Volume 6, Issue 41
October 8, 2021
THIS SUNDAY: October 10, 2021
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost


Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
The prophet, writing from the 700s BCE, has a very contemporary message for us today: We need to work for changing the structures of our society to promote compassion and social justice for the needy and destitute.

Psalm 90:12-17
The psalmist urges their readers to look for God's favor and for God's loving work to be made manifest in our lives.

Hebrews 4:12-17
Although God is our ultimate judge, God is abundant in mercy as well. The proof of that is Jesus, sent by God to live among us and to understand what we go through in life. In light of that, we can approach God's throne of grace with confidence we will receive God's mercy.

Mark 10:17-31
A rich man, highly ethical in lifestyle and whom some believe to be Mark himself, approaches Jesus wanting to know how to inherit eternal life. Jesus, out of love for him, advises him to get rid of the one thing in the man's life that stands in the way -- his wealth. Jesus then said to his disciples "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
ON-SITE CHURCH SERVICE
WITH COMMUNION

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

9:30AM
Dileep Bal (EM)
David Crocker (U)
Nelson Secretario (LR)
Faith Shiramizu (AG)
Vikki Secretario, Mabel Antonio (HP)
Ron Morinishi, Jan Hashizume (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

All Saints' Preschool Fall Break
Monday, October 11th through
Friday, October 15th
Sloggett Center

Solar Roof System Installation
Monday, October 11th through
Friday, October 15th
Sloggett Center

NOTE: Day and Time Change
Daughters of the King
Wednesday, October 13th
6:00 - 7:00PM
Zoom Meeting
Contact Mabel Antonio for login info.

Ke Akua Youth Group Meeting
Wednesday, October 20th
5:00 - 6:00PM
Zoom Meeting
Contact Cami for login info.

Project Vision Hi`ehi`e Mobile Showers
Thursday, October 21st
11:00AM - 4:00PM
Church Lawn
Recurring Events
Aloha Hour
Every Sunday, 10:45AM - 12:00PM
Under lanai tent

Monday/Friday Crew
Every Monday/Friday, 8:00AM 
Church Office

Project Vision Hi`ehi`e Mobile Showers
1st and 3rd Thursday, 11:00AM - 4:00PM
Church Campus
Laundry Love
1st Wednesday, 5:00PM
Kapa`a Laundromat

Daughters of the King
2nd & 4th Wednesday, 6:00 - 7:00PM
Zoom
Adult Formation Series:
Episcopal Church Leadership Demystified

Take Me to Your Leader!

Livestream via Zoom
Part 2 Tuesday October 12th, 5:30PM - 7:00PM 

Recently, an informal but lively discussion of the Episcopal Church and its Leadership occurred.

You know the conversation. 

Did you hear what they are going to do?”
“Don’t worry about them. I think they are doing fine.”
“Yah well, they don’t get it.”
“Do you ever talk to them?”
“Who are they?”

In an effort to determine just who “they” are and demystify Episcopal Church Leadership, it helps to break it down into manageable pieces and tackle them one at a time. For these two sessions we will seek to understand Episcopal Church Leadership and how it impacts us as members of the All Saints’ `Ohana.

Our Parish is a member of a larger Episcopal community. That means there are many opportunities for you to participate in the life of our Church. Get involved and learn more about how you can make a difference locally. 

Please join us on October 12th at 5:30PM - 7:00PM to learn more.

To receive the Zoom link and final details, please contact me at rector@allsaintskuai.org

-Kahu Kawika+ and Bill Caldwell
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 Suzanne Kobayashi
Sermon from 10/3/2021
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
Psalm 26
Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Mark 10:2-10

This morning, in our readings we have Jesus talking about marriage in the gospel. Now this can be a very sensitive subject. And from the Old Testament, we have a reading from Job. I’ll start with Job, and we will come back to Jesus and marriage. 

Most Old Testament books take the position that whenever anything bad happened to the Israelites, they are being punished for their transgressions, and when good stuff happened it was because they were righteous, but not in the book of Job. Job is a virtuous lover of God, living maybe a 1000 years before Jesus. This good and holy man goes from great wealth, a happy family, and good health to being struck by disaster after disaster which take away his first his wealth, then his children and family, and finally his very health. At his lowest point, he is sitting in ashes, covered in painful boils, unable to eat, looking like a living skeleton. Three of his friends hearing of his predicament, come to console him. They are shocked at his appearance, but rather than consoling, they end up nagging him to exhaustion trying to diagnose Job’s sin. He maintains his innocence, but his friends don’t buy it! They judge him wrongly; certain he must have done something to deserve his plight. So now he doesn’t even have the comfort of his friends! Yet Job does not curse God but continues being a righteous person. Job is in the Bible to remind us that sometimes, bad stuff happens to good people. Hold on to that idea, bad stuff can happen to good people! 

Now some folks might hear this morning’s message and feel guilty because they have divorced. Some folks might think they are more righteous than others because they have not divorced. Marriage is one of the things we judge the success of life by. It’s important, and personal, and it is also public. You and I hold a lot of judgements about ourselves and others when it comes to marriage. So here is a little self-discovery opportunity. Notice your thoughts in answer to the following questions:

What comes to your mind when you think about someone who has stuck it out in a hard marriage? What do we think about someone who has been blessed with a compatible partner, and the years flew by? What do you think about someone on their 3rd or 4th marriage? What do we think about folks who never marry? Do you belong in any of those categories? If so, what do we think about ourselves? When we judge our life, the only thing equal to the importance of marriage in our identity is raising children. Many of us judge success or failure as parent by how our kids turn out. What comes to your mind when you think of people who have great relationships with their kids and grandkids? What do we think of people who say they don’t even know where their children are? What do we tell ourselves about someone whose child has gotten into drugs or turned to evil and selfishness? What about the person who has a child with a birth defect? What about folks with no kids? 

We may say, gee – I’m a nonjudgmental person; but remember your thoughts about yourself or others when I just asked those questions. Do we wonder what others did to deserve their situation, good or bad? We are constantly making judgements & comparisons without even realizing it but judgement is not our job. As followers of Jesus, do we really believe that finding the perfect partner and staying in that relationship till one of us dies and raising perfect children is our goal on the planet? What about compassion and remembering bad stuff happens to good people like our friend Job? When we are critical of ourselves or others, we block the flow of God’s love. We create a separation between ourselves and God, and ourselves and others.

The institution of marriage has never been fixed. We know it has changed over time and has always been different culture to culture. In Jesus’ time marriage was prearranged, couples engaged while they were still children. Men had multiple wives. It was lawful to consummate before the marriage. The pharisees are trying to get Jesus to say something they can find fault with. They know there are laws allowing divorce, but Jesus answers, stay married, don’t divorce. In his time, women found social and financial security in marriage but could be left destitute if their husband divorced them. Jesus was protecting the weak when he tells the pharisees the laws for divorce are because they are stiff necked. He knew some men would use those laws to divorce a woman if something better came along or for any trumped-up reason. 

2000 years later, we choose our own mates, and some divorce and remarry several times. Some choose to live together; many people have children before they decide to marry. Divorcing someone today does not mean that they will be left destitute or social leper. Our job as Christians is to be forgiving and accepting of others and ourselves. Our judgements can keep us from seeing ourselves and others as children of God, just like the children Jesus was blessing at the end of our reading today. To be those children who enter the kingdom of God, we need to trust in the stranger, and accept ourselves and others. Think of Job. Do we accept our difficulties without speaking ill of another or do we look for someone to blame? Are we like Job’s friends, more concerned with analyzing the situation, finding where the blame lies than being compassionate and offering comfort to someone going through a hard time? When we find ourselves in bad spot, are we busy judging our past actions or are we gentle with ourselves? Do we think we get what we deserve, or do we forgive ourselves and others as Jesus did, with compassion and love? 

Remember our friend Job, J O B, spelled just like job. Bad stuff happens to good people, including ourselves. 

Judgement is not our job. 

Love is.
Welcome Suzanne Kobayashi!
Suzanne Joins All Saints' as Our Priest Intern
Below is a message from Suzanne to the All Saints' `Ohana
Aloha,

I am Suzanne Kobayashi. I have been warmly welcomed by your church on my first month worshipping with you and I thank you.

I am originally from Santa Monica California. I was raised Catholic. Religion, other cultures, and people have always fascinated me though. After graduating from UCSD with a BA in Biology, I married a surfer and moved to Kauai in 1978. Most of the time since then, I have attended Christ Memorial Church in Kilauea. I attended some evangelical churches when I first moved to Kauai and Kalaheo Missionary when I lived on the south side for a couple of years. I enjoyed and learned from all the churches I attended. 

At Christ Memorial I taught religious education to the Kilauea school when my kids were little for about 9 years. Later, I was on search committees, the Bishop’s Committee, and played music at church. My Mom lived with us for her last 7 years. My mom and some of my fellow church members thought I might be a good priest and encouraged me to think about it. When my mom passed, I felt the Holy Spirit was saying it was time I gave back. 

The Episcopal Church has always been a good fit for me, with my Catholic roots and inclusive beliefs. I wanted to be an altar boy when I was little. (Clearly, I didn’t understand the requirements. I was very young.) I guess God may be gifting me my childhood desire to serve in his Sanctuary after all. Since studying for the priesthood, I have fallen more deeply in love with the Episcopal Church, the scriptures, and how God’s spirit works through us fallible people to bring His Kingdom here. I have much more appreciation for how our church has grown and changed, as indeed the whole body of Christ grows and changes, with so many different and distinctive parts all interconnected by God’s love. 

In the secular world, I’ve worked in restaurants, a dental office, painted murals, helped build houses, sold art, and taught art to children. The surfer and I divorced after 18 years and have 2 beautiful children from that marriage. I’ve been married to my husband Joe and had a small property management business for the last 20+ years. We have a beloved son, Ryan, and I gained a step daughter. I am a grandma. I currently facilitate a Compassionate (Non-Violent) Communication Practice group and am in 2 book clubs. I love my friends, art, plants, music and… I used to like to travel too :o) 

I am so happy to be able to worship and grow with you over the next two years. I enjoy teaching and art, which I hope I will have a chance to share with you. I look forward to seeing what God will do. I feel very blessed. Mahalo!

Thanks so much for your patience and reaching out to me.

God's blessing on us this week and always.

-Suzanne
National Coming Out Day
October 11th
Monday, October 11th, marks the 33rd annual National Coming Out Day (NCOD), first observed on the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights (1987). Every year we celebrate and embrace the powerful experiences of coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, genderqueer, queer, intersex, agender, pansexual, asexual, gender non-binary, or as an ally (LGBTQIA+). Sharing our stories makes us a stronger community, family, and church.

It was Rob Eichberg and Jean O’Leary who first proposed the idea of NCOD. Eichberg founded a person growth workshop, The Experience, and at the time, O’Leary was the head of National Gay Rights Advocates. Eichberg, who would later die in 1995 of complications from AIDS, had said the strongest tool in the human rights movement was to illustrate that most people already know and respect someone in the LGBTQ+ community, and NCOD helps these people come to light. There have also been different spokespeople for each NCOD. Some notable names include “Frasier” actor Dan Butler and Candance Gingrich, half-sister of Newt Gingrich, in the 1990s.

Coming out and living openly aren’t something people do once, or even for one year. It’s a journey that they make every single day of their lives. Every coming out experience is unique and must be navigated in the way most comfortable for the individual. Whether it’s for the first time ever or the first time today, coming out can be an arduous journey. It is also a brave decision to live openly and authentically.

This week, as we make intentional time to pray for all—youth and adults alike—to know that “wherever you are on you journey of faith, you are welcome at this table,” let us meditate on the following prayer from a Coming Out Day Litany written by The Rev. Charles Graves at Houston Canterbury:

Let us pray for our queer, transgender, bisexual, lesbian, and gay siblings, as we mark this National Coming Out Day, that we all may have the strength to claim our experiences; the space to be imperfect, vulnerable, and in process; and the courage to embrace our power.
Let us pray for all who feel desperate or alone, especially all LGBTQIA+ people who lack community, that they may know the company of loving friends and supportive family, and that they may have the creativity and fortitude to envision new spaces and give birth to chosen families.

Let us pray for all those who come out only to face rejection, discrimination, or persecution, may they know the care of a compassionate neighbor, may their wounds be given the time and space to heal, and may their hearts be comforted by the presence of justice.
Let us pray for our faith communities, as we strive to do the ongoing work of welcome and solidarity, that we may be a community that honors the journeys of LGBTQIA+ people, nourishes their spirits, and celebrates their gifts.

Let us pray for our world, that we may acknowledge the gifts of the Community and be transformed by them. That we may create a society rooted in love, grounded in justice, and strengthened by difference.

-Kahu Kawika+
A Message from the Bishop
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
Dial 808 To Make Local Calls
Just a reminder that beginning on October 24, 2021, all local calls, including those on the same island, will require you to dial area code 808 + telephone number. The change comes as the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) adopts 988 as a new three-digit number to be used nationwide to reach the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline starting July 6, 2022. In order for it to work, all service providers must implement mandatory 10-digit local dialing. Be sure to update all your contacts with their area codes.
Jesus looking at him and loved him – Mark 10:17-31

Some years ago there was a Cracker Jacks commercial. In it a grandfather is enjoying a box of the popcorn snack. He hears his grandson enter the house and hurriedly hides the box. He asks his grandson, “What did you learn in school today?” The grandson responds with an expectant look on his face, “sharing”. Grandpa who is not quite ready to share his snack then asks, ”Did you play any games at school today?” The grandson repeats “sharing”. Grandpa reluctantly shares the box with grandson who then pours some into his own hand and turns to leave until Grandpa asks “sharing?” and extends his hand. Grandson happily shares.

When I was a child, this was just one example of what it looks like to consider the needs of others and our response to them. No matter where we lived, our home was a haven of rest or refuge for those with varying degrees of need. It could have been giving food to Miss Florene to assist her in feeding her family; or serving as a temporary home for Miss Alice’s children when their parents were engaged in domestic abuse situations; or caring for newborn twins experiencing narcotics withdrawal due to a mom who struggled with addiction. It could have been providing our living room as a guest room for someone in need. Or it could have been ensuring there was always a place at our table for the unexpected guest. How often do we look at another and love them?

The love of God comes to us in various and sundry ways. When we look at our neighbors, family and friends through eyes of compassion and love and act with a spirit of gratitude and generosity, we recognize with God all things are possible. When we acknowledge the personhood of the other, particularly those who society would deem the least or the last person one would offer a place at one’s table, then that person becomes the first to receive an invitation. We experience God’s love most fully when we are able to give of ourselves for the good of others.

The Rev. Debra Bennett is rector of Our Saviour, Akron, Ohio and serves on the TENS Board of Directors.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH GOVERNANCE
"Take Me To Your Leader!"
"Who's That?"
The following was first published in The Epistle, 4, June 14, 2019
Recently, I was engaged in a lively discussion of the Episcopal Church and its Leadership. You know the conversation. 

“Did you hear what they are going to do?”
“Don’t worry about them . I think they are doing fine.”
“Yah well, they don’t get it.”
“Do you ever talk to them ?”
“Who are they ?”

This last question really got me thinking. Who are “ They ”?
This week we will focus on The Executive Council, that part of Church Governance that is responsible for carrying out programs and policies adopted by General Convention and overseeing the ministry and mission of The Episcopal Church.
The Executive Council of The Episcopal Church is an elected body representing the whole church. In the three years between meetings of the General Convention, the Executive Council meets quarterly. The Executive Council has the duty to carry out programs and policies adopted by General Convention and to oversee the ministry and mission of The Episcopal Church. The Executive Council is comprised of twenty members elected by General Convention (four bishops, four priests or deacons, and twelve lay leaders) and eighteen members elected by Episcopal provinces.

You can follow the link below to get a list of all current Executive Council members.
President of the House of Deputies Gay Clark Jennings

The following is an excerpt from the opening remarks of President of the House of Deputies Gay Clark Jennings at the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church, currently meeting through June 13 at the Conference Center at the Maritime Institute in Linthicum Heights, Maryland.
Executive Council

June 10, 2019

Opening Remarks

Good morning. Welcome, once again, to the Maritime Center. I’m looking forward to our meeting, and I particularly want to welcome our guests Dr. Ursuline Bankhead, who will lead our implicit bias training this afternoon, and Dr. Mathew Sheep, who we will hear from later in this session.

Last week, I had the opportunity to join the staff of the Episcopal Church Center for its in-house meeting. I enjoyed the chance, as always, to spend time with the dedicated people who help implement the work of General Convention and Executive Council, and I was glad to talk with them about why their work is essential to the mission of the church.

When I met with the staff, I reflected on the 75th anniversary of D-Day, which we observed last Thursday. On D-Day, Allied troops landed on the beaches at Normandy, beginning the liberation of France that led to victory on the European front of World War II. This milestone—the last significant anniversary on which we will have D-Day veterans among us—has been memorialized with a new round of articles and documentaries and exhibits and even the re-release of the epic 1998 film “Saving Private Ryan.”

The anniversary has given us much to reflect on: about peacemaking and just war, about xenophobia and genocide, about imperialism and global alliances, about our relationship with Great Britain and other European allies. But the reason it’s on my mind now is that I believe it provides us with an opportunity to consider the role of institutional structures in changing the world.

Now, let me hasten to say that I am not a warmonger, nor do I have a rose-colored understanding of America’s imperial past—or present. The glorification of battlefield sacrifice and the version of masculinity that it has promoted are deeply problematic for Christians and other humans.

But I am fascinated by the fact that, 75 years on, we are captivated by the soaring rhetoric of the Allied leaders, by Churchill’s speeches and Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats, and by the vast logistical and operational undertaking of landing 156,000 troops on the beaches at Normandy. At the same time, however, we are deeply suspicious of the kind of institutional structures that made it possible.

As we glorify Private Ryan and his comrades, we proclaim that we live in a post-institutional age. We do not want hierarchies, we want networks. We seek to flatten structures and decentralize power. In the church, every three years, we go to General Convention to debate the budget, and we hear about how we should be funding mission, not governance and institutional structures. As though the mission happens by magic.

If we intend to be the Jesus Movement—and we do!—we have to focus on how we are actually going to move. We have to remember that governance is mission, just the same as programs that more commonly get defined that way. General Convention’s commitments to creation care, racial reconciliation and evangelism would mean very little without the governing structures of the church that help make them happen.
So, what does all this mean for you? 

You have a direct line to Episcopal Church Leadership. 

You may even know a member of the Executive Council. Please learn who represents you on the Executive Council and get to know them. Talk story and let them know what's important to you.

Better yet, run for a seat on the Executive Council. You could be selected to represent our Province. That will give you a seat right at the table.

Please take advantage of the opportunity to be a part of the governance of our church. Volunteer to be a delegate to the Diocesan Convention and consider running for a seat on the executive Council.
 
I hope this information is helpful the next time someone says, “Take me to your leader”. 

If you have any questions about Episcopal Church Leadership, please feel free to contact Kahu Kawika, Bill Caldwell, or any member of the Vestry.

Bill Caldwell
The Epistle


FROM THE EPISCOPAL CAFÈ
Prayer – Conscious and Subconscious

Linda Ryan
October 6, 2021
I was shopping in the grocery store not long ago, and something occurred to me. I suddenly noticed that I slowed down when approaching an intersection with another aisle. Then I looked both ways to make sure nobody turned toward my cart or crossed my aisle to another. I found I do the same thing in buildings with hallways. When crossing intersections, I check out what’s happening in the walkways to my right and left. I suppose this habit comes from driving, where constantly watching for other drivers is not only necessary but a safety requirement.  Looking both ways is imperative while driving but pretty much an automatic response in different situations.

I’ve been thinking about other things I do automatically. Walking to the refrigerator to get a pitcher of iced tea may be a conscious thing, but I don’t have to direct my hand to grasp the handle and lift it. I don’t have to tell my lungs to work harder and faster when walking and getting out of breath. They do it as a response to my heart pushing blood and my brain keeping track of how much oxygen that blood is moving to the rest of the body. I stumble, and my inner ears tell the labyrinth to respond to attempt to keep me upright – at least, most of the time.

What else do I do subconsciously?  I trip over something and subconsciously reach out for something to grab onto to keep me upright. The cat knocks something off the desk, and I reach to catch it (the cat usually wins). I put toothpaste on my brush and begin brushing my teeth. I don’t have to consciously direct my hand to move around my mouth, getting my gums, my teeth, and all the crevices between. I do many things without thinking a lot about it, things I do every day or many times a day. Is it a habit? Subconscious thought? Or something else?

Some years ago, I had an automobile accident where a ladder run over by an 18-wheeler in front of me on the freeway hit the side of my car. I found myself in a sliding skid, foot on the brake pedal (where it shouldn’t have been) and saying, “Jesus, help me!” It worked; I wasn’t hurt except for a bit of whiplash and a very slight concussion. At that time, it wasn’t a conscious prayer, although I remember saying it and meaning every word. There have been other times when I have consciously prayed, such as when I heard the news of disasters, illnesses, deaths, or dangerous situations. Sometimes it was an arrow prayer to St. Anthony to help me find things like my glasses, keys, or something else I had lost. Usually, my conscious prayers are directed to Jesus, although I often write prayers to God when reflecting on something. I wonder, why don’t I pray to the Holy Spirit? 

Then I have to wonder, do I ever pray subconsciously, without verbalizing or even thinking of prayer?  I know I have considered things I do as a wordless prayer, such as knitting a prayer shawl or scarf for someone in particular, but what about those I knit without anyone special in mind? My mind can wander once I have a pattern in my fingers and don’t have to pay close attention to it. Does it still count as a prayer shawl if I’m not actively praying at the time? 

I know that I have subconsciously prayed as I walked in particularly familiar or breathtaking places. I have also prayed when hearing or even participated in making music, particularly religious music. I never wanted to be a soloist, but small or large groups seem to magnify my prayers’ strength and sincerity. 

But my mind goes back to subconscious prayer.  I think of places like monasteries and convents where people deliberately enter to devote themselves to lives of prayer and service, a form of prayer in action. People go into churches at all hours to pray and seek comfort, and very possibly some go in just to sit in a quiet, dry, warm place. But who can say that as they sit, they aren’t in some kind of prayer, even if they aren’t really familiar with what prayer is?

Come to think of it, how familiar are any of us with prayer? Is it a habit reserved for Thanksgiving dinner or “Now I lay me down to sleep”?  Is it like an arrow being shot toward heaven to get us out of trouble or ask for something we need urgently? Is “Our Father, who art in heaven” the only prayer we can say when we feel we need to pray? Do we have particular Psalms or verses that we use when we are in distress? Do we consider those prayers, whether conscious or unconscious? Do objects like rosaries or strings of beads help focus our prayers or become almost subconscious as the beads slip through our fingers like water over rocks in a stream?

Do we feel we have to kneel to pray?  Can we do it sitting or even lying down? Can we do it when we’re moving around, or must we stand still? Must we do it aloud, or can it simply come from the voice of our hearts and minds? Can we sing it? Can we even dance to it as David danced before the altar? 

How do you pray? What do you get from it? How do you feel when you pray? Does just sitting and meditating feel prayerful? When you do or make something for another person, do you also offer it to God as a prayer? 

Think about it. 

How do you pray? What do you get from it? How do you feel when you pray? Does just sitting and meditating feel prayerful? When you do or make something for another person, do you also offer it to God as a prayer?

God bless.

Linda Ryan is a co-mentor for an Education for Ministry group, an avid reader, lover of Baroque and Renaissance music, and retired. She keeps the blog Jericho’s Daughter. She lives with her three cats near Phoenix, Arizona.


Image above: Young Nun at Prayer, by Sergei Gribkov, 1852).  Located at the Russian Museum. Found at Wikimedia Commons.
Meet Our Religious Communities
The Order of Julian of Norwich
Order of Julian of Norwich, a religious order for women in The Episcopal Church
What is the Order of Julian of Norwich?
The Order of Julian of Norwich is a contemplative monastic order located in White Lake, Wisconsin. Founded originally for monks and nuns, the monastics decided in 2020 to become nuns only. We are two branches— nuns living in community, and Oblates and Associates dispersed in all walks of life, all committed to intercession and conversion of life, following the teaching of Saint Julian of Norwich. The life of the monastery is that of liturgical, intercessory, and silent prayer, community life, manual labor, and study on the Benedictine pattern. Non-resident Oblate and Associate affiliations with the Order are open to men and women, single and partnered, lay and ordained.

What are your ministries?
Our primary ministry is prayer and we are privileged to do that in-house on our 140-acre rural property. Our monastic life and ministry flows from the daily celebration of the Holy Eucharist, at which the nuns in community who are ordained both preside and proclaim the Gospel. We also have a small guesthouse where we welcome for a time any who wish to rest and share our silence and the peace and beauty of our surroundings. We have a small woodworking, soapmaking, and bread-baking business, write original icons, and publish a quarterly newsletter, Julian’s Window, and an occasional blog, called In a Hazelnut.

Do you take vows?
We make vows of Stability, Conversion of Life, and Obedience. By Stability, we commit to seeking God in the place and among the particular sisters whom God has drawn together. Stability roots us and allows our sisters, surroundings, and ourselves the generosity necessary to reveal the treasure hidden beneath the ordinary. By Conversion of Life (which includes poverty, holding all the Order’s goods in common and renouncing private ownership; and chastity, expressed as life-long celibacy), we commit ourselves to the monastic way in its entirety, allowing the Holy Spirit to act through our circumstances to reveal and heal in us what is not yet converted to love. By Obedience, we choose to be accountable to a common rule of life and to our sisters in community for the sake of the freedom to love and will God’s will alone. This requires patience, trust, and the maturity to be able to listen to and learn from others.

How can I get involved with the Order of Julian?
Learn more at www.orderofjulian.org — read our newsletter and blog, find out about visiting, make a prayer request, make a donation, or become an Oblate, Associate, or nun of the Order.

Published by the Office of Formation of The Episcopal Church, 815 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017
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General Convention Delay Allows First-Time Early Start for Committees, Online Hearings

David Paulsen
October 6, 2021
[Episcopal News Service] When the 80th General Convention was delayed a year because of the pandemic, it provided extra time for legislative committees to review the resolutions they eventually will recommend for passage by the full House of Bishops and House of Deputies. Rather than wait for next July to meet in person in Baltimore, Maryland, those committees are preparing now to begin their work online.

“It’s uncharted territory for us,” said Bishop Sean Rowe, who serves as the House of Bishops parliamentarian. That is especially true for committee hearings on submitted resolutions. For the first time some hearings will be held online, starting in February. “I think it’s going to allow for more participation, a wider participation,” Rowe, the bishop of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York, told Episcopal News Service.

The Episcopal Church’s General Convention Office began posting Blue Book reports online in April, giving committees more than a year to review them because of General Convention’s postponement. In 2018, the numerous Blue Book reports, which summarize the work of the church’s interim bodies, were released in February, a typical timeframe that gives committees a narrower window for review before General Convention in July.

This year, committees officially can begin meeting on Nov. 1 following a schedule and process facilitated by the General Convention Office. As a result, the in-person legislative session at the 80thGeneral Convention will be shortened from 10 to eight days, July 7-14, helping the church achieve its goal of reducing the triennial gathering’s duration.

“A lot of the work of General Convention happens in the committees, and that committee work is starting well before we actually get to General Convention,” Ryan Kusumoto, a deputy from the Diocese of Hawaii, said in an interview with ENS. “That’s a really big change for all of us.”

Kusumoto serves as chair of the Dispatch of Business Committee, which oversees the orderly flow of resolutions from committees to the full House of Bishops and House of Deputies for debates and votes. About 500 to 600 resolutions typically are considered at General Convention, Kusumoto noted, and many of those resolutions will be “discussed, debated, perfected prior to our arrival in Baltimore,” possibly alleviating legislative bottlenecks at the end of the in-person gathering.

He and other committee officers attended a training on Zoom last week. Another online training on Oct. 20 is open to all bishops and deputies assigned to legislative committees.

“We’re about to embark on an adaptive experiment to see how we can use technology to make some of our governance work more cost-effective and more accessible to the wider church,” the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, president of the House of Deputies, said in opening remarks at the officers’ training on Sept. 28. “We need to pace ourselves,” she said, as the church continues to navigate the challenges posed by COVID-19.

General Convention is a hub for legislative activity, networking and fellowship. As the church’s primary, bicameral governing body, it splits its authority between the House of Bishops and House of Deputies. Among its responsibilities is approval of a three-year churchwide budget, as well as hundreds of additional resolutions covering everything from liturgical revisions to the church’s positions on public policy issues, from food insecurity to paid family leave to comprehensive immigration reform.

More than 120 bishops and 483 deputies have been assigned to legislative committees for the 80th General Convention. The committees’ initial meetings next month will focus on introductions and organizational planning. Committees may begin reviewing resolutions as they prioritize their work and develop plans of action, such as forming subcommittees to examine more complex subjects.

The General Convention Office then will work with committees to schedule online hearings on Zoom from Feb. 17 to May 21. Committees also can continue to hold meetings during that time.

“I really applaud the General Convention Office for their tenacity and their perseverance trying to figure out how they could create a longer runway to General Convention,” the Rev. Devon Anderson, who chairs the House of Deputies Committee on Churchwide Leadership, told ENS.

Anderson serves as rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Excelsior, Minnesota, and is a member of The Episcopal Church Executive Council. In 2018, she chaired the House of Deputies Committee on Social Justice and U.S. Policy, which held some preliminary meetings online before gathering in person in Austin, Texas.

The difference this year, she said, is that committees have more time to review and research the reports they received, and online hearings will break down barriers for churchwide input.

Hearings are always open to the public, but when held in person at General Convention, “the public is really limited to people who can find their way to that room,” Anderson said. At an online hearing, “anyone can participate,” she said. “It’s a way to widen that circle.”

Not every resolution will get an online hearing, and there still will be plenty of committee work to be done in Baltimore Anderson said, while emphasizing the “relational” value of meeting face-to-face at General Convention, “discerning together about who we are as a church and who we want to be and who is God and Jesus calling us to be.”

– David Paulsen is an editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.
Presiding Bishop, US Rep. James Clyburn Rally Church Support for Historically Black Colleges

David Paulsen
October 6, 2021
House Majority Whip James Clyburn, bottom right, speaks during a Sept. 29 webinar about historically Black colleges and universities, with Saint Augustine’s University President Christine Johnson McPhail, top left, and Voorhees College President Ronnie Hopkins, top center. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry also attended the webinar, which was moderated by Rebecca Blachly, top right, the church’s director of government relations.


[Episcopal News Service] House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina joined Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and the presidents of Saint Augustine’s University and Voorhees College in a Sept. 29 webinar promoting the role that historically Black colleges and universities have played in educating students to participate in and contribute to American society.

Saint Augustine’s in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Voorhees in Denmark, South Carolina, are the two historically Black institutions, commonly referred to as HBCUs, that have deep ties to The Episcopal Church. Clyburn, the third-ranking Democrat in the House, has been a congressman since 1993, representing South Carolina’s 6th District, which includes Voorhees.

“I’m a big champion of HBCUs,” Clyburn said, noting that he is a graduate of an HBCU, South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, and has received honorary degrees from Saint Augustine’s and Voorhees. “HBCUs are very important. They are historical treasures, and I commit myself to trying to restore every historic building on those campuses and help restore a sense of pride.”

The webinar, which drew nearly 400 viewers, was promoted by the church’s government relations and development offices, the latter of which oversees the Absalom Jones Fund and an annual donation campaign timed with the Feb. 13 feast day celebrating the first Black Episcopal priest. Director of Government Relations Rebecca Blachly moderated the discussion.

“This is a moment where we’ve seen HBCUs in the spotlight more,” Blachly said, “and I think people are realizing the critical role these institutions play in our nation.

The schools have been in the news lately because of the debate over money for them included in the Biden administration’s proposed federal spending plan and because Vice President Kamala Harris graduated from an HBCU, Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Curry’s parents and extended family attended HBCUs, and as a parish priest in Baltimore, Maryland, he said many of the young people he ministered to would have been left behind academically if not for the boost they received while attending a historically Black college.

“These universities are taking young people and molding them and forming them, not just academically, but forming them spiritually and in terms of character and the moral fiber that they will need in order to make it in this world,” Curry said. “That’s an incredible gift.”

Historically Black colleges and universities were founded in the post-Civil War period to provide educational opportunities to Black men and women who were excluded from white institutions of higher learning because of segregation.

Saint Augustine’s was established in 1867 by The Episcopal Church and opened its doors the following January. The school that later would become Voorhees College was founded in 1897, and The Episcopal Church has supported it since 1924.

About 100 such schools are still open today across the United States, accepting students of all races. Enrollment at HBCUs has been in decline since hitting a peak in 2010, when 327,000 students attended one of the colleges. That trend mirrors an overall decline at all degree-granting institutions in the past decade, according to the federal government’s National Center for Education Statistics.

HBCUs still fill a “special niche” in the academic world, Clyburn said, but their importance often is overlooked by the wider society. “We’ve never just spent enough time getting people to understand what their role has been,” he said. (Clyburn also participated in a Sept. 30 church webinar promoting his legislation to make “Lift Every Voice and Sing” the country’s national hymn.)

The Episcopal Church’s recent work with historically Black colleges and universities coincides with a greater emphasis on racial reconciliation under the leadership of Curry, who was elected in 2015 as the first African American bishop to head the church. The church’s last two triennial budgets included more than $1.6 million for Saint Augustine’s and Voorhees, and the church is in its fourth year of raising additional money for the two schools through its Absalom Jones Fund, with proceeds topping $200,000 since 2018.

Saint Augustine’s “was founded to train freed slaves and bring folks into the ministry as ordained ministers in The Episcopal Church,” said Christine Johnson McPhail, the university’s president. The university is “still here and thriving today,” she said, though its mission has broadened as it prepares its students to enter the workforce and to contribute to society.

Voorhees encourages its students to volunteer in the local community, said Ronnie Hopkins, the college’s president. Students benefit from the welcoming environment on campus, but they don’t learn in isolation, he said. “We have a responsibility to reach out in the community.”

HBCUs “have a special love in our hearts for students that are underachievers, for students that are struggling,” Hopkins said, and the schools have a track record of responding to the needs of African American students. At the same time, he said, the schools are open to everyone and attract students who bring a variety of ability levels, talents and aspirations.

“HBCUs today, we are absolutely magnificent institutions. We are top institutions in the country,” he said. “We work with these students, and we take them to the next level of excellence.”

Visit The Episcopal Church’s Absalom Jones Fund page if you would like to make a donation.

– David Paulsen is an editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.
Anglican, Lutheran Leaders Unite in Letter to PM, Urge Action in Climate Crisis

October 5, 2021
Dear Prime Minister Trudeau,

Congratulations to you and all who were recently elected to the next Parliament of Canada. As you begin the work of governance we, as leaders of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), want to specifically address concerns and urge continuing action regarding climate change in light of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26).

We write to express our concern about the ongoing impact of human-caused climate change on communities in Canada and around the world, and to call for action from the Canadian government in ensuring that Canada make its fair-share contribution to reducing greenhouse emissions and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

As Christians, we are called to care for the whole of creation and to be responsible to our neighbours and communities. We are already seeing the impacts of climate change in our communities, and in communities around the world. From increased wildfire activity to extreme flooding to stark decreases in food security – particularly for Indigenous communities who rely on the land – the health, safety, and security of many continues to be threatened.

The most recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change offers a stark warning for us all as we look toward the future. This report confirms that human-caused climate change is already impacting our world, disrupting global weather systems, impacting food production, and spurring migration for climate-related reasons. These results are being felt around the world, however already-marginalized communities and countries experience the impacts and challenges of climate change to a much greater degree. These disparities will only increase as global temperatures continue to climb, however there are still ways to mitigate the damage if we make significant changes now.

As the Canadian government prepares to participate in the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, we join our voices to others in these lands calling for commitments to bold action to address climate change for the benefit of all. In particular we call on the Canadian government to:

  • Commit to reducing Canadian greenhouse gas emissions by 60% below 2005 levels by 2030
  • Invest in a just transition for workers and communities that promotes an inclusive green economy and provides secure jobs that support the well-being of all Canadians
  • Honour the rights of Indigenous Peoples by recognizing and enacting the right to free, prior, and informed consent, particularly with respect to resource and infrastructure development, climate policy, and energy policy
  • Commit support for climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in the Global South through international climate financing

The challenges ahead of us are monumental, and the results if we do nothing will be catastrophic. However, there is still time to limit these impacts and begin working toward a more positive future. We are people of hope, guided by our belief in the one who faced his own death and was resurrected to new life. We believe that a better world is possible and that, in fact, we are all called to play our part in building that world together. We stand ready to support bold action by your government at COP26 so that we can all look forward in hope to the world we will leave behind for the generations to come.

We look forward to working together with you in addressing this generational challenge. We have faith that together we can build a better world for all, if we are ready to take bold action. We hope that you will join us in this work.

In Christ,
The Most Rev. Linda Nicholls
Archbishop and Primate, Anglican Church of Canada
The Rev. Susan Johnson
National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
For a complete list of signatories to this letter, please click on the link below.
IN BRIEF . . .

These news briefs were featured in previous issues of "The Epistle"
From The Epistle, September 24, 2021
Project Vision Hi'ehi'e Showers Inaugural Event
First Event was a Great Success
Project Vision brought their mobile shower trailer to All Saints on Thursday, September 16th to offer hot showers to houseless guests. Their trailer is beautiful and brand new, and includes two enclosed private stalls with a toilet and hot shower (one is ADA compliant). Between the guest showers, the Project Vision crew sanitizes each area. They can handle up to 20 showers per visit.

Project Vision will bring their trailer to All Saints the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, with showers open from 12PM to 3PM, parking in front of Memorial Hall during future visits.

All Saints members can contribute sack lunches so that guests who use the shower facilities can take a meal with them. At our Sept 16th event, Wayne Doliente and Ron and Carolyn Morinishi set up a table and tent to keep everything cool. Here is the schedule of people providing lunches so far:

  • Sept 16th: Carolyn Morinishi
  • Oct 7th: Mabel Antonio
  • Oct 21st: Wayne Doliente
  • 
If any other person or organization would like to sign up to contribute sack lunches, please contact Carolyn for more information. Thank you!
Give Your Closets a "Fall Cleaning"
Family Life Center Clothing Collection
In conjunction with the Project Vision Mobile Showers, an organization called Family Life Center collects donated clothing and offers the houseless guests some clean clothing to wear after their shower.

There will be a plastic bin at the door of All Saints church services on Sundays for the months of October and November. If you have any clothing you would like to donate, please leave them in the plastic bin. For more information, please contact Carolyn Morinishi. Family Life Center appreciates your donations!

-Carolyn Morinishi
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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