(note: masthead courtesy of David Taba)
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT
CCH? by Pastor Frances
Well, not much! In accordance with public health concerns and
various state and country restrictions, the Executive Committee (EC) decided
that all in-person Sunday services would be suspended at CCH. The EC will make a decision whether to extend
this suspension no later than April 12th. The CCH campus is shut down although the office
remains operational under Ardis’ professional administration and the physical
plant will continue to be maintained through Glenn’s dedicated work.
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH
CCH?
A LOT! We don’t need to see everyone on Sundays to
be a community, a family (although, we all are missing everyone, aren’t
we!). This newsletter will be sent via
email and snail mail (just to those without email addresses) every Monday to
make sure that we share news and joys and concerns with each other. Newsletters will also be sent out during the
week as appropriate. For now, Kathy
Young, Gwen Murakami, and Pastor Frances will serve as co-editors. The Watchman will be suspended until we
return to in-person Sunday services.
A phone tree is being grown by Kathy
Young and Stan Lum. The primary function
of the phone tree is to make sure that critical time-sensitive information will
quickly get to those without email addresses.
A cadre of Circles of Care
conveners, comprised of Kathy Young, Art Lum, Carol Gunn, Marti Taba, Brent and
Kristin Uyeno, will develop circles of care around those among us who may be
particularly affected because of the “stay at home” mandate.
Pastor Frances and Pastor Dean are
prepared to provide pastoral care as needs are identified.
The EC is monitoring this situation
very closely. Gwen Murakami has a
working knowledge of Zoom and will ensure that the EC will meet and make
decisions as efficiently as possible.
The co-editors, collaborating with Ardis, Annie Miller and Martha Hernandez,
will disseminate their decisions to all of you.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Pastor Holly will be actively
exploring the use of technologies and different online and social media sites
to keep CCH’s spiritual life robust.
When you get a call/text/email from
someone asking you to join a circle of care or to be part of the phone tree or
any sort of help, please say “YES!”
A WORD FROM THE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE by Moderator Paul Murakami
Meeting on Sunday, 3/22, and practicing
good distancing! Lori (Search Committee representative), Ryan, Paul, David,
Arnold, Rosita (Gwen took the picture)
Good people of CCH: We truly do live in interesting times. As a State, as a Community, as a Congregation
we are currently facing an unprecedented moment. However, as you are reading this, it’s so
very clear that all of CCH, individually, as a Congregation, but most of all,
as Family, is more than capable of responding.
Pastor Frances has instigated a series of moves to keep us connected
electronically and thru the Internet and thru a program called Circles of Care
where members will be in direct contact with fellow members, Sisters and
Brothers in Christ. Although the
Governor and Mayor continue to make the difficult decisions to keep the people
of Hawai`i as safe as possible, we as CCH will continue to be with each other
in spirit and voice, if not necessarily in person. So, please continue to stay in contact, watch
for these Newsletters electronically, and thru snail mail.
Yes, we do live in interesting
times, but we’ll be fine. Please all be
safe, and continue to be well.
Your Brother in Christ,
Paul
Murakami
P.S.
REMINDER: A self-addressed, stamped envelope was sent
with the letter from our Executive Committee, for Tithes and Offerings and One
Great Hour of Sharing contributions.
Faithful tithing and giving will help keep Community Church functioning
during these difficult times. Did you know
that you can give through your bank or credit union directly to CCH? You can!
It saves stamps and your time and effort. Just ask your bank/credit union to help you
set this up, payable to “Community Church of Honolulu”, 2345 Nuuanu Ave.,
Honolulu, HI 96817.
KATHY'S PRAYER CORNER by Kathy Young
(editor’s note: Kathy has been faithfully shepherding her
Intentional Prayer emails for over a year.
She graciously agreed to move her work forward by a couple of days so we
can get wider circulation. Please, let’s
continue to pray all together every Wednesday on behalf of CCH. Please, send your prayer requests and
needs—for yourself and for others—to the church office and Ardis will get it to
Kathy and me. Email: ardisg@cchonolulu.org Phone
number: (808) 595-7541. Mail: 2345
Nuuanu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96817.)
As the COVID-19
virus invades our community and our world, we turn to our Lord with fervent prayers
:
:
· Protect us,
please!! Keep our families, loved ones, and Community Church 'ohana safe
and well.
· Fill our hearts
and minds with the knowledge that we are in YOUR embrace and that YOU are in
charge. Remove or lessen our extreme worry and anxiety. Grant us
deep trust in YOU and, therefore, give us peace.
· Help us reach
out to and offer help to others during this frightening time. We can keep
our distance but still extend your love, shared generously "from
afar"...using technology or a landline telephone!!
· Infuse our
Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Mayors, and all Hawaii decision makers with
WISDOM and Your grace, Lord. Help them work with harmonious collaboration
to make quick and critical decisions so that our island residents may be
minimally impacted by this fast-spreading COVID-19 virus.
· Guide our
leaders nationwide and worldwide, oh God. Help them mitigate the effects
of this dreaded disease.
· Heal those who
are sick and recovering. Shorten their illness; help them regain their
vitality quickly.
· Give hope and
solace to the MANY business owners, managers, and workers, whose lives and
livelihood have been altered beyond imagination. Grant--to those who
can--the power to offer alternate sources of employment and income--to those
who need them--until this terrible "wave of active, viral spread"
diminishes and becomes less destructive.
· Show us the
blessings that come with this challenging situation. Strengthen our
family units, increase their appreciation for each other, and bolster bands of
communication & love while they are sequestered, ordered to "stay in
place". Have them cook together, read together, play together, talk
to each other.
· Keep our loving
body of Christ at CCH "Faithful, Connected, Community" until we can
again gather to worship You.
· Listen to our
prayers for those in our hearts.
AND NOW, A WORD FROM OUR MAKER
by Frances Wong
LECTIONARY READINGS
“Entry into the
City” by John August Swanson
Liturgy of the
Palms, April 5, 2020, Sixth Sunday in Lent
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29,
A Song of Victory
Matthew 21:1-11, Jesus’
Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
Christ, detail from
Crucifixion by Cimabue
Liturgy of the
Passion, April 5, 2020, Sixth Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 50:4-9a, The
Servant’s Humiliation and Vindication
Psalm 31:9-16, Prayer
and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies
Philippians 2:5-11, Imitating
Christ’s Humility
Matthew 26:14-27:66
EXCERPTS:
Psalm 118: 21-24
I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in
it.
Matthew 21:6-9
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the
donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very
large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the
trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that
followed were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in
the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Philippians 2:5-8
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with
God as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself
and became obedient to the
point of death—
even death on a cross.
Matthew 26:14-27:66 This is the
story of Jesus’ Passion. You have to read the whole thing!
Here are the headings:
Chapter 26, Verse 14: Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
Verse 17: The Passover with the Disciples
Verse 26: The Institution of the Lord’s Supper
Verse 31: Peter’s Denial Foretold
Verse 36: Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
Verse 47: The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
Verse 57: Jesus before the High Priest
Verse 69: Peter’s Denial of Jesus
Chapter 27, Verse 1: Jesus Brought before Pilate
Verse 3: The Suicide of Judas
Verse 11: Pilate Questions Jesus
Verse 15: Barabbas or Jesus?
Verse 24: Pilate Hands Jesus over to Be Crucified
Verse 27: The Soldiers Mock Jesus
Verse 32: The Crucifixion of Jesus
Verse 45: The Death of Jesus
Verse 57: The Burial of Jesus
Verse 62: The Guard at the Tomb
If ever Scripture
needed to be studied in community, this week requires that we read this in
community! Let’s have a study group for
this on Friday at 10:30am. Check out the
information below. On Friday, begin at
10:00 figure out how to join the group.
We will discuss both
Matthew passages (Palm Sunday and the Passion).
On Monday, read the Mathew scriptures. On Tuesday,
read them again and choose a specific passage that spoke to you or made you
curious. On Wednesday, pray over the
passage you chose (sit quietly, read each word slowly and then read it aloud,
then pray over the passage). On Thursday, pray over the passage again. On Friday at 10:00am, start figuring out the technology. NOTE: if you do not have a computer, you can
use your phone to call in.
Frances Wong is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: CCH Lectionary Study for 6th Sunday in Lent
Time: Mar 27, 2020 10:30 AM Hawaii
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 136 573 099
Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US
+1 253 215 8782 US
Meeting ID: 136 573 099
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/aevyE1DiCR
Prayer from the
Revised Lectionary site of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library:
Artist of souls,
you sculpted a
people for yourself
out of the rocks of
wilderness and fasting.
Help us as we take
up your invitation to prayer and simplicity,
that the discipline
of these forty days
may sharpen our
hunger for the feast of your holy friendship,
and whet our thirst
for the living water you offer
through Jesus
Christ. Amen.
YOUTHFUL VOICES
This column is under construction.
In the coming days, we will have articles written by the children and
youth of CCH.
PARTY LINE by Frances Wong
A long time ago, when
your parents were young, there used to be only land line
telephones. You had to dial them by
sticking your finger in a hole for the correct number and turn the dial. Unless you were really rich, all phone lines
were “party lines.” That meant that a
number of homes had the same number and anyone in those households could pick
up the phone and listen in. This
facilitated community because a group of people could talk to each other (you
know, like a conference call) as well as gross violations of personal
privacy. In these modern times, in the
Midwest, rural local radio stations will have daily “party lines” when they
read all sorts of offerings from their listeners (for example: 4H
announcements, county fair offerings, church bake sales).
FRIENDS: this is YOUR column. Send in announcements, joys, concerns,
whatevers to the church. Email: ardisg@cchonolulu.org Phone
number: (808) 595-7541. Mail: 2345
Nuuanu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96817. Gwen or
Kathy or I will review your submissions and then include them in this PARTY
LINE!
For starters, send in your selfies to share how
you are doing with your home detention. Your co-editors are priming the pump!
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Gwen teleworks for most of the day (for Farrington High School as a
social worker) and then makes fabulous sewn goodies for Youth Mission Group
bake sales.
|
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This is what Gwen, the show off, just whipped up today.
|
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Frances practices her cello to get ready for her Carnegie Hall
concert, some time in the next century.
|
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Nana Kathy is really the only one of your co-editors who actually
does any work. Although, this is not
technically a selfie; more like a Mike-y.
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