Paul Long's Ramblings

  Happy and grateful to God that this week I got a lot of preparation done (the behind-the-scenes stuff). It has been full (maybe even overflowing), and certainly tiring, but happily not "busy". Setting aside the many regular and emergency activities, there has been a lot of preparation (behind the scenes) matters that required my attention. In danger of feeling overwhelmed as many things got "stuck". It has been in a sense of stressful week that is actually a spillover from last week. But by the grace of God, a lot fell into place and was completed this week. This Sunday's sermon. My Easter sermon for next week (but as usual, I expect there will be a few last-minute revisions 😀) Weekly notes for April's bulletins The next home group meeting study questions about Moses' life. My mental block was removed so was able to start work on study questions on the book of Jeremiah Same for a youth Bible study on the book of Acts. While I still have 5 more Sunday ...

Thanks, everyone for the birthday wishes via FB, FB messenger, regular text, and WhatsApp. I am not one that is big on celebrating my birthdays. But since it was my 60th, the one thing I did was take the day off to relax. I did some reading, watched TV, and played a PC game. No not Civ 6 or Xcom2 but something different - Age of Empires 4. Rather educational cut scenes too 😁 No special meals as my wife had to work. But on Monday she made me a huge cheesecake and a large tray of lasagna. 😋 And I ate that for three meals 🤣 Monday night's dinner, and yesterday for lunch and dinner. No complaint. was good. My plan was to attend a magic lecture last night BUT, plans for derailed due to helping sort out my wife's car. The lecture was part of my personal birthday plans 🙁BUT all good, wife comes first! I told my family NOT to buy me anything as I think can end up being a waste of money if it ends up being something I don't really want or need. Instead, I decided to buy myself ...

  Another sermon ppt notes from last year. On Anxiety based on Psalm 31. Hope this helps someone. 

 Posting my sermon ppt on this topic as this is such a problem. It's a narrow focus - the pain of rejection, and just about starting the first steps. Hope this may be of help to some. 🙏  

  Have recently been re-reading (slowly) Eugene Peterson's "The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the art of spiritual direction". A key reason for re-reading is that it has probably been 20 years since I first read this book, and my hope is that over the years, my perspective on life and ministry would have grown deeper. New experiences and growth in perspectives(s) I think often bring helpful insights to good books. And now, I also have the Logos version of the book so it's a fresh interesting way of interactive reading (not just the printed paper, but reading on a handheld device and on a PC). Been re-reading a few times his chapter on "The Unbusy Pastor". I think I cannot help but be busy as that is a part of who I am. But I have been for a few weeks now consciously doing my best to avoid describing myself or my schedule and activities as "busy". It's probably just "semantics" and splitting hairs but I do think that either not us...

  As I write this - to be posted next week when life goes back to yet another difficult "new "normal", New Zealand (especially the upper North Island) is still undergoing (hopefully the end) the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle. As I reflect and pray about the situation, my mind naturally goes to Bible passages such as the one where Jesus calms the storm. So I pulled out a sermon I preached (15 September 2019) on this passage.     Mark 4:35-41 35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind...

One of my favourite authors is the late Henri Nouwen. Every time I read something from him, he almost always makes me pause to reflect and pray.  How relevant and timely is this excerpt from his book "You are the beloved". More and more I read and hear about the increase in people struggling with mental health related challenges.  One of the most common is the feeling of loneliness, even among Christians, which Henri Nouwen (below) rightly describes can lead to depression if not dealt with properly. I can certainly identify with this first hand.  Read what he says and I hope it helps as he gives advice that he himself followed in his life.  The highlighted in bold part is my doing.  Whenever you feel lonely, you must try to find the source of this feeling. You are inclined either to run away from your loneliness or to dwell in it. When you run away from it, your loneliness does not really diminish; you simply force it out of your mind temporarily. When you start...

  I am currently preparing to launch a new sermon series in my church on the Beatitudes.  One of the reasons I chose this series and wish to preach an introductory sermon to start of the series is my concern that there is a lot of misunderstanding about God's blessings, and happiness among Christians. Things like being blessed means just having a trouble free life, financial wealth, good health etc.  So as I delve deeper into this subject and try to clarify my own thoughts, knowing that a little mist in the pew will be a thick fog in the pews (to paraphrase a well-known preaching aphorism), I came across the following from Kenneth Bailey in his book " Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels" Here's a part of his helpful observation. In Hebrew (as in Greek) there are two words that are translated into English as “blessed.” The two Greek words parallel the Hebrew words, and it is important to understand the differences between them. One of the...

 I had a look and saw that my last post was 25 Feb, 2015!  Why have I been gone so long? And why am I back? (hopefully :-))  I have been gone as life just became busier and decided to move more to posting and interacting on Facebook - both my personal account and my church's FB account.  I am back because when I agreed to help post weekly on https://thedailyprayerblog.blogspot.com/,  had to log in to blogger, and I thought "why not?"  When I have in between time and I need a break, why not post something on my blog? I still agree with Henri Nouwen's words that started me blogging (the side bar on this blog with the title: "Making our lives available to others").

1 March Pastor’s notes Giving to Caesar and giving to God Last’s week’s WHAM verse of the week was Matthews 22:17-22. The context is interesting (read v.15-22) as two normally opposing groups, the Pharisees and the Herodians, joined together to try to trap Jesus. The former were strict nationalistic Jewish religious teachers, and were against Roman occupation. And the latter were from a Jewish political party who sympathized with the Herodian rulers from Rome.  Natural enemies became “friends” to lay a trap for their common enemy Jesus. The plan they thought of was brilliant and fool proof (at least they thought it was). The Pharisees sent their disciples so it would look as if the question was a genuine query. They would flatter Jesus to get his guard down and then hit Jesus with a question where to answer either yes or no would place Jesus in a most difficult and dangerous position. “Yes” would make him seem like a traitor and a non- patriotic Jew. “No” would gi...

A question on Christian tradition Pastor’s notes for 22 Feb 2015 Last week’s WHAM verse(s) of the week were 1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? (Matt 15:1-3) Matthew 15:1-19 is personally challenging for me.  The issue was a complaint by religious leaders as to why Jesus’ disciples were not more stringent in keeping the tradition of the Jewish elders. The “tradition of the elders” is a reference to a body of oral traditions that was passed down from generation to generation. The intention was noble – to help the people obey God’s commands. The tradition of ceremonial cleanness had the purpose of reminding the people about the need for purity of heart because God is a holy God. This was a good tradition. But sadly it...

Pastor’s notes for 15 Feb 2015 Last week’s WHAM verse of the week was:   When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. ( Matt 8:10). Do read Matthew 8:5-13 for the context if you have not done so. I mentioned this passage in passing in my sermon last month on the humanity of Jesus and how he was able to be surprised.  But it is actually more than surprised. The Greek word “thaumazo” translated “marvelled” has the meaning of wonder, admiration, AMAZEMENT. Ponder for a moment. This pagan centurion had faith that was able to actually amaze the Son of God. (This is an example of how the word “amazing” should be used!) Compare the centurions understanding of prayer and faith in comparison to what we see prevalent in ancient times and even in the church today. 1.       He understood the concept of authority and extended his understanding to the true and comp...

Pastor’s notes for 8 Feb 2015 I hope you have been enjoying the WHAM Bible reading challenge. If you haven’t started, do not lose heart. Just join in this week. Last Sunday’s WHAM verse(s) of the week was 3  Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matt 7:3-5) I selected it as it is in the context of a sadly oft quoted verse, taken out of context and with the wrong attitude:  “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. (Matt 7:1-2) Verse 1-2 seems to teach it is not our place to judge anyone. And verses 3-5, that to do so wou...