WEEKLY NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
July 25, 2020
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SUNDAY WORSHIP:
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Scripture Readings for this Sunday:
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Service of Holy Eucharist
In the Sanctuary
8:00 am
This service is spoken (no music)
Please wear a mask.
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Service of Morning Prayer with Music, Only on Zoom
9:30 am
Here is the link to join us on Zoom:
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WE LOVE OUR JUNIOR WARDEN
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Craig Wall has been our Jr. Warden forever! Overseeing our property is a big job. This past month he arranged for our property to be fenced throughout the back, creating a safer space for the Parish Hall, Office, and Thrift Shop. He also arranged for WIFI for our Sanctuary so we can Zoom our 9:30 services and Centering Prayer.
What is a Junior Warden? Traditionally in both the Church of England and the Episcopal Church, a JunIor Warden is given responsibility for the upkeep of the parish buildings and grounds. In some churches, the junior warden is known as the “people’s warden”.
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Morning Coffee with Pastor Gae
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Aloha friends,
What is it about the unconditional love of God that is so hard to grasp?
It was a big shift for me to not just mouth the words but truly believe that God’s love is perfect and unconditional. When I finally got it (and at times I wonder if there is even more to get!) that said to me that I am loved by God at my best and at my worst,
and so is everyone else.
No one is excluded; not those who have hurt me, or those who have hurt my family, or those who have hurt others. Even those who have committed all kinds of atrocities, all the Pontius Pilates throughout the centuries and all the politicians and rulers whose actions I abhor are not excluded. We are all loved by God, perfectly.
Many folks - unfortunately some of us Christians – profess God’s love but then if you listen carefully you hear a little caveat slip in. The most common little caveat is the BIG IF - “God loves you, God forgives all your sins, guaranteed ticket to heaven, IF you…accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.”
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The shift for me was when I started seriously pondering the BIG IF. What about people whose hearts are way bigger than mine, whose path is Buddhism, or Sikhism, or Spiritual but not Religious? What exactly does it mean to “accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior?” Or “believe” in Jesus? Is there a test God has that gives a passing “belief” score? And if you don’t get Jesus right now wherever you are in your life, if your attention is into the world, what does that mean? Does it mean God doesn’t love you? Does it mean you will be eternally cut off from God? Does it mean hell for you? And if that is the case, what does it say about the nature of God? Isn’t God all-knowing? Doesn’t God know us better than we even know ourselves? Doesn’t God know every single experience from the time before we were in our mother’s womb until the present moment that has contributed to the way we think and act, including all the errors we have made, all the sins we have committed and all the times we have failed when it came to love?
It just seems that much of the time we want God to think and be like us instead of the other way around. We want God to exclude people who we don’t like or who don’t believe the way we do. But what if we could really get the truth that we are all children of God, created by God and loved by God? Could we disagree, be angry, and even abhor certain behaviors and actions of even the Pontius Pilates of the world and still hold love for them because they are children of God, just like us.? And could we trust that God is far more knowledgeable than we are and may perhaps have a variety of spiritual paths that lead to the Kingdom? And since we cannot lean on our own understanding, what if we can just say in humility, “I don’t know much for sure but I’m going to err on love.”
My friends, I don’t know much but what I know for sure at this moment of my life is that what God sees is different than what I see. God loves you and me and everyone who has ever been and ever will be.
Thoughts please...
In Love,
Pastor Gae
✝️
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Previously Announced Reminders:
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ADULT CONFIRMATION CLASS - Now gathering
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If you’ve never received the Sacrament of Confirmation in our Episcopal Church, what a great time to do it! Pastor Gae is gathering those who have never been confirmed; those who were confirmed in other denominations; and those who were confirmed as a pre-teen for an on-line Zoom class. We will be meeting weekly and following our Catechism found in the Boook of Common Prayer. The schedule will depend on who joins the class. Once we have finished and are able to be back in the church, we will summon our Bishop. Let Pastor Gae know of your interest and availability. It will be fun!
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Join the Remembering Reception Team
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Currently Melody is gathering photos and any information about priests who served, events, challenges, and accomplishments. Even if you can’t join the Team, can you take a bit of time and send her a note about when you came into the church and what you remember. Maybe it’s just something little like, “There was a big storm that year” or “There were a lot of baptisms” or “We had big dance”. Anything you can remember is helpful. And we’d love pictures. Send them over and we’ll scan them and send them back! Here’s how to connect with Melody:
mellomack@gmail.com
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~Marcos E. Carver, 1917 – 1925 Founder and Priest-in-Charge of missions on the Island of Kauaʻi
~Henry A. Willey, 1924 – 1945
~Harold Wilmot-Smith, 1945 – 1948
~Paul R. Savanack, 1949 – 1950
~Norman R. Alter, 1950 – 1952
~E. Lani Hanchett Layman-in-Charge, 1951 – 1952, Deacon at CMEC in 1952, ordained Priest in 1953, later became the 1st Hawaiian Bishop, and 1st Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaiʻi
~Keith Kreitner, 1952 – 1953
~Samuel N. McCain, Jr., 1953 – 1958
~Thomas D. Hughes, 1958 – 1960
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~Charles T. Crane, 1960 – 1962
~Thomas K. Yoshida, 1962 – 1966
~Charles G. Hopkins, Jr., 1966 – 1969
~Elsberry W. Reynolds, 1969 – 1970
~George T. Eppley, 1972 – 1973
~Richard S. O. Chang, 1973 – 1979 later became the 4th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaiʻi
~Robert E. Walden, 1979 – 1981
~Jan C. Rudinoff, 1982 – 1984
~James P. Eron, 1984 – 1992
~A. Donor Macneice, 1993 – 2005
~Shirley Ellingboe, 2009 – 2010
~Roberta R. Taylor, 2011 – 2016
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CONNECT - A Note to Our Zoom Family
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One blessing that has come out of the virus is the connection we have on Zoom. We now have two Zoom Bible studies and a Zoom Centering Prayer service. Since we are unable to have singing in the sanctuary, we chose to go back to Zoom for our 9:30 service. It will be a service of Morning Prayer with Chanterelle leading the music.
The 8:00 service will continue to be a service of Holy Eucharist, but without music.
For Sunday Zoom worship attendees:
- Please try to connect at least 10 minutes before the service or the meeting to make sure everything is working correctly.
- If possible, keep your video on so it feels more like being together in church.
- Have your audio always on mute unless advised by the facilitator.
- Be present. Try not to multi-task. Having your water or coffee nearby is fine but since your video is on, probably best not to be moving around.
- Try your best not to leave early. If your computer drops you out, come back on but make sure your video is on and your audio is muted.
- NEW - If anyone would like to share any thoughts about the message or the Scripture readings, let’s get a discussion going following the service.
THANK YOU!
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Parish Hall Available For Rent
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Wouldn’t it be great if our Parish Hall featured:
- Yoga and exercise classes
- Exercise for seniors
- Monthly discussions about social issues
- All kinds of Healthy Living groups
- Bridge, Chess or Mahjong
- Healthy eating lectures and movies
Help us get it going. Please share with those who might be interested in starting a program.
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Some of you have asked about the VICARAGE PROJECT. We want to reassure you that we haven’t given up the ghost. The virus slowed our momentum for the past couple of months but we are back on track.
Having a vicarage for a priest is essential for the future of our little church. When Pastor Gae arrived, full-time rental housing was very scarce on our side of the island. We didn’t know if she was going to have to live in Kapa’a or Lihue and commute. In the time that she has been here she has already had to move once.
We are currently looking at some architectural drawings. Stay tuned!
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Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Saturday 9:30 am - 3:00 pm
For a safe shopping experience, we can only allow 5 shoppers in the store at any time. All must wear masks and use hand sanitizer.
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School Supplies Available
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Many of our customers are now shopping for school and art supplies at the Helen Mitsui Shared Blessings Thrift Shop. We have a great selection of children’s books, colored pencils, crayons, pens, flashcards and coloring books. These items go fast as our community plans for the upcoming school year.
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Monday 10:00 am-11:15 am:
Spiritual Lessons from the Book of Genesis
Wednesday 2:00 pm-3:15 pm:
Gospel of John
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Connect via Zoom for both study sessions:
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Online Centering Prayer & Scripture Reflection
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Tuesdays, 9:00 - 9:45 am (HST)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7532197968
We will continue to have Centering Prayer every Tuesday morning on Zoom, 9:00 - 9:45 am. We begin with a scripture reading for the day followed by 12 minutes of meditation. Then a reflection is read and anyone who would like to share an insight is invited to do so. We finish with prayer time for those in need of healing.
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ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (AA)
Monday: 10:00-11:00 am
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 7:30 pm
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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.
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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.
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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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