Volume 5, Issue 44
November 6, 2020
THIS SUNDAY: November 1, 2020
23rd Sunday after Pentecost

ON-SITE CHURCH SERVICES
with COMMUNION

8:00AM
Linda Crocker (EM)*
John Hanaoka (U)
Diane Sato (AG)
Muriel Jackson (DM)

9:30AM
Dileep Bal (EM)
Mary Margaret Smith (U)
Nelson Secretario (LR)
Jan Hashizume (AG)
Vikki Secretario, Mabel Antonio (HP)
Ron 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
UPCOMING EVENTS
ON-SITE CHURCH SERVICES WITH COMMUNION
8:00AM and 9:30AM
Memorial Hall

Aloha Hour
Every Sunday
10:45AM - 12:00PM
Tent

Monday Crew
Every Monday
8:00AM
Church Office

Ke Akua Youth Group
Wednesday, November 11th
5:00PM
Zoom meeting
Those who are interested in the Youth Group Meetings may contact Cami at Cami@allsaintskauai.org for login information.

Daughters of the King
Thursday, November 12th
7:00 - 8:00PM
Memorial Hall

Online Communication Workshop
Saturday, November 14th
8:30AM - 12:30PM
Church

EAM/ACAM Meeting
Sunday, November 15th
12:00 - 1:00PM
Zoom meeting
Those who are interested in the Youth Group Meetings may contact Cami at Cami@allsaintskauai.org for login information.
For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering, especially Kalani, those in the path of Hurricane Delta, Glen, Jody, Milfred, Linda, Larry, Bill, 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.
All Saints' Rosales Opus 41 Pipe Organ Update
The Organ is Delivered While Memorial Hall is Set Up for Temporary Worship
WOW!!!
Take a Look in the Sanctuary
Before or after services on Sunday, please pause to look in the church sanctuary to see the awe-inspiring boxes and crates containing the parts of the Rosales Opus 41 pipe organ. They will give you a tangible connection to the future of the Music Ministry at All Saints'. The best is yet to come!
Rosales Opus 41 Pipe Organ Arrives
Loving Hands Welcome Our Musical Treasure
Last Saturday morning, October 31st, All Saints’ was a flurry of activity as the 40-square foot container full of parts for our new Rosales Opus 41 Pipe Organ was unloaded. True to the industriousness of All Saints’ parishioners, the unloading was well underway by 8:00AM. Morris Wise and David Crocker were in the container handing down boxes, cases, and pipes to the steady stream of volunteers who carried them into the sanctuary. Wayne Doliente was the fork lift driver for the morning as we got accustomed to hearing his “Hands Clear!” before the fork lift moved. 

To see more, please click on the video link below.
Memorial Hall Set Up for Temporary Worship
Another group worked on preparing Memorial Hall for worship services until the organ is installed. The north end of the Hall had already been cleared but the decision was made to clear the south end to accommodate more parishioners. This required the removal of multiple storage containers, furniture, and books. The items were all moved to the gym stage and chair/table storage room. Before the last task of moving the large tent from the church lanai to the Memorial Hall lanai, we took a short break for water and snacks provided by Terry Moses. We had enough people for everyone to grab a pole and move the tent in one piece. The picnic tables were moved to the covered space to provide more seating for services.
MAHALO NUI LOA

At least 26 people showed up to help Saturday morning. Young and old, strong and willing, it was a touching reminder of what an enthusiastic, committed congregation All Saints’ has. We enjoyed the fellowship of working together to move toward to build a sanctuary more capable of raising a “joyful noise” to praise the glory of God.

-CeCe Caldwell
 Vestry member
Tentative Schedule for Rosales Opus 41 Organ Installation
November 28-29: Arrival of first team of organ installers, a three-person crew.

November 30 - December 16: Approximate timeline for the first crew to finish the basic installation of the organ. They may finish a few days earlier.

January 2-3: Arrival of the second team of organ installers, a two-person crew.

January 4-15: Approximate timeline for the second crew to "voice" the organ pipes (i.e., fine-tune).

Reflections from Kahu Kawika
What Makes You Happy?
Matthew 5:1-12
Revelation 7:9-17
1 November 2020 – All Saints’ Sunday
All Saints’, Kapa`a

Here we are, on OUR special day as a church – All Saints’ Sunday! This year is even more special in the calendar in that All Saints’ Day, November 1st, also happens to fall on a Sunday, so we can celebrate it together in worship. This is the day when we celebrate the communion of all saints – those all around the world, throughout time, and even those who have gone on ahead of us to the Grander Life. 

Our first reading from Revelation 7:9-17, in the last book of the Bible, shows us a glorious picture of a time in the future when we will be in Heaven – filled with people from every tribe, language, culture, ethnicity, and nation – all coming together to praise the Name of Jesus, the Lamb who was slain on our behalf, and to celebrate in joy and happiness together for eternity. This is our future home as a pilgrim people journeying in this life on this earth.

Back in December 2008, when I was still with the Diocese of Los Angeles, we had our yearly Diocesan Convention. I was told we would have a special guest performer, but didn’t know in advance who it would be. When we came to the Saturday evening dinner, we all found out that the guest performer would be none other than Bobby McFerrin – best known for his hugely-popular song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Turns out that McFerrin is a committed Christian and a confirmed Episcopalian, and his mother was well-known in the diocese for her lay leadership skills – the bishop had even made her a Canon of the diocese. Bobby McFerrin talked about many things and about his life, but his thoughts about why he wrote “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” stayed with me. He said that he wanted to convey that true happiness is not a fleeting emotion or something you have to dredge up when you are down and buffeted by life’s challenges. Instead, McFerrin said that true happiness in knowing your infinite worth in God’s eyes, and that awareness leads to a deep-down sense of calm contentedness and wellbeing, no matter the outward circumstances.

Another song of the same vein came out a few years ago from Pharrell Williams, a Virginia native. His catchy song, “Happy,” also urged his listeners to focus on the positive things of life rather than get bogged down by the world’s negativity.

I bring up this theme of happiness because our reading from Revelation shows us that most complete image of universal happiness and joy. But also I bring it up because in our Gospel reading from Matthew 5:1-12, Jesus tells his followers how they can find happiness in this life while they are making their way up to their heavenly home. In his first public address, Jesus begins his “Sermon on the Mount” by spelling out eight ways to be happy – the old King James Bible called them “the Beatitudes,” which is from the Latin meaning “blessed” or “happy.” One way I remember the Beatitudes is a saying I heard once – Jesus’ Beatitudes are the “attitudes to be.”

This is all a welcome word for us in our day and age, when so much around us causes us distress, consternation, and worry. We live in a United States that doesn’t feel very united right now; the pandemic has afflicted so many of us with our health as well as financially; tribalism, sectarianism, gender inequality, and racial strife haunts our ability to live together as a society.

So let’s see how Jesus wants us to be happy, taking the Beatitudes in turn:

  1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven: Again, the word “blessed” really means “happy.” Now this sounds like an oxymoron (and we will run into a lot of these in the Beatitudes), for how can anyone be both happy and poor in spirit? I think Jesus is indicating we need to realize our need for God and for each other, that we should take a sober assessment of who we are and Whose we are. We’re neither too proud to acknowledge our shortcomings, nor too insecure to embrace our strengths. Jesus’ words echo the feelings of the Psalmist: “The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit, which God will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). When we know we don’t nor can’t have it all together in our lives, that is when God can meet us most.
  2. Happy (or blessed) are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted: Now this really does sounds like a contradiction! How can I be happy while mourning? I think Jesus means this in a couple of ways. First, All Saints’ Day is especially a day when we honor those we love who have died and we miss – we mourn our loss. However, the fact that we CAN mourn means that that person must have had some kind of positive influence in our lives, for which we can, indeed, be thankful and even happy! God had blessed us with the presence of that particular loved one in our life, and so we can commend their eternal soul to the loving care of our Heavenly Father. Secondly, we also mourn more frequently in our lives when we realize we have done some harm such that we let down God and let down each other. When we are truly sorry, that’s when we put ourselves in a position to receive God’s assurance and accept the forgiveness of others – all leading to our own sense of wellbeing and, yes, to our own sense of happiness.
  3. Happy are the meek, for they will inherit the earth: When Jesus says “Meek”, he doesn’t mean “Weak.” Jesus himself was someone who was meek – at times unassuming but all the time willing to offer himself for the sake of others. My picture of Jesus, who voluntarily submitted himself to trial, torture, and death on the cross for his love of the whole world, is not someone who was weak in any way – but rather led a lifestyle of meekness. I once heard a definition of meekness as “power under control” – not bulls in a china closet, but governed by the yoke of God’s control. Certainly, the Son of the Creator of the universe had all the power at his disposal, but chose to use it to bless others. And a word about “inherit”: When you inherit something, it is given to you and not something for which you had to work. Jesus promises us the whole world – but not as something we need to grasp at or to step on others to get, but something that God will give us out of love.
  4. Happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied: Everyone craves something – often like fame, money, attention, or influence. But these and other earthly things will run out at some point. Jesus, though, is saying that our true happiness lies in a satisfaction that will last forever, and the way to achieve that is to go for God’s priorities of justice and righteousness.
  5. Happy are the merciful, for they will receive mercy: As a school teacher, I had often told my young students that if they want friends, they should be friendly. It literally is in their power to get friends. Jesus says mercy works the same way – if we want mercy, we should be people of mercy, since the characteristic of God our Heavenly Father is to be merciful. As we give slack to others, God (and others) will give us slack as well. God has our back, so let’s have the back of others.
  6. Happy are the pure in heart, for they will see God: Jesus implies a single-minded focus of heart, with no duplicity nor filled with the world’s distractions.
  7. Happy are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God: I’ve learned that some people actually enjoy arguing or putting other people down, either from a smug sense of superiority or to cover up for their own insecurity. Jesus wants us to be peacemakers and make bridges, not build walls.
  8. Happy are you when you are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven: While it’s not fun to suffer loss, if we do so for the right reasons, we can have the satisfaction of knowing that God sees it and will honor it.

I’d like to close with what our lives would be like by NOT following Jesus’ Beatitudes. This alternative list is what I call the “Me-Attitudes”:

  1. Pity those who only look out for “number one,” for they cut themselves off from the thrill of the fellowship of heaven.
  2. Pity those who cannot say “I’m sorry,” for they will not know the joy of restored relationships.
  3. Pity those who grasp at what they think is their due, for like wet soap, it will just slip through their fingers.
  4. Pity those who give up leading a pleasing life, for they themselves will find no lasting pleasure.
  5. Pity those who are ruthless, for what goes around comes around.
  6. Pity those who fill their lives with entertaining distractions, for they will obscure what really matters in life.
  7. Pity those who create discord and foment splits, for they are at odds with the God of reconciling love.
  8. Pity those who live large at the expense of others, for that will be their only reward.

May our attitudes be Christ’s Beatitudes. Amen.
Mālama Matters
Thoughts on Stewardship from Kahu Kawika
Aloha mai kākou,

Among the Hawaiian words that we employ quite a bit is mālama, which means “to tend for, preserve, or protect” (Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert, Hawaiian Dictionary, 1986). We often render the term as “stewardship,” but the heart of the meaning is a loving care for someone or for something.

For our Stewardship Season, the Vestry chose the theme of “Mālama Matters,” connoting the double meaning of both the importance of mālama as a regular spiritual practice, as well as signifying the many ways in which we can exercise mālama. In short, it suggests both the why and the how of mālama.

Thus, when we consider mālama, we need to extend our thinking beyond mere fundraising. True biblical stewardship is not about just trying to keep the lights on to maintain property, as important as this is. Rather, God calls each of us to take a fresh look at what it means for us to be followers of Christ in this world, and ask how we can do our part to fulfill Jesus’ own petition in the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

This means that we should prayerfully consider how God wants to make use of our abilities, talents, desires, time, money, and property. It is a chance to offer back to God and to each other our very best selves, to express our love for God’s place in our lives and all that God does for us. It is a renewed commitment to throw in our lot with our siblings in Christ – for God’s glory and for the improvement and blessing of our wider world. And we are to do all this with joy: “For God loves it when the giver delights in their giving” (2 Corinthians 9:7, The Message).

You can find our list of ministries as well as pledge cards at our Sunday services, plus we will be mailing them out to those in our church directory. Please take time to read over the list of ministries and see which ones resonate with you and are what you like to do. Our 2021 Pledge Card asks you to commit what you would like to give back to God as a love offering of what God first gave us.

Mahalo nui loa for your thoughtful and prayerful consideration.

-Kahu Kawika Jackson
Priest-in-Charge and Head of School
Below is a synopsis of decisions from the most recent Vestry meeting, held on Tuesday October 27th. 

  • Organ Project: Tremendous good news in that not only have the organ parts arrived, but also we have permission to access restricted past disbursements of the Sloggett Funds to pay the budgeted balance due for the Organ Project (approximately $28,000). After the Stewardship Season finishes on November 15th, we will appeal for more individual contributions toward the accommodation and food costs for the organ installation crews.
  • Roof Repairs to Rectory and Cottage: Vestry approved to go ahead with this. Costs are mostly covered with funds we already have, short of a couple of thousand of dollars.
  • TV Monitor(s): Vestry will canvass opinions from members of both Sunday services over the coming weeks. A final decision will be made in January.
  • Annual Meeting: Set for Sunday January 24th, with a combined worship service at 9am.
  • Bishop Visitation: Set for Sunday February 7th (SuperBowl Sunday). We have candidates for 3 confirmations and two baptisms.
  • Adult Formation: Kahu will teach over four Tuesdays in the Advent Season on the Four Matriarchs of Jesus' family tree from Matthew 1.
  • Sunday School: Plans to commence from Sunday November 28th, the first Sunday of Advent and the start of the new church year.
  • Houseless Minsitry: A HM group has formed to see to the needs of our houseless guests on the premises, to ensure guidelines for them, and to set a vision for their future needs.

-Kahu Kawika
Priest-in-Charge and Head of School
Confirmation Classes and Baptisms to be Scheduled
Call Cami to be Included
In preparation for the February 7th visit of Bishop Fitzpatrick to All Saints’, Kahu Kawika is planning on conducting confirmation classes. The classes will be open to candidates of all ages. The baptisms may be held before the Bishop’s arrival or during his visit.

The confirmation classes will probably be in three sessions, one hour each, in December/January. The location will be determined after the number of participants is finalized. We currently have 3 candidates for confirmation and two candidates for baptism.

If you are interested in either confirmation or baptism, please contact Cami at: church@allsaintskauai.org or 808-822-4267.

-Cami Baldovino
Church Administrator and Youth Minister
Kapa`a Interfaith Thanksgiving Luncheon
Covid-Style
The Kapa`a Interfaith Thanksgiving Luncheon is happening this year. It saddens me that because of the Coronavirus everyone won’t be able to come together in our big red gym to break bread, talk story, and share thanks for this wonderful place we call home and for each other. Instead, we will be handing out boxed lunch consisting of the usual Thanksgiving meal complete with all the fixings from Mark’s Place, of course. We will be sitting up at the gym for people to drive thru in their cars to receive a boxed lunch.
 
As usual we will deliver meals to the elderly and shut-ins within the Anahola to Puhi area. Because we are unable to use the preschool area this year, the meals for delivery will be picked up at the Kapa`a Hongwanji Temple. If you need a meal delivered there are forms available on at our church entrance, or contact me 821-2878 or Sarah 822-3473. 

We are excited that the East Kaua`i Lyons Club and Kaua`i Independent Food Bank are a part of this year’s luncheon. They will be handing out a bag of food to each delivered and picked-up meal until supplies run out. They have also volunteered to help direct traffic at both properties, so give them a shout of thanks when you see them in their yellow vests. 

There will be an Interfaith Church service outside at All Saints’, starting at 10:30 – 11AM. Meals for delivery will be picked up at 11AM. Drive thru meal pickup is 11AM - 1PM. 
To make this function happen, we need your support as always.

  1. Drivers to deliver meals - Drivers need to be in pairs, wear masks and have a cell phone. Sign up sheets located at the church on Sundays, or call Mary Margaret or Sarah. 
  2. Individual juice boxes. We already have 1200 donated but will need 300 more. 
  3. Brown paper bags with handles – thy type used by Safeway or Longs. 
  4. Small flowers, esp. anthuriums for flower bouquets to go with meals. 

Also, fruit or flowers to decorate the altar. We will need them at the gym the morning of Nov. 25, the day before before Thanksgiving. 

Mahalo for your support and assistance in making this a very unusual but wonderful Thanksgiving. 

Event Co-Chairs
-Mary Margaret Smith 821-2878 and Sarah Rogers 822-3473 
Upcoming Holiday Events
Mark Your Calendars and Join Us
Interfaith Service: Thursday, November 26th, 10:30AM, All Saints' under the false kamani tree by the gym.
December 24th
  • 3:30PM Keiki Service led by the Ke Akua Youth Group
  • 5:50PM Festive Eucharist
  • 10:30PM Carole Prelude and Festive Eucharist

December 25th
  • 9:30AM Eucharist
Sunday School Restarts in November!!

Looking for Teacher Volunteers
Aloha Everyone,

Kahu Kawika and Cami plan on restarting Sunday School on November 26, 2020. Plans are to hold classes on the deck under the false kamani tree until they can return to Memorial Hall. In case of rain, class will be moved to the Youth Room or the gym. Cami will lead the first class.

This year the curriculum will be reading stories from the “Spark Story Bible” that correspond to the lectionary readings for that Sunday. Kahu and Cami have planned out the first few months which will be posted to the All Saints’ website soon. Sunday School teachers can use http://textweek.com/ to incorporate podcasts, videos, reflections and discussion questions, and prayers into your lessons. They can also research their own activities online. 

Please let Cami know if you are interested in returning as a Sunday School teacher or would like to join the ministry. Returning teachers should feel free to reach out to their original partner to see if you can return as a team. All are welcome to join the first class to help watch the keiki and see how the curriculum is offered.

If you are interested in this ministry, please contact Cami with any questions: church@allsaintskauai.org, 808-822-4267

-Cami Baldovino
 Church administrator and Youth Minister
IT'S A WRAP! (AND SUCCESS)

This year's Annual Meeting of Convention was like no other in the history of the Diocese. On Saturday, October 24, 2020, Convention 52 was held "virtually" on Zoom, and live-streamed through YouTube. It was likely the shortest annual meeting as well, lasting only 2-1/2 hours. 

The Cathedral of St. Andrew in Honolulu served as the home base with only the officers (The Rt. Rev. Robert Fitzpatrick, Chair; Wayne Yoshigai, Chancellor; The Rev. Daniel Leatherman, Dispatch of Business; The Rev. Annalise Pasalo, Secretary) and a handful of staff present, while clergy and delegates were able to participate from the safety and comfort of their homes. 

​Like much of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic thrust the Diocese into uncharted territory with no instructions to help us navigate life in a year like 2020. Organizers spent months researching, testing, and trouble shooting every aspect of this very important event.  

In early March, the theme and logo for the meeting had just been finalized when COVID-19 reached our shores, and shortly after, the State went on lock down. But when the doors to our sanctuaries were forced to close, our "windows" to online communication burst wide open! The Diocese's Spring Training and Chrism Mass event, scheduled for March 28, was held online. Churches scrambled to learn and explore how to broadcast live services on social media and stay connected through Zoom. 

When it became apparent that the pandemic was going to be around for a while, more long-term solutions were put in place: some churches purchased special AV equipment; social media accounts were reactivated and websites brought up to date; online Bible Study, meetings, and even coffee hours after Sunday services formed. The Bishop began weekly video messages and a Wednesday Bible Study series. More than ever, online communication was key to keeping folks connected and informed, and it was inevitable that the Annual Meeting would follow suit. 

(To read the full article on the Diocese's News website with videos and photos, click on the link below:)

The Gifts of Faith
 November 8, 2020
By The Rev. Matthew Woodward

The parable of the wise and foolish virgins brings back so many rector wedding memories. I have to say, virgins trimming wicks are few and far between in early 21st century Bay Area weddings; you are more likely to find mason jars liberally strewn around the barn venue and handwritten chalkboards offering tri-tip, which you can eat perched on a bale of hay. But the frenetic last-minute energy of things needing to be fixed is just the same today as in scripture. 

If you get stuck in the anxiety, keeping company with the wedding planner and their staff, you are going to miss the point of the event.
Weddings confer the blessing of companionship. We can get stuck in the mechanics of delivery and all of the anxiety it generates. Or we can acknowledge that love is a great gift, and we should be grateful for it.

I once oversaw a wedding in which the couple forgot to get a license. I took a deep breath, made sure they had a wonderful day, and secretly remarried them a month or two later. Their love for each other was a gift. We found a way to fix the paperwork.

Faith is a gift, Christian community is a gift; worship, children’s choirs and that moment when teenagers suddenly make a profound connection with their faith: These are all gifts. We could get caught up in the anxiety of paying for it all, or we could just say thank you and write the pledge that shows how grateful we are for all we have received.

The Rev. Matthew Woodward is an Englishman on the West Coast of America and the Rector of Transfiguration Episcopal Church in San Mateo California. He is a recent puppy parent, and loves comics. He has also found stewardship ministry to be a real joy, rather than the other thing, in recent years. 
National Cathedral’s Interfaith Prayer Service Takes America on Journey from Grief to Hope

By Egan Millard

Posted Nov 1, 2020
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry preaches from the historic chapel at Saint Augustine’s University, an Episcopal-affiliated historically Black university in Raleigh, North Carolina, during “Holding onto Hope: A National Service for Healing and Wholeness” on Nov. 1, 2020.

[Episcopal News Service] On Nov. 1, with the most turbulent U.S. election in recent memory two days away and the COVID-19 pandemic causing widespread suffering and death, thousands of Americans tuned in to Washington National Cathedral’s virtual interfaith prayer service, which brought together an array of Americans of diverse faiths, races and backgrounds – from internationally known leaders to middle school students – to heal and pray for the country.

Titled “Holding onto Hope: A National Service for Healing and Wholeness,” the service led participants through three stages: confession and reckoning, lament and grief, and hope. It was a mix of live and prerecorded segments featuring Scripture readings, musical performances, prayers from religious and civic leaders like the Rev. James Martin and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and a sermon from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.

“Our ideals, values, principles and dreams of beloved community matter,” Curry said in a passionate sermon that urged listeners to reject cynicism and hatred and stand up for justice. “They matter because they drive us beyond service of self alone to commitment to the greater good of us all. They matter because they give us an actual picture of God’s reign of love, and a reason to struggle and make it real. They matter to our lives as people of faith. They matter to our life in civil society. They matter to our life as a nation and as a world. Our values matter!”

Click on the video link below to see the Interfaith Prayer Service.
Episcopal Leaders Urge Prayer, Patience as Nation Awaits Outcome of Presidential Election


By David Paulsen

Posted November 4, 2020
Washington National Cathedral in the United States’ capital hosted an online “Service of Healing, Unity and Hope After an Election” on Nov. 4.

[Episcopal News Service] As Americans woke on Nov. 4 with the outcome of the presidential election far from decided, Episcopal leaders called for prayer and patience as the process unfolds over the coming days and weeks.

The incoming results from several key battleground states still could tip the Nov. 3 election either toward President Donald Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden, especially as election officials work to finish counting the large volume of absentee and mail-in ballots, driven to record levels by the coronavirus pandemic.

The remaining uncertainty adds to an already tense political climate. Washington National Cathedral, which on Nov. 1 hosted a pre-election online interfaith service featuring Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, followed up the day after the election with a noon-hour “Service of Healing, Unity and Hope After an Election.”

“The campaigning is done. The votes have been cast. And now we wait for our democratic process to fulfill itself; and during that time, as people of faith, we gather to pray,” the Very Rev. Randy Hollerith, dean of the cathedral, said at the beginning of the service. Hundreds of people watched the livestream on YouTube, and video of the service is available on replay.

“Regardless of who wins, we have so much to do to bring us together as a nation, to better understand one another, to honor one another as the children of God that we are,” Hollerith said. “So today we come together, praying for unity, healing and hope, in expectation, waiting patiently and faithfully, knowing that God’s grace is doing greater things than we can ask or imagine.”

Click on the video link below to see the Service of Healing, Unity and Hope After an Election.

FROM THE EPISCOPAL CAFÉ

The Better Angels of our Nature

November 05, 2020

Leslie Scoopmire
This last Sunday the gospel we heard, leading us into Election Day, was Matthew 5:1-12, when Jesus sits down on a mountain to teach the crowds, and we receive one of the two versions of the Beatitudes in the gospels.

  • “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
  • “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 
  • “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 
  • “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 
  • “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 
  • “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 
  • “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 
  • “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” 

I am grateful for this gospel being stretched over us like a canopy this week. Many of us are anxious for an extra reason in the next few days: the election on Tuesday. We have all heard people, even before voting began, anticipating their idea of the worst and vowing to resist violently and to turn on their political opponents.

This is NOT the American way, nor is it the way of people of faith. But it does have precedent in American history. 

In the election of 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president in a fractious election that featured the vote split among four candidates. After the electoral college met in December of 1860, states began attempting to secede from the Union, even before Lincoln took office on March 4, 1861. Seven states had announced their decision to part by the time Lincoln addressed the nation in his first words as president. In his First Inaugural address, he appealed to calm, reason, and affection, to shared history and values. Lincoln closed with this plea:

We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.

In the end, Union prevailed, albeit at great and terrible cost, but unity remains harder to come by, even now. Yet it is never too late to turn aside from the forces of division, and embrace hope.

Look back over that list of eight blessings from Matthew. Each of them refers to better angels of our nature. Each of these blessings begins in the present (Blessed ARE…) and points to the future (for they WILL BE…), except for the first and the eighth statements, which say that the poor in spirit—the downcast, the anxious, in other words– and those who are persecuted are blessed “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 

Is. Present tense. And so too, our political lives are rooted in the present, but should look forward in hope to a better future for all. 

And yet, as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, preached in a perfectly named sermon entitled “When Peace Becomes Obnoxious,” we are confronted with this powerful stone of truth: “true peace is not the absence of tension, but the presence of justice.” We cannot have peace if it is founded upon silence in the face of injustice and the suffering of others in the sake of profit. That the way of the world—that world that Jesus calls us to work together to overturn in the Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes remind us that those who are especially blessed of God are not the high and mighty ones, but those who are on the side of those the world esteems little: the poor, the weak, the suffering, the innocent, the peacemakers, and those who persevere in discipleship even when they stand at risk of unjustly losing all the things the world values. The Beatitudes are addressed to the Church, those who proclaim that they are disciples of Jesus. Those who are blessed are those who look beyond themselves.

No matter what the results from Tuesday are, however long it takes to resolve, I pray for us all to be bold witnesses and peacemakers who stand for justice, unity, and respecting the dignity and worth of every person.
The Rev. Leslie Scoopmire is a writer, musician, and a priest in the Diocese of Missouri. She is rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Ellisville, MO. She posts daily prayers, meditations, and sermons at her blog Abiding In Hope, and collects spiritual writings and images at Poems, Psalms, and Prayers.
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.
canned goods
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"

Please submit your story ideas to the Epistle Staff at news@allsaintskauai.org.
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.