Dunedin, New Zealand, my city - my people

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Sunday's "stuff"

Building report... I have connected up the shower, the hand basin and a kitchen sink in my daughter's renovations. Another plumber is coming tomorrow to connect up the gas for the hot water system. I think they will move back into their house on Tuesday. We will still be doing some finishing stuff to it for a while but it is looking good! I am so relieved given that I was stressed out about doing the job at first.

Sunday service....We are singing Christmas carols. Given that I see many of the loved Christmas biblical stories as mainly mythological, making theological points, it is no wonder I find Christmas carols hard to cope with some times. The language is so ancient in many of them.("we too would thither"... "fain we embrace thee" ) Many of them have the whole point of Jesus' coming as us getting a ticket to heaven. ("And our eyes at last shall see him") Many say some scary things. ("Lo he abhors not the virgins womb" ... like the womb is something dirty??) Oh well I will continue to sing them as picturesque, poetical and mythical songs of praise. ... but good grief!!

Christmas dinner...I am blown away by donations given toward our Christmas day community dinner. This last week a total of $1050 unsolicited dollars has been given toward the dinner; a further $800 has been given for the work of the church; (A man, not from my congregation, but a father of a friend of mine, walked into my office the other day with a "Christmas present... I know you will put it to good use.") and Alex from the "Little India" restaurant has offered to buy the vegetables and cook them on the day.

The year's activities are over...All the night time meetings and activities I go to are in recess for the "great kiwi Christmas shut down". We are going from having virtually every night out, never being at home for an evening meal, to having every evening home this week, except an informal house warming with Habitat friends on Friday. What to do? So much time? I have got fat and flabby! I have been so busy that exercise has been non-existent. I can see the next five weeks having nice long daylight evenings, and me being clear of meetings. You can be my witnesses that I, David Hilliard Brown, will exercise (either gym, run, climb my mountain, or bike) on each of the days for the next five weeks. Well I'll try!! I will let you know... tomorrow on my day off I am working on a Habitat house doing little odd jobs.

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