by admin | Aug 2, 2017 | Message from Kahu
“Compassion for Everyone”
On Sunday, we heard the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. It was actually a lot more than that, according to the text, as there were women and children there as well. In order to understand this story, it is important to look at who these people were in the crowd and what was going on with Jesus at the time.
Most likely, the crowd was made up of the poor people of Galilee. They were the ones who had little or no healthcare and barely enough food for their families to survive. They were not Roman citizens and so had no say in public policy. Most were the desperate poor and powerless living on the margins of the Roman Empire. They came to Jesus because he provided the healthcare that they needed. He healed just about everything imaginable: illnesses, injuries, mental and spiritual sicknesses. They also came because Jesus offered them words of hope—words which were an alternative to what the Empire provided.
Jesus had just gone home to Nazareth after a very successful tour where he preached and healed. However, he was not welcome at home. He must have felt deep disappointment and rejection. He also knew that his enemies were planning on killing him and had just killed his cousin John. Knowing he was not welcome at home, Jesus went out on a boat to find a place to be alone in his grief and rejection. However, the crowds were already there when he arrived, and so he healed them for the rest of the day.
When dinnertime came along, Jesus’ disciples pointed out the time of time and encouraged him to send the crowds home to eat. But Jesus, who had compassion for the people, decided to feed them himself, with the help of the disciples. Though the disciples claimed to only have two fish and five loaves of bread. In other words, “There is only enough for us.” Nevertheless, Jesus blessed the fish and loaves and had the disciples distribute them among the crowd. When dinner was over, it turned out that there was more than enough. Everyone had their fill and the disciples collected twelve baskets of leftovers.
The lesson here is that when it comes to compassion, there is always enough for everyone. May we look around us this week and notice the people who need compassion…and may we share some of ours with them.
Kahu Alan Akana
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Videos of Kahu’s sermons are uploaded onto YouTube most weeks. Please share these videos with friends and invite them to our church. You can also subscribe 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.
by admin | Jul 21, 2017 | News, Uncategorized
This is a special announcement.
If you or a neighbor on Kaua`i would like to receive a free smoke alarm installed by a volunteer from the Red Cross, click smoke alarm flyer for Kauai2017 for the details.
by admin | Jul 19, 2017 | News
FINAL SUMMER BOOK GROUP GATHERING Kahu Akana will lead our final summer book group at the parsonage, 3281 Waikomo Road in Koloa, on Wednesday, July 19. The group will gather at the parsonage at 6 p.m. for dinner and then discusses the book Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most, by Marcus Borg. In this book, Borg reflects on his life and how he developed his most bedrock convictions—and why they matter. This week’s dinner will be a potluck. Main dish, rice, dessert and drinks are already planned; side dishes are appreciated! Kahu suggests that you read chapters 10 & 11 for July 19.
OFFICE HELP We are looking for a volunteer(s) who can sit in the office while Penny will be on vacation this fall and in the future. We are asking the volunteer(s) to pick up and sort through the mail, pay bills when they are due, answer the phone, do light office work and chat with visitors. Most of the time, Penny will be available by phone or email if you have questions while volunteering.
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.
SAVE THE DATES for KOLOA PLANTATION DAYS….
Monday, July 24: “Plantation-style Living: An Afternoon of Art, Stories and Refreshments” at the Smith Memorial Parsonage, 3281 Waikomo Road, from 4 to 6 p.m. We are asking church volunteers to greet, host and make and serve refreshments. Please contact Kahu, Palani Akana or Sherry Hines if you would like to volunteer.
Friday, July 28: We again have access to the large golf cart for the parade, and it needs to be decorated. Please let Penny know if you can donate flowers and can help decorate, 4 pm. at the parsonage.
Saturday, July 29: KPD Parade, “Many Cultures, One Community” at 10 a.m. Meet at the church at 8:30, and let us know if you would like to bring something for our continental breakfast (malasadas, donuts, muffins, orange juice, etc.) We will be asking parade participants to wear and carry items representing your ethnic culture or one that is part of our church and/or community.
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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!
by admin | Jul 19, 2017 | Message from Kahu
Listen Carefully!
On Sunday in church, I talked about the importance of listening deeply—listening to others when they talk, listening for the voice of God, and listening to our hearts when they are calling out for our attention. We focused on the Parable of the Sower in Matthew, chapter 13, where the words “listen,” “hear,” and “understand” appeared 16 times in 23 verses. I suggested that the point of the parable was to help us visualize the importance of deeply listening. I talked about how intently listening can be a transformational experience.
I also shared some quotes on “Holy Listening” that were given to me by my friend Rev. Caroline Miura:
- “One of the important ways we can love others is by learning the art of holy listening. Learning to listen is a key that unlocks the door to loving people.” —Morton Kelsey
- Deep listening is the kind of listening that can help relieve the suffering of another person…you listen with only one purpose: to help him or her to empty their heart. —Thich Nhat Hanh
- The quieter you become, the more you can hear. —Baba Ram Dass
- When I say that I enjoy hearing someone, I mean, of course, hearing deeply. I mean that I hear the words, the thoughts, the feeling tones, the personal meaning, even the meaning that is below the conscious intent of the speaker. Sometimes too, in a message which superficially is not very important, I hear a deep human cry that lies buried and unknown far below the surface of the person. —Carl Rogers
- For to listen is to continually give up all expectation & to give our attention, completely & freshly, to what is before us, not really knowing what we will hear or what that will mean. In the practice of our days, to listen is to lean in, softly, with a willingness to be changed by what we hear. —Mark Nepo, Seven Thousand Ways to Listen
May you feel heard this week, and may you be blessed and bring many blessings by deeply listening!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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Videos of Kahu’s sermons are uploaded onto YouTube most weeks. Please share these videos with friends and invite them to our church. You can also subscribe 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.
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