STAY
FAITHFUL,
STAY
CONNECTED,
STAY
COMMUNITY!
“Think
lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.”
(Miyamoto Musashi)
MAHALO TO OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL
TEACHERS!
by Marti Taba
In the virtual service on
Sunday, July 11, we took a moment to thank our Sunday School teachers.
These teachers give so much
of their time, resources, and love to our keiki. For each class, attention is directed to
provide bible knowledge and develop each child’s faith in an age appropriate
way. Our children and youth are so lucky
that their teachers meet them where they are and provide a safe place to
explore God and Christianity.
In giving, these teachers
sacrifice their own time in service week after week.
Lorraine Lunow-Luke
Aunty Lorraine volunteered in
one of the Christian Education meetings
as we struggled to figure out how to consistently staff our nursery so new
families could attend service. We are so
grateful that she and Aunty Christi Tomisato attend together every Sunday so
that we could meet the Safe Church policy requirement of having two adults in
our nursery room at all times during operation.
Debbie Brede
Debbie graced us with her
great smile, inspiring enthusiasm and kind heart this year in the K-2nd grade
class. Although she only had one student
most of the time, she was able to think of fun games and ways to keep him
engaged. Thank you SO much Aunty Debbie
for your talents and skills!
Bobbi Lum-Mew
Every child at CCH in the
past decade has had Aunty Bobbi teach them in the 3rd-5th grade class. In her care, they have learned Scripture,
books of the Bible, names of disciples along with having fun playing games and
doing crafts. The parents often comment
that after Aunty Bobbi’s class, our children consistently have to teach us
about the Bible! Aunty Bobbi, a very diligent and conscientious teacher, also
served CCH as Christian Education co-chair for 8 years, retiring at the end of
2018.
Aunty Pat Brown
Aunty Pat agreed to teach our
Youth Group and has served as our Youth Worker since 2015. She has injected energy and laughter into the
youth Sundays, bringing her creativity and musical talents to class, church
camp, and Praise Band. We want to
sincerely thank Aunty Pat for loving each teen and identifying their special
talents and gifts. In order to fund our
full time Christian Education Director, we will not be able to fund the Youth
Worker position anymore but look forward to seeing Aunty Pat in the pews and
know she is 110% behind our children.
Our kids took time this
Sunday to thank their teachers. Christian Education Ministry wants to
especially thank Christi Tomisato for the late nights and creative
talents that she has poured into the awesome video that Pastor Holly included in last Sunday's service.
CCH
IPT WEDNESDAY
(INTENTIONAL PRAYER TIME)
by Kathy Young
Exodus
4:13--"Moses said, 'Please, LORD, send somebody else.'" (ISV).
During
this unprecedented pandemic, how can we answer God's call to serve others?
Sheltered in place, we don't want to be exposed to or spread the deadly
virus. Can we still help others?
CCH
is blessed with Warriors and Angels who pray, call, email, text or find other
ways to show God's love. Many of us have felt their touch and are deeply
thankful. They didn't say, "Please, LORD, ask somebody else."
Our
beloved Sau Chun Wong Chun once said to Pastor Ron, "I'm so old and can't
do much. What can I do to serve God?" Reverend Ron Williams
responded, "You can always pray!!"
It's
true! Although we cannot physically be together, WE CAN ALWAYS
PRAY!!
Oh
LORD, we pause and join our hearts to pray:
- fervent thanks for
the CCH Warriors and Angels who have provided prayers, companionship,
assistance, solace, friendship, hope, joy, and other expressions of Your
love to others.
- "Spirit of the
living God, fall afresh on me..." "Breathe on me, breath
of God!" Enter our hearts, revealing what we may do to
serve You better!!
- that You help us be careful--remind us to avoid groups in enclosed places, wear a mask, practice safe distancing, wash hands thoroughly, and sanitize where necessary.
- over those who work at CCH, cleaning & removing unneeded items. Keep them healthy and safe, oh Lord!!
- for Your protective embrace around every person praying and their loved ones.
- about our community and CCH leaders, who continue to make critical decisions about our future.
- prayers of thanksgiving and support for Pastor Holly, Pastor Frances, Ardis, Glenn, Hari, and Nate, who continue to work hard for Community Church in Your name.
- for the family of Paul Bienfang, and for others who have lost loved ones.
- that those who are sick, recovering from surgery, anxious, worried, or alone know You are always with them. Invite them to call on the rest of us in this church `ohana for assistance, support, love, and prayers.
- about any person or concern in your heart.
Prayers
of the People
Join
our CCH 'ohana and the Stewardship Ministry Team in prayer during worship
the second Sunday of each month. Wear your
"Hear I Am, Lord!" shirt and participate with Art Lum
and others in "Prayers of the People".
CAMPUS CLEAN UP CONTINUES
This pandemic provides NO
rest for the wicked and weary Building & Maintenance and CIP leaders (who
are also the do-ers!). Lori Wong and
Mike Lum, and Vernon Chock and Ron Yamauchi are the energizer bunnies of CCH.
They recently decided that we
finally had to liberate our 20th century artifacts and all the mold
overcrowded in our books (see the pictures below). Lori and
Vernon are co-chairs of the Campus Clean-up week of July 13 through 19. They’ve already strong-armed lined up groups of worker bees throughout that week. And the dumpster is now in place and ready to be filled only with heavier bulk items and bagged dry trash.
Thank you, Energizer Bunnies!
Please note: This is most definitely NOT an invitation for anyone to bring their own dumpster goodies to the church!! Offenders will be sentenced to cleaning all the bathrooms for a year with Covid grade cleaning supplies!!
BIBLE STUDY AND PRAYER:
REFLECTIONS FROM THE ZOOM CLASSES
 |
| Class from earlier this year when we had no idea how precious being together would become. |
After having participated in
a couple of Pastor Frances' Bible study classes, I felt discouraged because I
still had a beginner's mind.
When another class was
offered, I took advantage of the opportunity so I could learn more. In this time of social distancing, we were
able to meet up virtually with church friends.
It was so nice to connect with each other and learn together about
"How to Read the Bible."
Finally!!!! I don't have to
feel so bad about my slow progress in this journey. Through animated videos created by the Bible
Project I came to realize that understanding the Bible is a lifetime process,
reading slowly and carefully, meditating on the mystery and message, making
connections, exploring and discussing with others, and engaging one's whole
body, mind and heart. In my notes I
scribbled, "The authors of the Bible aren't trying to lead you into an intellectual
[exercise]. They're teaching you how to
read your life! To see God's
faithfulness in joy and pain."
Thank you, God, there's still hope for me.
~~Sharlene Yamauchi
 |
| Auntie Sandy was PERFECT for the role of the accusing prophet! |
“How to Read the Bible” Bible
study class was very interesting 🤔. I learned a lot of things that were pretty eye
opening. The video clips from the Bible Project were fun and gave a lot of
information. The closing songs at the end of each session were awesome. I think
now I can look at reading passages in the Bible with a greater appreciation and
understanding.
Thank you, Pastor Frances
~~Sandy Nishimura
 |
| August 2019 Bible Study Group "Embracing the Bible" |
Sure I've read the Bible,
though not close to the whole thing. I
can keep straight a few of the main characters.
I even knew that much of the Bible is written in parables. But I didn't know the purpose was to impart a
lesson to us, without us realizing it.
Thus, like Aesop's Fables, the stories were not necessarily meant to be
taken literally. And while reading the
Bible silently is good, reading it out loud is even better. Reading it out loud to others, with vocal and
physical expression, can bring it to life with new understanding.
Prayer can be something we do
somewhat unconsciously, often by ritual, repeating the same words, at the same
time. And when used as a mantra, we need
to keep our minds from wandering somewhere else. Prayer to me should be a conscious reflection
to remind myself of what I have to be grateful for. And a request for help to do better when I
know I should. I learned that it has to
be as mindful as driving a car on a race course, where any distraction could
lead to going off-course. And
interestingly, this can happen when tracing our course on a Prayer Labyrinth.
I am so ever grateful to this
series of classes. I have never
encountered anything like this about the Bible and prayer practice that opened
it up, took it apart, and considered the various meanings that were possible,
which we may have even thought to be somewhat sacrilegious in the past. Thank you for opening up our minds to
this. Interestingly, Zoom has added
another dimension beyond simply sitting in a classroom. I wish we could continue doing this in the
future.
~~Stan Lum
PRAYER AND RESPONSE
TRY THIS AT HOME
Even during this time, many
of us remain so busy. What has happened
to your shelter-at-home resolutions (learning Mandarin, getting in shape,
baking sourdough bread, reading for personal pleasure and edification)? With home schooling, teleworking from home,
the extra time needed to assure Covid 19 safety, and a myriad of other
important tasks, we run out of time.
But prayer requires our time
as much as everything else that is important.
Take a few minutes each day to study or pray or praise or sing to and for
God. Here are some practices you could
try.
For starters, I invite you to
take a few quiet moments to pray with this video based on the spoken words of
Br. David Steindl-Rast.
~~Pastor Frances
Video Transcription
Bless what there is, for being. Whatever it be, bless it because it exists; you need no other reason.
Source of All Blessings, you bless us with breath —
In and out, in and out, ever-renewing us, ever anew, making us one with all who breathe the same air. May this blessing overflow into a shared gratefulness, so that with one breath I may praise and celebrate life.
Source of All Blessings, you bless us with humility —
That down-to-earth quality that has nothing in common with humiliation but makes us stand tall and acknowledge both the humus that feeds us and the stars to which we aspire. May I learn to practice, and to honor in others, this sparkling humility which is the dignity that we, as human beings cannot afford to lose.
Source of All Blessings, you bless us with imprecision —
With all that is vague, close but not quite; all that leaves room for the more specific, the more precise, and room for the imagination. May I know when to be exact and when to move freely and blessed in the space so generously provided by all that is not perfectly defined, giving full scope to my dreams and my creativity.
Source of All Blessings, you bless us with memory —
That sacred ingathering of the past that allows us to recognize faces, learn poems by heart, find our way back when we are lost, and bring forth old and new from its nearly inexhaustible store. May I know what to forget and what to retain and treasure, keeping in mind the smallest kindness shown to me and spreading its ripples for a long time to come.
Source of All Blessings, you bless us with change —
In the seasons of the year, from snow to greening, flowering, fruiting and harvest, in the seasons of life, from childhood to youth, full ripeness, and saging. All living things keep changing. May I welcome change as a sacred opportunity to grow and savor in each unrepeatable moment’s fleetingness what IS beyond change.
Source of All Blessings, you bless us with departures —
For they are a necessary part of our journey, necessary for the arriving. May I always be ready to take leave, always aware that every arrival is a prelude to departure, every birth a step towards dying, and may I thus taste the blessings of being fully present where I am. May blessings help to sharpen your taste for the gift of life in its immeasurable facets. May you grow ever more blessed, ever more able to bless.
Editor’s note on watching
videos: Click once on the arrow in the middle of the screen. If another arrow pops up, click that
arrow. Click on the broken square on the
bottom right side of the screen for a larger picture. Get rid of pop up ads by carefully clicking
on the “x” on the upper right side of the ad.
BEING PRAYER
I believe that the
combination of human action from a contemplative center is the greatest art
form, one that takes our whole lives to master. When action and contemplation
are united, we have beauty, symmetry, and transformation—lives and actions that
heal the world by their very presence. Jesus is the perfect example of this,
but we can also point to the lives of many saints, mystics, teachers, and even
people we know who share this gift.
We cannot grow in the great
art form of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity,
an ability to allow, forgive, and contain a certain degree of anxiety, and a
willingness to not know—and not even need to know. This is how we allow and
encounter Mystery.
[Let us not] settle for being
right instead of being whole and holy, for saying prayers instead of being
prayer.
Fr. Richard Rohr
Contemplation: A Life's
Journey
Sunday, July 12, 2020
PSALM 46
Why not take a few moments of
quiet to pray over Psalm 46? Find at
least 10 minutes; read Psalm 46 s-l-o-w-l-y.
Read it again, s-l-o-w-l-y. If
you want to stop at this point, you have already prayed profoundly. If you want to go further, just remain silent
and listen.
This is what the Rev. David
Popham, Conference Minister, has to say about this psalm.
“Our
situation today puts me in mind of Psalm 46. This psalm wrestles with the
vagaries of history and of death and decay and even the ravages of war upon
Jerusalem. The psalm itself, however, is not about an impregnable city
providing security against the odds. Rather, the psalm is about God's dwelling
with humans in the midst of the chaos of their lives and extending the
invitation to ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ It is my prayer that as we all
wrestle with the consequences of COVID-19 that you and I can find the faith to
be still and discover the presence of God who is with us in the midst of this
time of frustration.”
~~Pastor Frances
Psalm 46 (NRSV)
1 God is our refuge and
strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of
the sea;
3 though its waters roar and
foam,
though the mountains tremble with its
tumult. Selah [SEE lah, a Hebrew word
that scholars think might be a musical direction to pause in the singing of the
song OR a blessing that might mean “forever.”]
4 There is a river whose
streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the
city; it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an
uproar, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with
us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of
the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the
earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the
end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I
am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with
us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
SOME HELP TO KEEP SILENCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JLWSdRvGwY
Yo-Yo Ma -
"Meditation" (J. Massenet)
Music from the opera
"Thais"
Composer: Jules Massenet
Cello: Yo-Yo Ma
Piano: Kathy Stott
Or, ponder this spoken word.
Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda
poem written in the 1950s
poem written in the 1950s
Chilean poet-diplomat and politician
who won
the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.
BRINGING
YOU SMILES AND
SOME GOOD NEWS
NOW
THIS IS COMMUNITY POLICING!
ANOTHER
OLDIE BUT GOODIE BROUGHT UP TO DATE
(with
apologies to the young’uns who’ll have to Google old songs)
Longest
Time - Quarantine Edition
Lyrics:
Zach Timson (@zach_timson) and Nicholle Andrews
Original
Music: Billy Joel
Arrangement:
Carolyn Shiau
ENJOY
THREE OF MY MOST FAVORITE MUSICIANS!
Tim
McGraw - Here on Earth (July 9, 2020)
Raffi
and Yo-Yo Ma - Baby Beluga
(40th Anniversary Version)
To
celebrate the 40th anniversary of the song and album,
Raffi sings “Baby Beluga” accompanied by cellist Yo-Yo Ma
in a new video that continues the series of recorded-at-home musical offerings that Yo-Yo began in March.
This unique performance of two musical legends
includes a new verse for adults.
Raffi sings “Baby Beluga” accompanied by cellist Yo-Yo Ma
in a new video that continues the series of recorded-at-home musical offerings that Yo-Yo began in March.
This unique performance of two musical legends
includes a new verse for adults.
Editor’s
note: I sang this song so often to my kids that it has been stuck in my head
for nearly 40 years!
~~Pastor Frances
HONORING
CCH CIRCLES OF CARE AND PRAYER WARRIORS
The
Prayer Warriors have been a cohesive and consistent response to being
prayer as a response to God’s love. As
needed, we receive a zippy email from Kathy Young describing a prayer
need. Unlike Kathy’s regular every
Wednesday Intentional Prayer Time that goes out to the entire church, the
Prayer Warriors operate confidentially.
If you feel called to this ministry, please contact Kathy at kayoung@hawaii.edu to express your
interest. Thanks, Kathy. Mahalo to every Prayer Warrior.
The
CCH Circles of Care were organized right after the lockdown began and most of
the churches suspended Sunday services.
Kathy and I were very concerned about how we would all react to the
disorientation of the pandemic and we were concerned about needing to encircle
certain members with a Circle of Care, people who would initiate contact and
connection on a regular basis. Stan and
Kathy took oars in hand and organized these Circles in an amazingly short time. Mahalo to all Circle of Care members.
A
couple of Sundays ago during worship, Stan shared this song that he penned in
honor of the service by our Circles of Care and our Prayer Warriors. Sing this to Carole King’s tune, “You’ve Got
a Friend.” Thanks, Stan.
Pastor
Holly and I want to thank and acknowledge the work of the Prayer Warriors and
the Circles of Care for doing so much of the heavy lifting for pastoral care at
CCH during this fraught time. And,
although he’s going to be mad at me for this spotlight, we also need to thank
Pastor Dean Fujii (the minister with boots on the ground!) for his unheralded labors of love in this area on behalf of
the members and friends of CCH and at Craigside. Thanks, Pastor Dean.
~~Pastor
Frances
You’ve
Got Some Friends
Lyrics
by Stan Lum
When
you're down and troubled
And
you need a helping hand
And
nothing, no, nothing is going right
Just
close your eyes and say a prayer
And
soon WE will be there
To
brighten up, even your darkest night
You
just call out our names
And
you know wherever we are
We'll
come runnin', runnin'
We’re
never too far
Winter,
spring, summer, or fall
All
you got to do is call
And
we'll be there, yes we will
You've
got Some friends
If
you’re stayin’ close to home now,
But
you need a mask or food,
And
a roll of Scotts or Charmin
Would
make you good
Just
keep your head together
And
call our names out loud,
And
soon you’ll hear us knocking
At
your door, at your door.
You
just call out our names
And
you know where ever you are
We’ll
come runnin’, runnin’
You’re
never too far.
Winter,
spring, summer, or fall
All
you got to do is call
And
we’ll be there, yes we will…
Now
ain't it good to know
That
you've got some friends
When
people can be so cold
They'll
hurt you, desert you
And
take your soul If you let them
So
don't you let them, no no no!
You
just call out our names
And
you know wherever we are
We'll
come runnin’, runnin’
Or
drive in our car, drive in our car!
Winter,
spring, summer, or fall
In
Hawai’i there’s no difference at all,
So
we’ll be there, yes we will
You've
got some friends,
You've
got some friends!
Ain't
it good to know
You've
got some friends.
Oh
yeah!
Love
intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally.
The broken world waits in darkness
The broken world waits in darkness
for the light that is you.
L.R.
Knost
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