WEEKLY NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
September 26, 2021
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Phone Number: (808) 482-4824
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Sunday Worship
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
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*ONLINE SERVICE ONLY*
(in-person worship cancelled until further notice)
Service of Holy Eucharist
9:30 am on Zoom only until further notice
Here is the link to join us on Zoom:
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CHRIST MEMORIAL MEDITATIONS |
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This Week's Pastor in
Residence Reflection:
We all know that the biblical phrase, “All are from the dust, and to dust all return.” (Ecclesiastes 3:20) It is spoken in almost all and every Episcopal and Anglican burial service as well as during the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday of each year. It is a phrase most of us do not dwell on as it implies death and death is not something we like to think about more than necessary. If asked what the phrase means, most I think would say that we are mortal, again echoing the Book of Common Prayer, formed from the earth and to the earth we shall return.
And, what if that phrase was intended to mean plainly what it says? By this I mean, what if the bible is speaking to us in denotative as well as connotative language in this phrase about our mortality? What if it is not only a metaphor, but an actual description of what we were born to accomplish in death?
We have all invested a great deal in protecting ourselves whenever and wherever possible from death, and we have also invested a great deal in protecting our loved ones in death from accomplishing this our final act of generosity and reciprocity. By this I mean, we often choose to embalm a loved one in death. For what conceivable purpose? To ensure that whatever happens to the body, it never decays and decomposes, thus returning to the earth? And if that is not enough, we place the body in sealed coffins or caskets that are tasked with protecting the body from the earth. And if that is not enough, we place the embalmed body in the casket in a sealed cement vault that further protects the body from ever returning to the earth from which it was created by our Heavenly Father.
So the Bible is clear: we were made from the earth and to the earth we are to return. This is a sacred transaction and we are not only encouraged but commanded to allow our trust from God, our living bodies, comprised of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon and nitrogen, to return the loan that was made at our conception to the earth from which it was taken on loan in trust.
Most of the burial and funereal customs and traditions that have developed since we allowed the funeral industry to take over the functions that loved ones once carried out, are bent on preventing us from returning the loan we received. And when that takes place, either through embalming and burial in sealed caskets and vaults or through cremation, the earth is robbed of the richness and elementary beauty it bequeathed to us at our creation. And when the earth is thus robbed, not only are we humans the poorer for defaulting on our loan, but the soil itself is robbed of the very thing it needs in order to foster life on this planet, rich and life-giving minerals and elements that make the soil capable of preserving and producing life.
Next week I will discuss Conservation Burial practice which is growing in our country and in the world, a movement to allow the bodies of those we love to return to the earth we also love. If you would like to prepare for this, please visit “conservationburialalliance.org”.
Jon
(The Rev.) Jonathan B. Coffey
Jonathan B. Coffey
P. O. Box 293
Kilauea, HI 96754
904-535-2987
“Start slow, and then taper off.” (Harry S. Truman)
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CONTACT THE REV. JONATHAN COFFEY |
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The Rev. Jonathan Coffey (our current visiting Pastor in Residence) would like to connect with you! Please feel free to reach out via email, phone or mail.
Jonathan B. Coffey
P. O. Box 293
Kilauea, HI 96754
Jon: 904-535-2987
Send Jonathan an email here.
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LAST TEACHING SERIES ON
HEALING SPACES
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Join us for our last session in the exploration of healing spaces. This online seminar will be led by The Rev. Jonathan Coffey. Read more about Jonathan here.
Join us for a journey into the topic of how a place works towards facilitating healing...
Background on the Book: 'Healing Spaces'
In the 1990’s Dr. Esther Sternberg began testing an intuition most of us share: that beauty facilitates healing of mind, body and spirit. Out of her research came the book “Healing Spaces: The Role of Place and Wellbeing”. Dr. Sternberg has since then joined the faculty at the School for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson where she directs research and chairs the Center for Place, Wellbeing and Performance.
We will read and reflect upon her book and the growth in appreciation for the ideal habitats for healing each Thursday mornings at 8:00 a.m. Join us!
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THRIFT STORE SET TO REOPEN |
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We are set to reopen on Saturday
September 25, 2021!
Saturday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Please wear a mask.
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OUR ANNUAL PLEDGE CAMPAIGN CONTINUES |
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“Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above…” James 1:17, NRSV
September 24, 2021
Dear Christ Memorial Ohana,
Every message about our pledge campaign begins with Gratitude, and I am so very grateful for all the ways that this community has met the challenges of this year and found common ways to share a community of love and joy with our neighbors. Thank you.
Our campaign theme this year is about Every Perfect Gift, and reminds us how everything that we receive and everything we give comes from God. In Rebecca's letter to us recently, she focused our attention on the gift of Time in the trifecta of Time, Talent, and Treasure. I would like to highlight the gift of Talent.
Talents, the blessings with which we are imbued by our Creator, are even more beautiful when they are freely given, as I have seen you do so often in our life together. Talents are a double gift – by Grace you have received them, by Grace and you generously share them.
“Well I am not talented! What can I give?” some might say. But you are, each of you, wonderfully gifted. I have heard it in the voices of our musicians and of those loud singers among you – angelic! I have appreciated your talent in the way you give your wisdom, counsel, and experience to our committees, and guilds! We see it manifest in the way you raise your families and teach your children to be loving! I have tasted your talent in meals left on doorsteps and treats shared at coffee hours and potlucks! Each of you has something you do well, and I am grateful that you share those talents with our community and our neighbors.
As you receive your pledge materials this year, and learn more about Every Perfect Gift, please know that your guidance and support are deeply appreciated by me and by this community. I thank you for sharing your gifts with us.
Aloha;
Maggie Lea
Junior Warden
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Maria joined her nearby Episcopal Church many years ago, deeply moved by the liturgy and the way her church looked at faith and Holy Scripture. She became very active, began teaching Adult Sunday school, eventually heading up the adult Christian formation program. Then ‘Life’ stepped in. After going through several personal and family crises, Maria found herself attending church less and less. With her faith at its lowest point ever, Maria felt she had no place to go for help. What surprised her the most was that no one from church seemed to notice she stopped coming.
So, she decided to wait until someone from church called to check on her. Twice the annual pledge campaign letter arrived in her mailbox like clockwork, with pledge card duly enclosed. But the letter was always addressed, “Dear Member of All Saints Church.” Into the trash went the anonymous letter and pledge card, and Maria’s relationship with All Saints Church. What is most sad about this story, however, is that the loss of Maria from All Saints Church was entirely preventable. An active TeleCare ministry at her church would make it extremely unlikely that this story would ever happen.
In short, TeleCare ministry is a lay-led ministry that expresses your church’s care and concern to every member—and “permanent visitor”—on your parish membership list. You call with one question: “We’re just calling to see how you are and if there’s anything you want us to pray for?” That’s it. Best of all, it’s free! All it takes is a little organization, commitment, and people who are willing to call others, to pray with them over the phone and remind them of your congregation’s love for them. Such a small act upholds the care for others demonstrated in today’s lesson from James, and the Gospel lesson, looking out for those new to the faith.
Unfortunately for All Saints, Maria attends a different church now.
Developed in the 1990’s by the Rev. David Davidson-Methot and Deacon Fran Sweet in California, TeleCare ministry is a true from of stewardship: It is the care and tending of relationships. Bestselling author Brené Brown writes, “Connection, along with love and belonging (two expressions of connection) is why we are here, and it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.” Jesus models for us the ideal of self-giving relationships, relationships based on mutual love, compassion, and respect, which is essential to being human. Elegantly simple and lacking presumption, TeleCare ministry fosters that sense of connection in that it is an expression of the church’s love and belonging for its members.
Do you feel called to start a TeleCare ministry in your church, to prevent a story like Maria’s from happening? If so, please send me an email for a free PDF that outlines a basic form of TeleCare ministry, with ideas for training callers and practice scenarios. Discover how this “phone call of love” might be just the thing your people need from their church following a year of COVID-19 induced separation and isolation.
The Rev. Canon Timothy M. Dombek is Canon for Stewardship and Planned Giving for the Diocese of Arizona, Rector of Advent Episcopal Church in Sun City West, AZ, and a member of the board of TENS. He can be reached at timothy@adventaz.org
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BISHOP'S COMMITTEE MEETING |
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A MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOP |
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Aloha my dear Siblings in Christ Jesus,
As your Bishop, I deeply appreciate all those medically eligible who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and all those who continue to wear their masks in public and practice social distancing when gathering. Thank you! As Episcopalians, I am convinced this is the very minimum we, as God’s people, can do to fulfill the Great Commandment (Mark 12:29-31) during this difficult time of a worldwide Pandemic: “Jesus replied, ‘The most important one is Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You will love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.’” You, God’s people, are truly loving your neighbor through these righteous deeds.
O gracious and holy Father, give us wisdom to perceive you, diligence to seek you, patience to wait for you, eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate upon you, and a life to proclaim you, through the power of the spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bishop Bob Fitzpatrick
With this, I pray we can teach and witness to the world.
Yours faithfully
+Bob
The Right Reverend Robert L. Fitzpatrick
Bishop Diocesan
The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i
229 Queen Emma Square
Honolulu, HI 96813-2304
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Helen Mitsui Shared Blessings Thrift Shop in Kilauea is seeking Volunteers for 2021.
Each volunteer shift is a 2-4 hour commitment for a minimum of one day per week. Experience in Retail, Customer Service, and/or Retail a plus, but not required.
Volunteers are invaluable to serving our community. Our goal is to reuse, repurpose and recycle goods — keeping as much as possible out of landfill — while providing our community with access to reasonably priced, quality merchandise.
Here are ways you can help:
* Greeters welcome shoppers and monitor our COVID guidelines.
* Customer Care helps shoppers to ensure a pleasant shopping experience.
* Merchandisers organize departments, restock the floor and display retail goods.
* Philanthropy distributes merchandise to organizations in need.
* Donation Intakers receive, sort and process donations.
Work-from-Home volunteers help prepare merchandise for sale. We are especially looking for help in these areas:
* Games: checking games to ensure all components are intact
* Stationery: packaging up cards and envelopes
* Holidays: preparing merchandise for Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Valentines, 4th of July, and more
* School, Office, Art Craft Supplies: organizing and packaging materials for reuse
* Toys: sorting, cleaning, and packaging toys
* Hardware: sorting and packaging tools, materials, electronics and appliances
Requirements?
*Team players with a genuine interest in serving the community and contributing to the reuse movement.
* Willingness to support COVID-19 safety measures set by Shared Blessings
* Physically able to lift 50 pounds (Merchandisers and Donation Intakers only)
Benefits?
Serving the community and our environment is rewarding work. We have a lot of fun! New merchandise is donated daily, so the element of surprise and wonder is constant. Get a first peek and more!
Interested?
Click on the reply button here! Let us know 1) your interests, 2) your availability to volunteer and 3) your contact information. Mahalo!
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PRAYER REQUESTS THIS WEEK |
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Healing of body, mind and spirit for:
Let us pray for our own needs and those of others. We remember especially those on our prayer list. Healing of body, mind and spirit for: Janice, Marilyn, Tony, Webb, David, Shane, Linda, David, Scott, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Helen, Sataya and Will.
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Beginning on Saturday
September 25, 2021
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Thrift Store Will Re-Open :
Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
For a safe shopping experience, we can only allow 8 shoppers in the store at any time.
All must wear masks and use hand sanitizer.
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Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Meets in the Parish Hall:
Monday 6:15 - 7:15 pm & 7:30 - 8:30 pm
Tuesday 10:00-11:00 am & 7:30 - 8:30 pm
Wednesday 7:30 - 8:30 pm
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A Prayer:
Magnificent Holy Father.
I stand before you at this altar. So many have given you more.
I may not have much I can offer. Yet what I have is truly yours.
This is my offering, dear Lord.
This is my offering to You, God.
Your offering enables us to maintain worship, prayer and study during this time. Help us continue to provide a beautiful, flourishing, and safe "Sanctuary for the Spirit" at our historic and faithful church on Kaua'i.
Change to Automated Giving: Thank you to those of you who automate your giving and have a plan to support your church. Your consistent, planned generosity makes it possible for us to budget and dream responsibly. Want to change to automated giving? It makes life easy, especially if you travel.
Live off island? If you have a prayer intention or would like to pray for those on our prayer list, email our office. To be part of the church collective means we all share in the cost of being a church. We want our church to have inspiring worship; pastoral care for those in need; beautiful church grounds; programs to learn and grow; and tools to reach out to those who are seeking a closer relationship with God. See the different ways you can share your gifts, on our Giving page HERE.
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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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Keep up-to-date with messages from the Bishop. Click on the buttons below to view the Bishop's weekly Monday & Wednesday messages, and find links to online worship in the Diocese. |
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Christ Memorial Episcopal Church
2509 Kolo Road, Kilauea, HI 96754
(808) 482-4824
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