Labyrinth Walk at Maha`ulepu
Join Bob Vlach and his Son Michael
(Co-creators of the Labyrinth)
On the 4th Anniversary of The
Labyrinth at Maha`ulepu
Saturday, April 28, 2018, at 11 a.m.
For photos and reflections on the labyrinth, click HERE.
Directions to the Labyrinth
Grove Farm has closed the road to Maha`ulepu.
The closest access to the labyrinth site at this point is
hiking in from CJM Stables near the arena.
The hike is about a mile in each direction,
including cliffs and beach (or road) and a short trail.
Bring plenty of water, as there is little shade.
After parking near CJM Stables,
Walk towards the northeast along the coast
past Maha`ulepu Beach until you arrive.
Weekly News of the Church
Helping Our Neighbors
Flood Relief Continues
Koloa Union Church is reaching out to our neighbors who were affected by the recent flooding on the island. In Koloa, one neighborhood in particular, consisting of nearly thirty homes, experienced severe flooding. As one woman, who attended church on Sunday, said, “Last Sunday (April 15), we had water throughout our entire house that was waist high.” All of the houses in her neighborhood experienced moderate to severe damage, and many lost virtually all of their possessions in a matter of hours, including appliances and furniture.
Koloa Union Church is serving as a drop-off center on the south shore. Church members and others are invited to drop off items which will be used for flood victims. Kahu Alan Akana said, “We will bring to our neighbors here in Koloa whatever they can use. If there is anything left over, we have designated drivers who will take all other items to drop off sites on other parts of the island for use in other communities that were affected by the flooding, including the east and north sides of the island.”
Those who can drop off items are asked to do so on Sunday mornings, or else Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon, or by making an appointment by calling Penny at the church office at 808-742-6622. Those who wish to make monetary donations can write checks to “Koloa Union Church” and write “Flood Relief” in the note section.
The list of most urgent needs are as follows:
Household: Microwave ovens, barbecue grills, butane canisters and propane (all sizes), rubber boots and gloves, large plastic storage totes, coolers, tarps, large black contractor trash bags, hand sanitizer, bleach, Clorox Wipes, spray bottles
Personal: Toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet tissue, diapers (sizes infant through 5), body soap, shampoo, conditioner, sleeping bags, blankets, pillows
Non-refrigerated Food: Cereal, granola, granola bars/snack bars, soy/rice/almond milk, juice, coffee, tea
OTHER NEWS OF THE CHURCH….
LECTIO DIVINA Join us again on April 25 at the Parsonage for a time to quietly reflect on the Scriptures. We will meet on Wednesday, 7:00-8:30 p.m. for Lectio Divina at the Smith Memorial Parsonage (3281 Waikomo Road). In Christianity, Lectio Divina is a traditional practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God’s Word.
THE LATEST COCONUT WIRELESS The Council of the Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ shares news on the Coconut Wireless, the regular newsletter of the HCUCC. If you would like to keep abreast on news, opportunities and events, please click HERE for this past week’s news. If you like what you see, you may subscribe and get every issue of the Coconut Wireless automatically and get the very latest news hot off the press.
PRAYERS & SQUARES Contact Angela Dressel if you would like to get involved in praying for people in crisis or helping to make quilt squares for those in crisis.
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COMING UP………..
MAHAULEPU BEACH CLEAN UP You are invited to join the UCC youth of the island and Surfrider Foundation on Saturday, May 5, from 9 to noon to clean up Mahaulepu. We will meet at the far end of the road.
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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
“We Are Guests Here”
Sunday was Earth Day, and I shared the story of when I stood on Kaimu Black Sand Beach in Kalapana in 1990 and watched liquid lava flow over the beach and into the ocean. I also shared a picture of the scene (above). As the lava approached Kaimu that year, the wife of a distant relative of mine saw that the lava was heading straight for her home. She went outside and stood in front of the oncoming lava and prayed that it would go around the house. (By the way, this house stands on the property where my great-great-grandparents used to live.) I don’t know if she prayed to God, Jesus or Pele, but the lava went completely around the house and filled in the entire bay which you can see in the picture. The steam at the far end of the photograph is where the lava first entered the bay; it eventually covered the entire beach and bay. The new coastline is about a quarter of a mile away now—a quarter of a mile of land that was ocean in 1990!
People in Kalapana say that it is a miracle that the home of my relatives still stands, and they attribute its existence to the prayer that was offered by the wife of my relative. I don’t doubt for a minute that our prayers are important. However, I also know that hundreds of other people in Kalapana also prayed, and their homes were destroyed. Furthermore, people on Kaua`i last week prayed that the flood waters would not enter their homes, and some of those people who prayed lost nearly every possession that was in their homes. When it comes to the Earth and our prayers, we don’t always get exactly what we want.
During this past week, I spent some time reflecting on the Earth and on our prayers. Our Gospel passage from Luke on Sunday was the story of Jesus calming the storm while he and his disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. For me, one of my most important reflections was that the disciples were exactly where Jesus wanted them to be and doing exactly what he wanted them to do. We have a tendency to wonder what is wrong when bad things happen to us. During the storms of our lives (both figurative and literal), we wonder if we are not where God wants us or if we are not Doing what God wants. We wonder if God is punishing us. The story from Luke reminds us that we sometimes suffer when we are exactly where God wants us and doing exactly what God wants us to do. The most important part of the story for me is that Jesus is there in the midst of the storm; he is present with the disciples with compassion. The same is true for us.
If you would like to hear about my other reflections from the passage, you can see my message on YouTube by clicking the link below. In the meantime, I invite you to open your eyes and your hearts in order to see God’s presence in your midst wherever you may be on this Earth, and I ask you to remember that we are guests here on this planet! May we take care of the Earth and all of the other guests who reside here.
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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Our Kahu (Pastor) offers a weekly message in church most Sundays during the year. Click HERE to see a video of his sermon from this past Sunday. You may see the Koloa Union Church YouTube channel to see many of his past messages and subscribe in order be notified when a new message is posted. Please share these videos with friends and invite them to church. Please feel free to “Like” any of the videos you see and share them on social media, such as Facebook, so that others will notice them.
“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
YOUTH FUNDRAISING GALA This Sunday, April 22, at 5 p.m. at Kapaa United Church of Christ, the youth of the Kauai Association will be serving dinner, providing entertainment and hosting an auction.
WAINEKE WORKDAY Saturday, April 21. Volunteers are asked to participate in the care and maintenance of the Waineke cabins and grounds in Kokee. Some volunteers spend Friday night in the cabins and clean on Saturday. Meals will be served.
THE LATEST COCONUT WIRELESS The Council of the Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ shares news on the Coconut Wireless, the regular newsletter of the HCUCC. If you would like to keep abreast on news, opportunities and events, please click HERE for this past week’s news. If you like what you see, you may subscribe and get every issue of the Coconut Wireless automatically and get the very latest news hot off the press.
PRAYERS & SQUARES Contact Angela Dressel if you would like to get involved in praying for people in crisis or helping to make quilt squares for those in crisis.
AND COMING UP…
LECTIO DIVINA Join us again on April 25 at the Parsonage for a time to quietly reflect on the Scriptures. We will meet on Wednesday, 7:00-8:30 p.m. for Lectio Divina at the Smith Memorial Parsonage (3281 Waikomo Road). In Christianity, Lectio Divina is a traditional practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God’s Word.
________________________________
“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!
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