Whitu - Rāhoroi 7 Hakihea - Kaitiakitanga 

Day 7 - Sunday 7th December - Kaitiakitanga 

He kaupapa mō te rā

Kaitiakitanga

Kaitiaki means guardian/carer. The practice of kaitiakitanga includes caring responsibly for all of creation. That means tāngata (people), whenua (land), rangi (sky), moana (sea), ngahere (forest), awa (river), and kararehe (animals). Ihowā instructed us to tiaki (protect) the garden of Eden bequeathed to us.

“Nā, ka tango a Ihowā, te Atua, i te tangata, ā, whakanohoia ana e ia ki te kāri o Erene, hei ngaki, hei tiaki hoki i reira”. Kenehi 2:15 

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it”. Genesis 2:15

He Karaipiture (Bible Reading)

Genesis 1:24-31

Nā, ka mea te Atua, “Kia whakaputaina e te whenua te mea ora o ia āhua, o ia āhua, te kararehe me te mea ngōkingōki me te kīrehe o te whenua o ia āhua, o ia āhua.” Ā, ka oti. Nā, ka hangā e te Atua te kīrehe o te whenua o ia āhua, o ia āhua, me te kararehe o ia āhua, o ia āhua, me ngā mea ngōkingōki katoa o te whenua o ia āhua, o ia āhua; ā, ka kite te Atua he pai.

Nā, ka mea te Atua, “Kia hanga tātou i te tangata kia rite ki a tātou, hei tō tātou anō te āhua. Ā, kia waiho ko rātou hei rangatira mō ngā ika o te moana, mō te manu o te rangi, mō ngā kararehe hoki, mō te whenua katoa, mō ngā mea ngōkingōki katoa anō hoki e ngōkingōki ana i runga i te whenua.”

Nā, ka hangā e te Atua te tangata rite tonu ki a ia; i hangā e ia kia rite ki te Atua; i hangā rāua he tāne, he wahine.

Nā, ka manaakitia rāua e te Atua, ā, ka mea te Atua ki a rāua, “Kia hua, kia tini, kia kapi hoki te whenua i a kōrua, kia mate hoki ōna tara i a kōrua; ko kōrua hei rangatira mō te ika o te moana, mō te manu hoki o te rangi, mō ngā mea ora katoa anō hoki e ngōkingōki ana i runga i te whenua.”

Ā, ka mea te Atua, “Nā, kua oti te hoatu e ahau ki a kōrua ngā otaota katoa e whai purapura ana i runga i te mata o te whenua katoa, me te rākau katoa, he hua rākau tōna e whai purapura ana; hei kai ēnā mā kōrua.  Ā, kua hoatu anō e ahau ngā otaota matomato katoa hei kai mā ngā kararehe katoa o te whenua, mā ngā manu katoa o te rangi, mā ngā mea katoa hoki e ngōkingōki ana i runga i te whenua kei roto nei i a rātou he wairua ora.” Ā, ka oti.

Ā, ka kite te Atua i ngā mea katoa kua hangā nei e ia, nā, pai whakaharahara. Ā, ko te ahiahi, ko te ata, ko te rā tuaono.

Then God commanded, “Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small”—and it was done. So God made them all, and he was pleased with what he saw.

Then God said, “And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small.” So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, blessed them, and said, “Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food”—and it was done. God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased. Evening passed and morning came—that was the sixth day.

Whakarongo/Titiro Mai (Listen/Watch)

Ngā mea waihanga (Create)

Shells, feathers, sweet gum seed pods, & paints combine for the makings of several Christ-mas tree mobiles and decorations

He Whakaaroaro (Reflect)

Our generation more than any that have come before us, are being reminded on a daily basis of just how poorly humans have looked after the finite resources on our beautiful planet. Our Bible reading today reminds us of our responsibility for caring for God’s creation. When it comes to caring for creation in Aotearoa we are privileged to have the expertise of Mātauranga Māori. In kaitiakitanga we find practices respecting the earth and encouraging sustainability and renewal. We can choose to participate in God’s creation as kaitiaki, guardians of the land, sea and sky. Let us find for ourselves ways this Christ-mas where we can celebrate with an emphasis on caring for God’s creation with new traditions encouraging sustainability and renewal.

Whakahokia mai (Respond)

Make or create something from natural materials and celebrate God’s creation. 

Karakia (Pray)

Ehara i te mea

Nō nāianei te aroha

Nō nga tūpuna

Tuku iho, tuku iho

Te whenua, te whenua

Te oranga o te iwi

Nō nga tūpuna

Tuku iho, tuku iho

Whakapono, tumanako

Te aroha te aroha;

Nō nga tūpuna

Tuku iho, tuku iho.

It is not a new thing of recent times, 

that is love that has come 

from the ancestors 

handed down through the ages.

The land, the land

is life/wellbeing for the people

it comes from the ancestors 

passed down through the passages of time.

Faith and hope

and love to all people

it comes from the ancestors 

passed down through the passages of time.