by admin | Feb 27, 2019 | Message from Kahu
“Beauty All Around Us”
On Sunday, I shared a story from the book Moloka`i, by Alan Brennert, which I read over the previous couple of weeks. In the novel, a Catholic nun by the name of Sister Catherine had arrived at Kalaupapa, one of the most beautiful places in Hawai`i, to care for the patients who suffered from leprosy, also known today as Hansen’s Disease. Her first couple of weeks were especially difficult, as she dressed the wounds of young girls. She did her best all day long, every day, not to wretch as she tended one wound after another. After she had been there for a couple of weeks, she was unwrapping the bandages on the arm of a young girl by the name of Noelani, who was about 15. The wound was so horrible to look at, that Sister Catherine let out a horrifying cry and felt that she would throw up right then and there. She rushed outside and dropped to her knees. The beauty of Kalaupapa was far from her thoughts.
Fortunately, her colleague Sister Leopoldina covered for her, and when their shift was over, Leopoldina took her across the yard to the girl’s dining room. There was a cabinet there, in which Leopoldina rummaged through one of the drawers until she found a piece of paper. She told Sister Catherine the famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson had written something on the paper—something he wrote when he visited Kalaupapa in 1889—and then she read the poem:
To see the infinite pity of this place,
The mangled limb, the devastated face,
The innocent sufferers smiling at the rod,
A fool were tempted to deny his God.
He sees, and shrinks; but if he look again,
Lo, beauty springing from the breast of pain!—
He marks the sisters on the painful shores,
And even a fool is silent and adores.
When Sister Leopoldina first saw that slip of paper, she said to Mother Marianne, “Why, it’s beautiful! It’s lovely, isn’t it?”
But Marianne said to Leopoldina, “We are not the ones to be flattered.” And she told Leopoldina to look outside on the lawn at girls with clean clothes and freshly dressed bandages, who were lame and crippled from leprosy, but joyfully playing croquet on a lawn created just for them.
Then Mother Marianne said, “There is beauty in the least beautiful of things.”
Here were young girls who were suffering from a debilitating diseases, causing scars on their skin and disappearing body parts, separated from families most of them would never see again. And yet, they laughed and played and loved. Indeed, there is beauty in the least beautiful of things.
May we remember when we serve others that we are not the ones to be flattered. Rather, we join with God as co-creators of beauty in the lives of those around us and our own as well—for when we create beauty for others, beauty is being created for us as we do it.
Aloha nui!
Kahu
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Our Kahu (Pastor) offers a weekly message in church most Sundays during the year. Click HERE to see a video of a recent 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 | Feb 20, 2019 | Message from Kahu
A Tree Planted by a Stream
On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about Pando, which is the largest known single living organism on Earth. It has been growing in central Utah for some 80,000 years—around the time of the last ice age. It weighs 13 million pounds and covers over 100 acres. Pando is a cluster of aspen trees. When I moved to the mountains of Utah in 1997, I lived in a place that was surrounded by aspen groves. Someone told me that a grove is actually one living unit, connected by an amazing root system of sometimes thousands of trees, all sharing the same genetic material.
I pondered how the world would be so much better if human beings all saw that we are connected to one another like an aspen grove. Just like the individual trees, we all look different and are unique in our own special ways. Yet, we are connected in invisible ways that we will never truly comprehend in their entirety. Perhaps if we reflected on this more closely we would say, “Your happiness impacts my happiness; your health, my health; your fulfillment, my fulfillment.”
Jesus understood this when he said, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” I invite you to consider this week just how very connected we are to one another, to Jesus and to God; for an appreciation of our connectedness is what will save us and lead us to an abundant life together.
I look forward to seeing everyone this week at the beach!
Aloha nui!
Kahu
P.S. If you watch this week’s video of my message…I began by talking about my great-great-great-great-grandmother Wale. I said that she was born in 1888; I MEANT to say 1788! Those who know Hawaiian history and who were paying close attention to the rest of the message probably caught that mistake, but I just wanted to point it out because 100 years makes a big difference! 😉
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Our Kahu (Pastor) offers a weekly message in church most Sundays during the year. Click HERE to see a video of a recent 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 | Feb 5, 2019 | Message from Kahu
“The Greatest Commandments”
On Sunday, I shared a couple of stories about gay friends of mine who were physically and emotionally tortured. The people inflicting pain believed they were doing God’s will, and had Scriptures to back up their actions. I wholeheartedly disagree with their interpretation and use of biblical passages. There are commands in both the Old and New Testaments which are troublesome and conflict with others. I shared some of those commands (and the ensuing punishments) which are so outlandish that no followers of Jesus would ever attempt to follow. People have used the Bible to defend slavery, abuse women and children, and inflict judgment and pain on those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender-nonconforming.
So how do we interpret the difficult biblical passages—or any parts of the Bible, for that matter? I said in my message that we should first pay attention to Jesus when he gave tha answer to the question, “What is the greatest commandment?” His response was, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Since Jesus said that these are the two greatest commandments, it seems clear to me that all other commandments should be seen in light of these two.
Our church is going through the process of moving toward becoming an official “Open & Affirming” congregation of the United Church of Christ. By doing so, we will publicly state that everyone is welcome to worship and participate in the full life of our church. Since many people often struggle the most with welcoming people of “other” sexual orientations and gender identities, I offered a Bible study on this topic on Sunday afternoon so that we could take a look at what the Bible actually says and how we might interpret certain passages. I will be offering an identical Bible study at my home on Wednesday evening this week, February 6, at 7 p.m. I invite anyone who is interested in attending. If you haven’t already done so, please let me know if you plan to attend. If you have any questions about the Open & Affirming process or its implications, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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Our Kahu (Pastor) offers a weekly message in church most Sundays during the year. Click HERE to see a video of a recent 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 | Feb 2, 2019 | Message from Kahu
Kalawao
Kalaupapa Peninsula
“Kalaupapa Sunday”
On Sunday, we observed Kalaupapa Sunday. Churches throughout Hawaii remembered Kalaupapa this week as that isolated peninsula on the north shore of Molokai where the Hawaiian government sent people who had Hansen’s Disease (leprosy) to live and die there separated from family and community. I began my message by sharing the tragic story of the murder of Dr. Jared Knapp Smith in 1897. Jared grew up right here in Koloa, the son of Dr. James and Melicent Smith, who arrived here in 1842. James was the only Western-trained medical doctor on the island and served all of Kauai and Niihau. Jared went to college and medical school in New England, and returned to Koloa to follow in his father’s footsteps. He not only had a busy medical practice but also started Koloa Industrial School for boys (after his family started and ran Koloa Boarding School for Girls). He met Margaret Brewer of Honolulu and fell in love. They were engaged to be married. One September evening, Jared sat down in his room and wrote her a letter. Just before he finished writing, he thought he heard a knock on his door. His life ended that night. When I shared the entire story on Sunday, I made the connection between Kalaupapa, on the island of Molokai, and Koloa, for it was because of the dread of loved ones going to Kalaupapa that Jared Smith was murdered. I reminded the congregation that Kalaupapa affected every community throughout Hawaii.
Our Gospel reading on Sunday was Luke 5:12-16—the story of a man with leprosy who dared to cry out in Jesus’ presence, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” This was an outrageous and illegal request. I pointed out the command in Leviticus that people with leprosy were to yell from a distance, “Unclean! Unclean!” The man was actually breaking the law by even being close enough to Jesus to make his request. Jesus also broke the law! He was not allowed to be that close to the man; and yet, he touched the man with leprosy—thereby making himself unclean. In the eyes of Jesus’ society, Jesus himself was unclean in God’s eyes, and deserved to be separated both from God and community. And yet, Jesus made a choice to touch the man! “I do choose,” said Jesus, “Be made clean.” We too get to choose whether or not we separate and divide people on the margins of society or risk scorn and ridicule from others by reaching out and touching with compassion all those who suffer emotionally, physically and spiritually. Jesus made it clear which was the better choice.
Two weeks prior to Sunday, I stood at Kalawao on Kalaupapa Peninsula with my son Palani. I took in the stunning beauty of the place and was reminded that this was the most dreadful place in the world for Hawaiians (and others living in Hawaii) with leprosy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. What irony: sadness, loneliness and terror at a place of such incredible beauty. And yet, this is part of the human story—even in our darkest moments, God shows up in light and beauty, reminding us of a loving presence that sustains even the worst times that we face.
May we all open our eyes and our hearts so that we will see the beauty—even during the darkest moments of our lives.
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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Our Kahu (Pastor) offers a weekly message in church most Sundays during the year. Click HERE to see a video of a recent 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 | Jan 18, 2019 | Message from Kahu
“Kalaupapa Sunday / Annual Meeting”
Sunday, January 27, 2019
I know, I know, I’m jumping ahead a whole week, but attendance on January 27 is so important, I want to give everyone plenty of warning!
Last week, I had a fantastic time on Molokai with my son Palani where we stayed with former Koloa Union Church Pastor John Lunn. We enjoyed a trip to Kalaupapa, where a Congregational Church existed since the first year people with Hansen’s disease (leprosy) were sent there a part from their families and friends. We also hiked through the Kamakou Nature Preserve, way up in the mountains, where lehua blossoms and songs of native birds were abundant. On our last day, we hiked at Moomomi Nature Preserve, which is located along the northern coast far to the west of Kalaupapa and where native coastal flowers flourish. The trip gave me new subject matter for future watercolors. It also gave me some perspective on life at Kalaupapa over the years. The peninsula there is beautiful beyond description. It is hard to imagine thousands of people who were sent there to suffer and die far away from family members and friends. I look forward to sharing with the congregation on Kalaupapa Sunday, January 27 some thoughts from this recent trip.
Church members are asked to attend our Annual Congregational Meeting after the worship service on the 27th. Besides our usual business, reporting and voting that is conducted each year, the Open & Affirming Core Team will present a draft of the “Open & Affirming Covenant” to the congregation—a task directed by the Congregation on October 21 in order to create a statement showing our openness and sense of welcome to all people, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and those questioning their gender and/or sexual orientation. The intention is that our members will hear the presentation and read the draft on that day, and then spend a month in discernment and prayer. Everyone is invited to consider the intention of the covenant and how it might land on others; to give input on the covenant in its final form; and to envision all people knowing that they are welcome among us. Please offer any comments or suggestions to any member of the team: Lee Anderson, Sheri Fu, John Gilmore, Michael Horning (Chair), Tiffany Marrotte, Penny Osuga, Becky Sakimae, or me. Part of the discernment is to take a look at what the Bible actually says about gender and homosexuality and the various ways particular passages are interpreted. Although there are many ways people are different (ethnicity, gender, culture, politics, etc.), there are often strong feelings when it comes to differences in how others understand their gender or sexuality. I will offer two identical Bible studies for people who would like to read passages in the Bible and learn about how they are interpreted; there will also be time for questions and conversation. Please sign up on the church bulletin board for Sunday, February 3, after Aloha Hour in my office OR Wednesday, February 6, at 7 p.m. at the parsonage.
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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Our Kahu (Pastor) offers a weekly message in church most Sundays during the year. Click HERE to see a video of a recent 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 | Jan 2, 2019 | Message from Kahu
Art & Sharing
During our worship service on Sunday, I was surprised to receive a stunning red lehua lei made by Rose Tatiana Warken Ceballos in honor of my 25 years of watercoloring the flowers of Hawai`i nei! In the afternoon, I hosted an open house at the parsonage and invited the community to come and celebrate my work over the past quarter of a century. I am so grateful for those who provided live music and dancing, delicious treats, beautiful gifts, and hospitality. What began as a hobby when my son Palani was born in Honolulu (something to do while he napped) became a passion over the years. I had no idea that painting watercolors was something for which I had any talent. I was really just looking for an enjoyable way to pass the time.
As I reflect back over the past 25 years, there are a few lessons I have learned. First of all, I think that it is important to find something you really enjoy and do it on a regular basis. It doesn’t really matter what it is. There are very few things that bring me as much joy as watercoloring, and I am glad that I have spent time every year since Palani’s birth doing something so enjoyable. Secondly, I realize that I have become a better artist by practicing my art. Some people call it discipline. I call it making time for what you love. Whatever it is that you do, you will only get better at it when you practice it over the years. Thirdly, I have discovered that there is great joy to be found in the sharing of my gifts—joy for both me and the recipients. Whatever your gift is, think of a way to share it with others…and feel the joy expand!
When I interviewed to be the Kahu of Koloa Union Church five years ago this week, I shared with the Church Council my desire to continue watercoloring. I am forever grateful for their encouragement and also for the congregation’s support and affirmation as both a pastor and an artist. These have indeed been the five most enjoyable years of my life. Mahalo nui to all of you for making it so!
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 a recent 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.
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