by admin | Jun 1, 2018 | Message from Kahu, Uncategorized
A Note from Kahu Alan Akana
“Trinity Sunday”
On Sunday, we celebrated the Holy Trinity, as we sang “Holy, Holy, Holy” and read from Isaiah and Revelation, where those words are proclaimed by heavenly beings in dreams. They are wild dreams filled with fear and wonder—like many of the dreams we have from time to time. I focused mostly on Isaiah’s dream in my message and shared with the congregation a bit of background in order to understand what might have been going on at the time Isaiah had his dream.
There are four messages that I believe Isaiah most likely understood from his dream.
- First of all, God is ultimately in control. Kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers, come and go. Some make big marks in history; others are forgotten in a generation or two. Some make the world a much better place; others seem to make a mess of everything they touch. Yet, after every leader moves on and every regime comes to an end, God remains.
- God is holy and is a mystery. Even when God reveals part of God’s self to us, there remains so much more about God that we don’t know. This ought to give us some degree of humility. It also ought to make us wary of leaders who think they have everything figured out or believe that they are above the rules that apply to everyone else.
- God forgives our sins and shortcomings. With a simple touch, Isaiah’s sins were blotted out—the moment he admitted his imperfections. Our sins disappear just as quickly, but it is important that we too are aware that we are far from perfect.
- God sends people out into the world to do the work of God. When God asked, “Whom shall I send? Who will go?”, Isaiah responded, “Here am I. Send me.” There is work for all of us to do—important work in the world. May we be just as quick as Isaiah to say, “Here am I. Send me.”
Be sure to watch the video of my sermon if you missed it on Sunday. I think this will help make sense of how I came up with these four messages. In the meantime, may God speak to you through your dreams, your conversations and your thoughts; and may you be ever mindful of God’s deep, deep love for you!
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 his message from this past Sunday. 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 | May 23, 2018 | Message from Kahu
Pacific School of Religion
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A Note from Kahu Alan Akana
“Pentecost Sunday”
We had a wonderful celebration on Sunday! We read the story of Pentecost from the Book of Acts and I shared with the congregation some of the key lessons that I learned back when I was in seminary—lessons that came straight from the story of Pentecost!
- I learned the importance of “being together.” After Jesus’ ascension, the disciples were all together in one place. They knew the importance of community and supported one one another in their faith journeys.
- I learned the importance of acceptance and hospitality. All of the people who were visiting Jerusalem in the story heard the good news of Jesus in their own language. They didn’t need to learn a new language or way of being in the world in order to hear about Jesus or join the community of faith.
- Finally, I learned that God’s presence is abundant and real here and now. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon all flesh. God’s Spirit was not lightly sprinkled; it was poured out—and not just upon a few select people, but upon all.
These lessons and many others prepared me to be the pastor I was to become. I knew that it is good for us to be together—and a big part of my job was to make sure that it was good…and not just for people who speak my language and see the world like I do, but for everyone. If I can help people who come to church and who live in communities surrounding the church to see how God’s Spirit is abundant and alive within them and all around them, then I have done my job. If it were not for seminary, I would not have had the important training I received to be the pastor I am today.
I also shared on Sunday about my involvement with Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. As a Trustee of the school and the Chair of PSR’s Advancement Committee, I am committed to the well being of the school and making sure that it is well funded for years to come. Sunday was also “Seminary Sunday,” and I invited friends and visitors to consider a gift to Pacific School of Religion. Many people on Sunday stepped up to the plate and made a donation to PSR, and I thank you for your support! It means the world to me that you support the education and training of leaders for our churches’ future.
If you would still like to make a gift to Pacific School of Religion, please do so by the end of the month. You can drop off or send a check to the church office or make a donation on Sunday. Special “Pacific School of Religion” offering envelopes are available on the counter as you enter the sanctuary. Checks should be made out to “Koloa Union Church” with “PSR” in the note section.
Mahalo nui loa for your support of our church and Pacific School of Religion!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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JOIN US THIS WEEK FOR TRINITY SUNDAY!
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Music, Scripture, Liturgy and Message
Will Reflect Our Understanding Of
God as Holy Trinity
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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 his message from this past Sunday. 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 | May 16, 2018 | Message from Kahu
RED is the Color of Pentecost!
A Note from Kahu Alan Akana
“Pentecost Sunday”
When the day of Pentecost had come they were all together in one place. (Acts 2:1)
Greetings from Berkeley, California! During the past two days, I have been attending the spring meeting of the Board of Trustees at Pacific School of Religion. I am excited to be part of this institution which has been preparing church and community leaders for over 150 years. When PSR began in 1866, it began training leaders in California and ever since has been one of the primary seminaries for training Congregationalist ministers (and now UCC ministers) west of the Mississippi River. I look forward to sharing with you on Sunday about some of my own seminary experiences as well as my involvement at PSR, including some of the highlights from the last two days.
On the day that became known as the Christian Pentecost, followers of Jesus all gathered together in one place. The Holy Spirit filled them and spoke through them to everyone around. As we celebrate the Day of Pentecost this coming Sunday, I am eager to see how God’s Spirit speaks to us and in the days to come how the Spirit speaks through us.
We also celebrate “Seminary Sunday” this week. You will have the opportunity during Sunday’s offering to make a gift to Pacific School of Religion in order to support the education and training of current and future church leaders. I support PSR with my regular contributions because I believe the future of the church depends on educating and training people to lead our churches. I invite you to join me in supporting PSR by making a donation this Sunday. Checks should be made to “Koloa Union Church” with “PSR” in the note section.
By the way, if you want to really get into the spirit of Pentecost, wear something RED this Sunday as we celebrate God’s Spirit in our midst!
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 his sermon from two weeks ago; Kahu was away this past Sunday. 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 | May 8, 2018 | Message from Kahu
“Bread and Love”
Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry
and whoever believes in my will never be thirsty.”
(John 6:48)
On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about some “word searching” I did during the previous week. I looked up how many times the word “bread” was found in the Gospels. The answer: 58 times. Then I started looking up some other words and was surprised that “bread” is mentioned more than “prayer,” “worship,” “forgiveness,” “holiness,” and “righteousness.” It occurred to me that bread was a really important subject not only for Jesus but for the Gospel writers who told us about his life.
After checking out a few more words, I finally discovered a word that was found more than “bread.” The word “love” is found 66 times in the Gospels. However, since bread is often used as a synonym for “food,” I looked up that word and saw that it was used 21 times. So “bread” and “food” are found in the Gospel even more than “love”…which leads me to believe that growing food and feeding people were a huge priority to Jesus. It makes sense that “bread” and “love” are found so many times, for it is love that motivates us to feed one another and to make sure that no one goes hungry.
Jesus used the word “bread” both literally and metaphorically. When he said, “I am the bread of life,” he demonstrated that he had compassion for people who were physically hungry and those who had deep longings of the heart; and I supposed that includes all of us, for I have yet to meet someone without longings and yearnings. Jesus—in his being and in his loving—filled the empty spaces in people’s lives. May all of your longings be filled, and may you pay attention to the longing of people around you so that you may offer them the same kind of compassion that Jesus offered people.
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 his sermon from this past Sunday. 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 | May 2, 2018 | Message from Kahu
“All the Time Love”
When Dorothy Day was 8 years old, she lived with her family in Oakland, California. On April 18, 1906, the infamous San Francisco earthquake devastated the city—just across the bay from Dorothy’s home. Over 3,000 people died from the earthquake and the fire that blazed for 3 days. That week, 8-year-old Dorothy watched the people of Oakland help those who needed help…and she watched them help the people of SF who were coming across the bay in boats. Many of the people fleeing SF lost everything they owned. More than half of the population of San Francisco became homeless on that day.
The response of the people of Oakland had a profound impact on young Dorothy—an impact that informed the rest of her life. She watched people act very differently than she had ever seen them act before: they were going out of their way to help others, sometimes experiencing great sacrifice, personal discomfort, and sometimes even personal pain. And she thought, Somehow people had “known in their being how to do this all along.” People inherently know how to show great compassion and will naturally do it under the right circumstances. And she asked, “Why can’t we live this way all the time?”
The author Paul Elie, who wrote about Dorothy Day, said that she lived by a conviction that it’s not merely great crisis moments that call forth compassion in us. She recognized that, at any given moment, someone somewhere is having a crisis of the magnitude of the San Francisco earthquake… “and you have to be there when the person is having is or her crisis, and not wait for the city to burn down.”
I shared this with the congregation on Sunday and reminded them that someone today has recently lost their home, or is suffering physically more than they ever thought they could bear, or has cancer and they don’t know if they will survive, or just found out that someone they love has died.
Dorothy Day took the words of Jesus seriously. “Abide in my love,” he said to his disciples. His life, his words, his teaching all answered Dorothy Day’s question. “Why can’t we live like this all the time?” We can, Jesus showed us and taught us! We can always keep our eyes open to notice those around us who are suffering. We can always keep our hearts open to show compassion and mercy. We can love all the time. I am so glad to be part of a church that believes this, and demonstrates it over and over and over again!
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 his sermon from this past Sunday. 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 | Apr 25, 2018 | Message from Kahu
“We Are Guests Here”
Sunday was Earth Day, and I shared the story of when I stood on Kaimu Black Sand Beach in Kalapana in 1990 and watched liquid lava flow over the beach and into the ocean. I also shared a picture of the scene (above). As the lava approached Kaimu that year, the wife of a distant relative of mine saw that the lava was heading straight for her home. She went outside and stood in front of the oncoming lava and prayed that it would go around the house. (By the way, this house stands on the property where my great-great-grandparents used to live.) I don’t know if she prayed to God, Jesus or Pele, but the lava went completely around the house and filled in the entire bay which you can see in the picture. The steam at the far end of the photograph is where the lava first entered the bay; it eventually covered the entire beach and bay. The new coastline is about a quarter of a mile away now—a quarter of a mile of land that was ocean in 1990!
People in Kalapana say that it is a miracle that the home of my relatives still stands, and they attribute its existence to the prayer that was offered by the wife of my relative. I don’t doubt for a minute that our prayers are important. However, I also know that hundreds of other people in Kalapana also prayed, and their homes were destroyed. Furthermore, people on Kaua`i last week prayed that the flood waters would not enter their homes, and some of those people who prayed lost nearly every possession that was in their homes. When it comes to the Earth and our prayers, we don’t always get exactly what we want.
During this past week, I spent some time reflecting on the Earth and on our prayers. Our Gospel passage from Luke on Sunday was the story of Jesus calming the storm while he and his disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee. For me, one of my most important reflections was that the disciples were exactly where Jesus wanted them to be and doing exactly what he wanted them to do. We have a tendency to wonder what is wrong when bad things happen to us. During the storms of our lives (both figurative and literal), we wonder if we are not where God wants us or if we are not Doing what God wants. We wonder if God is punishing us. The story from Luke reminds us that we sometimes suffer when we are exactly where God wants us and doing exactly what God wants us to do. The most important part of the story for me is that Jesus is there in the midst of the storm; he is present with the disciples with compassion. The same is true for us.
If you would like to hear about my other reflections from the passage, you can see my message on YouTube by clicking the link below. In the meantime, I invite you to open your eyes and your hearts in order to see God’s presence in your midst wherever you may be on this Earth, and I ask you to remember that we are guests here on this planet! May we take care of the Earth and all of the other guests who reside here.
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 his sermon from this past Sunday. 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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