When we bless animals, we're echoing the divine blessing. We often forget that God not only blesses humans with the words "be fruitful and multiply".
I offer for reflection a poem penned by Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat, who teaches theology at Wycliffe College.
Paying attention to the natural world is a form of worship as we read the "book of creation".
John the Baptist identifies himself as the “voice”. But where we put the colon makes all the difference.
"If I spent enough time with the tiniest creature – even a caterpillar," says Meistar Eckhart, "I would never have to prepare a sermon."
Not only do we fail to acknowledge the gifts we’re showered with, and daily, but we take creation by the neck and demand more.
The story of Moses’ call reveals to us a God who calls out to us from within our world, from the very midst of our everyday lives.
I’ve been working on a resource for small groups to use during the Season of Creation, which runs from September 1 to October 4.
While it was still dark, Mary headed to the tomb. I think we can learn a lot from the posture Mary adopts while it was still dark.
God wants us to take seriously our calling as divine image-bearers, tasked with caring for the garden of creation - learning to live with, and not against, the grain.
When people are colonised – whether we’re talking about the Israelites, tangata whenua here in Aotearoa, or countless people groups throughout history – their minds are often colonised as well, creating a hostility towards their own culture.
When we hear the story of Zacchaeus, how often do we pay attention to the tree he climbed? In Jesus’ day, the sycamore fig tree was considered a “sin-spreading tree” because of its wide canopy.
Did you know that there are different stages in the journey of faith? What works for us at one stage of life, often doesn’t work at a later stage.
We’re approaching the end of the Season of Creation. Many churches around the world celebrate Francis of Assisi day with a Blessing of the Animals service. At St. Peter’s in Kaikoura, it’s a highlight of the year.
In the story of Babel, we often conclude that the scattering of people that results from the confusion of tongues is divine punishment. But is there a better way to read that passage?