A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by admin | Mar 7, 2016 | Message from Kahu

GROUNDED IN OUR HOMES

Diana Butler Bass writes in her book Grounded: Finding God in the World, A Spiritual Revolution: 

The overarching narrative of the Bible is that of humanity searching for home.

I never really noticed this before, but after I read it, I thought of one example after another of biblical characters searching for home:

• Adam and Eve leaving the Garden of Eden in search of their new home
• Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah) leaving the land of Ur in search of the land promised by God
• Joseph and his brothers finding a new home in Egypt during the devastating famine
• Moses leading the Hebrew people from Egypt in search of a new home for an entire nation
• Naomi leaving Bethlehem with her husband and two sons looking for a new home in Moab and then returning to Bethlehem as a widow with her daughter-in-law Ruth and creating an altogether new home
• Mary and Joseph leaving Nazareth for Bethlehem and then with Jesus journeying to a new home in Egypt and then eventually to Nazareth

These are just a few of the examples that come to mind. Every one of those people redefined the meaning of home according to their values. Perhaps so many of these people in the Bible were searching for home and redefining its meaning because that is the human story as well. Perhaps it is the story of all of our lives. We spend a good deal of our lives searching for home…and redefining the meaning of home according to our values. I think it is one of the deepest longings we have.

Diana Butler Bass writes:

Two locations have emerged as particularly sacred: the front door and the table, the physical places at home where we form the spiritual habits of hospitality and gratitude.

What is true in our places of residence is also true in our church. We become sacred when we welcome all with open arms and open hearts…and when we express gratitude to God and each other. And, just like people have been doing for thousands of years, we redefine the meaning of home according to our values. May God grant us a greater sense of hospitality and gratitude as we do so.

Aloha nui!

Kahu Alan Akana

“A Message from Kahu Alan Akana” is provided most weeks by the Kahu (Pastor) of Koloa Union Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference. Join us at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!

A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by admin | Mar 1, 2016 | Message from Kahu

NEW KOA PULPIT AT KOLOA UNION CHURCH

GROUNDED IN OUR ROOTS

On Sunday, we read from the Gospel of John, chapter 8, where Jesus addressed some of the Jewish leaders who claimed their exclusive hold on the truth and their right to hurt and kill others based upon their ancestry and position as children of Abraham and of God. Jesus told them: “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.” Jesus also told them: “If God were your Father, you would love me.” His point: You cannot use your relationship with God or your ancestral heritage to hurt others or claim to have an exclusive hold on the truth. Instead, we will love others—even those with whom we disagree. We will treat everyone with compassionate openness. Just knowing who our ancestors are is not enough: we must learn from them!

I shared with the congregation a bit about my maternal grandmother, Alice M. Gagner, and what I learned from her. She grew up in a small log cabin with 5 siblings on a farm in rural Montana. Ever since she was a young girl, she wanted to attend college and study agriculture. Since there was no high school for miles around, she moved in with a family in another town and worked for her board and room in order to graduate from high school. When she applied for college, people told her that she was not likely to get admitted because agriculture was “a man’s job.” Four years later, she was the first woman to receive a degree in agriculture from Montana State College (now University) in Bozeman. She also received a degree in home economics and, because of  her two degrees, doors opened up for her all over the world, including the 10 years she lived on Kauai. She was the University of Hawaii home extension agent and coordinator of girl’s 4H for Kauai from 1949-1959.

My grandmother taught me to follow my dreams, to not allow others to determine their outcome because they doubted their possibilities, and to persevere at whatever I set out to do. She did so with grace and kindness to others.

On Sunday, I announced to the congregation that I decided to pay for our new koa pulpit, custom-designed for our sanctuary by Frank Pullano of Kalaheo, and have it named in memory of my grandmother. There will be a plaque installed on the inside which will have the following words:

In Loving Memory of Alice M. Gagner (1900-1992)

Resident of Kauai (1949-1959)

Grandmother of the Rev. Dr. Alan Akana

I invited those in attendance on Sunday to consider someone who was influential in their lives and consider ways that they might honor them. It might be a gift to the church or a meaningful not-for-profit organization; perhaps planting a tree or a garden; maybe just deciding to live with compassionate openness. I invite you to do the same.

Aloha nui!

Kahu Alan Akana