In his lifetime Jesus taught us
To observe and then reflect
On the laws that nature teaches
If we pause and then inspect,

Say welcome to the real world,
A world where crosses grow,
Nurtured by groups whose “One way”
Can seem as pure as snow.

Durham Street Methodist ChristChurch New Zealand (Aotearoa) January 20, 2019 service led by Rev. Bill Wallace featuring some of his hymns. Our theme today is Christian Theology and global warming.

Index to all of William L. Wallace’s Children’s Songs

Index to all of William L. Wallace’s Celebrating Mystery Hymns

Index to all of William L Wallace’s Boundless Life Hymns

Index to all of William L. Wallace’s Worship Hymns for Nature’s Seasons

Index to all of William L. Wallace’s Festive Worship Hymns

1. Winter is the season of the revelation of basic structure. If I was to strip away all the paraphernalia of my life what form would it have?

How many of the things which I do are related to the roots
of my spirit.

2. Winter is the season for hibernation. What rhythm do I have for reflection as well as action?
What frequency and length of time do I need in solitude in order to facilitate the growth and quality of my spirituality?

Like the falling of the leaves security in life lies in the process not in the fixed points.
Without harvest there can be no seed time.
Without death there can be no new life, no new beginning.

1. The fragrance of Spring lies not in judgement’s intervention but in love’s nurturing of the interior goodness.
2. Spring is not so much a moment as a movement, a manifestation of the sometimes hidden but always present life-force of God.

The flowering of summer is only eclipsed by the flowering of the human spirit.
Flowering has no permanency – only the process remains. Indeed the flowering only exists for the continuation of the process.

From time immemorial the circle has been a symbol of inclusiveness
and unity.

We have come in the midst of life to grieve for the death of ____, to give thanks for his/her life and to bid him/her farewell. Death and life are one in the purposes of love. Jesus said ‘if you grieve with all your heart, you shall find healing’.

1. Without an overview of the Bible it is very easy to gain an erroneous impression of what the Bible is all about.
2. Look behind the words to the people.

1. Every tear is a womb which can birth new life.
2. Grief is the narrow passage through which we pass from death to life.

Nothing lasts forever in the same form.

Romance is only healthy within the context of our love for life, for the mystery, for the divine.

Buried in every beginning is an ending.

Each day can be a life time.
Time is the enemy only if we let it control our lives.
Time is redeemed by timeless moments.

All of us have experienced mental or physical suffering at the hands of other people. But each of us has also brought suffering to others.

Birth is a miracle but not magic.

Ceremonies are points of cohesion beyond the boundaries of reason, a journey into the shadowy mystical world of the human spirit …

Do not let the Christian doctrine of the Trinity alienate you from the oneness of God; for God is both the many and the one.

1. The seasons of the human heart reflect the seasons of nature.
2. For most things there is a right time but for some things such as manipulation, oppression and injustice there is never a right time.

Until we discern the riches of the other tradition, any union will simply be a matter of absorption.
Uniting two traditions can create a space where a third and more life- giving form of spirituality can emerge.

If we are unwilling to learn from history, we commit ourselves to reliving the mistakes of our ancestors.

Wholeness is a process rather than a static state: it is not an end to the journey but the journey itself.

Unlike our bodies our spirits need not be wearied by age but can become more and more lively day by day. To grow in spirit requires a vision that holds all things together.

Remembering our ancestors gives life to ourselves and also to them, for we are our ancestors and they are us.

To look into the eyes of your beloved is to experience a mystery which the eye cannot discern.
There is no second hand mystery. Descriptions of it are a poor substitute for the experience.

“I GREET THAT OF THE COSMOS WITHIN YOU”

Behind the words the actions, behind the actions the mystery. The Eucharist is a prism through which we can view the painful and joyful realities of life.

Beyond the encounter with the historic Jesus is the meeting with the Inner Christ.

1. It is a wise person who knows their ignorance.
2. You can never grasp all of the mystery.
You can only allow yourself to be grasped by it.

New images arise out of the death of old images so do not be afraid of the wilderness or of the dying.