The theme for April 15th is Temples, Churches, Synagogues, Houses of Prayer.
Synagogues – I’m reasonably sure there is no synagogue in the north although I found a reference on the net to “about 100” Jews living in the area in December, 2000.
But we do have a temple. Jam Tse Dhargyey Ling Tibetan Buddhist Centre sits high on a hill just north of Whangarei with panoramic views over the city and beyond.
The 'stupa' from below
from above, a small shrine and the ‘stupa’ with the monks’ pizza oven a little to the left (seems to me that these monks have a sense of humour).
(You can see how changeable the autumn weather is by the difference in the sky in just a few minutes)
Anyone who has been visiting my blog for a while knows that I love the humble little wooden churches of the north of New Zealand where I live. Sometimes they appear in a paddock beside a back road, looking sad and neglected. There's something about their simplicity that I love, often it's a nice addition to the simpleness of their rural surroundings.
I am constantly touched by their humble plainness, by the quietness, the stillness of their plain and simple interiors. Sometimes a perfectly ordinary exterior reveals magnificent native timbers inside. Of all the altars I’ve seen this, made from kauri I think, is the loveliest.
And, quite often, there is a wonderful mix of the European and Maori cultures:
I have chosen St Barnabas at Peria as an example of these humble little churches. Last time I visited, it looked very sad indeed but inside we found two dedicated parishioners taking down the curtains behind the altar after its recent de-consecration in preparation for a ‘make over”.
To see lots of places or prayer from other parts of the world, just pop over here.
To see lots of places or prayer from other parts of the world, just pop over here.
