WUC COVID-19 Worship Plan
The Bicentennial Year of Christ’s Aloha in Hawaii
I grew up in Waimea Larger Parish on Kauai. In 1970 I learned the word ‘Sesquicentennial’, as my church celebrated the 150th anniversary of the landing of the Thaddeus, which brought the first missionary company to Hawaii in 1820. I played trumpet, as our High School Band marched in a parade from the river mouth down Kaumualii Highway into Waimea town. Now as a pastor serving in this heritage denomination on Maui, I have been contemplating the vitality of our churches 200 years after missionary activity. The Good News of Jesus Christ was well received by the first hearers in Hawaii. New England Style church buildings networked the Hawaiian landscape as a missionary strategy into our communities. I have come to faith through this legacy. But today, many of these buildings have become anchors that tether our congregations to the ground. Families are attachment to these building and have as their mission the up keep and restoration of these monuments of faith, even although there are only few members left and their resources are scarce. The sanctuary building is a symbol of God’s presence in their community. But our obsession with these ‘shelters of the transfiguration’ have caused us to miss the ongoing missional presence of Christ into our communities. Except for today. Our Bicentennial anniversary of the missionaries’ arrival is marked with the presence of a deadly pandemic. Threatening our neighbors, community and life as we have come to enjoy it. Our churches are no longer being able to conduct services from their facilities, but are reaching out via, text, phone calls, posts, letters, cards, photos, Facebook and conference call platforms. We listen, pray, check in and stay connected with stories, humor, love, prayers and concern. In this format, our resources are abundant. Masks are sewn, services are viral from homes, our network into the community is anchored by theses outpost of faith into the world. Like a dormant seed, the faith planted in us is sprouting and bearing fruit as a faith community. Our churches are animated in new and imaginative ways. We are missional in our staying apart and staying ‘aloha’. The products of this 200 year old mission continues to be important, in new, provocative, transforming and adaptive ways. Fifty years ago, Mr. Suga, Mr. Ishi, and I got into Rev. Baybrook’s VW van and drove out to Puhi to pick ti leaves for a laulau sesquicentennial feast in the Waimea Social Hall. These were the “Peter and John” of my ‘church up bringing’, along with Mr. Okada, Mr. Matsukawa, and Charlie Kaneyama, these disciples of Christ left an indelible mark of faith, devotion, joy and humor on my life. Pastor Robb A product of missionary aloha (I’m not 200 years old) HAPPY EASTER!
The light of the sunrise revealed a new reality, as it exposed the empty tomb and the body of Jesus missing. Women, filled with grief and love, were shocked and bewildered as the first witnesses of the results of the resurrection.
Four days prior to this, Jesus and his disciples sat at a Passover meal. They remembered the marking of the door that signaled the spirit of death to Passover a household. This final plague releases the Hebrews from their slavery in Egypt. Jesus’ commemoration of the Passover, creates a template for us to understand Jesus’ marking of the cross with his blood, as a sign for death to Passover our deaths with resurrection. The resurrection disrupts our world’s normalcy, as death is no longer the only active player in our world. Our world’s view is affected by eternity. Our fortunes, power and adorations are left behind when our bodies die. But our spirit, with qualities of joy, peace, love, kindness, relationships, praise, thanksgiving, worship live on resurrected. The author of Colossians writes, “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above…” These are the qualities of relationships; dignity, respect, justice, equality, worth, value, and honor that are to be lived now and into eternity. This is our Easter resurrection living, God’s new normal for us in Christ. Pastor Robb Aloha Church, 4.7.2020
Aloha from an isolated island in the Pacific. We have had a few cases here. but this week we learned of our first death from Maui. We pray for the family's loss. We are not immune from the effects of the COVID virus. God in your mercy, hear our prayer. We are doing the best we can to be faithful people in this time of apocalypse. Dr. Barbara Rossing from Luther Seminary describes apocalypse as to reveal, as Toto does by pushing back the curtain to expose who the Wizard of Oz actually was. Our President is being exposed for who he really is. Our nation is being exposed for the kind of people we really are. Our Christian faith is being exposed as we resist the temptation, to panic, hoard, worry and fear. As God's people, help us to reveal our God of love, compassion and life. God in your mercy, hear our prayer. I listened to a pod cast of Krista Tippet interviewing Padrag O Tuama on prayer. He prayed the stations of the cross, everyday for ten years. 14 stations of abduction, torture, and murder through which he discovered; hope in protest, hope in truth-telling, hope in generosity, by seeing the character of Jesus revealed. He began to see the kind of dignity that might be available to him through the imaginative love of God. His parting words of this interview were that these shadowing parts of Jesus’ end, have become a shelter for him. The light of God touches every darkness with sparks of love and life. God in your mercy, hear our prayer. Let us find shelter in our living under the shadow of COVID-19, that these shadows would reveal the shelter of God's imaginative love. God in your mercy, hear our prayer. From my Bubble of Aloha, to your Bubble of Aloha, Pastor Robb Prayers of the People Prayer Request can be called in to the office (244-9177) or made on our web page or through email wuc@hawaiiantel.net We check these often and will alert the Prayer Tree at your request. Offering Mail your offerings in 327 S. High Street, Wailuku HI 96793 Our Web page; wailukuunionchurch.weebly.com, has “PayPal”. Food Pantry-Opened The Food Pantry is opened on Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. They are taking the necessary precautions to keep you safe, so please keep them safe: 6 feet apart, elbow coughing, refrain from touching your face and sanitize your hands. Thank You. |
Mission Statement"Love God, follow Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit, faithfully share God's mercy and grace."
THIS WEEK IN JULYStay at Home or Limited Seating at sanctuary
Practicing COVID-19 Safety in the sanctuary with worship docents. Designated Seating. Rest Room spray down. Other gathered activities of the church are limited as we practice COVID-19 safety. Stay in contact with each other. Pray for our world and to listen to God’s voice. Exercise; walk, plank, Pilate, feel the warmth of the sun, Read scripture, the Bible, books, Enjoy music. Wear a mask for the love of others and to prevent face touching. Keep 6 feet away and Wash hands excessively. Saturday, July 11th Food Pantry – 8:30 -11:00 a.m. Supplemental food is here. We will open our Pantry while observing health standards for the distribution of food. Contact the Church Office to volunteer. (808) 244-9177 Stay at Home or Limited Seating at sanctuary Worship Sunday, July 12th Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Limited Seating or www.facebook.com/WailukuUnionChurch – 9:00 a.m. (downloadable file of Bulletin & Sermon above) Monday, July 13th Bible Study – 5:00 p.m. request a Zoom invite Wednesday, July 15th Council - 6:00 p.m. via Zoom Saturday, July 18th Food Pantry – 8:30 -11:00 a.m. Supplemental food is here. We will open our Pantry while observing health standards for the distribution of food. Contact the Church Office to volunteer. (808) 244-9177 Sunday, July 19th Seventh Sunday after Pentecost Limited Seating or www.facebook.com/WailukuUnionChurch – 9:00 a.m. Copyright Permissions All songs printed during our worship are used by permission from WorshipToday.com and from CCLI.com (CCLI License No. 451287). Liturgy is used with permission and adapted from Season of the Spirit | ||||
Wailuku Union Church
