THIS SUNDAY: October 24, 2021
Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost
Job 42:7-17
Job emerged from his trials victoriously, but only after he prays for his judging friends.
Psalm 34:4-8
God reasons to those who are seekers of God’s aloha and truth.
Hebrews 7:23-8:2
Jesus as our eternal high priest has not only offered his own life on the cross for us, but also now intercedes for us before the throne of God in heaven.
Mark 10:46-52
Bartimaeus breaks social convention and to the consternation of the crowd dares to speak up for himself as Jesus passes, resulting in Jesus healing his blindness.
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ON-SITE CHURCH SERVICE
WITH COMMUNION
8:00AM
Joe Adorno (EM)*
John Hanaoka (U)
Marge Akana (AG)
Mark Cain (DM)
9:30AM
Muriel Jackson (EM)
CeCe Caldwell (U)
Rachel Secretario (LR)
Jan Hashizume (AG)
Viikki Secretario, Nelson Secretario (HP)
Carolyn Morinishi, David Crocker (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
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Diocesan Convention
Saturday, October 23rd
7:30AM - 4PM
Zoom Meeting
Vestry Meeting
Sunday, October 24th
11:00AM
Church lanai/Zoom Meeting
Wisdom of Kalaupapa
Monday, November 1st
5:00 - 6:30PM
Church
Attention: Pammy Chock
Ke Akua Youth Group Meeting
Wednesday, November 3rd
5:00 - 6:00PM
Zoom Meeting
Contact Cami for login info.
Project Vision Hi`ehi`e Mobile Showers
Thursday, November 4th
11:00AM - 4:00PM
Church Lawn
NOTE: Day and Time Change
Daughters of the King
Wednesday, November 10th
6:00 - 7:00PM
Zoom Meeting
Contact Mabel Antonio for login info.
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Aloha Hour
Postponed until further notice
Monday/Friday Crew
Every Monday/Friday, 8:00AM
Church Office
Project Vision Hi`ehi`e Mobile Showers
1st and 3rd Thursday, 12:00 - 3:00PM
Church Campus
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Laundry Love
1st Wednesday, 5:00PM
Kapa`a Laundromat
Daughters of the King
2nd & 4th Wednesday, 6:00 - 7:00PM
Zoom
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You care for the sick and suffering in body, mind, and spirit, especially Cathy, Larry, Suzanne, Jennie, and those we name silently or aloud, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
You embrace all who have died in the faith and bring them into your glorious presence. We thank you for their example and rejoice in their lives. Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy. Amen.
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Reflections from Bishop Bob Fitzpatrick
October 17, 2021
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Bishop Bob offered a sermon last Sunday as a part of the annual Diocesan Convention (Saturday, October 24th). It was broadcast on monitors in the All Saints' sanctuary for those attending in person and online. To hear his sermon, click below.
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Sloggett Center Solar Panel Installation Complete
Mahalo Nui Loa to All to Donated to This Project
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Anchoring Solar Panel Clips, Monday, October 11th
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East and West Facing Solar Panels Installed, Tuesday, October 12th
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South Facing Solar Panels Installed, Tuesday, October 12th
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Nathan Wood's crew started our solar installation Monday and completed the solar panel installation part of our solar project way ahead of schedule. The electrical connection is being completed. The last step is an inspection by the county and our solar project will be complete.
This project has been fully funded by generous donations from the All Saints' `Ohana and a grant from the National Philanthropic Trust. We began this project in May and a mere five months later have raised $316,00+, installed the solar panels, and are nearing project completion. This is a huge step in acknowledging that we, as a church `Ohana, are committed to helping protect God's creation. This project also creates an ongoing financial gift to All Saints' by reducing our electrical bill substantially.
Many thanks to Nathan's efficient crew and to Ron Morinishi for documenting their work with the photos.
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The All Saints' Budget
Did You Know ?
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All Saints', like most organizations, has two pots of dollars in its budget. One, called Restricted Funds, is used for special projects, certain types of maintenance, and capital improvements. These funds are restricted by the donor and can only be used within the wishes of the donor. All Saints' always respects the wishes of our donors and therefore any funds donated for specific purposes like the Columbarium or the Youth Group will only be used for those purposes. These funds may be seen as "Capital".
To continue the operations of the church, things like paying the salaries and benefits for our staff, continuing Sunday Worship services, paying for water and sewer services, and all the things required for our church to function, All Saints' needs your support for the ongoing operations of the church.
As we think about the many blessings given us by God, we should think about how we can best use the resources that God has provided to each of us. While donating to the Columbarium or Youth Group may be attractive, as you can see in the chart above, the church doesn't need any more money for either of these noble causes. Instead, the church needs your PLEDGE of financial commitment to the ongoing operation of the church.
You have probably heard that Stewardship is not about money. Rather it is an outward demonstration of your faith. I agree with that but I also realize that we can't, as a viable church, run deficit budgets. I urge you to pray and reflect on the financial needs of All Saints'. Your pledge will ensure our ongoing operations and enable us to use our capital resources according to the wishes of our donors.
-Bill Caldwell
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Laundry Love Is Moving
Laundry Love is Now Partnering with Project Vision Hi`ehi`e Mobile Showers
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Laundry Love Kauai is transitioning once again, as local conditions persist in limiting a return to pre-pandemic services. It’s been a remarkable journey, dating back to a 2014 launch, amassing nearly 10,000 loads of laundry washed, dried, folded and bagged. The tireless efforts of volunteers, team leaders and resident cooks inspired growth, as hundreds of grateful neighbors became a part of our ohana.
The current pivot involves blending our program with Project Vision Mobile Showers, which recently brought their operation to the All Saints' campus. The first and third Thursday of each month, between 12:00 – 3:00 pm, anyone in need of a hot shower or financial assistance with their laundry can come to All Saints'. Laundry Love in particular will be offering a “go-pack” of sorts, containing detergent, dryer sheets and a roll of quarters ($10).
We invite those interested in taking an occasional shift distributing these resources to contact the office. Mahalo in advance for supporting the ongoing spirit of Laundry Love, in whatever form it may take.
With Aloha,
Geoff
Laundry Love Ministry Lead
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Aloha All Saints O’hana,
Thanksgiving is next month and the Free Community Dinner and Service will again be hosted by the Kapa`a Interfaith Association. All Saintsʻ will be an active participant again this year by hosting both the Interfaith Service and the “Pick-Up” Meals from the north side of the gym.
Sign up sheets for drivers for Home Delivery and for Gym Clean-Up will be available outside the church sanctuary in the next couple of weeks. Home Delivery will be distributed from the Kapa`a Hongwanji like last year.
If you can assist in this worthy community effort by either donating time or money, we would greatly appreciate your kokua!
Mahalo nui loa.
-Sarah Rogers
Thanksgiving Chair 2021
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A Special 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
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Episcopal Church Announces ‘My Way of Love for Small Groups’ Resource for Spiritual Growth
Responding to a hunger for deeper discipleship among Episcopal congregations, creators of the My Way of Love initiative announce an upcoming new spiritual journey guide, video and other materials designed for small groups.
“My Way of Love for Small Groups” expands on the individualized spiritual journey laid out in My Way of Love and offers step-by-step guidance, scriptures, prayers, and reflections for nine weekly group gatherings. The resources will be available in early October; a sample can be found at this link online. READ MORE
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Feast of Saint James of Jerusalem Brother of Our Lord Jesus Christ
October 23
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(James the Just). In the gospels according to Matthew and Mark, and in the epistle to the Galatians, James of Jerusalem is referred to as the brother of Jesus. According to 1 Cor 15:7, he witnessed an appearance of Christ after the resurrection. Some scholars argue that he is a cousin or half-brother of Jesus, and that the word “brother” is used in a generic sense to describe his relationship to Jesus. Roman Catholics who uphold the perpetual virginity of Mary do not acknowledge that James was the son of Mary and Joseph. James was clearly a leader of the church at Jerusalem. He presided at the Council of Jerusalem which dealt with issues that divided Jewish and Gentile Christians. James was put to death in Jerusalem by the Sanhedrin in 62. James is traditionally acknowledged as the author of the epistle of James in the NT. James’s authorship of this epistle has been challenged, but not conclusively refuted. Hegesippus, an early church historian, referred to James as “the Just” for his piety, and claimed “that he was holy from his mother’s womb.” James is commemorated in the Episcopal calendar of the church year on Oct. 23. |
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Our often fast-paced, frenetic lives get in the way of the north stars that should be guiding us. And trajectories change when, in the blink of an eye, we are blindsided.
My family’s blindside happened four years ago. On a Tuesday morning before work, my sister-in-law Jan was on a walk with the kid’s five- month-old puppy Peter Paul. A young man speeding hit them head-on, killing them instantly.
Jan was married to my twin brother Jonathan, and they have twelve children, including ten adopted from Texas, Guatemala, Mexico, Russia, China, and Ethiopia. She was also a beloved breast cancer physician with a practice that served the underserved.
Never afraid to love well, Jan was confident in her faith and marriage, leading her and Jonathan to adopt several older children with traumatic histories. They gave these children second chances believing they could thrive in a loving Christian family and a supportive community.
Jan’s ministry on earth informed our belief that gratitude increases with faith. She saw with her heart.
In today’s reading, we find Bartimeus, a blind beggar with a deep faith in God living on society’s margins. He cries out to Jesus as he’s leaving Jericho, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” Jesus asks, “what do you want from me?” and Bartimeus says, “Heal Me.” Jesus heals him and says, “Go, your faith has made you well.”
I find a parallel between Bartimeus’ story and Jan’s life. Bartimaeus’ miraculous healing happened because of his faith. He saw with his heart. And Jan, relying on her faith to help her overcome obstacles, inspired her family, friends, and patients to do the same.”
Thomas Merton said, “Gratitude is the heart of the Christian life.” May our faith continue to increase our gratitude so we, in turn, can live with seeing hearts. |
Catherine Miller directs pastoral programs and adult formation at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in North Dallas and serves on the advisory board for Invite, Welcome, Connect.
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EPISCOPAL CHURCH GOVERNANCE
"Take Me To Your Leader!"
"Who's That?"
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The following was first published in The Epistle, 4, June 2, 2019
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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 ”?
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This week we will focus on The Executive Office of the General Convention, or the “GCO” as it is often called. The GCO is one of the three offices of The Episcopal Church (the others are the Office of the Presiding Bishop and the Office of the President of the House of Deputies)
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The Executive Office of the General Convention (GCO)
The GCO administers the governance of the Church, and does so in a variety of ways:
- The General Convention, the triennial meeting of the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops, together with the meeting of the Episcopal Church Women and other concurrent meetings of Episcopal Church groups.The work of the Executive Council of the General Convention.
- The activities of the various interim bodies of the General Convention and the hundreds of volunteers who make up those bodies.
- Official meetings of the House of Bishops and any interim meetings of the House of Deputies.
- The ministry of various ecumenical, inter-religious, and inter-Anglican bodies of the Church.
- The church’s annual Parochial Report and associated research.
- Other duties arising out of General Convention and Executive Council
The GCO also supports the Executive Officer in his various roles:
- As corporate secretary of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (“DFMS”: the New York-based religious non-for-profit corporation through which much of the church’s ministry operates).
- As Secretary of the Executive Council.
- As Registrar of the General Convention (with duties of certification and authentication for the consecration of bishops).
- Within the Anglican Communion, as Provincial Secretary of the Episcopal Church.
- As a principal officer of The Episcopal Church.
The Executive Officer supervises the work of the Secretary and Treasurer of the General Convention, and is the Whistleblower Compliance Officer for the DFMS. The Archives of the Episcopal Church, through its Board, reports through the Executive Officer. The Executive Officer also supports and coordinates the work of the Committees, Commissions, Task Forces, and other Interim Bodies of General Convention.
The Executive Officer of the General Convention is the Rev. Canon Dr. Michael Barlowe, who may be reached at mbarlowe@episcopalchurch.org, or at (212) 922-5184.
So, what does all this mean for you?
Just as the church needs a legal entity under which to do business (DFMS), it also needs a strong and separate administrative function (GCO). The day-to-day operations of the church are just like those of many other big non-profit companies and must be managed by administration. The Executive Office of the General Convention provides that administration for the Episcopal Church.
In my personal opinion, as long as I trust the General Convention, I trust GCO and have confidence that the administration of the Episcopal Church is being well managed.
I hope this information is helpful the next time someone says, “Take me to your leader”.
If you have any questions about Episcopal Church Leadership, please feel free to contact Kahu Kawika, Bill Caldwell, or any member of the Vestry.
Bill Caldwell
The Epistle
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Developing Gratitude as a Lifelong Practice
Christine Sine
October 18, 2021
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This week I started celebrating a season of gratitude. Several years ago, I celebrated Thanksgiving in Canada at the beginning of October, and American Thanksgiving at the end of November, and since then, I have designated October and November as my gratitude months. This year I need the season more than ever, yet like many people in our churches, I struggle to find anything to be grateful for. The ongoing challenge of COVID, the turmoil caused by racism, economic inequality and our anxieties about climate change weigh heavily on all of us. The practice of gratitude is one of the tools we all need to cope with the exhaustion and looming burnout that besets us.
In preparation for the season, I read Diana Butler Bass’s book Grateful: The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks. She helped me realize that one reason we struggle to establish gratitude as a way of life is because we do not fully understand what gratitude is. She explains that gratitude involves both emotion and ethics (moral principles). We feel grateful when we see something beautiful or receive unexpected gifts from someone – that is definitely emotion. Writing a thank you note to show we appreciate the gift is a choice, an ethical decision that comes from our belief that such notes matter.
Bass points points out, that most of us have a distorted view of gratitude emphasizing only one aspect, usually relegating it to feel good emotions that come and go in our lives. It is this confusion that makes it so difficult for us to choose to practice gratitude whether we “feel” grateful or not. Depression, anxiety and stress strip away the emotions of gratitude.
“Gratitude is not only the emotional response to random experiences, but even in the darkest times of life, gratitude waits to be seen, recognized and acted upon more thoughtfully and with a sense of purpose. Gratitude is a feeling, but it is also more than that. And it is much more than a spiritual technique to achieve peace of mind or prosperity. Gratitude is a habit of awareness that reshapes our self-understanding and the moral choices we make the world.” (Grateful 60)
Don’t you love that? Gratitude is a habit of awareness that reshapes our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. In other words we can choose to be grateful people and establish practices that develop it into a life long habit. In the process we become happier, healthier and less stressed people. Teaching gratitude as a way of life to our congregations, is, I think, essential to help us overcome burn-out .
Many of us, myself included, have tried keeping gratitude journals that lasted a week and then got discarded. To be honest making a list of things I am grateful for just does not seem to resonate with me, but I knew I needed something to help anchor me through this challenging season. Years ago I read that there are three simple steps to make a routine into a life long practice. “Keep it simple, make it meaningful, stick to it,” still good advice I that certainly stood me in good stead as I developed my new practice. Hopefully my gratitude practice will help you too:
Gratitude Practice:
When I wake up in the morning I make a cup of tea and sit quietly in my sacred space for a few minutes enjoying the early morning sounds and sights. I close my eyes, take a few deep breaths in and out and recite what has become my morning mantra:
Thank you God for the gift of life
A wondrous gift so freely given.
I continue to sit quietly with eyes closed breathing slowly in and out, receiving that gift and allowing the wonder of it to sink down deep into my soul. Sometimes a list of gratitudes flows out – thankfulness for breath, and sight and a warm house, thankfulness for a loving husband, a silly dog, food on the table each day. Some days the list seems endless and often unexpected – gratitude for the organizations we support who are able to help in ways we cannot. On others nothing comes to mind and I sit content in the presence of God knowing that if nothing else the gift of life provides me with the opportunity to appreciate the glory of God.
When I sense my time of quiet contemplation is over I open my eyes ready for the day. Then if I feel prompted I jot down what I felt thankful for that morning and end with the words.
Thank you God for you.
Evidently it is much easier for us to focus on the negative aspects of life than on the positive and practices like this help shift the balance. When we begin the day with gratitude, not only does our stress lift, but we are able to see the silver lining in clouds throughout the day. So I hope you will try this practice or something similar to begin your day and ward off the burnout and stress that is hanging over us all.
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Amid a rapidly changing and turbulent world, the church can often lose sight of its reason for existing. Long-established traditions can be lost or changed seemingly overnight; our ability to take solace in familiar patterns and communal care can be upended. When we begin wondering why we are here and what we as the church can do, we might return to the most basic building blocks of our faith. We at The Episcopal Church invite you, your small group, and your congregation to a year (and longer!) of focusing on the Way of Love. When you begin intentionally building on those seven practices – turn, learn, pray, worship, bless, go, and rest – you can rediscover who you are, what we are here for, and to whom we ultimately belong. |
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Northern Michigan Congregation Partners with Brewery to Redevelop Church as Community Hub
DAVID PAULSEN
October 20, 2021
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Jay Clancey of Cognition Brewing Company and the Rev. Lydia Kelsey Bucklin of the Diocese of Northern Michigan meet in Grace Episcopal Church in Ishpeming. Photo: Diocese of Northern Michigan
[Episcopal News Service] Grace Episcopal Church in Ishpeming, Michigan, has faced a double-edged dilemma in recent years – rising building maintenance costs and steadily fewer Sunday worshippers covering those costs. Across the street, the Cognition Brewing Company was dealing with its own difficulties. Its owner’s ambition to create a welcoming space for community gatherings had run up against a bitter landlord dispute.
This year, the Episcopal congregation and the brewery in this small Upper Peninsula city came together on a shared solution. Cognition Brewing is taking over ownership and maintenance of the 1902 church and eventually will move part of its brewing operations and a tap room there while opening the space to broader community use, in addition to the worship services that Grace Episcopal will continue to celebrate there.
The needs and missions of the church and brewery happened to align with each other, said the Rev. Lydia Kelsey Bucklin, the Diocese of Northern Michigan’s canon to the ordinary for discipleship and vitality. “It just ended up being a really good time and good movement of the Spirit that we started talking to each other,” Bucklin told Episcopal News Service.
The population of Ishpeming, about 15 miles west of Marquette, has declined by more than 300 over the past decade to 6,140 residents in the 2020 census. Grace Episcopal Church’s membership also declined during that period, down by half to about 45 in the latest parochial report data compiled by The Episcopal Church. Average Sunday attendance had dwindled to about a dozen worshippers before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Church is community, and the community has a great love for this beautiful building,” the Rev. Ginny Graybill, a priest who serves at Grace Episcopal, said in a diocesan news release. “Like so many parishes nationwide, Grace has experienced a decline in active members over the years and with that maintaining our building became a great financial problem.”
In September 2019, Bucklin began working with the congregation’s leaders to envision a new path for its future. That discernment gained new urgency when the church’s furnace failed last year, Bucklin said, adding another emergency expense, $35,000, to the congregation’s financial burden.
During one of Bucklin’s conversations with the congregation, someone joked that a good model of community vitality could be found nearby, at Cognition. Under founder and owner Jay Clancey, a lifelong Ishpeming resident, the brewery had become a hub of activity, drawing beer lovers and also local cyclists, and it was known in the area for hosting food drives and raising money for an animal shelter.
“What was so unique about Cognition was the sense of family that had been built by Jay and his team,” Bucklin said. “Most everyone who came in for a beer was known by name, and I was blown away by the philanthropic activities and outreach they were involved in.” Church leaders reached out to Clancey about a possible partnership.
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Jay Clancey, an 68-year-old lifelong Ishpeming resident, is an electrician by trade and opened Cognition Brewing Company in 2015 in a rented building across the street from Grace Episcopal Church. Photo: Diocese of Northern Michigan
Clancey, an electrician by trade, opened the brewery in 2015 and has been locked in a legal battle with his landlord for several years over who was responsible for unpaid utility bills. In May, the landlord allegedly cut backup power to the brewery and assaulted one of Clancey’s employees, according to coverage of the incident by WLUC-TV. In June, Clancey said he would move the brewery out of the landlord’s building as he pursued the partnership with Grace Episcopal Church.
Episcopal leaders embraced Clancey’s vision for opening the church space to the public in new ways. He was inspired by the British “Pub Is the Hub” movement, in which taverns go beyond serving beverages and provide gathering places that bring communities together. Although some members of the church were hesitant to let go of the traditional use of the building, Bucklin said, the congregation agreed to move forward and the vestry voted on June 13 to give the building to the diocese with the intention of selling it to Clancey. That plan was endorsed by diocesan leaders on July 30, and they have been working with Clancey over the past few months to finalize details of the physical transfer, with a token purchase price of $100. The two sides also agreed on a covenant for the congregation to continue using the space for worship and ministries.
Clancey plans to maintain the church’s woodwork, stained-glass windows and other historic features, keeping the space true to its roots as a place of worship. The altar will be shifted to the other side of the sanctuary with movable seats, so weekly worship services can continue. The brewery will reconfigure the rest of the space in the style of a German beer hall, with pews repurposed for use by tap room patrons around long tables. Community groups already have expressed interest in collaborating on events there when the space is ready.
Clancey, 68, is reimagining his business as Kognisjon Bryggeri – Norwegian for Cognition Brewery – to signify a fresh start. His immediate focus is the development of a second brewery in Marquette. Redeveloping the Ishpeming church space will remain a work in progress for at least the coming months, though he told ENS he sees plenty of potential there.
In the Pub Is the Hub movement, Clancy said, “you’re sort of encouraged to have community events there, meetings, fundraising activities, to turn it into a place where people can enjoy a beer … but the other focus is building community relationships, just becoming a center of activity.”
He hopes to bring the same spirit to Grace Episcopal Church.
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Faith Leaders Unite in Call for Urgent Climate Action Informed by “the Knowledge of Science and the Wisdom of Religion” Ahead of COP26
20 October 2021Jesus
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Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Pope Francis, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. Image credit: Jeffrey Bruno and Lambeth Palace
“We have inherited a garden: we must not leave a desert to our children.”
Joint appeal by global faith leaders and scientists, 4th October 2021
It is now just a matter of days until world leaders will come together in Glasgow for COP26, the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Not since 2015 has there been such intense focus on this annual gathering. The COP in 2015, COP21, resulted in the historic Paris agreement, the moment when the world finally, as a whole, came together on climate change and agreed to take the measures necessary to keep global temperature rise below 1.5oC. As signatories to the Paris agreement, member states commit to ratchet up their ambition and action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions every 5 years. COP26 is the first of these scheduled milestones.
The importance of COP26
Much has changed since the Paris agreement of 2015. Businesses and cities are rising to the challenge of creating a more sustainable future. Renewable forms of energy production have increased dramatically and the costs fallen. Individuals, communities and churches are taking action. There is a lot to celebrate.
But not enough is happening. At the moment, as a world, we are not doing nearly enough to address the enormity of the crisis we are facing. Moreover, since 2015, it has become increasingly clear – and the warnings increasingly stark – that the window of opportunity for action to avert catastrophe is rapidly closing.
COP26 is an important opportunity to correct these collective failings and galvanise one another to take all necessary action. It is a milestone that will determine what kind of world future generations will inherit. This is a key reason why there will be so much media coverage of the COP and why so many people will be watching what happens and trying to influence the outcome.
It is into this context that two important statements have been issued by faith leaders in recent weeks.
A joint message for the protection of creation
The first was an urgent appeal for the protection of creation made by Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is the first time that the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion have made a joint statement on climate change. The leaders highlight the lessons of the pandemic, saying, “We realised that, in facing this worldwide calamity, no one is safe until everyone is safe, that our actions really do affect one another, and that what we do today affects what happens tomorrow.” Urging the world not “to waste this moment”, they call on people everywhere “to endeavour to listen to the cry of the earth and of people who are poor, examining their behaviour and pledging meaningful sacrifices for the sake of the earth which God has given us”.
The statement focuses on three specific areas: the profound damage caused by prioritising short-term wealth over planetary health and the interests of future generations; the injustice of the climate crisis, whereby its impacts are greatest on the poor and the young – the people least responsible for causing it; and the need to recognise interconnection, both between environmental, economic, health, food and social crisis, and with one another in our vulnerability and inability to control everything. The statement ends with an appeal to choose the future: “to seize this as an opportunity for conversion and transformation. If we think of humanity as a family and work together towards a future based on the common good, we could find ourselves living in a very different world.”
Changing the narrative: a joint appeal by global faith leaders and scientists
The second statement was a joint appeal by global faith leaders and scientists, issued on St Francis Day, October 4th at the Vatican. It was the culmination and fruit of months of dialogue between faith representatives and scientists convened by the two countries hosting COP26, the UK and Italy. The Most Revd. Julio Murray Thompson, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Central America and the Anglican Communion’s lead archbishop for the environment was part of the process and the statement was signed by the Archbishop of Canterbury for the Anglican Communion.
The statement calls on all sectors of society to take action and commits the signatories to “taking much more serious action” within their respective religious traditions. The latter includes the ‘ecological conversion’ and education of adherents, and “supporting actions to reduce carbon emissions, achieve carbon neutrality, promote disaster risk reduction, improve waste management, conserve water and energy, develop renewable energy, provide green open spaces, conserve coastal areas, prevent deforestation and restore forests”.
Whilst setting out some of the practical actions required of different actors, the statement also recognises the root causes of the climate emergency and emphasises the shift in understanding and values needed to address it.
“We are not limitless masters of our planet and its resources”, it reads. “We are deeply interdependent with each other and with the natural world… Damage to the environment is a result, in part, of the predatory tendency to see the natural world as something to be exploited with disregard for the extent to which survival hinges on biodiversity and on maintaining the health of planetary and local ecosystems. Multiple crises facing humanity are demonstrating the failures of such an approach; these are ultimately linked to a crisis of values, ethical and spiritual.
“Humanity has the power to think and the freedom to choose. We must address these challenges using the knowledge of science and the wisdom of religion: to know more and to care more.”
Specifically, the faith leaders and scientists say, “we also need to change the narrative of development and to adopt a new kind of economics: one that places human dignity at its center and that is inclusive; one that is ecologically friendly, caring for the environment, and not exploiting it; one based not on endless growth and proliferating desires, but on supporting life; one that promotes the virtue of sufficiency and condemns the wickedness of excess; one that is not only technologically driven, but is moral and ethical.”
The Anglican Alliance has been working in close collaboration with other bodies of the Anglican Communion throughout 2021 as part of the Anglican Consultative Council’s COP26 working group. We will be publishing further web stories shortly about COP26 and how the Anglican Communion will be engaging with it to help reverse the climate emergency. As the Vatican statement says, “2021 presents a vital challenge to turn this crisis into an opportunity to rethink the world we wantfor ourselves and for our children.”
For further information on the Anglican Alliance’s work with the Communion on environment and climate issues, please visit our resource hub.
Please pray for the outcomes of COP26, meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, from 1-12 November.
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IN BRIEF . . .
These news briefs were featured in previous issues of "The Epistle"
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From The Epistle, October 15, 2021
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Welcome Suzanne Kobayashi!
Suzanne Joins All Saints' as Our Priest Intern
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Below is a message from Suzanne to the All Saints' `Ohana |
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Aloha,
I am Suzanne Kobayashi. I have been warmly welcomed by your church on my first month worshipping with you and I thank you.
I am originally from Santa Monica California. I was raised Catholic. Religion, other cultures, and people have always fascinated me though. After graduating from UCSD with a BA in Biology, I married a surfer and moved to Kauai in 1978. Most of the time since then, I have attended Christ Memorial Church in Kilauea. I attended some evangelical churches when I first moved to Kauai and Kalaheo Missionary when I lived on the south side for a couple of years. I enjoyed and learned from all the churches I attended.
At Christ Memorial I taught religious education to the Kilauea school when my kids were little for about 9 years. Later, I was on search committees, the Bishop’s Committee, and played music at church. My Mom lived with us for her last 7 years. My mom and some of my fellow church members thought I might be a good priest and encouraged me to think about it. When my mom passed, I felt the Holy Spirit was saying it was time I gave back.
The Episcopal Church has always been a good fit for me, with my Catholic roots and inclusive beliefs. I wanted to be an altar boy when I was little. (Clearly, I didn’t understand the requirements. I was very young.) I guess God may be gifting me my childhood desire to serve in his Sanctuary after all. Since studying for the priesthood, I have fallen more deeply in love with the Episcopal Church, the scriptures, and how God’s spirit works through us fallible people to bring His Kingdom here. I have much more appreciation for how our church has grown and changed, as indeed the whole body of Christ grows and changes, with so many different and distinctive parts all interconnected by God’s love.
In the secular world, I’ve worked in restaurants, a dental office, painted murals, helped build houses, sold art, and taught art to children. The surfer and I divorced after 18 years and have 2 beautiful children from that marriage. I’ve been married to my husband Joe and had a small property management business for the last 20+ years. We have a beloved son, Ryan, and I gained a step daughter. I am a grandma. I currently facilitate a Compassionate (Non-Violent) Communication Practice group and am in 2 book clubs. I love my friends, art, plants, music and… I used to like to travel too :o)
I am so happy to be able to worship and grow with you over the next two years. I enjoy teaching and art, which I hope I will have a chance to share with you. I look forward to seeing what God will do. I feel very blessed. Mahalo!
Thanks so much for your patience and reaching out to me.
God's blessing on us this week and always.
-Suzanne
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Who Do You Call?
Contact information for All Saints' Ministries and Outreach
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USHER MINISTRY
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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