Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, “I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.” (Isaiah 56:8)
Both our Old Testament and New Testament readings on Sunday (Isaiah 56 and Matthew 15) reminded us that God gathers people together from different cultures and backgrounds from all over the world. The texts also reminded us that we are all fully human and completely valuable in God’s eyes. As far as God is concerned, we are worth gathering! Most societies tend to label certain people as less than human, less valuable, less important, or less equal; and they tend to keep the “lesser thans” apart and separate. However, God sees us all as beloved children and delights in gathering people together who are different.
As I ponder this fact, I think that God must be very happy with our church. Our families originated from so many different parts of the world. We come from various religious backgrounds: Congregationalist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Mormon, Buddhist, and people who grew up with little to no religious heritage whatsoever. People of all different ages show up. In terms of political backgrounds, I am just guessing that close to half of us had parents who were Republicans and close to half had parents who were Democrats. Some of us have made lots of money in our careers and others have spent our lives just getting by from one paycheck to the next.
Just as God has gathered us all together—whether in person at the church or virtually over the internet via the Weekly News, email, virtual church breakfasts, or watching the weekly worship services online—God is still gathering! Isaiah recognized that God had gathered together the people of God, including “the outcasts of Israel,” and also heard the divine voice saying, “I will gather others to them, besides those already gathered.” May we too recognize that God has not only gathered us together but continues bringing others to us; and may we continue welcoming them with open arms and open hearts. And may God continue to delight in the diversity among us!
“A Message from Kahu Alan Akana”is provided most weeks by Koloa Union Church, an Open & Affirming (ONA) congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference.
To see a video of this week’s worship service, including the message, click HERE. You may see the Koloa Union Church YouTube channel to see previous worship services and many of Kahu’s past messages. You can 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.
You are welcome to join us on Sunday mornings! To see our Sunday morning schedule, click HERE.
Kahu Akana is also an accomplished artist! He specializes in creating vibrant watercolors of the flowers of Hawaii and hosts a Sunday afternoon reception in a gallery at his home, the Smith Memorial Parsonage. He also meets visitors by appointment. Most of the profit from the sales go for the maintenance and upkeep of the parsonage. To see a video about his art and gallery, click HERE. To see the gallery website, click HERE.
Live-streaming in Moore Hall on a Large TV Monitor
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SHARE ALOHA in August
Child and Family Service
This is a Hawaii non-profit organization whose mission is to strengthen families and foster healthy development of children. See their website to learn more: childandfamilyservice.org.
Help us Share Aloha throughout the month by picking up 1 or 2 of the following items while you are out doing your own grocery shopping, or search your house for some unused items you are willing to donate:
Hand sanitizers
Clorox wipes
Face masks
Hand soap
Bleach
Detergent
Paper towels
Lysol
Non-latex gloves
You can drop items off at the church in the tote bin labeled “Community Outreach,” which is located near the front door of the sanctuary. You can also arrange a home pick-up by contacting the church office. We will be collecting donations until August 31st.
Mahalo for your support!
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LECTIONARY READINGS
During challenging times, reading the Bible on a daily basis is a great source of inspiration and hope. I encourage you to read and meditate upon the Scriptures of the Revised Common Lectionary and ask yourself how God might be showing up in the Scriptures for you, what God might be saying to you, and what guidance you might find as you share God’s love in creative and meaningful ways.
—Kahu Alan Akana
Each week, Christians throughout the world read biblical passages from the Revised Common Lectionary, including the Old Testament, Psalms, New Testament, and Gospels. After three years, a good portion of the Bible is included and the cycle begins again. RCL passages are often read in church worship services, and Kahu Akana usually includes at least one reading each Sunday.
Readings for August 16 are Genesis 45:1-15; Psalm 133; Isaiah 56:1-8; Psalm 67; Romans 11:1-32; Matthew 15:10-28.
Readings for August 23 are Exodus 1:8-2:10; Psalm 124; Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 138; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20.
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“Weekly News of the Church” is provided by Koloa Union Church, an Open and Affirming (ONA) Congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference. Please contact the church office if you would like to have our weekly news sent directly to your inbox. Join us at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!
Live-streaming in Moore Hall on a Large TV Monitor
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“Strengthen the Church”
Special Mission Offering
On Sunday we collected the “Strengthen the Church” special mission offering. This offering supports the expansion of ministry and growth of local United Church of Christ congregations throughout the U.S. as it helps create a just world for all by investing in new ministries. Your gifts will plant new churches, awaken new ideas in existing churches, develop the spiritual life in our youth and young adults. If you missed the opportunity to donate on Sunday, checks should be made out to “Koloa Union Church” with “Strengthen the Church” or “STC” on the memo line.
Thank you for your generous gifts!
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Make a Difference on Kauai
You CAN help COVID-19 from spreading!
COVID-19 is a deadly virus! Fortunately, there are only a few active cases on the island. However, we have seen a recent spike in cases on Oahu and many places on the mainland—and people are traveling here on a regular basis, potentially carrying the virus and not even knowing they are sick!
Whether you are at church or somewhere else on the island, if you are going to be around other people who are not part of your household or your “social bubble,” please observe these following practices to keep the virus from spreading:
No touching other people! This includes hugging, shaking hands, fist and elbow bumps, and patting on the back.
Keep a distance of 6 feet if you or anyone else is not wearing a mask.
Wear a mask any time someone is less than 6 feet from another person—and be sure it covers your mouth and your nose.
Wash your hands before eating or touching your face, or after touching anything that may have been touched by another person.
Stay away from people who have traveled off-island or who may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 for 14 days.
Stay home if you have any new COVID-19 symptoms and call your doctor.
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LECTIONARY READINGS
During challenging times, reading the Bible on a daily basis is a great source of inspiration and hope. I encourage you to read and meditate upon the Scriptures of the Revised Common Lectionary and ask yourself how God might be showing up in the Scriptures for you, what God might be saying to you, and what guidance you might find as you share God’s love in creative and meaningful ways.
—Kahu Alan Akana
Each week, Christians throughout the world read biblical passages from the Revised Common Lectionary, including the Old Testament, Psalms, New Testament, and Gospels. After three years, a good portion of the Bible is included and the cycle begins again. RCL passages are often read in church worship services, and Kahu Akana usually includes at least one reading each Sunday.
Readings for July 26 are Genesis 29:15-28; Psalm 105:1-46; Psalm 128; 1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119:129-136; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-52.
Readings for August 2 are Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 17:1-15; Isaiah 55:1-5, Psalm 145:8-21; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:13-21.
__________________________________________
“Weekly News of the Church” is provided by Koloa Union Church, an Open and Affirming (ONA) Congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference. Please contact the church office if you would like to have our weekly news sent directly to your inbox. Join us at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!
“Jesus saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.” (Matthew 14:14)
There has been a lot of grief going around during this pandemic which has touched all of our lives. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 14, Jesus sets a great example for us by both addressing his grief and acting upon opportunities for compassion all around him. The Scripture reading from Matthew focuses on Jesus feeding over 5,000 people (after healing them) and barely touches upon his grief. However, just a little bit of digging shows how deep his grief must have been. What we learn is that Jesus addressed his grief and did what he needed for healing to take place; and at the same time, he addressed the needs of the people around him because he saw their requests as opportunities rather than interruptions.
As I was watching the video of my message earlier today, I kept noticing the beautiful cross directly behind me made from Hawaiian koa by the local woodworker Frank Pullano. Within a few days after I told my mother that I had accepted the call to be the kahu at Kōloa Union Church back in 2014, she was diagnosed with cancer of the bladder. Two days after I moved into the parsonage, Mom found out that she only had a couple of months left because her cancer was very aggressive and was spreading quickly. I left a few days later to spend a week with her. It was the last time I saw her, as her death came quickly, as the doctor had said. In this time of grief, I wanted to do something for the church to honor her life—and my father’s life as well. I talked to Frank Pullano and he designed the cross specifically for the space in the church. I wanted to offer something to express how a simple symbol of grief—the cross of Jesus—can remind us that God understands our grief and at the same time add beauty to our worship services and sanctuary.
There are countless ways we can shift our perspective from interruption to opportunity. Whether the interruption is a global pandemic or someone popping in at an inconvenient time, opportunities abound. What gifts has God given you to share with others in your time of grief?
“A Message from Kahu Alan Akana”is provided most weeks by Koloa Union Church, an Open & Affirming (ONA) congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference.
To see a video of this week’s worship service, including the message, click HERE. You may see the Koloa Union Church YouTube channel to see previous worship services and many of Kahu’s past messages. You can 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.
You are welcome to join us on Sunday mornings! To see our Sunday morning schedule, click HERE.
Kahu Akana is also an accomplished artist! He specializes in creating vibrant watercolors of the flowers of Hawaii and hosts a Sunday afternoon reception in a gallery at his home, the Smith Memorial Parsonage. He also meets visitors by appointment. Most of the profit from the sales go for the maintenance and upkeep of the parsonage. To see a video about his art and gallery, click HERE. To see the gallery website, click HERE.
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