by admin | Aug 25, 2016 | Message from Kahu
LIKE A WATERED GARDEN!
On Sunday, we read from Isaiah 58, where the prophet tells the people of God that they are like a watered garden when they worship well; and he makes it very clear what kind of worship he is talking about! It is not just going through the motions of worship, but showing compassion to others. It is relieving the pain and suffering that people are enduring and also removing the causes of that pain and suffering. If we are like a watered garden when we do these things, I hope that we will remind ourselves of this every time we take notice of the beauty all around us on this magnificent Garden Island on which we live! If you would like to see the sermon on video, click HERE.
As our landscaping project is unfolding before our eyes, as the result of our successful capital campaign, it appears that our church grounds are becoming a beautiful and well-watered garden! What a wonderful symbol for us to have as we approach our sanctuary on Sunday morning: we walk through a well-watered garden on our way to become one! (Actually, I think we already are that garden, but we come to church for more watering, fertilizing, and maybe even some pruning.)
I hope you will join us on Sunday as we learn to become a well-watered garden!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
You are invited to join us for worship at 10:30 on Sunday mornings at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!
“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 | Aug 17, 2016 | Message from Kahu
OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN?
On Sunday, we considered how the world around us has changed in the last century. Just think of the events that caused a major shift in the way we see: World War I and the major social changes that followed; World War II with the Holocaust and atom bomb; the Cold War, anti-war demonstrations, the pill, the Civil Rights movement, the LGBT Rights movement (just to name a small handful!).
With all these changes also came changes in how we see God and the universe all around us. Diana Butler Bass, in her book Grounded, Finding God in the World, writes: “During the last century, the three-tiered universe and its orderly certainty crumbled.” She is referring to the way people formerly saw the universe: God up in heaven, people on earth, and the underworld where no one wanted to go. In this universe, people needed the Church to help get them to heaven where God is and avoid going to hell where God is not.
People now tend to think of God as being omnipresent—filling all space everywhere at all times. So, if God is always everywhere at all times and forever, what is the point of the Church these days? I shared with the congregation that I need the Church (I need them!) to remind me that God is everywhere, because it’s easy for me to forget this when I listen to the news and hear about cruelty, hate crimes, religion-inspired killing, refugees who are turned away from safe places, and so much more. I do believe that God is always with me…always with each of us…but the Church helps remind me of this when it is hard to see God amid the experiences of our world.
I hope Koloa Union Church will always be a place that will help us see God! I invite you to come and see God for yourself!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
To see a video of Kahu Akana’s sermon from past Sundays, scroll down to earlier entries of “A Message from Kahu Alan Akana.” There is no video this week due to the electricity not working at the church on Sunday morning.
You are invited to join us for worship at 10:30 on Sunday mornings at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!
“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 | Aug 11, 2016 | Message from Kahu
ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP
On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about my difficulty reading through the Old Testament because of the violent and brutal actions people believed God wanted them to do. Over and over again, the people of God believed that God gave them not only permission, but instruction, to kill others with God’s blessing and guidance. This theme begins in Genesis. The book of Joshua (chapter 12) actually lists 31 kingdoms that were defeated in battle by Joshua alone. The first verse of the next chapter states: “and very much of the land still remains to be possessed.” In other words, in terms of slaughtering people of different kingdoms, ethnicities, cultures and religions, the Israelites were just getting started!
The people of ancient Israel were not all that different from others, who believed that their gods rewarded them for appropriate sacrifices, prayers and worship by giving them success in battle over their enemies. The main difference was that the Israelites believed in one God (who also rewarded for the same things in the same way). Throughout history, the Christian Church has also continued this pattern of belief and action. I am opposed to killing others in general; I am also opposed to killing others because “our country, culture and religion” are believed to be superior to others and more dear to God.
I am encouraged that there is another perspective in the Scriptures regarding why we worship and what makes God really happy with our worship. In the opening pages of Isaiah, we read that God is not pleased with sacrifices, offerings, festivals and prayers if they are not accompanied by justice and compassion. When our worship leads to the opening of our eyes and hearts to people in the world who need justice and compassion, then God is truly pleased!
May we open our eyes and hearts this week to people all around us and show them justice and compassion—regardless of their citizenship, ethnicity, culture or religion…or anything else that might make them different from us!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
To see a video of Kahu Akana’s sermon from this past Sunday, click HERE.
You are invited to join us for worship at 10:30 on Sunday mornings at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!
“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 | Aug 4, 2016 | Message from Kahu
HELPING OTHERS WALK WITH JESUS
On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about a woman named Kathy who had spent years saving up for a trip to the Holy Land. Most of the plans for the trip were already in her head. As soon as she retired, she would take the trip to walk where Jesus walked. And then one day something happened that changed all of those plans.
Her church was just starting a capital campaign, and Kathy decided to give all of the money that she had saved for her Holy Land trip to the campaign. She told her pastor about her plans. When he asked if she was sure about her decision, she said, “It’s what I want to do. All this time I had been saving up so that I could walk where Jesus walked; but what I was actually saving for was the opportunity to help people walk with Jesus.” Then she handed her pastor the largest check she had ever written in her life.
Her example set the tone for her church’s capital campaign, and they were very successful in their fundraising efforts! Her story reminds me of the people of Koloa Union Church, for many people here gave so generously to our capital campaign, even though I know some had that money saved for other things. As I look around at all of the progress made in the past few months, I know that we are helping people to walk with Jesus. We are inviting them to church, welcoming them when they come, and offering them God’s love.
If you would like to see a video of my sermon, click HERE.
I hope to see you in church soon, as part of your walk with Jesus!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
“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.
You are invited to join us for worship at 10:30 on Sunday mornings at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa!
by admin | Jul 26, 2016 | Message from Kahu
A GENEROUS CHURCH
I was notified this morning by Charles Buck, our Conference Minister, that Koloa Union Church was in the Top 10 per capita in the United Church of Christ for the Christmas Offering this past December. (We ranked #10.) What this means is that the people of our congregation gave more per person than all but 9 other congregations in the United States to this special offering, which we collect at Christmastime. There are more than 5,000 congregations in our denomination…and we gave more per person than all but nine of them! In terms of numbers, we gave $2,752, which figures at $30.58 per member (90 last year).
Nationwide, we were part of $1.5 million given to last year’s Christmas Fund, which supports four assistance programs for clergy and church workers: supplementation of small pensions, health premium supplementation, emergency grants, and Christmas “Thank you” gift checks to retirees. This fund makes a big difference to people who have served the Church for many years and are struggling to make ends meet. It is our way of saying “Thank you,” and “We care about you.”
On top of an incredibly successful capital campaign and significantly increasing our income to the general fund, the people of Koloa Union Church are also giving money to others more generously than ever! I am honored to serve as the pastor of this church and to witness to such heartfelt generosity!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
“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.
Join us at 10:30 on Sunday mornings at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa to hear a full sermon by Kahu Akana.
by admin | Jul 22, 2016 | Message from Kahu, Uncategorized
Hawaiian “Hospitality”
On Sunday, we heard the story in Genesis 18 of Abraham entertaining three strangers with “over the top” hospitality. When they arrived, he washed their feet, insisted they rest in the shade, and brought them water and a lavish feast. Even though Abraham most likely had no idea who any of the three guests were, we read in the text that Abraham and Sarah were entertaining God! It reminded me of the stories I read about my ancestors on Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii Island when a stranger—usually an elderly woman—would show up at a home on the slopes of the volcano. As it turned out, the stranger was Madame Pele herself—the great goddess of the volcanoes! If the family showed hospitality, the next eruption would spare their home—sometimes by just a few feet. However, if they did not show hospitality, the home would be covered by lava within days. The elders told these stories to their grandchildren to make sure they knew the importance of showing hospitality to others. These stories remind me of what Mother Teresa used to say when she was alive: that every stranger we meet is Jesus in disguise.
I think our church does really well when it comes to hospitality! The people here have definitely showed “over the top” hospitality to me, and I have watched them share it with others. Our capital campaign even came from our desire to show hospitality toward others; coming right from our new vision statement:
When people pass by our church, they notice its beauty and feel a sense of invitation and welcome. When they visit, they feel God’s unconditional love and a sense of beauty and peace everywhere on our campus. When they return, they find it effortless to connect spiritually and emotionally with others and to become involved in the life of the church in meaningful ways.
I am so honored to be the kahu of a church that cares so much about hospitality and making people feel so welcome among us! I invite you to come and experience the Hawaiian hospitality for yourself!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
“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.
Join us at 10:30 on Sunday mornings at 3289 Poipu Road in Koloa to hear a full sermon by Kahu Akana.
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