Aloha, Lahaina Ohana! As I prepare to celebrate our first week of Advent this Sunday, it seems as if Advent has arrived more quickly than usual. The years just seem to speed by more quickly, as I get older, and my days are packed with more things to do, but the days since August have gone by in a blur as we in Lahaina seem to be caught in an endless cycle of “hurry up and wait.” I, therefore, welcome Advent, a time when we pause and invite Christ into our triumphs, failings, celebrations, and mourning. For many of us, this season will be different. We will cling a little more closely to the s ..read more

Aloha, Lahaina Ohana! As we begin to wind down the year and prepare for the Christmas and Advent seasons, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the love and support that you bring to our church family.  May your Thanksgiving be blessed with good times with family and friends! I am very thankful to be serving as your pastor and pray that this holiday season, God will fill your gatherings with joy, love, and peace. Aloha nui loa, Pastor John O God for all the blessings we enjoy, we give you thanks. Help us look at the world around us in such a way that we see your hand in ..read more

Aloha, Church Ohana: Our theme this week is “Keeping Our Eyes on the Prize,” and one of the scripture passages we will read for our Sunday service this week, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, presents the prize that we are waiting for -- Jesus's return. It is a passage often cited as a “proof-text” for the rapture. The term rapture comes from the Latin word rapturo, which means “caught up.” The rapture, as some believers speak of it today, comes from 1 Thess 4, verse 17, which states that those alive when Jesus returns will be “caught up” to join those who have already died in the clouds, and they will ..read more