by admin | Jan 5, 2016 | Message from Kahu
My New Year’s Wish for Everyone….
On Sunday, we took a look at Joseph’s dreams in Matthew’s Gospel: a dream to hang in there with Mary and to name her baby “Jesus”; a dream to flee to Egypt when Herod’s anger and jealousy made it dangerous for Jesus to remain there; a dream that it was safe to return to Israel; and a final dream to NOT go home to Bethlehem where it was still not safe for Jesus, but rather to live in Nazareth where it was safe.
I shared with the congregation four key themes in the Gospel reading (Matthew, chapter 2) that develop throughout Matthew’s Gospel:
- Matthew wanted his readers to know that God wanted Jesus alive because there was a special mission for Jesus: then Matthew develops that mission in the rest of the Gospel, namely, to bring compassion, justice and inclusion to all people.
- Matthew wanted his readers to feel the tension between the Empire of Rome and all of the ways that it manifested itself (including King Herod and then his son Archelaus) on the one hand, and an alternative new realm that Jesus was to usher in on the other hand.
- Matthew wanted his readers to know that the way of Jesus is not always easy…or painless…or the most direct route from Point A to Point B.
- Finally, Matthew wanted his readers to know that they are never alone, just as Joseph was never alone, and just as Jesus was never alone.
These four themes actually point to God’s dream for the entire world: especially that compassion, justice and inclusion are for everyone…and that God never leaves us alone…none of us…ever!
MY NEW YEAR’S WISH FOR ALL: I hope you will be part of God’s dream for the world this year, and that you will share it with others all year long!
Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | Dec 30, 2015 | Message from Kahu
On Sunday, I talked about the many homes where I’ve lived and how often I moved. I also shared some thoughts from Diana Butler Bass’ chapter “Home” from her book Grounded. (She has moved a lot too!) The two most important things to me are:
- Home is where we belong…and feel that we belong.
- Home is a place where God meets us.
Fortunately, I am able to see both of these things in all of the homes where I have lived. I also see and feel both of these things at Koloa Union Church, our spiritual home. It is a place where all are welcome to meet God and have a place where we belong. I am grateful for the people at church who make me feel that I belong here. I see God in our common life: our worship, fellowship, outreach and the fun we have.
This is our home! And I hope to see you here again soon!
Hau’oli Makahiki Hou Me Aloha Nui Loa!!!
Kahu
by admin | Dec 21, 2015 | Message from Kahu
THE CHARTER FOR COMPASSION
During the week of Christmas, I cannot think of a more important message than that of having compassion. On Sunday, I shared how the Gospel writer Luke set the stage for the drama of Jesus’ life with compassion. The word “mercy” showed up four times in the first chapter of Luke, which is the word for used when compassion, grace or love is demonstrated to others; and then Luke spends the rest of the Gospel showing how Jesus broke down the walls that stand between people and the compassion we have for them, making all people our neighbors and friends.
At the Parliament of the World’s Religions, which I attended in Salt Lake City in October, Karen Armstrong spoke of compassion and the Charter for Compassion, which she was instrumental in writing. It is an important document, which calls for people of all faiths to commit to living with compassion for others. I recently signed the charter and invite you to do the same.
The charter is written below in full. If you would like to see and hear it read by a group of diverse and articulate people in a powerful way, please click: CHARTER FOR COMPASSION. On that page, you can also sign the charter and commit to living with compassion.
During this season in which we celebrate God’s love, my prayer is that we will live in a world where compassion is evident everywhere.
I hope to see you on Christmas Eve for our service of candles and carols and on Christmas Day for Holy Communion.
Mele Kalikimaka me Aloha Nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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THE CHARTER FOR COMPASSION:
The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.
It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.
We therefore call upon all men and women to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.
We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensable to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.
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
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