Join us for worship as we continue to celebrate the great 50 days of Easter! Our service begins at 9:00am HST. We gather 15 minutes before, so arrive a little early if you would like to socialize or just get familiar with the online format. You are also welcome to stay after the service for reception and to mingle. The “congregation” comprises locals, seasonal residents on island and back on the mainland, and friends that visited the island in past years and are staying connected from New York, Illinois, Montana, Mississippi, Iowa, Arizona, Washington, California and more. It is great fun, and we invite you to join us!

You can click on this link to join all our services: https://zoom.us/j/561118162  
 
If you are new to Zoom, you can watch this 1 minute video: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-How-Do-I-Join-A-Meeting-
bulletin
We are also providing a bulletin to follow along during our Zoom worship or to use on your own. Click on this link for the bulletin: 


 Morning Coffee with Pastor Gae

Aloha Friends,

I am so done with all the talk about COVID. I have stopped watching the news altogether, even the one and only station I did watch, PBS News Hour. None of it is good news. Everybody is an expert. Who do you listen to? Just the other day, a Youtube video was floating around Facebook through church groups. This one was from another “expert” who said, “The Virus spreads through “aerosols,” just particles that emanate from us into the air.” Apparently face masks don’t really help all that much. The video already had 39,000+ views. One of our church members said to me, “This is very scary.” 
We have become consumed with expert information about how the virus affects the body and spreads. But there has been little expert information about how the fear of the virus is affecting our mental/emotional state. Before COVID arrived, we were already becoming a culture addicted to fear. Just remember how some of the news stations, Facebook and YouTube posts, worked to spin their message to make us fearful of anything and everything: migrants, police officers, people of color, Muslims, North Koreans, Chinese, Russians, hackers, and the government taking away our guns; bad people… The message was pretty much: The world is a scary place! I know some people who only feel normal if they are fearful.

I am not disputing that this virus is a serious challenge to our country and our world. There is no doubt about it. But don’t doubt what fear in itself does to our mind and body. Dr. Judith Orloff says, “ If you don't make it your business to overcome fear , you better believe it'll try to overcome you. Most people are subservient to this emotion though they may not know it.” I am wondering how many alcoholics and drug dependents are being created during this COVID time as people cope with their anxiety and fear.
I told someone the other day, “What might our world look like if we would spend as much time in quiet prayer and meditation as we do watching the news and listening to “COVID experts”? Scripture teaches us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 That says to me to let the scientists and medical experts figure it out. My job is to do what has been advised – wear a mask when in public places and be conscious about giving each person plenty of space. It is also my job to take care of my body and mind as best as I can. Most of those who are hit hard by COVID have underlying health conditions. Eat healthy, exercise, drink moderately, rest, and avoid anxiety-producing situations (like the news)! 

Thank you for letting me share. I’ll leave you with this quote I came across (one of the positive postings on Facebook!) “ Fear tells lies about an imagined future. Love tells the truth about the moment you are in. You choose moment by moment which one to listen to. ” Our Master Jesus would agree with that. Here is to choosing love!

Your thoughts as always are welcome,

Joy, joy, joy,

~Pastor Gae ✝️

 CONNECT
Friday, May 15th for shoppers
Wait until you see our newly renovated Thrift Shop !
Want a preview? click here

We will begin taking donations starting Saturday, May 9th
We are very excited about you visiting our beautiful shop, but we want to honor safety concerns for our community. Therefore, we will be requiring all shoppers to wear a mask. There will also be a limited number of shoppers in the store at a given time, so we appreciate your patience and cooperation.

Thrift Shop Hours for Shopping and Donations

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

Auntie Helen is having a birthday!
May 17th
You can send your birthday blessings to:
Mrs. Helen Mitsui
P.O. Box 33
Kilauea, HI 96754

Memorial Bench Refurbished
A special thank you to Branch Lotspeich who refurbished the memorial bench that sits out in front of our Shared Blessings Thrift Shop. Our beloved Helen Mitsui, had this bench built-in memory of her husband Shizuto Mitsui. Shizuto, born in 1918 was the 4th of 10 children of Rikitaro and Iwa Mitsui who came from Yamaguchi Japan in 1908. He served in the US Amry from 1944-46 during WWII. He married Helen after the war and worked for the County of Kaua`i. He died in 1987 at the age of 69.

The Labyrinth - Meditation in Movement
Feeling a little overwhelmed with life right now? Try walking our labyrinth. (Exercise is allowed) 

There is not a right or wrong way to walk the Labyrinth. Simply observe the intuitions and desires that come as you walk. This is an embodied prayer experience. Let your body lead you! You can walk it slowly and reverently or quickly and playfully. If you are moved to pause at a given spot, do so!

Center yourself with a few deep breaths before entering the Labyrinth. Ask God to bless you as you begin your journey so that you become a channel of grace and blessing. 

Online Centering Prayer & Scripture Reflection
Tuesday morning, 9:00 - 9:45 am HST on Zoom ( https:/zoom.us/j/7532197968 )  

We begin our Tuesday morning prayer service with a Daily Office reading, followed by a brief period of meditation (a time to pray “Let there be light”). We then listen to the Day by Day reflection and share our thoughts. Email christmemorialkilauea@gmail.com  

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
Wednesday Bible Study - Gospel of John with Pastor Gae
2:00 - 3:15 pm HST on Zoom https://zoom.us/j/461017998

The gospel of John was written sometime around the year 90 CE, nearly 60 years after Jesus walked the earth. The Christian community was well established. Each week, we study a passage and discuss the story, how it might have been heard by those first Christians and what it says to us. If you’ve never studied the Bible, why not now? This isn’t a lecture. All you need is a bible, any translation, and the ability to get on Zoom. Email Pastor Gae gdchalker@gmail.com if you would like more information.

Online Care

Alcohol Anonymous (AA) 
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at 7:30 pm HST

Go to www.kauaiaa.org and look for the Northshore AA groups. 


  GIVE

Our giving is important, especially now.

Although we aren’t gathering in the sanctuary for worship, our church bills are still the same. We’ve had questions from our Sunday worshippers and now our Zoom worshippers about how to give. Your continued gifts really matter, especially in this time of uncertainty.  

If you like to give by check, please send to:
Christ Memorial Episcopal Church,
P.O. Box 293, Kilauea, HI 96754

Or consider changing to Automated Giving. It makes life easy. Just click on the button below to make a one-time or recurring donation. 

Thank you for your love and care for our Christ Memorial community!



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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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