Te Motuhanga me te Whakanohoanga o Waitohiariki Quayle , hei Pihopa Tuarua o Te Ūpoko o te Ika/ Ordination and Installation of Waitohiariki Quayle as the Second Bishop of Te Ūpoko o te Ika. This wonderful event took place in Thursday 12 September 2019, at Rathkeale College , Masterton.
Canon Dr Jenny te Paa– Daniel gave the Sermon
Loving God, sanctifier, redeemer and giver of all life, may my words, thoughts and deeds be always acceptable unto you. Amen.
E oku tino rangatira nga pou o te Hahi, nga kaiarahi, kaitonot-ono, rangatahi, kaiwawao me te katoa o te whanau whanui o te Hahi, nga mihi, nga mihi, nga mihi tino aroha pau te kaha!
I cannot begin to express just how incredibly humbled I am to be with you all in this moment of long-awaited and so richly deserved celebration, in this sacramental moment of thanks-giving for all in God’s creation that has been and is yet to be in all of our lives.
E toku Pihopa (tatangia!), toku Pirihi rongonui, I tenei to ra, nui ake te aroha ki a koe me to whanau. A week or so ago I wrote to ask you how you were coping in the lead up to this day. I did so as one so conscious of the pioneering burden, the weight of expectation, the overwhelming sense of antici-pation, the incredulity – the wondering – Is this really happen-ing? Why me Lord? . . . but you responded so very simply and eloquently when you said to me, “I have this incredible calm-ness that I have carried since the Electoral college. I believe the Holy Spirit is surrounding and uplifting me on this jour-ney. And I am so grateful for the positive people around me as well”.
It is for that spontaneous warm, gentle, serenity you so readi-ly convey that you are so loved and respected. It is your hum-ble, faith-filled certainty of being always enfolded and guided by the Holy Spirit that is so inspirational to those looking to you for guidance. And it is your ever generous loving acknowl-edgment and support of your co-workers in the Upoko mis-sion vineyard and beyond in Te Pihopatanga whanui which make you the perfectly rightful chosen one for this precious work of leading, of nurturing, of shepherding those who from this day onward will call you their beloved Pihopa Waitohiari-ki.
You stand proudly now at the helm of a metaphoric waka wahine which has been navigating its way across this church for many, many years – for it is in this moment that each one of us can recall with abundant aroha those women whose relentless struggles – and very occasional triumphs – in minis-try have finally culminated in this amazing day.
I have no doubt that here and now we are surrounded on all sides by that great cloud of bold and beautiful witnesses – nga wahine toa, nga wahine whakapono humarie o Te Pi-hopatanga, me te Hahi puta noa ki Aotearoa me Poroneihana.
