A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by | Sep 19, 2017 | Message from Kahu

American Gospel
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like….”
(Matthew 18:23)
“Changing Lives, Transforming the World”
We are continuing our series on “Changing Lives, Transforming the World.” It is so easy “getting stuck” both in our personal lives and on a societal level. We have a difficult time moving away from patterns and habits that no longer serve our best interest and are sometimes downright harmful! I invite you to look with yourself and look around you and think about the changes and transformations of which you can be an active participant.
On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about the strict religious and ethical rules and codes of conduct for the first English settlers on the American Continent. I have been reading Jon Meacham’s book, American Gospel, in which he points out that America eventually became known in Europe as the place to go in order to escaped religious persecution. Yet, according to Meacham’s examples, those who once were persecuted back home in Europe began gaining control in certain colonies, and they began inflicting the same kind of religious intolerance upon others. In other words, they escaped mistreatment and unjust persecution by fleeing to America only to exact the same kind of persecution on others once they had control of a colony. They believed that they somehow deserved justice, tolerance and acceptance for their beliefs, yet were unwilling to offer these things to others once they were running the place.
We have seen this attitude over and over again throughout history, but it is this attitude that Jesus condemned in the Gospel reading we heard on Sunday. In Matthew, chapter 18, Jesus tells the parable of a slave who was forgiven an outrageously enormous debt (and most likely his freedom as well) by the emperor, only to turn upon another slave who owed him a relatively small amount of money and have him thrown in prison. The point is that we simply cannot receive the enormity of God’s grace and then not share it with our fellow human beings. Receiving God’s grace with gratitude and sharing it with others is what Jesus taught when he said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like!”
I was greatly puzzled and deeply disturbed last month as I watched videos of White Supremacists, Nazis and members of the KKK openly march in public places. I am confident that most of them are descendants of immigrants who were given a brand new start in America. Yet they seem to be completely unwilling to extend the same kind of hospitality to people of other races and ethnicities—even to many who are already citizens of our nation.
When we truly understand the great gift of God’s grace and allow it a welcome space within us, that grace will change our hearts so that we will welcome and share aloha with others with open arms.
May God continue to surprise us with many wonderful changes within and all around us!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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Videos of Kahu’s Sunday’s sermon are uploaded ontoYouTube most weeks. Please share these videos with friends. 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 may also subscribe to the page on YouTube; that way you can receive a notification when a new sermon is posted.
“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.

Weekly News of the Church

by | Sep 13, 2017 | News

HURRICANE RELIEF The United Church of Christ has established a fund to support Harvey and Irma relief and recovery efforts. Donations may be made online by clicking HARVEY or IRMA. Gifts may also be made through Koloa Union Church; please indicate “Hurricane Harvey,” “Hurricane Irma,” or “Hurrican Relief” (for both) on the note line; checks will be then forwarded to the Hawaii Conference for Wider Church Missions. Donation will be accepted through October.
COCONUT WIRELESS The Council of the Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ has chosen an Intentional Interim Conference Minister, the Rev. Gabrielle Fackre Chavez, to begin in January 2018. You can check out this and other news on the Coconut Wireless, the regular newsletter of the HCUCC. If you would like to keep abreast on news, opportunities and events, please click HERE. If you like what you see, you may subscribe and get every issue of the Coconut Wireless automatically.
FREE SMOKE ALARMS Click HERE if you or a neighbor on Kaua`i might like a free smoke alarm installed by a volunteer from the Red Cross.
PRAYERS & SQUARES Contact Angela Dressel if you would like to get involved in praying for people in crisis or helping to make quilt squares for those in crisis. The ladies have recently made and delivered two beautiful prayer quilts to two church members.
AND COMING UP…
BREAKFAST, BEACH, BINGO! Saturday, September 23, 9:00 a.m. Join us at the big pavilion across Nukumoi Surf Company for a delicious breakfast followed by a rousing game of bingo! Bring your lawn-chairs and swimsuits. Donations for food costs are much appreciated. Please sign up so we know how much food is needed.
FALL `AHA MOKUPUNI! Kōloa Union Church will host this year’s fall gathering of the Kaua`i Association of the United Church of Christ on Sunday afternoon and evening, November 12. Details are forthcoming. Be sure to save the date on your calendar now, as we will need a lot of volunteers to help us host the Kaua`i churches!

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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. Join us at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!

A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by | Sep 13, 2017 | Message from Kahu, Uncategorized

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“Changing Lives, Transforming the World”

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)

On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about my visit to the World Trade Center and 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan just a couple weeks earlier. I was surprised at how emotional it was for me as I stood there at the giant fountain with the names engraved of all the people who lost their lives on that day. It brought back memories of that horrible morning sixteen years ago. We changed on that day. As individuals, we were shocked and numb that something like this could happen. Communities across the nation were impacted. Airports were closed and the way we travel was changed. As a country we were no longer invincible; we were vulnerable to people who hate us.
I was reminded as I stood there in New York City that change is inevitable. As the ancient Greek philosopher said, “No man can step into the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” It is so true that change is constantly happening all around us…and changing us!
So how do we change for the better? And how can we be intentional about change and transformation in our lives and in our society? We found some clear instructions from our Scriptures on Sunday—both from Jesus and the Apostle Paul:

  • Let love be genuine.

  • Love your neighbor as yourself.

  • Let us not judge one another.

  • Welcome one another just as Christ has welcomed you.

When we are committed to this way of being, we change for the better and our world is transformed into the kind of place God intended it to be. For the next three weeks, I will continue focusing on the theme “Changing Lives, Transforming the World” in our worship services. As you come to church over the next few weeks, I invite you to continue bringing two particular questions with you:

  • What are the changes I would like to see in my life and the lives of people around me?

  • What kind of transformation might God be envisioning for the world?

May God surprise us with many wonderful changes within and all around us!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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Due to technical difficulties, videos of Kahu’s Sunday’s sermon have not been uploaded onto YouTube during the past two months. The situation should be resolved very soon. In the meantime, past sermons can be viewed and shared. You can also subscribe to Kahu’s sermon page on YouTube; that way you can receive a notification when a new sermon is posted.

“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.

A Message from Kahu Alan Akana

by | Sep 6, 2017 | Message from Kahu

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Back from New York City!

I returned to the office yesterday morning after a wonderful trip to California and New York City. My trip began with meeting my son Palani in the Bay Area and helping him organize his belongings, getting it all packed up for his move to New York, and dropping off quite a bit of clothing and other items at a thrift store. We also spent time with all of my siblings and their spouses, including a “bon voyage” party for Palani. While there, I learned that my brother-in-law Adrian was in need of heart surgery, which happened yesterday and so far everything looks good; I appreciate your prayers.
Palani and I then flew to NYC where we saw many of the sites, including Times Square, the World Trade Center Memorial, Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Grant’s Tomb and the historic Riverside Church. We also connected with friends, did some furniture shopping, got Palani moved into his apartment across the street from Columbia University and took a tour of the campus where he’ll be spending the next five years working on his Ph.D. in ecology. We also got to see some pretty amazing shows on Broadway, which I will be sharing about in my sermons in the upcoming weeks.
For the next four weeks, I will be focusing on the theme “Changing Lives, Transforming the World” in our worship services. Making changes in our lives is sometimes a difficult thing; transforming the world seems virtually impossible. However, the Scriptures tell stories and give guidance about change and transformation, and they compel us to believe that they are possible. As you come to church over the next month, I invite you to bring two particular questions with you:
1. What are the changes I would like to see in my life and the lives of people around me?
2. What kind of transformation might God be envisioning for the world?
We will likely come up with more than one answer. However, the answers we have will help form who we are as a congregation and guide us in our decisions for mission and ministry in the future. May we be open to the God of peace and compassion as we search for answers together.
Before I close, I have a special prayer request for the family of Mylo Korn. Mylo is the 4-year-old boy who was run over by a truck on Sunday and died in the hospital in Honolulu yesterday. His mother Miana works with me on the Kaua`i Association Youth and Young Adult Committee and is a member of the Kaua`i Marshallese Church in Hanapepe. I ask that you keep Miana, her family and church in your prayers during this devastating time of loss. May we also remember to pray for all of those on our prayer list, as well as the people affected by hurricanes, flooding and other natural disasters.
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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Due to technical difficulties, videos of Kahu’s Sunday’s sermon have not been uploaded onto YouTube during the past two months. The situation should be resolved very soon. In the meantime, past sermons can be viewed and shared. You can also subscribe to Kahu’s sermon page on YouTube; that way you can receive a notification when a new sermon is posted.

“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.