On Pentecost, Rev. Renae Extrum-Fernandez, reminded us of our call to be witnesses. “You will be my witnesses,” said Jesus to his disciples before ascending into the heavens. Being a witness is a key practice that supports our mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Thus, we will practice “witnessing” by simply sharing where we have recently seen or experienced God in our lives and how that has made a difference for us. This week, we give thanks for the sharing of Becky Wong & Charlie Ho.Becky - Most of you know that I take hula lessons and am part of a "halau" or school of hula, under the tutelage of "Auntie Gloria Ruiz". At one time, due to missionary influence, hula was all but banned in Hawaii as being carnal and sinful. Thankfully, it was rescued from extinction by King Kalakauaua, the Merrie Monarch. In our study of the book An Altar in the World, I was glad to hear the author speak of "wearing skin" and "walking on the earth" as spiritual practices. When I dance hula, I connect with the beauty of the earth and the love of nature, as well as reverence for the ancient Hawaiians who preserved their culture through chants and dance.
Though our halau has gone through many ups and downs, one thing is clear to me: to Auntie Gloria, competition is not the goal, in fact we are a noncompetitive group. But what is important is the spirit of Aloha: the spirit of Kindness, harmony, unity, respect, and love for one another. Our small but dedicated group thrives because we have become a community that cares for one another as much as we care about the dance. Behind the scenes, we pray for one another, we encourage one another, we celebrate joys and share grief. Last week was our annual Ho'ike or festival. People who come know we are not top-notch dancers, but they can sense the spirit of joy, the reverence of culture, and the warmth of the hula sisters. I thank God for this unique way to share spirit and praise for God through the gifts of dance and community.
Charlie - In Sunday School, we have recently been studying the book, An Altar in the World, by Barbara Brown Taylor. While the author makes all her stories easily relatable, what has really touched me are the chapters on Walking the Earth and Getting Lost. I did a lot of walking in my childhood as a kid wandering the streets of Hong Kong and Kowloon, and through my junior high school years in Oakland. In recent years, I’ve returned to doing regular walks in the trails and streets near home. I even started jogging along with the walking. Thanks to Barbara Brown Taylor, I’ve begun to recognize these treks as a spiritual practice. As I do these walk and jogs (usually alone,) I talk only to myself. And that gets boring, so I talk to God silently and try to listen to God as best I can. Mostly the treks are a relaxing reverie – one cannot help but enjoy the greenery, the weather, and the adults, children and pets one sees along the way; the experience is probably not much different than any other walker or jogger. But I am rewarded with a sense that God was with me, just as if I had attended worship.