Poetry – Mark Conner

The Home Crowd

Mark Conner — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 16:52:33 +0000

There is an interesting story in the Gospel of Luke about Jesus and his home town crowd - Nazareth. Jesus grew up here. Everyone knew him as 'Joseph's son'. After reading the Scripture in the synagogue one Sabbath, people were surprised by how well Jesus spoke. But before you knew it, they were angry with … Continue reading The Home Crowd

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God’s Love for Me

Mark Conner — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 04:49:25 +0000

One of the most well-known Jesus stories is his interaction with a Samaritan woman at a well, as recorded in the Gospel of John. This woman had come to draw water from Jacob's well. She was alone and it was midday. This was probably due to her ostracisation from her local community due to her … Continue reading God’s Love for Me

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Welcome to Spring!

Mark Conner — Sat, 31 Aug 2019 19:00:03 +0000

Welcome to the first day of Spring! At least here in Australia where I live. This last week I spent time walking along Melbourne's iconic Yarra River. Wildflowers were bursting into bloom everywhere. Here is one of the photos I took on my phone. I then crafted the following poem. I hope you enjoy it. … Continue reading Welcome to Spring!

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Gone

Mark Conner — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 02:00:59 +0000

None of us like to talk about death. It is an enemy that steals away the ones we love. My step-mum, Rene Conner passed away recently. It's been hard for all for all of us, but especially for my dad. I was walking through their home a few days back - so empty now. A … Continue reading Gone

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Stormy Winds

Mark Conner — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 23:57:00 +0000

Have you ever been in the middle of a storm - a literal one or maybe a storm of adverse circumstances? I sure have - many of them and of all kinds. In fact, just over three years ago, Nicole and I were in the middle of what felt like a perfect storm. It was bigger … Continue reading Stormy Winds

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The Mystery of our Emotions (Part 2)

Mark Conner — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Yesterday, we started talking about the mystery of our emotions. I am a fairly optimistic person and therefore I have a lot of positive emotions. My family have called me everything from 'Peter Pan' to ‘Tigger'. Yes, I do have a lot of enthusiastic energy … usually from the moment I wake up. … Continue reading The Mystery of our Emotions (Part 2)

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A New Day

Mark Conner — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 19:00:00 +0000

Nicole and I are currently spending 12 days in Germany while on our way to Russia, where I will speak at three church leaders' conferences (in St Petersburg, Moscow and Novosibirsk). Our day is about over here in the northern hemisphere and we have had a wonderful time touring some of the beautiful southern Germany countryside. … Continue reading A New Day

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A Bigger World

Mark Conner — Thu, 11 May 2017 18:00:00 +0000

I hope you enjoyed John O'Donohoe's poem, For A New Beginning. It really resonated with me, mainly because of the changes and transitions that Nicole and I have navigated over these last few years. Back in October 2015, I was at Phillip Island with some pastors on a two-day retreat. Early one morning I went … Continue reading A Bigger World

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For a New Beginning

Mark Conner — Wed, 10 May 2017 18:06:14 +0000

My wife, Nicole, just returned from a week's Silent Retreat on the beautiful Bellarine Penisula in Victoria. The dogs (we have two - Oscar, the kindest labrador you've ever met, and Nikki, the naughtiest, yet smartest pugalier ever to enter the world) and I managed to survive while Nicole was away. In fact, we had a … Continue reading For a New Beginning

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Reflections on Midlife

Mark Conner — Sat, 04 Mar 2017 07:00:00 +0000

In my recent farewell address, I noted how differently you see life at age 55 compared to your early 20s and 30s. When you are young, you think you will live forever! But life and time do move quickly. The stages of life seem to progress with increasing speed: childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, midlife, mature adulthood and late … Continue reading Reflections on Midlife

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Time

Mark Conner — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 10:32:58 +0000

Good morning, everyone. It's hard to believe it, but Christmas is over and the new year is well underway. I've just returned to work after 3 week's of holidays and I only have 6 more weeks before I finish up in my role as Senior Minister as CityLife Church. I turned 55 years of age … Continue reading Time

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The Finish Line

Mark Conner — Sun, 18 Dec 2016 19:10:00 +0000

Today was my last official day of work for 2016. I spoke at all 5 of our church's Christmas carols presentations this weekend. It was a lot of fun and it was great to see so many people there, especially so many visitors. It's now 2 months and 8 days till I finish up in my role … Continue reading The Finish Line

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The Great Unknown

Mark Conner — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 20:37:50 +0000

Sometimes in life we experience 'more of the same' as we deal with the familiarity of routine. At other times, there is the adventure of new things and of entering uncharted waters. That's my life right now. I am in the process of transitioning out of a staff role at CityLife Church where I have … Continue reading The Great Unknown

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Life’s Journey

Mark Conner — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 01:15:00 +0000

Mountain top and valleySunshine and rainCalm and stormEase and pain Joy and sorrowHope and disappointmentLaughter and tearsKnown and unknown Darkness and lightNight and daySummer and winter Blue skies and fog Confidence and fearFaith and doubtAnswers and questionsLost and found Enemies and friendsAcceptance and rejectionApproval and shameSin and forgiveness War and peace Unity and conflict High and low Life and … Continue reading Life’s Journey

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Crossroads

Mark Conner — Wed, 02 Mar 2016 01:51:00 +0000

At another crossroadsSo many optionsDestination competitionLoud voicesMultiplicity of signs Stay on the same courseOr make a turn?Popular highwayOr the road less travelled? Moving fastTrying to read the mapTraffic congestionImportant decisions Take a pit stopPull out of the raceJust for a momentCatch your bearings Where have you been?Where have you come from?Where are you now?Pin point … Continue reading Crossroads

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