The Holy Spirit
In every month that has five Sundays, our service on the fifth Sunday is led by the local team from Waimate Taumarere Pastorate of the Hui Amorangi o Te Tai Tokerau (the Maori stream of the Anglican Church).
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!