A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by admin | Sep 26, 2018 | Message from Kahu

Love and Gratitude

On Sunday, I talked about how expressions of gratitude impact people around us. In her book, Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks, Diana Butler Bass writes about the impact that gratitude has on the people who observe it in others. She refers to work done by social psychologists who monitor the affects on the brain and bodily functions when someone observes another person expressing gratitude. One such psychologist is Jonathan Haidt, who observed a calming response, as well as related impulses, such as awe or self-transcendence. Amazing! Our bodily functions, our emotional states, and our spiritual wellbeing actually change when we observe another person expressing gratitude!

Our Scripture readings on Sunday point us toward love and gratitude when it comes to bringing our offerings to God. According to Psalm 50, it is gratitude that makes our offerings acceptable to God. Mark 12 reinforces this and also adds that love for God and others is the most important thing we can offer to God. In the story of the poor widow who places two half-pennies in the temple offering, Jesus makes it really clear that her offering is valuable and worthy because she gave from love and gratitude.

There is an important lesson here for us: our offerings to God are also valuable and of great worth to God when we give with love and gratitude. God is not concerned so much with the size of the gift; God is concerned with the love and gratitude that are offered in our giving. Another lesson from the story is that we can actually give everything to God. Just like the poor widow gave everything she owned to God, we can too. Think about what you place in the offering plate at church, what you give to your favorite non-profit organization, what is in your bank account, your home, your possessions, the time you have left here on Earth. What if you truly believed that it all belongs to God and you are a steward to make it all work and make a difference in the world by participating with God in sharing, loving, and being grateful?

For many of us, this is a big shift in how we are being in the world, in how we see ourselves and “our” possessions, in how we fundamentally relate to God, other people and the entire universe. It is a completely different paradigm in our living. Yet, it is the only way I know to live with the greatest joy, the deepest peace, and the most love. Besides, just think of all the people who will be impacted by watching you live with such gratitude! I invite you, if you have not done so already, to make that shift.

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 message 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.

A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by admin | Sep 19, 2018 | Message from Kahu

Gratitude: More Than a Feeling

On Sunday, I shared a story from Diana Butler Bass’ most recent book, Grateful: The Transforming Power of Giving Thanks. Diana was working as a professor of religious studies and history at the college where we both attended as undergraduates. She enjoyed her job and did good work. However, she wasn’t treated very kindly by some of the other faculty at the college. She also felt that some of the expectations of the college administration in regards to theology and personal piety were rather stifling. One day the President of the college called her into his office and told her that she was simply not a good fit for the school. He told her that she was being “let go,” even though he admitted that she did wonderful work and was an excellent teacher. Before she walked out of the room, he said to her probably the last thing she wanted to hear. He said: “One day you will thank me for this.” Let me just say that she was not having any feelings of gratitude towards him at the moment!

About a week later, Diana told a friend about it. She said, “Can you imagine the nerve of him? That one day I’ll thank him?” After her friend listened to her, he gently said to her, “You know, he’s right.” He went on to tell Diana about a similar situation when he was fired, and how he eventually thanked his boss who fired him after he learned gratitude. Diana was surprised to hear that gratitude was something that could be learned. She asked her friend how. He invited her to thank God for one thing every day and write it down in a journal. Diana kept that journal for 3 years! At first she wrote down one blessing each day, no matter what—something for which she was grateful. Soon, she was writing two or three things. Then more. And then, here is what eventually happened (in her words):

A larger narrative emerged; what had begun as a period of difficult personal crisis wound up being a time of profound happiness, deepened courage, and new self-awareness.

Diana reminds her readers that gratitude is not just a feeling; it is also a way of life; it is how we live our lives; it is what we do; and it is developing practices that invite gratitude to enter us and change us.

I invite you to practice gratitude this week. As Diana’s story indicates, gratitude is something we can do even during the dark and difficult times in our lives. Simply saying “thank you” on a regular basis can change your life for the better. I was pleased to learn that World Gratitude Day is this Friday—a time when people all over the world pause to give thanks for their blessings and also consider the abundance of the universe and give thanks that there is more than enough for everyone.

Aloha nui!

Kahu Alan Akana

__________________________________________

Our Kahu (Pastor) offers a weekly message in church most Sundays during the year. Click HERE to see a video of his message 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.

A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by admin | Sep 11, 2018 | Message from Kahu

A Time for Gratitude and Rainbows

I want to begin by thanking my church family for taking such wonderful care of me the past week and a half while I have been recovering from vascular surgery on my leg. I am deeply appreciative of the meals, fresh produce and groceries that people have dropped off, as well as the prayers on my behalf. The surgery was necessary because of poor circulation in my leg due to a major vein not working properly. The surgeon removed most of that vein, and other veins have now taken over to keep the blood properly flowing in my leg. My surgery was successful and I am healing well. However, my leg is still quite tender where the incisions are still healing, and so I will be working mainly from home while keeping my leg elevated as often as possible, and not driving much until my leg feels better. I am supposed to walk a little more each day, and hope to walk to the church by the end of the week. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to call if you would like to talk or make an appointment to see me in person.

After one very long day of heavy rain at the end of August, I was so grateful for sunshine! I walked outside into the yard and saw a double rainbow right on the parsonage! “A pot of gold,” I thought. “What a treasure: this place I call home, my church, my community, my art, this island, my family and friends, my life. I am truly blessed!” As I looked at the rainbow, I felt I could almost explode with gratitude!

On Sunday, we read the ancient Jewish story of the rainbow in Genesis, chapter 9. Afterthe entire earth was inundated with rain, God set a rainbow in the sky to remind human beings of the covenant between God and the entire Earth. There are a few very important points about the story worth mentioning:

• Noah and his family walked off the ark nearly exploding with gratitude. Imagine 40 days and nights of nonstop pouring rain. Imagine being on a boat with your family and thousands of animals for five months. Imagine wondering if you would live through the ordeal. I imagine that the family was feeling many emotions, but mostly gratitude.
• God told Noah and his family that every living thing should be fruitful and multiply. It was not up to human beings to decide which forms of life were worthy to exist. All of life is good and should thrive.
• God provides in abundance. The Earth is and will continue to provide all we need to survive and raise families. There will be more than enough animals and plants for people to eat—and they are to eat and enjoy and share.
• The rainbow is a sign of God’s faithfulness and of the covenant set forth by God. God promises to never destroy the Earth with a flood. In return people are expected to allow every living thing—including every human being—to thrive.

In the story, God gives gifts in abundance and people freely accept those gifts and share them with others. The gifts are are for many generations. They are for all creatures, not just the human ones. They are for the entire earth.

Good stewardship is when we live with gratitude and in right relationship with God, other people, every living thing and the entire Earth. May we remember this as we offer our gratitude and consider how we might live in the days ahead.

Aloha nui!

Kahu Alan Akana

__________________________________________

Our Kahu (Pastor) offers a weekly message in church most Sundays during the year. Click HERE to see a video of his message 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.