your regular church service?

This time of government or self-imposed isolation is ideal for polishing off those projects we’ve had in mind for a while: stash-busting for crafters, jigsaw-making for puzzlers, housework for procrastinators…

Various worship leaders and liturgists are sharing their Lockdown Liturgies with us, and here at Progressive Christianity Aotearoa we’ve collated the ones which have been emailed or links we’ve been directed to; you’ll find them here: Liturgy in a time of isolation.

We’d love to hear from you with prayers, poems, reflections, blessings from your faith community during this strange new reality. Email spiritandfaith@outlook.com or share via our Facebook page.

Hallelujah! For we are the Easter People, embodying the risen Christ in word and deed.

Faith, not belief

Two new resources added to the website:

Ian Harris’s latest ODT article: Say goodbye to belief and welcome to faith

A liturgical resource Affirmation of Faith—Living as if we matter by liturgist Bronwyn Angela White

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Books by both these writers will be on sale at the Common Ground 2018 Conference, 7-9 September, St Andrew’s on The Terrace, Wellington – along with titles from  St Andrew’s Trust for the Study of Religion and Society) including Ian’s “Creating God, Re-Creating Christ” (SATRS, 1999)

Faith and belief in NZ

Faith and belief in New Zealand: McCrindle Report May 2018

The latest research on faith and belief in New Zealand has just been released: commissioned by the Wilberforce Foundation, undertaken by Australian research company McCrindle. It explores attitudes towards religion, spirituality and Christianity.

Mike’s blog about the report makes interesting reading – as does the report itself.

Mike Crudge lives in Auckland and is the Director of the Carey Centre for Lifelong Learning, that provides ongoing professional development and support for church leaders throughout New Zealand. It is part of New Zealand’s Baptist theological college.

 

Faith is having the courage… a responsive prayer

Faith is having the courage to keep our vision
and to find our way
through the smaller rules and regulations,
to keep the flame of hope alive,
and to find ways of facing up to change and transitions.

Empowering God
when the road ahead looms endless
empower us to be companions
for one another along the road.

Inspiring God
when the road forward is blocked
inspire in us creative responses
that move us beyond the barriers.

Enabling God
when the road before us divides
enable us to make a good choice of direction.

(Shared by Maxine Cunningham)

Bishop Richard Randerson Slips the Moorings

‘Slipping the Moorings’ is a new Memoir weaving faith with justice, ethics and community by Richard Randerson. Books may be ordered from randersonjr@paradise.net.nz for $30 + p&p.

A new study guide to the book is available Here

Affirmation of Faith

By Bronwyn Angela White, Wellington, NZ

By faith, Sarah and Abraham left family, household and land for the promise of a new life in Canaan.

This faith may take us, too, through labyrinths of doubt, to greener fields.

By faith, Moses led his people out of Egypt, through the Red Sea and into the desert.

This faith might sometimes lead down unpaved tracks to destinations we did not intend.

Faith is the opposite of belief: a shiny coin whose shadow-side is hope.