Volume 6, Issue 38
September 17, 2021
THIS SUNDAY: September 19, 2021
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost


Jeremiah 11:18-20
The prophet Jeremiah is meeting fierce opposition to his message of repentance to the people of Judah, but he trusts that God is with him.

Psalm 54
The Psalmist puts their trust in God, who is their helper and strength.

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a
The wisdom God unites our hearts and minds. Instead of living to satisfy our own wants and desires, we manifest this wisdom in peace, gentleness, mercy, and impartiality toward others. 

Mark 9:30-37
Jesus explains to his disciples why he is going to Jerusalem to face condemnation and certain death -- that those who wish to be great must be a servant to all.
ON-SITE CHURCH SERVICE
WITH COMMUNION

8:00AM
Linda Crocker (EM)*
Jeff Albao (U)
Lorna Nishi (AG)
Mark Cain (DM)

9:30AM
Muriel Jackson (EM)
Mario Antonio (U)
Nelson Secretario (LR)
David Crocker (AG)
Nelson Secretario, Mabel Antonio (HP)
Ron Morinishi, Carolyn 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 22th
5:00 - 6:00PM
Zoom Meeting
Contact Cami for login info.

Daughters of the King
Thursday, September 23th
7:00 - 8:00PM
Zoom Meeting
Contact Mabel Antonio for login info.

Project Vision Hi`ehi`e Mobile Showers
Thursday, September 30th
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 Thursday, 7:00 - 8:00PM
Zoom
Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle
Patron Saint of Tax Collectors
September 21
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
We Happy Few

Proper 19B
Mark 8:27-38
James 3:1-12
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 116:1-8

One of my favorite plays of William Shakespeare is “Henry V.” Henry was the young 20-something new King of England who happened to be from Wales, and he finds out that he should also inherit the throne of France – but not surprisingly the French are having none of it. So he leads his troops out of England and into northern France in the year 1415. It is an arduous journey for the men – along the way several get sick, some die, and all are extremely tired from their travels.

The King finds out that the French have amassed at the village of Agincourt – they are awaiting their battle with the English, far more rested than they and outnumbering the English 5-1. No wonder Henry’s troops are dispirited, down-in-the-mouth, quarrelling among themselves, and ready to give up. 

To rally his troops, Henry gives one of the most inspirational speeches in the English language, called the “Band of Brothers Speech.” Trying to boost their enthusiasm for the battle on the next morning, on October 25th, the Feast Day of St. Crispin Crispian, Henry utters these immortal words, an excerpt from his longer speech:

This story shall the good man teach his son,
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother.
(King Henry, Act 4 Scene 3, by William Shakespeare)

In essence, Henry gives them a pep-talk, and the pep-talk to end all pep-talks! They get so inspired that they end up winning the battle the next morning, with the loss of only 24 compared to the hundreds of losses the French suffered. In the annals of history, Henry’s triumph is regarded as a win of biblical proportions. This speech has been so influential that it was quoted before the World War 2 Battle of D-Day, ironically also in northern France, on June 6th, 1944 – that the troops together could consider themselves a “band of brothers,” giving their all to fight the Nazi scourge and for the liberation of many peoples.

I wonder if such a feeling of inspiration is Jesus’ goal in his own speech to his followers in our Gospel reading today from Mark 8? This passage comes near the middle of the gospel of Mark, and actually is the turning point in Mark’s overall story. After Jesus feels out what his disciples think of him – is he the prophet Elijah who had never died, or is he John the Baptist back from the dead, or someone else? Peter gets it right – “You are the Messiah” (Mark 8:29). But when Jesus goes on to describe what kind of Messiah he is to be – one that will suffer and be rejected by the powers that be, executed as a criminal, and then rise from the dead – this same Peter speaks for the other disciples when he scolds Jesus and tries to dissuade him from this dismal future. 

They don’t want to move forward with Jesus toward what awaits them in Jerusalem, and so Jesus gives what I would call his own “pep-talk.” In essence, Jesus is having his own “Henry V” moment, and says to them that if any of them will stand with him in his time of need and be firm in what is right in God’s sight, Jesus as the Son of Man will be proud to call them his brothers and sisters when he comes into his kingdom at the end of time. Jesus is rallying his own “band of sisters and brothers,” since his speech is not only to his disciples but to the wider crowd as well.

When I think about historical or contemporary leaders, there aren’t too many of them who have that gift to inspire others to action in times of crisis. One of them whose birthday was just a few days ago on September 2nd was Queen Lili`uokalani, the last Hawaiian monarch who was forcibly deposed by a cabal of American businessmen in 1893 and put under house arrest. A gifted musician, from that dismal place of imprisonment she composed hundreds of songs, not least of which is “The Queen’s Prayer,” sung in many of our churches prior to the pandemic. This prayer, in essence, remains Queen Lili`uokalani’s call to cultural unity and national sovereignty – her “band of brothers” anthem.

The Queen was popular among her people even before her overthrow. She showed through her exercise of authority that she cared for the people and for preserving their culture, especially concerned for those suffering financially or helping them through their own earlier pandemic of small pox. Queen Lili`uokalani did not have to resort to a grab for power based on fear or intimidation, but rather on an authority enthusiastically accorded to her by the people based on a life of service, personal dedication, and tireless devotion to their welfare. 

This is the kind of monarch Jesus is saying he is as well, and spells it out by describing how he would give over his life as he makes his way to Jerusalem. This is an edict given by his Heavenly Sovereign, to serve God’s will and to bring God’s love to people through the laying down of his life. This echoes what John wrote in his gospel when Jesus tells his disciples, “There is no greater love than this – that a person lays down their life for their friends” (John 15:13). 

Our Hebrew Bible reading this morning from Isaiah 50 underlines this even more – in words that Christians claim are predictions of Jesus’ kind of leadership some 500 years later, Isaiah 50 describes “the Servant of the Lord” who comes to sustain the weary with a supportive word (kind of like Jesus’ pep-talk), and who willingly offers his back to the smiters and his face to insults and spitting for the love of those he serves. By so doing, the Servant can confidently declare that “I know I will not be put to shame – my Vindicator is at my side” (Isaiah 50:8).

It so happens that we have the “coincidental” juxtaposition not only of these Bible passages and the Queen Lili`uokalani’s birthday, but also the solemn observance of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks yesterday. There are many moving and stirring stories of heroism – certainly among the first responders of firefighters, police, EMS personnel, and medical staff – but also stories of otherwise ordinary people who were just going about their normal lives that eventful morning. One of the most noteworthy got made into a movie called “Flight 93,” when several of the passengers aboard United flight 93 fought back against those who had taken over the cockpit, causing the plane to crash in an open field in Pennsylvania rather than proceed to its intended target of the Capitol building in Washington, DC.

Like them, Jesus offers his “pep-talk” to ordinary people – fishermen, tax collectors, people with bad reputations, freedom fighters wanting to overthrow the Roman Empire, women freed from forces keeping them down so they could support the ministry out of their resources, those who had suffered emotional and physical ailments – and today he offers his pep-talk to you and to me. Jesus bids us to stand with him – to stand for justice in an unfair world; to stand for integrity in a world of shortcuts; to stand against the evil forces of prejudice and hatred against the AAPI community, African Americans, Native Americans, and Indigenous Hawaiians, and those suffering discrimination based on their gender or orientation; to stand with Jesus’ love for the least, the last, and the lost.

In those immortal words of Henry V, “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.” Will we heed Jesus’ call to be those “happy few” who strive to stand with Jesus? Will he at the end of time be proud to call us his “band of sisters and brothers?” May it be so – Amen.
The Inaugural All Saints'
Gift of Music "Makana Mele" Organ Concert
September 12, 2021

First in an On-going Series Supporting Our Community
On Sept. 12th, All Saints’ hosted Peter DuBois, world renowned organist, Director of Music/Organist at Third Presbyterian Church in Rochester, NY, and host of NPR’s With Heart and Voice, for a wonderful concert on our newly reconstructed Rosales Opus 41 Pipe Organ. From a Herbert Howells’ Psalm Prelude to honor 9/11 victims to a William Albright Concert Rag for Organ, Peter’s program included a wide range of pieces that demonstrated his remarkable skills and the range of the Opus 41. The in person audience, limited to about 30 due to current pandemic surge, was wowed by the program as were the 300 people who joined for the live stream and the available recording. This concert, the first in Makana Mele Concert Series, was certainly a Gift of Music.

To enjoy a clip from the concert, please click on the video image below.
An excerpt from Studien für den Pedal-Flügel, Op. 56 by Robert Schumann

To listen to the entire concert, click here: Peter Dubois Organ Concert or go to allsaintskauai.org and click on "Play most recent recording" under "Join Us for Sunday Worship."

To access the Concert Program, click on the image below.

Adult Formation Class:
Transformational Mālama
Tuesday, September 21st
5:30PM-7:00PM

Often when we think about Stewardship, we think of money and of raising funds to keep the church going. But in reality, the concept of biblical stewardship is much more wide-ranging and life-transformational. Biblical stewardship actually relates to our Hawaiian word 'mālama' in the sense of caring for ourselves, each other, and our world -- and, yes, dedicating our lives and our resources to making that care tangible. And when we do engage in transformational care, we are the ones who reap the full blessings God intends for us. Please join Kahu Kawika as we explore together the biblical idea of 'Tranformational Mālama' in the following three areas:

  1. Care for ourselves
  2. Care for each other
  3. Care for our world

To join this class please RSVP to Kahu Kawika at rector@allstaintskauai.org. You will receive the Zoom link to join.

-Kahu Kawika+
Air Conditioner Added to Organ Room
Rosales Organ Crew and Kool It Kauai Work Together
Pipes removed for AC installation
Ductless AC installed
An air conditioner was added to the organ room to create a stable temperature and humidity controlled environment for our recently reconstructed organ. Aaron Doyle, co-owner of Rosales Organ Builders, said that humidity control is of utmost importance for the longevity of the organ. "The sea is the enemy of the organ," he said. The air conditioner will add years to the life of the organ and help prevent constant repairs. As you can see, the crew of three, Aaron Doyle, Morgan Byrd, and Kevin Gilchrist had quite a few pipes to remove for the AC installation.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH GOVERNANCE
"Take Me To Your Leader!"
"Who's That?"
The following was first published in The Epistle, 4, May 24, 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”? If you go to the website of the Episcopal Church you will find that “The General Convention is the governing body of The Episcopal Church”. (https://www.episcopalchurch.org/church-governance) Does that mean that a "once-every-three-years" get-together of a bunch of Episcopalians is in charge? 
Of course not. We’re Episcopalians so it is far more complicated than that. In fact, the Episcopal Church provides a flow-chart to help explain Church Governance. Here it is.
If you’re like me, you take one look at a chart like this and throw up your hands. Enough! How can I make sense of this mess?

In an effort to understand this chart, I decided to break it down into manageable pieces and tackle them one at a time. Over the coming weeks, I will present my understanding of Episcopal Church Governance and how it impacts us as members of the All Saints’ `Ohana.

This week we will focus on that part of Church Governance that is closest to home. In fact, this is what most of us think about first when the topic of Episcopal Leadership comes up: Parishes.
Parish

As we learned in the Epistle4, 14, April 5, 2019, a parish is a self-supporting congregation under a rector. All Saints’ was founded as a mission in 1924 and has been a parish since 1962. Each parish is served by a Rector and a Vestry.

Rector 

Typically, a rector is the priest in charge of a self-supporting parish, and a vicar is the priest in charge of a supported mission. The rector is the ecclesiastical authority of the parish. The term is derived from the Latin for "rule." The rector has authority and responsibility for worship and the spiritual jurisdiction of the parish, subject to the rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer, the constitution and canons of the church, and the pastoral direction of the bishop. The rector is responsible for selection of all assistant clergy, and they serve at the discretion of the rector. The church and parish buildings and furnishings are under the rector's control. The rector or a member of the vestry designated by the rector presides at all vestry meetings. (https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/rector)

Vestry

The vestry is the legal representative of the parish with regard to all matters pertaining to its corporate property. The number of vestry members and the term of office varies from parish to parish. Vestry members are usually elected at the annual parish meeting. The presiding officer of the vestry is the rector. There are usually two wardens. The senior warden leads the parish between rectors and is a support person for the rector. The junior warden often has responsibility for church property and buildings. A treasurer and a secretary or clerk may be chosen. These officers may or may not be vestry members. The basic responsibilities of the vestry are to help define and articulate the mission of the congregation; to support the church's mission by word and deed, to select the rector, to ensure effective organization and planning, and to manage resources and finances. (https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/vestry)

Ministry Council

At All Saints’, ministries are overseen by the Ministry Council. All Ministry Leaders and Ministry Members are a part of this Council. It meets periodically to review the state of the All Saints' ministries, gather support and advice from members on how to improve their groups, and plan special events and promotions.

Ministries

Ministries are responsible for much of the work of our church and they exist to fill unmet needs in our church and community. Each Ministry is managed by Leaders at the grass roots level and depends on the support of loyal volunteer members to accomplish their goals.

To see an updated list of all the Ministries and their Leaders, please follow the link below.



I hope this information is helpful the next time someone says, “Take me to your leader”. 

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

Bill Caldwell
The Epistle
Online Suicide Intervention Training Offered
Episcopal Youth Ministries Provides Training for This Urgent Need
Hello All,
 
This is a heavy topic, I know, but we cannot ignore that this is real and that Kauai, not just Hawaii or the nation, has many attempts in the Middle and High School level. This training is for those 13 or older. If you feel comfortable presenting this training to your keiki, feel free to do so. This helps them know when to be concerned for their friends and how to seek help.
 
In addition, this is something I do believe is good for everyone, especially those involved with youth, to be trained in noticing and appropriately responding to prevent this.
 
I personally would have benefitted from this type of training even from as young as Middle School. I can name at least three warning signs, two attempts, and one success between Middle to High School – all classmates. This does not include the countless other attempts and confirmations since then.
 
In over 15 years, this is the first time I’ve seen anyone go out of their way to make this training public for everyone for free. My first training wasn’t until college in response to high military PTSD suicides. It only takes 90 minutes [at any time within 60 days of registering. Ed.] of our time, is free, and online. I highly recommend joining. You may save a life.
 
Thanks all,
 
-Dominique Cami Baldovino
Suicide Intervention Training Still Offered!
September 2021
Did you know that During February 21–March 20, 2021, suspected suicide attempt Emergency Department (ED) visits were 50.6% higher among girls aged 12–17 years than during the same period in 2019; among boys aged 12–17 years, suspected suicide attempt ED visits increased 3.7%.
You can read the full CDC report here.

The Episcopal Church can do something to help save lives.
At the last General Convention the Department of Faith Formation staff were equipped with some budget dollars to address a Suicide Prevention initiative named and funded in resolution GC#2018-C014. We are hopeful that you have already been invited by your bishop to register and participate in a 90 minute online training offered through our office by Living Works called START. We made a presentation to bishops and canons encouraging them to consider this training for leadership in their dioceses and are pleased to report that several contacted our Department and LivingWorks right away. We are now on the fourth wave of recruiting training participants as we continue to discern our changing ministries in the midst of ongoing pandemic. Suicide attempts are up and it is an urgent matter. We hope you can and will help by taking this training.

Intentions and Expectations
As you engage this training, please keep in mind that this is being offered as an introductory course, a quick-start intended to help participants recognize when a person is considering suicide and take quick action to get them help and support. Our hope is that this course will spark conversation and consideration about ways communities can go deeper to contextualize the learnings and begin to address issues that may be underlying increasing mental health conditions and suicidal ideation.

Training
Our working group determined that training is necessary. We have contracted with LivingWorks for 1000 enrollments in their LivingWorks Start training. We are offering this training free of charge. Please email David Stickley, our Department Associate, for more information or if you experience technical difficulty with the links..

If you have not already signed up and would like to take this free training, click here to register. If you have already registered you have 60 days to complete the training.

Resource Curation
We have compiled an extensive but not exhaustive curated resource list on our website. The updated version is here: https://episcopalchurch.org/faith-formation/mental-health.

We look forward to your participation, appreciate you feedback, and remain grateful for your partnership in ministry with youth and young adults across the church and in our communities. Thank you for your prayerful consideration and your action. Together we can make a difference in the lives of many.
The pictured chart shows the continuum of trainings offered by LivingWorks. The specific training we are offering for free is called "START" and can be seen on the left half of the graphic.
Helping Hands
Reaching Across the Islands
In the summer of 2019, All Saints' reached out to Hawai`i Public Radio for a Helping Hand. In response All Things Considered host Dave Lawrence made a commitment to support Laundry Love Kaua`i. Through his efforts Helping Hand, a weekly feature on Hawai`i Public Radio stations statewide, featured Geoff Shields and All Saints' Laundry Love Kaua`i on Friday, May 31st 2019. The program was posted to HPR’s website where you can stream and listen at your convenience. Please click the button below to stream Helping Hand from HPR.
Hawaii Public Radio | By Dave Lawrence
Published May 31, 2019 at 5:17 PM HST

The Helping Hand broadcast was Friday May 31, 2019 at 5:48PM and by Wednesday morning at 7:09AM Laundry Love Kaua`i received the support of the Governor’s office. and Geoff received a donation of $500 to support Laundry Love Kaua`i.

The Holy Spirit is alive and well and working through All Saints’ Ministries!



Now It's Our Turn!
My dear friend Dave Lawrence contacted me recently to let me know he is once again involved with what I consider to be one of the most important fundraising efforts of this, or any, year: Special Olympics.

This is a cause that is near and dear to me as a disabled person and I know it is deeply personal and important to Dave.

I encourage you to read the information below, pray for a little while, and then decide what is right for you. Please commit prayers and any other support you feel is appropriate.

Mahalo,

-Bill Caldwell
Dave Lawrence - Daredevil Fundraiser
Aloha!

On November 5th, I'll be participating in the 12th annual Over The Edge fundraiser for the athletes of Special Olympics Hawai`i. That means I'll be rappelling more than 40 stories - from a platform on top of the roof, over 400 feet - down the side of the Hyatt Regency Waikiki for this great cause! 

It's my third time doing it and I'm asking you to join my team by making a generous donation on this page.
Would you rather write a check or do this?
Everything we raise together goes to Special Olympics Hawai`i. They provide year-round sports training, competition, health/wellness programs and leadership opportunities for more than 3,400 local children and adults with intellectual disabilities across our state. All these programs are always free of charge thanks to generous donors and community supporters.

I personally do it to support not only people with intellectual disabilities, but in honor of the lessons learned from all those facing any disability or health challenge, from an eating disorder to depression to blindness and everything in between, like my Mom, Isobel A. Kramen, who I lost in 2013 after her decades long struggle with Multiple Sclerosis/MS.
Special Olympics Hawai`i assigned me a rappel time between 3:00 and 4:00PM on Friday November 5th at the Hyatt! I check in at 2:45 that afternoon. You're cordially invited to be there to watch!

Mahalo in advance for your support and generosity!

Aloha,

Dave
Time to give generously to Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD)
My dear Siblings in Christ Jesus,

In this time when people have been devastated by hurricanes, fires and earthquakes, we are called upon to give generously to Episcopal Relief & Development. Episcopal Relief & Development is the compassionate response of The Episcopal Church to human suffering in the world. Hearing God’s call to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being, Episcopal Relief & Development serves to bring together the generosity of Episcopalians and others with the needs of the world.

Episcopal Relief & Development faithfully administers the funds that it receives from the church and raises from other sources. It provides relief in times of disaster and promotes sustainable development by identifying and addressing the root causes of suffering.

For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.

I call on all Episcopalians in Hawaiʻi and Micronesia to donate to Episcopal Relief & Development today. I further hope our churches will share this information at all services, in newsletters/e-news, and on websites with renewed vigor throughout September and the rest of 2021. 

Use this link to DONATE NOW

In addition, Episcopal Relief & Development has provided Prayers for Those Affected by Disaster.
Please be generous!

Your Brother in Christ Jesus

+Bob

The Right Reverend Robert L. Fitzpatrick
 (Pronouns: he, him, his)
Welcome Gabriella Shae!
The All Saintsʻ Extended Family Grows

The Pasalos, the Revs. Ernesto "Jar" and Annalise, welcomed Gabriella Shae on Thursday, August 26, 2021. Gabriella joins two-year old brother Theo.

"We are thankful for the prayers and support of the Diocese as we settle into life as a family of four," said Annalise.

CONGRATULATIONS PASALO FAMILY!
It wasn’t the stereotypical relationship between a daughter-in-law and mother-in-law. When we met, I was 17. Today she is 100. “She is far more precious than jewels,” although she wouldn’t say so.

She not only taught Sunday School, she created a girls club to develop relationships when their peers were competing. She sewed outfits for them, “working with willing hands,” and created musical programs to present to the congregation to develop their self-confidence.

I can’t count how many nieces, nephews, family friends and unknown others she housed. Not just housed but mothered during their time of isolation. Talk about “opening her hand to the poor and reaching out to the needy.”

She was a gymnast at the famous Venice Beach in Southern California where she “girded herself with strength and made her arms strong.” Her husband was a state legislator, “known in the city gates,” and had “a seat among the elders” in their church.
Ironically, she was ultimately abandoned by the very people who saw her righteousness “up close and personal.” Her children did not “rise up and call her happy,” and her husband did not “praise her.”

Sadly, not all righteous women are as revered as the woman of Proverbs 31.

“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates.”

My former mother-in-law, who I believe will ultimately be among the first, in life was the servant of all. Are we striving to be the greatest, or are we content, as Jesus told his disciples in Mark 9, ‘to be first by being last of all and servant of all’?

Cathy Clement is the Past President of the TENS Board of Directors, a retired nonprofit fundraiser, and a member of All Saints in Pasadena, California.
Feast of Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
September 21
According to Mark, he was the son of Alphaeus. He was a Jewish tax collector working for the Roman government at Capernaum. Matthew is called Levi in the accounts of his call to discipleship in Mark and Luke, but he is always referred to as Matthew in the lists of the apostles. It is possible that Levi was his original name and that Matthew, which means “gift from God,” was given to him after he became a disciple. Since the second century the authorship of the first gospel has been attributed to St. Matthew, but it is considered unlikely by most scholars that the present Gospel of Matthew was written by a Galilean tax collector. In Christian art he is pictured at a desk writing his gospel, as a winged man in his role as an evangelist, and sometimes with a spear, the legendary instrument of his death. We know nothing about his death, but he is venerated as a martyr. Matthew is commemorated in the Episcopal calendar of the church year on Sept. 21.
Episcopal Volunteers Provide Northern California Fire Evacuees with Coffee, Food, Prayer

David Paulsen
September 8, 2021
The Rev. Debra Sabino, rector of the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in Placerville, California, helps unload some of the supplies donated to evacuees who fled the Caldor Fire in Northern California. Photo courtesy of Debra Sabino

[Episcopal News Service] A small team of Episcopal clergy in the Diocese of Northern California spent the past several weeks ministering to some of the people and animals who were forced to flee their homes because of the Caldor Fire near Lake Tahoe. The Episcopalians brought coffee and food, marshaled donations of bikes for children and prayed with evacuees upon request.

They also have helped distribute money and gift cards that were furnished by a disaster relief effort led by the diocese, which announced this week that it had raised more than $11,000 in donations.
The Caldor Fire so far has consumed more than 200,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of structures. This week, emergency officials announced that fire crews had the fire about 50% contained, somewhat easing its threat to communities and homes. The Episcopal outreach continues as some parishioners from the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in Placerville, who call themselves Team Caldor, are working with diocesan officials on a long-term assistance plan for the most financially vulnerable victims of the fire’s devastation.

“It’s not over yet,” the Rev. Debra Sabino said Sept. 8 as she described to Episcopal News Service some of the ongoing efforts to respond to the wildfires that continue to wreak havoc in Northern California and other parts of the West.

State officials said this week that wildfires had consumed about 2 million acres in California so far this year, and the fire season is expected to drag on, fueled by scorching heat, persistent drought and strong winds. At least a dozen large fires continue to burn in the state. The largest, the Dixie Fire northeast of Chico, has burned more than 900,000 acres.

“In the midst of the anxiety and despair that natural disasters bring, the Diocese of Northern California works hard to provide pastoral support, community, and resources to those in distress,” the diocese says on a page of online resources for disaster preparedness. The page also highlights the support it receives from Episcopal Relief & Development.

“As Christians, we are called to serve the vulnerable in our communities. In a disaster, our vulnerabilities are laid bare before us and our call to serve becomes clearly present,” the diocese says.

“The Diocese of Northern California is experienced at responding to disasters, particularly wildfires,” Katie Mears, senior director of Episcopal Relief & Development’s U.S. Disaster Program, said in a news release. “The staff had prepared in advance so they were able to quickly mobilize to help people affected by this year’s fires.”

Sabino has served for six years as rector at Our Saviour, located a little more than 10 miles west of the edge of the area burned by the Caldor Fire, which ignited on Aug. 14. Placerville was never threatened, though about 10 families from the congregation live in the evacuation zone and had to flee last month. None of those parishioners have lost their homes.

Many evacuees found refuge at a Red Cross shelter in Cameron Park, west of Placerville, with some setting up tents or parking RVs outside the shelter, Sabino said. A Walmart parking lot in Placerville also served as a temporary camp for evacuees.

“It was just chaotic. There were people filing in from everywhere,” she said.

Sabino and the Rev. Tom Gartin, priest-in-charge at Faith Episcopal Church in Cameron Park, prayed outside the Red Cross shelter early in the crisis and then joined with other clergy in the area to assist evacuees. A local Starbucks donated coffee, pastries and sandwiches for the clergy members to take to the people camped out in parking lots. Sabino lent her camper trailer to a nurse who had fled the Caldor Fire with her two dogs.

Sabino also visited D’Agostini Ranch in El Dorado County, which offered accommodations to evacuees, especially those who had fled with horses, livestock and other farm animals. The ranch provided temporary showers and laundry facilities, and volunteers helped distribute donated food to the families.

Sabino put out a call on Facebook for donations of bicycles and received about 20, which she brought to some of the children who were camping at the ranch until they and their families could return home.

Some evacuees asked Sabino to pray with them. Despite being displaced by the fire, “they were just so overwhelmingly positive,” she told ENS.

With conditions improving around Lake Tahoe, some of the evacuation orders are being lifted, and residents are able to return to assess any damage to their homes. The clergy members from Placerville and Cameron Park ended their daily deliveries of coffee and food this week, though they continue to visit people who remain at the shelters.

And with the Caldor Fire still consuming hundreds of acres each day, the smoke remains a health hazard. “The air quality is so bad,” Sabino said. “It’s like driving through a thick fog.”

– David Paulsen is an editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.
Recommendations Made for Church of England Governance Reform 

The Church of England
September 14, 2021
A Church of England Governance Review working group, established by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to explore options for simpler and more effective governance, has recommended changes to the Church’s national governance structures. These recommendations will be considered by the Church’s governance bodies during the autumn. 

The main recommendation of the Governance Review Group is to reduce the number of the national governance entities by merging the oversight of most of the Church’s national activities into a single body. 

The review, led by the Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines, became one strand of the Emerging Church of England initiative, which together will help leaders in every diocese to discern the shape, life and activity of the Church in the 2020s. 

The Bishop of Leeds said:
"In undertaking this governance review, we are responding to challenges and opportunities that have been expressed across the Church and tested in focus group discussions. The ultimate aim is to provide more transparent and accountable governance for the Church at parish, diocesan and national level."

Welcoming the report, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York said: 
"This review responds to major societal changes, including the need for the Church of England to be “A Church for All People”. The Church of England’s national governance structures must be accountable to and transparent for all the parishes and worshipping communities which they support, to build trust and so the Church can fulfil its mission in the 21st Century. Better governance should enable the Church at every level to be more agile in decision making, and responsive to the pastoral and missional needs of local and regional communities."
 
There will be further consultation amongst the Church’s existing governance bodies before the Church moves towards any potential implementation of all or part of the report. An overview of the Governance Review Group’s process will be presented to the General Synod at the first meeting of its new term in November. 

The report can be found here.

FROM THE EPISCOPAL CAFÈ
A Prayer to Remember Goodness

September 14, 2021
“As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20)
 
Help me, God, to speak with goodness. 
To tell of you and your beauty –
the hope you give for those who feel lost
the forgiveness you offer over and over
the love you share unconditionally.
 
Help me, God, to speak with goodness.
Of all that I’ve seen and heard – 
the sun rising 
a hummingbird zipping by
a child reaching their hands
friends preparing meals together
voices joining together in song
words offered in prayer. 
 
Help me, God, to speak with goodness.
To offer words of hope
to freely say, “I love you”
to never miss a chance to say, “I see you”
and, “Please forgive me.” 
 
Help me, God, to speak with goodness.
And to remember your words 
that you speak to me – 
of being called, 
loved, 
beloved, 
forgiven. 
 
Help me, God, to speak with goodness. 
Amen. 
Kimberly Knowle-Zeller is an ordained ELCA pastor, mother of two, and spouse of an ELCA pastor. She lives with her family in Cole Camp, MO. You can read more at her website, follow her work on Facebookor sign up for her monthly newsletter
IN BRIEF . . .

These news briefs were featured in previous issues of "The Epistle"
From The Epistle, September 10, 2021
Vestry Report
August 22, 2021
Finances:

Church
July 2021
Income: $28,308; Expenses: $35,265; Difference: -$6,957.
This negative differential is expected during the lighter summer months and historically is made up in the coming months.

Preschool
July 2021
Income: $4,351; Expenses: $16,966; Difference: -$12,615 ($ +/-).
This shortage of income is expected in the month of June since tuition is paid in monthly installments to the Preschool during the school months of August-May.

Buildings & Grounds:
We have a projected savings in the Solar Panel & Roof Project of approximately $43,000. Vestry approved devoting up to $10,000 of that toward the graveling of the Lihue driveway. In addition, the food trucks will park toward the driveway entrance and along the Sudz wall.

Worship:
Looking into getting updated candles and holders. Also, per the Bishop's recent COVID safety guidelines, Aloha Hour is suspended until we get past the Surge.

Education:
Kahu will teach on "Transformative Mālama" on Tuesday Sept. 21st, 5:30PM-7:00PM, via Zoom. Later he will lead a teaching series on World Religions.

Outreach:
Vestry approved partnering with Project Vision, who will offer mobile shower services for houseless clients on the first an third Thursdays starting Sept. 16th and on a three-month trial basis. Laundry Love will serve in conjunction with Project Vision, as well as with Women-in-Need (WIN) in Lihue. As a response to the earthquake in Haiti, we will have a special offering on All Saints' Sunday, November 7th, as well as urging individuals and families to give to Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) in the interim. Finally, there are plans for our partnership with Habitat for Humanity to resume in September, depending on the current COVID surge.

The Arts:
Nationally-renowned organist Peter DuBois will perform at our "Makana Mele" organ concert at the All Saints' sanctuary on Sunday, September 12th, at 2PM. In-person attendance is limited to church members and others with proof of vaccination, and the performance will also be Livestreamed. $20 per person suggested donation. Also, the Rosales Organ crew will be back to make adjustments to the organ as well as to install a climate-control system in the organ chamber.
Project Vision Hi`ehi`e Mobile Showers Coming to All Saints' Campus
Join the Volunteers to Provide Sack Lunches for Clients
At the Project Vision Hi'ehi'e Mobile Showers (every 1st and 3rd Thursday from 11AM-4PM, starting September 16th), some All Saints volunteers will provide sack lunches for the clients to take with them after they finish their showers. We expect about 20 people to be there each time. Please contact Carolyn Morinishi if you are interested in helping with this ministry, either by making the lunches or donating funds to help purchase supplies. Thank you!

-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.
basicImage