IMPORTANT MESSAGES FROM KAHU KAWIKA - COVID-19 UPDATES

APRIL 24, 2020
Moratorium on in-person worship and gatherings extended to at least May 15, 2020.

​The Bishop announced today, April 24, 2020, the moratorium on public worship in Episcopal Churches in this Diocese will continue at least until May 15. He will continue to re-evaluate the situation on a week to week and county by county basis. As of now, there is nothing in the situation to suggest that we will be back in public worship on May 3 or even May 10. 

The current orders for Oʻahu opens golf courses, but church services have to wait. As the Bishop has previously noted, the Diocese and all our churches will follow the guidelines established by the State and by each of the Counties.  

There is no indication that gathering people is prudent without social distancing, face masks, and a limitation on the number of people. Public worship is still imprudent. Churches should not be open for public gatherings or worship until approved by the State and the County of the church, and with the permission of the Bishop.

We might have local county variations, but a Sunday will be set for a major Diocesan celebration when we can all gather in our churches across the State in a healthy way.

​Continue reading for previous announcements. 

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A MESSAGE FROM KAHU KAWIKA
​March 20, 2020  |  11:55AM

​Aloha ‘oukou,
 
I seems fitting that a lot of our lectionary readings in church in recent weeks have had to do with the people of Israel wandering in the wilderness over an extended period of time. Like them, we too find ourselves as a pilgrim people wandering through our own “wilderness experience” of the coronavirus pandemic, an uncertain economic outlook, the necessity of a certain amount of isolation through social distancing, and learning or re-learning hygienic habits. Even when we as a people have gone through trying times in the past like war, economic uncertainty, and social upheaval, at least we could gather together and support each other socially and spiritually. This time, though, even that aspect is hampered, which makes this wilderness experience a very unique and unusual one that we are having to learn to handle.
 
All of this makes for a very bewildering “wilderness” experience. While the Bishop’s cancellation of in-person indoor church gatherings – at first until 31 March and now as of today until 30 April – is done understandably out of an abundance of caution and to limit the spread of the coronavirus especially to our kupuna, nevertheless I admit that this past week I have felt a profound sense of loss and grief. This stems from the fact that for the time being we can no longer count on readily seeing each other each Sunday and at other times, gathering together regularly, experiencing fellowship as an ‘ohana in person, and realizing God’s presence in one place at one time. This spiritual and social dimension of loss is on top of dealing with the uncertainties of the pandemic and the economy.
 
The good news, though, is that even though the indoor physical gathering for church is set on pause, All Saints’ Church is not “closed.” The Bible asserts that the church never refers to a building, but rather to God’s people – the Greek word in the New Testament is ekklesia, from which we get words like “ecclesiastical,” meaning to do with church. Literally, “ekklesia” means “the gathered ones,” both in a literal physical gathering as well as a group of people gathering together as one in mind, purpose, and spirit. So even though our church building may be “closed” temporarily, we as God’s ‘Ohana are never out of business. In terms of worship together, we are working with St. Michael’s and All Angels in Lihue and soon also with Christ Memorial in Kilauea to record morning worship together, and in addition as Easter approaches we at All Saints’ are thinking of ways to gather outside of the sanctuary building for worship as well.
 
Indeed, this is the very time that we are to step up in creative and self-giving ways to “be church” to one another and to our wider community. Thankfully, we do have modern technology that helps us to keep in touch with each other, as limited as it is  – telephone, emails like this one, websites, and other forms of mass communications. We can also check in on one another personally, of course following the necessary precautions of cleanliness and hygiene. In addition, the pastoral team and I are on hand to make home visits as well – just let us know. I also ask all of us to keep up with supporting each other through our regular pledge and offering giving as much as we can in light of our own personal and family financial situations, by clicking the “Donate” button on the All Saints’ website or by sending in your pledge envelope via mail or in person – I’m also happy to come by and collect it from you.
 
This is THE time for us to pull together and to lift each other up. In the words of the Apostle Peter, “You, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ,” (1 Peter 2:5) and in the words of the writer to the Hebrews, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together (for us, in the broadest sense of the word) as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.” (Hebrews 10:24-25) In the short term we may have to be creative in how we “meet together,” but certainly let’s hold each other up in prayer and touch base with each other on a frequent basis.
 
Above all, mahalo nui loa for your aloha and friendship to Muriel and me as “newbies” to the All Saints’ ‘ohana. As trying as these times are, we could not think of a better place and a better people with whom to share them than with you.
 
Me ke Aloha o Kristo,
Kahu Kawika+

Continue reading for previous announcements. 

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March 19, 2020
​2:32PM

Kahu Kwika and Fr. Andrew from St. Michael Church is working together to provide a joint video recording for this Sunday's Morning Prayer in lieu of Sunday Service. Please stay tuned for instructions on how to participate from home. 

Mahalo, 
Church Staff 

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March 16, 2020
5:45PM

Aloha Laundry Love Volunteers,
 
Due to COVID-19 precautions, Laundry Love is currently asking our volunteers to stay home for this Wednesday (March 18th) session. We understand the importance of taking care of our community at a time when vulnerabilities and the need for cleanliness are high. Laundry Love leader Geoff Shields will be passing out quarters to any patrons that arrive to allow them to wash and dry their own laundry. Our prayers go out to all in need. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.
 
Mahalo,
 
Dominique Cami Pascua for Geoff Shields (Laundry Love Lead) 
Church Administrator

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March 16, 2020
12:57PM
 
Aloha oukou i Kristo,
 
I just got word from the Bishop that, in line with a number of other dioceses, he is cancelling physical gatherings for Sunday worship for the next two Sundays (March 22nd & 29th), with the hope that we can resume meeting together after March 31st.
 
Ron, Cami, and I are working on a technical means for me to lead Morning Prayer for the following two Sundays that would allow for both purely audio access (via telephone) and combined online video and audio. We will let you know in due course how you can hook up to this.
 
In the meantime, let’s look out for one another and especially for our kupuna who may be house-bound. If you know of anyone who does not have email access, please let them know of these developments.
 
It goes without saying that the pastoral team and I are on call for pastoral issues. With the preschool on Spring Break, church office hours are Monday-Friday 8:30-12:30.
 
Ka Maluhia e ka Aloha o Akua,
Kahu Kawika+

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March 16, 2020
11:23AM
 
Aloha i Kristo,
 
The Bishop has just notified all clergy in the Diocese of Hawai`i that all midweek and Saturday church meetings will be canceled for the next two weeks, until March 31st. This includes our Lenten Bible Study this evening, Laundry Love this Wednesday, and this Saturday’s meetings of the Ministry Council and IWC. For any communication that would have occurred at such meetings, please use email and phone conferencing.
 
Above all, please keep prayerful and careful, tending to your own health, cleansing and sanitizing your hands, and show special malama for our kupuna and keiki.
 
Sorry for this, but it is out of an abundance of caution. Mahalo for your understanding.
 
Kahu Kawika+