"This is awesome!" - Another week done and another begins.

Arthur Templeton, my childhood minister in October last year.

Habitat for Humanity memories.
Twice this week I bumped into a guy we built a house with in the early days of Habitat for Humanity in Dunedin. It would be in the late 1990's. At the first meeting he introduced me to a young boy he said was a "foster son". He said, "The wife and I realised we had been given a lot in life so we decided we need to give a bit back."  In the second meeting later in the week he was with his wife and they both greeted me warmly.  We were at the insurance office and as they walked out arm in arm I could not help but think that the hours I put in working alongside this couple were probably well spent. I recall once he and I were together, stripped to the waist shoveling and moving a huge pile of dirt. We paused briefly when we had filled two more barrows to wipe the sweat off our brows. He, a big gruff blunt fellow, looked at me and said, "Are you really a bloody parson?"
Insurance payout...
Tomorrow we hand over our beaten up Toyota Corolla to the people who will dispose of it for the insurance company. We were quite pleased with the market value that they are to give us for the written off car. We knew when we bought it off the local Dominican Sisters that they were being generous with their price. Now we are to get a fair price off the insurance company, we really appreciate the sisters' generosity. We have not lost money on it. People are good.
This is awesome!
We had five fourth year social work university students come to our drop-in centre to help out on Friday night. It was a part of their study program. They helped prepare the food and also stayed and mixed and mingled during the evening. It was interesting watching their reaction to what we do. One guy just kept saying, "This is awesome what you do here!" He wants to bring some members from his church along to it. Another lady is keen to come back next week when we are going to be short staffed.  One other was brilliant, she spent the night quietly talking with people. She asked if it was alright by us if she came back again at other times. Maybe we will help inspire other drop-in centres.
Mixed feelings
While at the drop-in I was approached by one of the guys. "Are you really going to leave us at the end of the year?" he asked. "Yes that's the plan." I said. "What will happen?" he asked. "I don't know at this stage." I replied. In all probability, without us I suspect the drop-in centre will close. That will be sad, and I wish it could be different. I do know that in 32 Sundays I need to be finishing ministry. But there are parts of what we do that I will miss and feel sad about.
Guest preacher
The inner city ministers are arranging an ecumenical service at Knox Church on the evening of May 26th, Trinity Sunday. Because I have been in Dunedin for so long and am finishing at the end of the year, I am to be preacher for that service. It looks like it could be quite a service with various choirs, singing groups and congregations taking part. What do I want to say to inner-city Christians in Dunedin? It has been a tad distracting with my mind wandering to an evolving sermon for that special night. One thing is for certain my style of sermon will probably be different than what they are used to at Knox Church. 
Another funeral to prepare for.
I learned yesterday that a man in my congregation aged 97 had died over night. He was minister at our church when we were growing up. (North East Valley Church of Christ) While he and I were very different, and to be honest he often annoyed me, I recognise I owe a tremendous amount to him. He stayed ministering in Churches until he was 85 years old! He kept learning and thinking theologically right throughout his life.  He had a passion for preaching and communicated to me a love for the gospels and the nature of Jesus. Somehow through his preaching, Jesus made sense to me. He baptised me; he taught me how to read the scriptures in a church service; he gave me a starter prayer I could use when I had to pray in public during communion services; and he gave me hints when I graduated to presiding at Church services in my late teens. At the same time there were parts of his style of ministry that I did not appreciate and in a way that prompted in me a determination to rethink the things I do.  He was also the mysterious person who nominated me (gathering together information and references) to the government ministers to receive the Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit medal in 2002. A big part of the week ahead will be taken up preparing for and leading his funeral service.  Wish me luck. 
Forty four years of marriage
Friday was our 44th Wedding Anniversary. I find it hard to believe that we have been married that long! I joked with my wife that 44 years ago we were "doing it" four times on our wedding night. "Come on" I said, "We've got a few to go!" She just laughed... Days of "doing it" four times in a night are long gone, but I am glad we're still doing it. I think the unity of purpose, "two people living for the same purpose bigger than themselves" has enabled us to stick together reasonably happily. So far it has been an interesting, adventurous journey. 

Me (20yrs old) waiting in the vestry looking shocked before our wedding ceremony.