by admin | Mar 18, 2020 | News
May you deeply feel the loving presence of Christ
everywhere today and every day!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!
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LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE WEEK
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 of them on the following Sunday. This week’s readings are 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41.
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STEWARDSHIP IN THE DAYS OF COVID-19
These are challenging times emotionally, socially and spiritually for people everywhere. They are also challenging times financially for us. Our church budget has been in good shape over the past couple of months, but our Church Council is aware that giving will likely drop in the weeks ahead. Some people may stop giving altogether due to the inability to have income for awhile. We also will not be receiving gifts from our generous guests and visitors to the church. Our Stewardship Committee asks each person to prayerfully consider giving as much as you are able so that our church can get through the next couple of months by fulfilling all of our financial commitments. As always, checks may be mailed to the church: P.O. Box 536, Koloa, HI 96756. All gifts are greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Bill Dressel, Stewardship Chair
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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!
by admin | Mar 18, 2020 | Message from Kahu
“Treasures in Clay Jars”
We have this treasure in clay jars,
so that it may be made clear
that this extraordinary
power belongs to
God….
2 Corinthians 4:7
On Sunday, I talked about what it means to be baffled—something we all feel at times and have probably been feeling a lot lately. In his book, On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old, Parker Palmer talks about bafflement in terms of vocation and calling. Although we normally crave certainty and wisdom when it comes to what God has placed us here on Earth to do, we usually don’t really know the details of our journey until we actually come upon them. God has certainly not been very clear with me about the upcoming particulars of my journey, but one thing I have discovered is that God keeps showing up! Whether I am walking with confidence, carefully putting one foot in front of the other, or stumbling over my own two feet, I find that God is present wherever I land.
During these uncertain and baffling times of new territory for our church, community, nation and world, I urge you to look for the ways that God shows up wherever you are. The Apostle Paul wrote to the followers of Jesus in Corinth about the light of God that shines in the darkness, even shining in our hearts when even they seem dark. Indeed, God shows up in all of our dark places. Paul went on to write, “We have this treasure in clay jars.” God is the treasure and we are the clay jars (also translated earthen vessels). Parker Palmer writes that our words are also the clay jars. In fact, anything that we use to carry the light of God’s love is the clay jar. What an extraordinary spiritual truth that the Creator of the Universe chooses us to carry divine love with us into the world.
I invite you to not only look for how God is showing up during these baffling times, but to also carry the light of God as a privilege and an honor everywhere you go, and offering it to everyone who needs it.
I look forward to continuing the conversation online on Sunday!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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“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 a recent message by Kahu Akana, click HERE. 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.
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.
To learn more about Kahu Akana (and the rest of the staff at Koloa Union Church), click HERE.
by admin | Mar 11, 2020 | Message from Kahu
“Getting Real with Yourself”
On Sunday, I talked about chapter 3 of Parker Palmer’s recent book, On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old. The chapter is titled “Getting Real with Yourself,” and it challenges us to let go of illusions about ourselves and to show up as we are. As we continue our Lenten journey, I invited people to consider this question: “Am I being the person God created me to be?”
I closed my message by reading some quotes from chapter 3 and invited each person to sit quietly with each question and to ask what might need to happen in order to see oneself, God, and the world around us with greater clarity. Here are some of those quotes (with the page number in parentheses, in case you have the book and would like to read more):
- The spiritual journey is an endless process of engaging life as it is, stripping away our illusions about ourselves, our world, and the relationship of the two, moving closer to reality as we do. (54)
- All forms of contemplation share the same goal: to help us see through the deceptions of self and world in order to get in touch with what Howard Thurman called “the sound of the genuine.” (57)
- [Quoting Thomas Merton] The deepest level of communication is not communication, but communion. (60)
- I can’t imagine a sadder way to die than with the sense that I never showed up here on earth as my God-given self. (64)
- True self is the self with which we arrive on earth, the self that simply wants us to be who we were born to be. (75)
- Before he died, Rabbi Zusya said: “In the world to come they will not ask me, ‘why were you not Moses?’ they will ask me, ‘Why were you not Zusya?’” (75)
I hope some of these questions are helpful for you in learning to see yourself as God sees you. We will reflect more on this topic on Wednesday evening at our Lenten Soup Supper. I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday and Sunday!
Aloha nui!
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 a recent message by Kahu Akana, click HERE. 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.
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.
To learn more about Kahu Akana (and the rest of the staff at Koloa Union Church), click HERE.
by admin | Mar 11, 2020 | News
Coronavirus and Church
Since the spread of coronavirus throughout the world and confirmed cases in the United States, I have talked to friends and colleagues on the mainland who have cancelled church due to the virus. I have also been approached by people at our church who are wondering if we are going to change the way we do things in order to stay healthy.
Our Deacons discussed this at our meeting last week and decided to continue having worship services and our regularly scheduled communion. If people begin getting sick on Kauai, we will likely change to another way of distributing the elements or stop serving communion altogether until the virus in under control. I also talked to Penny Osuga about Aloha Hour, which will continue until further notice.
In the meantime, here are some suggestions which should apply whenever you are at church, even without the coronavirus:
- If you are feeling sick (or even if you feel like you might be coming down with something), stay home and do not attend church. You can ask Penny Osuga to send you a copy of the bulletin as an email attachment and you can watch the message (sermon) almost every week online.
- If you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth completely and face away from people and food.
- Wash your hands before eating, touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.
- Wash your hands before preparing or serving food, and before touching cooking, serving or eating utensils.
- Consider hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Please wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before Aloha Hour. I’ve asked Penny to look into having hand sanitizer available for people as they enter Moore Hall.
- After washing your hands in a public restroom, use a paper towel when touching faucets, light switches and door handles.
- When greeting others at church or “passing the peace” at the end of the worship service, feel free to refrain from touching if you feel so inclined. If someone attempts to shake your hand or hug you, you can politely say, “I am not touching people during flu season.”
- During the closing song (The Queen’s Prayer), feel free to touch elbows rather than holding hands.
- When being served communion, hold open both hands so that I can place a piece of bread in your hands with out touching them. When dipping your bread in the cup, hold the bread at one end and dip the other end of the bread into the cup just enough to get a few drops of juice without touching the juice with your fingers.
- Parents, please be responsible for your children.
- Use common sense.
If there are any changes due to the spread of the virus, I will send an email to everyone as soon as those changes are made. Let us pray for individuals, families and communities who have been affected by illness…and for an end of the coronavirus.
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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Smith Memorial Parsonage
3281 Waikomo Road in Koloa
6 p.m. Wednesdays
Through April 1
This Week: Chapter 3
“Getting Real: From Illusion to Reality”
We will begin with a simple bread and soup supper, followed by a time of discussion and reflection based on the reading for the week from Parker Palmer’s book, On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old. You don’t need to read the book, but if you want to follow along and spend some time reflecting on your own during Lent, there will be 10 copies of the book (while supplies last) on the Deacon’s cabinet in church beginning this Sunday. Just leave $15 cash or a check if you want to take a book.
Please contact the church office or sign up on the Lenten Soup Supper sheet on the bulletin board at church for the Wednesdays you plan to attend! We want to make sure we make enough soup for everyone.
—ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS—
MEN’S BREAKFAST The men of the church are enjoying their weekly breakfast at 7:30 a.m. at Kalapaki Joe’s in Poipu every Tuesday except the 4th Tuesday of the month. Church breakfasts for men and women are on the 4th Tuesday of every month, 7:30 a.m. at Holoholo Grill in the Koloa Landing Complex.
CHURCH ENSEMBLE Singers are invited to practice a song this Sunday, March 15, at 10 a.m., to be sung during the worship service. Join the monthly church ensemble under the leadership of Fay Bartels. The song this Sunday will be: “God Loved the World so that He Gave.”
COCONUT WIRELESS Click HERE to see the latest issue of the Coconut Wireless (the weekly e-news from the Hawai`i Conference of the United Church of Christ).
LECTIONARY READINGS (Old & New Testament Readings for the Week) 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 of them on the following Sunday. This week’s readings are Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42.
__________________________________
“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!
by admin | Mar 2, 2020 | News
Smith Memorial Parsonage
6 p.m. Wednesdays
Through April 1
We will begin with a simple bread and soup supper, followed by a time of discussion and reflection based on the reading for the week from Parker Palmer’s book, On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old. You don’t need to read the book, but if you want to follow along and spend some time reflecting on your own during Lent, there will be 10 copies of the book (while supplies last) on the Deacon’s cabinet in church beginning this Sunday. Just leave $15 cash or a check if you want to take a book.
Please sign up on the Lenten Soup Supper sheet on the bulletin board at church for the Wednesdays you plan to attend! We want to make sure we make enough soup for everyone.
Please also consider signing up to bring a pot of soup and some bread on a Wednesday evening.
—ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS—
MEN’S BREAKFAST The men of the church are enjoying their weekly breakfast at 7:30 a.m. at Kalapaki Joe’s in Poipu every Tuesday except the 4th Tuesday of the month. Church breakfasts for men and women are on the 4th Tuesday of every month, 7:30 a.m. at Holoholo Grill in the Koloa Landing Complex.
COCONUT WIRELESS Click HERE to see the latest issue of the Coconut Wireless (the weekly e-news from the Hawai`i Conference of the United Church of Christ).
LECTIONARY READINGS (Old & New Testament Readings for the Week) 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 of them on the following Sunday. This week’s readings are Genesis 12:1-5; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-17; John 3:1-17, Matthew 17:1-9.
__________________________________
“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!
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