Online Centering Prayer & Scripture Reflection
Tuesday morning, 9:00 - 9:45 am HST on Zoom https:/zoom.us/j/7532197968
This past Tuesday, the scripture reading for the day was the Lord’s Prayer story in Matthew. We began Centering Prayer with the Aramaic version of the prayer. It’s a beautiful chant. Imagine our Master Jesus praying this! Consider including it in your meditation/prayer practice. 


Join us for Centering Prayer every Tuesday morning 9:00 - 9:45 am. 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 .

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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-
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 Morning Coffee with Pastor Gae

Aloha Friends,

“Mercy” has been on my mind this week. Bishop Bob spoke of mercy in his message last Sunday. Mercy is mentioned quite a bit in our Episcopal worship. One of the hymns of praise in the beginning of the service is “Kyrie Eleison” or “Lord have mercy upon us.” Our most used response in the Prayers of the People is “Lord, have mercy.” Our confession addresses God as “Most merciful,” and pleas for God to “have mercy on us and forgive us.”

One of our Eucharist Prayers reads, “Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.”
What exactly is “mercy?” Is it the same as “grace?” One commentary suggested that “ Grace” is a totally gratuitous gift of God. We can do absolutely nothing to “earn” it and we have no “right” to it... Mercy, on the other hand is the "loving-kindness, compassion, or forbearance shown to one who offends, as in the mercy of God to us sinners."

Theologian Paul Hasselbeck says that grace is “Divine love in action, a constant in the universe, available to all who will receive it.” He echoes that grace is unearned and unable to be earned. I really like the thought of “divine love in action.” It encompasses it all – compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and brings it home to love.

I may be the only one who doesn’t feel joy when I hear both the words grace and mercy. I think it is because mercy has a much louder voice than grace. It’s like they are attached at the hip. I cringe when I have to sing the words to Amazing Grace — Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. (FYI… I’ve changed the lyrics, substituting soul for wretch) Did God create me as a wretch, who constantly needs grace and mercy?
My spiritual mentor/friend Jim says, “God loves for who we are and who we aren’t.” I like that. To me, that is what unconditional or perfect love is. Loving us just the way we are. I don’t believe God wants us to think of ourselves as wretches and cruds and sinners. Rather, I think God wants us to embrace the truth of who we truly are, a child of God, made in God’s image. I think God wants us to see ourselves as God sees which means we need to release ourselves from the belief that we are just sinners. Instead of pleading, “Have mercy on me” all the time, maybe we should be singing with joy, “Thank you God for creating me and loving me as I am.” 

My friends, how might the world look different if we could see it through the eyes of one who knows him/herself as a spiritual being, created and loved just as we are. And just as important, how might we see others? Could we begin to see others as God sees?

Your thoughts as always are welcome,

~Pastor Gae ✝️
A note from Pastor Gae - This past week on our island there were four suicides. They were all young men. As I mentioned last week, there has been little conversation about the emotional impact of the Virus by comparison to the expert talk about the threat of catching the virus or dying from it. I encourage us all to be smart and practice social distance and wearing a mask when in public places. But I also encourage us not to share sound-bytes about the virus that are of no value but instead, reach out and call folks you know and be a light of inspiration and reassurance that all will be well. God is good.

Thoughts in response to last week’s Coffee Chat

Dear Gae- Some years ago, before you came to Kauai, I visited Christ Memorial on one of several trips to the island. The last time I was there we attended church, and I signed up for your newsletter, which I read with great interest. Thank you! I wanted to tell you I was especially moved by your thoughts this week, as the fear theme resonates with my rather simple view of life: as creatures of God we are formed in God’s image and imbued with free will. And in each and every choice we make it is possible to distill these to choices made of love, or choices made of fear. That’s all. Christ of course exemplified the love side, and we seek to emulate that paradigm. Simple, and not easy.
 
Your writings and choices to sip judiciously from the endless barrage of news relative to COVID are laudable. Stay well.
 
Elizabeth Tracey, MS

 CONNECT
Friday, May 15th at 2:00 pm for shoppers
Wait until you see our newly renovated Thrift Shop !
Want a preview? click here

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, cooperation and ALOHA...

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!

We will be celebrating on the front lawn of the Thrift Shop
on Saturday, May 16th at 2:00 pm
Join us for cake!

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. 
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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