Facing adversity with hope (Mic 7:7-10)
Mic 7:7-10 When news of Covid started trickling through the media early last year, I remember those first feelings of disquiet, the anxiety of what it will look like when it hit us here in NZ. Will we have to…
What do you crave? (Mic 7:1-6)
Mic 7:1-6 At a conference I attended last year, a speaker reflected on Paul’s distress over the idols in Athens (Acts 17:16) and asked what troubles or provokes us when we encounter the world or the church. He used this…
The wisdom of heeding God’s Word (Mic 6:9-16)
Mic 6:9-16 Have you ever travelled a long distance and run out of petrol before you had a chance to refill? Despite modern cars telling us when petrol is getting low, we can choose to ignore it thinking there will…
When serving God is wearisome (Mic 6:6-8)
Mic 6:6-8 What does it take to satisfy us as we relate to others? Well, it depends on the type of relationship we are in. A shop owner wants buyers to pay for the goods, a boss that subordinates perform…
God in the dock (Mic 6:1-5)
Mic 6:1-5 It is not uncommon these days to meet people who say that they have called out to God in their time of need, but He did not answer, therefore they decided not to believe in Him. After all,…
The object of our trust and worship (Mic 5:10-15)
Mic 5:10-15 I have a red-and-white striped tee that my husband calls my ‘Where’s Wally’ top. Not being familiar with the British puzzle book, I had to look up illustrations of Wally, a cartoon character in a red-and-white t-shirt, who…
How can we have an impact in the world? (Mic 5:7-9)
Mic 5:7-9 The secular West has largely rejected Christianity and the public narrative is that the Church is irrelevant and has nothing to offer, that her God is vindictive and wrathful and Christian contexts are a hotbed of hate speech…
Where is the source of our strength? (Mic 5:1-6)
Mic 5:1-6 Every now and then we meet godly people who touch our lives in a special way. What is attractive in them is not some flashy ability, a golden tongue, or extraordinary insights and skills. Rather, in their very…
Knowing the thoughts of the Lord (Mic 4:11-13)
Mic 4:11-13 When my husband and I first started thinking about moving from the UK to New Zealand, we wanted to settle in the city where his parents lived. It made sense to us since we had family there, but…
The key to tackling disaster well (Mic 4:9-10)
Mic 4:9-10 In the Hollywood classic Gone with the Wind, the heroine Scarlett O’Hara faces challenges hard to bear. When troubles rise like so many questions, she says to herself, ‘I can’t think about this now. I’ll think about it…