February 16, 2019

8:00 am and 9:30 am
4:00 pm Centering Prayer

Weekly Centering Prayer and Meditation
Every Sunday
4:00-5:00pm 

Centering Prayer now meets weekly and is open to all faiths and to anyone who is seeking a deeper meaning to their spiritual life along the Contemplative Path. In each session, Pastor Gae gives meditation instruction followed by a bit of music and sacred reading, time to sit in silence, and time for observations and questions. Cushions for the pews are provided. “ Silence is God’s first language. Everything else is a poor translation .” ~Thomas Keating
Prayer Ministry Healing Service
Every Wednesday
10:00 - 10:30am

One of the seven sacraments in our church is known as Unction, or Healing. Each Wednesday, 10:00 – 10:30 am, Christ Memorial will have a Healing Service in the sanctuary. We will pray for the healing requests that come in every day from those who visit the church. There will also be Anointing and Laying on of Hands for those who desire it. Pastor Gae is seeking 2 or 3 people who would be committed to come and pray with her every Wednesday morning. Let her know if this interests you. 
Morning Coffee Inspiration from Pastor Gae

Aloha Friends,

I had an Epiphany this week! It came out of two things going on in my life right now. One was a terrific Bible study I facilitate on Wednesdays on the gospel of John. The other was an assignment I had to do for a continuing ed online class I’m taking from Unity seminary, called “The Christ.” Unity has been around since the late 1800’s. I find it so interesting that it is considered “New thought Christianity” even though it has been around a long time! 

My Unity class assignment was “Write a list of 10 I Am Statements – Ones that are Truth, but perhaps you don’t accept fully yet.” My teacher shared that Unity and other metaphysical (new thought) churches place great emphasis on the power of the words “I AM.” She reminded us of the Bible passage that provides the foundation for this — the third chapter of Exodus. Moses said to God,
“If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.”

My teacher said, “Unity believes that ‘I Am’ is the name of God in humankind and that ‘Christ’ is a synonym for ‘I Am.’ When we say ‘I am,’ we are declaring our divine spiritual identity.” It took me a while to really grasp this. We don’t hear much in church about the divinity within us even though we profess we are the Body of Christ and that we are made in the image of God. It is more likely we all have heard more about our less than perfect nature (aka sinful nature) rather than our divine nature. I wonder if the church and our world would be different if we were taught from the get-go that we are beloved children of God, and that we are THE CHRIST. That’s for another chat.

In class, we were also reminded to pay attention to how we use “I Am” in our speech. How often do we say something negative about our life that begins with “I am…” “I am tired.” “I am sick.” “I am fat.” “I am stupid.” “I am too old.” “I am broke.”etc. Unity believes in the power of the spoken word. I do too. I’ve been paying attention to the times I begin what I’m saying with “I am.” I’m wondering how often I take the name of God in vain!

In Bible study, we have been engaging the stories in the first 12 chapters of John (what is known as the Book of Signs). All sorts of characters interact with Jesus. Some understand his teaching and some don’t. Some get just a little bit of understanding and choose to believe and follow him. I began this week’s class with a check–in, “What character do you most identify with in your life?” And then came the epiphany:I realized that each character in the scripture lives in me and in all of us. 
And so, for my assignment, this is what I posted:

I am… made in the image of God

I am… the one to whom Jesus says, "Follow me."

I am… the one who says, "I will follow."

I am… the one who then forgets about Jesus.

I am… Mary Magdelyn.

I am… Peter.

I am… the lame man by the pool.

I am… Nicodemus.

I am… the Samaritan woman at the well.

I am… Judas and… I am Pilate.

I am… in Christ and Christ is in me. 

I am.

I’d love to hear your I AM’s. As always, please share,
 
I so love this journey we are on! God is so good!

~ Pastor Gae+

 CONNECT
February Work Morning
CHANGED - To Saturday, February 22, 9:00am - Noon
Due to conflict with Habitat for Humanity Episcopal morning
 Join us for this month’s Work Morning as we beautify our campus. This month, we have a project to paint our Parish Hall Kitchen!While the Parish Hall will get a renovation this year, the kitchen isn’t scheduled until 2021. And so, we are going to clean it up as best as possible and create a space that will be clean and practical. We will have rollers and brushes, and of course… donuts. Other work morning projects will be listed and include graveyard care.

Keiki Sunday School 
Every Sunday, 8:00 – 9:00 am
Meets in the Church Office

We welcome new students, as well as volunteers and parents to assist in our Sunday School program. For more information, contact Keana Oliveira keana@ischool.org or Leona Blankley at lcblankley@aol.com .


Sorting Circle 
Every Sunday, 11:00am-12:00 noon
Helen Mitsui Shared Blessings Thrift Shop

Join our Sorting Circles for fellowship, fun and fashion frenzy! From 11:00am-12:00pm every Sunday, we sort donations (mostly clothes) at Shared Blessings. 

We also need sorters during business hours, especially Wednesdays 9:30am-12:30pm and Thursdays 2-5pm! So, please feel welcome to join us for 30 minutes, 60 minutes or more. Many hands make work light! 

Men’s Fellowship 
Every Monday at 9:00 am
Meets at Kilauea Bakery and Pizza 

For more information, see Patrick O’Connell at worship or email him at paoco65@gmail.com

Support and Recovery Groups

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups meet at Christ Memorial Parish Hall every week on these days and times:

Tuesday at 10:00 am
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at 7:30 pm

Christ Memorial wants to be known in the community as a healing place for the body, mind and spirit. We are inviting support and recovery groups to meet on the property, either in the Parish Hall or the Office. If you know of a group looking for a place to meet: grief support, eating disorders, anxiety, financial peace, Al-Anon, Gamblers Anonymous, etc., please tell them to contact Pastor Gae. 


 SERVE
Helen Mitsui Shared Blessings Thrift Shop

Paid Job Openings: Donation Intakers
Come be a part of a joyful ministry! The Helen Mitsui Shared Blessings Thrift Shop is seeking Donation Intakers. This is a part-time paid position, up to 15 hours per week at $18/hour.

As a representative of Christ Memorial Episcopal Church, Donation Intakers receive and process donations that fuel the growth for our ministries. Donation Intakers also work at least one day per week in the shop, so they learn firsthand about the business — serving customers, stocking new merchandise, and understanding inventory levels and selling patterns — all of which informs responsible sorting and distribution of donations. We are looking for a team player that is able to interact with donors and customers with a cheerful and gracious attitude.

Interested persons should send a letter expressing your interest, qualifications, and work history to KilaueaChristMemorial@gmail.com . 

Responsibilities:
  • Greet and present a friendly and thankful attitude toward donors
  • Collaborate respectfully with team members to sort responsibly
  • Facilitate the redistribution of donations to approved philanthropies

Requirements:
  • Physically able to lift 50 pounds
  • Pass a background check and/or drug test
  • Experience in Receiving, Customer Service and/or Retail a plus
Thrift Shop Hours for Shopping and Donations

Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 2:00 - 5:00pm
Wednesday: 9:30am - 12:30pm
Saturday: 9:30am - 3:00pm
Sunday: fellowship 11-12pm

Credit cards accepted
Gift cards available for purchase


PRAY
Special Ministry of Christ Memorial ~ Open for Prayer
Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:00pm
Feeling a little overwhelmed with life? Just drop in to Christ Memorial for a little peace and quiet.

One important ministry of Christ Memorial is the opening of our church doors, Monday through Friday, during the day. It’s amazing the number of people who drop in to pray, meditate, or just to seek a few minutes of quiet. Unfortunately fear has crept into many churches. Pastor Gae believes our country would be very different if all churches kept their doors unlocked.

Live off island? If you have a prayer intention or would like to pray for those on our prayer list, email Pastor Gae at gdchalker@gmail.com .

 GIVE

This is My Offering

P rayer:    

Magnificent Holy Father. 
I may not have much I can offer. Yet what I have is truly yours. 
This is my offering, dear Lord. 
This is my offering to You, God.
I stand before you at this altar. So many have given you more

Change to Automated Giving

Thank you to those of you who automate your giving and having a plan to support your church. Your consistent, planned generosity makes it possible for us to budget and dream responsibly. Want to change to automated giving? It makes life easy, especially if you travel. Contact our Treasurer Tom Blankley for information at tblankley@msn.com . 


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Newsletter Mission: Our weekly newsletter was launched to inform our island community, as well as connect with our broader community of old and new friends, near and far. Whether you live on Kaua'i, visit seasonally or joined Christ Memorial for the first time during vacation, we welcome you into our global family. We endeavor to include inspiration, new ideas, practical advice and updates on news and events of Christ Memorial. Let us know how we can serve you best in 2020 by replying to this newsletter or emailing us at ChristMemorialKilauea@gmail.com

Have you met Pastor Gae? Pastor Gae wants to get to know you all – phone chats, home visits, morning coffees, afternoon teas or walks on the beach. Near or far, reach out to meet or share your thoughts at gdchalker@gmail.com or (623) 208-9436.
Christ Memorial Episcopal Church
2509 Kolo Road, Kilauea, HI 96754
Mailing: PO Box 293, Kilauea, HI 96754
Phone: (808) 482-4824

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