Volume 6, Issue 4
January 22, 2021
THIS SUNDAY: January 24, 2021
Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Scripture Readings
ON-SITE CHURCH SERVICE
WITH COMMUNION

9:00AM
Mary Margaret Smith (EM)*
Judy Saronitman (U)
Joan Roughgarden (LR)
David Crocker (AG)
Curtis Shiramizu, 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
UPCOMING EVENTS
How To Zoom Workshop
Saturday, January 23rd
9:00AM
Register in advance for this meeting:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

THIS SUNDAY ONLY
ON-SITE CHURCH SERVICE WITH COMMUNION
9:00AM

Annual Parish Meeting
Sunday, January 24th
10:00AM
Church and Zoom meeting
Register in advance for the secure Zoom meeting:
For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering, especially Donavan, Kul, Uncle Nathan, Ken, Rosalind, Glen, Suzanne, AJ and those we name silently or aloud, let us pray to the Lord. ​Lord, have mercy. 

For all who have died, especially Linda and 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.
Learn How to Use Zoom to Attend the Annual Meeting Online
Zoom 101 Workshop This Saturday, January 23rd

The church will be hosting a Zoom 101 workshop on Saturday, January 23rd at 9:00AM for those who want to attend Sunday’s Annual Meeting online.
 
Please note:
All zoom participants will have the opportunity to cast votes for the vestry and convention delegate nominations. Each zoom participant at the Annual Meeting should:

  • Be 18 or older
  • Be an active member of the church
  • Logged in to their own device (we can only take one vote per device)
  • Not attending the Annual Meeting in person
 
When: Jan 23, 2021 09:00 AM Hawaii
Register in advance for this meeting:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
 
If you have any questions, you may email me at church@allsaintskauai.org.

-Cami Baldovino
Church Administrator
All Saints' Annual Parish Meeting
Sunday, January 24, 2021, 10:00AM
On Sunday, January 24th, All Saints' will hold its Annual Parish Meeting. On that Sunday, we will have only one service at 9:00AM in the sanctuary. This will be livestreamed as usual.

After the service is finished, we will hold our Annual Parish Meeting in the sanctuary. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are giving members the option to attend the Annual Parish Meeting virtually, via a secure Zoom link.

With Zoom, attendees will have the option of participating in the meeting and voting, via hand-raise, chat or Zoom poll. Please click on the link below to register for your Zoom attendance.

Zoom Annual Parish Meeting 2021
When: Jan 24, 2021 10:00AM Hawaii
 
Register in advance for this meeting:
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

If you have any technical questions regarding Zoom, please call the church office.

During the Annual Parish Meeting we will elect new Vestry members and 2021 Diocese Convention Delegates.


Vestry Nominations Are Now Due

Election To Be Held During Annual Meeting
Sunday, January 24th, 10:00AM
Aloha i ke Akua,
 
To say that 2020 has been an eventful year is an understatement! We have traveled together these past 12 months through the greatest pandemic and the deepest economic upheaval since the Great Depression, yet I am struck by the positive resolve and uplifting spirit with which all of you have faced this year together. Muriel and I are so thankful for your support and for the blessing it is to be part of our church ʻohana together.

I’d like to offer a special mahalo to the Vestry, whose leadership has been unselfish and unflagging, and who make business meetings fun, full of wisdom and insight, and meaningful: Linda Crocker (Senior Warden), Ron Morinishi (Junior Warden and Chair of Buildings & Grounds), Jan Hashizume (Treasurer), Joe Adorno (Term 2021), Mario Antonio (Term 2023), CeCe Caldwell (Term 2023), Vikki Secretario (Term 2023), and Faith Shiramizu (Term 2023). I’d like especially to thank Joe, whose term expires this month and who has served admirably with voice, vote, and action, as well as David Murray, who had served untiringly as Senior Warden for five years, and Linda and Ron, who respectively stepped up into their roles as our amazing and awesome Wardens and have blessed us immeasurably!

At the Annual Meeting we will choose the following Vestry positions:

One full 3-year term (Term 2024, to replace Joe)
One 2-year term (Term 2023, to complete Linda’s elected vestry position she left to become Senior Warden)
 
I’d like to ask each of you to consider if God may be calling you to serve in one of the above capacities. Serving on Vestry is a special call to leadership at All Saints’, and asks for people of vision who both represent all the constituencies of our church and preschool, as well as the ability to have the birds’-eye view of the whole rather than merely representing only one’s own perspective. It is a joyful privilege that also comes with expectations and responsibilities.
  
Those who serve on the Vestry of All Saints’ participate in the broad life of our church. Regular attendance at worship services and Vestry meetings is the cornerstone of a Vestry member’s duties. In addition, Vestry members exercise servant leadership by example and by participating in both the business and spiritual life of the church.
 
A simplified Vestry member job description includes the following:
 
  • A regular attender of church services who is a pledging giver.
  • Committed to regular attendance at the monthly Vestry meetings.
  • Maintain an active prayer life which includes praying daily for the clergy, staff, lay leaders, and members of our ‘Ohana.
  • Continually engage with members of the congregation—being attentive to their concerns, needs, hopes, and visions for the Church.
  • Participate in and promote the annual financial stewardship campaign of the Church.
  • Provide sound stewardship and oversight of All Saints’ finances and facilities.
  • Be an active minister of the Gospel in daily life and work.
  • Bring one’s whole self to the table; being present in mind, body and spirit.
  • Identify and recruit individuals to serve in leadership roles and committees as needed.
  • Embody and promote love, accountability, authenticity, healthy habits, and spiritual well-being.
  • Share openly one’s ideas, beliefs, and desires.
 
Since we have good representation from the 9:30AM service, we especially need at least one person from the 8:00AM congregation to serve; however, we welcome people of diverse backgrounds, skills, and experiences, and there is no one set of qualifications that make a person an excellent candidate. It is important for us to have new ideas, new perspectives, and new views as we discuss issues and make decisions. 
 
The work of the Vestry is for everyone and anyone - young and young at heart. Whether you have been at All Saints’ a lifetime or just a little while, you might be called by God to serve on the Vestry. All of us have very busy lives and lots of demands on our time and energy, but if you can bring a sense of joy and wonder to your work on the Vestry, you will be doing a great service for yourself, your family, and the entire All Saints’ ‘Ohana.
 
We invite you to submit your name for consideration to be on Vestry. Applications will be available on the table at the entrance of the Church, as well as through The Epistle e-newsletter.
  
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak to me or any of our current Vestry members.

Mahalo nui loa i ke Akua,
Kahu Kawika+
To access the Vestry Nomination Form, please click here.
phishing image

Phishing Emails Return
Don't Be Scammed
As technology evolves, so do the skills of dishonest people. All Saints’ parishioners are receiving another round of bogus emails from “Pastor Kahu Kawika”. These are not from Kahu. Do not open or reply to these emails. Kahu only sends emails from rector@allsaintskauai.org. Remain vigilant when opening emails that appear to come from people you know.
Reflections from Kahu Kawika
What Is Our 'Nazareth'?


Epiphany 2B
John 1:43-51
All Saints’ Kapaʻa
17 January 2021

When I was six years old, we lived on Scott Air Force Base in southern Illinois, about 45 minutes east of St. Louis. Every month or six weeks, my mom would take most of a Saturday to drive out to East St. Louis, IL, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, MO, to get her hair done. Because of the drive and her time at the hairdresser, she would take several hours of the day. My dad and I would be at home while she was away. Her hairdresser was in a particularly dilapidated urban area, but evidently her hairdresser was the best one she could find. When she got back home, she brought with her some barbeque she had bought after her hair appointment at a nearby East St. Louis hole-in-the wall eatery – they had no sit-down service, just take out, and they would wrap the BBQ ribs, sauce, and French fries in that day’s newspaper. My dad and I were waiting anxiously at home in anticipation of the BBQ, literally salivating at the prospect of biting into the best BBQ I had ever had anywhere from anyone, at least so I thought back then. I was amazed that something so amazingly tasty could come out a so-called “bad” neighborhood – not many people realized that something good could come out of East St. Louis!

Perhaps this helps us to understand Nathanael’s incredulity in our Gospel reading from John 1 when his friend Philip says to him, “We have found the One about whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Philip thinks he has found the very Messiah that the Jewish people have been anticipating for centuries, literally the person Moses and the Prophets had predicted would be the leader from Heaven who would free them. And what is Nathanael’s reaction to this incredible news from his friend Philip? Is he jumping up and down with excitement at this amazing thing he hears? No: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Interestingly, the village of Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament, and not even in other sources like the Jewish Talmud (the commentary on the Old Testament) or the Mishnah (the commentary on the Talmud). According to British-Israeli archaeologist Yardenna Alexandre’s recent excavations, back in Jesus’ time the small village of Nazareth was a haven for tax evasion and other secret activities. Some Jewish families from the South moved up North and settled there, finding soft chalk bedrock under their homes. In this bedrock many of these families would carve out caves, often in an intricate underground system, in which they could hide money, establish wine presses outside of broad daylight, and as needed could hide out from Roman soldiers who might be passing through to charge taxes or to forcibly conscript men into the Roman army.

In short, many people who lived in Nazareth didn’t want to live there, but they felt they had to live there for survival reasons. Perhaps this is similar today to folks who have no choice but to live in poor rural or urban areas, who would rather move out but the circumstances of life don’t allow it. Thus, the backwater of Nazareth is considered “Podunk, Palestine.” So no wonder Nathanael, who is from the more prosperous town of Bethsaida along the Sea of Galilee, has a bias against Nazareth and turns his nose up against it. He is prejudiced against Nazareans, and thus cannot take Philip’s words and excitement at face value.

But later on in the story, in so many words Jesus answers Nathanael’s sarcastic question with an affirmative “Yes indeed! Something ‘great’ has come out of Nazareth!” Rather than being insulted and moving on to find some other disciples who might be nicer and more receptive, Jesus instead proves himself to be the “good out of Nazareth.”

  • Jesus sees the good in Nathanael: Jesus has keen insight into Nathanael’s true character: “Here is a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false.” Jesus does a subtle word-play, in that the original “Israel,” also known as Jacob in the book of Genesis, is known for being very deceitful and a trickster. Jesus contrasts Nathanael with their well-known ancestor. Nathanael may not win the award for tact and diplomacy, but he is true to himself, and Jesus sees amazing disciple-material in him. Jesus, sight unseen, somehow intuits that Nathanael has integrity, that who he seems to be is really who he is. And Jesus can work with that. This tells me that Jesus can also work with us, as long as we strive to be true to God, to each other, and to ourselves – no matter who we are, where we come from, or from what life circumstances we arose. Jesus sees each and every one of us, and sees the good in us – if only we would let him.

  • Jesus shows Nathanael that he matters to Jesus: Jesus also demonstrates his “Messiah” credentials and that he really is God’s gift from Heaven by being able to notice Nathanael in keen ways. Jesus gives him an enigmatic answer to Nathanael’s question, “How do you know me?” Jesus’ response: “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” This may not sound like a lot – “Hey, I saw you way over there under that tree!” – but Jesus sees Nathanael under a “fig tree,” a well-known symbol for the people of Israel (later in the Gospels, when Jesus curses an unfruitful fig tree, he is predicting the ruin of the Jewish religious authorities because of their spiritual unfruitfulness). Jewish commentaries even suggest that at that moment, Nathanael had been reading the Torah under the fig tree when Jesus sees him there. In any case, it is clear that Jesus takes the time and trouble to notice Nathanael even from far away, which tells me that Nathanael matters to Jesus. Sometimes we forget that we matter to Jesus, too, but if we really take that truth on board in our hearts and attitudes, that one fact can change our whole outlook and approach to life for the better.

Jesus, as the divine image of God, shows us that God sees the good in us and that we matter. This reaches into the deep recesses of our being – we crave for significance, to know that our lives count for something. Like with Nathanael, Jesus meets us at our point of need (even, like Nathanael, we don’t realize it yet). And if we allow God full sway in our lives, God will also use us to make a positive impact on those around us at their point of need. When we continually encounter God in a new and fresh way (and that process is not just a one-time deal), that is not the end of the story – God then uses us to be a blessing to others. In the words of futurist and church-planter Alex McManus, “The Gospel comes to us on its way to someone else.”

A question that all this leaves me with is this: “What is our Nazareth?” In other words, where or what is the unlikely place or point in our lives in which God wants to meet us? Do we have the eyes to see the good that God has in store for us, even in circumstances that seem bad? Each of us has or has had a ‘Nazareth,’ something that seems bad or to be avoided but can be a stage for God’s love to shine in our hearts and through us to others. The awkward relationship, the difficult task, the stretching experience, the pain we have experienced in the past that God can use in the present.

The fires of life can refine the gold God has given in our lives, to be of better service and more conformed to the image of Jesus, who also suffered so that we might know God’s love. This being Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, here is a quote from him: “The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy.” God can use our personal “Nazareths” of challenge and controversy to glorify God and to enable us to be a blessing in this world.

The fact of the matter is that God can meet us at our deepest pits, in order to bring us up and then for us to be a witness to God’s saving love. This is how we see the good God sees in us, and how God makes our lives matter.
Sign Up for 2021 Altar Flower Donations Now
Donation Forms Available Online or at Church 
Ever wonder where all our beautiful altar flowers come from each Sunday? 

Our flowers are lovingly arranged by Mrs.Tanaka or by JC Flowers. These flowers were all donated by members of the congregation. To participate with a donation in 2021 and for more information, click here: Altar flowers, or sign up on the form outside Memorial Hall before or after services.
BISHOP'S WEDNESDAY STUDY
An Inauguration Day Reflection on
Paul's Letter to the Romans 13:1-7

The Bishop restarts his Wednesday Bible Study with a special Inauguration Day Reflection on Romans 13:1-7. To begin viewing, click on the image below.
Meet Our Religious Communities: Founding Monastic Communities

January 24, 2021
I didn’t know that we have monastic communities in the Episcopal Church!
Monastic orders and Christian communities are sometimes called “the best kept secret in the Episcopal Church!” Yet, today we have 20 monastic communities, whose members live together, and 25 dispersed Christian communities.

When did this start?
In the mid-19th century, some Episcopalians began to hear a call to deeper connection with God, to deeper prayer, and to community life. The first to heed this call was Anne Ayers, who founded the Sisterhood of the Holy Communion under the guidance of the Rev. Dr. William Augustus Muhlenberg in New York City in 1852. Several women joined her and they engaged in active ministry especially serving the poor, teaching, and in health care.

These women lived together and took “promises” for three years at a time, but did not take life vows, although it was Ayres’ desire that this work be an “association for life.”

One of these sisters, Harriet Starr Cannon, went on to found the Community of Saint Mary in 1865. Mother Harriet’s dream was “complete and unconditional surrender to our Lord” and for a life of prayer, discipline, and worship. The first ministries of CSM included the House of Mercy for “fallen women” and a home for destitute children. Initially, the existence of the community was known only to a few friends.
Why was CSM kept a secret?
In the late 19th century, anti-Roman Catholic sentiments were strong. The sisters started to attract unwanted attention and were called “Romanists in disguise.” Fictional accounts were published of horrors perpetrated in Roman Catholic convents and these stories were thought by many to be true.

The CSM sisters tried to keep a low profile and were still subject to criticism and scrutiny. Public sentiment changed dramatically when several CSM sisters went to Memphis in 1878 to minister to the sick during the yellow fever outbreak. Most of them died, and they are now commemorated in The Episcopal Church calendar on September 9th as the Martyrs of Memphis.

Why is religious life in The Episcopal Church still a “best kept secret”?
Despite the positive publicity surrounding the Martyrs of Memphis, religious communities have remained somewhat hidden in The Episcopal Church, often known only in the neighborhoods where they live and serve.

In the 20th and into the 21st centuries, religious communities are ministering in social services, education, health care, prisons, and throughout the Church. They provide prayerful presences, places of retreat, spiritual friendship, and examples of spiritual dedication in community.

For more information, see www.caroa.net and www.naecc.net.

Published by the Office of Formation of The Episcopal Church, 815 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017
© 2021 The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. All rights reserved.
Episcopalians Join in Prayers for New Administration as Biden is Inaugurated as US President

January 20, 2021

David Paulsen and Egan Millard
Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Jill Biden holds the Bible on Jan. 20. Photo: Associated Press

[Episcopal News Service] Episcopalians across the church on Jan. 20 joined in prayers for the new administration as Joseph R. Biden Jr. was sworn in at noon as the 46th president of the United States.

In his inaugural address, Biden drew from Scripture and his own faith in calling for a unified national response to the “cascading crises” facing America, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol to climate change to rampant disinformation. Projecting perseverance and hope, Biden urged Americans to be civil in their disagreements and join forces to defeat the coronavirus, extremism, hatred and lies.

“We must end this un-civil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts.”
Most of the celebrations and prayer services were held online because of the pandemic. On the eve of the inauguration, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was among an ecumenical group of 30 faith leaders who offered prayers in an online #PeaceWithJustice prayer vigil organized by Sojourners.

“Teach our leaders to love,” Curry said in the vigil. “Grant them and grant us your loving, liberating and life-giving spirit. Move our hearts and then show us the way to break down barriers that divide, to make suspicions disappear and hatreds to cease. There are divisions being healed, wrongs being righted. We may learn to live in justice, love and peace.”

The Diocese of Texas held an evening prayer service on Jan. 19, while the three dioceses in Wisconsin promoted a 24-hour prayer vigil leading up to the ceremony. New York’s Trinity Church Wall Street invited parishioners Jan. 20 to join a pre-inaugural vigil on Zoom. The Diocese of Hawaii was scheduled to follow the inauguration with “Noonday Prayers for Our Country.”

To read the full article, please click HERE.
“A Great Tree Has Fallen” – Sorrow at the Death of Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya


Posted Jan 21, 2021
It is with profound sorrow that we share the news of the death of Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya of the Diocese of Swaziland on Tuesday from Covid-19.

Bishop Ellinah cared deeply and worked tirelessly for creation care, chairing the Anglican Communion Environmental Network (ACEN) for many years. Just last month she shared her vision and experience in one of the four “Prophetic Indigenous Voices on the Planetary Crisis” videos co-created by ACEN and the Anglican Indigenous Network.
Bishop Ellinah was the first female Anglican bishop in Africa and a passionate advocate for gender justice. A beloved bishop, she will be mourned and missed by many, both at home and around the Communion.

Revd Rachel Mash, the Environmental Coordinator for the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, wrote, “A great tree has fallen and we are devastated…May her memory be blessed. May her legacy inspire us.”

The Executive Director of the Anglican Alliance, Rachel Carnegie, added: “This is such desperately sad news. Bishop Ellinah was an inspiration to so many. A great loss to the whole Communion, but my prayers especially for her husband and family and those who worked most closely with her in the diocese, province and around the world.”

Archbishop of Canterbury Receives COVID-19 Vaccine as Hospital Chaplaincy Volunteer



Posted Jan 19, 2021
[Anglican Communion News Service] Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday, Jan. 16. He was eligible to receive the vaccine as a health care chaplaincy volunteer at the central London St. Thomas’ Hospital, opposite his Lambeth Palace official residence. He has been volunteering at the hospital during the pandemic, offering spiritual care and support to patients, staff and visitors as part of the National Health Service (NHS) chaplaincy team.

“I want to encourage everyone to get the COVID-19 vaccine when they are invited,” Welby said. “Staff across the NHS, and health workers across the world, are under immense pressure on the front lines of this pandemic. They deserve not just our admiration but our support – and getting the vaccine when we have the opportunity is something we can all do to help relieve the burden on them.”

He continued: “It has been a privilege to volunteer at St. Thomas’ over the past year. Chaplains here and across the country are doing a vital job of providing spiritual and pastoral care to patients, staff and relatives at this acutely painful and difficult time.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby chats with a patient at St. Thomas’ Hospital while on one of his volunteer pastoral visits with the chaplaincy team in November 2020.
Photo: Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

FROM THE EPISCOPAL CAFÉ
Redeeming Babel

January 20, 2021

Have you ever considered the Tower of Babel
and wondered why, why on earth or in heaven
would the good God decide that it would be a wonderful idea
if we no longer understood one another?
That this separation would rid us of the ridiculous notion
that we were like gods unto ourselves, able
to reach into the clouds of glory and heave down
the throne of the Almighty?

But then, to look at it another way,
what if God were saying that as long as we
only talk to those who speak our language
already, who conspire already to affirm that we are
made in the very image of gods, icons and idols,
so long we are missing more than half
of our humanity
What if God, in dividing were inviting us,

instead of looking within, to seek out the borders

of our understanding in order to
uncover the foundation that is
more solid than brick, mortar, and blather,
 
the incomprehensible mercy of a curious love?
The Rev Rosalind C Hughes is an Episcopal priest, author, and poet, who serves as Rector of the Church of the Epiphany in Euclid, Ohio. She is the author of A Family Like Mine: Biblical Stories of Love, Loss, and Longing (Upper Room Books, 2020), and blogs at over the water/rosalindhughes.com
IN BRIEF . . .

These news briefs were featured in previous issues of "The Epistle"

Please submit your story ideas to the Epistle Staff at news@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.

ZONTA OF KAUAI FOUNDATION CHRISTMAS FUND is accepting donations for Christmas 2020. To donate, click here: Zonta Christmas Donation.

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.