by admin | Jun 19, 2019 | Message from Kahu
“Embracing Mystery”
We celebrated “Trinity Sunday” this week in church as I shared more about my sabbatical in Europe. I talked about one of my favorite pieces of art which I saw in Sacre-Coeur Basilica in Paris called “Christ in Majesty” (the photo above). It is one of the largest mosaics in the world and probably the largest mosaic of Jesus. It is in the dome above the altar and the first thing you see when you walk in the front door of the church—and it is MASSIVE! It literally took my breath away! I felt that Jesus with his outstretched arms was saying to me, “You are welcome here. Come on in. I love you exactly as you are. There is nothing that can come between us.” The art affected me so deeply that I found it difficult to leave!
What I didn’t realize at all from the front door of the church was that the image of Jesus was part of a larger mosaic of the Holy Trinity. You can see the dove, representing the Holy Spirit, directly above Jesus’ head, but you have to walk down one of the aisles toward the altar to see the image of God the Creator (or Father). It is truly an awesome work of art: in my opinion, one of the great masterpieces of all time. However, it occurred to me that the average visitor to the basilica never gets to see the entire mosaic. You can see all of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but there was no place I could stand and see all of the Trinity at once. (I wondered if the priests who stand at the altar get that full vision, but I will never know!) It reminded me that we never get to see all of God. As much as God might choose to reveal God’s self to us and as much as we might pray and read the Bible, we never see all of God, for God will always be a mystery to us in many ways—and that should humble us when we encounter people who see God differently than we do.
I also shared with the congregation that in our passage from John’s Gospel that morning (chapter 16, verses 12-15), Jesus speaks of “the Father,” “the Spirit,” and us! Jesus told his disciples that the Father shares everything with him and the Spirit takes it from Jesus and shares it with us. It is clear to me from the context (chapters 12-17) that Jesus is focussed on love, peace and joy. Just imagine: all of the love, peace and joy of God is available to us. Imagine if we asked for it…and received it…and shared it with others. Just as God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit share everything with one another, they also share everything with us, and we are able to share all that God gives us with others.
These thoughts bring me great hope, not only for my own life but for the entire world. I hope they bring great hope to you as well!
Aloha nui!
Kahu
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Click HERE to see a video of the message from Sunday morning. 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.
“A Message from Kahu Alan Akana” is provided most weeks by the Kahu (Pastor) of Koloa Union Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference.
by admin | Jun 13, 2019 | News
Kauai Pride Parade & Festival
Saturday, June 22, 2019
A GREAT opportunity for us to talk about
our new Open & Affirming status and
invite new people to church!
Walk in the Pride Parade on Rice Street 9-10 a.m.
Gather at 8 a.m. at Vidinha Stadium Parking Lot
Bring water and sunscreen
Wear bright colors or your KUC t-shirt
Wear your rainbow wristband too
Rainbow flags will be provided
KUC Booth at the Pride Festival 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Kauai Historic County Building on Rice Street
A family-friendly event for all ages
Enjoy entertainment, music, speeches, food!
KUC will have a tent, table & 2 chairs
We will have literature about KUC &
Our new Open & Affirming Status
Let’s invite people to church!
Please sign up at church for the parade and booth.
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Koloa Union Church
In The Garden Island!
“Open & Affirming”
Koloa Union Church was in the Garden Island Newspaper on Saturday! TGI did a wonderful feature of our new “Open & Affirming” (ONA) status and promoted our ONA celebration this past Sunday! There were people at out church for the first time because they saw the article. There are others who plan to attend because of the article. Click HERE to read the article online. Thanks to Dennis Fujimoto of The Garden Island for the article and the photograph of Kahu and Michael above!
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Alan Akana Gallery
In Western Art & Architecture!
“Wanderings: Kauai, Hawaii”
There is a wonderful article in the June/July 2019 edition of Western Art & Architecture Magazine, entitled “Wanderings: Kauai, Hawaii.” The writer, Kathy Chin Leong, writes about fun and meaningful things to do on our beautiful island of Kauai, including visiting Alan Akana Gallery! The article includes a beautiful photograph of Alan’s watercolor “Naio”—a flower that is endemic to Hawaii and the Cook Islands.
Be sure to pick up this beautiful edition at a newsstand or bookstore, or click HERE to see the article online. We also have a copy at the gallery for you to peruse. Stop by anytime Sunday-Thursday from 1-5 p.m.
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Aha Paeaina Calls
Conference Minister
The Aha Paeaina (the Hawaii Conference annual gathering of ministers and church leaders) voted on June 8 to call the Rev. Dr. David Kentner Popham as the permanent Conference Minister for the Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ. He and his wife Kerrie plan to move to Hawaii from New Jersey later this summer and beginning his ministry among us in September. Koloa Union Church was represented by Kahu Akana, Bridget Hammerquist and Shellee Riggio at the Aha; they will give a presentation during church on Sunday, June 23, with the highlights of this year’s Aha Paeaina. For more information on Rev. Dr. Kentner Popham, click HERE to see the latest Special Edition of the Coconut Wireless.
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Alan Akana Gallery
Located in the Smith Memorial Parsonage
3281 Waikomo Road in Koloa
“Beauty, Art & Spirituality”
A Special Reception Highlighting
Kahu’s Recent Sabbatical in Europe
Father’s Day, June 16, 2019
2:00-5:00 p.m.
Talk & Slideshow at 3:00 p.m.
Kahu’s latest book “Beauty, Art & Spirituality”
Will Be Available for Purchase
Everything in the gallery will be 20% off!
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MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS. . . .
FATHER’S DAY LUNCHEON
Sunday, June 16 after Sunday service. Join us as the church ladies prepare a lunch in honor of the men of Koloa Union Church and our fathers and grandfathers.
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 Proverbs 8:1-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15.
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COMING UP. . . .
ALL CHURCH BREAKFAST
Tuesday, June 25, at 7:30 a.m. Join the church members and friends for a fun, relaxing breakfast. Location TBA.
LECTIO DIVINA
Join Kahu Akana and Karen Johnson at the Smith Memorial Parsonage on Wednesday, June 26, at 7 p.m. for a time to hear and respond to the Scriptures in a quiet, reflective and meaningful way.
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“Weekly News of the Church” is provided by Koloa Union Church, a 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 | Jun 13, 2019 | Message from Kahu
It was so good to be back in church after spending three months in Europe! I shared with the congregation about worship services I attended in France, Portugal, Italy, and Switzerland. Although I enjoyed each place, I understood almost nothing of the sermons because they were spoken in languages I did not understand. Sunday was Pentecost, the day we celebrate the Holy Spirit in our world and the Spirit’s desire for everyone to clearly hear in their own language the good things that Jesus did and taught.
Throughout the history of the Christian Church, there have been people on the margins of society who have been kept from hearing and knowing God’s all-embracing love for everyone. On Sunday, we celebrated our unanimous decision to become an official “Open & Affirming” (ONA) congregation of the United Church of Christ. I cannot think of a better day to celebrate our new status, for Pentecost is about making sure that all people are able to hear about and experience God’s love. Our ONA celebration was featured in The Garden Island Newspaper last week. I was overjoyed to see people in church for the first time who learned about us through the article and by personal invitations! Click HERE if you want to see the article. I wanted to offer a special thanks to Penny O. and Penny J. for the fantastic decorations; Rose and Shellee for the amazing dances; Kathleen, Doug, Nancy Murphy and Eric Yoder, for beautiful and meaningful music; Chris for the nice photograph of our congregation (above); the entire Open & Affirming Team for such a great celebration and for leading us through the process of becoming ONA (Michael, Lee, Penny O, Tiffany, and Becky); and for everyone who showed up on Sunday and who participated in any way for us to become Open & Affirming and hold such a wonderful celebration!
I invite you to join me this coming Sunday morning for “Trinity Sunday” as I share more about my sabbatical and some of the more important things I learned, experienced and focused on during my three months in Europe. I will be talking about my favorite piece of art which I saw in a church in Paris that affected me so deeply that I found it difficult to leave! A little hint: It had to do with the Trinity! After church, we will have a special Aloha Hour honoring Father’s Day!
Also this Sunday, June 16, after church I will be hosting a reception at the parsonage from 2 to 5 p.m. to share more about my sabbatical. I will have my brand new photo book Beauty, Art & Spirituality (the theme of my sabbatical) available for sale on Sunday. There will be a talk and slideshow at 3 p.m. Please see the announcement below for the details.
As a follow-up to becoming Open & Affirming, Koloa Union Church has the opportunity to participate in Kauai’s Pride Parade and Festival on Saturday, June 22, in Lihue. I hope you will consider walking in the parade or sitting at our table to hand out information about our church and answer questions about our church. Please see the announcement below for more information.
Aloha nui!
Kahu
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Click HERE to see a video of a recent message from Sunday morning. 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.
“A Message from Kahu Alan Akana” is provided most weeks by the Kahu (Pastor) of Koloa Union Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference.
by admin | Jun 5, 2019 | Message from Kahu
Lisbon, Portugal
Kahu’s Last Day in Europe
It is good to be home after spending three months in Europe! I had a fantastic time focusing on beauty, art and spirituality in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland—and I look forward to sharing with everyone in the coming weeks and months about my adventures and what I learned over the past three months! I’ll be talking about my sabbatical on Sunday mornings throughout the summer and also showing a slideshow at the parsonage on June 16. I saw some amazing art and inspirational places of worship and reflection. Throughout the entire spring, beauty was unfolding everywhere as flowers burst on the scene as landscapes and gardens transformed from earth tones to stunning places of color and vibrancy.
This Sunday will be a special time as we celebrate Pentecost and our new “Open & Affirming” (ONA) status in the United Church of Christ. I’ll be talking about some of my experiences worshiping in churches throughout southern Europe during my sabbatical. We will give thanks for our newly adopted ONA covenant and commitment to welcoming and including people of all backgrounds and lifestyles. We will also collect our annual “Strengthen the Church” special mission offering in order to promote new areas of growth in ministry throughout the UCC. We will continue to celebrate after the worship service during a special Aloha Hour as well! Be sure to wear one of the colors of the rainbow, if you are able, as we plan to take a group photograph on this special occasion!
I look forward to spending Friday and Saturday this week with Bridget Hammerquist and Shellee Riggio in Honolulu at the `Aha Pae`aina, which is the annual gathering and business meeting of the Hawai`i Conference of the United Church of Christ. One of the decisions we will make at the `Aha is whether or not Rev. Dr. David Popham will become our next Conference Minister. Thanks to everyone who attended the special dinner in Lihu`e yesterday to meet David! Please keep us all in your prayers as we seek God’s guidance for our churches in Hawai`i nei!
Aloha nui!
Kahu
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Our Kahu (Pastor) offers a weekly message in church most Sundays during the year. Click HERE to see a video of a recent message from Sunday morning. 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.
“A Message from Kahu Alan Akana” is provided most weeks by the Kahu (Pastor) of Koloa Union Church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference.
by admin | Jun 5, 2019 | News
Pentecost Sunday
June 9, 2019
Celebration of Our “Open & Affirming” Status
In the United Church of Christ
Welcome Kahu Akana Back from His Sabbatical
(It is also the 29th anniversary of his ordination!)
Enjoy a Special Celebration Luncheon for Aloha Hour!
Church Photograph
(To be taken right after our worship service)
Let’s Reflect the Colors of a Rainbow!
You are invited to join in the Spirit of the celebration
by wearing a color of the rainbow:
REDORANGEYELLOWGREENBLUEPURPLE
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MORE NEWS….
`AHA PAE`AINA The 197th annual state-wide gathering of the Hawai`i Conference United Church of Christ will meet June 7-8 at the Kaumakapili Church in Honolulu. Koloa Union church will be represented by Rev. Dr. Alan Akana, Bridget Hammerquist, and Shellee Riggio.
STRENGTHEN THE CHURCH SPECIAL MISSION OFFERING We collect this year’s Strengthen the Church offering on Sunday, June 9. This special mission offering supports the expansion of ministry and growth of the United Church of Christ throughout the country. Your support will help the UCC fulfill its commitment to creating a just world for all by investing in new ministries and practices that meet the emerging needs of local communities. Thank you for your generosity!
SCENT-FREE ENVIRONMENT We have members, friends, and a kahu who are highly allergic to various scents, often resulting in coughing, sneezing, difficulty breathing and speaking, as well as other symptoms. Heavy perfumes and colognes are particularly troublesome. We are requesting that our church be, as much as possible, a “scent-free” environment during worship services, social activities and meetings. We realize that there is no way to keep all scents away, and we plan to continue having fresh flower arrangements each week and leis for special occasions, but we do ask everyone to be sensitive to the needs of those around them when it comes to perfumes, colognes and lotions.
THE LATEST COCONUT WIRELESS The Hawai`i Conference of the United Church of Christ shares news on the Coconut Wireless, the regular weekly newsletter of the HCUCC. If you would like to keep abreast on news, opportunities and events, please click HERE for the latest news. If you like what you see, you may subscribe and get every issue of the Coconut Wireless automatically and get the very latest news hot off the press.
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
Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-26; Romans 8:14-17; John 14: 8-17.
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COMING UP….
FATHER’S DAY LUNCHEON Sunday, June 16 after Sunday service. Join us as the church ladies prepare a lunch worthy of the men of Koloa Union Church.
FATHER’S DAY RECEPTION AT THE GALLERY You are invited to Alan Akana Gallery on June 16 from 2 to 5 p.m. as Kahu will share with the church and community about his sabbatical in Europe during the past 3 months. There will be a talk and slideshow at 3 p.m. and Kahu’s latest book “Beauty, Art & Spirituality” available for purchase. Click HERE for details.
ALL CHURCH BREAKFAST Tuesday, June 25, at 7:30 a.m. Join the church members and friends for a fun, relaxing breakfast. Location TBA.
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“Weekly News of the Church” is provided by Koloa Union Church, a 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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