In September 1992 the youngest of our three children, eighteen month old daughter Kristen, died on the road outside our manse, hit by a car. I was in my first year as a minister, serving in the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand in Tokoroa, a town of 16000 people connected with dairy, logging, pulp and paper industries. A month later, the twenty one year old daughter of the church secretary was killed in a horrific car accident.
As you can imagine we were struggling to deal with multiple layers of grief, as a family, as a congregation, as a community. Coming into Christmas I remember the struggle of being responsible for communicating the love, joy and hope of the season. As I preached through the nativity stories I was attuned to the down-to-earth struggle of a young couple as they grappled with an unplanned pregnancy and an arduous journey away from home. I took comfort in God’s engagement in our suffering through becoming one of us, in the flesh.
Lloma, the church secretary who shared our journey of grief, was inspired to reach out to others who were feeling lost and alone over Christmas. Together our families gathered a team to host a Christmas Day dinner for people who were away from their families. The community responded magnificently. Farmers, butchers, and bakers donated food for the meal. The local newspaper featured our plans on the front page and challenged readers to invite their neighbours to their Christmas meals.
Celebrating Christmas without Kristen was painful. It wasn’t the memories of past Christmas that we grieved for – it was the lost opportunities of the future. But as we connected with our community we discovered others with similar experiences. Together we made God’s connection of fragility and joy.
An article I wrote for the back page of Journey, December 2007
Tapu Misa, columnist with the New Zealand Herald, recently mentioned her conversion to Christianity in passing. In her post, Discovering mum’s right about religion? Priceless, she unpacks the costly nature of that conversion.
…Having become a Christian, I can see why I resisted it for so long. People who dismiss it as a crutch for emotional cripples are wrong. Although I find the world a better, richer, more compassionate place with God in it, there’s no getting away from the fact that Christianity is a demanding religion. I’ve no problem loving my neighbours as myself but loving and praying for my enemies has so far proved more of a struggle (though I have ceased to wish them ill).
And not only am I supposed to face up to my awful imperfections, but I’m supposed to do something about them….
Tapu is helpfully deconstructing the illusion that conversion is merely some temporary fix to an emotional problem or an indication of an intellectual weakness. Following in the footsteps of Jesus is not an easy option - in fact it flies in the face of the natural outcomes of a busy, consumer-driven comfortable lifestyle. Thanks for the reminder Tapu.
Neil Finn, Nick Seymour and Mark Hart have joined up with drummer Matt Sherrod to reform Crowded House, almost two years after the death of former drummer Paul Hester, and over ten years since the band last played in concert. The new lineup is working on a new studio album is planning a world tour.
Talking about the decision Neil said “After spending most of last year making music and hanging out with my friend Nick Seymour we are now announcing our intention to reform Crowded House with a new record entitled Time On Earth. It feels right to us that the band should re-emerge at this time and together with Mark Hart we look forward to reconnecting with the audience that we established and for whom we still hold a deep respect. We aim to make the upcoming shows and the new music every bit as vital and spirited as what has come before. We are conscious that Paul Hester was above all a great drummer and we are currently auditioning to find someone special to take that role.”
The band is currently putting the finishing touches on the new album for release later in the year. Tour plans are yet to be announced but the band have confirmed they will play the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in California USA along with Bjork, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Rage Against the Machine.
This Saturday 17th March, the band will be performing new tracks and old favorites for a special live interactive webcast at 10pm GMT (3.00pm Los Angeles, 9.00am Sunday Sydney, 10.00am Sunday NZ), through www.crowdedhouseofficial.com. The band will take time during the performance to read out comments and answer questions from you.
Crowded House is making it possible for a few people to attend the webcast, live in Bath, England. You must be able to make your own way there and back. No accommodation will be provided.
In September 1992 the youngest of our three children, eighteen month old daughter Kristen, died on the road outside our manse, hit by a car. I was in my first year as a minister, serving in the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand in Tokoroa, a town of 16000 people connected with dairy, logging, pulp and paper industries. A month later, the twenty one year old daughter of the church secretary was killed in a horrific car accident. 
Tapu Misa, columnist with the New Zealand Herald, recently mentioned her conversion to Christianity in passing. In her post, 
