Volume 6, Issue 35
August 27, 2021
THIS SUNDAY: August 29, 2021
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost


Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
In Moses' last speech to the Israelites, he tells them to heed God's words of life, which in turn will serve as an example to the surrounding nations and cultures.

Psalm 15
The blessings of obeying God and doing what is right.

James 1:17-27
The perfect Law of Liberty sets us free to love God and to practice compassion on those in need.

Mark 7:1-8, 14-1, 21-23
Jesus tells the religious leaders that it is not outward things that can defile us, but rather evil intentions of the heart.
ON-SITE CHURCH SERVICE
WITH COMMUNION

8:00AM
Joe Adorno (EM)*
Jeff Albao (U)
Marge Akana (AG)
Muriel Jackson (DM)

9:30AM
Mary Margaret Smith (EM)
David Crocker (U)
Terry Ann Moses (LR)
Jan Hashizume (AG)
Mabel Antonio, Nelson Secretario (HP)
Jan Hashizume, Ron Morinishi (DM)

Live Stream
9:00AM 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; SS - Sunday School
UPCOMING EVENTS

Aloha Hour
Canceled
Until Further Notice

Ke Akua Youth Group Meeting
Wednesday, September 8th
5:00 - 6:00PM
Zoom Meeting
Contact Cami for login info.

Daughters of the King
Thursday, September 9th
7:00 - 8:00PM
Zoom Meeting
Contact Mabel Antonio for login info.

Organ Concert
Sunday, September 12th
2:00 - 4:00PM
Guest Organist: Peter Dubois
Church


Recurring Events
Aloha Hour
Every Sunday, 10:45AM - 12:00PM
Under lanai tent

Monday/Friday Crew
Every Monday/Friday, 8:00AM 
Church Office
Laundry Love
1st Wednesday, 5:00PM
Kapa`a Laundromat

Daughters of the King
2nd & 4th Thursday, 7:00 - 8:00PM
Zoom
For the sick and suffering in body, mind, and spirit, especially Those affected by the Pandemic,Those affected by racial violence, Noah, Patsy, Susan, Maddy, Lori, Peggy, and those we name silently or aloud, let us pray to the Lord. ​Lord, have mercy. 

For those saints who have gone before us in the Grander Life, 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.
Reflections from Kahu Kawika
The Power to Stand
John 6:56-69
Proper 16B
22 August 2021

Have you ever had a day you thought would go great, only to have your hopes dashed?

  • A flat tire on the freeway, making you late for a very important appointment.
  • A crabby co-worker giving you a hard time.
  • You turned in a project you are proud of, only to have your supervisor pick it apart.

Kind of like that well-known song from Alanis Morissette, life can be like “rain on your wedding day.” No matter your best intentions, sometimes life has a way of throwing a curve ball.

In our gospel reading this morning from the gospel of John, Jesus is having one of THOSE days. Yes, he is the Son of God, yes he is the one who lives without sin, yet he is also human and subject to the curve balls of life.

In the past few weeks, we have explored the image of Jesus as the “Bread of Life,” or Living Bread. Today, Jesus leads us further into the details and implications of that reality. To recap, earlier in this chapter of John 6, Jesus had just been teaching the crowds along the Sea of Galilee. He had been on a hillside, and he saw how great a crowd had gathered to hear him teach – more than 5,000 people! He then cared for them even further by giving them something to eat, miraculously changing 5 barley loaves and 2 fish into enough food to have 12 barrels of leftovers! By this time, the crowd is going wild and wants to make him their permanent king to lead the charge to kick out the occupying Roman Empire and to re-establish a Jewish kingdom reminiscent of the glory days of Kings David and Solomon.

However, Jesus decides to press his advantage by giving a teaching moment around the food. He goes to the synagogue down the hill in Capernaum, Peter’s hometown, and starts to teach the people that he himself is the Bread from heaven. The food they had just eaten is nothing compared to “eating Jesus” in their lives.

Now, notice the striking language Jesus uses here. He says that they have to “eat” his flesh (lit., to chew on or gnaw on his flesh), and drink his blood, in order to have from God what really satisfies and what really lasts forever, not just for a day like perishable food (and even manna, the heavenly food rained down upon their ancestors and Moses in the desert for 40 years). Jesus expects this to be the great triumph of the day, when people will finally get the point he is trying to teach them – to have more of Jesus and less of the things of this world.

Instead, his greatest triumph turns sour. This is where we join the story today. The crowd is having trouble with two things Jesus asserts about himself:

  • Jesus is the Son of his Heavenly Father: “A heavenly Father? We know who his real parents are, since we saw him grow up among us – Joseph and Mary!”
  • People need to eat Jesus’ flesh and drink his blood: “What is this about Jesus giving us his FLESH to eat?” Not only do they find the thought of cannibalism repugnant, but also Jewish law forbids eating ANYTHING with blood in it or even touching blood.

The crowd starts thinking, “Yuck! What kind of guy is this?” This reaction reminds me of my childhood, when at times we had to eat liver and onions – my dad loved them, but even the smell literally made me convulse. I couldn’t leave the table until I had eaten it, so I remember actually sitting there sometimes for what seemed hours on end – I just couldn’t keep that food down! So when we see the repulsion that the crowds have to what Jesus says, maybe we can understand it even though nearly 2,000 years later we are used to hearing language like “eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood.” 

Not only that, we even read just after this chapter ends that some of the crowd who adored him now want to kill him for making these claims. Talk about going from Hero to Zero, from Nifty to Nut, from the Penthouse to the Doghouse!

We see today that Jesus’ huge following of more than 5,000 dwindles rapidly down to just the 12 apostles (and possibly their usual small entourage). Jesus is not having a great day. Right now, he seems like a reverse Billy Graham or Joel Osteen. This has to be a huge disappointment for him. We normally do not think of Jesus suffering a setback like this (other than the cross, which he intentionally chooses). By the way, whenever we have our own setbacks in life, let’s remember that we are in good company – even Jesus as the Son of God had his bad days, too.

Jesus then asks a very telling question to his remaining small band of disciples, and in the Greek the tone is something like this: “You guys won’t abandon me as well, will you?” This plaintive cry is not just for the immediate moment, but points to a later reality: The writer John at times plants clues to future events, so that we his readers need to understand the gospel through bifocal lenses (e.g., eating flesh and drinking blood – Jesus alludes to the Eucharist, a future event just before his crucifixion, when he tells the crowd to eat him, the true Bread from heaven). Also here, the writer John is foreshadowing Jesus’ trial and crucifixion, when practically all of his disciples (especially Peter) would abandon him to his fate in the hands of the Roman authorities.

If you think you are the only one to suffer setbacks in life, think again. Jesus has been there and done that. The good news is that God through Jesus suffers those setbacks with us, and then points us to a brighter day to come.

But Jesus’ question resonates to our time and place now. When we suffer reversals and setbacks, will we abandon God? It is easy to do, but the truth is that it is precisely at those times when we realize afresh our dependence on God for all things – health, livelihood, family, friends, and a sense of well-being. When it comes right down to it, everything else is secondary compared to living off God.

This is exactly why Jesus chooses the “yucky” language of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, because this is the best way to illustrate “living off God,” the kind of utter dependence for life we have on God daily. Indeed, God wants so much to be a complete part of our lives that the image of food and drink going into us and literally becoming one within us and with us, is the best description to hand Jesus has.

It is also worth noting that Peter, often the spokesperson for the disciples, shows signs of brilliance when he isn’t putting his foot in his mouth. With perhaps even a wry smile of encouragement on his face, he answers for the small group of disciples (in today’s idiom): “Lord, where else are we going to go? You’re the only one saying anything ultimately worthwhile.”

And Peter’s words echo down to us 2,000 years later. Where else are we going to go? Is life found in one relationship after another, in naked ambition that steps on others, in public and national policies grounded in fear rather than in hope?

The challenge we inherit from Jesus and Peter is to be people who represent God in today’s world, not only in our personal lives but also as a witness to justice and hope to the wider world.

Jesus’ nickname also resounds in our lives today: “Emmanuel,” or “God is with us,” both in the sense of being ever-present with us wherever we go and whatever happens to us, but also “with us” in the sense of supporting us, cheering us on, and giving us strength to carry on. The writer to the Ephesians in today’s reading from chapter 6 reminds their audience that they are in possession of a great treasure – the full armor of God, equipping us with the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of justice, the belt of God’s reality, and the Spirit’s zeal catapulting our feet to move in step with the Spirit in our lives. God in this way gives us the strength we need to meet our daily challenges, and to know that no matter the outcome we are victorious as long as we have God by our side.

Jesus’ question still resonates: Will we abandon him? Let us set our resolve not to do so, because Jesus did not abandon us on the cross. In the name of God, our Source of Love, the Son given in Love, and the Spirit who unites us in Love, Amen.
Mary Margaret Smith Moves Forward in Her Formation as a Deacon
Messages from Mary Margaret
Mary Margaret serving in her frequent role as a Lay Eucharistic Minister.
What is a Deacon? 

What is a Deacon? 

So many have asked me that question. It seems people, even cradle Episcopalians, don’t understand the role of a deacon and how important it is to the spiritual growth of the church community.

A Deacon is:

  • A person ordained to lead and live out the Servant Ministry of Jesus Christ in the church and in the world. 
  • A prophet of social justice and compassionate action, calling all the people of God to live the servant ministry of their Baptismal covenant.
  • A leader, teacher, and nurturer of the church’s social ministry. 

The Deacon is often called a bridge, with one foot in the church and the other in the world. A bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other. This is so that the gathered community is always mindful of, holds up in prayer, and responds to in their life, the pain, brokenness and hunger of the wider world. 

The role of a deacon in our worship service best symbolizes the ministry. They proclaim the gospel, lead the prayers of the people, set and clean up the table for Holy Communion, and dismiss us to “Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord”. 

A deacon reminds us that our true service starts on Sundays when we leave the church, that our mission field is our community and the world. We are called not only to prayer but to action. 

I am humbled and amazed that God has called me to this ministry in God's church.
Mary Margaret as usher
The Path to Ordination

The path to ordination is a long process as it should be. It is the journey of formation that one walks with God. I sensed my call to the Diaconate ten years ago and after years of discernment, I finally accepted the call and started the path to ordination three years ago. To start the process, one needs the support of their church. In keeping with the Episcopal Church Canons, in April 2019 the All Saints’ Vestry, on behalf of the entire congregation, wrote a letter of Nomination and Support, which pledged to contribute financially and spiritually in my preparation for ordination, for me to the Bishop. I then started all the paperwork and meetings. Letters of recommendation, psychological and medical exams, a background check, and a meeting with the Bishop and the Commission on Ministry were required. Once that was done and everyone had agreed, the Bishop admitted me as a Postulant (a candidate, seeking admission into a religious order). Then the training started.

I completed Introduction to Formation, a one-year course of study and discernment, and have just finished my first year of Waiolaihui’ia, our local formation program. The Waiolaihui’ia program is structured to enable people with full-time jobs to participate in training one weekend a month for three years. The program uses the curriculum designed by the Iona Center at Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, TX and we have been able to meet on-line via Zoom. On Friday evenings we met for evening service, for which we took turns preparing, and giving the sermons. The sermons were critiqued by the people attending the meeting. Saturday mornings the first year were spent studying the bible with Fr. Kawika Jackson and in the afternoon we discussed practicum videos we watched from the Iona Center. There were test questions each month and a final at the end of the year. I start my second year September 10th. It will follow the same format as the first year except we will be studying church history and New Testament Greek. That will be interesting, never thought I’d be learning Greek.

It is customary that one is assigned to a different church for your second and third year of internship. As of September 1st, I will be attending St. Michael’s and All Angels in Lihue. This coming Sunday will be my last Sunday at All Saints’. Because of this transition I have had to give up all duties and work at All Saints’. My whole Episcopal life has been at All Saints’, starting twenty years ago. You all are my family and I will miss worshiping with you so much. I have been so touched by the support everyone has given me. I wouldn’t be making this journey without the love you have shown me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Please continue to pray for me as I will be praying for all of you. 

-Mary Margaret Smith
Laundry Love Announces New Fall Schedule
We are pleased that we will be on-site every month!
Laundry Love will be available the first Wednesday of the month at the Kapa`a Laundromat at 5:00PM beginning September 1st. Many thanks to all who support Laundry Love.

If you wish to volunteer for this Ministry please contact the Church office at (808) 822-4267.
Announcing the Inaugural All Saints'
Gift of Music "Makana Mele" Organ Concert
September 12, 2021

First in an On-going Series Supporting Our Community
Featuring Peter DuBois
Director of Music and Organist

Third Presbeterian Church
Rochester, NY
Peter DuBois has served as Director of Music/Organist at Third Church since 1991. In addition to his full-time duties at Third Church, he is Host and Producer for the popular nationally syndicated public radio program With Heart and Voice. For 15 years, while serving Third Church, Peter concurrently served on the faculty of the Eastman School of Music as Assistant Professor of Sacred Music and Director of the Sacred Music Diploma program. Prior to coming to Third Church, he served 10 years as Director of Music/Organist at Christ Church United Methodist in Charleston, West Virginia, and taught at West Virginia Wesleyan College and the University of Charleston.

Peter holds degrees in organ performance from the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Peter maintains an active performing career, with recitals throughout the United States and abroad, including at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, Notre-Dame de Paris (twice), the Basilica of Ste. Clotilde in Paris, and the Cathédrale du Saint-Saveur in Aix-en-Provence. 

Please join us on September 12th at 2:00PM for what promises to be a spectacular concert performed on All Saints' Rosales Opus 41 Pipe Organ.

Details to follow. Until then, mark the date!

Mahalo nui loa to David Murray, Bill Brown, and Chucky Boy Chock for putting their heads together to discover the perfect name for the All Saints' organ concert series: Makana Mele - The Gift of Music.
Coming Up: Daughters of the King Retreat
All Episcopal women are invited to take part in the Daughters of the King (DOK) Retreat, taking place on Saturday, September 11, 2021, from 9:00AM - 2:00PM, at The Cathedral of St. Andrew.

While one of the goals of the retreat is to connect DOK members throughout the State of Hawai'i, this retreat will broaden the Episcopal community's view of the mission of the DOK organization in Hawai'i: Through prayer, service, and evangelism, we are Episcopal women dedicated to the spread of Christ's love and the strengthening of the spiritual life of our congregations.

For more information about the retreat, click on the image above to view and/or download the event flyer. For more information about DOK, visit the Diocesan website HERE. Note: With increasing COVID-19 counts, organizers are preparing for an online version of the retreat if need be
Holy Nativity Honolulu Welcomes Rev. Jennifer Briggs Latham
The Reverend Jennifer Briggs Latham, "Jenn," feels blessed to be joining the Holy Nativity team as curate this October.

Jenn graduated from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in May of 2020 and was ordained in July of 2020 in the Diocese of Iowa. Since moving to Hawai'i two years ago with her husband, Mike, and children, Miles and Anya, she has served part-time on the ministry team at St. Matthew's Waimanalo.

At the end of August 2021 she will complete a year-long clinical pastoral education residency as a chaplain for Pacific Health Ministry at Queen's Medical Center. Jenn has served on the diocesan task force for Creation Care in both Iowa and Hawai'i, and looks forward to continuing this ministry. (Photo and article excerpts from the Holy Nativity weekly e-news)
Created in the Image of God
When we truly believe we bear God’s image, how do we think of ourselves? Of others? Of our relationships?

Bruce Rockwell
Created in the Image of God

“So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

My early journey of discovery about what stewardship might mean in my life began when a mentor encouraged me to be mindful of this verse from the Book of Genesis that tell us we are created in the image of God.

If I am created in the image of God, who is God? What are the characteristics of God in whose image I have been created?

The first thing I realized is that God is a God of love. God loves humankind, loves us so
much that God gave humankind the gift of God’s own son, Jesus. God loves me so much
that God has given me all that I am and all that I call mine. So, if God is a God of love,
and I am created in that image, I am called to love as God loves. Now I can never love as God loves, but, if I am to be true to who God created me to be, I must strive to be a better lover each and every day. I must strive to love as God loves.

The next thing I realized is that God is also a God of forgiveness. God loves us so much that God forgives us again and again and again. God loves us so much that God forgives us even when we fall short of the mark. This has been a tremendous discovery or realization for me. Prior to stewardship becoming an important part of my life, I did not understand or 
realize the forgiving nature of God. I used to be in fear of the judgment day, because I knew I was a sinner and continually fell short of the mark of what God wanted me to do and to be. But, as a result of my discovery about God, I realized that God indeed forgives me. What a liberating discovery that was! And, as one created in the image of God, I am called to forgive as God forgives. Again, I can never be as forgiving as God is, but I can strive to be better each and every day of my life.

Finally, I quickly realized that God is generous. Again, God loves us so much that God gave us the gift of God’s own son, Jesus, who gives us a window into who God is. God is indeed generous. God gives and gives and gives again. God has given me all that I call mine. And I am called to be generous as God is generous. Again, I will never, can never be as generous as God. But I can strive to be more generous each day. Indeed my journey as a steward of creation compels me to strive to be more generous each and every day of my life.

So, my journey of discovery about God had led me to the realization that as a steward of all of God’s good gifts, I am called to love as God loves; I am called to forgive as God forgives; and I am called to be generous as God is generous.
Explore the Way of Love
BLESS
The Christian tradition calls us not just to believe, but also to bless the world with the Good News that we have learned.

As the writer of Mark’s Gospel tells us, Jesus said, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” When we incorporate the practice of Blessing others into our lives, we are putting our love into action by becoming the Good News for others.

As part of the Way of Love, Blessing gives us a way to follow the example of Jesus. Just as Jesus was a leader and a teacher, he also was a son, a friend, a servant. Jesus understood the need to know and be known by those in his community and beyond. He understood that being seen, invited, and welcomed are ways of sharing blessing.

Likewise, we are called to know and be known, in the name of love. We are called to see, invite, and welcome as living examples of Good News. Just as the apostles were called to give and teach and heal, we are called to give the gifts we have to bless, as God has given so much to us. To seek, name, and celebrate the presence of God’s love in our lives and the lives of others is part of being good news.

We are called to work together as we share this love so that we are not alone in our work, but acting together as the Body of Christ, being his hands and feet in this world, we bring the Good News to life for people here and now.

Being part of a worshiping and serving community is part of the Good News. As the writer of Hebrews tells us: “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” We are called to give freely of our resources, our stories and experiences, our time and our attention. And we are called to invite others into this Way of Love. We blessed ourselves in the process. Others will be blessed in the process.

This is how the world will come to know who we are and what we believe: Through the way we bless them.

Will you commit to the practice of blessing others? Are there others you know who are blessing others, who you can join with to multiply those blessings?

Learn more about the Way of Love at episcopalchurch.org/wayoflove. You can find suggestions on getting started and going deeper with Blessing at iam.ec/explore.

Published by the Office of Formation of The Episcopal Church, 815 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017
© 2020 The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. All rights reserved.
North Carolina Bishops Speak Out Against Bill That Would Restrict How Race is Taught in Schools

EGAN MILLARD
August 25, 2021
North Carolina Bishop Suffragan Anne Hodges-Copple and Bishop Diocesan Samuel Rodman. Photo: Diocese of North Carolina

[Episcopal News Service] The bishops of the Diocese of North Carolina have denounced a bill passed by the state House of Representatives and currently before the state Senate that would restrict how public schools teach about race and how it relates to American history, saying it seems intended to suppress honest discussions about America’s history of racial oppression.

“House Bill 324 would put new rules on public school lessons concerning race and history,” Bishop Diocesan Samuel Rodman and Bishop Suffragan Anne Hodges-Copple wrote in an op-ed published on Aug. 14 in The (Raleigh) News & Observer, including, they say, prohibiting concepts like critical race theory. “Our deep concern is that the dangerous narrative surrounding this bill will prevent a full account of our history from being told and understood.”

Critics of the bill, which passed the House in May, say it would prevent teachers from having truthful discussions about events in American history. Supporters of the bill say it is intended to protect free thought and expression. In “ensuring dignity and nondiscrimination in schools,” the bill proposes that public schools do not promote the concept that “one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex” or that the belief that the U.S. is a meritocracy as an “inherently racist or sexist belief” or that “the United States was created by members of a particular race or sex for the purpose of oppressing members of another race or sex,” according to the text of the bill.

“Regardless of its language about dignity and equality,” the bishops wrote, “HB 324 appears intended to make people of European descent comfortable while ignoring the systems of oppression that they deployed against those of African and Native American descent.

“Structural racism is interwoven throughout our history and continues to impact us, in our current context.”

The controversy around the bill, and others like it, focuses on critical race theory, a field of academic study popularized in the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s based on the idea that racism is embedded in societal institutions and not merely caused by individuals with racist views. Examples of this systemic racism range from slavery to housing discrimination.

Republicans have introduced similar bills in at least 23 states, passing them in eight.

The Episcopal Church has made educating and addressing systemic racism – both within and beyond the church – a priority through its Sacred Ground discussion series.

Rodman and Hodges-Copple – who represent 50,000 Episcopalians including descendants of slaves and enslavers, as well as Indigenous people – say the bill would have a chilling effect on public education and “sweep the real history of this nation, particularly its injustices, under the rug.”

“Efforts to suppress honest, thorough, authentically representative instruction run counter to the core tenets of our faith. Our faith formation is based on the principle that faith has need of the whole truth, the full story,” the bishops wrote.

“We must not be swept up in a larger movement that denies an accurate telling of how we came to be a state and a nation. Instead, we must do the hard work of repenting of our past and leading North Carolina into a healthier, transparent future.”

– Egan Millard is an assistant editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at emillard@episcopalchurch.org.
Nadia Bolz-Weber Installed as ELCA’s First Pastor of Public Witness

EMILY MCFARLAN MILLER
August 24, 2021
The Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, left, is installed as pastor of public witness on Aug. 20, 2021, by Bishop Jim Gonia, right, of the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in a service at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado. 

[Religion News Service] The Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber was installed this weekend as the first pastor of public witness for the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States.

Bolz-Weber, who has often attracted controversy, is perhaps best known for her New York Times bestselling books, including “Shameless: A Sexual Reformation” and “Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint,” the prayer- and profanity-filled memoir of her journey from alcoholic stand-up comic to Lutheran pastor.

She was called to the role of pastor of public witness by the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, whose bishop, Jim Gonia, she said has supported her ministry since she first applied to seminary.

Pastor of public witness may be a new position for the ELCA, but other denominations have called clergy to similar public-facing roles. For instance, the predecessor to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ordained Fred Rogers of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” as an evangelist for television, noted Gonia during Bolz-Weber’s installation service Aug. 20.

Bolz-Weber laughed at the comparison to the beloved children’s TV host, calling it “counterintuitive.” But, she said, it works.

She’d seen “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” the popular 2018 documentary about Rogers and his show, the day after she left the church she founded, House For All Sinners and Saints in Denver, Colorado, to pursue her current work as a public theologian. The film brought tears to her eyes, she said. It also made her believe maybe it was possible for her to do the new ministry she had upended her life to do.

“The motivation comes from having a pastoral concern and wanting to have a broader reach than a single congregation,” she told Religion News Service.

That work, which is self-funded, won’t look any different from what she has been doing since leaving House for All Sinners and Saints.

“I still pay my health insurance,” she said. “It’s not like I got a new job. I get to still do my job, and have my denomination say, ‘This work is pastoral in nature.’”
The Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber discusses forgiveness in a video on her website. 

In addition to her books, Bolz-Weber’s public ministry includes hosting a podcast from PRX and The Moth called “The Confessional,” in which people confess their worst moments and the pastor offers a personalized blessing in return. She will also continue speaking, writing an email newsletter called “The Corners” and leading an “experimental gathering of spiritual misfits” online called “The Chapel.”

Her work often centers on a message of grace and compassion — a message, she said, she herself needs to hear. She’s referred to her style of leadership as “screw it, I’ll go first,” sharing her struggles so others feel comfortable admitting their own.

That message is grounded in Lutheran theology, she said, which is why it’s important for her to remain connected with the ELCA.

“Almost everything I say is just a translation of really basic Lutheran theology, and they’re the ones who gave me that language in the first place,” she said.

Bolz-Weber also offers quarterly messages at several ecumenical ministries in Denver, which issued her call alongside the Rocky Mountain Synod. They are St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Denver; New Beginnings, an ELCA worshipping community inside the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility; and Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, a congregation in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Denver that hosted Friday’s installation service.

“We give thanks for our friend Nadia, who is bringing us together. She has a way of doing that in the world,” the Rev. Clover Reuter Beal of Montview said during the service, which was livestreamed by the church.

In his message, Gonia noted this was Bolz-Weber’s second call to ministry in the ELCA and “a long time in coming to fruition.” The entire conference of bishops of the ELCA had to sign off on the newly created position, which he said he has discussed with the pastor since she left House for All Sinners and Saints.

“Certainly for our Rocky Mountain Synod — one of 65 synods in the ELCA — we’ve never had a calling like this one before, where we are acknowledging that Nadia has a ministry that goes far beyond the walls of any one church,” the bishop told RNS afterward.

That ministry brings a “particular articulation of the gospel” to people who may not otherwise be connected with Christianity, he said. Not so unlike Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
The Resilience Paradox: The Role of Faith Actors in Addressing Climate Challenges and Vulnerabilities Faced by Small Island Developing States

 August 26, 2021
Flood response, Sri Lanka. Diocese of Colombo.

“Small island states are the proverbial canaries in the coal mine when it comes to climate change” 

H.E. Dr Walton Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States

Anglicans are on the front line of the climate emergency, especially those living in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). They are experiencing the devastating impacts of climate change but are also finding ways to try and adapt to this new reality and an uncertain future. In particular, they are developing skills in resilience and disaster preparedness.

The High-Level Political Forum in New York last month provided an opportunity for Anglicans to share their experiences on a global stage. The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) is an annual United Nations conference that brings together member-states to review their progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Led by the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations (ACOUN) team, the Anglican Alliance, The Episcopal Church, Caritas Internationalis, Episcopal Relief and Development, the United Nations Environment Program and the Permanent Mission of Antigua and Barbuda jointly convened a side event at the HLPF, which focused on SDG 13 – Climate Action. The session was titled “The Resilience Paradox: The Role of Faith Actors in Addressing Climate Challenges and Vulnerabilities Faced by Small Island Developing States.”

The striking panel of speakers included the Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, the Archbishop of the West Indies, the Disaster Resilience Programme co-ordinator of the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, the Principal Coordinator of UNEP’s SIDS & Regional Seas Programme, and a member of the General Synod Standing Committee of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia. The session was moderated by Jillian Abballe, Advocacy Manager and Head of Office for the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations. Together, the speakers presented a sobering assessment of the challenges SIDS face, but they also shared stories and strategies for resilience, proving the potential and importance of faith actors in the fight against the consequences of climate change.

A full recording of the session is here.

By way of introduction, Jillian Abballe explained why the session was titled “The Resilience Paradox”. She said, “SIDS face a shared set of geographical, environmental, economic and social vulnerabilities and are challenged by unique development needs. Frequent exposures to natural hazards and disasters are intensified by climate change and external shocks like the Covid-19 pandemic. Often, they are asking for support to be more resilient and are expected to plan for the future while still reeling from the after-effects of recent devastation as well as a more distant historical legacy. Building resilience is often posed as a durable solution to these challenges faced by SIDS in the face of climate change. And yet resilience is not solely a self-generated state of being, nor can it be achieved in isolation. It is one that is reached through partnership, fulfilment of commitments and burden sharing.”

FROM THE EPISCOPAL CAFÈ
Indivisible

Rob Gieselmann
August 26, 2021

Many years ago, a sweeping history of Australia was published called The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia’s Founding, by Robert Hughes. It told the story of how England shipped convicts to Australia’s harsh terrain in the 18th and 19thcenturies, making it a continent not only wrested from its indigenous people but built by basically convict labor. One could be sent to Australia for seven or even fourteen years for stealing a loaf of bread—just like the “crime” that was the centerpiece of Les Miserables. Those who were deemed to have broken the law were seen as unredeemable.

Some might say everyone who breaks the law is a criminal who deserves to be punished—and even cast out. Those who say things like that, at the same time, we probably all know people who behave unethically while using the law as a cover, and also people who break the law in order to follow what they consider to be the greater dictates of their consciences. Laws are meant to strengthen societal bonds and relationships—not tear them apart.

In our gospel for this coming Sunday, Jesus’s critics are scandalized by the fact that Jesus’s followers do not perform the ritual washing of the hands all the way to the elbows that was the tradition that developed from the Torah over the centuries. Yet, their criticism stems not from concern, or the wish to help someone who does not know better. Instead, their criticism means to cast doubt on the holiness of this holy man and his followers. If they don’t even wash their hands before eating, how good of a teacher must this Jesus be? 

And three years ago, when we last read this pericope, most of us viewed handwashing in a much different light than we do now, as deep into COVID19 as we now are. Most of us, before COVID19, gave handwashing a half-hearted effort at best. And now we have all been taught to scrub our hands up to our elbows while singing “Happy Birthday.” Twice.

Jesus reminds us that purity for purity’s sake, stripped of context, becomes an idol on its own. Jewish purity laws were, and in some communities still are, very strict. Sometimes, keeping the law becomes a display of false piety, unmoored from the spirit and purpose of the law at its inception—it wasn’t to make a big show of yourself; it was to demonstrate care for the neighbors and our willingness to be obedient before God. It was about indivisible community, not individualism. 

Ultimately, this argument is about authority and tradition. Jesus points out that tradition is all well and good—until it starts interfering with mission. We’ve lost our way when purity is valued over efficacy—when purity is valued over helping people.

We have been given a similar opportunity to demonstrate that lovingkindness and sense of appreciation of the value of our neighbors’ lives. We have the opportunity to live by grace—in humble acknowledgement of the grace we ourselves have received, honestly acknowledging the profligate love that is at the root of such radical acceptance and forbearance. To see no one as unredeemable.
IN BRIEF . . .

These news briefs were featured in previous issues of "The Epistle"
From The Epistle, August 20, 2021
Prayer for Haiti from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry 

Eternal God, send forth your Sprit to encourage and strengthen the people of Haiti in these difficult times. We pray especially for those impacted by the recent earthquake. Encourage and strengthen those who help and support others. In your mercy, receive the souls of those who have died; comfort their families and loved ones. Surround with your presence the sick and suffering. Aid the work of those who still search and rescue. Empower the medical and aid workers and all who labor to heal.
 
Likewise, inspire and empower the resolve of the nations and peoples of the world to be your instruments of help and healing. Stir up the might of your love and compassion among the nations to rally resources and stay the course until the humanitarian job is accomplished. 
 
Lastly, enfold and uphold the people of Haiti—from the youngest newly born to the oldest among us—in the arms of your love and the strength of your might. This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.
UPDATED: Earthquake-battered Haitian Episcopalians Assess Damage as Ministry Partners Prepare to Help

Mary Frances Schjonberg
August 16, 2021
[Episcopal News Service] Haitian Episcopalians have spent the hours since the Aug. 14 7.2 magnitude earthquake searching for family and friends while assessing the damage to their churches, schools and communities as their ministry partners across The Episcopal Church have anxiously awaited their news.

The death toll from the earthquake stood at close to 1,410 the morning of Aug. 17, Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency said via Twitter. The agency said 6,900 people had been injured.
....

The Episcopal Diocese of Haiti is numerically the church’s largest, with 92,651 members as of 2019, the latest year for which parochial report statistics are available. The diocese grew nearly 11% between 2009 and 2019.

Episcopalians are preparing to help in Haiti as best they can.

“We are deeply saddened by the reports coming from our friends and partners in Haiti,” Abagail Nelson, executive vice president of Episcopal Relief & Development, said in a statement posted on the organization’s website. “We pray for their safety as Tropical Storm Grace approaches the country. We are currently mobilizing to work with an array of development partners to meet the immediate and long-term needs of affected communities.”
Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Haiti Fund will support the organization’s continued emergency response efforts in Haiti.
....

Click HERE to read the full story.
From The Epistle, August 13, 2021
environmental stewardship logo

Sloggett Center Solar and Roofing Project Update
An Environmental Initiative
The preschool roofing and painting project is now finished. The new roof and paint give the Sloggett Center a fresh updated look. The kids will have a brand new preschool when classes begin in August.

The solar panel project is in the KIUC permitting stage. Most likely, we will wait for the fall break in the school calendar (October) to do that installation.

Our fundraising effort continue to ensure we have the capital to cover any unexpected expenses and to maintain our investment in our new roof and solar system. Continued support raised our total by $1,100 last week. Our current support is $316,813.33. Thank you to everyone who continues to give to this project.
The Vestry and the Environmental Ministry are grateful to all the donors who have contributed to make this project possible. A special thanks to Kathy Northcutt for writing the NPT grant application that brought in $100,000 toward our goal. We are thankful that the All Saints’ `Ohana recognized the value of this project and donated so generously.

Mahalo nui loa to you all!
office angel logo

Office Angels Want to Help Celebrate Your Birthday!
Look Forward to a Birthday Card in the Mail
The Office Angel Ministry humbly requests your participation in their new outreach effort. They would like to honor all participants on their birthdays with a special birthday card from All Saints' Church. If you would like to participate in this birthday initiative, please email back church@allsaintskauai.org with your birthday and any other information you would like to share. 

Birth years are not required, just the month and day. If you know of anyone else who may enjoy participating, please feel free to pass on their birthday and mailing address to us. Going forward, if we learn of birthdays from any sacramental events (baptisms, marriages, etc.) we will update your information to our list automatically. 
 
For those without email addresses, we will prepare a sign-up sheet to fill in at the church on Sundays. 
 
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. 
 
Mahalo!

-Cami Baldovino
Church Administrator
Who Do You Call?

Contact information for All Saints' Ministries and Outreach

Please submit your story ideas to the Epistle Staff at news@allsaintskauai.org.
USHER MINISTRY
If you would like to serve as an All Saints' usher, please contact Cami at church@allsaintskauai.org.

HALE HO`OMALU ACCEPTING DONATIONS
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. Leave them in the red wagon outside the sanctuary

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.
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