April 21, 2020

By Patty Kamahele, Administrative Assistant

I really never thought I would see the day when I:

• Couldn’t hug my grandkids.

• Wasn’t able to jump in the car and travel wherever I wanted.

• Would be denied a visit to my brother who is ill.

• Couldn’t go out to enjoy golfing with my husband.

• Would see places of worship closed down.

• Was told to stay home from work.

And yet, all of these things are happening now. And what has really been taken away? Some of the many things in life that we had grown so accustomed to.

It has caused me to reflect on the many, many things I have taken for granted. 

It has caused me to trust God.

It has caused me to draw closer to Him.

It has caused me to treasure family.

It has caused me to appreciate my freedoms.

It has caused me to re-evaluate my priorities.

It has caused me to: ______________________________.

How would you fill in the blank?

“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” John 8:36

Lord, we can’t thank You enough for all You’ve done for us. You have taken a difficult situation to let us know we are never alone and that You care far beyond what we could ever imagine or think. People say it will be great when “things get back to normal”. But I pray our normal will have changed. That we will never look at life the same way again. That we will have drawn closer to You and to those You have put in our lives. Thank You, Lord, for the freedom we will always have in Your Son. In His Name. Amen.

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April 20, 2020

By David Chang, Director of Ministry Support

Last year one of our church staff members (who shall remain nameless, but has great initials like mine), talked about doing one of the DNA ancestry tests. After he got the results, it was so cool hearing him give a detailed breakdown of his ethnicity and what parts of the world his ancestors came from. I got so excited that I went home and told my family we need to do the same thing. There are some parts of our family tree that are a little vague, so we wanted to take the opportunity to find out.

 Although our DNA test results answered some questions about our family’s physical DNA, the COVID19 pandemic showed our family a more important type of DNA––our spiritual DNA.

 Check out the picture below from my son’s Facebook post:

My son Danford took a snapshot of his 90-year grandmother(my Mom), passionately engaged in a Zoom prayer meeting via an iPad. Yup, my Mom, who will not give up her flip phone, is interceding with other prayer warriors digitally on an iPad.

It reminded me of the Scripture passage where Paul was reminding young Timothy of not just his physical ancestry but also his spiritual ancestry:

“I have in my mind a clear picture of your sincere faith – the faith which first came to live in Lois your grandmother and Eunice your mother, and which, I am confident, lives in you as well.” (2 Timothy 1:5-6)

How precious to leave a legacy of not just biological DNA but also of nurturing sincere faith, and not just in ourselves but in others as well.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for setting spiritual leaders in my life, some in my family and some outside of my family that have nurtured sincere faith in me. Help me to do the same, to disciple others that disciple others. In Jesus name, Amen.

P.S. So no excuse! If my 90-year Mom can join a virtual prayer meeting, so can you. If you need help with that, let us know and we’ll connect you with one of our Digital Missionaries.

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April 18, 2020

By Nora Cunning, Pastoral and Media Support

At our weekly staff meeting this week Pastor Dan shared with us what he was praying for. One of them is to pray for the staff. He explained why it was important to cover each of us with prayer, especially during this time. Then as a team we decided that each person would pray for the person to the right, according to Pastor Dan’s Zoom grid on his screen. 

I am very grateful to Pastor Dan for his prayers, and I am grateful to Rosella because she got me and has been praying for me. I know this not because they told me or because I have heard their audible prayers, but because something is different this week. I am not necessarily feeling down or in crisis, but I am feeling a bit weary of house quarantine and I have experienced a shift. 

I have been hearing from the Lord this week. The Holy Spirit has been boldly pointing things out to me. There is pressing and pursuit, and I can feel it. Almost as if something has been broken free. I feel like God has removed so much from my life that it has allowed me to come back to Him in a new way. I realize that I have been putting my identity and hope in things that are not of Him. Now that they have been removed, I see that nothing has changed between me and God. He is still with me. His love continues to envelop me because He doesn’t change even when circumstances do. I am very grateful to Him for that, even though I failed to see it until now.

All this to say that praying for other people really matters. It makes a difference, and prayers really do get answered. Prayers are powerful and we all need them. 

I went into my Bible app to test if what I am writing to you is all truth, and this is the good news I found:

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James‬ 

Today I encourage you to pray for someone by name. Lift their name to God and ask on their behalf. Intercede for them and cover them in prayer. 

Prayer: Father, thank You for always being faithful in keeping Your word and answering the prayers of your people. Thank you for this community of believers at First Prez. Please bless them and protect them. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

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April 17, 2020

By Jenny Sung, Executive Coordinator

If I were to pay you a dollar for the number of times I’ve forgotten where my keys are, or my phone, well, you would be rich! I am a bit absent-minded. I tend to focus really well on one thing at a time, but throw me a few balls to juggle all at once and whoa! Things get … forgotten… balls go flying.

Jenny and her mom.

In times of struggle, I also tend to forget all the times God has been faithful. I torture myself with thoughts of despair and worry, but when I breathe and take the time to pray and reflect, there are so many memories that come to mind.

Stones of remembrance, like the time when God provided miraculously for me to pay the final installment on my new home. The time when, after 12 years of infertility, I prayed, “Lord, your will be done (even if it means I have no children),” and was shocked to be pregnant months later. The time when my mom was unconscious and hospitalized with sepsis and kidney failure, going through multiple blood transfusions and dialysis, and God restored her back to health. The time when I suddenly lost my husband and was overwhelmed with taking care of the finances, my home, all the bills, and God sent angels––church members––to help us with therapy, home repair, my taxes, and more.

We need to remember the times when He’s parted the waters and been faithful. It was not too long ago when we studied the first six chapters in the book of Joshua, together as a church. We got into small groups, studied the verses together and prayed. In chapter 4, after the flooding waters of the Jordan miraculously piled up and allowed the nation of Israel to cross on dry land, Joshua set up twelve stones of remembrance.

He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over (Joshua 4:21-23).

In times of uncertainty, when the flooding waters seem too big to cross, let’s remind one another of God’s faithfulness. Let’s share stories, those “stones of remembrance” in our lives that point us back to a big and faithful God. He is true yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is always with us, wherever we go (Joshua 1:9).

Prayer: Lord, Thank you for being a loving, faithful God. Help us to believe in your promises and trust in your goodness.

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April 16, 2020

By Chaz Umamoto, Coordinator of Worship Ministry Support

By nature, I’m an introvert. I don’t like going into large groups of people or spending time in dense metropolitan areas. My perfect day at work is working from my desk at home with a nice pour-over cup of coffee. Likewise, my perfect evening is spent indoors with a nice meal and a movie with Sarah, and our son Jojo. I’ve jokingly mentioned that I’ve been under self-quarantine before it was mandated since I spend a lot of time indoors writing and producing music. 

But during this time of self-quarantine, I’ve realized how I miss being in the company of others. I’m encouraged by every phone call, text, Zoom meeting, or email I get. I’m reminded that when God created us, He designed us for community. 

Recently our neighbors decided to start doing a regular quarantined get-together. We encourage everyone on our floor to sit outside the doors to our apartments, and watch the sunset on Friday evenings. We are definitely six feet apart but much closer in spirit. It’s a special time where we get to see how we can meet each other’s needs. 

Since we have been at home, without the option to go out unless necessary, it has shown me how much I miss going outdoors. Yes, I’m more of a homebody and being home is great, but I also know there’s a whole world out there too, a big and beautiful world that God created and treasures.

I remember when I would go surfing on the west side every Saturday morning and just sit in the lineup waiting for the next set to come in. Those are some of my most precious times with the Lord. 

What have been some of your most precious times with God? 

Thank Him again for those times.

Prayer: Lord, Although we cannot enjoy the great outdoors right now, would You use this time to help me reflect and reorient before “the next set of waves” come. Perhaps there are hidden blessings that You want me to find indoors. Maybe there are prayers and blessings that I’ve sought for years and You are trying to speak to them now. Help us to be still; help us to journal with you; help us be creative in how we spend time with our family and neighbors. 

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April 15, 2020

By Patty Kamahele, Administrative Assistant

I recently read a quote from Charles Stanley that said, “Many people think the opposite of fear is hope, courage, or strength. But the true opposite of fear is faith. The answer to the things that cause us fear is faith in what we know to be true about God and about His love and care for us and His ability to provide for all we need—especially His peace, which can help carry us through anything.”

His words really gave me food for thought. I looked up the word “faith” and it is defined as “complete trust or confidence in.” Often times we can put our trust in another person, or leader, or even things. But none can promise what the Lord can: ”You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3)

I have some wonderful and dear friends who are so close that I call them “Mama & Papa.” Their son, a strong Christian, was stricken with ALS. They took loving care of him and tried to make his life as comfortable as possible. He was able to communicate by typing with eye movement, and he encouraged many people, including me, through his emails and prayers.

As it became clear that he was nearing the end of life, his parents asked him if he was afraid. He typed out, “Faith conquers fear.” I made a framed photo of those words for his parents, and those words continue to speak to hearts until today. His faith in his Lord made him unafraid as he knew he would spend eternity with the One he loved and served.

Faith or fear? You decide. 

May we grow to trust God more so that our faith may be strengthened, especially in these uncertain times.

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April 14, 2020

By Jason Waldrep, Associate Director of Worship

The apostle Paul knew suffering. In his travels to share the Gospel and upon arrival in a new city, his first two stops were usually the local synagogue and then the local prison. Paul was persecuted harshly and consistently, yet he writes these words as a thanksgiving to God in a letter to the church in Corinth: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4 ESV)

Paul is teaching something profound to his readers here, even as he is giving thanks to God. He is explaining that through his own persecution, the comfort that he received was not just for himself. For “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction” speaks to the very nature of God. This is who God is. Paul has experienced this first hand, and he believes that our good Father in heaven is faithful to comfort in all our suffering.

However, we are not only to receive comfort but to give it away, “so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” As followers of Christ, the comfort we receive we should also be quick to give away to anyone else who is suffering. One human being cannot affect divine deliverance from affliction for another, but it is possible to share with another sufferer the encouragement received in the midst of our own afflictions.

The testimony of God’s grace in our lives is a forceful reminder to others of God’s ability and willingness to provide the grace and strength they need. Over this past weekend, as we grieved our Savior’s death and then celebrated His victory over it, I heard multiple stories about how our God, the Comforter, met with people. From gentle whispers of divine encouragement and direction to the most miraculous emotional and physical healings, God is comforting His children.

It is no wonder that one of the names of the Holy Spirit is paraklete, which is Greek for comforter. As the Holy Spirit meets with us in our daily lives during this trying season, we must be willing and ready to share our Holy moments of comfort and connection to those around us. Whether by phone call, text, or even a social media post, others need to hear how the Holy Spirit is moving in our lives.

There is no encounter with our living God that is too small to share.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know there are many who are longing to meet with you, to receive a divine touch from your hand. I pray in the mighty name of Jesus, that all those who desire your comfort will receive the blessing of your presence, and that you would heal and restore minds, bodies, souls, and our broken situations by the power of your Holy Spirit. And give us a boldness and passion to share with others the ways in which you have comforted us. Amen.

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April 13, 2020

By Rosella Shishido, Director of Communications

These are sobering times that are forcing us to really evaluate what’s important in life. Rearranging our priorities will also involve letting go of things we’ve been used to. And letting go is never easy. We can’t help but grieve over what we can’t have anymore.

In her recent podcast, researcher Brené Brown interviewed David Kessler, an expert on the subject of grief, who claimed that we are all experiencing collective grief over the loss of many things due to COVID-19. We all have lost something we value. All of us. All at the same time.

Whether it’s the loss of  …..

·       family and friends

·       physical connection

·       physical touch

·       routine

·       work

·       having a graduation

·       having a wedding

·       going to school

·       gathering for meals

·       gathering for worship

·       being able to visit someone in the hospital or a care home

….. we all have lost something. It’s natural to grieve when we lose something we value or love.

What have been your losses? What are you grieving over?

Our Lord Jesus knows what it’s like to grieve. He wept when His friend Lazarus died (John 11:35). He grieved in the Garden of Gethsemane as He prayed and thought about His impending death. (Matthew 26:36-39)

I take comfort in the fact that Jesus knows grief, and He can relate to our loss and what you and I may be feeling right now––sadness, disappointment, anxiety, fear, guilt, regret, shock, or numbness. We can entrust them all to Jesus as we live through these times. He never wavers, and He’s not caught off guard by the coronavirus.

Recently my friend posted on Facebook a beautiful photo of a sunset with a quote from Dr. Craig Lounsbrough: “Despite how dark it might be, what is tonight but the precursor to tomorrow?”

Yes, these are uncertain times, but things will get better. We can always put our hope in Jesus, who has overcome death and sin. He is our constant. He never changes. (Hebrews 13:8). And He is more than able to handle our collective grief.

Prayer:  “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26)

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April 11, 2020

By Pastor Steve Peich

“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him, along with the criminals—one on His right, the other on His left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:32-34)

On Thursday night Jesus is arrested, unjustly accused and sentenced at a joke of a trial. He was abandoned and betrayed by His closest friends. By Friday He is mocked, spit upon, punched, beaten, whipped to shreds and then hung on a cross naked to slowly die. His final experiences on that Friday were abandonment, injustice, humiliation, degradation, and vile suffering.

Think about how crazy this all is. Here is God become flesh, who has done nothing but heal people, free people, enlighten people, and love people, yet at the end of the day humanity responds by throwing the worst they possible can at Him. 

However, after experiencing the full force of human hatred and savage violence, this is what Jesus says: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Stop here for a moment to pause and breathe this in. How does this speak to you? Can you see this picture as those words are uttered? The ravaged body on the cross, the mangled face, the bloodied mouth, and the swollen lips? Can you hear the strain of His voice as He utters those words “Father forgive them”? If there is a more loving, gracious, or forgiving statement ever made in human history, I do not know it. 

If there is one thing we see at the Cross, it’s that the Christian life is not about how to live such “good lives” so we can get God to like us or love us. Rather, it is about our awakening to the fact that He already loves us even at our worst.

Through Easter God says, “The worst you can do to Me can find grace and forgiveness in My unfailinglove. Your hatred, your moral failures, your bitterness, greed, and sin can find mercy and compassion in My eternal embrace.”

May you discover (or rediscover) the mind-blowing grace of Jesus today and may God give you the courage and power to bestow that grace to others in a rebellious, hostile, and sin-soaked world.

Prayer: Lord, help us to internalize Your amazing love into our deepest pain, sin, and struggles. Free us from the condemning voices that haunt our minds and actions. Let see ourselves and our tough to love neighbors through Your unfailing love, grace, and forgiveness. Amen.

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GOOD FRIDAY • April 10, 2020

By Pastor Tim Shaw

Touching the Void is the story of two men who set out to climb Siula Grande, a 20,000-foot mountain in Peru. Both men make it to the summit. But on their way down the mountain, one of the two climbers loses his footing, falls, and breaks his leg. To make matters worse an intense storm engulfs them. The only thing they can think to do is to lower the guy with the broken leg down the face of the mountain. No one can help them. They're on their own.

As the injured climber is lowered down the snow-covered slope, his friend accidentally lowers him over the side of a cliff. The storm is so fierce that they can't hear or see one another. As the injured man goes over the edge, his weight and momentum start to pull his friend faster and faster down the face of the mountain. After exerting tremendous effort, the one lowering his friend is finally able to stop their out-of-control slide. They still can't see or hear one another as wind and blinding snowfall prevent them from making contact. The man lowering his friend down the mountain assumes that his friend is now dangling over a cliff. He has no idea how far off the ground his climbing partner is. They hang there for an hour. The climber who is holding his friend on the mountain does not have the strength to pull his friend back up to where he is or even back over the edge of the cliff. He knows that both of them are going to die if they stay there.

After an hour of trying to rescue his friend, the healthy climber remembers that he has a small knife in his pack. He knows that the only way to save himself is to cut his friend loose. So he pulls out the knife, opens it up and places the blade next to the taut rope that is being stretched by the weight of the climber hanging off the cliff. The reenactment of this scene in the film is really intense. As one friend hangs helplessly over the cliff, the other friend puts the blade of the knife against the rope and cuts his friend loose. His friend falls 150 feet, breaking through a layer of snow, and falls into a crevasse. His friend knew that he had to cut his climbing partner loose if he was going to save himself.

On the day we now call Good Friday, Jesus’ friends cut Him loose in order to save themselves. Judas and Peter, two of Jesus’ disciples, had to make a decision similar to the one made on the side of that mountain. You can read about it in Luke chapter 22. In fact most of Jesus’ disciples make the same decision. To save themselves, they cut Jesus loose. With the exception of many of the women who were a part of Jesus’ band of followers, most of His disciples cut their ties with Jesus when they realize it could cost them their own lives if the authorities discovered their association with Him. Recognizing that threat, Jesus’ friends cut Him loose.

That was a tremendous loss for Jesus. He lost the companionship of His friends in His darkest hour. But there is more. For all of eternity, God the Father and God the Son had never been separated. But on the cross, Jesus suddenly cries out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” As Jesus takes upon Himself the sins of the world, our sins, God the Father cuts Him loose. This was our Triune God’s plan to rescue us. God the Son would willingly take on the consequences of our failings, and carry them for us.

God loves us so much that He was willing to experience the fracturing of the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and to be cut loose by everyone else in order to save you and me. Since Jesus loved us that much, there is nothing you and I could ever do that could separate us from the love of God that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord (see Romans 8:31-39).

On this Good Friday, I am praying that you will either discover and embrace this great truth for the very first time, or rediscover it and find rest in God’s great love for you. The cross of Jesus tells us that God will go to any length to rescue us, to forgive us, to have compassion on us, to help us when we’re afraid, to come to our aid when we don’t know what to do. On the cross, Jesus was cut loose by everyone, including His Father. He was cut loose so that you and I can live in an unbreakable relationship with God. And that relationship is available to you and me right now. All we need to do is say “Yes” to God’s gracious offer of forgiveness and receive His free gift of love.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for walking the long, lonely path to the cross where You took upon Yourself all of our sins. You died in our place so that we might be forgiven of all our sins and have everlasting life in You. Thank You that we can trust You completely. You will never leave us, cut us loose or abandon us, no matter what happens. Help us to rest in Your unshakeable love and be at peace today. In Your Name we pray, Amen!

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Maundy Thursday • April 9, 2020

By Jenny Sung, Executive Coordinator

In the course of a year, the view from my living room window has drastically changed. Moving from a townhome into a condo, I used to see the green grass, birds looking for bugs, and kids running around. I would hear children laughing, motorcycles revving, dogs barking. It felt like living life up close and personal. 

Now I wake up to a view of the city skyline against the ocean. It’s beautiful but different. Staring at the city from almost 30 floors up, watching the traffic, people like dots walking around, everything feels more distant. From up high, I feel removed from the sounds and smells of daily life. 

I thought about how sometimes it feels like God is distant and removed. Especially in this time of uncertainty and struggle, we might wonder if God cares. Is He just sitting up there watching, uninvolved, and indifferent? Or is He down here amongst us in the grittiness of life, weeping with us, carrying us in our most desperate times? 

I’ve had seasons like this, feeling utterly alone. We all go through different seasons, and I would never assume my experiences are the same as yours. All I can simply share is the truth of God’s unfailing love for you, and that He is with you through the seasons. Every season.

The God of the universe is the same God who is as close and personal as a best friend, a loving parent, a counselor, an advocate. God loved you so much that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, not only to be with us, but to actually become one of us and experience the fullness of humanity. He felt the sounds and smells of daily life. He felt laughter, sorrow, pain, and even death as He sacrificed His life for our sins. The Bible says the Word (Jesus) became flesh and made His dwelling among us ( John 1:14). I love the way the New Living Translation puts it:

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. 

Someone who is full of unfailing love and faithfulness cannot be distant or cold. He is with you, working in all sorts of ways each and every day. Sometimes we experience His presence in prayer- we know He is with us and there’s an overwhelming sense of peace, love, and comfort. Sometimes it’s through the Bible or a worship song- a verse or lyrics will jump out at you and help you in your situation. Sometimes it’s through circumstances––something coming through when you least expect it, timing of things or events that line up in miraculous ways. I love it when it happens through Christian community, like a friend calling or texting at just the right time, a Zoom worship, prayer, or small group time. God will work in different and unique ways through the small and momentous. 

Know that God is with you and wants a deep, personal relationship with you. He is with you in the joyful times and celebrations, in the midst of struggle and pain, and even in the mundane and boring. Even when things are uncertain, He is working all things together for good and we can trust in Him (Romans 8:28). 

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for always being with us. Help me to know you more and more in a personal way, to be in a loving, intimate relationship with you. 

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HOLY WEDNESDAY • April 8, 2020

By Gary Toh, Director of Prayer Ministry

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6,7)

I went to Costco early one morning and found an already long line of people waiting outside to enter. I had to wait patiently in this line that was probably a block-long as I needed to get some basic necessities, like rice, toilet paper, and Spam. Not to hoard, but simply because we had run out of them. But Costco ran out of all these items too.

I was so disappointed that I could not find what I was looking for, and I started to get very anxious. I considered heading to other stores, like Walmart and Sam’s Club, to check if they had the supplies but I couldn’t decide because of my anxious state of mind. Eventually, I did go to a couple of places but could not find any of those items we needed.

I realized I was getting worried about not being able to get the essentials to provide for my family. With two teenagers at home on an extended Spring break, I had to figure out how to feed them and keep them occupied during this time. To be honest, I was getting into a state of worry, especially with what we are hearing and reading about the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising numbers of people who are infected and dying from it. 

It is only natural for us to be anxious about what is happening around us. We worry about how we are going to get access to food, medication, and other necessities. It is during these trying times that we can go to God.

The Bible says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation" go to God in prayer, petition, and thanksgiving. While we are practicing social distancing, we can still pray. We can lay down our burdens of all of our anxieties and worries with our Lord. We have our Lord who understands what we are going through. We can go to Him and trust Him with all our issues.

Scripture also says that the "peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." It is important to know that God can exchange our worries with His peace. This peace will be something that you may not comprehend yet it will protect your heart and mind. Especially during this Holy Week when we remember Jesus’s death and resurrection, we need that supernatural peace that can come only from God. We need Him to transform our hearts and minds. 

I am still looking for toilet paper and Spam, but I have a peace beyond all understanding. 

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Holy tuesday • April 7, 2020

By Dan Chun, Senior Pastor

Psalm 119:90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.

Psalm 145:13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

Former NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw wrote a book called The Greatest Generation. He was referring to those who lived during World War II, a generation that lived through a very difficult time. Today, most of us have lived a rather easy life in which we have not gone through a world war. Weʻve never faced a worldwide disaster like the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 1940 my mom and dad bought the Honolulu house in which I was raised. They had their first baby in September 1941. Three months later the Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor! On our very island we were vulnerable to enemies who could reach us and bomb us. 

All island residents were told to put up newspapers on their windows so house lights could not be seen at night in case enemy bombers were looking for the island. My parents put up sandbags at the entrance of our stone garage, which still stands today, so it could be their bomb shelter if we were attacked. Food was rationed. And as you know Asians (even though my Dad worked faithfully for the U.S. Dept of Treasury), especially Japanese Americans, were viewed as suspect due to how they looked and not by their character. World War II lasted five years! The people of that time were under this kind of oppression lifestyle-shrinkage for five years.

We are facing COVID-19 today. It may go on for many months, not years. Will this be a generation that will rise up to the challenge? Or will it whine and wimp out? This can be a strong generation because Godʻs faithfulness endures for all generations including this one. 

We can show strong acts of compassion in helping the weaker ones, the sick, the older, the helpless. Or we can complain and fret about ourselves. For many of us, this might be our first national threat. But we can be the greatest generation if we act with a strong faith in God and do whatever God asks us to do. 

If God is for us, who or what can be against us?

Prayer: Lord, be with us. May we have a strong faith. May we all rise to the occasion. May we be a generation of courage, boldness, compassion and a faithfulness that resides in Your faithfulness to us. In Christʻs name, Amen. 

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HOLY MONDAY • April 6, 2020

 By Rosella Shishido, Director of Communications

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4-5: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance …. a time to embrace, and A TIME TO REFRAIN FROM EMBRACING.”

There’s no better time than these COVID days to take the last part of that verse to heart! It’s a verse that stood out for me only in light of what’s happening in our world today.

We’re now several weeks into physical distancing, where the choice to not hug and to not shake hands is now considered caring, as the world pursues its mission to stop the spread of the virus.

Your world, my world, everybody’s world has been altered. It’s like we went to bed one night and woke up the next day only to find out that the world, as we know it, has changed. Our lives have been disrupted, and whether we like it or not, this is the new norm.

How long will this last? No one knows for sure. It could be several more weeks or months, but how we respond collectively will make the difference.

A couple of weeks ago I heard our new neighbor calling out from our driveway. He said he was driving out when he saw an unleashed Black Labrador Retriever chasing a feral chicken, and he wondered if one of our Black Labs had gotten loose.

“No, not ours. Both of them are here,” my husband said, as Bear and Storm almost drowned him out with deafening barking.

Our neighbor said, “Ah, okay. Just checking. We’ve got to look out for each other, you know.”

How about that? A neighbor, whom we hadn’t even officially met, cared enough to ask if something that was dear to us was missing. I found comfort in that.

Have you heard of The Parable of the Long Spoons? (No, it’s not from the Bible.) It’s about two rooms, each with a round table with a pot of food in the middle. People were gathered around each table, and each person had a long spoon to eat from the pot. The people in the first room tried to eat but the long spoons proved to be unwieldy, making it impossible to bring the food to their mouths. They struggled, got frustrated, and starved. The people in the second room, however, were happy and healthy because they realized they could use their long spoons to feed each other.

The moral of the story? Kindness and a caring attitude can make an impact on a situation.

Let’s keep looking out for each other, just as Jesus would want us to. Prayers, phone calls, video calls, emails, text messages, volunteer work, and donations can be what a church in New Zealand calls “isolutions” to isolation. They all add up to people feeling loved, included, and thought of in the midst of this crisis.

The pandemic will not last forever (yay!). The “time to weep, the time to mourn, and the time to refrain from embracing” will end, and pave the way for the comeback of “the time to laugh, the time to dance, and the time to embrace.”

I look forward to that.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we praise You for being our Rock and Hope during these uncertain times. Thank You that You don’t change. On this Holy Week, we reflect on the hardship and the suffering You went through leading up to the cross. We take comfort in the fact that You know what it’s like to go through intensely challenging times.

Help us to take care of one another through this crisis, and promote hope and peace in the process. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

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April 4, 2020

By Chaz Umamoto, Coordinator of Worship Ministry Support

Before I was a Christian, when I was at an impasse in my life, I would hike Mount Olympus (Wa‘ahila Ridge) to clear my head and find direction for my life. It was as if I was in search of the voice of God to help me discern my steps. 

Now that I am Christian and I’ve been filled with His Spirit, I no longer need to hike three miles up a mountain. All I need to do is pray. In every major decision and change of season, I have a habit of praying and fasting. I know that when all else is uncertain, God remains constant. 

Before my wife Sarah, our son Jojo, and I moved back to Hawaii, there was a time when I fasted from breakfast for six months. I wanted to hear from God whether we should stay in LA or come home and be a part of what God is doing at our church. Fasting, prayer, and worship are prevalent in every story of the Bible, both the Old and New Testament. It is a desire God has woven into our very being, to long after Him and seek His guidance in both times of great joy and great uncertainty. 

As I reflect on James 1:5, I’m reminded that this is another one of those moments in my life where I desperately need to pray for wisdom, fast and worship Him constantly. Not because I need solace, but because I know that He is good and He is worthy of my praise every single day. I’m going to seek Him for 24 hours because He is worthy, and the Lord knows we need Him now more than ever.

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

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April 3, 2020

By Marianna Meachen, Director of Care Ministries

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)

My mother turned nine just two-and-a-half months before Pearl Harbor was bombed. Mother said the only thing they knew about Hawaii in the small Kentucky town where she lived was that it was an American territory in the middle of the Pacific. 

She remembered that people were very upset about the bombing and because the adults were worried, she was afraid. She said to my grandmother, “I’m scared. What if that (the bombing of Pearl Harbor) happens to us? Her mother looked at her and said, “Keep your eyes on Jesus and you’ll be fine. He is our hope, always.” 

Sage words from a woman of great faith.

The general definition of hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen, but the biblical definition of hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength in His faithfulness.

It is easy during this time for many people to feel hopeless and frightened. They are losing their income due to having to stay at home. Some feel trapped without the freedom to go where they want and when they want. For some not knowing the future causes stress and anxiety. Someone who is hopeless and alone usually cannot help themselves out of their situation, which causes them to have a sense of loss and helplessness. 

One of the greatest gifts we can have is hope. Apart from God, the world can be an awful, hopeless place. But with God's help, we can make it. Whatever situation you find yourself in at this very moment, there is hope. You may not be able to see or feel the hope, but it is there for you. We do not need to be anxious and feel alone. You can have hope! God's love in our hearts will ignite the flames of hope we have buried deep inside our hearts. God's Word will encourage us as we read it with great anticipation and faith. 

We are now sheltering in place because of COVID-19, something scary and new to us. We need have no fear or anxiety for our true shelter, our true hope, is in Jesus. How do we find the hope? There is only one place where our true shelter and our true hope is in Jesus. Let us look to Him, always. 

Abba, Father, let us look to you first and always as our source of comfort and courage. Remind us daily that you hold us in the palm of your hand. There is nothing too hard for you to handle. You are our hope, Lord. Help us to always stay focused on you. Amen.

April 2, 2020

By Roslyn Catracchia, Director of Worship

A few days ago I went into the Aina Haina Post Office to mail a package to a friend. I’ve gone to the same post office since I was a kid. The postal workers behind the counter know me and I adore them. They know I’m the worship leader of a church, they know I love music, and that I love God. As soon as I walked in, one of them shouted out, “O good! Roz, sing us a song!” as if they needed it. I sang out without even thinking,

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

Praise Him all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts.

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen!

Two more people had entered the post office by the time I finished and looked at me a little stunned. I wondered for a moment if I had broken a law or something by singing the Doxology in a federal post office  but that thought was quickly replaced by a bubbling joy that the Doxology was the first song that came out of me without even thinking! I asked one of them, “Was that okay?” She said, “That was perfect; just what we needed.”

My friends, we have so many songs in our hearts that help us to rise above the concerns, fears, and worries of this world. 

“Set your minds on the things from above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2)

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)

Both of these Scriptures start with choices for us: I choose to set my mind on the things from above. Or not. I choose to lift up my eyes to the mountains. Or not. Each day we are faced with choices. Some choices are easier than others. I find when I sing out loud and make a joyful noise to the Lord, my soul is lifted. 

Here are some songs I’ve been singing over and over in these past days. What are yours? 

• Be Still My Soul

• It Is Well With My Soul

• Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God Almighty!

• Waves

• My Heart Is Filled With Thankfulness

Songs of life, songs of peace, songs of joy. Songs that soothe our souls and bless the Lord. Before we know it, we’ll be together again worshiping the Lord together. ‘Til then, keep on singing out loud! And in the words of wonderful Karen Carpenter, “Don’t worry that it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear, just sing, sing a song!” 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, hear our voices from around the world. We love You and we trust You. We believe in You. Help our unbelief, strengthen us, guide us. Help us to make choices each day to lift our voices, our hearts, souls and spirits to you, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. Amen.

April 1, 2020

By Dan Chun, Senior Pastor

6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11To him be the power forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:6-11)

I have friends, churched and unchurched, who donʻt believe that we can pray with supernatural power from God. They donʻt believe in miraculous prayer. They don’t believe that if we pray for healing that people might get healed. I find that strange and inconsistent. 

With my church and unchurched friends, if I were to say, “There is a Satan, who is like a roaring lion, and I will ask him now to curse you and your loved ones so that bad will rule their lives,” they would scream at me! And then they would say, “Donʻt say that! How can you say that? You are going to give me a bad life!” 

If I were to say, “I am going to ask Satan to curse you so that at every turn, things will go wrong,” they will say, “Itʻs horrible that you would put that on me!”

BUT if I were to say to my unchurched friends, “There is a Jesus who can heal you right now. There is a Jesus who I will ask to bless you right now. Watch for His presence today and tomorrow as He speaks to you,” many of them wonʻt take that seriously. They won’t even think that there’s a possibility of that happening! 

If I were to say, “I am going to ask Satan to curse the land,” many people will fear that more passionately than if I were to say, “I am going to pray that God will heal this land from COVID-19.” Many might say, “It wonʻt help; I donʻt believe in that stuff.”

But it WILL help! Let us all pray for our land. Let us all pray for healing. Pray against evil and sickness for as our passage says: “Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. (1 Peter 5:9)

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we really donʻt think you can make a supernatural difference in our lives.  May we always believe what this passage says that we should trust in you and “to You be the power forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:11)

March 31, 2020

By Pam Chun

My four sisters and I grew up sewing. We started with our mother’s circa 1940s Elna sewing machine and expanded to 3 fancy Bernina machines that could hem, overlock, embroider, and more. Many Saturdays you could find two or three of us with pins, needles, and scissors in hand sewing our own dresses, pants, and mu‘umu‘u. Yes, we even sewed our prom dresses. No other girl at the prom could accuse us of having the same gown!

So this weekend when my sister Sonya shared that her friend in Boston was creating a sewing prototype to sew masks for COVID-19 health care workers, her rally cry was: “Get out the Berninas! We were all well-equipped to sew!”

Now, many of you may not feel equipped to sew. You may, like me, not even own a sewing machine. Instead, we may feel helpless amid the inescapable news about the coronavirus. And while social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is good, some of us may feel like our hands are tied.

But don’t let that stop us.

We all have gifts that God has given us: encouragement, helping, listening, gardening, cleaning, cooking, counseling, caring, teaching. Some of us have computer skills, others musical. Some of us are good with our hands, others good with our hearts.

The apostle Paul puts it this way:

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So, if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. (Roman 12:6-8 NLT)

There is no better time to put our gifts to use than now. But how? 

Jesus told his disciples: The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Luke 10:2)

Jesus says to ask. Ask the Lord of the harvest: “What have you equipped me to do? What can I do well?” And then, Jesus says ask again. Ask the Lord to send. Send us as workers into his harvest field.

I am reminded of one of Dan’s and my favorite movies from the 1980’s, The Three Amigos. In this corny comedy, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short play three aging movie stars who are called to save a Mexican village from the greedy El Guapo. In the moment of crisis, when El Guapo and his men are galloping towards the village to decimate the people, Martin Short asks the villagers, “What is it that this town really does well?” 

Their answer: “We can sew! Sew like the wind!” So they do. And they save their village.

Maybe you and I can’t sew. But we can sow. We can sow hope, seeds of faith, encouraging words, kindness, generosity, mercy, and goodness in a world that is empty of hope, lacking faith, discouraged and does not know the goodness and mercy of God. 

In whatever we do today, in the little and the big, with whomever we talk, text or email, let’s sow. Sow like the wind!

Prayer: Jesus, Lord of the harvest, Savior of the world, and Redeemer of our lives — thank You for the talents and giftedness that You have put in our hands. Show us throughout this day how we can sow Your hope in others and in our world. Some of us need that hope sown into our own hearts, first. You know that and you love us. Thank You that we have an imperishable hope and that “hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Rom 5:5). We praise You. We believe in Your promises. We hold fast to Your love.

Note: If you do sew or would like to contribute to filling the gap in medical face masks, you might want to check out this article.

March 30, 2020

By Roslyn Catracchia, Director of Worship

When my brother and I were growing up, Mom let us do lots of cool things. I remember when she pulled us out of class one day in elementary school. When the office called, I was so worried. I saw mom standing there and I asked what was wrong. She had such a serious look on her face. She told me we had to hurry. My heart was racing by the time my seatbelt was fastened. Once she started the car, she turned to me with a mischievous grin and said, “The waves on the North Shore are HUGE! We’ve gotta go see them for ourselves!”

Roz’s Wailing Wall

She let my brother and I decorate our bedrooms however we wanted. I remember my brother once turned his entire bedroom into a spider web of rubber bands! For my room, I asked her if I could write all over the doors of my closet. She said yes, and thus began my “Wailing Wall.” I wrote words and phrases that I felt would be important to me for life. It’s still there today. We haven’t painted over it yet!

For those of you who know me, you know I’m somewhat of a stubborn person. Okay, maybe more than somewhat. It can work for me or against me at times. But one thing I learned early on was that I was not good at asking for help. I wanted to do things on my own. But there’s just about nothing I can find in the Bible where it says it’s good to do things alone. We are a body; the church is filled with God’s people. And we are here to help each other, love each other, and encourage each other. 

When I was a teenager, I found this saying: “It takes great generosity to accept generosity, far more than it does to give. So for many of us it is very hard to do. But we must keep in mind that it isn’t possible to find yourself in yourself. We find ourselves in others. And in loving and caring for them, we love and care for ourselves. So if taking care of each other is what makes us human, we must share the privilege.” I wrote it on my Wailing Wall. I don’t know where it came from, but I still try to live by the heart of that message. Each year it gets easier and easier for my pride to get out of the way and for me to accept the help of others, to even ask for it almost daily. 

If you’re like me and you’ve had a hard time asking for help, I want to encourage you that now is a time to be generous and to ask for help when you need it. 

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way,  you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) 

“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Hebrews 13:16)

Prayer: Help us, Lord, to be humble of heart and to not be stingy when we need to ask for help. Thank you for the family of God that you have given us! “Help us to love with open arms like You do, a love that erases all the lines and sees the truth. O that when they look in my eyes, they would see You. Even in just a smile, they would feel the Father’s love.”  (from the song For The One). Amen