South Island Snow from up very high

Look at that! We have had quite a week of it down south, but not in Dunedin on the right down low, green, clean and cold!

pacific highlander

A colleague who was a great influence in my working out whether I was being called to church ministry is Duncan Macleod - he now works in Queensland and has an excellent blog... http://www.pacifichighlander.postkiwi.com/
Have a look!

Audrey, Audrey, Audrey

I have been surprised to learn that other colleagues of mine share similar views about Audrey Tautou. I guess I am picking on her this week because she is the main 'thing' we can salvage from The Da Vinci Code, and thank God for that!
One colleague described her as "pretty smashing" another said "Let's cast off restraint. Let's live a little. what's her mobile number?"
Good healthy stuff given the impossibility of connecting with her (if Tom couldn't in the movie, who can?)
Well, I thought that until today... when the following photo came. Audrey - thanks, I didn't know you cared!

Something I have started doing on my birthday...

Every year or so for a good long time I have made up a tape of the songs that I am enjoying listening to the most...
Last year I burned them onto a CD - called "Mart 44". This year I've crossed the halfway to 90 threshold and am giving thought to "45 and feeling great - honest!"
There will have to be the mandatory one or two U2 songs - interestingly probably from their first album(!), but a range of others are kicking at the door. I'll write the list as soon as it is done, and maybe include the tracklist from "44".
Does anyone else do this sort of thing?

That Audrey woman

Two photos from the movies I mentioned Audrey Tautou has shone in...
Amelie & A Very Long Engagement

Da Vinci Code Movie

I am still trying to make up my own mind on the movie. The critics were quick to pan it and I heard their comments. Do they determine how I saw it? I hope not but...
Here are my thoughts...
Cinematography: stunning - great light/shade, clever flashback and imagination sequences.
Making the most of symbols and art: good - but not enough focus on architecture of old churches.
Keeping the integrity of the story: mostly ok, but some key disappointments were the taking away of the relationship between the curator and the grandmother and the sacrifice they made for Sophie's future and why did they choose to take out the romantic link between Langdon and Sophie? If I was Tom Hanks I would have insisted that they keep that in. The opportunity to kiss the gorgeous Audrey Tautou would have been my bottom line condition of being in the movie. No kiss, no Tom!
Acting: Come on Tom Hanks re-act! Audrey Tautou, yum. Ian McKellen - I knew Gandalf had a dark side. Paul Bettany: should have been more sinister. Alfred Molina: So good - always good. Jean Reno: ditto.
Direction: it was all too easy - the anguish of trying to work the problems out was largely absent, as was the pressure and threat. I wasn't on the edge of my seat at all but I was when I read the book. Why not?
Story: Well it was only ever a big thriller. All the conspiracy stuff: so full of #@^* that there is nothing to say and more importantly, nothing that the church should get so reactive about. I am sure that all the church is exposing in its attempts to dispute the conspiracies is its lack of confidence in Christ. Come on church, have faith, speak truth and act with grace!
Overall rating: so far 5 out of 10
My feeling: just a little bit disappointed.
Back to Audrey: if you don't know anything about her hire Amelie & A Very Long Engagement.

Highgate Mission

We've got our church webpage up and running now with Rory Grant doing the webmaster thing... you can see it here... http://www.highgatemission.info/

The Lounge

I've started a new something-or-other on Sunday nights at Maori Hill Church called the lounge. It is kind of experimental - trying to create a space for people who want a different and additional way of being together outside the usual church format.
One of the useful 'tools' I am using is the Nooma dvd material prepared by Rob Bell. Tonight will be his dvd noise (which is really about silence) followed by a guided meditation led by Neil Churcher giving both insight and experience to those who come as to how to use silence...
Last week I finished with this little poem by Steve Turner...

psalm
not my works but your work
not my perfection but yours
not my grasp but your grip
not my completeness but yours

not my strength but your strength
not my honesty but yours
not my trust but your truth
not my will be done but yours

Hothouse Flowers in Wellington

Anne and I went to the Hothouse Flowers concert in Wellington, NZ on Anzac Day 25 April – it was quite brilliant!
They were tentative for the first song – it was the beginning of the Australasian tour and they seemed unsure if they really had an audience after so many years away…
The first song was from their new album and it was obvious that few knew it as the album has been hard to purchase.
Then they played Isn’t It Amazing (Songs from the Rain 1993) and the whole audience went mad and the band just lit up – it was a stunning change to observe from 3 metres away! And the next 2 hours were just brilliant. We found it worshipful – the sense of resurrection joy in their music stood out – so many resonances with what we understand hopeful joy to be all about. They have a very humble stage presence, and you could see the looks of wonder in their eyes as they realized that their music was loved and known.
At the end they said, “It won’t be 13 years before we are back again.”
Great! Come to the south isand as well next time, especially Dunedin! We are still buzzing!