Te Pouhere Sunday

by Barry Pollard

(Based on Matthew 7:24-29; Acts 10:34-43; 2 Cor 5:14-19)

Like most things that have history, the Anglican Church has developed and matured over time. With its roots firmly in the Motherland, in our neck of the woods it has generally been known as the Church of the Province of New Zealand. A subset of its colonial past. But the church has developed and matured to acknowledge the unique cultures and traditions that make up its population in our country today. Not only developed and matured, but formally recognised in a covenant relationship between Māori, Pākehā and Pasifika, so that we walk together as equals in faith under Christ; the relationship referred to as “Te Pouhere”.  Like the beams of a meeting house, Te Pouhere is intended to hold people together while allowing each culture and voice its own integrity and strength.

In te reo Māori, Te Pouhere translates pretty much as ‘the constitution’ or ‘the guiding framework’. Pouhere is a compound word made up from pou (a post, pillar or foundation) and here (to bind, tie or tether). It is ‘a foundation’.

If a foundation is a basis, it is a point from which we start. It is a point from which we expect to grow, build and carry on.
So, as you might expect, today’s readings speak powerfully about unity, reconciliation, and that foundation. They invite us to ask: “What holds us together?” And, “What kind of community are we building?”  They help us examine and understand our place in the three-culture relationship.

In Acts 10 one of the themes is ‘God shows no favouritism’.  In Acts, Peter experiences a profound conversion. Usually we think of conversion as turning toward God. But Peter already believed in God. His conversion was deeper: he had to discover that God’s grace was wider than he imagined. Standing in the house of Cornelius, a Gentile, an outsider in Peter’s eyes, Peter finally understands that God shows no partiality. That realisation changed the Church forever. Until this moment, many believers assumed the gospel belonged mainly within familiar cultural boundaries. But the Holy Spirit shattered those walls. God’s love cannot not be contained within one people, language or tradition.

That remains a challenge for the Church today. It is easy to build communities around people like ourselves, with similar culture, similar politics, similar worship style, similar assumptions. But the Gospel should keep pushing us outward. The risen Christ is always larger than our ‘tribes’.

For us in Aotearoa New Zealand, this reading has particular resonance. Te Pouhere asks us to do something difficult and holy: not merely tolerate difference, but recognise Christ in one another. That means Māori spirituality and tikanga (customs) are not optional extras. It means Pasifika voices are not just guests at the table. It means Pākehā (Western) traditions are not the default setting for everyone else.

Peter learned that God was already at work in Cornelius before he, Peter, arrived. Sometimes the Church must learn the same humility: God is already present in people and communities we may not fully understand.
Think back to the arrival of the church in New Zealand. On Christmas Day,1814, the first church service, in the form of a Gospel reading and sermon delivered by the Reverend Samuel Marsden, took place at Oihi in the Bay of Islands. I imagine that sermons delivered at that time were not quite the same as the style we are used to these days. Despite what may have been an unfamiliar experience for those listening, it was the spark that ignited a Christian movement. Samuel Marsden may have walked away quite pleased with himself, but God had already gone before him to set the stage for his missionary work!

The Acts reading is about discovering that all people are included in God’s kingdom; and the Corinthians reading is about what happens next. Reconciliation – restoring relationships, resolving conflicts, aligning prospects.
In Corinthians, Paul is saying that in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself. It didn’t apply just to individuals. It applied to the world. Paul reminds us, “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ.”  And then he presents the challenge: “And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.”  He has entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to us.
This ministry is not about winning arguments. It is not about preserving comfort. It is not about protecting power. It is the ministry of reconciliation.

Reconciliation is costly work. We know that. Just look at the latest upsets as attempts are made to back-pedal on the status and authority of what many of us consider our nation’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi. We’ve been at it, with differing amounts of energy and progress, for more than 180 years!

Reconciliation requires honesty about our hurts, injustices and history. It also calls us to refuse to cave to cynicism. Because the legacy of colonisation, land loss, cultural suppression and economic inequity still shapes lives today. It means believing the Holy Spirit can still create something new between people. It should be filled with promise and hope. I think the Anglican Church can be proud of Te Pouhere. Some might say it is imperfect, but it was a courageous attempt to embody partnership rather than domination.

Paul reminds us that “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Other translations refer to us being a “new creation”. Essentially, Paul is saying things are going to be different from now on. Not only different, but better!

The Church, made up of faithful believers, is meant to be a sign of that new creation. A place where former divisions do not disappear by magic, but are transformed by grace. When our churches genuinely listen to one another across culture and history, the gospel becomes visible. People should be able to look at the Church and say, “How is it that such different people remain together?” And our answer should be, “Because Christ holds us together.”

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus is reaching the end of the Sermon on the Mount, and says, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise.”  Because we are generally slow to understand, he provides a simple analogy. He describes two houses, two foundations, and one storm. In one case the house is flattened and in the other the house stands firm. Jesus is pointing out the dangers of not heeding his words. In his analogy, both builders ‘hear’. The difference lies in the fact that for one the words are not lived out. No attention is paid to them. A church can talk endlessly about unity, justice, bicultural partnership and reconciliation. But eventually the storms reveal whether those values are decorative language or solid foundations.

Storms come: conflict, declining numbers, financial pressure, fear of change, cultural misunderstanding, revelation of abuse-in-care, and more. A church built on shaky foundations will struggle. But a church grounded in Christ, in humility, truth, mercy and sacrificial love can endure. These readings this Te Pouhere Sunday should remind us, however, that structures alone cannot save the Church.  Constitutions matter, but they are not really the foundation. Christ is the foundation. And Christ’s foundation is not uniformity. It is covenant love.
In a building, the structure depends on many parts working together. A ridge beam, rafters, walls, and floors, all have to be tied together. Remove one, and the whole building is weakened.

Look up! We are in a building that was weak. The steel ties were added to keep the walls upright and stop the roof falling on us. Remove them, and it likely will!
The Church is similar. We are strongest when each part contributes faithfully to the whole body of Christ. And we are the parts. What we do will make it strong, or let it fall. A weighty point to consider!

Almost an aside but not quite: another important point to consider in our church, St Francis, is building up our resilience and focussing on succession planning. What happens when our key people move on, or up? Are there willing others prepared to take their places, to ensure that we remain strong? Will we be able to look forward to a future where we build on the platform already laid?

I have spoken previously about our visits to Kalihi Union Church in Honolulu. I mention Kalihi Union again now because they are going through an adjustment brought about by the retirement of their Senior Pastor, Jonathan. Although they have gone through the sadness of losing a loved and valued leader, the church is not despairing. They are looking forward expectantly to the next chapter. They have confidence that the Gospel will continue to be preached, and acted upon. They have confidence that their missions and ministries will continue to enrich their congregation and the wider community.

We need to ensure we have that here!

We can think about today’s readings forming a movement:

• In Acts: God breaks down barriers.
• In Corinthians: Christ reconciles the world, draws us together.
• In Matthew: Jesus encourages us to build our lives on his truth.

Te Pouhere Sunday doesn’t just celebrate our unique approach to church governance. It celebrates our gospel-shaped and gospel-inspired church community.

At the start of my reflection, I hinted that our readings would get us thinking about what it is that holds us together, and what kind of community we are building. More and more these days I am pushed to re-examine my life: my way of thinking, my motivations, my politics, and so on. More and more I feel I am being moved from observer to participant. So, in writing my notes for today I was asking myself, do I just want to admire the vision of reconciliation or do I want to help build on it?

Because we know storms will come, we need to know that, for all we are about to face, God has equipped us.
A few weeks ago we were celebrating the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the very power of Jesus within us. If that isn’t foundational, I don’t know what is! Christ truly is our foundation. Our differences need not divide us. Instead, by God’s grace, they may become a witness to the world that true reconciliation is possible.