Church Newsletter for the week of August 1st: Upcoming teaching series, healing reflections, chats and more...

I have been over two weeks in my room with a view recovering from my second knee replacement surgery. I guess you would say that sets the stage for being able to share how a second time around experience can change your perceptions of what is and what isn’t possible. Doing this in my elder years I am sure adds to some differences in what it means to be in the process of healing, which is what recovery is all about.

During the healing of recovery it is mostly about pain management. How to manage the pain with patience and grace until some kind of relief comes. It’s interesting as the pain never actually goes away it just lessens to where a few days ago I woke up and took about ten steps into the kitchen with nothing but feeling normal sensation. I was so shocked how wonderful normal felt I realized when it started hurting again how much we take the absence of pain for granted.

To just feel normal allows life to be lived more energetically at so many more dimensions than when you suffer from the pain of recovery from surgery, traumatic injury, disease, dying itself, grief, betrayal, rejection, loneliness, poverty, injustice, and any other category we as humans can conjure. Periods of feeling normal in life are actually quite amazing. Life is always cycling us through some level of pain to where you could say life itself is about recovery.

But recovery to what? When do you actually feel recovered? When does that vulnerable, exposed, raw, pulsating pain get re-covered with a layer of healing protection once again so the dimensions of life can be experienced more fully and you can let the joy back in, the relief, the hope for a better day ahead to do all the things you love you had been taking for granted when everything felt more normal?

Because pain focuses you to be in your body and narrows your life's activities, slows down the agenda of what you can and can’t do, so that an opportunity arrises to slow down and go deeper. To use this time of recovery to focus on what is important and how you want to use your healing each day you are privileged to receive it from a body working 24/7 to repair itself, even if it might be from a permanent loss or a broken heart. In other words, I have found it is a time to recalibrate and grow your soul.

Because pain from authentic suffering creates change and grows your soul. You expand in how and who you love, including yourself and the miracle remodeled temple you live in. You meet the soul’s need for growing patience and receiving grace as helping hands around you pick up the slack in service to your needs above their own. Gratitude becomes the coin you spend in knowing you are not alone and that pain is universal. As you experience relief, waves of radiant light ripple out into the world around you where everyone feels relief when healing comes.

No one talks much about Jesus’ miracles after the fact. When the blind see and the cripple walks again. How did their lives change after their healing? I know for me He becomes more and more my physician, my counselor, my guide and friend. The hem of His garment when touched in prayer sends healing light and love wherever needed and I can call on Him, not just for my salvation, but for His victory in my walking again, seeing more clearly again, loving more deeply, all without the pain, as waves of relief wash over me instead. These waves bring moments of joy that pierce through my day, the moments especially when I remember and know He is with me in my healing recovery, every step of The Way.

UPCOMING TEACHING SERIES ON HEALING SPACES

Stay tuned for the announcement of a class led by The Rev. Jonathan Coffey. Coming soon, every Thursdays at 10:30 am via Zoom.

A Journey into the topic of how a place works towards facilitating healing...

In the 1990’s Dr. Esther Sternberg began testing an intuition most of us share: that beauty facilitates healing of mind, body and spirit. Out of her research came the book “Healing Spaces: The Role of Place in Wellbeing”. Dr. Sternberg has since then joined the faculty at the School for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson where she directs research and chairs the Center for Place, Wellbeing and Performance. We will read and reflect upon her book and the growth in appreciation for the ideal habitats for healing each Thursday mornings at 10:30 a.m. The book is available for purchase via the link below.

BUY THE BOOK HERE

'CHATS' HOSTED BY THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF HAWAII

All welcome! Offering support and education on a variety of useful topics, CHATS (Communicate, Help, Ask, Thank, Share) is a monthly forum hosted by the Diocese's Communications Design Team that begins at 2:00 PM. Next week's topic is on "Free & Simple Video Editing Tools." All are invited to join in the conversation and to share your expertise or ask questions. Visit the CHATS webpage for more info HERE, or sign up HERE to be included in monthly reminders and receive Zoom info. Pre-registration is required!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Helen Mitsui Shared Blessings Thrift Shop in Kilauea is seeking Volunteers for 2021.

Each volunteer shift is a 2-4 hour commitment for a minimum of one day per week. Experience in Retail, Customer Service, and/or Retail a plus, but not required.

Volunteers are invaluable to serving our community. Our goal is to reuse, repurpose and recycle goods — keeping as much as possible out of landfill — while providing our community with access to reasonably priced, quality merchandise.

Here are ways you can help:

* Greeters welcome shoppers and monitor our COVID guidelines.

* Customer Care helps shoppers to ensure a pleasant shopping experience.

* Merchandisers organize departments, restock the floor and display retail goods.

* Philanthropy distributes merchandise to organizations in need.

* Donation Intakers receive, sort and process donations.

Work-from-Home volunteers help prepare merchandise for sale. We are especially looking for help in these areas:

* Games: checking games to ensure all components are intact

* Stationery: packaging up cards and envelopes

* Holidays: preparing merchandise for Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Valentines, 4th of July, and more

* School, Office, Art Craft Supplies: organizing and packaging materials for reuse

* Toys: sorting, cleaning, and packaging toys

* Hardware: sorting and packaging tools, materials, electronics and appliances

Requirements?

*Team players with a genuine interest in serving the community and contributing to the reuse movement.

* Willingness to support COVID-19 safety measures set by Shared Blessings

* Physically able to lift 50 pounds (Merchandisers and Donation Intakers only)

Benefits?

Serving the community and our environment is rewarding work. We have a lot of fun! New merchandise is donated daily, so the element of surprise and wonder is constant. Get a first peek and more!

Interested?

Click on the reply button here! Let us know 1) your interests, 2) your availability to volunteer and 3) your contact information. Mahalo!

PRAYER REQUESTS THIS WEEK

Healing of body, mind and spirit for:

Our Friends in Hanalei, Shannon, Janice, Marilyn, Sarah and Julie, Tony, Scott, Greg, Webb, Christine, Kathy, Edith, Landrea, Sara, Patrick, Seth, Robin, Tyler, Chip and his wife Carrie, Stacy, Jessica, Lisa, Susan, Auntie Marrie, Molly and Abigail, Issa, Evelyn, Charlene, David, Tessa, Lee, Austin, Shane, Kim, Deanna, Annah, Maggie, Linda, and David.

ONGOING ACTIVITIES

Our Thrift Shop is Open!

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 2:00 - 5:00 pm

Wednesday 9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Saturday 9:30 am - 3:00 pm

For a safe shopping experience, we can only allow 8 shoppers in the store at any time.

All must wear masks and use hand sanitizer.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Meets in the Parish Hall:

Monday 6:15 - 7:15 pm & 7:30 - 8:30 pm

Tuesday 10:00-11:00 am & 7:30 - 8:30 pm

Wednesday 7:30 - 8:30 pm

Go to www.kauaiaa.org for more info.

THIS IS MY OFFERING

A Prayer:

Magnificent Holy Father.

I stand before you at this altar. So many have given you more.

I may not have much I can offer. Yet what I have is truly yours.

This is my offering, dear Lord.

This is my offering to You, God.

Your offering enables us to maintain worship, prayer and study during this time. Help us continue to provide a beautiful, flourishing, and safe "Sanctuary for the Spirit" at our historic and faithful church on Kaua'i.

Change to Automated Giving: Thank you to those of you who automate your giving and have a plan to support your church. Your consistent, planned generosity makes it possible for us to budget and dream responsibly. Want to change to automated giving? It makes life easy, especially if you travel.

Live off island? If you have a prayer intention or would like to pray for those on our prayer list, email our office. To be part of the church collective means we all share in the cost of being a church. We want our church to have inspiring worship; pastoral care for those in need; beautiful church grounds; programs to learn and grow; and tools to reach out to those who are seeking a closer relationship with God. See the different ways you can share your gifts, on our Giving page HERE.

If you like to give by check, please send to:

Christ Memorial Episcopal Church,

P.O. Box 293, Kilauea, HI 96754

Or consider changing to Automated Giving. It makes life easy. Just click on the button below to make a one-time or recurring donation.

Thank you for your love and care for our Christ Memorial community!

PASSING THE PLATE

PAYPAL

http://www.christmemorialkauai.org/radicalgiving.html

STAY INFORMED

Keep up-to-date with messages from the Bishop. Click on the buttons below to view the Bishop's weekly Monday & Wednesday messages, and find links to online worship in the Diocese.