THIS SUNDAY: October 18, 2020
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
|
Exodus 19:1-8
Psalm 15
1 Peter 3:13-22
Matthew 16:24-27
ON-SITE CHURCH SERVICES
with COMMUNION
8:00AM
Joe Adorno (EM)*
Judy Saronitman (U)
Lorna Nishi (AG)
Muriel Jackson (PP)
9:30AM
Mario Antonio (EM)
Mary Margaret Smith (U)
Terry Ann Moses (LR)
Faith Shiramizu (AG)
Mabel Antonio, Vikki Secretario (HP)
Carolyn Morinishi, Jan Hashizume (DM)
Live Stream
9:30AM on our home page, YouTube, or Facebook accounts
@allsaintskauai
* EM - Eucharistic Minister; U - Usher; LR - Lay Reader; AG - Altar Guild; HP - Healing Prayers; DM - Digital Ministry
|
|
ON-SITE CHURCH SERVICES WITH COMMUNION
8:00AM and 9:30AM
Sanctuary and Side Lanai
Aloha Hour
Every Sunday
10:45AM - 12:00PM
Side Lanai and Tent
Monday Crew
Every Monday
8:00AM
Church Office
Online Communication Workshop
Saturday, October 17th
and
Saturday, November 14th
8:30AM - 12:30PM
Church
Youth Group Meetings
Sunday, October 18th
Ke Akua
11:00AM
EAM
12:00PM
Zoom
Those who are interested in the Youth Group Meetings may contact Cami at Cami@allsaintskauai.org for login information.
ADULT FORMATION SERIES:
"The Book of Common Prayer for All It's Worth"
Tuesday, October 20th
"An Outline fo the Faith, or Catechism"
6:30 - 8:00PM
Zoom meeting
Those who are interested in the Adult Formation Class may contact Cami at Cami@allsaintskauai.org for login information.
Daughters of the King
Thursday, October 22nd
7:00 - 8:00PM
Rectory
|
|
RECURRING EVENTS
ALL RECURRING EVENTS SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
|
|
Sunday School
Every Sunday, 9:30 - 10:15AM
Memorial Hall
Laundry Love
1st & 3rd Wednesday, 5:00PM
Kapa`a Laundromat
|
|
McMaster Slack Key Guitar and Ukulele Concert
Every Wednesday, 6:00PM
Church
Choir Practice
Every Thursday, 6:00PM
Choir Room
|
|
For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering, especially Brad, Ruth, Ron, Kalani, those in the path of Hurricane Delta, and those we name silently or aloud, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
For all who have died, especially those affected by the COVID-19 virus, and those we name silently or aloud, in the hope of the resurrection, and for all the departed, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy. Amen.
|
|
Reflections from Kahu Kawika
Come Into the Fold
|
|
Psalm 23
Isaiah 25:1-8
Matthew 22:1-14
11 October 2020 – Proper 23A
All Saints’ Kapa‘a
When I was the Rector of Epiphany Episcopal Church in Honolulu, I developed a discipline in my preparations for Sunday services. I would take the psalm assigned to be read for the upcoming Sunday, do my own translation from the original language of Hebrew, and render it in poetic metrical and rhyming format. I’ve managed to work through about two-thirds of the 150 psalms. Below is my adaptation of Psalm 23, the one that is most well-known to us:
1 The LORD is my Shepherd – I shall not want.*
God makes me lie down in pastures verdant.
2 The LORD leads me beside all waters still;*
the LORD will the breadth of my soul fulfill.
3 God leads me in all right pathways to take;*
All of this the LORD does, for God’s Name’s sake.
4 Though I indeed tread through the darkest vale,*
I fear not – your rod and staff never fail.
5 I enjoy your feast in front of my foes.*
I am cleansed with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely God’s good mercy me will pursue,*
When with God I live my complete life through.
If you go to any bookstore, in the “Spirituality” section you will no doubt find all kinds of bibles, such as “The Women’s Bible” or “The Bible for Students.” I came across one developed as a collaboration of academics from MIT and CalTech, called “The Bible for the Technical Age.” In an effort to be as precisely linguistically correct as possible, it loses the poetic flair of what we’re used to. Here is their version of Psalm 23:
- The Lord and I are in a shepherd-sheep type relationship, I shall not require any goods nor services to be bestowed upon my person. The Deity requires me to be in an open grazing area in a horizontal resting posture,
- Who directs me alongside non-disruptive bodies of naturally-occurring liquid substances; who rejuvenates my non-physical self.
- The Lord leads me in my expedition towards correct behavioral practices for the beneficial gain of God’s reputation.
- Although I progress in an upwardly mobile orderly fashion within the topographical declination of imminent non-life, I will not be overcome with trembling in the view of incorrect behavioral practices, since I sense the aura of your existence surrounding my person. In addition, your wooden fibrous shaft and the accompanying stick-like structure give rise to an emotive force of general well-being.
- You organize a horizontal wooden plane for use in consumption in the directly forward area of my personal space within the perceptible vicinity of other persons who find me disagreeable. You pour a vegetable-based substance upon my cranium. My vessel for the containment of beverages exceeds maximum capacity.
- There is a high probability that uprightness and goodwill will move towards me from a reverse aspect throughout the duration of my non-death period, and I will exist as a tenant in the encampment of shelter-providing places of residence under the ownership of the aforesaid Lord for the unlimited duration of my temporal existence.
We all laugh at the pedantic tone of this, but even here we can appreciate how much God wants to be our “Good Shepherd.” Jesus teaches this as well to his disciples in the Gospels, especially in John 10. I’d like us to explore the ways that Jesus serves as our Good Shepherd, as well as how we can be good shepherds to one another and to others in our community and world.
The first quality of the Good Shepherd is that he is Protective. To paraphrase Jesus in John 10:11-13, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. The hired hand, though, runs away and abandons the sheep at the threat of danger.”
Our inherited picture of a shepherd is someone out in the fields lolling about, gazing at their flock of sheep while maybe lazily strumming the harp. However, the real image of a shepherd in biblical times is more like what we think of today of a bodyguard: someone who is rather burly and a rough character. A shepherd had to be ready to protect his flock from dangers like wild animals, thieves, or the vagaries of bad weather. In 1 Samuel, when the young David volunteers to fight the much taller and muscular Philistine champion Goliath, he says that God will help him because God had helped him fight ferocious predators and enemies before. Sure enough, David wins the battle.
We even have a picture of a Good Shepherd in our own history – Queen Emma. When the islands were suffering from a terrible outbreak of measles and many in the indigenous population were dying off, she took it upon herself to go cap-in-hand and literally beg for funds to build a dedicated hospital to alleviate the suffering of her people. That hospital still exists to this day: The Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu. Queen Emma literally laid down her reputation and risked her own health in order to be a blessing to her people in dire need.
In John’s first letter to the church, he writes, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our sisters and brothers.”
How thankful are we for Jesus in our lives as our Good Shepherd? And how much do we want to emulate him and live like him by being good shepherds to those in need around us?
The second quality of the Good Shepherd is Personal. Jesus goes on in John 10:14, “I know my own sheep, and my own know me.” Sheep literally have a deep loyalty to one human voice only – that of their shepherd. Even more than dogs or cats, sheep will beckon to the call of their shepherd, since they instinctively know that their shepherd is there to care for them and to protect them from danger.
This reminds me of the song from the old TV series “Cheers.” The composer, a Christian himself, later on did a version of it to describe Heaven as a place “where everybody knows your name.” Certainly, God knows our names, but do we have a desire to want to know God in ever more profound ways in our personal everyday lives, as well as to have the certainty of being known and cared for by God?
The third quality of the Good Shepherd is Panoramic. By “panoramic,” I mean that the Good Shepherd always has an all-encompassing perspective by ever enlarging the dimensions of the sheepfold. Jesus further says in John 10:16,” I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They, too, will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” Jesus tantalizingly asserts that there are other people who are not Jews like him or his other sheep, or who don’t live nearby, or who have other customs and cultural norms.
Jesus stands in a grand tradition in both the Old Testament and the New Testament of God’s welcome of all kinds of people into God’s heavenly banquet. Our first reading from Isaiah 25 shows us the over-the-top welcoming words of the prophet, describing God’s great invitation to the Heavenly Feast. Note the words in italics:
"On this mountain, the LORD of heavenly forces will prepare for all peoples a rich feast, … Our God will swallow up on this mountain the veil that is veiling all peoples, the shroud enshrouding all nations. Our God will swallow up death itself forever!
The Lord God will wipe tears from every face, and will remove God’s people’s disgrace from off the whole earth, for the LORD has spoken."
Isaiah uses words like all, every, each, and whole. Seems like the prophet really means it and is not just using hyperbole. This isn’t a picture of God sending out invitations to a select chosen subset – God is expansive in wanting everyone to come to the party! We see this also in our Gospel reading from Matthew 22, when the wedding banquet host ends up inviting people from all over the place, “both bad and good,” to enjoy the festivities.
Other places in Scripture say the same thing, such as Paul’s letter to the Colossians in chapter 1: “For in Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of the cross.” This leads me to think that we will all be surprised at who we will end up seeing in heaven – God will enlarge the sheepfold.
As Jesus’ sheep and as little “good shepherds” to this world, are we tempted to want to shrink down the size of the sheepfold? How much do we set up barriers and walls to remain in our silos or to stay within our own camps with our “own kind,” whoever they are and whatever that may look like? In a society that loves to be oppositional and partisan, we can and should model a way of living that rises above the sectarianism we so often see and experience around us.
God extends the invitation to us to “Come into the Fold.” May we daily accept God’s call to us with enthusiasm, and warmly extend the invitation out beyond ourselves and our normal group. Amen.
|
|
All Saints' Pipe Organ Update
The Organ is Packed and Ready for the Container
|
|
Our Pipe Organ now lays in multiple boxes in Manuel Rosales' workshop awaiting the container delivery on 10/16. Once the container has arrived, the boxes will be packed into it for shipment to Kauai. The current plans are for the crew coming from Rosales' workshop to arrive in early November to install the organ. Donations to the Pipe Organ Project are still being accepted. Click here to make your donation: All Saints' organ donation. We all look forward to the next exciting steps in having an organ in the sanctuary.
|
|
Give to God
the things that are God’s
|
|
By The Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce
Once again in Mathew’s gospel the Pharisees are trying to trip up Jesus. If Jesus supports the paying of the tax, his Jewish siblings who are rebelling against the Roman occupation will shun him. If Jesus says it’s unlawful to pay the tax, he’ll be in trouble with the Roman authorities. What does Jesus do? He asks them to look at the coin. It is a Roman coin. Pay the tax – meaning give the Emperor back his own coin! Then Jesus adds that wonderful line — give to God the things that are God’s.
|
|
What exactly IS God’s? Well, we are! Our Christian faith in God points us always to live a life of gratitude and generosity. God showed us how we are to live and how to give to God the things that are God’s: God gave us God’s son, God’s first fruit, and we are asked to do the same, remembering that everything we have, everything we do, everything we are is a gift from God — and it is a gift that is meant to be shared. When we share from our first fruits, as God shared God’s first fruit with us, we are modeling the same generosity God has shown us.
Remember, we have two sets of three legged-stools in our Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement: scripture, reason and tradition, and time, talent and treasure. The first shapes our faith; the second is how we use the gifts we have been given to live out our faith.
|
|
The Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce is the Bishop Suffragan in the Diocese of Los Angeles. Her ministry focuses heavily on stewardship, financial sustainability and New Community development.
|
|
An old Episcopal grandmother finally decided to read the Bible. She purchased a large-print edition and read it cover-to-cover. When she finished, she pulled the rector aside at coffee hour and confided, “I really enjoyed reading the Bible, but I was surprised how much it quotes the Book of Common Prayer!”
|
|
New Adult Formation Opportunity
The Book of Common Prayer for All It's Worth
|
|
The Book of Common Prayer for All It's Worth
In addition to the Bible, our Book of Common Prayer (BCP) is the basis for our faith and practice as Episcopalians and Anglicans. Our usual exposure to it is going straight to our service of Holy Communion on Sundays, with occasional forays into other parts of the BCP on certain holidays or special occasions. However, there are many parts of the BCP designed for personal use as individuals or households. We will look at those parts of the BCP that we can use to strengthen our own individual or family faith and practice, on the first three Tuesday evenings of October from 6:30PM:
Tuesday, October 20th: An Outline of the Faith, or Catechism
We have copies of the BCP if you wish to borrow one -- just let Kahu or Cami Baldovino, our Church Office Administrator, know.
Blessings,
-Kahu Kawika+
|
|
Stewardship is our personal response to God's generosity in the way we share our resources of time, talent, and money. Stewardship reflects our commitment to making God's love known through the realities of human life and our use of all that God has given us. It is also our service to God's world and our care of creation. Parish members are encouraged to make an annual stewardship pledge. This pledge represents their specific Christian commitment to "work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God" (BCP, p. 856)
An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, https://episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/stewardship
|
|
Meet the Community of St. John Baptist (CSJB), a religious order for women in The Episcopal Church
|
|
How have CSJB sisters experienced their call to monastic life?
Our Sisters come from diverse backgrounds, denominations, and faiths. One of us grew up in a secular Jewish family, one spent many years as a nun in the Vedanta community, and others come from Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Quaker, and agnostic backgrounds. All of us felt called, at different times in our lives, to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church and enter religious life. The most common factor in our sense of call is that it was persistent and did not fade away over time.
What do sisters do all day?
We spend many hours a day in prayer, study, and worship, and we also do work and ministry. You may see our full daily schedule on our website at csjb.org/becoming-a-sister.html.
What are your ministries?
We run a 27-bedroom retreat house and serve as spiritual directors and retreat leaders. In addition, we each have individual ministries working in parishes, food pantries, interfaith programs, pilgrimages to holy places, the Good Shepherd Home for children in Cameroon, and many others.
Do you take vows?
We take vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience for life.
How can I get involved with the Community of St. John Baptist?
We welcome volunteers to help with our ministries, to pitch in with buildings and grounds projects, to work in our garden which provides produce for local food pantries, and to assist us with our guest ministry and fundraising events. We also welcome anyone who is interested in becoming an Associate or Oblate.
|
|
Registration Open
Invite Welcome Connect Free Webinar
|
|
Mary Parmer, the founder of Invite Welcome Connect (IWC), returns "virtually" to the Diocese of Hawai'i, leading a FREE webinar on Saturday, November 14, 2020, on Zoom. The webinar will run from 10:00 AM-12:00 Noon.
Parmer led workshops on Kaua'i and O'ahu last August on practices of of evangelism, hospitality, and belonging. But how do we implement these practices during a pandemic? Parmer will discuss launching IWC during a pandemic and address your questions and concerns. For more information and to register, click HERE.
|
|
The Episcopal Church and the 2020 U.S. Elections: An Overview of Resources
|
|
The Office of Government Relations has created a comprehensive suite of resources for advocacy, the U.S. Election, and 2020 Census engagement. Central to election engagement are the “Vote Faithfully” resources built up over the course of several election cycles and in coalition with ecumenical partners. These resources are designed for use year-round, emphasizing messaging that is non-partisan and informed.
Other resources include a Plan Your Vote guide, toolkit for supporting others in your community to vote, a tool for recognizing and combatting disinformation and misinformation, and much more.
The Office of Government Relations, and members of the Episcopal Public Policy Network, have also continued advocacy through Action Alerts, direct meetings with Congressional offices, and sign-on letters, pushing for additional funding for the election given the COVID-19 pandemic.
|
|
National Cathedral to Host Interfaith Prayer Service on Nov. 1
By Egan Millard
Posted Oct 12, 2020
|
|
Washington National Cathedral. Courtesy photo
[Episcopal News Service] As the United States struggles through a time of turbulence and tension, Washington National Cathedral will host a national interfaith prayer service on Sunday, Nov. 1 – two days before Election Day – featuring Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and other spiritual leaders. The service, titled “Holding Onto Hope: A national service for healing and wholeness,” will be livestreamed on The Episcopal Church’s Facebook page in English and Spanish from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Eastern time.
“In the midst of pandemic, racial reckoning and a historic election, the livestreamed service will gather Americans for prayer, song, lament, hope and a call to love God and neighbor,” said the Rev. Stephanie Spellers, canon to the presiding bishop for evangelism, reconciliation and stewardship of creation.
In statements to Episcopal News Service, Curry and the Very Rev. Randy Hollerith, dean of the cathedral, spoke of the renewed importance of the cathedral as a space for Americans to unite in the presence of God, even if they are physically separated. Washington Bishop Mariann Budde will lead the service along with Hollerith and Spellers.
“Washington National Cathedral, for our nation, has been a place to gather for prayer: at the death of presidents, after terrible tragedies like 9/11, and in moments of joy and hope for our nation and our world,” Curry told Episcopal News Service. “As the people of the United States cast their votes for the office of president and many other offices throughout the land, we gather to pray to the God who is the Creator of us all. We pray, in a sense, on our knees before our God that we might learn to stand holding each other’s hands as the children of God.”
Hollerith emphasized that the service is intended to foster a spirit of healing and unity and is nonpartisan.
“Our country is facing unprecedented challenges, no matter where you live or who you vote for,” Hollerith said. “This cathedral was built to bring the country together at moments of national significance, and what a significant moment this is. … We are not praying for one side to win, or for the other side to lose. We are praying that God will bring healing to our relationships, healing to this pandemic, and healing to our weary hearts.”
The service will be comprised of three “movements” focusing on reckoning, lament and hope, said Jerusalem Greer, The Episcopal Church’s staff officer for evangelism, that will help Americans process the crises facing the nation, including COVID-19, racism, violence and climate change, offering a “light at the end of the tunnel.”
Prayers of lament will be offered by front-line responders like nurses, teachers and grocery store workers. Prayers for the nation will come from spiritual leaders including Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Rabbi Shoshanah Conover, and Eboo Patel, who served on President Barack Obama’s inaugural Faith Council. Music will be offered by the National Cathedral and the Coro de la Catedral of Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The service will also coincide with the launch of a live prayer hotline, developed in partnership with the church innovation lab TryTank, which will continue through Election Day. Trained chaplains will be available to pray with callers in English or Spanish about anything that’s on their minds.
– Egan Millard is an assistant editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at emillard@episcopalchurch.org.
|
|
Practical Inspiration in Trying Times
Church Publishing Incorporated
Posted Oct 13, 2020
|
|
In these turbulent times, having a step-by-step guide to Christian practice can be a godsend.
Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry has contributed the Foreword to Walking the Way of Love, a collection of reflections and instructions for deepening one’s relationship to Christ. Knowing that the life of the Episcopal Church—and the individual lives of the faithful—are affected by world events, the Presiding Bishop and a group of leaders gathered to strategize ways to embody love rather than just talk about it.
Writes Curry, “Together we wondered: how can we practically help each other, as twenty-first-century followers of Jesus, to . . . recapture the vitality of the first-century Jesus Movement that changed lives and their known world? I am convinced that the Spirit led us to a clear answer: follow Jesus and his way of love. It was the key in the first century, and it is the key in our time.”
Contributors share stories and wisdom organized around the seven Way of Love practices: Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, and Rest. Chapters were contributed by a number of well-known Episcopalians: Megan Castellan, Peter Elliott, Frank Logue, William Lupfer, Catherine Meeks, Jesus Reyes, Stephanie Spellers, David Vryhof, Robert C. Wright, and Dwight Zscheile, and the volume was edited by Courtney Cowart. As they articulate why the Way of Love practices matter to the larger community, they explore the ways those methods can be embodied in daily life by both tentative and passionate seekers. The writers also share their personal stories of transformation.
For leaders or lay Christians struggling to feel connected and faithful in our time of upheaval, Bishop Robert Wright’s words offer hope. “God has actually paid us a great compliment by putting us here at this great transitional moment in the life of faith. Somehow in deep collusion with all that is wrong with our present age, we are also the people suited to help God turn the world right-side-up by following Jesus now.”
Proceeds from the purchase of Walking the Way of Love support the Way of Love scholarship fund, supporting lay and ordained leaders.
Walking the Way of Love can be ordered through Church Publishing Incorporated, at any Episcopal, religious, or secular bookstore, or through any online bookseller.
Courtney Cowart is a scholar in the field of Spiritual Formation and American Church History. She currently serves as Strategic Director of the Office of Disaster Response for the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. Previously, Cowart worked in the field of philanthropy for Trinity Church Wall Street. She is a frequent speaker on the subject of sacred activism and lives in New Orleans.
Founded in 1918 and headquartered in New York City, Church Publishing Incorporated is the publisher of official worship materials, books, music, and digital ministry resources for the Episcopal Church, in addition to being a multifaceted publisher and supplier to the broader ecumenical marketplace.
|
|
Anglican Communion welcomes Nobel Peace Prize for UN World Food Programme
Posted Oct 9, 2020
|
|
[Anglican Communion] Today’s (Oct. 9) announcement that the U.N. World Food Programme has been awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize has been welcomed by officials at the Anglican Communion, a family of 41 autonomous interdependent national and regional churches active in more than 165 countries around the world.
The Anglican Consultative Council’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Jack Palmer-White, said: “I am delighted to congratulate the World Food Programme on being awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is not simply a health crisis. It has had a profound impact on other basic and fundamental rights that all people should enjoy,” he said. “The impact of the pandemic on global food security and the right to food is deeply concerning, particularly where it has exacerbated existing vulnerabilities and has pushed communities to the brink of famine. It is estimated that 821 million people go to bed hungry every night all over the world. Without the work of the World Food Programme, millions of people would die of hunger.
“Sadly, there is still a significant funding gap between what the World Food Programme needs to support those who are hungry around the world, and what U.N. member states and international financial institutions have pledged to fund. If we are to achieve the second of the Sustainable Development Goals – to reach zero hunger around the world – we all need to do more to provide the finance, technical support and political will to make this possible.”
He added: “As Christians, we have an unequivocal biblical mandate in Matthew 25 to feed the hungry. Right across the Anglican Communion, there are countless programmes and initiatives seeking to tackle hunger in its different contexts. A closer working relationship between faith actors and the World Food Programme can be a blessing to the world, and I encourage the World Food Programme to work more intentionally with faith communities across the world, for the benefit of those most in need.”
The award was also welcomed by the Anglican Alliance, a charity established following the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops in 2008 to facilitate and coordinate the work of the global network of Anglican relief and development agencies.
The executive director of the Anglican Alliance, the Rev. Rachel Carnegie, offered her “warmest congratulations” to the World Food Programme, adding: “This is worthy recognition of the courageous and compassionate role that WFP plays across the world in bringing food, assistance and, above all, hope to nearly 100 million people in communities facing conflict, insecurity, poverty, and the brutal daily trauma of hunger.
“As Anglicans we have connected with WFP over many years, in places such as South Sudan, where their food and logistics assistance has brought direct support and human dignity to communities devastated by conflict. In this time as the world faces COVID-19, the service WFP brings to the world has never been more needed as the terrible impact of the pandemic increases inequality and vulnerability and drives millions into poverty and hunger.
“We have valued engaging with WFP at this time to focus on restarting school feeding programmes to enable children to return to school and recover normality and safety in their lives.
“WFP’s mission to feed the hungry resonates profoundly with our faith calling. At this time of crisis, it is our earnest hope that the Nobel Peace Prize will draw global attention to the essential value of WFP’s work and ensure that it secures the resources needed to achieve our shared global goal of ending hunger by 2030.”
|
|
Luke the Evangelist is one of the Four Evangelists—the four traditionally ascribed authors of the canonical gospels. The Early Church Fathers ascribed to him authorship of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, which would mean Luke contributed over a quarter of the text of the New Testament, more than any other author. Prominent figures in early Christianity such as Jerome and Eusebius later reaffirmed his authorship, although a lack of conclusive evidence as to the identity of the author of the works has led to discussion in scholarly circles, both secular and religious.
The New Testament mentions Luke briefly a few times, and the Pauline Epistle to the Colossians (Col 4:14) refers to him as a physician (from Greek for 'one who heals'); thus he is thought to have been both a physician and a disciple of Paul. Since the early years of the faith, Christians have regarded him as a saint. He is believed to have been a martyr, reportedly having been hanged from an olive tree, though some believe otherwise.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
|
Praying as Loving
October 15, 2020
|
|
Today the Church remembers St. Teresa of Avila, 16th century Spanish monastic, prioress, and mystic, who exercised amazing influence during her life in Spain—a surprising level of influence given her background and her being a woman. Along with her contemporary and friend, St. John of the Cross, she was of conversolineage: her grandfather had converted from Judaism to Catholicism when Spain offered its resident Jews the “choice” of conversion or expulsion.
Like many female medieval and Enlightenment-era saints, she struggled with ill health throughout her life, and yet a remarkable life she lived nonetheless, traveling widely and being sought out for advice. Before entering the convent, she had been a noblewoman and attracted to comforts and worldly pleasures by her own admission; she pivoted in her religious life toward asceticism but led her sisters with moderation in many things and a wisdom regarding human foibles. Teresa was blessed with both a sharp wit and trenchant gift for observation—one of her remarks that I can most relate to is this: “May God protect me from gloomy saints.” Anyone who has grown up in the Bible-belt can relate to that one.
The quote of hers that speaks to me most today, as anxiety over so many real and perceived threats loom large in our hearts, is this one: “Prayer is an act of love; words are not needed.”
I know that it is common to not know what or how to pray. That’s why the gospels record Jesus’s disciples specifically asking Jesus how to pray (see, Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4).
Teresa’s observation may be seen as describing the third level of prayer. The first level of prayer is words from us to God, a one-way listing of wants, needs, and intercessions. The second level of prayer includes silence as well as words, listening as well as speaking: as you can imagine this one is much more difficult to many people than the first, since it so hard for us to still ourselves and adopt an attitude of reception and conversation with God. Yet that is exactly what Teresa herself aimed for, as she lived through so many of the spiritual struggles so many of us face..
This third level of prayer, suggested by Teresa, involves prayer as action, and a specific action, at that: love. Teresa reminds us in this that love is NOT an emotion—it is an action and an attitude of grace. Teresa speaks of love– love that seeks the flourishing of the neighbor as if they were dearer to us than our own skin. Love that realizes its power—a power for good and beauty that should be obvious to everyone. After all, why else would despots throughout time have been so threatened by Jesus’s insistence on love as the key to his Way, and sought instead to use division and hatred as a way to seize power?
How can we pray as an act of love?
By standing with those who are oppressed.
By rejecting the mockery of the weak or the elderly, or the differently abled.
By listening with open hearts to those who share their pain or fear.
By practicing empathy and compassion in even small opportunities throughout each day.
By remaining present in each moment, mindful of the gift of breath and hope.
By looking for God’s never-failing sustenance of our spirits in the beauty of community.
By reminding ourselves that we are never alone.
St. Teresa also said, “The feeling also remains that God is on the journey, too.” We can pray as an act of love by accompanying each other in our joys and sorrows, by turning aside from the contempt the world around us may revel in.
Almighty One,
You are our Rock and our Hope,
Our Ever-present help in times such as these:
receive our prayers and praises,
as we proclaim your steadfast lovingkindness in our lives.
When our words fail us,
let our love be a prayer to You,
O Precious Savior,
and a witness to your grace.
As we meditate on your many blessings to us,
may we ever employ our reason and obedience
in the service of your reign over us–
a reign marked by tenderness
and a call for us to grow in faith.
Strengthen us in joy and gratitude
for carrying your light within us
for the sake of your Beloved Community.
Spirit of Devotion,
kindle within us a thirst for wisdom
that we may drink deep of love’s commandment,
and be a blessing to each other in God’s Holy Name.
Envelop all who seek you, O God,
in mercy and resilience,
and grant your peace to these beloveds.
Amen.
|
|
Hale Ho`omalu Accepts Donations
All Saints' Restarts Donation Collection
|
|
COVID-19 changed our ability to collect donations since on-site church services were canceled. Now that we are open for on-site worship, our Hale Ho`omalu donations will be collected again for delivery to this worthy program. We are grateful to our wonderful Monday Crew that takes the donations to Hale Ho`omalu each week.
There is an on-going need for travel sized toiletries and canned goods so these items will be accepted every week. As always, monetary donations are gratefully accepted.
|
|
All Saints’ has had a long relationship with Hale Ho`omalu, a Child and Family Service program that provides families with the tools and resources they need to create meaningful and lasting change in their lives. Over the years, our `Ohana has collected donations specific to requests provided by Hale Ho`omalu.
|
|
IN BRIEF . . .
These news briefs were featured in previous issues of "The Epistle"
|
|
KUPUNA SHOPPING ASSISTANCE MINISTRY
Any of our All Saints' kupuna who need assistance with grocery shopping can contact Carolyn Morinishi at church@allsaintskauai.org to set up a delivery.
ALL SAINTS' VIRTUAL SWAP MEET
If any ministry has an unmet need, reach out to put it in the All Saints' Virtual Swap Meet and it will be published in the Epistle. Contact Bill Caldwell at news@allsaintskauai.org.
PASTORAL CARE CONTACT INFORMATION
Whenever you have a need for support, please call (650) 691-8104 and leave a voice mail. The system will immediately forward the information to the Pastoral Care Committee who will respond to each request. If you prefer, you may send an electronic pastoral care request via email to pastoralcare@allsaintskauai.org.
PRAYER CHAIN MINISTRY
Individuals who want to participate in the Prayer Chain Ministry must re-enroll to continue receiving the email communications. To re-enroll, please visit the newly established Pastoral Care web page or contact the Church Office at (808) 822-4267.
SUBMITTING A PRAYER REQUEST
Prayer requests will now be submitted online or by contacting the Church Office at (808) 822-4267.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Names can be added to the Prayers of the People petitions by using the Prayer Chain Request form or by contacting the Church Office at (808) 822-4267. Names will remain in the Prayers of the People for a maximum of four Sundays before a name must be resubmitted.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|