by admin | Apr 6, 2017 | Message from Kahu
JOIN US THIS WEEK FOR PALM SUNDAY!
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BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART FOR THEY WILL SEE GOD
MATTHEW 5:8
On Sunday, I shared with the congregation some of the writings of Soren Kierkegaard, the 19th century Danish philosopher. One of my favorite essays of Kierkegaard is called Purity of Heat. In it, he says “Purity of heart is to will one thing.” Kierkegaard argued that a person could not be pure in heart if he or she pursued many different things in life. On the other hand, if a person only willed one thing, that person would be pure in heart. According to Kierkegaard, the only way to pursue one thing was to pursue God; and Kierkegaard attempted to pursue God with his whole being.
In our Gospel reading on Sunday, we read from Matthew: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” I believe Kierkegaard understood these words of Jesus better than anyone else I have read. If we pursue God above all else, we will see God more clearly.
On Sunday, we celebrate Palm Sunday and begin Holy Week. I invite you to join us and invite friends and family members to church during this very special time of year. On Palm Sunday, we will remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. On Maundy Thursday, we will commemorate Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. On Friday, our children will gather to decorate Easter eggs. And, of course, on Easter Sunday, we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
I look forward to spending Holy Week with the people of Koloa Union Church!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
Click HERE to see a video of Sunday’s sermon. Videos of Kahu’s sermons are available most weeks. Please share these videos with friends and invite them to church. You can also subscribe on YouTube anytime you watch a sermon; that way you can easily watch any past sermon and even 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 | Apr 6, 2017 | News
JOIN US THIS WEEK FOR PALM SUNDAY!
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LENTEN SOUP SUPPERS This Wednesday, April 5, will be our last soup supper in Moore Hall at 6 p.m. After supper, Kahu Akana will lead a discussion on “Blessed Are the Pure in Heart, for They Will See God.”
PALM SUNDAY We will celebrate with the processional of palms and the children will perform their Easter play (“You Can’t Have Easter Without….”) this week on Palm Sunday, April 9.
ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING This special offering of the United Church of Christ supports disaster relief, refugee support, and development throughout the world. We will collect the OGHS offering on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday. Please use the special offering envelopes or write OGHS on your check. Mahalo nui for your generosity!
ALAN AKANA GALLERY The watercolors of the beautiful flowers of Hawaii which are painted by our Kahu are on display at Alan Akana Gallery, located in the Smith Memorial Parsonage at 3281 Waikomo Road in Koloa. The gallery is open on Sundays through Thursday 1 p.m..-5 p.m. (closed Fridays and Saturdays). NOTE: these are new hours for the gallery. A majority of the net profits from the gallery goes directly to the ministry of Koloa Union Church! For more information, click HERE.
MAUNDY THURSDAY On Thursday, April 13, at 7 p.m., we will commemorate Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. We will read Scriptures, reflect upon their meaning and celebrate Holy Communion. Join us in the sanctuary for this special service.
EASTER EGG DECORATING & LUNCH On Friday, April 14, at 11 a.m., the children of the church will gather in Moore Hall for our annual Easter egg decorating and lunch. The eggs will be used in the Easter egg hunt at the parsonage on Easter. Please sign up on the bulletin board at church.
EASTER SUNDAY
6:00 Easter Sunrise Service at Kukuiolono Park in Kalaheo
10:30 Easter Worship Service at the church (NOTE: there will be NO breakfast served this year.)
11:45 Potluck Picnic and Easter Egg Hunt at the Smith Memorial Parsonage. Please sign up to bring something to eat on the signup sheet on the bulletin board by April 9, and our Aloha Hour Committee for that day will plan accordingly.
- PARKING ON EASTER For those who are able, you are requested to park on Poipu Road and Waikomo Road on Easter morning, as well as at the Ramos’ residence (3303 Waikomo Road; next door to the parsonage), as well as the side and back of Moore Hall. We want to save parking spots at the church and in the parsonage driveway for those who have difficulty walking.
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.
by admin | Mar 29, 2017 | Message from Kahu
BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL FOR THEY WILL RECEIVE MERCY
MATTHEW 5:7; JOHN 9:1-39
On Sunday, we read the story of Jesus healing the blind man in the Gospel of John. His disciples asked Jesus, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” They assumed, as many of us do at times, that someone is to blame for the painful and challenging things that happen to people, and we often blame ourselves. Most of us have said at least once in our lives, “What did I do to deserve this?”
Well, Jesus responded to the disciples, “He was born blind so that God’s work might be revealed in him.” The Greek word for “work” can also be translated “handiwork” or “workmanship.” The verse can be translated in this way:
“He was born blind so that God’s handiwork might be revealed in him.”
I think the point is that the man was born so that God would do things in and through the man’s life. I also wonder if Jesus may have been alluding to the belief that the man himself was God’s handiwork. I think it is important for us to remind ourselves that we were born so that God would do things in and through our lives, and we too are God’s handiwork.
Even though God was already working in the man’s life—even while he was blind—Jesus showed mercy to the man by giving him his sight. I find it interesting that the passage started out with the disciples assuming sin was involved in the man’s predicament, and then, after the Pharisees questioned the man about his vision, they called Jesus a sinner and told the man that he was “born entirely in sin.”
We have a choice in how we see ourselves and others. On the one hand, we can see as Jesus saw people: that we are born so that God’s handiwork might be seen in and through our lives. On the other hand, we can see as the Pharisees saw the people with whom they disagreed politically and theologically: that we are born in sin, that people have challenging circumstances because of sin, and that people disagree with us because of sin. When we see through the eyes of Jesus and allow people to be who they are, we look for God’s handiwork in and through them, and show mercy to them.
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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Click HERE to see a video of Sunday’s sermon. Videos of Kahu’s sermons are available most weeks. Please share these videos with friends and invite them to church. You can also subscribe on YouTube anytime you watch a sermon; that way you can easily watch any past sermon and even 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 | Mar 29, 2017 | News
MEMBERSHIP GATHERING Interested in learning more about Koloa Union Church? This Sunday, April 2, in Moore Hall: Kahu Akana and the Deacons will meet with people who are interested in learning more about Koloa Union Church and what is involved in becoming a member of our congregation. The gathering will take place after Aloha Hour, approximately 12:30 to 3:00. There is a signup sheet posted on the bulletin board. Childcare will be provided.
LENTEN SOUP SUPPERS On Wednesday evenings through April 5, Koloa Union Church will host soup suppers in Moore Hall at 6 p.m. Kahu Akana will lead a discussion on the beatitudes, based upon the previous Sunday’s theme, scriptures and sermon. This week we will be focusing on “Blessed are the merciful.”
SUNDAY SCHOOL & YOUTH The children are currently practicing during Sunday School for their Easter play (“You Can’t Have Easter Without….”) to be performed on Palm Sunday, April 9. Our annual decorating Easter eggs & pizza lunch will be Friday, April 14, 11 a.m. Please sign up if you plan on attending. Easter egg hunt will be Easter Sunday, April 16, after church at the parsonage. Please sign up if you plan to attend. Our next youth retreat will be at Waineke in Kokee June 9 – 13, 2017; details to follow.
ALAN AKANA GALLERY The watercolors of the beautiful flowers of Hawaii which are painted by our Kahu are on display at Alan Akana Gallery, located in the Smith Memorial Parsonage at 3281 Waikomo Road in Koloa. The gallery is open on Sundays through Thursday 1 p.m..-5 p.m. (closed Fridays and Saturdays). NOTE: these are new hours for the gallery. A majority of the net profits from the gallery goes directly to the ministry of Koloa Union Church! For more information about the gallery, click
HERE.
ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING
This special offering of the United Church of Christ supports disaster relief, refugee support, and development throughout the world. We will collect the OGHS offering on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday. Please use the special offering envelopes or write OGHS on your check. Mahalo nui for your generosity!
MAUNDY THURSDAY On Thursday, April 13, at 7 p.m., we will commemorate Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. We will read Scriptures, reflect upon their meaning and celebrate Holy Communion. Join us in the sanctuary for this special service.
EASTER EGG DECORATING & LUNCH On Friday, April 14, at 11 a.m., the children of the church will gather in Moore Hall for our annual Easter egg decorating and lunch. The eggs will be used in the Easter egg hunt at the parsonage on Easter. Please sign up on the bulletin board at church.
EASTER SUNDAY
6:00 Easter Sunrise Service at Kukuiolono Park in Kalaheo
10:30 Easter Worship Service at the church (NOTE: there will be NO breakfast served this year.)
11:45 Potluck Picnic and Easter Egg Hunt at the Smith Memorial Parsonage. Please sign up to bring something to eat on the signup sheet on the bulletin board by April 9, and our Aloha Hour Committee for that day will plan accordingly.
PARKING ON EASTER For those who are able, you are requested to park on Poipu Road and Waikomo Road on Easter morning, as well as at the Ramos’ residence (3303 Waikomo Road; next door to the parsonage), as well as the side and back of Moore Hall. We want to save parking spots at the church and in the parsonage driveway for those who have difficulty walking.
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.
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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!
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