A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by admin | Apr 25, 2018 | Message from Kahu

“We Are Guests Here”

Sunday was Earth Day, and I shared the story of when I stood on Kaimu Black Sand Beach in Kalapana in 1990 and watched liquid lava flow over the beach and into the ocean. I also shared a picture of the scene (above). As the lava approached Kaimu that year, the wife of a distant relative of mine saw that the lava was heading straight for her home. She went outside and stood in front of the oncoming lava and prayed that it would go around the house. (By the way, this house stands on the property where my great-great-grandparents used to live.) I don’t know if she prayed to God, Jesus or Pele, but the lava went completely around the house and filled in the entire bay which you can see in the picture. The steam at the far end of the photograph is where the lava first entered the bay; it eventually covered the entire beach and bay. The new coastline is about a quarter of a mile away now—a quarter of a mile of land that was ocean in 1990!

People in Kalapana say that it is a miracle that the home of my relatives still stands, and they attribute its existence to the prayer that was offered by the wife of my relative. I don’t doubt for a minute that our prayers are important. However, I also know that hundreds of other people in Kalapana also prayed, and their homes were destroyed. Furthermore, people on Kaua`i last week prayed that the flood waters would not enter their homes, and some of those people who prayed lost nearly every possession that was in their homes. When it comes to the Earth and our prayers, we don’t always get exactly what we want.

During this past week, I spent some time reflecting on the Earth and on our prayers. Our Gospel passage from Luke on Sunday was the story of Jesus calming the storm while he and his disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. For me, one of my most important reflections was that the disciples were exactly where Jesus wanted them to be and doing exactly what he wanted them to do. We have a tendency to wonder what is wrong when bad things happen to us. During the storms of our lives (both figurative and literal), we wonder if we are not where God wants us or if we are not Doing what God wants. We wonder if God is punishing us. The story from Luke reminds us that we sometimes suffer when we are exactly where God wants us and doing exactly what God wants us to do. The most important part of the story for me is that Jesus is there in the midst of the storm; he is present with the disciples with compassion. The same is true for us.

If you would like to hear about my other reflections from the passage, you can see my message on YouTube by clicking the link below. In the meantime, I invite you to open your eyes and your hearts in order to see God’s presence in your midst wherever you may be on this Earth, and I ask you to remember that we are guests here on this planet! May we take care of the Earth and all of the other guests who reside here.

Aloha nui!

___________________________________________

Our Kahu (Pastor) offers a weekly message in church most Sundays during the year. Click HERE to see a video of his sermon from this past Sunday. 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.

Another Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by admin | Apr 18, 2018 | Message from Kahu

I’m sure everyone has heard stories by now about the devastation and loss felt by many people on our island due to the recent storms. The flooding of the past few days has been greater than many of us have ever seen. I am not surprised at all that many members and friends of Koloa Union Church are asking, “How can we help our neighbors?” Although there are several groups coordinating relief efforts and the needs seem to be changing daily, there are three specific areas in which I believe our church can assist right away.

Kauai Association of the United Church of Christ

The Rev. Glenn Frazier, a retired minister who is a member of Church of the Pacific in Princeville, has preached at our church on several occasions, lives in Princeville, and is helping to coordinate recovery efforts on the north shore. According to Glenn, there are people who need immediate assistance, and he is happy to talk to potential volunteers who are willing to help. You can call Glenn at 808-634-0041 for further information, or the Church of the Pacific office at 808-826-6253. Waioli Huiia Church in Hanalei suffered extensive damage from the flood; according to Glenn, they have been receiving plenty of help and do not need additional help at the moment. Clyde Fujikawa, pastor of Church of the Pacific, is a kalo farmer in Hanalei, and his farm has suffered tremendous damage. He will soon need volunteers with chainsaws to help him clear debris and labor help in general (not immediately, but soon). Anyone who might be able to assist can call Clyde directly at 808-639-9601.

Koloa Union Church

Beginning this weekend, Chel Hauser, will be making daily trips to Princeville to deliver supplies and assist in the clean up and restoration efforts. Chel is working with a variety of organizations who are partnering in these efforts: Ha Coffee Bar (a donation drop location), Natural Pet Hawaii (providing and transporting animal foods, medicines and supplies) and Kauai Animal Welfare Society (assisting in the clean up of homes, businesses, schools, churches, etc). I have agreed to let Chel use our church storage shed to collect supplies, which she will deliver on a semi-daily basis. Feel free to drop off any of the following items on Sunday morning, or else Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon:

Household:

Butane canisters and propane (all sizes)

Large storage totes

Chainsaws

Coolers

Tarps

Gloves

Big black contractor trash bags

Gasoline (labeled regular and diesel)

Hand sanitizer

Bleach/Clorox Wipes/Spray bottles

Personal:

Toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet tissue

Diapers – sizes infant through 5

Shampoo and conditioner

Body soap

Rubber boots

Sleeping bags

Blankets

Food:

Fresh fruits and vegetables

All Bran cereal

Soy/Rice/Almond milk

Juice, coffee, tea

The Shops at Kukuiula/A&B Properties, Kukuiula Development, Hawaii Life, and Poipu Beach Resort Association

These organizations are collecting items for a Kauai Disaster Relief Drive tomorrow, Wednesday, April 18, from 3pm-6pm at The Shops at Kukuiula in the Palm Court area and 10am-6pm (Poipu Beach Resort Association Office); specifically collecting bottled water, non-perishable food items, toiletries, gloves, trash bags, etc. Items will be delivered to Kauai Red Cross for distribution. Financial donations will be dispersed to Kauai Red Cross and Malama Kauai. Anyone with questions can call The Shops at Kukuiula management office at 808-742-9545 or the PBRA office at 742-7444.

As a reminder, it is important to work directly with an organization or resident of an affected home or area. Sometimes well meaning people can get in the way or cause further delays by trying to help in ways that are not helpful. Furthermore, limited resources should be used to provide meaningful assistance, rather than clutter or interruptions of important work.

If you hear of immediate needs here in Koloa where people can contribute or volunteers can become involved, let me know and I will be happy to pass on the information to others. In the meantime, let us continue to pray for our neighbors on Kauai who have experienced many losses. If anyone wants to contribute a financial donation through the church, you can do that at any time; please make checks out to the church with “Flood Recovery” in the note section, and we will make sure it is used in the best way possible to help victims of the flood.

Mahalo Nui Loa for your Kokua!

Kahu Alan Akana

A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by admin | Apr 18, 2018 | Message from Kahu

“Peace Be with You”

On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about the kind of peace which Jesus offered the world—and still offers the world. It is a peace that is for everyone, and it can be identified in a willingness to share it with others.

I have come to understand my art as a way in which I can share peace with others. I told the congregation about Darlene, the person who is my Spiritual Director, who meets with me monthly on the phone to help me discover how God is showing up in my life. As I shared with her several months ago about my desire to share peace through my art, she was very encouraging; she also emailed me these words later that week:

The divine calls us to bring our art,

whether it’s sacred listening or painting flora,

to the world.…

We are called to bring Peace,

to wage Peace with our art.

Darlene also sent me the painting above by Irene Hardwicke Olivieri. It’s a picture of a woman dressed as a warrior, and she (as an artist) is loaded down with weapons: her weapons are all the things she needs to paint. There are paintbrushes of all sizes and many tubes of watercolors; there are pencils and scissors; and there is canvas and paper. There are also a necklace and bracelets with little charms depicting the paintings she was working on at the time. Just like a soldier would have badges representing past triumphs and victories, the charms represent her accomplishments in pieces of art. Irene called the piece “Better Is the Ready.” However, when Darlene sent it to me, she called it “Peace Warrior,” to remind me that my art not only brings peace to me, but it is a way I bring peace to the world.

I begin most days watercoloring for about an hour, trusting that my art will bring a bit more peace to the world. And, as I paint, I am reminded that we are all creative artists in one way or another, and we can use our art to share peace. I hope you will take a moment just now and give thanks for the art forms you use to share peace with others.

Aloha nui!

Kahu Alan Akana

___________________________________________

Our Kahu (Pastor) offers a weekly message in church most Sundays during the year. Click HERE to see a video of his sermon from this past Sunday. 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.