Exploring New Expressions of Faith
People in Manawatu can listen to live programmes on Manawatu Peoples Radio (MPR) Frequency 999 on Tuesday and/or Saturday, at 11am. Alternatively each 30-minute programme can be downloaded from www.mpr.nz/show/wesley.
Bold type indicates the title for each programme, as listed on the website.
Open Family – an offering for Mother’s Day with songs from Dave Dobbyn, Shirley Murray and Colin Gibson
Murray/Bray – four hymns for Pentecost with words by Shirley Murray and music by Jillian Bray
Pohiri – Pohiri Scott has lived in a wheelchair since her childhood years and is an active member of the Wesley Church Agape Fellowship for people living with a disability – physical or mental, and those socially isolated. Pohiri finds spiritual support in songs by Pink, Taylor Swift and Mavis Staples.
Hymns by Shirley Murray – four hymns taken from the TV1 Praise Be recordings: Where mountains rise, God of all time, Who is my mother? and Every day.
Synod 24 –Gillian reports on a recent Lower North Island Synod meeting where the Miramar congregation turned a dying church in to a lively community centre. John shares two songs from Māori singer Ria Hall’s CD Manawa Wera, illustrating the challenge and promise of the bicultural journey. Colin Gibson’s hymn Where the Road Runs Out is read as a prophetic vision for our collective future as local community and global family.
Programmes for September
Trinidad Memories – John and Gillian lived and worked in Trinidad from 1967 to 1969. John plays calypso and steelband tracks, and three poems from Trinidad poet Anthony Joseph. Asked on National Radio’s Nine to Noon programme, ‘What do you think Trinidad offers the world?’, the poet replied, ‘I think it offers a spirituality all people are seeking in these troubled times.’ John will explore this further.
Invisible Illness – John talks with his daughter Louise, who has lived with chronic pain for 14 years. Sharing a description of the ‘invisible illness’, as she has lived it, Louise asks the question: ‘Why does the government ignore Long Covid?’
In 2023/2024, John and Gillian shared hymns from Aotearoa both on radio and in worship services. The hymns serve as prayers and meditations, as well as providing teaching and preaching material. People wanting to know more on suggestions for choice of New Zealand hymns in worship, and how the people’s theology is found in the hymn singing can email: johngill@inspire.net.nz
The Wesleyan brothers expressed their faith in the early Methodist churches through hymn singing. Today, our own hymnwriters give a new expression of faith for our present and future faith journey.