Wasn't it exciting to see snow on Monday morning! I was over the moon because I've never lived in a place where snow falls. My excitement was put into perspective when a relatively reliable source informs me that the last light dusting of snow in Hawera was in 1964, but that snow hasn't settled on the ground like it did on Monday since 1936 - wow - pre-WW2!

Speaking of "once in a lifetime" events...the Rugby World Cup (RWC) is just around the corner and everyone is gearing up for a festive six weeks. Do you remember what George Wieland said about festivals and politics? I bet the National Party are hoping for an All Black win to launch their election campaign.

Snowfall and World Cups don't seem to have a lot in common, however they pose an interesting question for us. How do we engage with our world in a way that connects our faith to our shared experiences? I'll put it another way: What difference does it make to our lives that we are Christians? Many of us enjoyed the snow on Monday; many of us will enjoy the RWC (I've got my tickets!)...but how is our engagement in these things any different from anyone else in the world? What difference does Jesus make to a RWC?

It is important that we ask these questions, because if we are to "pray without ceasing", if we are going to "run the race to completion" then our faith needs to be able to engage with all parts of our lives. Let the games begin!

Blessings,
Pastor David Auty

Helen, the girls and I have been on holiday up in Auckland for the past week - it's been a really nice family time! The great thing about holidays is that they give us an opportunity to get things into perspective. Holidays help us to reflect on our part in the world with fresh eyes; to notice the opportunities and challenges that our circumstances present; to rest, and allow God to re-create us - that's why it's called recreation!

Often we can get tied up in the busyness of our lives and forget to spend the time to simply "smell the roses". When was the last time you took an intentional break from the hustle and bustle of life? Are you planning on giving yourself some space to get that fresh perspective and recreation any time soon? It's worth asking yourself the question.

When we take the time to care for ourselves in this way then we find that we are more productive, more imaginative...simply better at doing the things we do, and being the people that God has made us to be. The Sabbath principal in Scripture relates to this. A weekly day of rest and regular time of recreation and restoration - it's the way God has created us to function best.

So go on, take a break! Take the time to smell the roses.

Blessings,
Pastor David Auty

I had a very interesting time on Tuesday night. Helen and the girls drove me up to New Plymouth to catch a 7.35pm flight to Auckland only to find that the flight had been cancelled. Why had it been cancelled?  Something to do with a plane in Blenheim having been grounded after being hit by lightning. What that had to do with a NP-AK flight I don't know. All I know is that I had to jump on a bus that eventually got me to Auckland after midnight.

A second incident came when I told the "flight crew" that it was a real inconvenience for my sister to pick me up after midnight & asked whether the airline would pay for a taxi. I'm glad they gave me a taxi chit for what proved to be a $63 Taxi fare from Auckland airport to West Auckland where my Mum lives.

Two things I learnt from these experiences:
- there's more than one way to get to where you want to go.
- you don't receive if you don't ask.

Sometimes in churches we can get so caught in the way things "ought" to be done, or the way things have always been done that we miss the fact that our plane is grounded & we need to take an alternative way. At the same time we can forget to let others know when we need some help & so we miss out on a free taxi ride.

If we live out our lives in Christ to the full, then we find that we can see God in every circumstance. That's an important lesson for us all to learn.

God Bless,
Pastor David Auty

Do you remember the question of our Church meeting in March?
What would it take for HBC to see 5% Kingdom impact in Hawera by 2020? At that meeting we brainstormed & came up with a bunch of ideas, but what we also did was hone in on some sharp areas of focus for a Kingdom vision here at HBC.

These areas can be summarized in the phrase "inside out" - a community of people who are spiritually healthy on the inside purposefully having our faith bubble out of us and into every facet of our own lives, and our life as a community. That's what we heard from God back in March and it should really be no surprise to us.

So what do we do about this? Firstly, we need to take it seriously because it's Kingdom work we're talking about - be prayerful!  Secondly, we need to examine our own lives and work on areas that might get in the way of God's vision for us.  Thirdly, we need to be prepared to make consistent and purposeful change in our life as a community.

Exciting challenges...but perhaps uncomfortable at times. Are we prepared to be uncomfortable for the sake of significant Kingdom impact in our town? My hope and prayer is that we are!

Blessings,
Pastor David Auty