A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

All Saints Day

ALL SAINTS DAY

Last Sunday, I shared with the congregation about some of my experiences at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Salt Lake City just a couple weeks ago. One of my observations (and sermon title) was “We All Want To See.” People of all religions and faith traditions want to see better; we especially want to see the sacred more clearly in our lives and in the world around us; we also want to see others for who they are, just as we want to be seen and acknowledged for who we are; finally, we all want to see that we are connected to one another, to God and the the world around us.

This Sunday, we plan to celebrate All Saints Day as we have Holy Communion, remember the saints in our lives, and look at another of my observations at the Parliament of the World’s Religions (and sermon title): “We All Want More Love.” I hope you’ll join us as we celebrate God’s love for the world and how it has been manifested in so many ways!

Aloha nui loa!

Kahu Alan Akana

News of the Church

2015 Fall ‘Aha Mokupuni of the Kauai Association, UCC, will be at the Church of the Pacific on Sunday, November 1 at 3:00 p.m.  You are invited to spend the afternoon with your church family and friends to talk story, enjoy music and a lu’au meal.  There will be “children and youth” activities and intergenerational worship.  We will be carpooling leaving the church at 1:45 p.m.  Call the church office if you would like to join us.

Back from vacation.  Penny is back in the office after a fabulous vacation!  She and Kei went on their annual family/friends vacation to San Francisco and northern California.  They were in Sea Ranch (developed by a man from Hawaii) for several days for abalone diving, fresh oysters,  great food, hiking and relaxing.  Then down to Texas to spend time with their 3 grandsons.  Penny proudly shared her accomplishment of climbing the highest point in San Francisco, Mt. Davidson, with her new knees!!!!

A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

PWR 2015

PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS

I returned Wednesday evening from a week in Salt Lake City at the Parliament of the World’s Religions. On the first day of the conference, I immediately recognized Tibetan Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Hare Krishna’s, indigenous people of the American Continents, and a myriad of other persons of faith for whom I did not yet have names. I spent five full days attending plenary sessions, workshops, movies, and discussion groups, as well as visiting booths and exhibits. I also had meals with old and new friends. By the end of the conference, I felt that my eyes were opened to the fact that all of the religious faiths and traditions which I encountered seem to have a lot more in common than I ever realized. We all want to operate from a place of compassion. We all want to protect the Earth so that she will be around for many generations to enjoy. We all want people to live with dignity, security and hope, and without hunger, oppression and injustice.

For the next few weeks, I will share on Sunday mornings some of the details of my experiences at the parliament. This Sunday, I will share about the message from Jane Goodall—my favorite speaker of the week! She has spent her entire life opening her eyes and watching, and by the simple act of observing, she has been filled with compassion for animals (including humans!) and the entire planet. We know her primarily from her work observing chimpanzees as a trained primatologist, but there is a lot more to her life than that! Her message cuts across religious lines and gets to the heart of some of the most important issues of our day.

I invite you to join me during the next month as I share the highlights of the Parliament of the World’s Religions!

Aloha nui loa!

Kahu Alan Akana