an online publication of the
Church of the Holy Nativity, Aina Haina
March 25, 2020
The Coming Week
at Holy Nativity

Worship this Sunday, 
March 29, 2020

The Fifth Sunday
in Lent
Morning Prayer -- 9am
ONLINE

Wednesday 10am Eucharist
postponed until further notice; please pray for one another during this time! 

Thursday Centering Prayer
postponed until further notice; please pray for one another between 4-430pm!
 

Worship the 
following Sunday,
April 5, 2020

Palm Sunday
Morning Prayer -- 9am
ONLINE

Serving this Sunday 
(March 29)  
The Fifth Sunday
in Lent

9am Morning Prayer
Officiant: 
     The Rev. Libby Berman
Deacon:
     The Rev. Robert Steele

Student in Formation: Frank Condello
Lectors: Wyn Aubrey-Child & 
   Barbara  Abe
Prayers of the People: 
   Rebecca Verghese

Serving next Sunday 
(April 5)   
Palm Sunday

9am Morning Prayer & dramatic reading is the Passion Gospel
Officiant: 
     The Rev. Libby Berman
Deacon:
     The Rev. Robert Steele

Student in Formation: Frank Condello
Lectors: 
Prayers of the People: 
The Sunday Readings


 
Rector
The Rev. Libby Berman
hncrector@gmail.com

The Vestry
Sr. Warden: Austin Nakoa
Jr. Warden: Joe Kindrich
Treasurer: Jean Steele
Clerk: Nancy Thomas
Members at Large: Justin Donahue, Rich Miller, Lila Johnson, Jeff Taylor, Ed Moore, Wyn Aubrey-Child, Nina Livingston, Tusi Mayer

Office Hours-Staff may be working from home; please call ahead to make sure someone is in the office; thank you!
Monday-Thursday, 9am-1pm
(808) 373-2131
hncparish@gmail.com
www.holynativityhawaii.org
 
Parish Bookkeeper
Kathy Kia
hncoperationsmanager@gmail.com
 
Parish Administrator
Punahele Coldwell
hncparish@gmail.com
 
Prayer List

In our parish, we pray for Lora V.,  Frank, Dorie, Rita, Wayne, Victoria, Sandee, Ronny, Donna, Sylvia, Blake, Bruce, Helen, Wes, Terri, Kendall, Bob, Yoko, Lola, Robert Y., Bobby Y., Lois C., The King Family, June A., Diane M., Pamela F., Heather, Richard P., and for those who have contracted the Corona virus. 

 

We are posting a day by day meditation from Forward Movement.  This is a great way to start your day with prayer.  Please consider clicking on the website above. 
Interim Head of School 
Jeanne Wilks

Rooted in the Episcopal tradition, Holy Nativity School is dedicated to excellence in education within a small and personalized environment. Built upon principles of respect and inclusion, Holy Nativity School values each child's individuality as it develops principled citizens who recognize their role in the local and global community.  


Holy Nativity Thrift Shop
(808) 373-3744

Our Thrift Store currently is closed until at least April 13, given the COVID-19 outbreak.  Please check here or on the website for more information.  Take care; we hope to see you soon!

Click here to visit the Thrift Shop webpage.

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Dear friends,
At the end of the evening recently, I found myself sitting next to my bookshelves in the rectory.  Our furniture has arrived from Boston; very high on the list of things to unpack first was my books!  The books in my collection speak in many voices. Studs Turkel's oral history of working people reminds me of my own study of American history.  "Natasha's Dance" by Orlando Figes reminds me of my trip to Russia a few years ago and all that we learn from travel. Suzanne Guthrie's "Grace's Window" remind me of call to pastoral care in community.  John Rawl's "A Theory of Justice" reminds me my commitment to public policies that are fair to all people.   Opening these boxes of "old friends" has been wonderful, particularly during these past several days when we all have been working from home.  I've had a bit more time than I expected to "welcome them" into the Rectory and I have taken more time than I ordinarily do to read. Reflecting on these meaningful moments has encouraged me to think about all the blessings we are experiencing in these days, perhaps without even noticing!  Here are some of the "blessing stories" that folks have told me in recent days:

--"I had a wonderful walk on the beach.  There were just a few people there; we kept our safe distance from one another and simply smiled in greeting.  It was beautiful!"

--"Since we all started spending more time at home, I've been taking time to be in touch with people who mean so much to me; people I mean to be in touch with, but haven't in a long time!"

--"This time has been great for our family.  We eat together, play together, and watch movies together.  We'll always remember it!"

--"Some people think I'm outgoing, but I'm actually rather quiet.  It's been great just to have some more time on my own at home, to reflect and just 'be.'"  

Are you experiencing any of these blessings--or others not listed here?    I invite you, in the next week, to take a picture of something in your life that is different in these days--but quite wonderful.  Send it to our administrator, Puna Coldwell, at hncparish@gmail.com or to me at hncrector@gmail.com and we'll share some of them in upcoming issues of the Banyan Tree.  These are unusual times, indeed, but God works with us and through us--always!  Take a moment to think about how God is present...for you.
May blessings and peace be with you,
Libby+

"Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear...Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap...and yet your heavenly Father feeds them...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these! ...But if God so clothes the grasses of the field...will he not much more clothe you?  Therefore do not worry...But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you, as well." (Matthew 6:25-33)
ONLINE WORSHIP - FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT

On this coming Sunday, March 29, we again invite everyone to join us for a Morning Prayer Service online (using "Zoom") at 9am.  Our service last Sunday, March 22, went smoothly and well; we estimate that more than forty people joined us for reading, prayers, music, and even "coffee hour"!  To join us in coming weeks, simply go to the front page of the Holy Nativity Church website
( www.HolyNativityHawaii.org ) and press the "CLICK HERE" button that is located on the front page under "Worship Services."  If you do not have a computer or if you wish to call in using your phone, dial +1 669 900 9128 and, when you receive a verbal prompt, type in our "meeting ID," which is 537 938 292 .   We look forward to "seeing you" in church!

 
A PARISHIONER WRITES: 
"Help keep Holy Nativity going strong and helping others!"

While most of us are self-isolating and many of us have used ZOOM to attend our Sunday services (and "coffee hour"!) at Holy Nativity, something is missing:  the collecting of our offerings.  As the weeks pass, we will find that the numbers of people in need of help and services will increase and we will want to be able to respond, both through our own ministries and those of the Diocese, which we support.  Perhaps, before signing in to ZOOM, you will want to pull some cash from your wallet or write your check and tuck it under your keyboard.  Then, when you have two or three weeks of offerings, you can mail them to our church office (5286 Kalanianaole Highway, Honolulu HI 96821).  Many thanks!
 

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP AT HOME

From Church Publishing Company, published on March 17 from Episcopal News Service (ENS):
 
"As congregations, families, and individuals seek to live faithfully in these uncertain times, Church Publishing Incorporated is making...an easy-to-navigate PDF version of the  Book of Common Prayer, and other free resources for devotional use.

Barbara Cawthorne Crafton, well-known author and retreat leader, offers  Living Lent, meditations on the hymns of the season. "I hope that you find yourself humming familiar tunes to yourself as you read, and that this condition persists for the rest of the day," writes Crafton. Those who have known the hymns forever as well as those who are new to these verses will find them, and Crafton's meditations on faith, prayer, forgiveness, healing and more, an excellent companion for these important seasons of the year.

For children, Karin Holsinger Sherman offers  Candle Walk, a beautiful illustrated picture book that prepares children for sleep by taking them on a candlelit wander through the woods and inviting them to experience the Compline, a centuries-old practice of contemplative evening prayer. Appropriate for toddlers through elementary aged children, Candle Walk is a wonderful way to prepare children for sleep, assured of the nearness of God. The Order of Compline from The Book of Common Prayer is also included at the back of the book.

We are thankful to both authors for helping us to share their books digitally, and hope you will support them.   These free resources are available until April 15, 2020. Please visit  www.churchpublishing.org  to learn more..."
 
The Following Events are Postponed:

Luncheon to Honor Thrift Shop Volunteers

Lenten Study & Fellowship
with Rev. Libby & Frank Condello.  Stay tuned for opportunities to continue with us online or when we return to coming to church together

Getting-to-Know-Libby Potlucks

Diocesan "Spring Training" Education Day
Saturday, March 28 has been changed to an online offering.  For more information, go to

Readings for the Fifth Sunday in Lent are on the "Lectionary Page" located in the left column of the Banyan Tree
 
HOLY WEEK (April 5-12, 2020)

Stay tuned for more information about Holy Week services, which we also will conduct online on Palm Sunday (April 5), Maundy Thursday (April 9), Good Friday (April 10) and Easter Sunday (April 12).

We hope to be able to celebrating Easter or Pentecost in person, on an upcoming Sunday when it is deemed safe for us to gather together in community, once again!

Mission Possible Bites

Our HNC Treasurer and Mission Possible team member, Jean Steele, has written several short pieces she calls "Mission Bites" to help us all learn more about the partnership Holy Nativity School and we are enjoying, particularly as our board and vestry have recently adopted new and helpful agreements between us.  We bring these "Mission Possible Bites" to you in four parts in coming days: "Our Church and School Mission Statements," "Exploring our Church's Mission," " Exploring our School's Mission," and "The Episcopal Identity of Holy Nativity School."  Enjoy!    
--Rev. Libby


Mission Bite C
Mission Possible:  Exploring our school's mission
"Rooted in the Episcopal/Anglican tradition, Holy Nativity School is dedicated to excellence in education within a small and personalized environment.   Built upon principles of respect and inclusion, Holy Nativity School values each child's individuality as it develops principled citizens who recognize their role in the local and global community."

Rooted in the Episcopal/Anglican tradition means what?  Our school provides a faith-based education, regular chapel attendance and religious studies in all grades.

Dedicated to excellence in education means what?  Holy Nativity School offers multi-sensory learning, including physical education and the performing arts.  It also provides a reading/writing workshop.
What does within a small and personalized environment mean?  Our school provides personalized learning, project-based learning and social/emotional learning.

Built upon principles of respect and inclusion, Holy Nativity School values each child's individuality as it develops principled citizens who recognize their role in the local and global community means what?  Our school provides global studies, learning through experience and outreach/service projects.

Did you "read, mark, learn and inwardly digest" the school mission statement recently?  Did you think of many of the implications we have listed here?  What else did you think about?


Applications Now Open for the Holy Nativity School Board
I f interested, please be in touch with Rich Miller for more information and the timetable.
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From the Outreach Committee

The church has a website, and this has recently been updated. I would like to draw your attention to the Outreach section.  Please see what the church is doing in the Outreach area, and if you would like to join in with any of the projects, and/or have comments or suggestions on anything in that section, please contact the Church office at 808-373-2131 or call me at 808-366-1386 to possibly discuss and implement your ideas.   Mahalo, Wyn Aubrey-Child