October 2025 – Reflections from David & Jonathan
- Hawai‘i Conference
- 17 hours ago
- 5 min read
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 October 2025 here!
The Diversity God has Given Us
David K. Popham, Conference Minister
In a recent conversation with Karen Georgia Thompson, the General Minister and President of the UCC, we were discussing the diverse nature of theology and faith expressions found in the United Church of Christ. Thompson made the comment, "how can we be the church together embracing the diversity God has given us?" With this comment rattling around my head, I was struck by Wayne Ibara's final sermon as pastor of Makiki Christian Church, delivered on October 26. In this sermon Ibara relates the diversity of thought within himself during his 30 years of ministry with Makiki. With Wayne Ibara's permission, you can link to a version of the sermon HERE. While it has been edited to fit the space allotted, I hope you enjoy, as I do, the expansiveness of Christian expression which does not dismiss its roots but rather builds upon them.
More Goat Wisdom
Jonathan Roach, Associate Conference Minister
You might remember that I recently started a quest to study the goats in our holy scriptures from Leviticus 16 to Matthew 25. And this goat quest has gotten me moving, writing, and engaging the Word and the world at a time when I was in rut. The world was wearing me down…the injustices, the violence, the suffering, the demands. I was feeling overwhelmed, spread too thin, but digging into a little God-inspired goat wisdom was just what I needed.
One of the insights that caught my attention was the amazing awareness of goats. If you ever have the chance, look into the eyes of a goat. The pupil of a goat's eye is not round like the pupil in a human's eye; rather, a goat's pupil is a big black rectangle. And with those amazing eyes they can see 320 to 340 degrees around. Between their great eyesight, the eating habits that keep their eyes up, and their constant communication that keeps the whole herd in contact, it is almost impossible to catch a goat unaware.
Goats are constantly aware of what is going on in the world around them. But when life gets difficult, we humans tend to bury ourselves and try to ignore bad news and difficult situations. What would enable you to look at this world with God-inspired eyes and God-empowered hands ready for action? Try looking into the eyes of a goat or starting your own quest!
We All Have Biases
David K. Popham, Conference Minister
The musical parody Avenue Q includes the song "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist." Some of the lyrics are, "You're a little bit racist / Well, you're a little bit too / I guess we're both a little bit racist / Admitting it is not an easy thing to do / But I guess it's true."
Admitting our biases and stereotypes of others is hard to do. Such confessions remind us that we are far from the wholeness Jesus offers. Admitting our biases requires us to dig into areas of our psychological attitudes that are embarrassing, including areas of woundedness and the grudges born of pain, areas of animosity and attitudes born of loathing, areas of perceived weaknesses and actions taken in efforts to assert control.
I confess my own resistance to sensitivity training, not because I think I'm necessarily sensitive, but because I hesitate to turn to the areas of hurt in my life. However, to deal with my racist, misogynist, and other unholy attitudes I must turn to the hurt which gives rise to these attitudes. To paraphrase James Finnely of the Center for Action and Contemplation, where God's love touches our suffering mercy abounds. What I thought would be deeply shaming to face becomes the very point of self-acceptance and divine grace.
November presents an opportunity for the pastoral leaders of this Conference to explore our biases and come to terms with our limits. Please see the notice under "Learning Opportunities" below for the upcoming Anti-Racism Training. I look forward to our mutual self-exploration.
October 8, 2025
Jonathan Roach, Associate Conference Minister
Our Conference Minister Shares Reflection from Choo Lak Yeow
David Popham, Conference Minister
In a recent Coconut Wireless article, David Popham reflected on the gifts of the church to society, including faith, hope, and love, as stated in 1 Cor. 13:13. It appears the Spirit was not only working with David on these themes but also with Choo Lak Yeow, retired pastor. With his permission we share his mediation upon this verse:
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." 1 Corinthians 13: 13 (KJV)
As Seen in Life's Unexpected Seismic Turns and Twists
The greatest faith is seeing possibilities while others only see problems.
The greatest hope is believing in other people's talents.
The greatest charity is to enable others to honor their old past by creating a new future.
The greatest future is to have a radar for identifying talents in others.
The greatest talent is to turn a person's shaking with nervousness into believing filled with excitement.
The greatest excitement is to share a friend's gift the world needs to know.
The greatest knowledge is acknowledging that some talents are just waiting for others to discover.
The greatest discovery is knowing that some promises are so powerful that they find ways and means to fulfill themselves.
The greatest fulfilment is to make extra ordinary moments spread like wildfires.
The greatest wildfire is crossing cultural input with modern technology.
The greatest culture enables the heart break of a young life to go away only to be replaced by hope, dreams, strength of a new young life.
Charity makes possible a new young life.
Charity ensures that this young life is built by transforming pain into possibility.
Charity enables possibility to transform doubt into greatness.
Charity helps us to acknowledge that many hands play a part in our greatness.
Charity enables our greatness to see light in our darkest hour.
Charity uses our darkest hour to know our heart even before the world knows our name.
Charity uses our name to shine light where shadows fall.
Charity makes our shadow shine when we least expect but need it most.
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." 1 Corinthians 13: 13 (KJV).
