Blog

There are lots of things in my life that I never expected to happen. Leading a team of amazing Kiwi youth leaders among the top. As a middle schooler watching Lord of the Rings, I never expected that I’d actually end up visiting Hobbiton one day let alone living in Middle Earth long term. Back in May I went stargazing with a couple young adults because we’d missed the first night of the massive solar storm and tried to catch a bit of the second night. We didn’t see any colours, but I had a blast hanging out with two incredible young women who I have the privilege of doing life alongside.

When a northern hemisphere friend texted me this week to let me know Christchurch was in range of the southern lights again, I texted one of those young adults and hopped in her car for a spontaneous adventure. I miss my “10pm friends” that I had in Kandern who would walk over to my picnic bench to stargaze and share a glass of wine while talking about how God was growing us. I’m so grateful for the few people who will take a last minute invite to drive to a darker place and marvel at this beautiful universe we live in. This week had two of those once in a lifetime moments as both Tuesday and Friday had sightings of the aurora australis reach up to Christchurch. I filled in a car with some other people on Friday and again enjoyed the stars with lovely kiwis. Each night I had to have someone else send me photos as my ancient device doesn’t have a night mode on the camera to capture the colours that we couldn’t quite see on our own.

I’m amazed at the wonder of God’s creation, and I never want to stop marvelling at the fact that I live here.

I had such small plans for my life, and I’m incredibly grateful that God decided to give me so much more than I can ask or imagine. I spent this week preparing ways to engage youth in discipleship culture and to captivate my leaders with a heart for growing closer to Jesus. One of the adventures of this job is never knowing exactly how things will turn out (teenagers have patterns, but are also highly unpredictable). Pray with me that I’m ready to pivot when the Spirit moves and these kids kick into high gear in their pursuit of Jesus. Over the next few weeks I have the privilege of engaging with some of our young adults on the practice of reading the Bible and the important boundaries we need in discerning the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I also get an opportunity to share some of what God is teaching me through Amos as our whole church goes through a series on this justice focused minor prophet. I’ve already encountered a lot of challenge and conviction, and I hope that I can be an encouragement in my congregation as I identify ways that I can live differently in order to see the marginalised flourishing more in my community.

When you look at the skies like these, it’s easy to marvel at the glory of God. When I wheel down my street and encounter the beer cans and broken class, it’s easy to justify my insulated existence. Here’s hoping that I can share more freely this coming week the encounters with the Gospel that is available to everyone just like the aurora in both hemispheres shouted from the heavens the glory of God further and louder than ever this past week.