by admin | Jun 5, 2015 | Message from Kahu
WHEN DO YOU FEEL MOST ALIVE?
On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about one of my favorite quotes, which comes from the character Emily in Thornton Wilder’s well know play Our Town. Emily dies as a young woman while giving birth to her child. In the afterlife, she has plenty of time to reflect on the meaning of life and the importance of her family and friends; she misses them all immensely. And so she asks permission to go back home, to return from the dead and spend just one more day with her family. Her permission is granted, and she is able to be with her family for just one day, although they will not be able to see her or know she is there. She shows up back home with high hopes…but she is deeply disappointed. As she observes her family, she realizes that they are all just going through the motions, hardly taking the time to even look at one another, much less connect with each other in meaningful ways.
And she asks this question: “Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it—every, every minute?”
“Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?” Or do we spend most of our lives just going through the motions? Hardly ever taking the time to even look at each other? Hardly ever connecting on a deeper level?
I thought about that question as I read Sunday’s Gospel lesson, that people might have eternal life if they believe in Jesus. John’s Gospel tells us that this is why Jesus came to the world: that people might have eternal life.
“Eternal life” I thought! As I read that this week, I thought, “What about quality of life?” “What about life here on earth while we live it?” (The only life we really know!) “What about life with more love…more joy…more meaning?” “What about ‘realizing life while we live it,’” in the words of Emily in the play Our Town?
As I was thinking about these questions, there was another question that kept popping into my head: When do I feel most alive?
Here are some of the things I came up with:
- I feel most alive when I have a sense of my connectedness.
- I feel most alive when I feel loved and appreciated.
- I feel most alive when I am surrounded by beauty…and paying attention to beauty.
- I feel most alive when I am watercoloring.
- I feel most alive when I am sharing love and appreciation.
- I feel most alive when I am eating really good, fresh food.
- I feel most alive when I am aware of God.
- I feel most alive when I do something that helps others feel more alive.
Since the Gospel of John portrays Jesus as the one who brought not just eternal but also abundant life to the world, perhaps we ought to all ask ourselves what makes us feel most alive…and then go out and do it!
I hope you experience life to the fullest this week…and share your abundance with others!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | May 20, 2015 | Message from Kahu
Our Kahu, Alan Akana
MAIKA’I HANA HOU!
On Sunday, we collected and blessed many commitments for our capital campaign, “Maika’i Hana Hou!” During the sermon, I compared our church to a garden. I told the story of how I once turned a very drab cement and dirt patio in my former home into a vibrant flower garden. I soon was having friends over for meals and throwing parties there on a regular basis. I loved having people over to enjoy the space, and they loved being there! Imagine a future where the appearance of our church has that same feeling: where people love being and can’t wait to come back with friends!
I was so pleased when Dan Giovanni, our Capital Campaign chairperson, announced in church that we had already received early gifts in excess of $150,000! On Sunday, June 7, we plan to announce that we have raised our Capital Campaign goal of $200,000. Thank you so much to everyone who made a commitment already. For those of you who are still thinking about it, we need to hear from you by June 1 in order to count your commitment in the grand total announcement on the 7th. (You can pick up a commitment card in church or ask Penny to mail one to you.)
Once we have received gifts of $200,000, we will be able to complete all of the projects in Phase 1 of our master plan: a more beautiful, peaceful and comfortable sanctuary; new restrooms; a brand new parking area with nice landscaping all around; a new church sign; a nice entryway (with non-slip walking surfaces!); better office space for Penny; a place for deacons to store worship & greeting supplies; a contribution to pay back borrowed money from our permanent funds; a new fund for youth; and a few other smaller projects! If we receive significantly more than our goal, we will begin projects that are on our list for Phase 2, such as an upgraded kitchen; an enclosed narthex (entryway/lobby to the sanctuary); upgrades to Moore Hall and the parsonage.
Please keep praying for Kōloa Union Church and for a successful capital campaign, and plan to join us (in person or in spirit!) at 10:30 on Sunday, June 7, at the parsonage when we announce our grand total during an informal worship service on the lawn and celebrate our success with a barbecue luncheon!
Maika‘i Hana Hou!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | May 16, 2015 | Message from Kahu
A SPECIAL BLESSING FROM DIANA BUTLER BASS
Dr. Diana Butler Bass wrote the blessing/benediction for last week’s worship service specifically for our church. After she told me that she would be preaching on Genesis chapter 2 on the topic of caring for Mother Earth (on Mother’s Day) and was entitling her sermon, “Sacred Gardeners,” I asked if she would consider giving us a blessing to go along with her sermon. Here is the blessing from Dr. Diana Butler Bass to Koloa Union Church:
Watered by the Spirit,
May you grow in compassion and justice.
May your soil be mealy and your rains timely.
Scatter your plentiful seeds with abandon,
Trusting that the garden will blossom and fruit this season and many others,
producing a great harvest of beauty and sustenance.
Go forth in the joy of your calling — to be sacred gardeners with God.
What a beautiful and heartfelt blessing. May we find great joy in the sacred gardening we do together!
See you on Sunday!
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | May 6, 2015 | Message from Kahu
IT ALL BELONGS TO GOD
“Riches and honor come from you…. All things come from you, and of your own have we given you…. O Lord our God, all this abundance [that we give back to you] comes from your hand and is all your own.” (1 Chronicles 29:12,14,16)
On Sunday, I told the story about a talk given by the late Catholic Archbishop Thomas Murphy. He was sharing some of his thoughts about Christian stewardship and said something like this: “Whenever someone tells me that they tithe (give 10% of their income to the church), I ask them, ‘What do you do with the other 90%?'”
That question really made me think about all of my money and all of my blessings. I began tithing when I was about 12 years old. I gave 10% of my paper route money to my church and have kept up the practice of tithing for most of the rest of my life. However, when I was younger, I figured that once I gave the church 10%, the other 90% was up to me to do as I pleased. After hearing the late Archbishop’s question, I began more seriously considering what I do with the rest of my money. I began to prayerfully consider questions, such as:
- Am I being generous with all the rest?
- Is God pleased with how I spend and save money?
- Am I putting enough aside for retirement?
- Does my personal monthly budget truly reflect my faith and what I believe are my values?
- As I update my will, can I put aside a portion for the church or a particular ministry?
These are just a few of the questions that went through my mind as I prayed and thought about all of my blessings.
During the past few months, I have been praying another prayer: the campaign prayer for Maika’i Hana Hou, our capital campaign. As I have journeyed through this time of prayer, I have decided to make a considerable gift to the campaign: more than I have ever given any church or organization. I already wrote a check for most of it and am committed to an additional amount over the next three years. I am sometimes surprised at what happens through prayer…what I end up doing that I didn’t know I was capable of doing…how I can feel so connected to a community of faith…how I can trust God…be generous…and find tremendous joy! (I don’t know why I am surprised that I feel so joyful in being generous, since generosity seems to be the one thing that practically guarantees joy!)
I hope you will discover some of these same things as you continue to pray for the success of Maika’i Hana Hou, and what your role might be in it; then come to church on May 17 to make your commitment; and be sure to stay for the appreciation luncheon at the parsonage afterwards!
Campaign Prayer
O God, we ask for your blessing on our capital campaign.
Thank you for all that Kōloa Union Church means to me and our community. (Be sure to be specific and mention some of these blessings by name.)
What do you want to do through me to accomplish your will during this important time for Kōloa Union Church?
Kahu Alan Akana
by admin | May 3, 2015 | Message from Kahu
MAIKA’I HANA HOU!
NOT THE SIZE OF THE GIFT, BUT….
On Sunday, I shared the story of a church where a very wealthy man wrote a $1 million check to his capital campaign, and the pastor announced this gift to the congregation. The next day, a poor, divorced mother of two young children visited the pastor and told him that she was disappointed regarding their church’s capital campaign…but not for the reason the pastor expected! She shared her deep desire to participate in the campaign, but felt that she simply couldn’t give any more to the church than she already did. She told the pastor that she already tithed (gave 10% of her income) to the church, and she was afraid that this was all she could do. The pastor told her to do what he had asked everyone in the church to do: simply pray, “O Lord, what is it that you would have me do to accomplish your will for our church.” The woman agreed and began praying that very day. As she prayed, she had a “light bulb moment.” She went back to the pastor and told him that she figured out that she could give $1,500 during the 3-year giving period of the campaign. She would forgo her daily “Super Meal Deal” during her daily lunch break and make herself a sandwich for lunch every day for the next 3 years. She added up the savings of $2 per day, 5 days a week, 52 weeks of the year, and 3 years (minus holiday and vacation time): It was $1,500! The next Sunday, the woman shared her story in church. Her congregation far exceeded their goal, and I am convinced that her gift was just as inspiring to the congregation as the $1 million gift. I am also convinced that in God’s eyes, her gift was at least as big!
My request of the members and friends of the congregation is that you pray our capital campaign prayer and see what God might lead you to do during this very important time in the life of our church. And please remember, it is not the size of the gift the counts the most, but the amount of love and faith as you pray and act upon your prayer. Whatever gift you choose to give on Commitment Sunday, May 17, I invite you to make your decision based upon prayerful reflection and with lots of love and faith! If you do, I know that we will have a very successful capital campaign!
Kahu….
Our Capital Campaign Prayer
O God, we ask for your blessing on our capital campaign.
Thank you for all that Kōloa Union Church means to me and our community. (Be sure to be specific and mention some of these blessings by name.)
What do you want to do through me to accomplish your will
during this important time for Kōloa Union Church?
by admin | Apr 14, 2015 | Message from Kahu
JUST LOOKING IS BELIEVING
Nearly everyone has heard the phrase, “Seeing is believing.” I shared with the congregation on Sunday that the Apostle John used the word seeing over and over in his Gospel. In fact, the verb “to see” is found some 80 times! Seeing was important to John because Jesus is the one who taught people to see…and seeing led to believing… and believing led to living a full and abundant life (and sharing that life with others!).
I also shared with the congregation that there are times in my life when I look but don’t see clearly, and sometimes not at all. I wonder if I could see God’s love, God’s plan, God’s presence if I just had more faith. As I took a deeper look into John’s Gospel, Jesus seemed to understand that not everyone sees clearly all the time; in reality, none of us do! Yet, John makes it clear that belief and trust in God are still possible…and so is a full and abundant life! That’s why Jesus said to Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen yet have come to believe.”
So what do you do when you look to Jesus and cannot see clearly? You keep looking! What do you do when you look to God and cannot see at all? You keep looking! What do you do when you think you see perfectly? You keep looking (and remember that you might be seeing an illusion or a mirage)! Jesus shared a vision with his followers about a new way of being where everyone is blessed by God and is able to live full and abundant lives. When you have a hard time seeing what Jesus saw, you simply trust (believe) that Jesus’ vision is still real and achievable for every life, every time and every place.
So when you look and cannot see, remember: Just looking is believing! Just looking leads to life when you are looking to Jesus and his grand vision for the world!
I invite you to look… and believe… and live today with the assurance that God loves you and each person you encounter! I also invite you to share the love!
Kahu Alan Akana
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