August 2025 – Reflections from David & Jonathan
- Hawai‘i Conference Office
- Aug 18
- 5 min read
Updated: 4 hours ago
Our Conference Minister, David Popham, and Associate Conference Minister, Jonathan Roach, take turns sharing reflections each week in our Coconut Wireless e-newsletter. Read their reflections for the month of August 2025 here!
Why Spiritualty Matters in Our Time
David K. Popham, Conference Minister
My wife recently showed me a video clip of the comedian Trae Crowder. It is a humorous take on the Cracker Barrel logo redesign. Crowder began, "We all know the American left scored a major victory this week. They got papaw taken out of the Cracker Barrel logo." Crowder concludes with a conversation with his MAGA buddy as they see each other are upset:
Buddy: "What are you upset about?"
Crowder: "You know, the existential dread brought on by the potential of complete economic and environmental collapse, and the ever-encroaching authoritarianism and subsequent death of the American concept of democracy. What about you? What are you upset about?"
Buddy: "Cracker Barrel made their logo somewhat less folksy. I've had it!"
Crowder: "That does sound tough. I'll pray for you."
I like how the joke ends, "I'll pray for you." It is a reminder that during partisan politics rage we can pray for each other and in our churches we actually do pray with each other. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Paul encourages us who follow Jesus to "rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances."
I encourage us to take to heart Paul's advice and make joy, prayer, and gratitude central spiritual practices in our lives. When we do so we are less likely to be carried away by the political rage of the day - whether coming from the left or the right. Instead, we will be anchored through Christ in God's deep love for all creation - no matter the partisan politics.
Kintsugi
Jonathan Roach, Associate Conference Minister
A few weeks ago, I was making lunch and when I put hot food into a bowl, it cracked into two pieces. This particular bowl has a small letter "B" carved on its base and that "B" stands for "Betty," who was not only a talented potter and a member of a congregation that I pastored but also a friend and follower of Christ, who shaped me into the pastor I am today during many long conversations in her nursing home room.
As I held the two pieces, I felt broken too, but theology came to my recuse. My mind remembered the amazing theological musings of Makoto Fujimura in his book Art + Faith: A Theology of Making. Fujimura is not only a person of amazing faith but also a gifted artist with graduate-level education from the Tokyo University of the Arts. In his book, Fujimura explores kintsugi, which is the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer infused with precious metals such as gold.
This method doesn't hide the cracks; rather, it highlights them, it celebrates them. It draws your eyes to what once was broken but now is restored without trying to hide its history, trauma, pains, brokenness, failures. I always loved that image of Jesus standing before Thomas after the resurrection and saying "put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side." Jesus was resurrected but living with the scars. We all could use some kintsugi repairs. And instead of hiding our brokenness, let us share our scars as testimonies to the one who put us back together.
That They May All Be One!
Jonathan Roach, Associate Conference Minister
The official motto of the United Church of Christ is: That they may all be one. These beautiful words are based upon the words of a prayer that Jesus offered as recorded in the Gospel of John 17:21. This is Jesus' prayer for the church that he prayed for his apostles and followers after the Last Supper and before that day we remember as Good Friday. It is a powerful statement of faith that challenged and provoked them centuries ago and is still provoking and challenging us today.
I have often reflected that these words have the potential to do incredible good or be misused for incredible harm. When these words are misused, they become a harsh demand that we all must do everything the exact same way…worship the same, pray the same, sing the same songs to the same beat…that unity means uniformity. This is a false narrative of colonialism and empire that seeks to rob the powerful words of Jesus from the faithful.
But when we embrace these words in the love of God and neighbor, these words become an invitation to the strength of being one in amazing diversity. I often marvel that here in the Hawai'i Conference we can have congregations right across the street from each other who live and practice our faith in different ways. Today, my prayer continues to be that we may all be one and practice that oneness in wildly different ways! Mahalo ke Akua!
It Takes a Village
Jonathan Roach, Associate Conference Minister
Two weeks ago, I was inspired as dozens of people and organizations worked together to start another population of 'ekupu'u, a highly endangered native species of finch that is mentioned in theKumulipo(line 355). The list of people and organizations is too long to mention but includes governmental, cultural, higher education, and non-profits groups.
All of this was coordinated to help establish another population of this tiny honeycreeper. The 'ekupu'u used to be found throughout the Hawaiian Islands from Kuaihelani (aka Midway) all the way down our island chain to O'ahu but by the 1950s the entire population of 'ekupu'u lived on Kauō (aka Laysan), a tiny island with only 1,016 acres. But with this massive project, the world now has three populations of 'ekupu'u. As many people have commented, it takes a village to accomplish something this big!
And the same is true for the church. Last week, I was reminded of one of our oldest definitions of "church" from Matthew 18:20 (where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there with them). I love this definition and encourage people to read the great content around that single verse to form a fuller definition of church. But my oldest definition of church comes from my grandmother, when as a young child she would do a hand play with me: this is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors, and see all the people! All of these definitions carry the theme: it takes a village to be the church, a God-centered group. What is your definition of church? I encourage everyone to read our newest edition of The Friend and consider: how are you called to be the church?
Also, watch this amazing video as 100 'ekupu'u are set free!
