A Maori Communion Service

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 9, 4 December 1931, Page 5

A Maori Communion Service

The Kaitaia Anglican church is perched high, looking up at the hills that surround it and down at the township below. Down -there, by the old river bed, where one can see the ring of the show grounds, was the scene of the first Christian service, more than a century ago. Much has happened since then, from a remote and barbarous land New Zealand has become one of the free nations of the great British Commonwealth, the pakeha and the Maori, after many disputes, much bitterness and bloodshed, have settled down to live in peace and equality. And as the coming of the missionaries was the beginning of civilisation for the Maoris then, so the tie of a common religion is the symbol of the unity of the two races now. There was therefore more than ordinary interest in the United Maori-pakeha communion service on Sunday. Maoris from the neighbouring native settlements gathered with their clergy until there was not enough room in the church for the congregation. It was a typical Northern summer day, the heat of the sun tempered by a breeze, so the seats were brought out, and arranged on the sheltered side of the church, the alter with its violet cloth, plain brass cross and brass vases of flowers, making a striking picture against the white wall and blackened shingle roof of the church (a fine old-time shingle roof, partly replaced, alas, with common red-painted corrugated iron). Those for whom there were no seats squatted on the grass. It was a deeply impressive service, and predominately Maori. The pakeha element was small, a few of the elders of missionary families who understood Maori, a few of the younger ones who evidently did not. A couple of hymns were sung both in English and Maori, but the Maori voices swamped the English. There was no instrumental music, and the sound of the singing in the open was at first somewhat thin, but it swelled and deepened in volume later, and the organ was not missed. During the communion service a small choir sang softly and sweetly, the music blending well with the solemnity of the service. One could not help being struck with the spirit of reverence that vailed throughout. A curly-haired sheep dog, just growing out of puppyhood, wandered in, inspected the crowd, and made overtures of play to a little boy, who was promptly gathered in by his mother. Realising that this was a serious gathering, the pup sat down and behaved all through the service like the gentleman he was. The responses were hearty, often chanted in unison, very different to the hurried gabble of so many white congregations. Even during the sermons (there were two of them) there was not the look of long suffering endurance seen in so many churches. The people looked as if worship was to them as much of a pleasure as a duty. Over a hundred Maoris communicated, grey haired seniors, sturdy men and women in the prime of life, young men and women. Reverently they came forward to kneel in the row to receive the elements at the hands of the gray haired minister and his younger colleague in the blaze of the noon-day sun. The choir sang softly, a fit background to the softly spoken words of the Maori service, the breeze stirred the flowers on the graves that surrounded the congregation. It was life and death time and eternity symbolised. At last it was over, the final hymn sung, the benediction given, the procession of clergy filing slowly into the church. One thought of the first Christian service here and the difference. With all its shortcomings, religion is still the greatest factor in life. ACCIDENT TO A BOY Maurice Parker, the nine and a half year old son of Mr. W. Parker, of Church road, Kaitaia, was thrown off a horse on Sunday and received rather severe injuries. He was taken to the Mangonui hospital when it was found that the left shoulder had been dislocated and the bone in the upper arm fractured. As this necessitated a difficult operation, it was decided to send the unfortunate boy to the Auckland hospital for treatment.