We often encounter God in beautiful places. Last week, I hiked to Waipoo Falls in Waimea Canyon—and God certainly seemed to be in that place. In fact, every time I drive up into the Canyon towards Kokee, I feel Gods’ presence. When the waterfall is full and a rainbow appears, I feel God’s presence all the more! However, I know that God is just as present in our church sanctuary, in my living room, and in my office and art studio. Wherever I may go, God is present there in love, for the Scriptures teach us that God is in Jesus, and Jesus is in God, and they are in us. We carry God with us—and therefore, we carry God’s love wherever we go!
Since we celebrated All Saints Day on Sunday, I reminded the congregation that God is in all places and all people. I also reminded us all that the saints who have gone before us are also with us all, for we carry them with us in spirit and in memory. The key to a deep and vital spiritual life is to be aware of these things.
I also reminded us that we are the saints of today, and how we live our lives makes a difference in the lives of our loved ones and of future generations—for our spirits and our memories will live on in the lives of those younger than us and those yet to be born.
During this week in which we celebrate the saints, let us give thanks that our connection to them all—past, present and future—remains.
Aloha nui loa! Kahu Alan Akana
“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 learn about our Sunday morning worship service, 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.
Classes will continue during the fall—normally on the 1st, 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month 11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Contact the church office or RoseTatiana for the schedule.
There will be no Ho`okipa Wellness Class on September 26!
Please register with RoseTatiana before attending:
Call or text (808)652-8985 or email atkupunawellness@gmail.com
Prayers and Squares
Monthly on a Tuesday
“It’s not about the quilt; it’s all about the prayers.”
Prayers and Squares is a ministry promoting prayer using hand-tied quilts. The beautiful quilts are offered to people in crisis to remind them that the people of Koloa Union Church are praying for them. The group meets each month on a Tuesday of from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact the church office for date and location.
Everyone is welcome, whether you sew or not.
LECTIONARY READINGS
Weekly Readings from the Bible
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 29 are Psalm 45:1-9; Deuteronomy 4:1-9; Psalm 15; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-23.
Readings for September 5 are Proverbs 22:1-23; Psalm 125; Isaiah 35:4-8; Psalm 146; James 2:1-17; Mark 7:24-37.
Readings for September 12 are Proverbs 1:20-33; Psalm 19; Isaiah 50:4-10; Psalm 116:1-9; James 3:1-12; Mark 8:27-38.
Readings for September 19 are Proverbs 31:10-31; Psalm 1; Jeremiah 11:18-20; Psalm 54; James 3:13-4:9; Mark 9:30-37.
“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 news sent directly to your inbox. Join us at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!
“The Flowers Cover the Earth: The Time of Singing Has Come!”
(Song of Solomon 2:12)
On Sunday, August 29, our theme was “flowers” and what we learn from them. Flowers appear throughout the Bible, which refers to roses, lilies, buds, blossoms, and more! They are often signs of hope. In many parts of the world, flowers appear in the spring and disappear before a long, cold winter sets in—leaving people for months without their color, sweet fragrances and beauty. In the long love poem, Song of Solomon, the king and the woman he loves long for each other as people waiting for flowers in springtime. When the two lovers finally come together, they describe it as a long-awaited and joyful spring:
The flowers cover the earth:
the time of singing has come!
We have all experienced times of longing and darkness in our lives. The flowers remind us that beauty, joy, and pleasure will return—perhaps differently than before. It occurred to me last week that the flowers are not only signs that bring us hope, but they are actually our teachers as well. In The Book of Awakening, the poet, Mark Nepo, writes these helpful words:
Despite all our limitations,
the most crucial challenge of
being human is to show up
like a rose.
How might we bloom wherever we are planted? How might we simply open up in our own time? How might we bring beauty, pleasure, wonder and hope to the people around us?
A couple of weeks ago, I walked around the church property and took pictures of all the different flowers that are blooming there. I invite you to wander around and notice all that is in bloom. Give thanks for every flower, and ask yourself how you too might bloom wherever you may be and open up in your own time—and thereby be a blessing to others!
Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana
“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 learn about our Sunday morning worship service, 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.
On Sunday, we heard a thought-provoking message by seminarian Alan Potter. He challenged the congregation to consider the difference between how we often think of justice in our society today and how God thinks of justice. A familiar image is that of Lady Justice holding the scales of justice in one hand and a sword in another. The idea is that justice is primarily punitive—that a person who causes suffering should endure the same suffering as he/she caused. On the other hand, God’s idea of justice is that all that is life-giving should be offered to everyone.
The image of Lady Justice and Scripture verse from Amos above ought to bring some discomfort, as the idea of justice in the Bible is primarily about life and not death. It is about grace and not punishment. This idea is not limited to the Christian faith. Gandhi is thought to have said, “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.” The Bible is not primarily about making sure that everyone is properly punished for their sins. It is primarily a book about grace and forgiveness for imperfect people, reconciliation and community among broken relationships, and abundant resources to sustain life for everyone and for all life on our planet.
May our hearts be open to the justice of God as we allow justice to roll like water and righteousness like an everflowing stream.
Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana
“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 learn about our Sunday morning worship service, 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.
Koloa Union Church was once again acknowledged for generosity to the mission of the Hawaii Conference (UCC) and the United Church of Christ denomination. These certificates remind us that we not only make a huge difference on Kauai in terms of mission and outreach, but also a HUMONGOUS difference in the islands and throughout the world as we join other churches in the Hawaii Conference and the United Church of Christ in our mission giving.
On Sunday, July 25, Kahu Akana thanked the members and friends of the congregation for their generosity and also our Stewardship Chair, Bill Dressel, for an outstanding job of informing the congregation of opportunities, as well as stories of how we make a difference together.
Summer Book Group
Wednesdays 7:00-8:30 p.m. “Daring Greatly”
Vulnerability to show up and be seen as you are can take a lot of courage. Being an individual or a community that makes it easy for people to do that takes intention and commitment. Brené Brown is a sociologist who studies vulnerability in individuals, organizations, communities, and culture. Kahu will lead the group discussion on this book which he describes as “one of the most helpful and most needed books I’ve read in years.”
We would like to know how many people to expect each week. Please place your name on the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board next to the church office or else contact Penny to RSVP.
The book group will meet in the church sanctuary on the following Wednesdays: -July 28: Chapter 3 -August 4: Chapter 4 -August18: Chapter 5 -August 25: Chapter 6 & 7
All of the Sunday morning pandemic guidelines apply. Please arrive with your face mask.
Ho`okipa Wellness Class
A Free Exercise/Stretching Class for Seniors
Led by RoseTatiana Warken Ceballos
Classes will continue during the summer—normally on the 1st, 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month 11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Contact the church office or RoseTatiana for the schedule.
Please register with RoseTatiana before attending:call or text (808)652-8985 or email atkupunawellness@gmail.com
Prayers and Squares
Monthly on a Tuesday
“It’s not about the quilt; it’s all about the prayers.”
Prayers and Squares is a ministry promoting prayer using hand-tied quilts. The beautiful quilts are offered to people in crisis to remind them that the people of Koloa Union Church are praying for them. The group meets each month on a Tuesday of from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact the church office for date and location.
Everyone is welcome, whether you sew or not.
LECTIONARY READINGS
Weekly Readings from the Bible
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 25:2 Samuel 1:1-15; Psalm 14; 2 Kings 4:42-44; Psalm 145:10-18; Ephesians 3:14-21; John 6:1-21.
Readings for August 1: 2 Samuel 11:26-12:14; Psalm 51:1-12; Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 78:23-29; Ephesians 4:1-16; John 6:24-35
“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 news sent directly to your inbox. Join us at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!
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