Meri Kirihimete - Christmas Day - Aroha
Te Taha Taiao - Ka Tangi Te Tītī - Alongside the natural world - the Tītī calls.
Kirihimete - Rāapa 25 Hakihea - Aroha
Christmas Day - Wednesday 25th December - Aroha
Meri Kirihimete
Today is Christ-mas Day and our countdown is officially over as Christ-mas has begun. Wherever you are in the world and however you are celebrating today we hope that you feel surrounded by aroha and God’s grace and goodness.
He kaupapa mō te rā
Aroha
Love. This is what aroha means. Love in the abundance of forms that it takes; pity, compassion, kindness, concern, empathy, sympathy, affection, charity, generosity, care… love is such a small word but has such a huge impact.
Nō reira, e te whānau a te Karaiti, haere koutou ki te ruia he aroha ki ōu whānau, ōu hoa, ngā tāngata katoa, ki ngā ngāhere me ngā karerehe, tā tātou moana, te rangi, ngā awa, me te kaupapa nui, Te Taiao!
He Karaipiture (Bible Reading)
1 Koriniti/Corinthians 13:13
Nā tēnei te mau nei te whakapono, te tūmanako, te aroha, ēnei e toru; ko te mea nui rawa ia o ēnei ko te aroha.
Meanwhile…
Whakarongo/Titiro Mai (Listen/Watch)
Ngā mea waihanga (Create)
There can never be too much aroha. It’s not only at Christ-mas when God gave us the ultimate gift of aroha, but all year round in our whare, kainga, marae, communities, whare-karakia, and all the places we hang out! It’s aroha and te Taiao at Christ-mas!
He Whakaaroaro (Reflect)
It all comes down to aroha. This whole experience of Counting Down to Christ-mas is an exercise in deepening our understanding of love, of aroha. Aroha comes from our Creator God. This huge, full and expansive love, given generously and unconditionally took the form of a baby, born for all the people in the world, across time and cultures. Our Creator God loves the people of this world. When there is faith we find hope and love and of all these three, the greatest of these is aroha.
Te Aroha, te Whakapono, me te Rangimārie, tātou, tātou e!
Whakahokia mai (Respond)
Give thanks in prayer for the gift of love given, received and passed on to others.
Karakia (Pray)
“Koia anō te aroha o te Atua ki te ao, homai ana e ia tana Tama kotahi, kia kahore ai e ngaro te tangata e whakapono ana ki a ia, engari kia whiwhi ai ki te ora tonu”. John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son……….