Volume 6, Issue 39
September 24, 2021
THIS SUNDAY: September 26, 2021
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost


Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-49
After the Israelites complain about having to eat the manna that God had sent them in the desert, God raises up other leaders assist Moses by causing them to be filled with God's Spirit -- including two others that no one had reckoned on.

Psalm 19:7-14
God's laws and ways are perfect and revive the soul.

James 5:13-20
The prayers of the just are effective, and those who welcome others into the fold end up saving their own souls as well.

Mark 9:38-50
John is mad that someone other than the disciples is healing folks in the name of Jesus. Jesus corrects John, saying that John should welcome such people, and in that way foster peace among the disciples.
ON-SITE CHURCH SERVICE
WITH COMMUNION

8:00AM
Joe Adorno (EM)*
John Hanaoka (U)
Marge Akana (AG)
Muriel Jackson (DM)

9:30AM
Mario Antonio (EM)
David Crocker (U)
Joan Roughgarden (LR)
Faith Shiramizu (AG)
Vikki Secretario, Mabel Antonio (HP)
Ron Morinishi, Curtis Shiramizu (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

Project Vision Hi`ehi`e Mobile Showers
Thursday, September 30th
11:00AM - 4:00PM
Church Lawn

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

Daughters of the King
Thursday, October 14th
7:00 - 8:00PM
Zoom Meeting
Contact Mabel Antonio for login info


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
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
From Childishness to Childlikeness

Mark 9:30-37
James 3:13-4:3; 4:7-8a
Jeremiah 11:18-20
Psalm 54
Proper 20B
19 September 2021

My biggest antagonist and “enemy” in high school actually turned out to become my best friend and among my longest-lasting friendships of my life. Eric came in as a sophomore and was in all my classes – for some reason we picked up on each other and started a rivalry as to who was supposedly the smartest, most talented, and who could reel off a witty putdown or retort against the other the fastest. Eric somehow always seemed to have the edge over me! However, we actually discovered that we had a lot in common, and grew to be best friends. We cheered for each other when we were both in a scholarship competition at the end of our senior year of high school. Even his father, a locally well-known Jewish psychiatrist who had emigrated out of Nazi-controlled Austria during World War II, served as one of my references when I first applied for seminary!

This tendency to “one-upsmanship” is all too common, not only in society at large but also in our individual lives. We want to have the last word, we seek to garner the approval of others by putting someone else “in their place,” our self-worth is gauged not by who we aspire to be but by how we think we rank compared to others. It certainly comes out in our national politics, where the goal is not to work for the improvement of lives and livelihoods but rather to score “gotcha” points off someone from the other party.

Part of this is simply being human. We just naturally want to be better, bigger, stronger, and faster than the others. It is a source of pride. Don’t get me wrong – the quest for self-improvement is commendable and we should not want to sit on our haunches and stagnate in life. We should always strive to be the best person we can be.

And yet, how easy it is to slip out of self-improvement to promote self-aggrandizement instead! We start to compare ourselves to other people around us, and prideful competition starts to feed off our own insecurities.

Jesus’ disciples are also human like us, so it should come as no surprise that they would also have this bent towards pride. We see it today in our gospel lesson from Mark: Just at the point when Jesus is telling them serious news that he will have to suffer and die at the hands of the authorities, then rise again afterwards, they blank what he has to say and start arguing among themselves as to which one is the “top dog.” They either totally ignore the fact that Jesus will humble himself to humiliation at the hands of others, or they see an opportunity to fill the coming power vacuum and claim their spot up the food chain when Jesus is gone.

Jesus sees their childish, sandlot behavior. This is probably why he then takes a child and puts him or her among them. But the child here is not childish, but childlike. And the person who follows this example of serving the most vulnerable in society is actually becoming great in God’s eyes because they do it as to Jesus and to God. Jesus is pointing them away from childishness towards childlikeness.

If we think about it, it is not too difficult to see Jesus’ point lived out in human history. So-called strong oppressive leaders like Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Amin, Caesar, and Catherine the Great certainly left their mark in history. But the people we admire are those who were more childlike in the divine sense: Mother Teresa, Mohatma Ghandi, Greta Thunberg (18-year-old Swedish environmental activist), Florence Li Tim Oi (from China and the first woman ever ordained in the Anglican Communion), Anne Frank, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Malala Yousafsai (young woman from Pakistan, the youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate), Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Buddha. We would certainly lift them up as greater people than those with the will to power and brute force.

The editors of the Revised Common Lectionary show a lot of wisdom by matching our gospel lesson to the epistle lesson from James. In this very pragmatic book, James (the half-brother of Jesus and leader of the mother church in Jerusalem) tells us that this same kind of base desire to be Number One over others often leads to envy and selfish ambition. We fall into the assumption that larger is better. If I have more than you, then I must be a better person than you. This assumption even creeps into Christian circles: God has given me all these things, so you don’t have them because you must be somehow out of favor with God. They thought the same thing in Jesus’ time – if someone had an illness or birth defect, then the assumption was either they or their parents had sinned greatly and thus made God angry at them.

It’s all about keeping up with the Joneses – and even surpassing the Joneses in our dust. We want the latest car, the fastest computer, the biggest house, or the greenest lawn.

James goes on to warn that this selfish ambition leads, not surprisingly, to conflicts and even ultimately to wars. People want something that someone else has, so they try to take it (Indigenous American and kanaka Hawaiian history is full of stories of European settlers and later the American government displacing them off their land when it is wanted). 

The problem with all this is that we have the human tendency to compare ourselves with each other – we look to see if we are a little better or a little worse off than someone else. We fall into the same trap as Jesus’ disciples, who in this story fail to pay attention to Jesus and instead focus on each other. Jesus’ words of dying at the hands of others literally goes in one ear and out the other – except in the ensuing argument of who would take Jesus’ place as leader.

But here is the twist in the tale – Jesus does not tell his disciples not to want to be great. He does not say to them that greatness is a bad thing to aim for. What he does tell them is the godly way to achieve it – not through ambitiously stepping on others, but in stooping down before others. When we do that, we give God first place, because God sides with the Least, the Last, and the Lost of this world.

James puts it even more succinctly: “Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you.” If we are too busy looking to ourselves, then we will fail to look to God and to draw close to God. Ironically, when we “lose” ourselves instead, we discover our more human selves. When God fills us and our daily lives, then out of gratitude we can then look beyond ourselves for the benefit of others.

To borrow a phrase from a television show, Jesus is “The Biggest Loser.” He asks each of us to lose in order to gain. Jim Eliot, an intercultural pastor from the 1950s who lost his life while working in the Amazon region, said, “A person is no fool who gives what they cannot keep, to gain what they cannot lose.” We cannot keep our lives forever on this earth, or even our lifestyles indefinitely, but we can spend what we have now on earth for eternal results – the betterment of peoples’ lives and that of those generations who will follow them.

Let’s also be big losers – in order to be big winners for eternity.
May God the Source of Love, the Son given in love, and the Spirit who draws us together in love, bless us to lose ourselves in love. Amen.
Project Vision Hi'ehi'e Showers Inaugural Event
First Event was a Great Success
Mobile Shower trailer and sack lunches being set up.

From the Project Vision (Project Hi'ehi'e) Facebook page: Hi'ehi'e is Hawaiian for "to beautify, make distinctive, beautiful, elegant and distinguished in appearance." This expression is at the core of our mobile shower service. We aim to deliver basic hygiene services, and restore a person's sense of dignity.

Project Vision brought their mobile shower trailer to All Saints on Thursday, September 16th to offer hot showers to houseless guests. Their trailer is beautiful and brand new, and includes two enclosed private stalls with a toilet and hot shower (one is ADA compliant). Between the guest showers, the Project Vision crew sanitizes each area. They can handle up to 20 showers per visit.

Project Vision will bring their trailer to All Saints the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, with showers open from 12PM to 3PM. The photos show the trailer parked on the Līhu'e side of the gym on September 16th, but it was determined that they will start parking in front of Memorial Hall during future visits.

There was lots of excitement for our inaugural event, and representatives from Ho'ola Lāhui Hawai'i and Family Life Center were also there to provide services to the guests.

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

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

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

-Carolyn Morinishi
The following article by Dennis Fugimoto appeared in The Garden Island on September 20, 2021 and can be found here https://www.thegardenisland.com/2021/09/20/hawaii-news/new-hiehie-home-on-thursdays/
New Hi‘ehi‘e home on Thursdays


Dennis Fujimoto The Garden Island | Monday, September 20, 2021
Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

Carolyn Moriguchi [sic] and Wayne Doliente of All Saints Episcopal Church offer bag lunches to patrons of the Hi‘ehi‘e mobile shower unit that is being set up by Grace Meek of Project Vision Hawai‘i and Darnell Sugioka-Costales, back left, Thursday at the church gym in Kapa‘a.

KAPA‘A — Ron Moriguchi [sic] scanned the surface of the newly-placed leveling material Thursday as the Project Vision Hawai‘i Hi‘ehi‘e mobile hot-shower unit moved into place at All Saints Episcopal Church.

The Hi‘ehi‘e mobile hot-shower unit takes advantage of a recently leveled parking area at the All Saints Episcopal Church gym in Kapa‘a. The mobile unit was hosted by the church and Project Vision Hawai‘i.

“We just leveled the parking area,” said Wayne Doliente of the church.
“Now, the larger trucks can access more of the areas around the All Saints gym.

Doliente was joined by Carolyn Moriguchi [sic] in welcoming the new addition to its Thursday lineup.

“We’re offering bag lunch (it’s COVID-19 safe) for patrons to the Hi‘ehi‘e mobile hot shower,” Carolyn Moriguchi [sic] said.

“We also have drink. We were going to use plastic disposable cups, but those aren’t COVID-compliant, so we’re using paper cups. I also have people signed up to do lunch on the shower’s next visit on the third Thusday of the month.”

Grace Meek of Project Vision Hawai‘i was busy getting the Hi‘ehi‘e unit set up near the gym.
“I’m so glad the church called,” Meek said.

“We are wrapping up the first phase of the Hi‘ehi‘e rollout, and now moving into phase two that calls for more sites and community partners,” she said.

“The Hi‘ehi‘e showers will be available at this site on the first and third Thursday of each month from noon to 3 p.m.”

Patrons using the Hi‘ehi‘e service are provided with free towels and soap, and in the case of the church stop, a bag lunch courtesy of the church.

Hi‘ehi‘e, translated from Hawaiian, means “dignity” or “pride,” and the mobile shower is one of the programs being offered by Project Vision Hawai‘i.

The mobile hot-shower program offers the island’s houseless community an opportunity at hygiene, health, privacy and confidence.

The mobile hot-shower unit is available every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Salvation Army Lihu‘e Corps, across Hardy Street from the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall. 

The weekly Tuesday stop offers clients a hot meal, and representatives from Ho‘ola Lahui Hawai‘i discuss medical issues.

Hi‘ehi‘e moves to The Salvation Army Hanapepe Corps on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., where patrons also get a hot meal with their shower, and the presence of Ho‘ola Lahui to discuss medical needs.

On a recent trip, The Salvation Army’s Lt. Amy Lewis said patrons were treated to a new outfit from the thrift store, and in addition to Ho‘ola Lahui, representatives from the state Department of Education were on hand to address the needs of children from houseless communities.

Meek said with the first and third Thursday locked up in Kapa‘a, she has room for the second and fourth Thursday for any community partner looking to provide the hot-shower service for the houseless community.

Visit projectvisionhawaii.org for more information.
•••
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH GOVERNANCE
"Take Me To Your Leader!"
"Who's That?"
The following was first published in The Epistle, 4, May 31, 2019
Recently, I was engaged in a lively discussion of the Episcopal Church and its Leadership. You know the conversation. 

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

This last question really got me thinking. Who are “ They ”?

This week we will focus on that part of Church Governance that is somewhat familiar but more distant than our home parish: the Diocese and Province.
Diocese

A Diocese is the territorial jurisdiction of a diocesan bishop. The term also refers to the congregations and church members of the diocese. Before the church adopted the word it had a long secular usage. It was originally used in the Roman Empire for an administrative subdivision. A diocese was a division of a prefecture of the Roman Empire. In the reorganization of Diocletian and Constantine, the Roman Empire was divided into twelve dioceses. As the church expanded out from the cities, it adopted the use of the word "diocese," and ecclesiastical dioceses tended to correspond to civil units. For example, at first the Diocese of Georgia corresponded with the State of Georgia. Later, many statewide dioceses were divided into smaller dioceses for pastoral and practical reasons. For example, the State of New York includes six dioceses. In more recent years, some dioceses have been formed from portions of more than one state. The Diocese of the Rio Grande includes all of New Mexico and part of west Texas, and the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast includes portions of southern Alabama and western Florida. In England, the diocese is the territory of the bishop and the parish is a subdivision of it. Every diocese in the Episcopal Church has a Standing Committee. When there is a bishop in charge of the diocese, the Standing Committee is the bishop's council of advice. When there is no bishop, bishop coadjutor or suffragan bishop, the Standing Committee is the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese. A diocese usually meets annually in a diocesan convention. Each diocese is entitled to representation in the House of Deputies by not more than four ordained persons, presbyters or deacons, canonically resident in the diocese, and not more than four lay persons, who are confirmed adult communicants of the Episcopal Church and in good standing in the diocese. Dioceses also elect clerical and lay deputies to the Provincial Synod. The Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church provide guidelines for the division of a diocese. Some persons insist that the diocese is the primary unit in the Episcopal Church. (https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/diocese )

Bishop

As we learned in the Epistle4, 15, April 12, 2019, a Bishop is one of the three orders of ordained ministers in the church. Bishops are charged with the apostolic work of leading, supervising, and uniting the church. Bishops represent Christ and his church, and they are called to provide Christian vision and leadership for their dioceses. The Book of Common Prayer (p. 855) notes that the bishop is "to act in Christ's name for the reconciliation of the world and the building up of the church; and to ordain others to continue Christ's ministry." Bishops stand in the apostolic succession, maintaining continuity in the present with the ministry of the Apostles. Bishops serve as chief pastors of the church, exercising a ministry of oversight and supervision. Diocesan bishops hold jurisdiction in their dioceses, with particular responsibility for the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the church. (https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/bishop )

Provincial Synod

The Episcopal Church is divided into nine provinces. The Diocese of Hawai`i is in Province VIII. Each province has a synod consisting of a House of Bishops and a House of Deputies. These houses sit and deliberate either separately or together. The synod meets on a regular basis as determined by each province. Every bishop having jurisdiction within the province, every bishop coadjutor, suffragan bishop, and assistant bishop, and every bishop whose episcopal work has been within the province, but who by reason of advanced age or bodily infirmity has resigned, has a seat and vote in the House of Bishops of the province. Each diocese and area mission within the province is entitled to representation in the provincial House of Deputies. Each province determines the number of deputies, and each diocese and area mission determines the manner in which its deputies shall be chosen. The president of the province may be one of the bishops, presbyters, deacons, or lay persons of the province. The provincial synod elects the president. (https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/provincial-synod )
Synod

This term comes from the Greek synodos, "a meeting" or "a coming together." It means an assembly of bishops or a meeting of church people. Before the Council of Nicaea (325), synod and council were used interchangeably. After the Council of Nicaea, the term "council" was used for an ecumenical council and the term "synod" was used for a meeting of bishops. The Episcopal Church is divided into nine provinces. Each province has a Provincial Synod or a Synod of the Province. Each synod consists of a House of Bishops and a House of Deputies, which meets on a regular basis as determined by the province. Every bishop having jurisdiction within the province has a seat and voice in the House of Bishops of the province. The House of Deputies of a province consists of presbyters, deacons, and lay persons from each diocese and area mission in the province. The president of the province may be a bishop, presbyter, deacon, or lay person elected by the synod. In Oct. 1984 the Synod of Province VII elected Dixie Hutchinson president, the first lay person and first woman to be president of a province. Each province elects one bishop or presbyter or deacon and one lay person to the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church. Each Provincial Synod has the power to elect judges of the Provincial Court of Review. The convention of a missionary diocese may, in lieu of electing a bishop, request that the election of a bishop be made on its behalf by the Synod of the Province, or by the House of Bishops of the province subject to confirmation by the Provincial Synod. Lutherans and Presbyterians use the term "synod" for geographical districts. ( https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/glossary/synod )

So, what does all this mean for you?  

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

Second, the Annual Meeting of the Diocese of Hawai`i (our Diocesan Convention) offers you the ideal chance to make your thoughts, feelings, concerns, and great ideas known to the powers that be. You can take advantage of the Convention to get your ideas on the table and lobby to raise them up to the General Convention. This participatory framework provides a clear mechanism for your voice to be heard. 
The Diocese of Hawai'i's 53rd Annual Meeting will be taking place on October 22 & 23, 2021, and will be a virtual meeting. Last year the virtual Convention was very well attended and the people's business was done efficiently and in keeping with the nudging of the Holy Spirit.

Education Day is on Friday, October 22. The theme for this year is Reconciliation!

The Diocese of Hawai‘i's Reconciliation Task Force is hosting the Convention Education Day with a theme on Reconciliation. Education Day will be held online via Zoom on Friday, October 22, and is open to all in the Diocese. Those interested in attending must register. 

More information will be posted on the Convention webpage HERE as it becomes available.

Your delegates to this year's convention are CeCe and Bill Caldwell, Linda and David Crocker, and Jan Hashizume. Please contact them so they can bring your thoughts to Convention 53.

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

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

Bill Caldwell
The Epistle
A Message from the Bishop
As your Bishop, I deeply appreciate all those medically eligible who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and all those who continue to wear their masks in public and practice social distancing when gathering. Thank you! As Episcopalians, I am convinced this is the very minimum we as God’s people can do to fulfill the Great Commandment (Mark 12:29-31) during this difficult time of a worldwide Pandemic: “Jesus replied, ‘The most important one is Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You will love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.’” You, God’s people, are truly loving your neighbor through these righteous deeds.
 
O gracious and holy Father, give us wisdom to perceive you, diligence to seek you, patience to wait for you, eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate upon you, and a life to proclaim you, through the power of the spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
                                                                                                                     
-Bishop Bob Fitzpatrick
New ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Classes
Free ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi classes are starting Tuesday, October 5, 2021, on Zoom, under the tutelage of Kumu Kū Souza (ʻIolani School).

We are continuing this endeavor to not only facilitate better knowledge and familiarity with the language, but also because, as the Bishop often mentions, “language bears culture.” Last year’s session was only open to clergy, and those interested can continue their studies with a “Session II”. This year’s “Session I” is open to all members of the Diocese of Hawaiʻi (clergy and lay).

Tuesdays, starting October 5, 2021, planned ending March 29, 2022

  • 5:00-5:45pm Session I (first-time students)
  • 6:00-6:34pm Session II (continuing students)

For more information, or to sign up, please contact Cn. Sandy Graham HERE. Space is limited (particularly for Session I).
Maria joined her nearby Episcopal Church many years ago, deeply moved by the liturgy and the way her church looked at faith and Holy Scripture. She became very active, began teaching Adult Sunday school, eventually heading up the adult Christian formation program. Then ‘Life’ stepped in. After going through several personal and family crises, Maria found herself attending church less and less. With her faith at its lowest point ever, Maria felt she had no place to go for help. What surprised her the most was that no one from church seemed to notice she stopped coming.

So, she decided to wait until someone from church called to check on her. Twice the annual pledge campaign letter arrived in her mailbox like clockwork, with pledge card duly enclosed. But the letter was always addressed, “Dear Member of All Saints Church.” Into the trash went the anonymous letter and pledge card, and Maria’s relationship with All Saints Church. What is most sad about this story, however, is that the loss of Maria from All Saints Church was entirely preventable. An active TeleCare ministry at her church would make it extremely unlikely that this story would ever happen.

In short, TeleCare ministry is a lay-led ministry that expresses your church’s care
and concern to every member—and “permanent visitor”—on your parish membership
list. You call with one question: “We’re just calling to see how you are and if there’s anything you want us to pray for?” That’s it. Best of all, it’s free! All it takes is a little organization, commitment, and people who are willing to call others, to pray with them over the phone and remind them of your congregation’s love for them. Such a small act upholds the care for others demonstrated in today’s lesson from James, and the Gospel lesson, looking out for those new to the faith. Unfortunately for All Saints, Maria attends a different church now.

Developed in the 1990’s by the Rev. David Davidson-Methot and Deacon Fran Sweet in California, TeleCare ministry is a true from of stewardship: It is the care and tending of relationships. Bestselling author Brené Brown writes, “Connection, along with love and belonging (two expressions of connection) is why we are here, and it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.” Jesus models for us the ideal of self-giving relationships, relationships based on mutual love, compassion, and respect, which is essential to being human. Elegantly simple and lacking presumption, TeleCare ministry fosters that sense of connection in that it is an expression of the church’s love and belonging for its members.

Do you feel called to start a TeleCare ministry in your church, to prevent a story like Maria’s from happening? If so, please send me an email for a free PDF that outlines a basic form of TeleCare ministry, with ideas for training callers and practice scenarios. Discover how this “phone call of love” might be just the thing your people need from their church following a year of COVID-19 induced separation and isolation.

The Rev. Canon Timothy M. Dombek is Canon for Stewardship and Planned Giving for the Diocese of Arizona, Rector of Advent Episcopal Church in Sun City West, AZ, and a member of the board of TENS. He can be reached at timothy@adventaz.org
Presiding Bishop Among 12 Faith Leaders in White House Meeting on Bills Supporting Families, Workers

David Paulsen
September 22, 2021
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry joins other faith leaders for a meeting Sept. 22 with White House staff members organized by the ecumenical advocacy group Circle of Protection. Photo: William Nunnally/ELCA

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry joined 11 other faith leaders representing the ecumenical advocacy group Circle of Protection during a Sept. 22 visit to the White House to advocate for passage of legislation supporting families, workers and citizens.

Circle of Protection includes leaders from a wide range of denominations, including Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, African Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Disciples of Christ and Quaker. Curry was one of 20 leaders who signed the group’s letter to President Joe Biden and members of Congress specifically urging passage of three bills focused on investing in infrastructure, supporting families and strengthening voting rights.

“If passed and signed into law they would strengthen the physical and social infrastructure of our society, cut family and child poverty more than any time in our lives, and ensure the precious right to vote for all people made in God’s image,” the Circle of Protection letter says.

The dozen faith leaders who visited the White House met with Melissa Rogers, Josh Dickson and Trey Baker, who run the administration’s Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and Cedric Richmond, director of the Office of Public Engagement. The meeting follows Circle of Protection’s show of support for increases in the federal child tax credit and earned income tax credit. The group’s letter urges greater spending on housing vouchers “because a place to live for families draws us all together.”

“We believe that our nation is called to reduce poverty, expand opportunity, and address racial disparities – and that everyone, especially wealthy individuals and corporations, should pay their fair share,” Circle of Protection says in its letter. “The Bible is clear in its opposition to the concentration of wealth amid neglected human need. Those who have benefited the most should contribute to the common good of society and invest in the most vulnerable.”

The Senate passed a $550 billion infrastructure bill in August, but some Democrats in the House have pushed to link its passage to the passage of a broader $3.5 trillion budget plan that would address many of the Biden administration’s domestic priorities. The larger bill contains the support for families backed by the Circle of Protection leaders. Democratic leaders also are rallying party lawmakers behind the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The two voting rights bills, however, face uphill battles in winning over enough Senate Republicans to become law.
As the faith leaders advocate for the bills’ passage, their letter also calls on members of their denominations to join in the effort.

“At this moment of historic decision, we are urging the people in our churches and organizations to pay attention to what the President and Congress are doing and be active in advocacy that reflects biblical priorities,” the Circle of Protection letter says.

Curry has been vocal recently on the issue of children’s health and well-being. He argued in August in an opinion article for USA Today that all adults should get vaccinated against COVID-19 to help protect children under 12 who still are not eligible for the shots. He also issued a statement in June raising concerns about the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Fulton v. Philadelphia, a decision that allowed foster care agencies to cite religious beliefs in refusing to place children with LGBTQ+ foster parents.

Curry’s Sept. 22 visit with White House staff members builds on the work of The Episcopal Church’s Washington-based Office of Government Relations, which regularly advocates in the capital for policies the church supports.

“We are grateful for the chance to meet with senior White House officials to ensure that protections for the most vulnerable are part of the legislative packages that are moving forward,” Office of Government Relations Director Rebecca Blachly told Episcopal News Service in an email. “We regularly work with the Circle of Protection – a broad coalition of Christian traditions – to push for domestic and international anti-poverty programs.”

– David Paulsen is an editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.
National Cathedral Commissions Racial justice-Themed Windows to Replace Confederate Iconography

David Paulsen
September 23, 2021
[Episcopal News Service] Washington National Cathedral has commissioned a racial justice-themed replacement for its stained glass depicting two Confederate generals, windows that were removed four years ago amid a national reckoning with the white supremacist legacy of Civil War-era symbols.

The stained glass depicting Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson was installed in 1953 and removed in September 2017, after the deadly clashes between racist hate groups and counterprotesters in Charlottesville, Virginia. Now, the window honoring Lee is on loan to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, as part of “Make Good the Promises: Reconstruction and Its Legacies.”

The exhibit of more than 175 post-Civil War objects and 300 photos will be on display at the Washington, D.C., museum from Sept. 24 through August 2022.

“We sincerely hope that an honest examination of the painful legacy represented in these windows will help all Americans forge a clearer understanding of our past,” National Cathedral Dean Randy Hollerith said in a Sept. 22 news release. “Looking to our future, we are committed to working to help unite this country around a shared identity of inclusion, equality and true justice for all.”

On Sept. 23, Washington National Cathedral revealed what will take the Confederate windows’ place. The cathedral commissioned new stained glass windows designed by Chicago-based artist Kerry James Marshall, known for his everyday depictions of African American life and culture. The stone next to the windows will be inscribed with a newly commissioned work by poet Elizabeth Alexander, whose writing explores history, and race and gender politics.

“Cathedrals are never finished,” Hollerith told the Washington Post. “It’s a wonderful thing to be able to add beauty and meaning to this place when it’s already full of so much beauty and meaning. We are excited to have these two artists with us and grateful for their willingness to undertake this project.”

Marshall began designing the new windows this week and is expected to finish by 2023, according to the Post. The windows then will be made and installed on the southern wall of the main worship space.

Stained glass fabricator Dieter Goldkuhle, who worked with his late father to install many of the stained glass windows at Washington National Cathedral, replaces an image of the Confederate battle flag after cathedral leaders decided in 2016 that the symbol of racial supremacy had no place inside the cathedral.

Washington National Cathedral first began a period of discernment over its windows honoring Lee and Jackson in the wake of the June 2015 massacre of nine members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Gunman Dylann Roof’s fondness for the Confederate flag sparked a broad reexamination of the flag as a controversial symbol of the South that had been co-opted by white supremacists. The cathedral responded by removing depictions of the Confederate flag from the Lee and Jackson windows.

Two years later, the August 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, over removal of that city’s statues of Lee and Jackson left one counterprotester dead and prompted renewed scrutiny of Confederate symbols in public places, including at Episcopal institutions. Washington National Cathedral chose to expedite its decision to remove its windows depicting the generals.

“Their association with racial oppression, human subjugation and white supremacy does not belong in the sacred fabric of this Cathedral,” cathedral and diocesan leaders said at the time.

– David Paulsen is an editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.
Amidst the ongoing tragedy of the Covid-19 pandemic, the news cycle this year has been punctuated by stories of cataclysmic weather events. Extreme heat, wildfires and floods have devastated communities and environments across the world. The reality of climate change is inescapable.

What is COP26 and why does it matter?

This year is a critical one for the world to take the action necessary to avert irreversible climate catastrophe. In November, global leaders will meet in Glasgow, Scotland for COP26. The decisions they make will determine the kind of world future generations will inherit.

COP26 is the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This particular COP is especially important because it is the fifth meeting since of the historic Paris climate agreement of 2015 and as such is the first scheduled milestone for all nations to significantly increase their ambition for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

The latest IPCC report once again highlights the seriousness and urgency of the climate emergency. It also makes clear that taking urgent action at scale can still make a significant difference to eventual outcomes. As they released the report, the IPCC wrote, “Scientists are observing changes in the Earth’s climate in every region and across the whole climate system… Many of the changes observed in the climate are unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years, and some of the changes already set in motion—such as continued sea level rise—are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years. However, strong and sustained reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases would limit climate change.” They added that, with such action, benefits for air quality would come quickly, although it could take 20-30 years to see global temperatures stabilise.

Equipping Anglicans

For the first time, the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) will be an accredited observer at the UNFCCC and able to engage in different ways before, during and beyond the negotiations.

As part of the ACC’s engagement ahead of COP26, a series of three webinars is being organised in order both to increase climate literacy and climate action in the church leadership of the Anglican Communion and to equip and enthuse participants for engaging with COP26 and beyond.

Archbishop Julio Murray Thompson, the Anglican Communion’s lead primate on the environment, writes, “The timely series of webinars will build on one another and engage all levels of leadership across the Anglican Communion. I warmly encourage you to register for th[ese] webinar[s], which [are] an important milestone for the global Anglican Communion’s response to the climate crisis and a wonderful opportunity for mutual sharing, learning and action as we seek to live out the vision of the Fifth Mark of Mission: “To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth”.

Webinar 1: Monday 20 September at 0800 and 1600 UTC (OOPS. Too late for this one.)

The first webinar, Anglican leadership for successful Climate Change negotiations at COP26, has been particularly developed to support the work and leadership role of primates and bishops within the Communion. The content of the webinar will be the same for both webinars, and there will be simultaneous translation in French for the 0800 webinar and in Portuguese and Spanish for the 1600 webinar.The content of the webinar will include:

  • an interactive process of theological reflection;
  • learning and context-setting;
  • opportunities to think about how to leverage leadership for climate action;
  • showcasing examples of climate action and leadership across the Communion.
Webinar 2: Monday 4th October at 0800 and 1600 UTC 

The second webinar, Equipping Anglicans for successful climate change negotiations at COP26, will be very similar in content to the first but geared more for wider Anglican participation. All are welcome, including bishops and primates unable to make the first webinar.Registration links:

0800 UTC webinar (with French interpretation)
1600 UTC webinar (with Spanish and Portuguese interpretation)

Check what times 0800 and 1600 UTC are in your time zone here.

Webinar 3: Monday 18th October at 0800 and 1600 UTC

The third webinar on Monday 18th October will be responsive, taking a deeper dive into issues and areas determined by participants in the first two webinars. Further details and registration links will be shared in due course.

Anglicans and COP26

The webinar series is being organised by the “equipping and enthusing Anglican leadership” subgroup of the ACC’s COP26 working group. Chaired by Archbishop Julio, the ACC COP26 working group has been meeting regularly through 2021 to plan all aspects of the ACC’s engagement with COP26. Membership of the working group is drawn from the Anglican Communion Office at the UN, the Anglican Alliance, Lambeth Palace and representatives of Networks of the Anglican Communion, including the Anglican Communion Environment Network, the Anglican Indigenous Network and the Anglican Youth Network.

The ACC has recently been accredited as an observer NGO organisation at the UNFCCC. This means that for the first time the Anglican Communion as a whole will be represented officially at the COP. This provides the Communion with a significant and privileged opportunity to bring the voices and experiences of people across the Communion into this pre-eminent global decision-making space. Accreditation allows the Anglican Communion to make formal written submissions to the UNFCCC ahead of conference and to send a delegation, which can hold meetings with government delegations.

In addition to the equipping and enthusing Anglican leadership subgroup, the ACC COP26 working group has two further work streams. One is focused on the delegation which will be at the COP and the other on policy and influencing. The small delegation of three will prioritise indigenous and youth voices and policy will focus particularly on resilience and just climate finance. Future web stories will explore these areas in more depth.

The Anglican Alliance and creation care

The Anglican Alliance exists to connect, equip and inspire the worldwide Anglican family to work for a world free of poverty and injustice and to safeguard creation. As well as the integrity of creation being at risk of collapse, environmental degradation and climate change drive poverty and inequality. Through its partners and networks, its regional facilitators and the Anglican mission and development agencies, the Anglican Alliance connects with grass roots Anglicans and development practitioners in every part of the Communion. The Alliance is able to hear and gather stories and experience, and share them with the ACOUN team, and is also able to disseminate information from the UN team to people on the ground. Our aim is to connect, equip and inspire Anglicans to make creation care a priority for action and prayer.

FROM THE EPISCOPAL CAFÈ
Prayer For the Beginng of Autumn

Leslie Scoopmire
September 23, 2021
O God of All Creation,
hear us as we draw near to You,
and place our hearts at your feet.

For the long green season that is closing,
and in expectation of cooling nights and turning leaves,
we thank You, O Lord.

For the lengthening purple shadows,
and the joyous click of leaves
teaching us the beauty of letting go,
we thank You, O Lord.

For the sweet tang of autumn raindrops
cooling the air and softening the earth,
dancing on a mirrored pond,
we thank You, O Lord.

For the joy of children and the wonder of the innocent
in helping us to see your world anew,
we thank You, O Lord.

For the blessing of work for your service,
and the constellations of companions
whose fellowship lightens the load,
we thank You, O Lord.

For the wrongs we have done to others
or to You, Loving One,
that we may repent and seek reconciliation,
we pray to You, O Lord.

For all our enemies in word or deed,
that their hearts may be turned,
and we may forgive,
we pray You, O Lord.

For those living in times of fire and storm,
who struggle to stay above the rising tide of anxiety,
we pray to You, O Lord.

For those whose needs we remember before You
throughout this day, especially those we now name.

Amen.
The Rev. Leslie Scoopmire is a writer, musician, and a priest in the Diocese of Missouri. She is rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Ellisville, MO. She posts daily prayers, meditations, and sermons at her blog Abiding In Hope, and collects spiritual writings and images at Poems, Psalms, and Prayers.
IN BRIEF . . .

These news briefs were featured in previous issues of "The Epistle"
From The Epistle, September 17, 2021
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.
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.
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.
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
Who Do You Call?

Contact information for All Saints' Ministries and Outreach

Please submit your story ideas to the Epistle Staff at news@allsaintskauai.org.
USHER MINISTRY
If you would like to serve as an All Saints' usher, please contact Cami at church@allsaintskauai.org.

HALE HO`OMALU ACCEPTING DONATIONS
There is an on-going need for travel sized toiletries and canned goods so these items will be accepted every week. As always, monetary donations are gratefully accepted. Leave them in the red wagon outside the sanctuary

KUPUNA SHOPPING ASSISTANCE MINISTRY
Any of our All Saints' kupuna who need assistance with grocery shopping can contact Carolyn Morinishi at church@allsaintskauai.org to set up a delivery.

ALL SAINTS' VIRTUAL SWAP MEET
If any ministry has an unmet need, reach out to put it in the All Saints' Virtual Swap Meet and it will be published in the Epistle. Contact Bill Caldwell at news@allsaintskauai.org.

PASTORAL CARE CONTACT INFORMATION
Whenever you have a need for support, please call (650) 691-8104 and leave a voice mail. The system will immediately forward the information to the Pastoral Care Committee who will respond to each request. If you prefer, you may send an electronic pastoral care request via email to pastoralcare@allsaintskauai.org.

PRAYER CHAIN MINISTRY
Individuals who want to participate in the Prayer Chain Ministry must re-enroll to continue receiving the email communications. To re-enroll, please visit the newly established Pastoral Care web page or contact the Church Office at (808) 822-4267.

SUBMITTING A PRAYER REQUEST
Prayer requests will now be submitted online or by contacting the Church Office at (808) 822-4267.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Names can be added to the Prayers of the People petitions by using the Prayer Chain Request form or by contacting the Church Office at (808) 822-4267. Names will remain in the Prayers of the People for a maximum of four Sundays before a name must be resubmitted.
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