September 2025 – Reflections from David & Jonathan
- Hawai‘i Conference Office
- 2 hours ago
- 3 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 September 2025 here!
The Gifts of the Church
David Popham, Conference Minister
One of my favorite Hawaiian hymns is "Ekolu Mea Nui" ("Three Greatest Things") based upon Paul's conclusion to his meditation on the "why" of the church in 1 Corinthians 13:13, "so, faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." While it is true that God gifts the world with salvation, in response to God, the church gifts the world faith, hope, and love.
Faith is the experience of surrendering to a trust that opens the heart to the ineffable presence of God. In Pacific Island contexts faith is lived daily in family. It is the assurance that land, sea, and sky are sacred gifts of Ke Akua.
Hope is the radical orientation toward divine fulfillment as the Kingdom of God arrives in its wholeness. Hope is the desire which draws us to our source in God. On the islands hope is woven into the resilience of the people. It is passed down through songs, dances, and oral traditions that affirm identity and promise renewal.
Love is the very essence of God as the energy which animates all creation. It is expressed across Pasifika through various cultural expressions such as aloha, alofa, and aroha indicating deep relational care. In island life, love is communal and shared through hospitality, food, and care for one another.
These three things are what we have to offer a world in a time of insecurity, anxiety, and pain. Yet, they are more than gifts alone; they are invitations into the heart of God.
A Prayer Request
Jonathan Roach, Associate Conference Minister
Next Monday, 30 of our clergy from six islands and all five associations will gather at Camp Mokulē‘ia on the north shore of O'ahu for our annual Pastoral Leaders Retreat. Our theme this year is Wisdom: Deep Calls to Deep. This theme is rooted in the wisdom of Psalm 42:7 where the ancient song writer shared, "deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life."
During this retreat, our kahu will be empowered by the wisdom to rest, to listen for the still-speaking wisdom of our God, and to build their relationships with God and with each other. Under the guidance of guest speaker Manulani Meyer (who recently published her new book, Ho'opono: Mutual Emergence) and spiritual director Larissa Marks, there will be opportunities to receive deep wisdom rooted in Hawai'i.
I invite you to keep all our pastoral leaders in your prayers next week. Being a pastor has never been easy; just consider the original apostles of Jesus who endured numerous church conflicts and struggles, getting thrown into prison, and some even died for being followers of Jesus. And today after thousands of years, ministry is still a difficult calling. We need your prayers! Surround us, hold us up! Finally, consider this your official reminder: next month is Clergy Appreciation Month! You have plenty of time to get ready.
