Commemorations

For Liturgical Use

Rota Waitoa came from the Ngati Raukawa people of Otaki and received his initial Christian education from Octavius Hadfield at Waikanae. Later he became Bishop Selwyn’s constant companion. He entered St John’s College, Auckland, in the 1840s and was noted for his high standard of knowledge, his sincerity and his humility. He was ordained on 22 May 1853, becoming the “first born” of the Maori clergy, and spent his whole ministry at Te Kawakawa (Te Araroa). Rota’s memory and his line are woven into the story of Christianity on the East Coast. He died in 1866.

Sentence

Kia whakakakahuria au tohunga kite tika; kia hamama tau hunga

tapu i te hari. Waiata 132:9
Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, 0 God; and

let your faithful people cry out for joy. Psalm 132:9

Collects

E te Atua pono, Te kaihomai i nga mea pal katoa, nau i Whakarite kia tu, te matamua o nga Maori, a Rota Waitoa hei Pirihi, mo te Hahi. Manaakitia nga minita katoa, o au kupu me au hakarameta tapu i runga i te kaha o te Wairua Tapu. Meinga kia u tonu ratou hei pononga i roto i tenei mahi minitatanga, kia whaka kororia tia ai tou ingoa, me te whakaoranga o te hunga tapu. Amine.
God of truth and love,

by your gracious gift Rota Waitoa was the first of the Maori people to serve in the ordained ministry of your church; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit all ministers of your word and sacraments may continue faithful in their ministry among your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God of every race and nation, praise and glory for Rota’s ordination to be the first Maori deacon. Grant that we may never lack Maori ministers to lead the church’s worship.
Psalms: 11 46
Readings

1 Samuel 16:10-13a Anointed for service

1 Timothy 4:11-16 Spiritual endowment

John 15:12-17 Chosen by Christ

Post Communion Sentence

Ko te mea pai i tukua ra ki a koe, me tiaki e koe, ara e te Wairua

Tapu e noho ana i roto i a tatou. 2 Timoti 1:14
Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of

the Holy Spirit living in us. 2 Timothy 1:14

===============================================================
May 23

Frederick Augustus Bennett

Te Matamua o nga Pihopa Maori

The first Maori Bishop

In 1886 General Synod was held in Auckland. On his way back from there, Bishop Suter of Nelson went to see the Pink and White Terraces, and, while in the area, conducted a service at Te Wairoa, a village that was later destroyed by the eruption of Mount Tarawera on 9 June that year. During the service he noticed a young Maori sitting on the edge of the stage and was struck by his sincere and devout bearing. According to one source Bishop Suter was also impressed with the boy’s singing of the traditional Maori hymn, ‘Whakarongo ki te kupu”, with its repeated refrain, ‘Oti rawa” The hymn was a favourite of Bishop Bennett’s and was sung at both his consecration and his funeral. The boy was Frederick Augustus Bennett. Suter invited him to accompany him to Nelson to be educated and train for the ministry. The boy walked to Ohinemutu, obtained permission from his parents and went to Nelson.
Frederick Bennett was the son of Dr John Bennett, the first Registrar -general of New Zealand, and his mother was a Te Arawa chieftainess. The future bishop was born in Ohinemutu in 1871 and was a member of the Ngati Whakaue tribe of Te Arawa.
He had already received some schooling at St Stephens School in Parnell. In Nelson he attended Nelson College and then studied theology and gained his L.Th. from the college run by Bishop Suter at his residence, “Bishopdale’. He was ordained deacon in 1896 and priest in 1897. He served first under F.W. Chatterton in All Saints’ parish, Nelson. Because of Chatterton’s interest in ministry to the Maori people, Bennett was encouraged to extend his ministry to the Maori people of the Nelson district.
In 1899 Samuel Williams of Te Aute made funds available to provide for a renewal of ministry among the Maori people in South Taranaki, and asked Bishop Suter to release Frederick Bennett for this work. Bennett worked in the Wanganui area until becoming chaplain to the bishop of Auckland in 1903. Then in 1905 he was appointed Maori missioner in Rotorua and superintendent of the mission work in that area. He threw himself into the work with great determination and enthusiasm. Bennett was vicar of the Ohinemutu pastorate. It was during his time that the present Church of St Faith’s was built to replace the first church, which had been blown down in a gale.
While at Ohinemutu, Frederick Bennett did much to encourage the cultural activities of the Arawa people. He also became well- known as a vigorous missioner around the whole diocese. He not only made an impact on the faith of the church, but won the respect of many outside it. In 1917 he was appointed superintendent of the Hawke’s Bay Maori mission and moved to Kohupatiki near Clive. He was a member of the diocesan Standing Committee and edited a monthly Maori paper.
After several years of appeal and negotiation, General Synod finally met a widespread and deep desire amongst the Maori people to have a Maori bishop. On 2 December 1928 in Waiapu Cathedral, Frederick Augustus Bennett was consecrated as the first bishop of Aotearoa, at that time suffragan bishop of Waiapu. It was a position he was to hold for 22 years. He became the spiritual representative of the generation of Ngata, Pomare, and Buck, with whom he had earlier played an important part in the development of the Young Maori Party. He continued to give unstinting service to the welfare of the Maori people. At a time when many of the Maori people were dispirited, he brought “faith and belief in the future”. In 1938 he was part of an important delegation to the government of the day on the damaging effects of alcohol abuse on the Maori people - a problem which Bennett described as imported by Europeans. In 1948 he was awarded the CMG, and in the same year attended the Lambeth Conference and the opening of the World Council of Churches in Amsterdam.
Renowned for his skills in oratory in both Maori and English, he was able to speak to both races “in a language which they understood and appreciated”. He could speak for the Maori to the pakeha and for the pakeha to the Maori. In a tribute to him at the time of his death on 16 September 1950, he was acknowledged as a great leader:
An essentially kindly and approachable man, the Bishop in bearing was a rangatira of the old school - the personification of simple dignity. The melodious voice that entranced many a congregation was, undoubtedly, a gift from his Polynesian forbears. In English his speech was slow and deliberate. But in Maori, words often poured torrentially from his lips. He loved to take an old Maori saying and use it as a text. There were few men, in a generation of orators, who could equal him.
A man of deep humility of spirit and infinite courage, he

will be remembered as one of the most revered and loved

leaders the Maori people have ever known.
His grave in the chancel of St Faith’s Church, Ohinemutu, bears the following inscription, chosen by Archbishop Norman Lesser:
Here lies all that could die of Frederick Augustus Bennett.
Frederick Bennett’s son Manuhuia became the third bishop of Aotearoa on 18 October 1968, St Luke’s Day. Frederick Augustus Bennett, the first Maori bishop, is commemorated on the day following the commemoration of Rota Waitoa, the first Maori priest.
The following is an excerpt from the Poroporoaki to Frederick Augustus Bennett by Kepa Ehau, September 1950:

Te Matua i roto i te Ariki

Our revered elder in Christ.

Nga totara haemata,

(You were all1 like)1 the strong totara,

nga totara whakahihi o te wao tapu nui a Tane Mahuta,

the lofty totara from the great sacred forest of Tane Mahuta,

nga tangata hautu, nga haumi, nga whakatakere o nga waka.

the tangata hautu, the haumi, the whakatakere of the canoes2.

Nga toka tu moana akinga a tai,

(You were all like) the sentinel rocks defying the tides,

akinga a hau, akinga a ngaru tuatea.

defying the winds, defying the ocean waves,

Aku parepare, aku whakaruruliau,

(You were all like) my parepare3, my windbreak

“te murau a te tim, te wenerau a te mano, aku mariu tioriori”,

“the guiding star of the multitudes,the envy of thousands,

my manu tioriori”,

aku manu honenga, nga kaka waha nui o te pae,

my manu honenga, my strong-voiced kaka of the threshold4,

nga kaka haetara kite iwi i ana ra.

you were the greatly admired kaka of your time.

Nga tamariki o nga whare tapu, nga whare wananga,

0 sons of the whare tapu, the whare wananga, nga whare maire, nga whare whakairo, nga whare korero, the whare maire,

the whare whakairo, the whare korero5,

haere koutou kite wa kainga.

go forward to the final home.
Te Pihopa Maori tuatahi o te Hahi o Ingarangi

(You), the first Maori Bishop of the Church of England,

i whanau, i nanatia, i whakatupuria koe i te wa kainga,

were born, nurtured and grew up here, in this place,

i whakatangatatia atu koe ki Te Wai Pounamu.

and you reached manhood in Te Wai Pounamu.

No reira, ka tapaea a koe tou tinana kite para

There, you wrapped yourself in the vestments (of the Church)

kite ngaki i te mara a to tatou Matua.

to till the fields of our Father.

Nou ka hold mai,

Soon after your return,

ka uhia ki runga ki a koe te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa.

you were vested with the office of Bishop of Aotearoa.

Kua whawhaitia e koe te whawhai pai,

You have fought the good fight,

kua omakia e koe te oma pai.

you have run the good race.
Kua moai koa a Taupiri, a Te Rewarewa, e tu tai ana ra,

Taupiri is desolate, also Te Rewarewa, and trimmed too,

te kaulka taramea i te matarae i waho o Muruika.

are the moored red ochred canoes off the headland,

outside of Muruika.

Te pononga a Te Atua,

Servant of God,

haere, e hoe i runga Ito waka I te whakapono.

go, sail on your canoe of faith.

E tae koe ki nga rire o nga rangi, kite tauranga ito Atua,

And when you reach the highest of the heavens,

the resting place of the Lord,

tena te reo powhiri whakatau i a koe:

there a voice will be welcoming you:

“Haere mai e te hunga whakapai a toku Matua;

“Come, the faithful people of my Lord,

nohoia te rangatiratanga o te rangi,

and dwell in the kingdom of heaven,

kua rite noa atu mo koutou

a place has been prepared for you

no te orokohanganga mai ra ano o te ao.”

since the beginning of the world.”
1 A reference to Ngata and others who died about the same time as Bishop Bennett.

2 Three images of the unity, strength and stability of a canoe.

A cloak that gives protection against the weather.

4 Three references to birds as images of oratorical brilliance.

Reference to houses of learning and sacred lore.
For Liturgical Use

Frederick Augustus Bennett was born in 1871 and, after service in Maori mission work mainly in Rotorua and Hawkes Bay, was consecrated bishop of Aotearoa on 2 December 1928. Renowned for his skills in oratory in both Maori and English, he was able to speak for the Maori to the pakeha and for the pakeha to the Maori. Remembered as an essentially kindly and approachable man, the bishop in bearing was a rangatira of the old school - the personification of simple dignity. He died in 1950.

Sentence

E kore rawa ahau e wareware ki au ako, e Ihowa,

he mea whakaharora hoki nau ena i ahau. Waiata 119:93
I will never forget your precepts, 0 God, for by them you

have given me life. Psalm 119:93

Collects

Ano ka tutuki te wa ka kakahuria te korowai o te Wairua Tapu e Te Atua ora tonu ki runga ki a Frederick Augustus Bennett hei matua i roto ia a koe hei arahi i te iwi Maori; nana i kauwhau to kupu i riri te he, i whakapau te manawanui mo te whakaako; tukua mai ki a matou taua wairua o te kaha, o te aroha, o te ngakau mahara, kia manakohia al matou e koe, ko Ihu Karaiti hoki to matou Ariki. Amine.
Living God, in the fullness of time, the mantle of your Holy Spirit clothed Frederick Augustus Bennett as a father in your whanau, to lead the Maori people by preaching your word, rebuking error, and teaching with unfailing patience; grant us the same spirit of power, love, and self control, that we may do what pleases you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessed are you, God of all mana and authority, in Frederick, the first Maori bishop; for it is your will that every race will have its part to direct the church.
Psalms: 101 122
Readings

1 Samuel 3: 1-10 The call of Samuel

2 Corinthians 3: 1-6 Ministers of a new covenant

Matthew 9: 35-38 Proclaiming the good news

Post Communion Sentence

Kia mahara kite hunga e tohutohu ana i a koutou, kua korero nei i te kupu a te Atua ki a koutou: tirohia te tukunga iho o ta ratou whakahaere, kia rite to koutou ki to ratou whakapono. Hiperu 13:7

Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7

June 21

Henare Wiremu Taratoa

of Te Ranga
The story of Henare Wiremu Taratoa is closely bound up with the story of Heni Te Kiri Karamu (see 30 April). It was Henare who both commended and then wrote down the “Orders of the Day” for the Maori forces that were to inspire the compassionate actions of Heni at the defence of Gate Pa. British troops had arrived in the Tauranga district to prevent the transport of supplies to the Waikato tribes through the region. The local tribe gathered at Te Waoku pa near the Waimapu River, and then at Poteriwhi pa a code of conduct was drawn up. The code was conveyed to Colonel Greer, the British commander, by Taratoa at the request of the chief Rawiri Puhiraiki:

To the Colonel, Friend, salutations to you. The end of that, friend, do you give heed to our laws for (regulating) the fight.

Rule 1 If wounded or (captured) whole, and butt end of the musket or hilt of the sword be turned to me (he) will be saved.

Rule 2 If any pakeha being a soldier by name, shall be travelling unarmed and meet me, he will be captured, and handed over to the direction of the law.

Rule 3 The soldier who flees, being carried away by his fears, and goes to the house of the priest with his gun (even though carrying arms) will be saved; I will not go there.

Rule 4 The unarmed Pakehas, women and children, will be spared.

The end. These are binding laws for Tauranga.
Taratoa carried on his person a copy of the “Orders of the Day” for the conduct of the fight. It was prefaced by a prayer, and at the bottom was what may have been the Christian inspiration of the code: “If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink” (Romans 12:20).
Taratoa was a leader of the Ngai Te Rangi in the Tauranga area. He was born, probably about 1830, and lived at Opounui on Matakana Island. Taratoa came under the influence of Henry Williams in the Bay of Islands, was taught by him, and adopted his names, Henare Wiremu (Henry Williams), at his baptism. From about 1845 he attended St John’s College and was married there on 3 April 1850 by Bishop Selwyn to a Maori woman, whose name is not known.
Taratoa accompanied Bishop Selwyn on several of his journeys, including a voyage to Melanesia. Several of the Maori students at St John’s were eager to travel with Selwyn, and in 1852 Taratoa went with Selwyn and spent some months working with William Nihil at Nengone in the Loyalty Islands. Then in 1858 Taratoa became a teacher at the Native School at Otaki and was appointed a Lay Reader. Selwyn was unwilling to offer Taratoa any prospect of ordination, for, although he found Taratoa clever and thoughtful, he also considered him rather excitable.
Taratoa was among those who expressed dissatisfaction with the governor, Thomas Gore Browne, for the events in Taranaki in 1860. When George Grey returned for his second term as governor, Taratoa was also unhappy at his proposals for the indirect imposition of British law and British officials on Maori districts. Taratoa eventually returned to the Tauranga district in 1861, where he set up a Christian school and organised a local system of Maori councils.
With the outbreak of war in the Waikato, Tarataoa and the Ngai Te Rangi people became more and more involved in events. Henare Taratoa may have gone back to Otaki for a short time, but by 1864 he was once again in the Tauranga area. The pa at Pukehinahina was built just outside mission lands, because Henare and others thought it inappropriate to fight on mission property. The gate marked the boundary; hence the name, Gate Pa, Henare was involved in the Maori victory over the British forces at Pukehinahina (Gate Pa), and indeed, in the version of the events apparently known to Bishop Selwyn, it was Taratoa who performed the compassionate act of giving water to the wounded British officer there.
The Maori defendants regrouped at Te Ranga, and the British forces attacked and defeated them there on 21 June 1864. In that battle Henare Wiremu Taratoa lost his life. On his body were found the “Orders of the Day” and pages from his Bible. The words of Rawara Kerehoma speak of the battle of Gate Pa and its aftermath:

E tangi haere ana The tide ebbs silently away,

Nga tal te urn ei Memories rise in the still air

Ka mai angi nga mahara Like smoke from many fires.

Ano he paoa ahi Is this the same place,

Kua makathi ke This place of ashes?

Te okiokinga puehu kau?

When Bishop Selwyn eventually returned to England in 1867, he took with him subscriptions from English soldiers and their families to whom he had ministered during the wars in New Zealand. With these donations he placed some stained glass windows in the private chapel of his palace in Lichfield. On the south side is a window depicting David pouring out the water fetched for him by three soldiers from the well at Bethlehem (1 Chronicles 11:15-19). This window was to commemorate Taratoa’s act at Gate Pa.

Taratoa was initially buried at Te Ranga where he fell, but his remains were later placed in the mission cemetery at Otamataha pa, Tauranga. The monument erected by Maori and pakeha in 1914 to Rawiri Puhirake, who led the Maori forces at Gate Pa, has on it a plaque added later, commemorating the compassion advocated by Taratoa.


For Liturgical Use

Henare Taratoa is remembered for the compassion he advocated towards his opponents who were involved in the attack on Gate Pa on 29 April 1864. It was he who drafted the now famous “Orders of the Day”, confining any conflict to the participants only and in as limited a way as possible, and advocating care for those who were injured. Henare was born about 1830. He was taught and baptised by Henry Williams, and was for a while a student at St John’s College, Auckland. He died on 21 June 1864 when the British troops attacked Te Ranga. He carried on him his “Orders of the Day”.

Sentence

No te mea he tika a Ihowa, e aroha ana kite tika; ka kite te hunga

tika i tona kanohi Walata 11:7
You are just 0 Lord, and you love just dealing; the upright

shall behold your face. Psalm 11:7

Collects

E te Atua o nga wa katoa,

i karangatia e koe au pononga kite whakaatu i te tika me te pono ki nga tangata katoa. E mau mahara ana matou ki a Henare Wiremu Taratoa

i tenei ra. Tautokona matou pera i a ia i noho i runga i au whakahau,

a kite whakatutuki hoki i aua pono i runga i te ingoa o tau tama o Ihu Karaiti, te Taro o te Ora.

Amine.
Merciful God, you have taught us to love our enemies and pray for our oppressors; give us grace to follow the example of your servant Henare Wiremu Taratoa, who held firm to that command, that we may proclaim your justice, truth and love amongst all people; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus, as we remember Henare, who sought to be true to the faith he believed when he fought to protect the land, help us in our decisions about your land to be true to the gospel and to you.
Psalms 102:15-28 103
Readings

Isaiah 58:6-10 A true light

Romans 12:14-21 Overcome evil with good

Luke 6:32-36 Love your enemies

Post Communion Sentences

Ko te whakapono i a koe na, waiho i a koe ano i te aroaro o te Atua. Ka han te tangata kahore e whakatau i te he ki a ia ano mo te mea i whakapala e ia mana. Roma 14:22

The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. Romans 14:22


June 23

Wiremu Tamihana

Prophet, Kingmaker
Tarapipi Te Waharoa, or Wiremu Tamihana as he was later known, was born at Tamahere near Cambridge in the early years of the nineteenth century. He was the second son of the famous Ngati Haua chief, Te Waharoa. Tarapipi participated in several war expeditions in the Waikato and Taranaki districts, but, when Ngati Whakaue destroyed the mission station at Ohinemutu in 1836, he intervened on behalf of two mission workers and led them to safety.
In 1835 Alfred Brown, assisted by his wife Charlotte, set up a mission station near the Matamata pa, just north of present day Waharoa. Tarapipi was one of their most promising pupils, and he continued to be a diligent student of the Bible all his life. He learned to read and write in Maori and became the most voluminous correspondent among nineteenth century Maori. When Brown was forced to abandon the Matamata mission station, Tarapipi kept in touch with him at Tauranga and organised church services and school classes at Matamata.
After the death of Te Waharoa in 1838, Tarapipi became the chief of his tribe. He followed the advice of Brown and with 200 converts left Matamata pa and set up a Christian pa named Tapiri nearby, where services could be held undisturbed and where the inhabitants could live a Christian life. Here a raupo chapel was built, and on 23 June 1839 Brown baptised Tarapipi, who chose the European name of William Thompson, the Maori form of which is Wiremu Tamihana.
Tamihana continued his peacemaking efforts by constant attempts to persuade his own tribe to give up war. He also arranged a peace with the traditional enemies of the Ngati Haua, culminating in a feast at Matamata in 1846 to celebrate the occasion with the Rotorua tribes. In the same year, Tamihana moved his Christian followers to the Peria Hills. Here a settled, orderly community was established, with each house surrounded by its own plantations of wheat, maize, kumara and potatoes. There was also a school, flour mill, post office, whare runanga, and a church built on top of a hill. A contemporary noted:

Every morning and evening a bell called this orderly, simple, religious people to prayers. I never saw a more charming instance of simple idyllic life, than this remarkable Maori village presented in 1856.

In the 1850s Wiremu Tamihana began to take a greater part in the wider arena of Maori affairs. He became concerned with the problems of how the Maori people were going to cope with the increase in European settlement and the worst features of European culture. He had the vision of Maori and pakeha working side by side and the Maori people presenting a united front, unbroken by tribal conflicts. He wanted to encourage agriculture and education for his people and to prevent the further sale or lease of Maori land. Although Tamihana was not the originator of the King movement, he took a leading part in its development and earned the title, “Kingmaker”, in the 18 months leading up to Potatau Te Wherowhero’s election as the first of the Waikato kings. Wiremu Tamihana saw no conflict between the King movement and the English monarchy. On one occasion he said, “The Queen and the King, they are one. Each is on the piece which belongs to each. But love and law surround them, and above is God.”
When the Waitara dispute erupted into war, Tamihana went to Taranaki in an attempt at mediation, but was unsuccessful. Despite Tamihana’s efforts to keep the peace, hostilities broke out in the Waikato in 1863. Throughout the conflict Tamihana tried several times to negotiate a settlement, but was ignored. Tamihana met General Carey at Tamahere in May 1865. The general said, “Tamehana, by your valiant acts you have proved yourself and people a brave race, and by your coming in to-day and making peace you will have won the goodwill and respect of every man.” Tamihana placed his taiaha before Carey as a symbol of a covenant of peace between the two sides. Pakeha

misinterpreted the gesture as a surrender. After the war, Tamihana on several occasions petitioned parliament over the war and the confiscations that followed it. No action was taken, but in 1928 a royal commission concluded: “It is dear that a grave injustice was done to the Natives in question by forcing them into the position of rebels and afterwards confiscating their lands.” The Maori King movement continues to this day in the Waikato, although without the national scope for legislation and guidance that Wiremu envisaged.

Having lived to see many of his dreams unrealised, but holding unflinchingly to his faith and his vision, Wiremu Tamihana died with Bible in hand on 27 December 1866 at Turanga-o-moana near Matamata. His last words were, “My children, I die, but let my words remain. Obey the laws of God and man.”
Only a few months before his death, he wrote to the General Assembly of New Zealand:

Now, 0 friends, this is how I have been saved from evil - because of my constant striving to do that which is good, ever since the introduction of Christianity on to the time of the king movement, and up to the present days of darkness. After we had embraced Christianity, when my tribe sought payment [utul for our dead who had fallen, I did not give my consent. Then I said, “Stop, strive to repay in a Christian manner. Let peaceful living be the payment for my dead.” They consented. I then drew all my enemies to me; they all came, not one continued a stranger to me; but all became related to me in the bonds of Christian fellowship. Then I said, what a good payment this is for those that are dead, this living peacefully!

Before he died Tamihana had agreed to lease land to Josiah Firth, who raised a memorial obelisk in Tamihana’s honour. The parishioners of All Saints’ Church, Matamata, erected a permanent memorial cairn to Tamihana in 1966. In 1984 a stained glass window commemorating him was placed in the church, because it was near the site of his early Christian community. The Wharenui at Waharoa features Tamihana as its tekoteko. He stands there, Bible in hand, above the marae, looking to the distant horizon. Tamihana was a peacemaker who had a vision of a future which placed him ahead not only of his Maori but also his pakeha contemporaries. He is commemorated by the church on the day of his baptism.
For Liturgical Use

Wiremu Tamihana’s original name was Tarapipi Te Waharoa. He was the second son of the Ngati Haua chief, Te Waharoa. He was deeply influenced by missionary teaching. He created a marae near Matamata which became known for its peaceful Christian witness. He earned the title, “kingmaker”, in the creation of the first of the Waikato kings. He tried to mediate during the land wars and negotiated a settlement when they ended. He wrote many letters to colonial authorities advocating a just provision for Maori and pakeha. He died in 1866.

Sentence

Ka hari te tangata e pakia ana e koe, e Ihowa; e whakaakona ana i roto i tau ture. Walata 94:12

Blessed are those you instruct 0 Lord; to whom you give

teaching out of your law. Psalm 94:12

Collects

E te Atua kaha rawa

i hoatu e koe ki a Wiremu Tamihana he whakakitenga i tau i whakatakoto ai, a me te whakapumautanga o tou aroha me tou mana.

Meinga ano hoki ki a matou, Kia mau pu ki te tumanako kei roto nei i a Ihu Karaiti te Huarahi, te Pono, me te Ora. Amine.
Gracious and eternal God, through your Holy Spirit

you gave to Wiremu Tamihana a vision of your peace and unity

and grace to labour for it without wavering;

grant us the same hope and courage to live for him

who is our way, our truth, our life, Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Holy God, holy and just, holy and undeceived,

as we honour Wiremu the king-maker,

who sought for peace and to lead his people to the gospel;

keep us honourable and fair in our dealings with each other,

true servants of the Prince of peace.
Psalms 33 112
Readings

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 Conditions of kingship

Acts 4:32-35 A Christian community

Luke 14:25-33 Counting the cost

Post Communion Sentence

He teka ianei kei tou wehi ki te Atua he okiokinga whakaaro mou, kei te tapatahi o ou huarahi he tumanakohanga mou? Hopa 4:6

Let your fear of God be your confidence, and the integrity of

your ways your hope. Job 4:6 (adapted)

October 19

Tarore of Waharoa

Tarore was from the Ngati Haua tribe. Her father was Ngakuku, a nephew of the great Te Waharoa, and himself a chief of the Ngati Haua of Tainui (see 14 May). Tarore attended a mission school and learned to read. In 1836 she was given a copy of the Gospel of Luke published earlier that year.
A mission station had been opened at Matamata by A.N. Brown and his wife Charlotte in April 1835, on a site provided by Te Waharoa. Troubles in the area persuaded the Browns to close the station and evacuate the school to Tauranga in October 1836. Ngakuku and the CMS missionary John Flatt led a party of children over the Kaimai Range. The journey took them to the Wairere Falls where they made camp. The camp fire attracted a raiding party from Rotorua, led by Uita. Those in the camp responded quickly, and after some fighting the raiding party withdrew. In the confusion Tarore had been left where she had fallen asleep. When Ngakuku and the others returned to the camp they found Tarore had been killed, still on her sleeping mat. She was twelve years old. Her death immediately created a desire for utu, but at her funeral the next day at Matamata, Ngakuku preached against revenge, saying there had been too much bloodshed already and that the people should trust in the justice of God.
Tarore’s copy of the Gospel of Luke had a continuing history. Uita had taken Tarore’s Gospel from under her body during the attack, thinking it might be of value. However, he was unable to read, and it lay unused in his pa. Some time later a slave who could read, named Ripahau, was brought to the pa. He read to the people from the Gospel. This led to the eventual reconciliation of Uita and Ngakuku.
Later, the slave Ripahau left Uita’s pa and returned to Otaki, coming into contact with Tamihana Te Rauparaha from Kapiti Island, the son of Wiremu Te Rauparaha, the great Ngati Toa chief (see 18 May). Ripahau again was invited to read from the Scripture to Tamihana and his cousin Matene Te Whiwhi. In this way the two learned to read. However, Ripahau had only a few pages at his disposal, and in time a messenger was sent back to Rotorua for more books. The book that was returned to them, now somewhat worn, was the Gospel that Tarore had used, still with Ngakuku’s name on it. In time Tamihana and Matene became Christians, and Ripahau himself was converted. It is said that Tamihana and Matene took Tarores book with them when they travelled to the South Island, preaching the gospel of peace and reconcifiation.
Tarore died on 19 October 1836 and was buried at Waharoa. Her grave is the site of many visits and commemorations. In 1986 there was a large ordination of Maori clergy on her day, near the site of her grave. Her story has long been amongst the taonga of the church in Aotearoa.
For further reading: C.K. Stead, The Singing Whaka papa, Auckland, Penguin, 1994.
For Liturgical Use

Tarore, the daughter of Ngakuku, the Ngati Haua chief, attended the mission station at Matamata and learned to read. Tragically, on 19 October 1836, at the age of twelve, she was killed during a raid. Her father preached forgiveness at her tangi. The Gospel of Luke she used as a pillow on the night she died was taken by one of the raiding party, who was subsequently converted and made peace with Ngakuku. Later it was taken to Otaki, where its message led to the conversion of Tamihana Te Rauparaha, who became a missionary to the South Island.

Sentence

Ki a koe ano i mohio o tou tamarikitanga ake, ki nga karaipiture tapu, ko nga mea era e whai matauranga ai koe, e ora ai, i runga i te whakapono ki a Karaiti Ihu. 2 Timoti 3:15

From childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:15

Collects

E te Matua i te Rangi

i karangatia matou kia rite kite tamariki nohinohi i te mea no te penei te rangatiratanga o te Rangi. Ka whakawhetai matou mo Tarore i kawe nei i te Rongopai a Ruka. Hanga ki roto ki a matou i tau whanau hoki

he aroha kia pono kia hohonu kia noho tahi ai matou i roto i te aroha me au tamariki katoa, i roto i te kotahitanga o te Wairua Tapu,

ko te Karaiti hoki te Hepara pai. Amine.
Gracious and loving God, we thank you for Tarore, whose death brought not vengeance but reconciliation; create in us, your whanau, a gospel love and a truth so deep, that we too may live together in love with all your children, in the unity of the Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
Praise to you, Jesus Christ our Saviour, for the good which came from Tarores death; for, led by a little child, you brought the tribes to peace, and by her testament you brought good news to the south.
Psalms 4 131
Readings

Isaiah 65:17-20(21-22)23-25 God’s promised peace

2 Timothy 1:8-12 Suffering for the gospel

Luke 8:22-25 Living faith

Post Communion Sentence

Kia noho nui te kupu a te Karaiti i roto i a koutou i runga i te

matauranga katoa; me whakaako, me whakatupato tetahi e

tetahi ki nga waiata tapu, ki nga himene, ki nga waiata wairua,

me te waiata ano kite Atua i runga i te aroha noa, i roto i o

koutou ngakau. Korohe 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another other in all wisdom. Colossians 3:16


November 6

Te Whiti 0 Rongomai

Prophet
Te Whiti was one of the most remarkable of the Maori prophetic figures of the nineteenth century, who provided leadership to his people in establishing a model community at Parihaka and enabled them by non-violent means to protest at the unjust confiscation of their lands. Furthermore, this was 60 years before Mahatma Gandhi in India.
Te Whiti 0 Rongomai of the Ngati Awa tribe was born at Ngamotu near New Plymouth about 1831, though another tradition suggests a date about 1817. He went to the mission school run by Johannes Riemenschneider. This was not Te Whiti's first introduction to the gospel, for Taranaki Maori returning from the Bay of Islands had brought news of the gospel.

Consequently, when Riemenschneider announced on his arrival in 1846 that he came in peace, bringing God's word, Te Whiti replied, "We know that word and greet you in God's peace." Te Whiti developed a wide-ranging and deep knowledge of the Bible, and could quote large sections by heart. The Bible was his constant companion, the single most important influence on his life.

By 1872 the warfare that had flared since 1860 had come to an end. The war had been devastating to Maori life, and further war was not a viable option. Then, to add to Maori degradation, there was the government's confiscation of vast tracts of Maori land, which was eagerly sought after by the land-hungry European settlers. Part of the land designated for confiscation was on the western flanks of Mount Taranaki and included the village of Parihaka.
Here Te Whiti had come and, with his fellow leader Tohu Kakahi, set up a unique community. Instead of the usual fortified village, Te Whiti created an open village on the banks of the Waitotoroa. It was in a real sense a model village, for its layout was carefully planned, the economy and agriculture were efficiently managed, the education of the young was seen to, sanitation and health measures were enforced, and alcohol was forbidden.
Until 1877, the government ignored the fact that Maori had returned to live on land that had been officially confiscated. Settler pressure mounted, how- ever, for the acquisition of these fertile lands, and the surveying of the Waimate Plains to the south of Mount Taranaki began. In 1879 the surveyors smashed Maori fences and destroyed crops. Te Whiti and his people realised that if they did not act the land would simply go, and the question of justice would go by default. So, in March 1879, Te Whiti's men packed up the surveyors' equipment for them and escorted them across the Waingongoro River to land legitimately sold earlier.
Te Whiti was an outstanding orator, and by the strength of his mana he forged his people into a cohesive and unified community. Many from other tribes joined them. From his study of the Scriptures, Te Whiti was able to offer an explanation for the suffering of the people: it was God's work, and through their suffering they would attain grace. He reminded them that they

were not the only ones to suffer, but in God alone lay salvation, for God would in the end vindicate the small people of the world.

It was only a small step from that theology to passive Maori resistance to pakeha force. Te Whiti told his followers:

Go, put your hands to the plough. Look not back. If any come with guns and swords, be not afraid. If they smite you, smite not in return. If they rend you, be not discouraged. Another will take up the good work.

Te Whiti was by no means anti-pakeha. Much later in his life, when asked if it were true that he had predicted that one day all pakeha would be swept into the sea, he dismissed it angrily:

Who told you this execrable untruth? ... What I said and wished to convey was, that the two races should live side by side in peace; the Maori to learn the white man's wisdom, yet be the dominant ruler. Even as our fathers fought and expected, the white man to live among us not

we to be subservient to his immoderate greed.
The inevitable confrontation developed, with the protesters being arrested. Their places were taken by more of Te Whiti's supporters, till all the gaols were full. The settlers were adamant in their insatiable demand for land, and Te Whiti and his people were defiant. The Native Minister, John Bryce, was determined not to give in to what he considered a handful of Maori Trouble makers. The government had no intention of backing down, and in October 1881 eager volunteers formed a group of armed constabulary and were ordered to Parihaka to arrest Te Whiti and other leaders in the Parihaka community.
When the troops reached Parihaka at 7.15 a.m. on 5 November, they found the fences pulled down to allow them in, and they were offered bread. The only thing in their way was a group of 200 children singing songs. When Bryce read the Riot Act and called on the Maori to disperse, he was met with silence. When the arresting party entered, the Maori cleared a way for them. Te Whiti and his assistant Tohu Kakahi and their wives walked with dignity into captivity. The troops dispersed any Maori who were not local and destroyed most of the crops and part of the village. Te Whiti and Tohu were charged with using seditious language, but never tried, despite frequent demands for a fair trial. They remained under arrest without trial for a year in the South Island, but in the end had to be released.
The surveying of the confiscated land had not been prevented, though a Royal Commission in 1926 found that the Maori land claims were just. Te Whiti and Tohu returned to Parihaka in 1883. They had to rebuild the community, which had fallen into disrepair. The campaign of civil disobedience as a protest against the unjust confiscations continued, with the ploughing of disputed lands. Te Whiti was imprisoned again for six months in 1886, and in 1897 ninety-two Maori were arrested for similar actions.
At a time of great difficulty for the Maori people, Te Whiti provided outstanding leadership. Both Te Whiti and Tohu died in 1907. In the 1890s there were sharp differences of opinion between the two men, but their contribution to their people was complementary rather than antagonistic. By that time they had each given over forty years of guidance to the community. Tohu died on 4 February 1907, and Te Whiti on 18 November. Te Whiti was buried at a vast tangi involving people from all over New Zealand. A marble column was erected above his grave, and on it were inscribed these words in Maori and English:

He tangata ia i mahi i nga mahi He was a man who did

Nunui, hei peehi i te kino great deeds in suppressing evil,

kia tu ko te rangimarie so that peace might reign

Hei oranga mo nga iwi as a means of salvation

Katoa i te ao ko tana tohu to all people on earth.

I waiho ake te tona iwi ki His emblem, the white feather,

Te Ati-awa he Raukura which signifies

Tona tikanga Glory to God on high

Hei kororia ki te Atua i runga peace on earth

Hei maunga-ronga ki runga and goodwill to all mankind,

Ki te whenua he bequeathed to his people

Hei whakaaro pai ki te tangata Te Ati-Awa.
For Liturgical Use

Te Whiti 0 Rongomai was born at Ngamotu near New Plymouth, about 1831. He was educated by missionaries and developed an intense love of the Bible. During the turbulent 1860s he sought a peaceful means of fostering Maori claims. At Parihaka he built a model community, and after the war encouraged his people to resist peacefully the unjust occupation of confiscated land. This led to conflict with the government. On 5 November 1881 armed constabulary entered Parihaka. They were met by children

chanting songs. Te Whiti was arrested and imprisoned without trial for a year. He died in 1907.
Sentence

He aha ta Ihowa e rapu nei ki a koe, heoi ano ko te whakawa tika,

ko te pai ki te tohu tangata, ko te whakaiti me te haere tahi i tou Atua.

Mika 6:8
What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
Collects

E te Atua e to matou Matua i te rangi,

i arahitia ai e koe nga tohunga o onamata ki tau tama. Ka huri o matou whakaaro ki a te Whiti o Rongomai i tenei ra. Ka mau mahara matou ki ana mahi whakamiharo. Ano te ahuareka a nga waewae i runga i nga maunga o te kaikawe i te rongopai, e kauwhau ana i te maungarongo,

meinga te marama o tou rongopai kia tiaho i roto i te ao katoa kia aru kia koropiko ai nga tangata ki a koe i nga wahi katoa, ko Ihu Karaiti te Ariki o te rongomau. Amine.

God of peace and justice,

you called Te Whiti o Rongomai to lead his people to struggle for justice

by peaceful means; may we defend the rights of the powerless and build our communities on the basis of mutual care and love; through Jesus Christ the prince of peace.
Jesus, peacemaker, disgraced and crucified,

you were with Te Whiti in refusing to meet force with violence.

Speak to us now with gospel power.
Psalms 72 85
Readings

Isaiah 52:1-6 God's people carried off

Galatians 5:13-23 The harvest of the Spirit

Luke 1:68-79 The song of Zechariah

Post Communion Sentence

Erangi ki te pakia tou paparinga matau e tetahi, whakaangahia

atu hoki tera ki a ia. A ki te mea tetahi kia whakawakia koe, ka

tangohia tou koti, tukua atu hoki tou ngeri ki a ia. Matiu 5:39, 40

If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also;

and if anyone would sue you and take your coat, give your

cloak as well. Matthew 5:39,40
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Sea Sunday

Sentence

The sea is yours, 0 God, and you made it;

the dry land also which your hands have fashioned. Psalm 95:5

Collects

Eternal Lord God,

you alone have spread out the heavens

and rule the raging of the sea;

bless and keep all who go down to the sea in ships;

preserve them in all dangers

and bring them in safety to the haven where they would be,

with a thankful remembrance of your mercies,

to praise and glorify your holy name;

through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Creator God,

you have made the sea beautiful and fearful;

be with all who sail on it for work or pleasure

and give them safe passage

with Christ the voyager,

who calmed the storm

and strengthened his disciples faith.
God of change and invention,

be with those whose life is spent at sea.

In storm, in calm, in harbour,

be with them.

Be with them in danger, boredom or temptation;

for you are God,

you are our hope and strength.

Psalms 107:23-32 33:1-12
Readings

Job 38:1, 4-11 The boundaries of the sea

Acts 27:27-32, 39-44 Paul shipwrecked on Malta

Mark 4:35-41 Jesus, Lord of wind and wave

Post Communion Sentence

Your path, 0 God, was in the sea and your way was through the

great waters. Psalm 77:19