THIS SUNDAY:
May 31, 2020
Day of Pentecost
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ALL ON-SITE CHURCH SERVICES CANCELLED
8:15 - 9:00AM
Online Morning Prayer Service Music*
9:00AM
Online Morning Prayer Service*
*Available on the All Saints' website and Facebook page, and via phone, see information below
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REOPENING
ON-SITE CHURCH SERVICES
June 7
th
8:00AM and 9:30AM
Sanctuary and/or lawn
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RECURRING EVENTS
ALL RECURRING EVENTS SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
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Sunday School
Every Sunday, 9:30 - 10:15AM
Memorial Hall
Aloha Hour
Every Sunday, 10:45AM - 12:00PM
Under the big tree
Monday Crew
Every Monday, 8:00AM
Church Office
Laundry Love
1
st
& 3
rd
Wednesday, 5:00PM
Kapa`a Laundromat
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McMaster Slack Key Guitar and Ukulele Concert
Every Wednesday, 6:00PM
Church
Daughters of the King
2
nd
& 4
th
Thursday, 7:00 - 8:00PM
Memorial Hall
Choir Practice
Every Thursday, 6:00PM
Choir Room
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All Saints' Response to COVID-19
ACCESSING SUNDAY SERVICES
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Kahu Kawika and Fr. Andrew from St. Michael and All Angel's Church in Lihue invite you to join our on-line Morning Prayer service presented each Sunday during the coronavirus pandemic.
The service will be available for viewing on our website,
www.allsaintskauai.org
and the All Saints' Facebook page each Sunday morning.
Congregants will also have the option to listen to the recording by calling the church office, (808) 822-4267, and following the prompts provided through our new auto attendant feature.
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OH HAPPY DAY!!
All Saints' Open for In-Person Worship on June 7
th
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Aloha All Saints' `Ohana,
We got some welcome news from our local officials and from our Diocese, in that the houses of worship within the state are allowed to return to in-person worship, albeit with safety protocols. The vestry and I met earlier this week and decided that our first Sunday back together will be on June 7
th
(Trinity Sunday), with both the 8AM and 9:30AM services.
While this is indeed great news, we also have to have in place safety protocols for the time being to minimize the chance of the spread of the coronavirus, especially as tourism opens up increasingly over the next several weeks. We also want everyone to be assured that coming to in-person worship at All Saints' will be safe for everyone.
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We plan on assembling together on our lawn, facing the deck. We ask that everyone bring with them their facemasks as well as a folding lawn or beach chair to sit on (or you can sit on the grass and bring something like a blanket, for example).
For the first few weeks, we will have what is called a "Liturgy of the Word" type of service. This is simply the first part of the service we are used to doing, but without communion. This will be the case for at least the first few Sundays in June. We are ordering specially-wrapped communion elements for when we have Eucharist again.
In addition, for the parts of the service that asks for a response from the congregation, you're welcome to respond verbally with your facemasks on, but also I will show some ways we can use our hands and arms to respond as well. In addition, we can have music but without an in-person choir and no congregational singing (due to our air droplets going out even further when we sing, even with facemasks on). We will, though, be able to hear Hank playing piano at the 9:30AM service via outdoor speakers. I will also streamline the liturgy such that we will not need to hold prayer books nor even bulletins.
As to giving offerings, we will try to set up a kalabash at a central location. However, please also consider donating online via the "Donate" button on the All Saints' website, or coming to the church office to turn in your pledge envelope or offering in cash. By the way, we had some great news in that our giving in the month of April was actually $5,000 MORE than April of last year! I know how difficult it has been in these hard economic times, so I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your level of sacrificial giving.
We are all trying to do our best under unusual circumstances. No doubt we will tweak what we do along the way as we settle back in. Church certainly won't exactly be "back to normal" for now, but at least the above measures are a positive step to be able to see each other and to get to meet together again.
Mahalo nui loa i ke Akua,
Kahu Kawika+
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Reflection from
Kahu Kawika
Makes Us Equal, Has No Equal: God Speaks Our Language
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Ka’u ‘Ohana i ke Akua,
About twenty years ago, I had the privilege to go on a teaching and relief trip to Kenya with a small group of church leaders from the UK. As we got driven around the city of Nairobi, I kept noticing billboards advertising “Tusker Beer” – the distillers clearly equating their product to pride in Kenyan national life. The slogan on the billboards said, “Makes us equal – has no equal.” I found this a rather striking slogan and very easy for consumers to remember. Then later I thought, “What if this slogan were applied to how God relates to us?”
As we celebrate the “birthday of the church” on Pentecost Sunday, we honor God as the One who “makes us equal and has no equal.” In Acts 2, we find Jesus’ disciples meeting together in a room during the great Jewish festival of Shavuot – a twin celebration traditionally 50 days after the Israelites’ escape from Egyptian slavery at Passover when Moses had gone up Mt. Sinai to receive God’s law in the form of the 10 Commandments, as well as thanking God in the present day for the first fruit appearing from the Spring growth of crops. Jews from countries around the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa, Arabia, and the area of what is modern-day Iran and Iraq were streaming to Jerusalem in thanks to the God who had freed their ancestors, made God’s will known to them, and who worked to grow food for their current sustenance. These Jewish pilgrims all spoke different languages from their home countries.
Jesus had promised the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples as the One who would guide them after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven. And come it did! The Spirit gave each of Jesus’ disciples the miraculous power and boldness to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus in the various tongues of the visiting festival pilgrims. This miracle bolstered Peter’s subsequent sermon testifying to the resurrection power of God to proclaim Jesus as Lord. It is apt that this would happen during Shavuot, since over 3,000 new Christian believers at Pentecost were in fact the “first fruit” of the new church post-Jesus.
What does Pentecost show us of God’s dealings with us and of God’s dream for us? It shows a God who speaks our language, whoever we are and from wherever we come. Here’s where the Tusker Beer slogan can help us:
“Makes Us Equal”:
Pentecost shows both a variety of cultures and yet the oneness of humanity. Our creator makes us fellow members of the human race with the full image of God upon each person, and as such we ought to value the mark of the Divine in each of us. C. S. Lewis wrote about this in his series of radio lectures called “Mere Christianity,” in which he said that if we would just stop and think about each person in this way, then we would hesitate to demean each other, talk stink, or show negative bias. Pentecost is a call to Unity, rather than to uniformity.
“Has No Equal”:
As Peter says in his sermon to the Jewish Pilgrims, “God raised Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses to that. Exalted to the right hand of God, Jesus received the promise of the Holy Spirit from Our God, and what you now hear and see is the outpouring of that promise … Therefore, let the whole House of Israel know beyond any doubt that God made this Jesus – who was crucified – both Messiah and Sovereign.” (Acts 2:32-33, 36) I take that to mean that we are not to belittle the image of God and the place of Jesus in our lives. We must not reduce God down to something that we think we can control or manipulate. As C. S. Lewis again wrote in his children’s book series, “The Chronicles of Narnia,” Aslan (the lion character symbolizing Jesus Christ) is not a tame lion – but he is good.” God is bigger than we can imagine or comprehend with our feeble human minds, but we also know that God is good and wants our good as God’s children.
In a world full of divisions and increasing isolation (in part thanks to the coronavirus and mostly due to many of us harboring an “us-them” mentality and setting up entrenched camps that divide us), Pentecost highlights our common humanity derived from the loving, caring, and nurturing character of our God. Indeed, in an age in which we see the ubiquitous slogan, “We are all in this together,” Father Augusto Zampini of the Roman Catholic COVID-19 Response Commission tweaks it the following way, “We are all in the same storm, but we’re in different boats” – the impact of the virus is affecting us all in different ways. We are not the same, but we are equal siblings one to another.
Although we are not all the same, we are all equal in God’s sight and in God’s economy. When we come to understand that God makes us equal and that the love of Jesus has no equal, we live out the spirit of Pentecost in a world of both conformity and divisions.
I ka mahalo o ke Akua,
Kahu Kawika+
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For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering, especially Richard, Mikey, Netta, Bill, Ann "Tommie" and those we name silently or aloud, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
For all who have died, 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.
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David Murray Taking Hiatus
Time to Reflect and Refocus
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Aloha to my All Saints' `Ohana:
It is with a sad heart that I have to inform you that I have stepped down as Senior Warden with immediate effect.
I have views on the use of masks, social distancing etc., which put me at odds with what the church has to implement in order to be in compliance with edicts from the Governor, our Mayor and the CDC. However, I fully understand the need for the church to follow these guidelines in order to reopen for worship. As my personal views conflict with the requirements placed on the church, I felt it was in our best interests for me to step down and step back.
I will be stepping back from my other responsibilities at church such as Vestry, Buildings and Grounds, Hospitality, etc. I will also be taking a hiatus from attendance at church. I need time and space to reflect and refocus.
It has been my pleasure to serve as Senior Warden for over 5 years. I have really enjoyed serving and did not take the decision to step down lightly. I love our church and I love our `Ohana.
I have discussed this with Kahu Kawika and, while he did not want me to step down, he understood my position. I have also informed him that I am not leaving the church - as a member of the congregation I will always make myself available if he would like to get feedback or discuss issues.
Mau loa me ke maluhia aloha - always with loving peace.
A hui hou.
David
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Our Deepest Mahalo to David Murray
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Aloha to my All Saints' `Ohana:
No doubt, most of you by now have either read or heard that our beloved Senior Warden, David Murray, has decided to step down from that post and to take a hiatus from leadership. David and I had been discussing right before the pandemic hit of the eventuality of his resignation -- after all, he has served in the post of Senior Warden magnificently for over five years and before that as Junior Warden, plus he guided this congregation through our time of transition in clergy leadership. The current safety conditions of transitioning to in-person worship, though, was something David's internal compass would not let him take part in.
While I am saddened by his decision to step back, I am ever so thankful for his welcome of Muriel, Caleb, and me, and for the myriad ways that he has helped my own transition as your priest and to the return to island life. David has not just been my Senior Warden, but has been and still is a great and valuable friend. His sense of humor and his wise counsel have lifted me and all of us up on so many occasions, and thankfully he will still continue to offer those.
In the meantime, please give thanks to God for David, and pray for God's guidance for me as I consider a new Senior Warden, that the next right person will emerge in God's timing.
David, we love you and offer our deepest mahalo for what you've done and for who you are.
Ke Aloha o ke Akua,
Kahu Kawika+
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In-Choiring Minds is a feature column that is published periodically highlighting the happenings of the Music Ministry at All Saints', especially the All Saints' Choir.
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The All Saints' Virtual Choir Welcomes You
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This Sunday, May 31, The Day of Pentecost, All Saints’ Episcopal Church will again provide a virtual, online service with musical accompaniment by All Saints’ Music Director, Hank Curtis
at the piano
. The Pentecost service will also include the All Saints’ Virtual Choir singing “I Was There When the Spirit Came,” written by Doris Akers and arranged by Hank Curtis. This will be the second All Saints’ Virtual Choir performance. The first performance was on Easter Sunday, when the Virtual Choir sang “Triumphant Savior,” an original Hank Curtis composition.
It is quite an undertaking to create a Virtual Choir. First, Hank records the instrumental portions of each hymn (soprano, alto, tenor and bass). Hank’s instrumental recordings are sent by email to each choir member. Then, from their own homes or offices, each choir member sings his/her part while listening to Hank’s instrumental recording and making an audio/visual recording of him/herself singing their part. Next, each member uploads their AV recording to the church administrator, Cami Baldovino, who along with Hank, use their music experience, recording expertise (and magic?) to blend all of these recordings into one composite performance involving all members.
I was aware of virtual performances prior to the pandemic but the concept took on a new meaning when we were all in lockdown. It wasn’t easy, and required a team effort, but we did produce a virtual Easter Anthem that touched many lives, and most importantly, we kept our Music Ministry alive and thriving in the era of social distancing. Choir members found it demanding to record themselves. In non-pandemic times there was no “recording.” Having to record yourself puts you under the microscope, which choir members were not accustomed to. Having been in the recording studio since my teens I am used to it but even to this day I find recording much more stressful than performing without recording. Take 1, take 2, take 3, yikes! One becomes a better musician though, just by having to go through that process. We look forward to future virtual performances.
[Hank Curtis]
Many thanks go to the people who make the Virtual Choir a reality. As you watch the Virtual Choir this Sunday, you may recognize members of our own on-island ‘Ohana (Ron and Carolyn Morinishi, Terry and Tracy Liu, Chris Wataya, Kahu Kawika and Muriel Jackson, Caleb Jackson, Jan Hashizume, Cami Baldovino and William Brown). In addition, you may also recognize members of our mainland ‘Ohana (Fr. David and Susan Englund [Oroville, CA], Marian Kubota [Culver City, CA], Geoff and Linda Hirt [Chicago, IL], Eric Slipp [Salisbury, NC], and Jenny White [Charleston, SC]). Mahalo nui loa to all those who participated and a special thanks goes to Kahu Kawika, Hank Curtis, Ron Morinishi, and Cami Baldavino for all they do for the All Saints’ Virtual Choir.
As for the fate of the All Saints’ Virtual Choir in the foreseeable future, that all depends on the progress of the pandemic. In-person services resume At All Saints’ on June 7. It is expected that social distancing rules will still be in place. Hank will still be at the piano playing prelude and postlude. But, continued social distancing means there will be no choir practice, no live choir, and no congregational singing for the foreseeable future. Yes, there will undoubtedly be future All Saints’ Virtual Choir performances, perhaps in July or August?! We’ll let you know.
You will be able to see and hear the All Saints’ Virtual Choir on our website (
www.allsaintskauai.org
) this Sunday, May 31, 2020.
-William H. Brown
for the Music Ministry
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All Saints' Memorial Day Remembrance
Prayers and a Beautiful Rendition of Taps
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Taps and Tolling of the Bells
Thanks to Carolyn Morinishi for the video.
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On Monday, May 25
th
about 30 people attended the All Saints' Memorial Day Remembrance to honor all those brave souls who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Kahu Kawika offered prayers for those in military service and those who passed in service to their country. He prayed for our nation. He prayed for the sick, especially those effected by COVID-19, and those who passed from the virus. He led us in the Lord's Prayer, and a moment of silence. At 3:00PM Ron Morinishi, accompanied by his friend, Steve Sparks, played Taps* which was followed by the Tolling of the Bells seven times for the seven commitments of military service members.
A special thanks to Ron Morinishi for organizing the event and Wayne Doliente for installing the flag pole.
*
Their performance was a part of the Taps Across America performance in which tens of thousands of trumpeters and buglers from across the country participated.
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Extended `Ohana Graduates
Congratulations for a Job Well Done
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Pokahala VanVeen is the daughter of Tabitha Secretario and granddaughter of Vikki and Nelson Secretario. She graduated from Waiake High School on the Big Island. She will attend UH Hilo in the fall.
Caleb Jackson is the son of Kahu Kawika and Muriel Jackson. He graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, TN with a major in Economics.
Leanna Morinishi is the daughter of Ron and Caroline Morinishi and granddaughter of Marian Kubota. She graduated from the University of California, San Francisco with a PhD in
Medical & Biological Informatics.
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This Week In Sunday School
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Come, Holy Spirit: the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
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Sunday School has been suspended until the Diocese gives us the ok to return to the All Saints' campus for worship. Until that time, the Sunday School article in
The Epistle
will include more information so the parents of our keiki can share the lesson with their children.
Summary of Today’s Story
On the Jewish day of Pentecost, followers of Jesus, who were from Galilee, were gathered together. Suddenly, a noise came from the sky like a strong wind blowing and tongues of fire touched each person there. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages so that people from every country in the world could understand them, each in their own native language.
All of those present were amazed that they could, in the hearers’ languages, hear the Galileans talk about what God has done.
Weaving our Story with the Biblical Story
We finally can hear God speaking to us. This event, the coming of the Holy Spirit, is the reversal of what happened at the Tower of Babel. There our languages became confused so that we could no longer understand one another, not only spoiling our attempt to reach heaven by our own efforts and pride, but also alienating us from each other and God.
Now, God has sent God’s Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ, to bring us back to God. As the apostles gather to celebrate the Jewish feast of Pentecost, they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Here at this Jewish celebration, God’s promise to Israel made at Mount Sinai—as recorded in the story of the people receiving the Ten Commandments—is fulfilled. With the coming of the Holy Spirit as told in Acts, all peoples of the earth are offered the new covenant and the gift of God’s grace.
At Sinai, God appeared in the form of fire and smoke. Here at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit appears in the shape of tongues of fire.
This event is celebrated in the church as the birth of the Church, the beginning of the preaching that will carry the Good News of God in Christ to all nations of the earth. This preaching will untangle the confusion of languages that began at the Tower of Babel. That alienation has now been reversed by God.
The Episcopal Thread
The Day of Pentecost is one of the Principal Feasts in the Church and always takes place on a Sunday. Often in the Episcopal Church, this day is celebrated with a church service filled with symbols of the Holy Spirit. Adorned with red balloons, red roses, flying kites and banners, even real doves, the church takes on a festive and joyful air. The lesson from Acts is sometimes read in a foreign language, bringing to life the experience of the disciples and people in the passage.
As a Trinitarian church, the Episcopal Church sees the Holy Spirit daily in the presence of God that sustains us. The Holy Spirit in invoked at baptism: “You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism...” (
BCP
, p. 308); at confirmation: “...and daily increase in your Holy Spirit more and more...” (
BCP
, p. 418); in the consecration of bread and wine at Eucharist and of oil for chrism and for anointing; in the anointing for healing; and in the ordination of a deacon, priest and bishop.
Telling the Story
The story of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost is a great story to tell around a “campfire.” Read aloud today’s story from a children’s Bible, showing the pictures, tell the story in your own words. Tell it in the present tense to make the story come alive.
Let children know that we celebrate Pentecost not only as the coming of the Holy Spirit but also as “the birthday of the Church.”
There is no need at this time to discuss the story or to explain its meaning. For now, let the story settle into the hearts and minds of the children. Later, while having snacks or doing an activity, you can bring up the story again and invite the children to talk about it.
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Farm-To-School
"
Advocating, educating, and driving action towards a sustainable Kaua`i.
"
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Click
here
for more information.
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JUNE 7: TRINITY SUNDAY HEADS UP!
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Trinity Sunday is coming up on June 7, and each year, the Diocese has set this day for a special collection to go to Camp Mokule`ia. Our Camp has been especially hard hit this year, with its entire summer camp program cancelled and the future of group gatherings uncertain. Please be on the lookout for a special announcement letting you know what you can do to support them.
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INVITE WELCOME CONNECT FREE WEBINAR: BEING CHURCH IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
Wednesday, June 10
th
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Our faith communities are navigating unchartered waters as to how best to Invite, Welcome, and Connect virtually. As we live into these challenging realities, Invite Welcome Connect is excited to partner with you to equip clergy and lay leaders in reimagining and redefining how we engage in ministry and live into a new Way of Love. Join seasoned Invite Welcome Connect practitioners (both clergy and lay) to learn about best practices in the digital world. This gathering is free but registration is required. For more information and to register, click
HERE
.
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PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN TO THIS SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE FROM OUR BISHOP!!
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During this time of separation, Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick will be sharing video messages on Mondays and Wednesdays. To watch the Monday and Wednesday video messages click on his image below, or visit the Diocesan website
HERE
.
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BISHOP'S WEDNESDAY MESSAGE
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A Prayer for Graduates
May 26, 2020
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Dear Lord,
This prayer is for those graduating –
For those who dreamed how the final days of school would go
What they’d experience in savoring the “lasts”
Of friendships, events, dances, classes, tests
And how nothing seemed to go as planned.
This prayer holds the lost chances and missed opportunities
This prayer feels the sadness at not walking down the school hallways again
Not hearing the laughter and cheers of friends
Not sitting under the lights of the football stadium one last time
Not joining in a chorus of songs or playing the final note of a concert.
This prayer is for those who have needed to find grace
In new ways of learning and interacting
Staying connected with family, teachers, and friends
Putting future plans on hold.
This prayer is for those who have moved into the unknown
Unsure of what life will look like on the other side
Uncertain of where they are going and what it will look like.
This prayer is for all those facing graduation, the ending of a school year,
But also a prayer for those about to begin
With an understanding that life is never what we expect
That the best laid plans sometimes turn upside down
That friendship can be deepened through notes, texts, and phone calls
That food and games can be shared meaningfully through a screen
That walks in our neighborhoods open us to the beauty and life in our midst
That caring for our neighbor is a holy act
That time for rest is good for the spirit.
This prayer goes with you wherever you will go
And will continue to cheer you on
Reminding you that you have been prepared for such a time as this
That you go not alone
The spirit guides you with wisdom, love, and hope.
This prayer is for you – if you find it, know it’s been offered in love
By the God who has claimed you before you were born and marked you as beloved.
Amen.
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Day of Pentecost
May 31, 2020
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Today we mark Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit among the apostles and followers of Jesus. Celebrated 50 days after Easter (including the day of Easter itself), the name of the holiday comes from the Greek Pentēkostē, which literally means “the 50
th
day".
The events of the day are foretold by Jesus in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, just before his Ascension. While his followers were with the risen Christ, he tells them, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5, NRSV). He goes on to say to them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
The followers would not wait long for the promised Spirit. The author of Acts, traditionally believed to be Luke, recounts:
“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each”
(Acts 2:1-6).
We celebrate Pentecost as the inauguration of the Church’s mission in the world. Empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are to go out into our neighborhoods and the wider world—to Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth—witnessing to the risen Christ.
The Day of Pentecost is identified by the Book of Common Prayer as one of the feast days “especially appropriate” for baptism (Book of Common Prayer, p. 312). Because of this, Pentecost is also known as “Whitsun” or “Whitsunday” (“White Sunday”), a term used to describe the white baptismal garments worn by those who were baptized at the Vigil of Pentecost and then worn to church on the Day of Pentecost.
Collect for Pentecost
Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
(Book of Common Prayer, p. 227).
Published by the Office of Formation of The Episcopal Church, 815 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017
© 2020 The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. All rights reserved.
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Presiding Bishop Joins Call for National Day of Mourning on June 1, Invites Episcopalians to Honor COVID-19 Victims this Weekend
By Egan Millard
Posted May 27, 2020
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Rabbi Shmuel Plafker escorts a family member to the plot where they can watch the burial of their loved one at the Hebrew Free Burial Association’s cemetery in the Staten Island borough of New York City on April 12, 2020. Photo: David Goldman/AP
To hear Bishop Curry's invitation, please click on the video link below.
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“I encourage Episcopalians to join with other people of faith this weekend to grieve and honor those who have died from COVID-19,” Curry said in a press release. “Let this tragic moment not pass without us honoring the many among us who have lost their lives or lost their loved ones and commending them and ourselves to God’s love and peace.”
The idea originated from a group of Christian leaders including Curry that meets regularly, led by Jim Wallis, founder of
Sojourners
. The group issued a statement saying that “an unprecedented group of 100+ national faith leaders — from Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions” had signed on to the call, as well as the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
The grim milestone of 100,000 dead Americans coincides with a time that is sacred to all three Abrahamic faiths, said the Rev. Charles Robertson, canon to the presiding bishop for ministry beyond The Episcopal Church. Muslims have just finished celebrating
Eid al-Fitr
, the end of Ramadan; Jews will celebrate the feast of
Shavuot
May 28 through 30; and Christians will celebrate Pentecost on May 31.
“So that’s why, as we hit this 100,000 number in the U.S. alone, it seems appropriate that people in churches, synagogues and mosques throughout the nation recognize this moment and not let it pass without us honoring those who have lost their lives and their families,” Robertson told ENS.
The interfaith period of mourning builds on the ecumenical effort to remember, mourn and celebrate the lives that have been lost, as expressed in the National Council of Churches’ virtual memorial
service on May 24, at which Curry spoke.
To read the entire article, click
here
.
– Egan Millard is an assistant editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at
[email protected]
.
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Prince William Takes Part in Church of England Virtual Service for Mental Health Week
Posted May 26, 2020
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The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, took part in the Church of England’s online service last weekend, which was held to mark the end of Mental Health Awareness Week. The prince urged people who are concerned about their mental health or that of others to reach out and start a conversation.
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The service was led by a Devon Vicar, Professor Gina Radford, a former Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England. It included prayers for all those whose mental health has been affected, their relatives, friends and carers.
In her sermon, she said that this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week had a “particular significance” as more people struggle with mental health and well-being.
“For some people of faith this is particularly challenging,” she said. “Surely, we might ask, my faith should get me through? But we need to face the reality that we are human – we are body, mind and spirit. We are all susceptible to mental ill-health, just as we are to physical ill-health.”
To view the entire service, please click on the video link below.
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IN BRIEF . . .
These news briefs were featured in previous issues of "The Epistle"
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KUPUNA SHOPPING ASSISTANCE MINISTRY
Any of our All Saints' kupuna who need assistance with grocery shopping can contact Carolyn Morinishi (808-651-2061) 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
[email protected]
.
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
[email protected]
.
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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