Rima - Rāpare 5 Hakihea - Mātauranga

Day 5 - Thursday 5th December - Mātauranga

He kaupapa mō te rā

Mātauranga

Traditional and contemporary knowledge, wisdom, skill, language, customs and practices, are each an important part of Mātauranga. The connections of past and present, of science and myth, of culture and environment, spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health, and the committment to family and the care of each other, all come together to offer a Māori view in what is known as Mātauranga Māori. We can all respect, learn and benefit from Mātauranga Māori.

Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou. Seek after learning for the sake of your wellbeing.

He Karaipiture (Bible Reading)

Genesis 1:14-19

Nā, ka mea te Atua, “Kia whai mea whakamārama te kiko o te rangi, hei wehe i te awatea, i te pō; hei tohu anō aua mea, hei tāima, hei rā, hei tau. Hei whakamārama aua mea i te kiko o te rangi, hei whakamārama i te whenua.” Ā, ka oti. Nā, ka hangā e te Atua ngā mea whakamārama nui e rua – ko te whakamārama nui hei tohutohu mō te awatea, ko te whakamārama tuaiti hei tohutohu mō te pō – i hangā anō hoki e ia ngā whetū. Ā, whakanohoia ana aua mea e te Atua ki te kiko o te rangi, hei whakamārama mō te whenua, hei tohutohu i te awatea, i te pō, hei wehe hoki i te mārama, i te pōuri. Ā, ka kite te Atua, he pai. Ā, ko te ahiahi, ko te ata, he rā tuawhā.

Then God commanded, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate day from night and to show the time when days, years, and religious festivals begin; they will shine in the sky to give light to the earth”—and it was done. So God made the two larger lights, the sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule over the night; he also made the stars. He placed the lights in the sky to shine on the earth, to rule over the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God was pleased with what he saw. Evening passed and morning came—that was the fourth day.

Whakarongo/Titiro Mai (Listen/Watch)

Suzanne is a very special friend of Caroline and Andrew’s and has been a part of the Avenues Church, Caroline led for many years.

Ngā mea waihanga (Create)

These glass pieces are louvres recovered from a demolition site in Mt Wellington. They are repurposed with engraving of harakeke (flax) & araxacum officinale (dandelion). The theme is that through the window there is life, you only have to look!

He Whakaaroaro (Reflect)

God’s story is full of mystery and wonder. We feel it every Christ-mas. It takes us by surprise and yet we can also anticipate that intake of breath when for a moment we’re overcome with a sense of awe. Perhaps it’s the sight of a pohutukawa in flower, hearing a line in a Christmas carol, appreciating twinkling lights glistening in the darkness or the sound of a newborn baby crying. Our knowledge and our experience of Christ-mas lead us towards those moments, and yet for those few seconds of awe and wonder, we feel the presence of God, and it is beyond our understanding. Christmas is an ancient festival, celebrated consistently and in similar ways the world over, but also ever changing over the centuries and in the present. We incorporate a complex mixture of rituals from many traditions, cultures and practices in our Christ-mas celebrations. At the very heart of Christ-mas is a simple story of a young woman giving birth to the son of God. This is the story of God-With-Us. It’s a story for all people across all time. Maybe not so simple after all. 

Whakahokia mai (Respond)

Hold this balance of understanding of the simplicity of God’s story throughout the rest of Advent, while being open to fresh insights and understandings. Look for awe and wonder.

Karakia (Pray)

Purea nei e te hau   

Horoia e te ua

Whitiwhitia e te rā

Mahea ake ngā pōraruraru

Makere ana ngā here.

E rere wairua, e rere

Ki ngā ao o te rangi

Whitiwhitia e te rā

Mahea ake ngā pō raruraru

Makere ana ngā here,

Makere ana ngā here.

Cleansed by the wind

washed by the rain

and warmed by the sun,

all troubles are cleared away

and all restraints got rid of.

Fly free O spirit, fly

to the clouds in the sky,

warmed by the sun,

with all troubles cleared away

all restraints got rid of,

all restrictions cast aside.

Based on a Ngāpuhi whakatauki and developed into a waiata by Henare Mahanga of Ngāti Hine, modified by Hirini Melbourne.