by admin | Dec 4, 2014 | Message from Kahu
(It has been awhile since I last posted a “weekly” message, due to website issues. It looks like those issues are finally resolved and I’ll start posting more regularly again.)
I thought I would talk this week about a very special evening we had on Sunday. We had a worship service in which we reflected on the message of the season: God’s unconditional love that comes to us over and over again. Judyth Foley and I both read excerpts from her book, “Nikos Brown: A Christmas Miracle.” In the book Nikos and his gang of friends decide to steal the statue of baby Jesus from a large Nativity scene outside a Catholic Church in L.A., even as the old priest is still setting out and arranging the scene! Nikos’ friends distract the priest while Nikos grabs the baby, shoves it into a burlap bag, and runs toward a large fountain where he plans to throw the baby. Everything goes according to plans until the burlap bag begins to feel funny. When Nikos peaks into the bag, he doesn’t see the statue of the baby Jesus. Instead, he sees the real, live, baby Jesus, who looks into his eyes with pure love. From that moment on, Nikos’ life is changed, as are the lives of the people around him. In fact, the entire neighborhood begins to transform, simply because a young “troublemaker” looked into the eyes of Jesus and felt unconditional love for the first time. We closed the worship service with a time of meditation, as we considered how our own lives might be changed if we felt pure love by looking into the eyes of Jesus. I hope your life is changed during this special season of the year as you contemplate God’s pure love for you!
After the service, Judyth signed books for those who purchased them, and decided to give the entire profit of book sales to Koloa Union Church! Additional books are available on Sundays or at the church office during the week for $20. Judyth is happy to sign unsigned copies when she returns from California in January!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | Dec 4, 2014 | News
The 4 Sundays of Advent
Each Sunday during Advent we will prepare our hearts to experience the true meaning of Christmas. Advent means “coming”, and we focus on the coming of Jesus to the world. He came as an infant and he brought hope, peace, joy and love to all. During the four weeks leading up to Christmas, we will light a candle representing these four themes and ask God to make us ready for the coming of Jesus into our lives in the many ways he comes. Please invite your friends, neighbors and family members to church during the holiday season so that they too can experience the coming of Jesus into the world!
Christmas Party
Our annual church Christmas Party will be a potluck at the parsonage on Friday, December 19, at 6:00 p.m. Join us for holiday music, delicious food and great fun! Please sign up to bring a favorite holiday dish to share.
Christmas Eve Service
Join us at 7:30 on December 24th for a special Carol and Candle Service. We will sing many of the favorite Christmas carols in English and Hawaiian, read the Christmas story from the Gospels, and close the service with the lighting of the candles.
Christmas Day Service
Join us at 10:30 a.m. on Christmas Day for more carols, a Christmas Day message by Kahu Akana, and Holy Communion.
by admin | Jul 25, 2014 | Home
Join us at the church on Sunday, July 27th, as Koloa Union Church welcomes the Rev. Dr. Alan Akana as our new pastor! The Installation Service will begin at 4:00 in the afternoon and followed by a picnic dinner on the grounds of the parsonage. (At our 10:30 a.m. worship service this week, we will honor our high school graduates, choir and Sunday school teachers.)
Rev. Dr. Alan Akana
by admin | Jul 25, 2014 | Home
Join us at the church on Sunday, July 27th, as Koloa Union Church welcomes the Rev. Dr. Alan Akana as our new pastor! The Installation Service will begin at 4:00 in the afternoon and followed by a picnic dinner on the grounds of the parsonage. (At our 10:30 a.m. worship service this week, we will honor our high school graduates, choir and Sunday school teachers.)
Rev. Dr. Alan Akana
by admin | Jul 15, 2014 | Message from Kahu
On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about a workshop I helped with in Honolulu back in May with Rev. Caroline Miura. It was called “Contemplative Listening” and the point was to teach the participants how to carefully listen–without judgment, attachment, giving advice or suggestions. In each session of the workshop a volunteer shared something that was important to him or her, typically something that was weighing heavy on the heart. The rest of the participants were asked to listen and then, when the volunteer speaker was done, to ask questions or make comments in order to make sure that the speaker’s message was heard correctly.
In every session, several timeouts were called because participants kept making judgments, giving advice and suggestions, etc. They found it hard to just listen and make sure they heard correctly. However, by the end of each session, something transformational happened. Listeners said things like: “I never realized how difficult it was to just sit and listen.” Speakers said: “I had no idea how good it felt just to be heard.”
In Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, I counted 19 times in 23 verses the words “listen,” “hear,” and “understand.” It became very clear to me as I was preparing for Sunday’s message that listening was a very important thing to Jesus. Although we can never make others become better listeners, we can do that for ourselves. I encourage you to take some time this week to slow down and listen to God…to others…and to yourself. Just pay attention without judgment, attachment, giving advice or suggestions. Just listen carefully…and see what happens!
Have a great week! I hope to see you on Sunday!
Kahu Alan Akana
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