“Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you.”

Aloha! And mahalo nui loa! I am still basking in the glow of the service of my
installation as your vicar last Thursday evening. It meant the world to me that so
many of you came to help welcome me officially to St. Timothy's. I am truly blessed. Not
only was the service meaningful, with Bishop Fitzpatrick’s stirring message and the
participation of ten other clergy, but the fellowship afterwards was sublime. I’m
especially grateful for the members of the Altar Guild who helped set up for this special
service, as well as those of you who provided the scrumptious pupus for the fellowship
after the service—and thank you, Jane Murakami, for getting that organized so
beautifully! I realize that this will almost certainly be my only installation in a church as a
priest; in my former positions I was a priest-in-charge or assisting priest so there was no
formal installation, and I plan on retiring from St. Tim’s a good number of years from
now. So that makes this service all the more special for me.

For those of you who were unable to attend, no worries! If you would like to watch the service, it’s on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/share/v/qfMAPSNPBmdh35G1/
Again, my sincere thanks to you all for welcoming me to this holy, lively, and beautiful
place as your vicar. I look forward to loving and serving the Lord with you for years to
come.

Last Sunday we continued our Stewardship series of speakers, and our committee
chair David Caldwell shared with us a thought-provoking story—you can read more
about that below. As you know, our theme this year is “Walk in Love,” and over the
weeks ahead, with the help of other members sharing their own stories, we’ll think
carefully and prayerfully about how we do that here at St. Timothy’s through the wise
and generous management of our time, talent, and treasure as stewards of all that God
has so generously given us.

As the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Each of you must give as you have
made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
That’s good guidance for each of us as we plan for 2025.

As part of our Stewardship Season, I’m pleased to announce the “World
Premiere” of a new hymn composed by our own Zachary Hamada for our stewardship
campaign. It’s called “Walk in Love,” and you’ll be hearing it—and singing it!—soon.
I’m so pleased and grateful that Zach has shared this beautiful song with us!

Last Sunday we also started a new Adult Sunday School class on “Faith and
Science.”  Our first session was attended by 12 people, and it was a stimulating
time as we considered how faith and science can inform each other. Please join us this
Sunday--after service, grab some coffee and refreshments and head to my office for
Part 2. Our second session, featuring video and audio insights from the Rev. Dr. Ted
Peters, will focus on “God and Cosmos.” If you’re planning to come, please read
Psalm 8 meditatively ahead of time, and think about these questions:​

• Where and how have you witnessed the glory of creation this week?
  
• What biblical passages have you read this week that encourage you to reflect

            meaningfully on God’s purpose for all creation?

• Are there any events from the news, or articles or books you’ve read, that have

           challenged you to think more deeply about the relationship between faith and
           science? Feel free to bring them with you to share.

I look forward to some interesting conversation as we contemplate the intersections of
our faith and scientific inquiry.

Last Sunday in worship, we considered the gospel lesson, Mark 8:27-38, and
wrestled with Jesus’ question to his disciples: “Who do people say that I am?” So, who
do you say Jesus is? And who are you? Who are we? I hope you are finding these
fundamental questions helpful in deepening your own relationship with our loving
Savior.

This Sunday, we’ll explore James 3:13–4:2, 7-8a and Mark 9:30-37 and ask
ourselves how we muster up the courage to overcome our fear to serve Jesus. It
involves becoming as humble as a child. James also gives us some helpful guidance on
how we should live, filled as we are by the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit and the
risen Lord. He writes, “Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you.” How do we do
that? Let’s find out. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday at 9 a.m. in church or
on Facebook Live!

By the way, we have two special events coming up in October: Our celebration of
the Feast of St. Francis with the Blessing of the Animals during the 9 a.m. service on
Sunday, October 6, and a special workshop, Introduction to Centering Prayer, led by
Jean Benfer of Contemplative Outreach of Hawai‘i on Saturday, October 26, 9 – 11:30
a.m. here at St. Tim’s. See more information below and plan now to join us!

Dear sisters and brothers, you are in my prayers, and I ask for your prayers for St.
Timothy’s Church, for our dedicated staff and our devoted lay leaders, and for your
newly installed vicar. May God bless you all. 

Aloha Ke Akua!
Fr. Pete+