by admin | Dec 17, 2015 | Message from Kahu
HOPE! PEACE! JOY! LOVE!
During the Season of Advent, we celebrate hope, peace, joy and love. We do so as we light the Advent candles each Sunday. We also focus on these four words in our worship themes, Scripture readings, prayers and sermons. We reflect on these four words every year at Advent because they are central to our faith and our lives.
As I listen to the news every morning and read the newspaper each day, I am convinced all the more that we must reflect on these words if we choose to follow Jesus Christ. In the news, I hear of terrorism, refugees, environmental crises, and poverty. Without hope, peace, joy and love in our minds and on our hearts, I wonder if we would all sink into despair.
Yet, these four words are what we need to remember not just during Advent but throughout the year, as we commit to making the world a better place and the lives of others more fulfilling…for we cannot keep hope, peace, joy and love to ourselves. Sharing them is part of their nature.
So, may our lives overflow with hope, peace, joy and love…and may they “flow over” onto the lives of others. I hope to see you on Christmas Sunday as we celebrate the coming of Christ into this world.
Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | Dec 8, 2015 | Message from Kahu
PEACE ON EARTH
On Sunday, we read the story of the shepherds who were watching their sheep on the night Jesus was born. They were approached by an angel who told them about the birth of Jesus. Then a host of angels appeared, praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.”
I talked about the shepherds and what their lives were like. They were a group of people who knew very little peace—especially at night while they guarded their flocks in the dark from dangerous predators. They were among the poorest of the working class; they did the job that no one else wanted. While everyone else was comfortably sleeping in their beds, the shepherds were wide awake and ready to protect their flocks from packs of wolves. Furthermore, they lived in a culture that didn’t know much about peace, for the Romans ruled with brutality and terror.
So news of peace came unexpectedly to the shepherds. They figured they must be the last people on earth to receive news of peace! Nevertheless, God chose them to be among the first people to learn of the good news that a baby was born who would bring peace to all.
My prayer this week for the people of Koloa Union Church is that we would all experience the peace of God, for God’s favor rests upon us all; and may we share God’s peace with others!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | Dec 1, 2015 | Message from Kahu
A BROKEN FAMILY TREE
On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about my family tree and how I discovered some things as I was doing research for my book about it—things that were more than a bit disappointing. I found severe religious intolerance. I also uncovered some unfortunate ways that some of the male ancestors treated women. I also learned about some bitter family disputes whereby siblings didn’t talk to each other for years.
I also talked about Jesus’ family tree—the one in Matthew’s Gospel. I mentioned the deception and unbrotherly conduct of Jacob, as well as the “unladylike” circumstances and behavior of the women mentioned in the genealogy. There is Tamar, the Canaanite who pretended to be a prostitute in order to sleep with her father-in-law Judah; Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute from Jericho; Ruth, the Moabite who seduced the man who eventually became he husband; Bathsheeba, the Hittite who had an illicit affair with King David (the king who then arranged for the death of his lover’s husband); and then there was Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph and pregnant with a baby that did not belong to him!
At first glance, Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus seems to be written to show that the infant to be born in Bethlehem was an appropriate choice to be the next “King of the Jews.” However, since royal genealogies in those days were written to show that the person in question came from a pure and righteous bloodline, Matthew had to be up to something else! After all, more than a few of the names in the genealogy were foreigners and certainly not know for their righteous behavior.
So what was Matthew up to by including this “broken family tree” at the beginning of his Gospel? First of all, he seems to be giving hope to all of his readers: If Jesus’ family tree can be that messed up, then there is hope for the rest of us! We too are able to overcome the dysfunction and poor behavior of our own families in order to live well in this world. Secondly, Matthew is showing his readers how God’s grace extends to the furthest margins of humanity. Prostitutes, foreigners, adulterers, people living in shame and disgrace, all have a role to play and are included in the circle of God’s love.
If there is hope for Jesus, then there must be hope for us all! May we be filled with hope during this Advent Season; and may we share that hope with everyone—even those on the furthest margins of world.
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | Nov 19, 2015 | Message from Kahu
ALAN ROBERT AKANA
PRESENTING AT THE MOANA: November 25-27, 2015
Kahu Alan Akana will be the Author and Artist in Residence at the historic Moana Surfrider Hotel in Waikiki during Thanksgiving week. Please share with your friends and relatives living on O’ahu and those who will be visiting!
November 25, 5:00-6:30 p.m. Book & Art Presentation (Lobby)
Alan will share with guests about his book The Volcano Is Our Home: Nine Generations of a Hawaiian Family on Kilauea Volcano, and his exquisite paintings of Hawaiian tropical florals.
Enjoy complimentary wines and delicious pupus prepared by the culinary talent of the Moana.
Important Note: Alan has been allowed to invite personal guests to this reception, but they must make reservations directly with him before the 25th! To reserve, please send your name to be added to the guest list to doctorakana@gmail.com.
November 27, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Meet & Greet (Lobby)
The Meet & Greet is open to the public and will happen at the beginning of “Mele at the Moana,” a monthly concert from 5:00pm to 9:00pm in the Banyan Courtyard, with featured performer taking the stage from 7:00pm-9:00pm: Makana!
For more information about Mele at the Moana or for reserved seating, please contact Mason Waugh as early as possible at mason.waugh@westin.com or call 808.923.2811. Seats for this free event are expected to fill quickly!
Signed books, numbered prints and greeting cards of Kahu’s watercolors will be available for sale after the presentation and during the meet and greet.
Click Alan Akana Poster to see the poster that will be in the lobby of the Moana Surfrider. (It may take a few moments to download.) Click Featured Moana Events to read about all of the events at the Moana online. The Moana is located at 2365 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815.
by admin | Nov 10, 2015 | Message from Kahu
CARING FOR THE EARTH
Since returning from Parliament of the World’s Religions in Salt Lake City in October, I’ve been sharing with the congregation about my observations and experiences there. I shared on Sunday about a concern that I heard from many of the religions represented there: We MUST take better care of the Earth! An indigenous woman from Canada began her presentation with these words: “What is sin? We don’t have a word for “sin” in our language.” She then went on to say something like this: “If we have to talk about sin, then the worst sin is abusing Mother Earth.”
There are a lot of ways to understand the meaning of sin in the Bible, and many ways the Christian Church has taught about sin over the past 2,000 years. Since the Greek word most commonly used in the New Testament is hamartia, I think that’s a good starting point. It is a term borrowed from archery, and it means “missing the mark.” Every archer aims for the bullseye in practice, the middle and smallest concentric circle on the “mark.” If he misses all of the circles and scores no points, he is said to have “sinned.” The word later came to be used in a moral sense, meaning “missing the mark.”
After hearing many speakers in Utah talk about the state of our planet, I am convinced that we have missed the mark when it comes to caring for this home on which we live and which is the source of all life. Our Scriptures are filled with examples of how God created the world and has abundantly blessed us with all that the Earth offers us. May we be committed to caring for our precious home so that future generations will be able to experience those same blessings. As you commit to caring for the Earth, I invite you to answer this question: What will you do this week to care for and nurture the Earth? I hope you will tell me what you came up with…and what you did!
Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | Nov 2, 2015 | Message from Kahu
A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY OF FAITH
I was pleased to see The Garden Island (our local newspaper) on Sunday morning and read about our church! The article is entitled, “A Beautiful Family of Faith,” and tells of my bowl of sea glass which has been sitting on our communion table for the past month. It represents brokenness and rough experiences (just think what the sea glass endured to get to its present state!), as well as beauty—especially when all of the sea glass is together in a bowl. I shared in early October that the bowl of sea glass is a symbol of our church, for we all have experienced brokenness and rough experiences, and yet we are “A Beautiful Family of Faith” as we come together for worship and fellowship. When I returned from the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Salt Lake City nearly two weeks ago, it occurred to me that the bowl of sea glass also represents all of humanity for me, for people of all religions, cultures, colors, shapes and sizes have experienced brokenness, and yet we are all beautiful in God’s eyes—especially when we come together. I invite you to join us on Sunday and experience the beauty for yourself!
Click HERE to read the entire article.
Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana
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