by admin | Jul 2, 2019 | News
Walkway Repairs
Tuesday & Wednesday
We are repairing and staining the cement walkway this week! This is the area by the main entryway of the church and the church office. Please note that there will be no access to the church office, sanctuary, or janitor closet on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, while the work is being done and the walkway completely dries. There will also be no access to Moore Hall from the north side, so if you need to enter Moore Hall or the kitchen, please use the south side entrances. This is the final large-scale project of our successful capital campaign, “Maikai Hana Hou” (Creating Goodness & Beauty Once Again). Thanks to everyone who helped and financially supported the campaign!
***Please do NOT walk on the walkway until Thursday morning!***
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Happy
Independence
Day!
The church office will be closed on the 4th of July.
We wish you a festive holiday!
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This is an Email Scam:
How are you..Have you got a minute ?
I need you to complete a task for me discreetly.
P.S. I am in a meeting now and can’t talk ,
so just reply here.
I will be expecting a read from you soon.
Thanks
Rev. Dr. Alan Akana
Although you should never let your guard down for email scams, summer is a particularly vulnerable time for church members, since church funds are often short and churches are asking members to catch up on pledges and even make additional gifts to help pay the bills. This is actually the case for us and you will be hearing more about it in our July newsletter next week. The scam above was sent to one of our members this week. For those of you who were around a few years ago, you may remember that someone created a fake Go Fund Me account with my name and photograph in order to receive money pretending to go to a family on O`ahu who had recently experienced the tragic loss of their teenage son. Unfortunately, there are people out there who will deceptively use the names of pastors and other leaders in order to illegally receive financial gain for themselves.
Here are some things to watch out for:
- When someone claims to be the pastor or church official but uses a different email address. (I will always use revdocakana@gmail.com or doctorakana@gmail.com.)
- When someone asks you to deposit funds electronically into an account. (I will always ask you to send a check to “Koloa Union Church,” unless we have a conversation about another way of giving.)
- When there are a lot of typos (especially in punctuation and grammar) or awkward language just doesn’t sound like the person who is sending it. (I might make a mistake or two, but a request with consistent errors is definitely a red flag!)
Unless you are certain of the sender, do NOT send money and do not click on any links! If there is ever any doubt as to the legitimacy of a request, don’t hesitate to contact me or Penny Osuga via phone or email. If you do receive a scam, we would like to know about it in order to warn others.
Aloha nui!
Kahu
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COMING UP. . . .
DEACONS MEETING Sunday, July 7, at 9 a.m. in Kahu’s office
COCONUT WIRELESS Click HERE to see the latest issue of the CW (the weekly e-news from the Hawaii 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 2 Kings 5:1-14; Psalm 30; Galatians 6:1-16; Luke 10:1-20.
SUMMER BOOK CLUB This summer’s group will meet from July 17 to August 28. Join us as we read America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege and the Bridge to a New America, written by Jim Wallis. Kahu will once again host the group on Wednesday evenings, 6-8:30 p.m. at the Smith Memorial Parsonage, beginning with dinner. Please sign up at church so that Kahu knows how many to expect. Copies of the book will be available at church for $14 or Kindle versions are available on Amazon for $7.87.
KŌLOA PLANTATION DAYS RECEPTION Monday, July 22, 4-6 p.m. at the Smith Memorial Parsonage
KŌLOA PLANTATION DAYS PARADE Saturday, July 27, 10 a.m. (Meet at church at 8:30)
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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 | Jul 2, 2019 | Message from Kahu
On Sunday, we read three conversations between Jesus and his disciples (or “would be” disciples) from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 9. In the first conversation, the Apostle John was very concerned about a man casting out demons in the name of Jesus. He tried to stop the man because he didn’t hang out with Jesus and the disciples. Jesus responded to John, “Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you.” There are some people who say that these were literal demons: servants of Satan who were sent by him to torment people. Other people say that these were figurative demons: causes to which we assign negative spiritual energy. Whichever way you choose to interpret this passage (literally or metaphorically), the point is that the disciples encountered some people whose lives were tortured by forces that seemed beyond their control and a man who was freeing those people from their bondage of fear and pain—and he was doing so in the name of Jesus. Apparently, Jesus celebrates any time a person shows compassion to another person—even if that person isn’t the kind of person who hangs out with him and his disciples. The way of Jesus allows people—even if they are different from us, come from different places and backgrounds, and hang out with strangers—to show compassion to others. In our Scripture reading, Jesus also pointed out the importance of making the reign (kingdom) of God our top priority in life. Those who follow in the way of Jesus put the reign of God ahead of obligations placed upon us by family and friends. Seeking first the reign of God is the way of Jesus.
I wonder what our world would be like if we all truly put the reign of Christ ahead of all else. I wonder what our politics would look like if our political and religious leaders did that. I am pretty sure our world would look very different than it does today. Jesus made it clear that loving God and others were his top priorities. He also taught that we love God by loving others. Jesus celebrated and encouraged goodness and compassion wherever they showed up, and he wants us to do the same.
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, an Open & Affirming (ONA) congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a member of the Kauai Association and Hawaii Conference.
by admin | Jun 19, 2019 | News
Kauai Pride Parade & Festival
This Saturday, June 22, 2019
Koloa Union Church will walk in the Pride Parade on Rice Street in Lihue from 9 to 10 a.m. this Saturday. Kahu and volunteers will host a Koloa Union Church booth at the festival from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kauai Historic County Building lawn on Rice Street, where we will have literature about the church and our new Open & Affirming status; this will be a family-friendly event for all ages with entertainment, music, speeches, food! Please contact the church office if you would like to join us or know more about our plans for the day.
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Aha Paeaina Report
From Our Representatives
Kahu Akana, Bridget Hammerquist and Shellee Riggio attended Aha Paeaina (the annual gathering of the Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ) June 7-8 in Honolulu. Bridget and Shellee will give a report during the worship service this Sunday, June 23, including important decisions and announcements, as well as their experiences and things they learned while they attended the event.
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Kahu’s New Book
“Beauty, Art & Spirituality”
Kahu self-published a book about his recent 3-month sabbatical in southern Europe and gave a copy to the church. It is a 22-page book of photos and Kahu’s inspirational thoughts about beauty, art and spirituality. You are invited to take a look at it on Sunday mornings or anytime the church office is open. There are also copies available for purchase for $25 at Alan Akana Gallery, where most of the profit goes to the support and care of the Smith Memorial Parsonage. There is also an accompanying slideshow that was presented during a reception at the parsonage on Sunday. Keep your eyes open for another opportunity to see the slideshow.
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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 are1 Kings 19:1-16; Isaiah 65:1-9; Galatians 3:23-29; Luke 8:26-39.
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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 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!
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