‘Apprehend God in all things,
for God is in all things.
Every single creature is full of God,
and is a book about God.
Every creature is a word of God.
If I spent enough time with the tiniest creature–
even a caterpillar–
I would never have to prepare a sermon
so full of God is every creature’

(Those words were written by Meister Eckhart, a 13th century Christian mystic)

“So full of God is every creature.”

My parents loved Nature. They taught my three brothers and me to have respect for flowers, trees, birds and other animals. We had dogs as we grew up, always had a succession of dogs. For a long while, too, there were tumbler pigeons and chooks.

Funnily enough, though, there were some things my mother hated. For such a kind and gentle person, it is strange to look back and recall how much she hated some things. Some animals, and some plants.

Each time she saw mangrove swamps she would always remark how ugly they were. I didn’t ask why–just accepted that mangrove swamps were… ugly.

When I was in the garden she would often comment how she hated oxalis with a vengeance. Dock, too, was another enemy. I grew up thinking that mangrove swamps, dock and oxalis, among other things, were bad.

And when shopping it was the norm to seek perfection, the big, red perfectly-shaped apples were sought after, while the little one with flaws or a bug in the middle were rejected.

My thinking began to change about 35 years ago when I became a mother. Wanting to give my children the best of everything I began to look for more natural choices. I started to learn more about relationships.

I started to realise that an apple that had a live bug in it was probably safer than one that no insects would go near, because they had had a dose of poison. I began to plant a few more vegetables so that some could be sacrificed to birds and insects.

Each time I see a kawakawa bush (it adds a wonderful peppery flavour to food), I think of the Maori adage that says select a kawakawa leaf that has insect damage, because the insects know the best ones to eat!

I think it was over at Rawene that I began to understand about mangrove swamps, sorry, wetlands is the PC expression today, and their place in Nature. Mangroves become prolific where there has been a large amount of pollution or sediment into the bay, and while they act as a nursery for marine life, they also purify the polluted water. Spend some time looking around a mangrove forest and you can learn so much about marine ecosystems.

On my farm I learned that dock grew in areas where the soil has been badly compacted and in fact with its long taproot system it brings valuable minerals up to the surface to help restore the texture and health of the damaged topsoil.

We are too judgmental! What right do we have to decide that something is ‘bad’ or ‘ugly’?

Over the last 30 years I have been learning more about insects. It began with an interest in the monarch and has spread to other butterflies. The more I learn, the more my interest grows. I am learning more and more about host plants and predators and parasites. It is all fascinating.

Did you know that the first monarch was seen in this country the year after the Treaty of Waitangi was signed? Did you know that scientists believe they flew/blew here from North America?

And it wasn’t until the Swan plant arrived that the monarch was able to breed here. But did you know that the Swan plant comes from Africa?

Do you know how the Swan plant came to New Zealand? We believe settlers coming from Britain round the Cape of Good Hope went ashore and bought a cushion, pillow or mattress which had a swan plant down filling. At some time after they had settled here, the item was no longer needed, and dumped. Amongst the down was a few Swan plant seeds and soon the plant was growing, and the Monarchs could breed.

As my interest grew I began to dislike the predators and parasites that attack the monarch butterfly. Did you know there is a little wasp that lays its eggs inside a newly formed chrysalis? Instead of a butterfly forming 40 or 50 wasps will emerge from each one, and leave to attack other chrysalises. I began to hate these predators and parasites with a vengeance.

However, one day it occurred to me that the relationships are just as they are meant to be. Not all caterpillars are destined to be butterflies; they also provide food for other species. One species is not meant to be predominant. As one species thrives another one struggles. For instance where we have healthy seawater we will have ample fish. Where there are plentiful fish you will find plenty of fishermen, birds, and marine mammals. An area becomes too popular, the fish become less, so the fishermen go away to find new areas. And so it goes on.

It’s all about balance. There are high and lows. Nature swings in a boom or bust cycle. It is the way it is meant to be.

Sadly, however, nature is affected badly by one of our worst vices: greed. A classic example of this was seen in the media this week: a dairy farmer not content to own one farm and make a reasonable living through hard work, but who owns many farms  and does not have the time or respect for the cows he owns.

It is heartening to me to see that more and more people are becoming aware of environmental issues and our need for wise stewardship of the planet. People are being gentler, people are generally showing respect and responsibility for other beings, animals and plants. We’re not quite there yet, but more and more people are beginning to make a difference.

It wasn’t long ago that we would have shrugged our shoulders and said about that farmer that ‘that’s life’, but it’s different today, we do take action.

You may remember I mentioned how my mother hated oxalis. If you look around the churchyard outside, you will see a bright little pink flower popping its head up all over the lawn. That’s oxalis! It’s a stand-out plant, adding to this church’s charm. And only people who think lawns should be only grass, and green, and neat, would be bothered by it. Each time I see that pretty pink flower, I think of my mother.

Today I hope that we can leave this church and reflect on how we can improve our own relationship with Nature. To have respect for all that is around us, the green leaves, the flowers, the trees. The plant in the wrong place. Insects and birds, pets and farm animals. And those in the wilderness too. We know in our hearts if we are doing the right thing by Nature. We only need to think of how God asked us to behave, in the way that we care for others.

I found this piece of rope on the beach below our home some time ago and have kept it. I thought it would look good draped somewhere in the garden, around a large stone or pot. Meanwhile it has been hanging over a trellis waiting. And now I know what for. I think it provides a perfect analogy for Te Pouhere Sunday. So before it finds its place in the garden it has a job to do.

It is made up of many strands as you can see and together these strands unbroken make the rope very strong. But for some reason many of the strands are broken and it is now very weak and not much use for anything except as rustic decoration. Maybe it was partially cut or the stress on the rope was so strong is couldn’t take the strain and over time the strands started to snap. So would you consider this rope a strong one, strong enough to tie your boat to a mooring? Probably you wouldn’t risk it.

Before we explore the implications of the state of this rope and how it relates to Te Pouhere Sunday lets take a few moments to look at why we celebrate Te Pouhere Sunday and why it has a place in the liturgical calendar in the Anglican Church.

Te Pouhere is the name given to our Anglican Church constitution and it’s a direct reference to the unique structure we’ve adopted. As each of our three tikanga, our cultural streams – Maori, Pakeha and Polynesian, develops in different ways, the constitution seeks to offer us some points of connection and contact. Te Pouhere is literally the hitching post. For Maori it was the place where you tied up your waka at the end of the day.

For me I think that any constitution relating to God must be of God, must be God like, Christ like and spirit like – the Trinity that Heather talked about last Sunday – in its appearance and presentation to followers and believers in Christ. To be on the right track to be a strong hitching post that we can know and trust the constitution must reflect the commands of God – to love God and to love one another that of which Christ came on earth, in human form, to remind us.

While it is certainly appropriate that we recognise the three founding tikanga as ways of being in NZ society it is also time perhaps to be more overtly inclusive of other cultures as they settle and worship in NZ as Paul reminds us in the reading from Corinthians:

“When anyone is joined in Christ, he is a new being, the old is gone, the new has come. All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also.” And John reports to us in the Gospel that Jesus commanded – ‘Love one another- This then is what I command you’. No conditions are added. We are all one in Christ – all men everywhere there is no discrimination, there is no favored race, no favored people, we are all equal in the eyes of God.

So back to the rope.

If we consider the hitching post, the pouhere, to be God-like, to be strong and durable, trustworthy and a safe anchor, and the rope that ties our cultural waka, our union in Christ, the act of obedience that God requires of us, the act of relationship of care for others, then we will be strong personally, and in community with others.

Divisions that hurt others, that put stress on others, that cause others to wonder if God’s cares at all, could cause us as individuals and communities to become like this rope , weak and at risk of being cast adrift.

It is our responsibility as follows of Christ, believers in what Christ came to teach, to ensure inclusiveness, to embrace, and as time passes, to extend the tikanga, to include all who cross our paths.

What would a young person or any person questioning their faith do if they saw irreconcilable differences in the church. They would probably run a mile. They would see the damaged rope and opt not risk it.

This rope therefore symbolic of our union in Christ both personal and in community, to remain strong, needs attention, needs to recognize when a strand or strands are at breaking point and take the pressure off. Some may need repair to ensure the enduring strength of the rope, that is our faith in action in Christ, in God and the Holy Spirit.

It seems that this particular rope is impossible to repair, too many strands are broken. Wouldn’t it be terrible for this to happen to us, for our faith to be tested to the point where we are beyond repair, for others known to us, and those in the wider church community.

So today, here, celebrating Te Pouhere Sunday, the constitution of the Anglican Church, with the three tikanga, lets all make sure we do our bit to keep the church and the demonstration of our faith strong, and nurturing, so that we can fulfill our responsibility to tell others about the good news of Christ, about the love and freedom that life in Christ brings to all men who seek him.

We are all one in Christ. In Christ we are strong and productive. A branch like this rope cannot bear fruit or be strong by itself. It can bear fruit and be an example to others only if it remains in the vine or in the case of our rope only if the rope remains strong and can we trust that our waka is safe tied to the hitching post.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord we know you love us and we trust in you. We know you have a plan for each of us and for your community here and in the world. Show us how to keep our rope strong and secure so that we can show to others what it means to be a member of the body of Christ. Show us how to love you more each day and to love others as we know you love us. Amen.

In the Church Year, Trinity Sunday marks the start of the longest season which ends with the first Sunday before Advent. Trinity Sunday is a good day for us to consider what our baptismal covenant really means to us. There’s one thing we can do, too, that is truly important on this day. Trinity Sunday honours God in all His fullness. May we all come to appreciate the value of this special day.

The three-cornered Celtic shape symbolising the Holy Trinity uses one of the oldest Christian symbols, the fish. The three equal arches of the circle express the equality of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The union of the arches represents the unity of the Godhead. Their continuous form symbolises eternity. And the fact that they are interwoven denotes the indivisibility of the Trinity.

In the centre of the shape is an equilateral triangle, the most ancient of the Trinity symbols, and each pair of arches forms an ellipse, the symbol of God’s glory.

Heather Lindauer, QSM, led us in our worship.

Having just had a rather special visit from her younger brother, Heather spoke on the importance of relationships.

She said that the doctrine of the trinity was ‘God over us, God for us and God in us’. The God known to us in three ways moves in God’s being in harmony.

“If God lives in community, so must we.”

Today we were blessed with a large contingent from ‘overseas’ including Rev Peter and Rev Marina Naera, from Kaikohe. The karakia (prayers) which are recited in harmony, a blend of our different voices, are musical to the ears. Te reo (Maori language) is so soft, so beautiful, creating a sense of peacefulness.

The Naeras grew up in the Hokianga. They met twelve years ago in Opononi, and last year they were ordained as ministers with the Maori Anglican Church and returned to Kaikohe to be inducted to the Waimate Taumarere Pastorate, in the middle of the North.

Peter accompanied us in the himene (hymns) on his guitar.
Marina’s sermon was on The Holy Spirit.

She shared one perception of how the pentecostal and charismatic believers worship in the Holy Spirit — that the praise and worship music and ’speaking in tongues’ is an angelic sound, quite amazing to hear.

She asked us how we interpreted the purpose of The Holy Spirit and received many responses from the congregation: Holy Spirit as teacher, comforter, guardian. Love, peace, righteousness, humility, forgiveness and knowledge were just a few of the answers.

Marina challenged humility and forgiveness with a question of how easy is it to be humble, and forgive someone who has offended you?

The Holy Spirit is our connection to God. God loves us so much that He wants us to always know that we are safe, loved, and whole.

Marina outlined the purpose of the Holy Spirit as teacher, was to ensure we would always know these things. She again challenged us with the question of what would we do if while we were alone, received an emergency call that a very close family member had a crisis or died? Who would we turn to in these times of grief? Is it not the Holy Spirit who is with us at that moment? 

He is the eternal perspective of truth, love and reality that cannot be taken from us. He is the Voice of God instilled in us as an ever‑present reminder of the love our Father has for us.

She asked if in these days of recession, financial crisis, sickness, war and tragedy, God wanted us to focus on these things? Or should our focus be on His plan of what is good in our life, focussing on peace, wellness, our gifts and our values — and on being obedient Christians?

As we hear, recognise, understand, and become more open to the Holy Spirit in different ways — through our thinking, what we see and what we hear, we will gradually become more aware of the Holy Spirit as the personified being and not the Holy Spirit as a mere word. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives we gain a new respect for ourselves, we gain peace of mind. We gain everything that really is, everything that really matters, and all the peace and comfort we need.

Thank you Marina.

Kia ora!

The rest of the class apart from Raima and me had gone outside for gym, accompanied by the teacher. I had a gash on my shin so sport was out for me. I don’t know what Raima’s excuse was. We were alone in the classroom.

Suddenly she spied the chocolate bar on Peter’s desk. Immediately she ripped the paper off it and took a bite.

“Have a bite!”

She passed the irresistible morsel to me. I hesitated, fleetingly thought about the consequences and bit. Oh! The delectable taste of it, the powerful wickedness!

On returning to the classroom, Peter’s hand flew up, Miss Pet heram! Someone’s taken a bite out of my Pixie Caramel!

Stand up Raima and Adele! We stood. My legs were collapsing under me with terror.

“Raima, did you take a bite out of Peter’s Pixie Caramel?”

“No, Miss Petheram.”

I was amazed – had Miss Petheram asked me first, she would have received a full confession.

“Adele, did you take a bite out of Peter’s Pixie Caramel?”

“No, Miss Petheram.”

“Sit down, please.”

She believed us! How amazing was that? How comforting. The relief was incredible to describe.

This was to be a turning point in my life.

That night I crept into my bed. I was not alone. My bed-fellow was guilt.

I never confessed to my misdemeanour and even as an adult the sin surfaced from time to time when I read about Peter in the paper, or one of my children offered to share a Pixie Caramel with me.

Twenty-five years later I attended the Highland Intermediate School reunion, of which I was a foundation pupil. I scanned the crowd.

He was there! Peter was in a group.

I couldn’t wait. I didn’t care that someone was talking.

I announced, “Peter James, I have a confession to make to you! I took a bite out of your Pixie Caramel in Standard 3. Miss Petheram’s class?”

He looked bemused, didn’t remember the incident, didn’t remember me but graciously accepted my breathless plea for forgiveness.

Lighthearted it may have been, his companions laughed, and we all entered into the spirit of togetherness that morning, but I left that group feeling elated beyond measure. I felt cleansed and incredibly joyful.

The burden of deceit, I have learned since, can be erased by living in intimate contact with Christ, the source of all joy. By believing and obeying the word of God we are made aware of our wrongdoing which motivates us to confess, renewing our relationship with Christ.

As Christians, we’re expected to reveal Christ’s character to the rest of the community. Jesus asked his disciples to be united in harmony and love.

We in this church have recently had difficult decisions to make about a number of issues. All of us are encouraged to have our say in Christ Church, resulting in differing opinions requiring patience and the ability to acquiesce to another’s point of view. The Holy Spirit is striving to work among us.

All of us need to remember the one most important factor is to ask Him for His opinion first. He WILL guide us, but we MUST be prepared to listen.

As individuals many here have extraordinary strengths. Together, with God’s special care and protection, we will see successful outcomes when defeat seems certain.

We, as Christians can know unity among ourselves if we are living in union with God.

The truth is no-one has ever lived a life completely free from uncertainty, stress and hardship. The Bible makes this clear. Jesus, Moses, Peter, Paul and all the heroes of Scripture are portrayed as men who underwent trying times of pain and heartache.

Now, two thousand years later, we in this congregation, are still undergoing testing times.

If we put ourselves under God’s authority, He will be faithful to resolve our difficulties in His time. We may want Him to act sooner, but only He knows the perfect time to accomplish His purposes. God answers prayer in one of three ways: ‘yes’, ‘no’, or ‘yes, but not yet’.

This last reply seems to be the most dreaded – sometimes even more than an outright ‘no’. Even if we can force our way by manipulating circumstances, we will not be happy with the outcome. We have contentment only when we access God’s will at the very moment.

When God says ‘no’, He is helping us to keep our focus on Him. We must not be resentful or depressed by these moments but recognise them as our Father calling us back to Him. When we grasp that God is in control we will stop questioning His ability to work on our behalf and when we truly believe nothing is too great for Him to handle we will no longer doubt His plan for us is the best one – even if it comes in some other way than what we would choose.

The fact is, disappointment is usually a doorway to greater blessing. God has promised to bring good out of the difficulties we encounter.

The church is not a PLACE where people gather. It is the PEOPLE who gather. To have a Church we must gather.

It’s like the bread we use for the Eucharist. Hundreds of grains of wheat must be gathered to make it. In a similar way, only by gathering do we make Jesus visible to others who don’t know Him. Jesus said to his disciples: “Proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

Composer, Giacomo Puccini, was stricken by cancer while working on his last opera ‘Turandot’. He said to his students: “If I die, finish it for me.”

Shortly afterwards, he died. His students carried out his wish. In 1926 Puccini’s favourite student, Arturo Toscanini, directed the premiere in Milan.

When the opera reached the point where Puccini was forced to put down his pen, Toscanini stopped the music, turned to the audience and said: “Thus far the Master wrote, but he died.”

A reverent silence filled the opera house.

Toscanini picked up the baton again, smiled through his tears, and cried out: “But the disciples finished his work.”

At the end of the opera, the audience broke into tumultuous applause.

Ask yourself: “How prepared and willing am I to help finish my Master’s work?

— Adele Jones, 24 May 2009