A Message from Kahu Akana

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JOY DURING ADVENT

On Sunday, I had the privilege of sharing my art of watercoloring with the congregation, along with the joy that it brings me and the joy I hope to share with others through it. The piece I shared is a painting of `iliahi blossoms. The `iliahi trees once flourished on all of the main Hawaiian islands until the late 18th and early 19th centuries when the kings sold them off to China. By 1840, almost every tree was cut down, and it was rare that anyone ever saw them again. A few years ago, I was hiking in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and came across an `iliahi in blossom. I wasn’t sure if that’s what it was since I had never seen an `iliahi before. However, I took a photograph and was so happy to find that I had seen my first `iliahi! Sometimes joy catches us by surprise!

The Book of Isaiah was written during a difficult time in the nation of Israel, yet there are words of deep and profound joy in it. I encouraged the congregation to be open to joy and to plan for joy during this holiday season. After all, if you have a lot of joy within you, then you have a lot of joy to give to others!

I invite you to come and celebrate the joy of Christmas in the coming weeks. This week, our children will be leading us in worship, along with a wonderful presentation which they have been working on for weeks. On Christmas Eve, we will celebrate the birth of Christ by sharing the Christmas story and singing carols. On Christmas Day, we will celebrate Christ’s birth with Holy Communion. Please join us…and bring a friend!

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.

Weekly News of the Church

CHRISTMAS CAROLING

Once again we will be joining the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign as they sing Christmas carols in front of Sueoka Store on December 16 & 23, 6 – 7:30 pm. Please join us for singing just one song or stay for the entire time.

CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

Sunday, December 18, 10:30 a.m. The children of the church will share a very special story with us on Sunday. Parents, please have your children at church by 9 a.m.

THE CHRISTMAS FUND

Each year at Christmastime, congregations of the United Church of Christ across the country take up a collection to provide pension and health premium supplementation to lower-income retired church workers, and emergency assistance to clergy and lay church employees in need, as well as “Thank You” gift checks to hundreds of faithful retired church workers. The fund is administered by the UCC Pension Boards. We will collect the Christmas Fund offering on December 18, 24 & 25. Please give generously to help faithful church workers who are experiencing difficult times.

CHRISTMAS WORSHIP

December 18: Fourth Sunday of Advent (Love). We will light the Candle of Love and Angela Dressel will share with us her art of quilt-making. Also the children of the church will present our annual Christmas program!

December 24: Christmas Eve (7:30 p.m.) We will read the Christmas story, sing carols and end the evening with the singing of Silent Night as we light candles.

December 25: Christmas Day. We will light the Christ Candle, sing Christmas carols and celebrate Holy Communion.

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Weekly News of the Church” is provided by 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

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On Sunday, Doug Duvauchelle began our worship service by sharing how music brings peace to him and to others. He then lit the Candle of Peace and played a soothing medley for us on his guitar. As Doug so beautifully demonstrated, music is a form of art that often brings us peace in the midst of the chaos and challenges of our lives. I am really enjoying hearing from some of the artists among us who are sharing what art means to them and how the various forms of art help us to make room for Christ during the Season of Advent. I am looking forward to sharing on Sunday about the joy of painting the flowers of Hawaii. I hope you will join us as we light the Candle of Joy!

On Sunday, I also shared about my experiences visiting the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific on Puowaina, also known as Punchbowl Crater, on December 7, 1991. It was truly a spiritual experience being among so many graves of veterans on the 50th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. As we commemorate this event this week, 25 years later, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect upon all of the wars and places of armed conflict since World War II. I was saddened to learn that there have been multiple situations of armed conflict every year since that war in which over 60 million people lost their lives. I learned that there have been over 50 situations of armed conflict in the world in 2016 (so far)…and over 75,000 people have died this year in Syrian, Iraq and Afghanistan alone…and there are about as many Syrians who have died in the current civil war as all Americans who died in WWII: over 400,000.

If we are going to sing and talk about peace on earth once again during the holiday season, I think it is important for us to see how much work there is to do! I also believe that peace is possible and that there is a role in it for each of us. I shared about the story of Sadako Sasaki, the young girl living in Hiroshima who was just two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped just over a mile away from her home. She later came down with leukemia as a result of the radiation from the blast. While she was dying in the hospital, her friend told her the legend of 1,000 cranes: if you fold 1,000 paper cranes, you can make a wish and know that it will come true. So Sadako began folding paper into cranes as she wished for peace in the world. As the story goes, she only completed 644 cranes when she died, but her friends were so inspired by her commitment to peace, they took up the challenge and completed the rest. 1,000 cranes were folded after all!

This story gives me hope that we can all do something for peace and whatever we do will make a difference. Our challenge for peace on earth is a huge one, but we can make a difference. May we commit ourselves to bringing more peace to the world.

Aloha nui!

Kahu Alan Akana

Click HERE to see a video of Sunday’s sermon.

Videos of Kahu’s sermons will be available every week through Christmas Day. You can find them on our  church website <www.koloaunionchurch.org> and on our weekly e-news. Please share these videos with friends and invite them to church.

“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.

News of the Church

THE SEASON OF ADVENT

This year during Advent, some of the artists among us are sharing their art in order to help us fully enter into the spirit of the season. Christ is always present and yet coming to us in new ways all the time. We invite you to come, open your hearts to the art and the artists among us, and see how Christ might come to you in a brand new way during this special season.

AN ADVENT MINI-RETREAT

Resource for Christian Spirituality is hosting a mini-retreat called “They Who Wait” on Saturday, December 10th, from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. Click HERE to see the details.

CHRISTMAS PARTY AT THE PARSONAGE

Our annual Christmas party at Kahu’s home will be Friday, December 9, beginning at 6:00 pm. We will gather at the Smith Memorial Parsonage (3281 Waikomo Road). Please bring a dish to share for our potluck dinner and your singing voices, as we plan to sing Christmas carols!

POINSETTIAS

You are invited to bring a poinsettia to decorate the sanctuary during the Christmas season. Just place it on the floor in front of the communion table. We will keep it watered during the holiday season.

CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

Sunday, December 18, 10:30 a.m.  The children of the church will share a very special story with us on December 18th.  They will practice for the program during Sunday school on December 11.  Parents, please have your children at church by 9 a.m. on December 18.

CHRISTMAS OUTREACH

“Spare Change to Help Needy Families”  We plan to give gift cards to families in our community before Christmas so that they can have food and gifts for their children. Just place your change before December 11 in the Spare Change Jar as you enter or leave the church. We will add up our change and purchase gift cards for local stores. If you know any families we can help, have any questions, or wish to volunteer, please contact Judyth Foley at 818-726-1344.

CHRISTMAS CAROLING

Once again we will be joining the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign as we sing Christmas carols in front of Sueoka Store on Friday evenings, December 16 & 23, 6-7:30 p.m. Please join us for singing a song or two or stay for the entire time. Bring musical instruments and your singing voice for this fun and casual evening as we raise money to feed hungry people on the island.

THE CHRISTMAS FUND

Each year at Christmastime, congregations of the United Church of Christ across the country take up a collection to provide pension and health premium supplementation to lower-income retired church workers, and emergency assistance to clergy and lay church employees in need, as well as “Thank You” gift checks to hundreds of faithful retired church workers. The fund is administered by the UCC Pension Boards. We will collect the Christmas Fund offering on December 18, 24 & 25. Please give generously to help faithful church workers who are experiencing difficult times.

PRAYERS & SQUARES

Our New Ministry: Making Simple Quilts to “Cover” People in Prayer! Our first meeting is scheduled for January 6, 2017 from 3-5 pm, at the Dressel residence. You do not need to know how to sew or quilt to join us; you just need to be willing to pray and help with the effort in any way you are able. Fabric of Faith: A Guide to the Prayer Quilt Ministry, by Kimberly Winston, is a lovely book introducing the ministry.  A copy of the book is available for loan. Please contact Angela Dressel to sign up:  abdressel@gmail.com or 808-332-7371; and please keep our new ministry in your prayers.

OFFICE CLOSED on Monday, December 26, 2016.

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Weekly News of the Church” is provided by 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!