On Sunday, we continued our series on “Pay It Forward: And Who Is My Neighbor?” Our focus was Sharing Aloha with the Rich and the Poor. We read the story of Zacchaeus, a very rich man who gave half his money to the poor. This act of generosity is an example for us and came after three commitments he made:
- First of all, he was committed to looking at Jesus. When the crowd got so big that he couldn’t see Jesus, he climbed up in a tree. He wasn’t going to let anything or anyone get in the way of him clearly looking at Jesus. I encourage you to consider the things that might keep you from seeing Jesus; and then consider how you might make your way through those obstacles.
- Secondly, Zacchaeus was committed to hanging out with Jesus. He invited Jesus to his home and enjoyed his company. I encourage you to spend time with Jesus, through prayer, reading of Scripture, attending church, and simply being aware of his ongoing presence in the world.
- Finally, Zacchaeus was committed to taking a look at his life and asking himself what he might change. Is there anything you might change in your life to see Jesus better or be a better follower of Jesus? What might that be? What would it take for you to make that change?
Through these three commitments, Zacchaeus got clarity as to how he would love his neighbors. As you think about these things, I invite you to be part of our vision at Koloa Union Church. Most of our members and regular attendees have received a paper heart in the mail by now (and anyone can pick up a heart at church or just make your own from a piece of card stock); I invite you to write on your heart the kinds of people with particular kinds of needs that you think God might be calling us to pay attention to in the coming year. Please bring your heart to church on Sunday, November 6, so that we can put all of the paper hearts on a banner and ask God to give us compassion and wisdom for all of the people listed. Please also bring your commitment card for 2017 on November 6 so that yours will be counted in our “Blessing of Commitments” during the worship service when we bless our financial commitments for the following year.
In the meantime, I invite you to continue praying the following prayer with me, as you consider your commitment to our church’s future outreach and mission:
O God, as we seek to reach out into our community
by sharing aloha with everyone in the coming year,
open my heart so that love will freely flow in and out of it.
May the commitment I make truly represent
the gratitude I have to you for
all that Koloa Union Church means to me.
Amen!
I look forward to seeing you in church on Sunday for Holy Communion, creating our banner of hearts and the blessing of our commitments.
Aloha nui!
Kahu Alan Akana
To see a video of Kahu’s sermon on Sunday, click HERE.
“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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