“Changing Lives, Transforming the World”
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)
On Sunday, I shared with the congregation about my visit to the World Trade Center and 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan just a couple weeks earlier. I was surprised at how emotional it was for me as I stood there at the giant fountain with the names engraved of all the people who lost their lives on that day. It brought back memories of that horrible morning sixteen years ago. We changed on that day. As individuals, we were shocked and numb that something like this could happen. Communities across the nation were impacted. Airports were closed and the way we travel was changed. As a country we were no longer invincible; we were vulnerable to people who hate us.
I was reminded as I stood there in New York City that change is inevitable. As the ancient Greek philosopher said, “No man can step into the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” It is so true that change is constantly happening all around us…and changing us!
So how do we change for the better? And how can we be intentional about change and transformation in our lives and in our society? We found some clear instructions from our Scriptures on Sunday—both from Jesus and the Apostle Paul:
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Let love be genuine.
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Love your neighbor as yourself.
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Let us not judge one another.
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Welcome one another just as Christ has welcomed you.
When we are committed to this way of being, we change for the better and our world is transformed into the kind of place God intended it to be. For the next three weeks, I will continue focusing on the theme “Changing Lives, Transforming the World” in our worship services. As you come to church over the next few weeks, I invite you to continue bringing two particular questions with you:
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What are the changes I would like to see in my life and the lives of people around me?
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What kind of transformation might God be envisioning for the world?
May God surprise us with many wonderful changes within and all around us!
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
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Due to technical difficulties, videos of Kahu’s Sunday’s sermon have not been uploaded onto YouTube during the past two months. The situation should be resolved very soon. In the meantime, past sermons can be viewed and shared. You can also subscribe to Kahu’s sermon page on YouTube; that way you can receive a notification when a new sermon is posted.
“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.
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