by admin | Aug 28, 2015 | Message from Kahu
Leadership Retreat at Waineke Cabin in Koke’e
LEADERSHIP RETREAT
On Saturday, August 22nd, 18 of our church leaders gathered in Koke’e to focus on our new 3-year vision that the congregation adopted in January. I am pleased that we had great participation! The group spent the entire day brainstorming, reflecting, praying, prioritizing and planning. We also ate really well (thanks to Uncle Diki!) and had a lot of fun! The group chose 4 areas to concentrate on for the coming year:
- Youth Ministry
- Christian Education & Formation for All Ages
- Music & Arts
- Mission & Outreach
We hope that each member and friend of the church will consider at least one of these 4 areas in which to provide support. You can read some of the details in our September newsletter, and we will be sharing a lot more as the plans unfold in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I invite you to pray for our church’s vision…and consider what area in which YOU might choose to participate!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | Aug 18, 2015 | Message from Kahu
Cave of Swimmers
On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about one of my favorite movies, “The English Patient.” It is a fictionalized story of the Hungarian explorer Laszlo de Almasy (who spoke English, and therefore was mistaken as English in the movie). I talked about the real Almasy, who discovered the now-famous Cave of Swimmers in the desert of southern Egypt. It was a large cave with ancient paintings of people swimming. Experts believe they were painted some 10,000 years ago, during the most recent Ice Age, making them perhaps the oldest paintings ever found.
Laszlo suggested that many years ago the Sahara Desert must have once been a very green place with lots of water. Finding a cave with paintings of lots of swimmers was a big clue! However, no one seemed to take this new theory seriously. They couldn’t imagine the Sahara Desert as a beautiful, green paradise with lots of water. However, his theory was eventually proven true and believed by every legitimate earth scientist who knows the region. In fact, an Egyptian scientist in 2007 discovered a huge underground lake measuring over 30,000 square kilometers buried under the sand not far from the Cave of Swimmer!
Just as the earth can become very thirsty, we too find ourselves at times incredibly thirsty. As we consider the Samaritan woman in John 4, her thirst seemed all-encompassing: physical, social, spiritual and emotional. She thirsted for companionship and a sense of belonging, as well as water. Jesus told her that if she would drink from the water he offered, she would never be thirsty again. At first she disbelieved, but then she took him at his word and felt his love and acceptance—even though he knew all her secrets. It sounds to me like her thirst disappeared.
How might you be thirsty? How might you believe that God can take away your thirst? What might be getting in the way? May all your thirst be quenched and all your needs be met!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | Aug 12, 2015 | Message from Kahu
LABYRINTH AT MAHA’ULEPU
On Sunday, I shared some of my experiences walking on labyrinths, including the one at Maha’ulepu in the photo above. I walked on this particular labyrinth last week. It is in a stunning location: surrounded by beautiful mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
A labyrinth is a pathway on the ground on which you walk in a circular pattern while thinking about God. After you come to the end of the pathway in the middle, you turn around and walk in the opposite direction until you end up where you started. Unlike maze, there is only one path and no possibility of losing one’s way.
Here are some of the thoughts I have while walking on labyrinths:
- Life is a journey, and you often pass by the same places over and over again (and the same people and opportunities).
- Life really is not about the destination, but the journey!
- The important thing is not how far you travel or how many things you accomplish, but how you walk on the journey.
- One of these days, my journey on earth will end; how do I want to look back upon it?
- I am more aware of God when I spend time trying to be more aware of God.
It is amazing how many things that pop into my mind when walking on a labyrinth. One of the things that I shared with the congregation on Sunday is that we can walk a long way without every stopping to reflect upon God’s presence or what it is that God might be trying to tell us or show us. On the other hand, there is a much greater chance to see and hear God if we make the time and space to do so.
I hope you will see, hear and feel God’s presence this week as you walk on your journey. And I hope to see you in church on Sunday!
Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | Jul 23, 2015 | Message from Kahu
Kōloa Sugar Mill
Koloa Plantation Days!
This is a busy week for our town and our church!
On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about the rich history our church has played in our community since 1835. I focused on the Smith-Waterhouse Family, beginning with Dr. James and Melicent Smith, who arrived in Koloa in 1842 and lived on this island until they died. I shared the story of how Dr. Smith single-handedly traveled all of Kauai and Niihau in order to vaccinate the people from smallpox. When that disease came to Hawaii in 1853, only person died on these two islands, although thousands died of smallpox throughout the Hawaiian Kingdom. People have been here all along, following the example of Jesus in helping to make life fuller and richer for others: physically, spiritually and socially. Yet, there is still a lot we can do. I also talked about the importance of following another example of Jesus: getting proper rest and rejuvenation. In light of this, I challenged the congregation to consider three questions this week:
- How can you live a fuller and richer life?
- How can you help others to do the same?
- What will you do to find rest and new energy?
We had nearly 70 people attend Monday’s “lecture, walk and tour” about the missionaries of Koloa…and received lots of positive feedback from attendees. One of those attendees wrote the music to one of the songs in our Hawaiian hymnal, Na Himeni. (We are going to sing that song on Sunday!) Thanks to all of the church members and friends who helped to make that event such a great success!
I’m looking forward to our church being in the parade on Saturday (the 25th). As a reminder, come to the church at 8 a.m. and enjoy coffee and treats; we have to line up for the parade at 8:45 (and Poipu Road will be closed to traffic at 9:00!). Those who would like to help decorate our “float” can come to the parsonage on Friday at 3.
As always, I look forward to seeing everyone in church on Sunday as well! I trust that your life this week is full and rich!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | Jul 5, 2015 | Message from Kahu
Walking on the Great Wall of China
I am back home after attending my son Palani’s graduation in California and traveling with him in Japan and China. I found myself inspired once again by these two great cultures which I studied and experienced for two summers when I was in college: two cultures which have had a tremendous impact on our island and Hawai’i nei.
I am glad to be home where the air is clean, roads are relatively uncrowded, and a sense of quiet and peace pervades our island life. I am also looking forward to an exciting summer, as we plan for the future, focus more specifically on where God might be leading us as a church, and begin tearing down the old and building up the new–that which is part of Maika’i Hana Hou (creating goodness and beauty once again).
I look forward to sharing with everyone about my adventures in church tomorrow!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | Jun 9, 2015 | Message from Kahu
Kahu Alan Akana and Rev. Susumu Yamane
On Sunday, June 7, 2015, I celebrated the 25th anniversary of my ordination into Christian ministry. It was an honor to have Rev. Susumu Yamane give the benediction at our worship service at the parsonage. He was the pastor of our church in 1960, the year I was born and our current church building was built! I met Rev. Yamane several years ago in Hilo and he encouraged me to come back to Hawai’i and serve a church. Little did either of us know at the time that his daughter Naomi Giovanni would be calling me from Kōloa and inviting me to consider becoming the kahu at Kōloa Union Church!
I was also thrilled to announce on Sunday that our church raised $276,360 for our capital campaign, Maika’i Hana Hou! (Creating Goodness and Beauty Once Again!). We want to build upon what Rev. Yamane and the people of Kōloa Union Church began over 50 years ago to have a beautiful place where people could come and experience the goodness of God through worship, prayer, education, fellowship and reaching out to the community! Today, our church provides all of these things, including space for community groups five days a week. We decided last year to make our church building and grounds more welcoming and inviting, not just for us but for so many more people in our community. The congregation voted to conduct a capital campaign for this purpose (with a minimum goal of $150,000!)…and they blew right over the top of that goal! I am so pleased to be the kahu of such a generous and compassionate congregation!
Aloha nui loa!
Kahu Alan Akana
Editor’s Note: Kahu Akana will be taking a break, so the next “Weekly Pastor’s Message” will be in July.
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