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.
by admin | Dec 19, 2018 | Message from Kahu
Celebration, Demolition & Construction
During our worship service on Sunday, I surprised Kei and Penny Osuga with a very special certificate regarding our office expansion, as the final big project of our capital campaign:
The Church Office Shall Be Named In Honor Of:
Tasaburo & Akiko Okamura
Kiyoshi & Takako Shintani
Kei & Penny Osuga
For their generous and varied contributions to our church over
three generations by gifts given by their family & friends
The certificate then listed the names of all of Kei & Penny’s family members and friends who made donations to the office project.
In early fall, we were still short about $30,000 in terms of what we needed for the office expansion and new women’s restroom. After Penny mentioned to me that she wished she could think of a special way to honor her parents and grandparents, who were Kōloa Union Church members, I visited with Kei and Penny’s daughter Tara about the possibility of their family and friend’s donating the funds for the entire church office and naming the office after all three generations—including Penny and Kei! Checks poured in over the last couple of months, and a few folks made promises to send money over the next few weeks.
It was a special honor to have Kei’s sisters, Irene and Sachiko, (who contributed to the effort), in church on Sunday to assist with placing lei on Kei and Penny!
We had a vision four years ago to create a space that was more welcoming and inviting on our church property. We began with an ambitious goal of $150,000. Since a handful of our church leaders raised than that mount on our own, we increased our goal to $300,000. With two grants from the Vidinha Charitable Trust and additional gifts from members and friends of the church, we have now raised over $400,000!
We will begin demolition on the women’s restroom and office expansion right after Christmas and plan to have both projects completed by March 1! We still have a small handful of unfulfilled capital campaign commitments. As some of those commitments are fulfilled in the coming weeks, we will be able to pay for every project on our list, including new signs on Moore Hall and the sanctuary, new doorknobs and hardware on all of the doors on Moore Hall, installation of light fixtures, completion of irrigation, and making the floor inside and outside the sanctuary attractive, level and safe.
As our capital campaign winds down and we finish up the final projects in the next few months, I want to thank once again every person who gave, volunteered and prayed for a successful capital campaign “Maika`i Hana Hou!” (Creating Goodness & Beauty Once Again!). Your generosity and support has definitely created goodness and beauty, which has certainly made us more welcoming and inviting.
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.
by admin | Dec 11, 2018 | Message from Kahu
On Sunday, I called attention again to the painting “The Holy Trinity” by the 15th century Russian artist Andrei Rublev. (You can see the painting below.) It a picture of three Persons sitting around a table in love, trust, vulnerability and intimacy. I pointed again to the small rectangle on the front of the table just below the dish. Art historians are aware that there are remnants of glue in that space and believe there used to be a mirror there. The author Richard Rohr tells us in his book, The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation, that his purpose in writing the book was to call his readers to reposition themselves so that they could see their faces in the mirror.
Just imagine really seeing yourself as a true reflection of God, for that is what you are! Genesis tells us that human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God We are God’s reflection—not just me…or you…but every single person in the world. Imagine the peace we would have if we truly saw ourselves—all of us—in the mirror! Rohr writes, “We always become what we behold.” So let’s spend some time during this season of Advent beholding the true nature of God, which is a relational God, relating to the “selves” of God with love, trust, vulnerability and intimacy. And let us ask how we might “reposition” ourselves so that we can clearly see that we are actually a part of this loving God. Just imagine God looking upon us in the same way that the three Persons in Rublev’s painting look upon each other! There really is no better way to be at peace with ourselves, with God and with others.
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
“The Holy Trinity” By Andrei Rublev
__________________________________________
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 | Dec 4, 2018 | Message from Kahu
We began the Season of Advent on Sunday! The church is decorated with the Christmas tree, Advent wreath, poinsettias, and the beautiful Nativity seen on the communion table. Shellee Riggio shared personal words about “hope” (our theme for the day) and then danced a stunning American Sign Language interpretation to the song “I Hope You Dance.” Kathleen Dahill sung a perfect solo for the day and taught the congregation a new song about waiting for the Lord (another Advent theme).
In my message, I talked about preparation for the many ways Christ comes to us (and, yes, another Advent theme!). I said that it was a bit like when my son Palani used to visit me after I moved to Dallas and how I anticipated and prepared for each visit. It was also very much like when he came to live with me full-time in California just before his junior year in high school. God, in Christ, comes to us over and over again, and yet, God also comes to stay and never leaves. The question to ask is: “How do we constantly prepare for his presence among us—today, tomorrow and for the rest of our lives?”
I also shared a famous Russian painting by the 15th century artist Andrei Rublev called “The Holy Trinity.” (There is a picture of it below.) It is a very different image of the Trinity than the pictures I saw growing up, in college where I studied philosophy and religion, and in seminary. In most of those pictures, the figures are typically very masculine: an old man with a long white beard, a younger man with a long brown or blonde beard, and a dove or other figure or symbol for the Holy Spirit. The images in those pictures also indicate an authoritarian God, and frankly, a Caucasian God. In Rublev’s iconic painting, however, we see three figures sitting around a table enjoying a meal from a common vessel. Their heads are bowed in humility to one another and they sit as equals.
On the front of the table, in the center just below the bowl, there is a rectangle with remnants of glue. Some art historians believe there was once a mirror attached there. Whenever someone saw the painting, they saw themselves as part of this humble and intimate communion of God! During the Season of Advent, may we remind ourselves that God is relational, intimate and inviting. What more hope for the world do we need than that?
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
“The Holy Trinity” By Andrei Rublev
__________________________________________
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 | Nov 16, 2018 | Message from Kahu
The Quilt of Belonging
Reflections on the
Parliament of the World’s Religions
On Sunday I shared with the congregation about my experience at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Toronto, Canada, where I was last week. I spent an entire week attending plenary sessions, workshops, movies, exhibits and concerts—all having to do with the various religions represented—which numbered right around 200—and the importance of religious people gathering, welcoming one another, and working together to address some of the world’s greatest challenges, including racism, intolerance, violence, hunger, global warming and environmental destruction.
One of my favorite exhibits was called the Quilt of Belonging—definitely the largest and perhaps the most striking quilt I have ever seen. It is 120 feet long and consists of 263 blocks, representing all of Canada’s aboriginal groups and every nation in the world. I met the lady who came up with the idea and oversaw the entire project. Her name is Esther Bryan. She started the project in 1998 after a trip to Slovenia with her parents. Her father had left that country after World War II, and they went back to find the home and family he had left behind. During that trip she recognized that everyone has a story to tell and each person has a past and a place that forms who they are today. As she thought about all of the indigenous and immigrant people of Canada, she began wondering about an art project that would truly represent everyone in the country and give each person the opportunity to find a place and sense of belonging in the overall design. Esther was there at the exhibit and I visited with her for awhile. She told me that every square in the quilt was designed and created by someone living in Canada who was either a member of their aboriginal group or a person who came from another country. She asked each participant to make a square that represents their country and tell the story of their home! She finally finished the quilt seven years after she started it, along with a book of all the stories!
Esther created the quilt as an expression of hope—a vision of how the world can live in harmony, as it recognizes diversity while celebrating a common humanity, demonstrating that there is a place for all to belong. I tell you about the quilt because it was, for me, a symbol of the entire Parliament. All 7,500 of us came from different places in the world—including a number of us from Hawai`i. After seeing the quilt and hearing all about it from its creator, it occurred to me that every single one of us has a place we came from and a story to tell about it.
Every day, I listened to dozens of speakers talk about where they were from, the faith they learned in those places, their convictions and their concerns. One of my favorite speakers was Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish. He was born and raised in a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. From elementary school through high school, his entire education was in refugee camp schools, while living in poverty. He overcame seemingly unsurmountable odds during his childhood and early adult year and he studied hard enough to receive a scholarship to study medicine in Egypt and then got his MD in London, as well as a master’s degree in public health at Harvard. He was the first Palestinian physician to receive an appointment in medicine at an Israeli hospital. He has dedicated his life to promote healing and peace throughout the Middle East and the world. Part of this mission was to tell the stories of war and violence between Israel and Palestine.
During the 2009 Gaza war, an Israeli tank fired on his home and killed 3 of his daughters and his niece. This was just 4 months after his wife died of cancer, and he and his daughters were still grieving her death. Immediately after the shelling, Dr. Abuelaish went into the room where his daughters and niece had been just moments before, he saw their body parts all over the room, and he knew they were all dead. He was scheduled to speak live by phone on Israeli television just a few minutes later. He decided to keep his appointment, and he told the story of what had just happened. In tears, he described the horrific scene and cried for help.
After moving to Canada, he wrote a book called I Shall Not Hate. In the book, he writes about dedicating his life to peace and conflict resolution in the Middle East, in memory of his daughters. Also in their memory, he founded Daughters for Life Foundation, which provides scholarships for young women studying in the Middle East, regardless of ethnicity or religious affiliation. Dr. Abuelaish is a Muslim, and he attributes his positive attitude and commitment to peace, forgiveness and reconciliation to his Muslim faith.
This is just one of the many stories I heard at the Parliament. I will be sure to share more of them with you in the coming months. In the meantime, I invite you to listen to my sermon from Sunday, order Dr. Abuelaish’s book I Shall Not Hate, and check out the Quilt of Belonging.
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.
by admin | Oct 25, 2018 | Message from Kahu
No Matter Who You Are…
On Sunday, I told the congregation about a friend of mine that I knew back in high school. He was gay and struggling with his sexuality. He found it particularly difficult facing his feelings and attractions on the one hand, and hearing at church that his desires were sinful and disgusting to God. He became quite depressed and eventually suicidal. When he ended up in the hospital after having a breakdown, our pastor went to visit him. As the pastor listened, my friend shared his feelings, struggles to do the right thing, and wanting to please God. The pastor told him that it would be better to kill himself rather than to be intimate with another man, for at least that way (according to the pastor), he would more likely end up in heaven.
When my friend told me this story, I was beyond angry. “How could someone’s life become completely worthless because of his desires for love and intimacy,” I thought to myself. When my friend refused to admit that his desires were sinful and agree that he would never act upon them, it became apparent very quickly that he was no longer welcome at that church.
One reason I became ordained in the United Church of Christ is because we proclaim toeveryone: No matter who you are or where you have been on life’s journey, you are welcome here! I was so pleased on Sunday when our congregation voted unanimously to begin the process of becoming an Open and Affirming (ONA) congregation of the United Church of Christ. Over the next several months, the ONA Core Team from our church will be keeping us all informed of its progress and also inviting every single member and participant of our church to ask questions, share stories, express fears and opinions about people who may be different. We will also hear stories from people who may not have always felt welcome in other churches. I invite us all to open our hearts, our minds and our ears as we listen to one another and consider how we might be completely open about welcoming all people into the life of our church.
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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