September newsletter
Click Sept 2015 to see the September Newsletter.
A Message from Kahu Alan Akana
DRAWING NEAR TO GOD
On Sunday, we took a look at the traditions of the church and what makes them valuable (or…perhaps not so valuable!). I shared about a previous church where I served in which a beautiful chapel was no longer used because the people couldn’t let go of anything that had been donated to the church. The chapel was filled with broken and unused items which hadn’t been touched in decades. Since the chapel was the only place where there was any room left to store these items, we could no longer use the chapel for prayer, meditation, small memorial services or weddings.
As I reflected on this predicament, it became clear to me that we often allow traditions to get in the way of moving forward. Even worse, we can allow those traditions to keep us from drawing near to God and enabling others to do the same.
In Mark 7, Jesus had some harsh words for the religious leaders of his day for doing that very thing. They kept all of their traditions and insisted that others do the same. Yet, they kept people from drawing closer to God, and therefore missed the whole point of their religion!
Whatever traditions and practices we decide to keep (or start), let’s make sure that they truly draw us closer to God and one another…and encourage others to do the same! This good to consider for our church, as well as for our personal lives and our families.
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
News of the Church
SERVICE OF ORDINATION
Please join us for this special occasion for Mary Herbig and the Kaua’i Association at Church of the Pacific on Sunday, September 27, 2015, 3:30 pm. Reception immediately following.
FALL YOUTH CAMP
Middle and high school students are invited to Camp Erdman on Oahu for the annual Hawaii Conference Fall Youth Camp, October 4-7. Space is limited and the registration deadline is September 14. The cost is $175 for Neighbor Island Youth, including airfare, and $100 scholarships are available to the first 10 youth who register. Koloa Union will help pay expenses as well. Please see Kahu Akana asap if you know a youth who might want to attend.
“LISTEN FOR YOUR OWN HEARTBEAT”
A Christian Women’s Event at Makanalani Ranch in Kilauea, Kauai, October 16-18. The cost is $85 (Sept)/$95 (late). Enjoy expansive time with God and sisters in Christ as you learn to listen deeply for your own heartbeat. Register online by clicking HERE or call Rev. Phyllis Meighen at 245-3796 or 647-4346.
A Message from Kahu Alan Akana
Leadership Retreat at Waineke Cabin in Koke’e
LEADERSHIP RETREAT
On Saturday, August 22nd, 18 of our church leaders gathered in Koke’e to focus on our new 3-year vision that the congregation adopted in January. I am pleased that we had great participation! The group spent the entire day brainstorming, reflecting, praying, prioritizing and planning. We also ate really well (thanks to Uncle Diki!) and had a lot of fun! The group chose 4 areas to concentrate on for the coming year:
- Youth Ministry
- Christian Education & Formation for All Ages
- Music & Arts
- Mission & Outreach
We hope that each member and friend of the church will consider at least one of these 4 areas in which to provide support. You can read some of the details in our September newsletter, and we will be sharing a lot more as the plans unfold in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I invite you to pray for our church’s vision…and consider what area in which YOU might choose to participate!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
A Message from Kahu Alan Akana
Cave of Swimmers
On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about one of my favorite movies, “The English Patient.” It is a fictionalized story of the Hungarian explorer Laszlo de Almasy (who spoke English, and therefore was mistaken as English in the movie). I talked about the real Almasy, who discovered the now-famous Cave of Swimmers in the desert of southern Egypt. It was a large cave with ancient paintings of people swimming. Experts believe they were painted some 10,000 years ago, during the most recent Ice Age, making them perhaps the oldest paintings ever found.
Laszlo suggested that many years ago the Sahara Desert must have once been a very green place with lots of water. Finding a cave with paintings of lots of swimmers was a big clue! However, no one seemed to take this new theory seriously. They couldn’t imagine the Sahara Desert as a beautiful, green paradise with lots of water. However, his theory was eventually proven true and believed by every legitimate earth scientist who knows the region. In fact, an Egyptian scientist in 2007 discovered a huge underground lake measuring over 30,000 square kilometers buried under the sand not far from the Cave of Swimmer!
Just as the earth can become very thirsty, we too find ourselves at times incredibly thirsty. As we consider the Samaritan woman in John 4, her thirst seemed all-encompassing: physical, social, spiritual and emotional. She thirsted for companionship and a sense of belonging, as well as water. Jesus told her that if she would drink from the water he offered, she would never be thirsty again. At first she disbelieved, but then she took him at his word and felt his love and acceptance—even though he knew all her secrets. It sounds to me like her thirst disappeared.
How might you be thirsty? How might you believe that God can take away your thirst? What might be getting in the way? May all your thirst be quenched and all your needs be met!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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