ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

09 AUGUST 2026

COLLECT OF THE DAY

God of awesome wonder:
bless us with bold belief
even in the darkness of the night
and the assault of life’s storms,
that we may be messengers
of your peace and justice,;
in the name of the One whom winds and
waves obey,
and who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

SECTION ONE: NOTES ON THE READINGS

All of our readings for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost talk about having faith and not being afraid and not giving up. The story of the resilience of Joseph who was hated by his brothers for being their father’s favourite, being sold into slavery by them, and the eventual release from slavery by the King and being made master of the Kings household. The story of Peter who had tremendous doubts and was afraid of drowning when he tried to follow Jesus. These stories highlight the power of faith in times of challenge. For Indigenous peoples this deep faith is fortified by the belief that we all have a whakapapa (genealogy/descent) to God, and that this whakapapa is why we feel embraced by faith and by the love of God.

This ‘embrace’ is what Bishop Te Kitohi Pikaahu of the Māori Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, calls ’Te Tānga Manawa.’ ‘Te Tānga Manawa’ means the embrace, the welcome and the belonging to our community of faith, te whānau o te Karaiti, the family of Christ, te whānau o te Ariki, o te Atua, the family of God. There is no Jew or Gentile, we are not different, we are all the whānau of God. We all belong, we are all worthy, and we all have a responsibility to care for and love all our neighbours (human and other than human) as the whānau of God.

For Indigenous peoples worldwide, historical and intergenerational trauma has been a constant presence, particularly with the introduction of Christianity, and the genocidal impact of Western colonisation. However, our faith has been integral to our resilience and resistance to colonisation, and to the often-unwelcome embrace from the Christian church over the past 2,000+ years. With the introduction of Christianity, our Indigenous people could recognise this white Christ figure, because they already knew God, they already had a relationship with the divine. It was a no-brainer, even though Christ was depicted as white. Our Kuia and Kaumatua (elders) could see past the whiteness to the divine.

So, what is faith?
Faith for Māori and Indigenous peoples is in everything that we do, and believe, and think, and breathe. Faith is knowing that we whakapapa to God, to Christ, to the Holy Spirit, to all of Creation. As Indigenous peoples, we know this. There is no doubt at all.

So, how do we show and express faith, how do we express ‘Te Tānga Manawa’? In greeting one another in Māori tradition, a greeting is far more than just polite. It is the act of respect, connection, and presence. They carry cultural meaning that reflects the values of unity, inclusivity, and manaakitanga (hospitality). These simple words can establish rapport, recognise existence, and express warmth. They are greetings that bond us together.

Māori people most commonly say ‘kia ora’ when greeting or welcoming someone, which includes the greeter. ‘Kia ora’ simply means ‘be well,’ and likened to the English ‘good day’. ‘Kia ora’ to you/us, and all of creation. We unite our voices in this way to accept that our human existence in God’s creation is critical to upholding our place and responsibilities within the wellness of all living things. We acknowledge that it is as God intended. Kia ora be well, to all.

‘Kia ora’ has a cousin, ‘Tēnā Koe.’ This is another Māori form of greeting. ‘Tēnā Koe’ literally translates to, ‘That You,’ and specifically acknowledges the presence of another. It equates more personally to, ‘I see you,’ or ‘I know you are there.’ This inviting address is more often used in formal environments to address the person’s importance.

Coupled with Indigenous expressions of welcome and presence is the tradition to exchange one’s breath with another. Known as the ‘hongi,’ it is the intimate act of pressing one’s nose and forehead with another once the verbal greetings have concluded. It allows one’s breath (hā) to be shared in this most intimate of Māori greetings. Just as God breathed into Adam’s nostrils sharing the breath of life, so too is the symbolism of the hongi. Kia ora, tēnā koe, and hongi acknowledge how our human existence within the created order is to uphold the wellness of all, just as God intended.

Within the salutation ‘Kia Ora’ and ‘tēnā koe,’ is the very significant theology that we as children of God are not alone and we are part of all Creation (other than human). We each are the source and receiver of all Creator God’s blessings. We know the embrace of God; Te Tānga Manawa.

Celebrating the time of Matariki, the Māori New Year
Matariki (Pleiades cluster of nine stars) has been celebrated by Māori in Aotearoa, New Zealand in late June /early July each year for centuries. In 2022, Matariki was first officially recognised and declared a public holiday by the New Zealand Government. Its seasonal triggers mark a new year of observance, remembrance, and planning. Culturally, it is a reminder that we humans exist alongside the whole created order of all other living things. Māori have practised seasonal observances for centuries with planting, harvesting, replenishing, and pausing.

Each of the nine stars have their own creation stories:

1. Matariki – well-being, reflection, hope.
2. Hiwa-i-te-rangi – dreams and aspirations.
3. Pōhutukawa – remembering those who have died.
4. Waitī – fresh water and all that comes from it.
5. Waitā – oceans and its generous food basket.
6. Tupuānuku – that which grows in the soil/earth.
7. Tupuārangi – the sky, birds, fruits & berries.
8. Waipunārangi – rain/s
9. Ururangi – winds to carry the four seasons.

God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. Gen 1:15-16

Prayers and/or incantations are deeply embedded in this annual cycle of life we know as Matariki. We give eternal thanks for what has been provided, and it is therefore our duty to responsibly nurture and care for all Creation. As only one part of creation, we are to greet Creation each day with ‘Tēnā koe’ and ‘Kia Ora.’ I see you, and be well, my neighbour.

Māori believe that each of us, including all other living things, have a divine purpose in the cosmos, manifested from divine approval to simply exist. We are not commanded to reduce the existence of another to uplift our own divinity, but rather, we are to be inspired by the text, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ This would lead the Māori Christian faith to ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’.

‘Te Tānga Manawa’
As Indigenous peoples, we have weathered many storms. We continue to weather the many elements, but we are steadfast in our calling to serve God, our people, and all of Creation.
The theology of Te Tānga Manawa is a theology of inclusion and whakapapa (genealogy). God is my tupuna (spiritual ancestor), I have a whakapapa to God and all Creation, and God embraces me and all my whānau (human and other than human).

Let us pray:
I runga i te Ingoa o te Atua, te Matua, te Tama me te Wairua Tapu. Āmine.

In the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

E te Ariki, nāu nei mātou i karanga ki āu mahi.Meatia kia hīkoi mātou i mua i tōu aroaro,whakaūngia mai tōu aroha ki ō mātou ngākau,tōu pono ki ō mātou hinengaro,tōu mārohirohi ki ō mātou whakaaro,mō te taenga ki te tino tauranga,ka mōhio pū ki te hari, kua tau ki te haukāinga,ki te tānga manawa i roto i a koe,i roto hoki i tō mātou Ariki, i a Īhu Karaiti.
Āmine.

Lord, you have called us to serve you.Grant that we may walk in your presence:your love in our hearts,your truth in our minds,your strength in our wills;until, at the end of our journey,we know the joy of our homecomingand the welcome of your embrace,through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

(liturgy from the New Zealand Prayer Book, Liturgies of the Eucharist at the concluding part of the Intercessions, page 414 – 415)