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Rachel Mackintosh © 25 January 2026

Why do we repeat this ritual every year? It isn’t just to brag about our travels. When we share our water in the common bowl, it reminds us that while we are separate people, we are also part of an interdependent community.

You probably know about the water cycle.

We are in the middle of this cycle. When we drink about two litres of water every day, and then sweat or urinate, or die, we take and then put water back into the water cycle. So water is constantly on the move.

Even if you didn’t study chemistry, you might well know that water is a molecule made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. This molecule being tiny, if you had 18 grams of water, or a little more than half an ounce, that would be about 6 x 10^23 molecules.

This would be 602 sextillion molecules. If you were a 10 year old child weighing 35 kilograms you would contain 20 litres of water or 20,000 grams or 602 septillion molecules. That child returns ten percent or two litres to the water cycle every day.

Because water is constantly cycling around, and because every human being has such large numbers of molecules of water cycling through them, there’s a very good chance that each one of us has at least a few molecules of water that were formerly in the bodies of Socrates, Sappho, Jesus, Mohammed and the Buddha, and any number of great and wise people who lived in the past as well as some of history’s villains.

Thus when we say that we are all interconnected, that statement is quite literally true — we are all interconnected through the water cycle, not only with each other, but with all living beings past and present. Mary Magdalene, Kupe, Mary Wollstonecraft, Te Puea, Billie Holiday, your grandmother, my grandmother, our first minister, William Jellie all might literally be connected to you through water.

I now invite you each to bring your water — and if you didn’t bring it, please feel free to use the virtual and also real water here in this pitcher, that can stand in for the water you are connected to. Those at home, if you have water, pour it; and we will also pour water for you here.

Links

Karakia:- is from “A Ritual for Ingathering/Water Communion” By Eric Cherry

Closing Words:- “All Rivers Run to the Sea” By Kayle Rice

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

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Rachel Mackintosh © 2 November 2025

On 21 February 2023 Archimedes’ arrow of time is released, to speed over 254 days to its destination: death.

On 21 February we receive news of Clay’s terminal diagnosis and driving home from the hospital appointment I begin sobbing. This is not a problem for my driving, actually, but Clay suggests I pull over. Which I do into the side of a car minding its own business in the next lane. The kindness of the stranger in that car, who is not angry but concerned, sets the tone of the next 254 days.

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

Video to come

Audio to come

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Rachel Mackintosh © 7 September 2025

To Tomorrow, 1 September, is the first day of Spring in Aotearoa. Some countries date the seasons to equinox and solstice. We, more prosaically, date our seasons to the beginnings of months. Thus, 1 December is the first day of Summer, 1 March is the first day of Autumn, 1 June is the first day of Winter.

And tomorrow, 1 September, is the first day of Spring.

The first day of spring, whenever we fix it, is one day in the seemingly endlessly repeated revolutions of our planet. We mark the seasons with fixed dates to give our lives a predictable rhythm.

We may steal a branch of apple blossoms in the night, to give ourselves stars and the gift of Spring perfumes.

We may have less criminal rituals that underline our comfort at the repeating rhythm, rituals to mark the transition from one season to the next.

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

An exploration of justice and inclusion.

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Rachel Mackintosh © 27 July 2025

To come In this place, in this community, we covenant to serve humankind in fellowship, that all souls shall grow in harmony.

We face challenges in this endeavour, though we repeat the statement every week.

Certainly, we believe that all souls should grow in harmony.

You may know this story of former Auckland Councillor, the late Efeso Collins. This story takes place at the swearing in when he was first elected to Auckland Council in 2016. I have never been to a swearing in ceremony, but I can imagine a solemn and reverent event. The mayor in robes and chain, the council members dressed in their best, taking on the awesome responsibility of serving their city, with their intentions fresh — intentions of doing their best to make this place somewhere we can all live well. The town hall cleaned and polished to its finest, perhaps some organ music, dignitaries present, VIPs in the audience, there to lend weight to the moment and to pay respect to our elected leaders. A ceremonial occasion.

In 2016, when Efeso Collins was being sworn in, a council usher refused to believe that his wife, children and elders were entitled to sit in the VIP area. Efeso had to persuade the usher to let them take their seats.

Efeso was appalled and embarrassed. His family was humiliated. It was 2016, for goodness’ sake. Weren’t we beyond that kind of racism?

This service will celebrate the only indigenous holiday in Aotearoa.

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

Violence and harassment in the world of work affects us all.
What is the spiritual moment we need to address it?

Video to come

Audio to come

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Rachel Mackintosh © 4 May 2025

I begin this talk by reciting a speech I gave at the International Labour Organisation’s 2019 Conference in Geneva, when I was the Worker Representative for New Zealand and when a new international labour convention was passed, creating a new human right – the right to be free from violence and harassment in the world of work:

In this convention, we have a vision of a different and better world for all people.

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

Video to come

Audio to come

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Rachel Mackintosh © 9 March 2025

Please take a moment to close your eyes and breathe.

Breathe in the possibility of tomorrow

Breath out what is done.

In our wedding vows, Clay and I said to each other, “I love you with all I am and hope to be. I promise to be with you as you are and as you will be.”

As we will be is not as we are. Everything changes us.

And change is loss.

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

Audio to come

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Rachel Mackintosh © 2 February 2025

Why do we repeat this ritual every year? It isn’t just to brag about our travels. When we share our water in the common bowl, it reminds us that while we are separate people, we are also part of an interdependent community.

You probably know about the water cycle.

Speaker & Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

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Rachel Mackintosh © 3 November 2024

Barbara Kingsolver, in her novel Demon Copperhead, has Demon say this:

“… she looked at me in the eyes, and we were sad together for a while. I’ll never forget how that felt. Like not being hungry.”

Like not being hungry.

She looked at me in the eyes, and we were sad together for a while.

I’ll never forget how that felt.

Like not being hungry.

Have you ever been seen like that by another person? Have you ever shared such a deep understanding, be it of sadness or of some other emotion? Do you know that feeling, of not being hungry?

Will you ever forget how that felt?

I will never forget how that felt.

Speakers:- The Macky family
Worship Leader:- Rachel Mackintosh

Meditation / Conversation starter

• What do you make of the whakatauki, “We walk backwards into the future with our eyes fixed on the past”?
• How do you conceive our past and our future?

Links

Chalice Lighting:- “We inherit this free faith from the brave and gentle” by Audette Fulbright Fulson

Reading:- “Good Bones” by Maggie Smith