WEEKLY NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
February 20, 2022
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Phone Number: (808) 482-4824
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Sunday Worship
The Seventh Sunday After the Epiphany
Scripture Readings for this Sunday:
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Service of Holy Eucharist
with Music, in the Sanctuary
8:00 am
Please wear a mask.
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Service of Holy Eucharist
with Music, in the Sanctuary
9:30 am
Please wear a mask.
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Are you serving this Sunday? Would you be interested in reading at either service (zoom or in person)? You can view what positions are
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WELCOME TO CHRIST MEMORIAL |
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Welcome to Christ Memorial Episcopal Church. We are devoted to following the life and teachings of Jesus, the Christ.
We hope your experience worshiping with us will bless and enrich your life.
People of all faiths are welcome to worship with us on Sunday.
During pandemic time, join us at 9:30 here.
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APPLY NOW FOR EPISCOPAL CHURCH 2022-2023 EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS |
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Applications are being accepted for a wide variety of educational scholarships from The Episcopal Church for the 2022-2023 academic year. The deadline to apply is April 10. All applicants must be Episcopalian.
The scholarships—derived from annual income of more than 45 trust funds established through bequests to The Episcopal Church—range from assistance for children of missionaries, bishops and clergy to individuals seeking theological education and training. The maximum award is $10,000 per student.
At least nine of the scholarships are designated for Native American youth; others are specific to Black, Asian American, Chinese, and Hispanic students, as well as seminarians, among other listings. Applicants are encouraged to read the scholarship trust fund list and identify in their application those funds that best fit their situation.
The application form is available in English and Spanish. Online applications are required, and only complete applications will be considered. All applicants must have the endorsement of their Episcopal bishop.
Applications are reviewed by a scholarship committee composed of representatives from the Episcopal Church Executive Council, the church-at-large, the Treasurer’s Office, and various other Episcopal Church ministries.
For more information, contact Ann Hercules, associate for grants and scholarships.
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PRESIDING BISHOP AND OTHER DIGNITARIES REMEMBER ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU'S GRACIOUS MORAL STRENGTH AT MEMORIAL SERVICE |
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[Episcopal News Service] At a memorial service for Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City on Feb. 13, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry remembered the former primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa as a relentless optimist who saw the promise of Easter even when it looked like Good Friday.
In addition to a sermon from Curry, the memorial service for Tutu, who died on Dec. 26, 2021, at age 90, featured eulogies from international dignitaries and prayers and hymns in multiple ethnic and religious traditions.
Tutu was remembered for his steadfast commitment to a just, nonviolent end to the apartheid regime in South Africa – an effort that won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. The success of that movement culminated in the 1994 election of Nelson Mandela, who named Tutu the chairman of the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Tutu’s leadership lent credibility to the commission’s work of exposing the atrocities of apartheid and pursuing restorative justice.
Amidst “the darkness of bigotry, the darkness of animosity, the darkness of arrogance, the darkness of injustice, [Tutu’s voice] reminded [us], it is Easter,” Curry said in his sermon. “Goodness is stronger than evil. That voice, sometimes with a smile, [said,] ‘Love is stronger than hate.’
“The voice of that little man. Remember how little he was? Before I met him the first time, back in the ‘80s, I just knew he was as big as LeBron James. And he was bigger than that!”
Curry recalled going to hear Tutu speak during “the dark days” in South Africa, when Mandela and other Black political leaders were still in prison.
“He ended it by saying, ‘I believe that one day, my beloved South Africa will be free. I believe that one day she will be free for all of her children: Black, brown, colored, white, Asian, all of her children. I believe that one day, my beloved South Africa will be the land of all the rainbow children of God,’” Curry recalled, referring to the phrase “rainbow nation” coined by Tutu describing the diversity of South Africa. “‘I believe that God has a dream for South Africa and nothing can stop God’s dream. I believe that because he raised Jesus from the dead and if God can do that, look out, apartheid. You’ve already lost.’”
Curry also drew parallels between Tutu’s fight for justice in South Africa in the 1980s and 1990s and the challenges facing the world today. The guiding principle in these efforts, Curry said, must be the golden rule of loving God with all one’s heart and loving one’s neighbor as oneself.
“Do that and you will figure out how to make poverty history so that folks aren’t suffering in this world anymore. Do that and we will make sure that vaccines are available around the world and not just for us, who are privileged in this part of the world,” Curry said, drawing applause from the in-person audience, limited due to COVID-19.
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The service at St. John the Divine, where Tutu spoke in 1986 to thank Americans for protesting against apartheid, was led by New York Bishop Andrew Dietsche and included eulogies from former U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel; Nomaindiya Cathleen Mfeketo, South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S.; Mathu Joyini, South Africa’s representative to the United Nations; and Abdulla Shahid, president of the U.N. General Assembly. Rabbi Geoffrey Basik and Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat offered Jewish and Muslim prayers, respectively.
In his eulogy, Rangel remembered “that smile, that wit, that eloquence that Bishop Tutu had” and credited Tutu as an inspiration for his own political career, which included representing New York in the House of Representatives from 1971 to 2017. Rangel said he admired Tutu’s boldness in applying Christian values to political problems, a trait Rangel said should be reclaimed by Christians.
“His life has shattered the myth of the separation that we should have between our churches and our spiritual institutions and our policies,” Rangel said. “If [our] spiritual leaders are separate and neutral in the things that we do, then all of the things that Jesus said that we should do in making certain that we treat the lesser of our brothers and sisters – it just doesn’t make sense.”
The music included a traditional Namibian song, an African American spiritual and the South African hymn “Siyahamba,” with lyrics sung in English, Zulu and Spanish, and the service closed with an organ and saxophone rendition of “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika (God Bless Africa),” the South African national anthem.
– Egan Millard is an assistant editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at emillard@episcopalchurch.org.
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THE POWER OF GRACE
Leslie Scoopmire
Love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you,
pray for those who abuse you.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give, and it will be given back to you.
Love. Do good. Bless. Pray. Give. Lend. Forgive.
Of those seven simple admonitions, five from the first paragraph we will hear this Sunday alone, probably the most familiar is the one known popularly as the “Golden Rule–” the pivot or fulcrum of the total instruction Jesus gives us.
The Golden Rule did not originate in Christianity—in fact, I don’t think anyone knows where it first appeared—but it is certain that a similar dictum is found not only in Judaism in the book of Leviticus, but also Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, the Sikh faith, Taosim, Homer, Philo, Confucius, and even the Code of Hammurabi. That Golden Rule is so ubiquitous that it’s even been dropped into a song by the band Men at Work about an ornery kid named Johnny.
But, there is more going on here. Jesus calls us to the higher ground: our actions should not be based on reaction to others’ worst selves, but directed from our own will and ethical outlook. When we are confronted by those behaving badly, hurtfully, we cannot control that behavior. We also cannot presume to know the burdens they are themselves carrying. Jesus also calls us to the wisdom that those misshapen by anger, fear, and contempt win when they manage to misshape us, too. We do have enormous power to choose how we would prefer to respond. And that is a far cry from being powerless. It’s the power of choosing a different path—one built on the bedrock of grace.
Jesus offers us the wisdom that we may not be able to control others, but we do have the ability to choose how to respond. That response might not be immediate: sometimes it simply started with determining to not follow in the footsteps and behaviors of the person hurting them—which is, if you look, exactly what Jesus is advocating, too. For those of us who have encountered abuse and dysfunction in our lives, this power of grace is power indeed.
Jesus is not just prescribing but exemplifying how to begin living a God-shaped life. A God-shaped life, possible for anyone. Allowing us to begin freeing ourselves from cycles of pain— haltingly, imperfectly, tottering at times like a toddler, but each step setting out on a different path. A journey that may take a lifetime, but worthy of a lifetime’s practice and care for what it gives not just to ourselves but to those around us.
Jesus calls invites us to remember the filigree of grace which undergirds our own lives— the unearned love and mercy of God toward us no matter how much we screw up. The very foundation of God’s relationship with us is not punishment, but mercy.
Should we let the wonder of grace sink into our very marrow, it will change us. It helps us let go of our own calculus of inflicting suffering in response to suffering which is so much of the basis of human notions of “justice.” It helps us smooth out the balled fists of our hearts and open to the promise of a faithful God who overlooks our own faithlessness, of the loving God that calls us back from anger, fear, and everyday cruelties and sets us on living out a life based on compassion, empathy and love.
The power of this gospel reading is found in its promise of abundance at the very end: if we live a generous life toward others, we ourselves will find an abundance beyond measure, so much that it spills out of our cupped hands and into our laps.
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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.
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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!
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Sunday school will be held at 8:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall across from Christ Memorial with beloved teachers Leona and Keana.
Masks are required.
Aloha ke akua.
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Shopping Hours:
Monday 2:00 pm -5:00 pm
Tuesday 2:00 pm -5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:30 am -12:30 pm
Thursday 2:00 pm -5:00 pm
Friday 2:00 pm -5:00 pm
Saturday 9:30 am -3:00 pm
Donations Accepted:
Monday 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Saturday 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Please wear a mask
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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!
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PRAYER REQUESTS THIS WEEK |
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Let us pray for our own needs and those of others. We remember especially those on our prayer list. Healing of body, mind and spirit for: Janice, Marilyn, Webb, David, Linda, David, Satya, Penny, Scott, Gordon, Suzanne, KB, Kim Edge, the Oliveria family, and the Hanchett family. We pray that you will bring people together in worship. Enliven your church and bless Michael our musician, our clergy and lay leadership. We pray for our sibling Episcopal congregations on Kauai: St John and St Paul, West Kauai, St Michael & All Angels, Lihue and All Saints, Kapaa; and for all churches on the North Shore. We pray for our own congregation of Christ Memorial, Kilauea for those present, online and absent - that all of us together may be united in your ministry. |
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Thrift Store Hours :
Monday 2:00 pm -5:00 pm
Tuesday 2:00 pm -5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:30 am -12:30 pm
Thursday 2:00 pm -5:00 pm
Friday 2:00 pm -5:00 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.
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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
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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. |
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Christ Memorial Episcopal Church
2509 Kolo Road, Kilauea, HI 96754
(808) 482-4824
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