On Thursday I was shocked to hear about a Tornado ripping through a part of West Auck-land that is very close to where I grew up. Tragically this event took the lives of three peo-ple. Then, I heard on the radio news that Ngongotaha, Rotorua (where our house is) was also hit by a Tornado - unfortunately it didn't take our sinking house away and solve that problem (visions of flying house in "Wizard of Oz"). 

As close to home as those events felt for me at the time, I didn't think that they would directly affect me. I was wrong. Early Friday morning I got a phone call from AirNZ (yes, you heard right...they called me!), saying that my early flight from New Plymouth to Auck-land was cancelled due to backlog following the storm in Auckland. I am now going to be late for my Mission Council meetings (doh!). You may remember a couple of months ago I wrote a blurb about waiting at airports - the wait continues... 

Unexpected things happen all the time. We are affected by the consequences of things that we might have never anticipated. Chaos theory talks about a "butterfly effect", where small changes can cause large events. Of course the tornado wasn't a small thing, and it caused change to a relatively small event (my flight), but still the truth is that it was something that affected me in ways I didn't expect. 

So what am I trying to get at here? Well, I think it's important that we notice the connections: between things; between people, between events. When we take notice of the connections then we can observe the way in which God has stitched this Universe together - no matter how hard we might try to be independent, the truth is that we're connected! 

When we notice the connections we find that there are opportunities to share how the Good News of Jesus connects to every story; how God's Master plan of restoration affects every one; how the Holy Spirit is wooing us all into relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. 

So open your eyes and look for the connections. Notice the cause and affect. Identify the chain reactions. Look out for God at work in transforming lives through the big things and the little things. 

Blessings, Pastor David Auty. 

Last week was manic for me as I rushed to get a big assignment done on top of normal life. This week so far has had little space either, and now I'm at Baptist Assembly for 3 full on days of "people overload" - actually that's not too bad since I'm a people person - however it does mean a growing list of "stuff" to do next week. 

For many of us life is full on. We struggle to get everything done. We have responsibilities and feel pressured by the seemingly never ending demand. Even so, sometimes I find myself thankful for times like this...I know, it sounds strange, but busy times often give me the "wakeup" call I need to step back and just be with God. To take a deep breath and find strength in his presence. 

For a lot of us the upcoming Christmas "silly season" will be a challenge in this regard. I just want to encourage you before it really hits: Let this time drive you into God's presence! Let yourself be strengthened and empowered by His grace and mercy! Let His Holy Spirit minister to your spirit - life and light. Let your joy be found in Him! 

What are you waiting for? You could start in Psalm 43. 

Grace and Peace, Pastor David Auty 

Recently I watched a couple of TED talks from researcher Brené Brown. She has spent 12 years looking closely at shame and vulnerability—you can watch her talks on our church facebook group. I want to talk about a couple of quotes of hers: 

“Vulnerability is our most accurate measurement of courage” (Brené Brown) 

Contrary to popular belief, vulnerability is NOT weakness! Too often in our culture this is the way that it is perceived: “If I show my vulnerability then people will think that I am weak”. But in fact the opposite is true. It takes courage to allow yourself to be vulnerable, and it’s only out of that vulnerability that we can truly be who we are meant to be. Jesus was pretty vulnerable to allow himself to be at the mercy of the murderous crowd, but without that where would we be? 

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change” (Brené Brown) 

For years I have been reading and studying about “leadership” and “change”. One of the things that I have noticed is that the best leaders and the most innovative people are not afraid of failure (or at least they don’t allow their fear to stop them trying). They try, and if it doesn’t work, they try again! Just like the old saying: “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again”. 

But in order for us to do this we need to open ourselves up to the possibility that it may never work. We need to allow ourselves to be feel vulnerable—to let others really see us, and what we are doing, along with all the risk of disappointment, re-jection and judgement. 

It’s true that if we don’t allow ourselves to be vulnerable then we can numb pain and heartache. However it’s also true that when we do this, we also numb joy and the thrill of human connection. 

Christ came so that we might have life in all its fullness. Let’s not short change ourselves by living a life that is controlled by the fear of failure, or the lie that we are not good enough (“who do you think you are?”). Rather, let’s show our true vulnerability in surrender to Jesus—let’s allow his light, his life, his success—to be ours. Now that’s what I call really living! 

Its amazing the people you meet when you're stuck on a plane! This year I have found myself on planes more often than usual. Everyone on a plane has an interesting story to tell...actually I'll let you in on a little secret - everyone (full stop) has an interesting story if you'll just take the time to listen! 

It makes me think, how often do we really take the time to listen to some-one else's story? How much attention do we give to others, valuing their journey, hearing their dreams and concerns? 

I think it's true to say that this comes more naturally to some than it does to others, but does our comfort level really give a legitimate reason to opt out of engaging in heart felt listening? Much of the time I think not. 

In a world which is obsessed with me-ism, we have an opportunity as Christians to model an alternative way. We can buck the trend and seek to truly engage with the story of other's lives. We can show that we care by having a genuine interest in people's journey. Who knows, maybe we might even get a chance to share some of our journey of faith in Jesus with someone because we have first earned the right to share by listening. 

Or maybe we could just stick our heads in the koru magazine or a book, filling our lives with more of me! The choice is ours to make. 

Blessings, Pastor David 

I've had rather a strange thing happen to me over the past few months - I've started listening to classical music! To some of you that may not seem that strange, but the truth is that I've never really listened much to classical music before, so why the change now? It all started one day when I noticed the very non-christian world view promoted by many pop songs that play on the radio. I'd never had that much of a problem with it before, reasoning that I could filter out the trash and just enjoy the music, however that day it really got to me and I changed my car radio to the concert program, and so far I haven't looked back. Now, not only do I listen to classical music in the car, but I find myself downloading Bach and Beethoven onto my smart phone and listening to it in the background when I'm working away on my computer. What has happened to me? I think two things have happened:

The first thing relates to how classical music is so full of passion and power. You are able to "feel" the music without being told how to feel it (particularly when there are no lyrics - or perhaps Italian lyrics). I have found this fact to be quite therapeutic...it's almost like having permission to express the emotions on the inside in a healthy and God focussed way, without the distraction of words.

The second thing follows on from this and I have found that it gives me space to turn the music into worship. No longer am I bound to lyrics that say "forget you", or "*issing the night away" (btw, the * is not a "k"), but I can make my own words of praise to God, or simply allow the silence to minister deep inside me and allow for a worshipful response "from the inside out".

I am so excited about this new thing that I have even taken a break from listening to my favourite bands (from the 80s and 90s) and am now almost exclusively classical. Who knows how long this lasts, but I hope that somehow I can weave in the principles of this "classical worship" into the fabric of my life.

Arohanui,
Pastor David Auty 

As Christians we talk a lot about "working together". Actually, the whole world seems to be talking about it! Whether we're: facing a global financial crises; creating a new "Super -Ministry" of Business, Innovation and Employment (Mobie) to centralise resources and services; responding to "zero-budgets" and "all doing our bit for the economy"; or simply striving for "collaboration" in all its iterations. The talk about working together is pretty constant.

The trouble is that the old saying "better together" is only half true. "What?", I hear you say....it almost sounds like treason doesn't it, but I think it's the truth. Things are better together when we have the same vision, goals and aspirations. When we can agree on something and find the corporate will to make it happen, then collaboration and working together is fantastic! - I love being a part of that stuff! However, when we are driven by conflicting motivations, or working to partisan agendas, then sometimes it's better, and more productive, for us to act separately.

"But...", I hear you cry, "as Christians aren't we meant to be all about unity?" Well, yes, we are about unity, but unity does not mean uniformity. It doesn't mean that we necessarily look like, act like or even think like others. The kind of unity that Jesus talked about was far different - on a whole different level from the talk of collaboration that often surrounds us. For Jesus unity was rooted in truth and holiness and modelled after the unity shown through His relationship with the Father. Take a look at part of Jesus' prayer in John 17:17-21:

"Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me."

Unity rooted in truth and holiness and modelled after the unity that God the Son, and God the Father shared - a unity found in the Triune Godhead of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Any other form of unity is ok(ish)...it can help us achieve a goal or perhaps accomplish some outcomes, but it is nothing like the REAL unity Jesus talks about which is only found in intimate relationship with and through God.

So let's not try to look like everyone else and call it unity, instead let's strive to be united in love with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let's seek to live out truth and holiness as we relate to God and others expressing the kind of unity that can change the world. What do you think?

Grace and Peace, Pastor David Auty 

In this fast-paced world of information overload there are so many things competing for our time and attention. There are the normal activities of our everyday lives at home: firewood, family, friends and fun...laundry, lawns, laughter and latrines! These things are ongoing and common to most of us. Oh, not to mention all those "extra-curricula" activi- ties that we enjoy: sports, music, clubs and social gatherings to name but a few.

Then there are our work responsibilities. Some of us are 9-5, others casual, part-time or shift work, others "on-call" much of the time and still others have to juggle additional responsibilities with home and family life.

Add to that all of the technological demands: emailing; texting; updating facebook status and catching up on all those 600 "friends"; watching our favourite cooking shows, or doc- umentaries or movies or "all the above"; playing computer games PSP/PS3/x-Box...etc.

Not to mention some meaningful engagement with the wider "concerns of the day": the IPO of facebook on Friday last week making Mark Zuckerberg an even richer multibillionaire at age 28 and the subsequent stories of greedy underwriters inflating prices; Finance Minister Bill English's "zero-Budget" on Thursday, the first "State of Origin" Rugby League match on Wednesday (that video ref needs glasses); the ongoing "Euro- crisis"; elections in Egypt....

Lots of stuff aye! So where does God fit into all of this? Where does His church feature amid the various demands that we face? Sadly, too often we can view God and church as being in competition to these other demands. "Can we fit in attending Church when we already have so much on our plate?"; "How can I spend time praying and reading the Bible when these other things just NEED to be done now"; "I'll make more time for God when I start to get on top of some of these other things".

The reality however is that God is involved in all of this already. He is present in all of our circumstances and is available for guidance and comfort as we walk the journey with Him. Likewise church...we walk this journey together! We shouldn't consider church as "just another activity" to fit into our demanding lives, but as an opportunity to walk the Christian life with others who face similar pressures and demands that we do.

If we can see it in this way, we can know the truth Jesus shares in Matthew 11:28-30

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

My prayer is that each of us will know that kind of life! 

Arohanui, Pastor David Auty 

Life can be like a Roller Coaster ride!  There is no real choice about the reality ofthis fact.  One day we're celebrating the joy of some wonderful success and the nextwe discover a loved one is seriously ill.  One day we're feeling on top of the world, and the next it feels like our world is falling apart.  One day we can see God in all his splendour and glory, and the next we despair about whether God even cares.  

One of the age old questions is this: Where is God when it hurts?  

C.S. Lewis in A Grief Observed, a collection of reflections on his wife’s suffering and death due to bone cancer gives a stark expression of this question: 

"Where is God?  When you are happy, so happy that you have no sense of needing Him, if you turn to Him then with praise, you will be welcomed with open arms. But go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is in vain and what doyou find?  A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside.  After that, silence.  You may as well turn away.

"Honesty at the emotional reality of the part of us that we cannot understand where life seems to be over run in grief and pain and God seems to be no-where to be found.

Yet even in that place there is hope.  Even when we're at the bottom of the Roller Coaster of life we can see a glimpse of the horizon.  Where is God?  He is in the memories of the high times; he is in the comfort of a friend; he is in the embrace of a loved one; he is in the prayers of a community who want to walk the journey with you, to carry some of the burden of your load.  

Matthew 11:28-30.

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, be-cause I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 Formy yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Turn to Jesus and he will give you rest! Take care and be a blessing to one another.

Arohanui,
Pastor David Auty

"I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains." - Psalm 121:1-2 

It's an amazing thing to contemplate isn't it! Often I find myself looking up at the mountain and thinking of the power and majesty of creator God. This is quite natural for anyone and in theological terms it's called "General Revelation" - it's the part of creation that speaks to all the earth about the presence of God. Everyone can see it and everyone is invited to consider God as we get a glimpse at his wonder. 

However the other day I found myself thinking about the mountain in a different way. I was driving through the Hub and I saw the sight above. It took my breath away and I quickly whipped out my phone to take a bunch of photos. The shot above is one of those photos. Being as humble as I can manage to be, I think that this is one of the most amazing photos from the Hawera side of the mountain that I have ever seen (modesty aside...hehe). 

It struck me that this mountain was saying something more to me than a Gen-eral Revelation of a powerful, majestic, creator God. It was also telling me about a God who is delightful and loves to delight us. All shrouded with cloud, sur-rounded by beautiful colours; as clear as can be, this mountain was speaking to me about the joy of God. My heart was thrilled by the sight and my spirits raised to praise our delightful God. 

God didn't just create the world to prove a point, his creation is there as part of the way that he shows his love for us. He loves to lavish us all by filling our senses and delighting our soul. He invites us to wake up and smell the roses. 

Arohanui, 

Pastor David Auty