Sentence: If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ John 20: 22
Tena koutou katoa e te whanau o Te Wairua Tapu.
Today we celebrate Pentecost Sunday. And there are multiple kauwhau in all our readings focusing on the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:2-4) “And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” (1 Corinthians 12: 5-8) “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” And of course our gospel reading from John. (John 20: 22) “When Jesus had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.”
It is very tempting to jump from one reading to another to try and make sense of the Holy Spirit and how it functions. But for me, I always come back to the gospels. I never stray to far from what they have to say. You see, prior to the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit, they were locked away in a room afraid of being discovered by the Jewish authorities.
So it was appropriate that I ended last week’s kauwhau with, “Hold on whanau! We are preparing to begin a new chapter and breath new life into the story we get to live out at Te Wairua Tapu.” This would have been quite confronting for some of you as we have been locked away and separated from each other for over two months. And now, I expect you to have all your gifts sorted out and ready to share with the world! Well, to be honest, these are not my expectations but God’s. You see, it’s all about empowerment. When we’ve been given the green light to go, then it’s time to get cracking. But somehow we get scared and begin to question ourselves; are we really ready to go? Am I worthy enough? Do I have the confidence or the right skills and abilities to lead? More importantly, we question our faith. Is my faith strong enough? Maybe I need to spend more time with God and more time getting to know Jesus?
Our lives are no different from the disciples. When it comes to faith, it’s all about God and nothing else. If we truly believe God exists and Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God, then that’s all that matters. This time away from each other has and will continue to test our faith long after our return to Te Wairua Tapu. But our faith has certainly been tested during this time of separation. All our weaknesses and strengths totally exposed to God. Yet, we think we can still hide from God. I am sure the disciples felt the same way but God could see them in that locked room; full of fear, alone, not knowing what to do next, their leader was gone, the wind completely taken from their sails, they were totally lost.
And then we see in our gospel reading, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Yes, it’s me and he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
Be at peace whanau. Be at peace with yourself, your whanau and the world. And we know how the world is right now, how can we not see it? Be at peace. Why? Because the Holy Spirit has come among us and it will be the Holy Spirit that will teach and guide you and I in the direction in which God wants us to take. But let me be clear, our role and the role of the church is all about salvation. Bringing God’s people back to God. And like a wise priest said to me one day, you can only save the world by saving one person at a time. The question is; are you saved? Or are you still waiting to be saved? Let go and be at peace because you believe. So as the tongues of fire from the Holy Spirit descends upon us, let us be empowered and ready to go and save the world, one person at a time. As Jesus commands and outlines our mission, If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Amen.
Collect: Holy Spirit of God, blowing through creation: No door can keep you out. Unlock our hearts, breathe on us anew; that we may speak God’s words of life. With the Father and the Son, you live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Venerable Kaio Karipa Archdeacon Sydney Maori Anglican Fellowship Church of Te Wairua Tapu www.tewairuatapu.com.au
Readings: Acts 1:6-14 Ps 68:1-10,32-35 1 Pet 4:12-14; 5:6-11 John 17:1-11
Sentence: Now this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Alleluia! John 17: 3
Tena koutou katoa e te whanau o Te Wairua Tapu.
In today’s gospel, Jesus offers prayers for himself, his disciples and his followers. It’s obvious the time had come for Jesus to leave and ascend back to God the father, back to his place of origin. So before he goes, Jesus prays to God to protect and unite his followers through the name given to him, Jesus. He prayed for this unified protection so that when the time came his followers would be prepared to receive the Holy Spirit and to have the necessary strength and courage they will need to face the same world that rejected him.
On reflection, I can understand why Jesus prayed for his followers as we have been given insights into the good and bad side of humanity over the past 8 to 9 weeks. Knowing what humanity are capable of doing to each other and to see the war raging between right and wrong, good and evil, rich and poor, only tells me, that the Church and followers of Jesus need his prayers because we have plenty of work to do in this broken ego driven world!
So whanau, I hope you have taken this time of being still, waiting and watching and deepening your relationship with God so that you are energised, prepared and full of running for your return to karakia at Te Wairua Tapu. So when we come together as one, our prayers and our actions will be a powerful and potent force to be reckoned with. Our worship should enable God to touch, embrace, shape and change us through the God given gifts we have received. So you should have identified your gifts by now as you will be challenged to use them openly and wisely for the benefit of the church and the world. In other words, when we are called to unite and work together again, our karakia will, not should, glorify God with integrity and devotion throughout the entire service; every word we utter and every hymn we sing glorifies God in the most expressive way. The time for mediocre karakia is over!
You see, today’s gospel from John is full of theology. And there is nothing better than to let the word speak for itself. Jesus looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. ‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours.’
Read and re-read. If you don’t get it then you won’t but that’s still okay. But if you do, then you will understand that eternal life is not reserved until we die; it is something we share now through Jesus. We receive eternal life the moment we have faith in Jesus and begin to have a relationship with him. We don’t wait and expect to just receive the gift of eternal life. Hold on Jesus, I’ll get to you one day! That’s not how it works.
Plus, we have the privilege of having a living, vibrant and growing relationship with the God of all that exists. A God we know, through Jesus, to be a compassionate, forgiving, loving and healing God. True eternal life is all about knowing God and knowing Jesus. It is centred on our relationship with God, and that relationship comes through knowing Jesus. When Jesus prays for us, he is after something deeper. He wants to wake up the heart of God within us. Jesus did not pray that all believers would or should agree. The source of our unity is not in human structures. It’s in Jesus Christ. Our unity gives us strength in difficult and tough times like now. It is true that there is power in numbers. That’s how powerful the church is when every one of us prays constantly with one heart and one mind! So hold on whanau! We are preparing to begin a new chapter and breath new life into the story we get to live out at Te Wairua Tapu. Amen.
Collect: Holy God, you have not left us alone but promised your abiding protection. In all we face, grant us such a knowledge of your presence, and abiding care, that nothing can destroy our trust. Through Jesus Christ our Liberator, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Venerable Kaio Karipa Archdeacon Sydney Maori Anglican Fellowship Church of Te Wairua Tapu
Readings: Acts 17:22-31 Ps 66:8-20 1 Pet 3:13-22 John 14:15-21
Sentence: They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them. Alleluia! John 14: 21
Tena koutou katoa e te whanau o Te Wairua Tapu.
Well, it seemed like we might be back at Te Wairua Tapu sooner than expected. However, Archbishop Glen Davies tweeted, “Step 1 is not the time to re-introduce Sunday public worship……The coronavirus is still a very real danger for us all, so the need for ongoing vigilance is paramount.” So whanau, to be vigilant means we remain in this space for a bit longer and there must be some more lessons for us to learn while we are here.
In our gospel reading today, Jesus says, “I will not leave you orphaned.” Yet, it seems like we have been orphaned during this time of absence from Te Wairua Tapu, Moorebank and Wollongong. In those few words, Jesus speaks directly to some of our greatest fears and challenges; abandonment, isolation, loneliness and vulnerability. Those words remind us that we are not destined to live life without an identity or direction. Something we have been constantly confronted with during this time.
You see, there are times and moments of life. Just like now. Times when transitions, changes, and tragedies can leave us feeling like orphans. And for reasons beyond our control, we seem to be living like orphans today. Facing the same questions. What will I do now? Where do I go? What happens next? Who will love, nurture, and guide me? Who is on my side? Those are the sort of questions that orphans would pose just like the disciples did. Remember last week, it was the last supper. The disciples had been fed, feet washed and the betrayer had left. It was nightime and Jesus announced he was leaving. The one for whom the disciples had left everything now tells them he’s leaving. “We don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” “Show us the Father.” Those are orphan questions.
That is our biggest fear, becoming orphaned. I remember losing my mother, broke my heart and I never thought I’d get over it. Still miss her today. But my fear and I am sure your fear points to the deeper reality that by ourselves we are nothing. It’s not because we are not good enough. It’s because we were never created to be self-sufficient. We were never intended to be alone as individuals. Read the book of Genesis. Instead, we were created to be in community or communion with others. To love and be loved, to live in relationships as persons giving themselves to each other, to dwell, abide, and remain within each other just as God is in Jesus and Jesus is in God; the total opposite of being orphaned. “I will not leave you orphaned.” That’s what Jesus promises. No matter what the circumstances are in our lives; the storms and troubles we encounter, the death of loved ones or the separations we face, we have never been and will never be orphaned or left alone by God.
How strange those words must have sounded to the disciples. Jesus tells them that he is leaving and then coming back. Leaving and coming sure sound like opposites. But don’t fall into the trap of trying to make sense or figure all this stuff out. It’s not something to figure out. It’s rather a means to see and live in a different way and that’s why we struggle get it like the disciples. And why shouldn’t we? Jesus is coming and going, here and there, present and absent. But that’s what Jesus has set before us in today’s gospel. He confronts us with the ultimate question of whether “Jesus Christ”, for you and I, is just a past memory or a present reality, a sentimental love story that makes us feel good or Jesus is alive and he challenges, guides and nurtures our lives.
The answer to that question is determined by the love that is revealed and fulfilled in keeping Jesus’ commandments. The commandment to love our neighbour as ourselves, to love our enemies and to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Do we keep the commandments? Is our love growing and transforming ourselves and the world? If so, then Jesus is probably a present reality in our lives and we know that we are not left orphaned. If, however, we are not sharing much love, especially in our homes, then we remain self-centred and isolated and we allow ourselves and each other to join all the other orphans of this world, and there’s plenty! Jesus’ promise is real and he remains faithful to us but we haven’t claimed it for ourselves. Perhaps today is the day you claim it and own it!
You see, keeping the commandments is our access to Jesus’ promise that we will not be left orphaned. However, keeping them doesn’t make Jesus present to us. Instead, it makes us present to the already ongoing reality of Jesus’ presence and love. The commandments don’t earn us Jesus’ love nor gain us automatic entry into heaven but they reveal our love for him, a love that originates in his abiding love and presence within us. Every time we expand the boundaries of our love we not only get to experience God’s unconditional love but we get to push back on becoming orphans in this world. This also creates space within us where God and Jesus Christ can make their home. Regardless of what is happening in our lives Jesus’ promise stands. “I will not leave you orphaned.” So don’t give up on yourselves or others. Love with all that you are and all that you have just as God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ love us with all that they are and all that they have. Amen.
Collect: God who speaks in silence; help us wait in quietness. When you seem absent, grant us the faith that knows you are there, bringing to fulfilment all you have started. Through Jesus Christ our Liberator, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Venerable Kaio Karipa Archdeacon Sydney Maori Anglican Fellowship Church of Te Wairua Tapu www.tewairuatapu.com.au
Readings: Acts 7:55-60 Ps 31:1-5,15-16 1 Pet 2:2-10 John 14:1-14
Sentence: Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Alleluia! John 14: 6
Tena koutou katoa e te whanau o Te Wairua Tapu.
To all the mothers, Happy Mother’s Day! Make sure all your children and mokopuna spoil you today as you all deserve it. Especially with everything you do and then some! Let them show you how grateful they really are for all that you do for them.
Well whanau, I’m not sure when we will be back at Te Wairua Tapu but it’s looking like July at this stage. So I wonder how you will be feeling after hearing Jesus say, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.’ That’s our gospel for today.
Usually this text and gospel passage from John is often used at tangihanga. I’m sure you, like me, have heard these words on numerous occasions, even I recite them. Why? Because death troubles our hearts and we see the pain, the suffering and the grief whanau go through when they lose a loved one so we try to offer them spiritual comfort, strength and stability between life and death. Most receive the word and it calms their mind, body and souls. For some, the grief is to overwhelming and they don’t hear the word so their hearts remain troubled but that’s okay. I always hope and pray that over time God heals their pain and grief.
But today’s gospel not only speaks to us in a time of mourning but it has something to say right here and right now. It’s speaks to the very circumstances that trouble our hearts. Perhaps it would have been more appropriate when we first entered isolation. Instead it shows up today. You see, context is everything. This passage comes on the night of the last supper. Jesus has announced his upcoming death, washed his disciples paru feet, Judas has left the table to betray him and Jesus points out that Peter will deny him three times. Thomas is lost. “How can we know the way?” And Philip can’t see what’s right in front of him. “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied”. They have all lost sight of Jesus straight after he tells them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
See how easy it is for us to get lost? We are no different from the disciples! Jesus says to us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” And yet our hearts are troubled, not only when we lose loved ones but right now. Come on Jesus, can’t you see what’s happening in our lives and our world? Everything has been turned upside down! We’ve been isolated and disconnected, we’ve had to do things we never dreamed we had to do, our futures look bleak, many of our people are unemployed with no access to government support, huge loss of life globally, especially within the most disproportionate communities, when can we go back to karakia and the pain goes on. What are we supposed to do? Where do we turn too?
In the midst of all this trouble, the question we need to be asking ourselves is this; will we hold on or is everything collapsing around us? Like the disciples, their world was collapsing and so it has been for us over the past two months. We have faced so much instability and chaos and it’s not over yet. We have gone looking over there and over there and we keep on looking for that elusive mana to fix everything up. You know it and I know it. But it’s okay because you will come back to the same spot. Like I have constantly said, don’t move, be still and wait. Jesus knows that our hearts are troubled. He’s not warning us about a future condition. He can see it in us now.
You see, dealing with a troubled heart begins with looking into our own hearts and seeing and naming what really troubles us? That means facing our selves, our lives and our world. Jesus knows this and we don’t like doing it. It’s too hard and too painful. It takes us to close to the edge of the unknown and the fear of a free fall into a collapsing life and a collapsing world. “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Thomas speaks for us all. At this point, we’ve lost our centre. God and Jesus Christ. But from my own faith journey and experience in life, sometimes we have to lose our centre in order to find it. It’s a part of life. It’s a part of being human. Sometimes it comes out of circumstances we didn’t create or choose. Other times it’s a consequence of our choices or actions. Regardless, Jesus says that is not a place to stay or a way to live. It’s not the life he lives or the life he offers us.
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.’ That is the core of our faith. If your heart is troubled then it’s time to re-centre. It’s time to realise that you are not the centre but God is. Therefore, do not be afraid of what is happening around you, yes, there will be times where our hearts will be troubled but allow God to truly see who you really are. Don’t fear being exposed to God. It is the very place where you will find the person you are truly meant to be. And that is the biggest fear we have. Yet, Jesus continues to show us the way.
When this happens, maybe you and I will better understand Jesus when he says, ‘In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.’
Back to God our centre through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Collect: God of truth, hidden force of all creation, you long to set us free. Confront us with your tenderness, fire us with your justice; that, at your coming, we too may set the world alight. Through Jesus Christ our Liberator, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Venerable Kaio Karipa Archdeacon Sydney Maori Anglican Fellowship Church of Te Wairua Tapu www.tewairuatapu.com.au
Readings: Acts 2:42-47 Psalm 23 1 Peter 2:19-25 John 10:1-10
Sentence: 9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. Alleluia! John 10: 9
Tena koutou katoa e te whanau o Te Wairua Tapu.
I am sure being in isolation for the past six weeks has been challenging for all of you, I know it has been for me. I have come to know my whanau a lot more intimately, their idiosyncratic ways, especially their particular likes and dislikes, what they will and will not do and, at times totally amaze you with their responses and actions. However, in reality it has nothing to do with my whanau but everything to do with me. You see, there are personal values that mean so much to me that I have a tendency to expect everyone else to know and to uphold them even if they don’t want too. Therefore, what I have learnt thus far, and it’s not over yet, is the importance of leadership. If you want to be a leader you must lead by example. If you believe things should be done a certain way then do it, don’t talk about it or expect others to do them for you. Hence, our gospel reading from St John. The story of Jesus the good shepherd who goes ahead of his own and they follow him because they know his voice. They don’t follow strangers but run from them because they don’t know the voice of strangers.
Isn’t it amazing, there are so many voices making so much noise right now, you don’t really know which one to listen too! Television, reality shows, Netflix, the news, social media and the list goes on. That’s why I have maintained, be still, listen and you will know. Leadership isn’t loud and proud, it’s quiet and humble. It’s the voice you hear calling to you through all the noise that surrounds us. Here I am, Jesus says, follow me.
Yet, Jesus doesn’t make it easy for us. At the beginning of today’s gospel Jesus suggests he is the shepherd who enters the gate, unlike the thieves and bandits who jump over the fence. The sheep, he says, listen to and follow the voice of the shepherd but run from the voice of strangers. But then Jesus says that he is the gate. So he’s both the shepherd who enters the gate and the gate the shepherd enters? And then he says that we can enter him as a gate to abundant life? St. John clearly states that Jesus was using a “figure of speech.” That’s why Jesus’ sayings and teachings are difficult to understand and like today’s text it cannot be taken literally as it makes no sense to the rational and intellectual mind. The figure of speech points to something beyond itself, something more important, which in this context is abundant life. So we need to think, see and listen differently to what we are being told.
Jesus says that abundant life is the reason he came; so we might “have life, and have it abundantly.” But abundant life is not about quantity and prosperity, having everything; wealth, success, approval, security or being loud, proud and number one. I am not saying there is anything wrong with that but to truly follow Jesus, abundant life is about quality of life not quantity. It’s about having meaning in our lives; integrity, humility, purpose and relationships. It’s about sharing and giving life to others and the world not take, take, take. Abundant life is all about love, joy, hope, kindness, generosity, hospitality and gratitude. It’s about easing the pain and suffering that surrounds us and in the world.
We only have to watch what’s happening in the world to see how society is responding to this global crisis we face. How world leaders are reacting and as individuals and communities we have to decide for ourselves, is it quantity of life we desire or quality of life. That’s why it’s so important to keep filtering through all the voices and listen for the voice calling you so you don’t get lost and end up chasing the wind. We are the kaitiaki of our hearts and souls. Guarding them means staying awake, being watchful, and staying diligent. Awareness of and reflection on what is happening within and outside of us is the key and depending on who or what it is we will either open them or keep them shut. There are no easy, simple, one size fits all, or once and for all answers to any questions about life. But we don’t have to make these decisions alone or in isolation. Jesus said, “I am the gate.” He is the gate that opens and leads to the pastures of abundant life and he is the gate that stands against death. We open or close ourselves in collaboration with Jesus. “The sheep follow (The shepherd) because they know his voice.” Amen.
Collect: God of our futures; you go ahead of us to prepare a place for us. Help us put our trust in you; in this life, may we be freed from our fears; and, in the life to come, know you face to face Through Jesus Christ our Liberator, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Venerable Kaio Karipa Archdeacon Sydney Maori Anglican Fellowship Church of Te Wairua Tapu
