 Aloha! Can you believe we are well into February already? We are all keeping busy here at St. Timothy’s doing the Lord’s work in this season of Epiphany, and I’m grateful for you all. Last Sunday we commemorated Queen Lili‘uokalani, whose feast day is being moved in the national Episcopal Church to January 29. We also observed the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:22-40), when Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus unexpectedly encounter Simeon and Anna, two people who have a prophetic word to share with them on this auspicious day. What does this story mean to us about our own encounters with strangers in our own world? I shared stories from my own life and David Caldwell’s, and I was delighted to hear several other stories from some of you about life-changing encounters with “strangers” who had an important word to share. I encourage us all to remain open, friendly, and willing to engage others when appropriate—who knows how you might change their lives, and vice versa! This Sunday, we’ll talk about the call of God (Isaiah 6:1-8, Luke 5:1-11). How did God call Bible characters like Isaiah and the disciples of Jesus? And how did you find yourself doing what you’re doing, and being who you are? What might happen if you sense God calling you to a new way to serve others? Let’s consider those questions prayerfully—and prepare to respond! Coming soon: On Sunday, February 16, Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick will make his official visitation to St. Timothy’s. Please plan to be with us then. If you can bring something special for our fellowship time together, please do!
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 vicar. May God bless you and your loved ones. Aloha Ke Akua! Fr. Pete+ P.S. I will be attending the Diocesan Clergy "Pilgrimage" Retreat from Tuesday, Feb. 11 through Thursday, Feb. 13, and so will be out of the office. Among other things on our packed schedule, we will have presentations about and visits to several Hawaiian cultural centers, including Plantation Village, Honolulu Hale, ‘Iolani Palace, and the Bishop Museum. We'll be staying at St. Anthony's Retreat Center. Please pray that all our diocesan clergy may have a spiritually stimulating time. Thank you!
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Aloha! Last Sunday was a big day in the life of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church. Following our service, we had our Annual Meeting in Sumida Hall with a wonderful turnout. Please see the report below. I hope you kept your Annual Meeting booklet—I encourage you to read it and offer any feedback or questions about the reports and the list of potential projects. If you don't have your copy any more, it's still available on our website at https://www.sttimothysaiea.org/annualmeeting.html. Congratulations to our newly elected Bishop’s Committee members and Annual Convention delegates—we are grateful for their willingness to serve our church! Last Sunday was also our Patronal Feast Day--the Church observed the Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus. We explored who this St. Timothy was, and what it means for us to be called St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church. His life is an example for us to stir up our gifts so that we can dream again about how we can serve our loving God (2 Timothy 1:1-8). This coming Sunday we observe the Feast of the Presentation. We’ll explore Luke 2:22-40, Luke’s account of the moment when Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus unexpectedly encounter Simeon and Anna, two people who have a word to share with them on this auspicious day. What does this mean for us—and for our encounters with strangers in our own world?  This Sunday we also commemorate Queen Lili‘uokalani of Hawai‘i, whose feast day is in the process of being moved in The Episcopal Church to January 29; we are transferring her commemoration to this Sunday. We did observe her commemoration last November, when Rev. David Ota was here and shared some of her story in his sermon, but we are moving to the new date going forward. Please see more about Queen Lili‘uokalani below. Looking ahead, our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Robert Fitzpatrick, will make his official visitation to St. Timothy’s on Sunday, February 16. Please plan to be with us then. One more item: I’m very pleased to report that, as a tithe of our 2024 budget surplus, the Bishop’s Committee has voted to send $2,000 to support the ministry of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in Guam and St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Saipan, both led by the Rev. Irene Egmalis Maliaman. We are a mission church supporting these sister churches, thanks to your generosity. Please keep Rev. Irene and her congregations in your prayers. Be watching The Epistle for more about the ministry of The Episcopal Church in Guam and Saipan and how St. Timothy’s is helping there. 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 vicar. May God bless you and your loved ones. Aloha Ke Akua! Fr. Pete+ Please continue reading for more information about Queen Lili‘uokalani. (Reposted from Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2024) Lili‘uokalani was the first queen regnant and last sovereign monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, ruling from January 29, 1891, until the overthrow of the Kingdom on January 17, 1893. She was the composer of Aloha ‘Oe and numerous other works. Lili‘uokalani was born on September 2, 1838, in Honolulu, on the island of O‘ahu. She was married to American-born John Owen Dominis, who later became the Governor of O‘ahu. In 1877, after the death of her younger brother Leleiohoku II, she was proclaimed heir apparent to the throne. She ascended to the throne on January 29, 1891, nine days after her brother' death. Queen Lili‘uokalani (September 2, 1838 – November 11, 1917) was a persistent advocate for justice and nonviolence. She recognized the ‘Beloved Community’ in her own day and refused to sanction the use of force, or to encourage her people to respond violently, when faced by heavily armed forces from the United States Navy acting in support of a band of insurrectionists (largely from the United States and Europe) as her government was illegally overthrown on January 17, 1893. In doing so she prevented the undue bloodshed of her people against overwhelming force. Appealing to President Grover Cleveland, she surrendered her throne to the American government and pleaded with her subjects to respect her decision. As a result, she was forcefully removed from her throne and subsequently imprisoned for her witness in opposition to American imperialism. Her model of grace left a powerful symbol of God's love that continues to be at the center of the native Hawaiian community, and thus a gift to the entire church. Queen Lili‘uokalani was also a respected musician and composer. Among her most well-known compositions is the Queen's Prayer, Ke Aloha o Ka Haku, sung often in parishes in Hawai‘i. It is based upon her reading of the only two books allowed to her during her imprisonment, the Holy Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. As the neighbor to St. Andrew's Cathedral, she received refuge during the counterrevolution with the Anglican sisters at St. Andrew’s Priory School for Girls. Together with the Bishop, the Right Reverend Alfred Willis, they would minister to her during her imprisonment and these deeds of charity would influence Her Majesty to become a member of our Church. Queen Lili‘uokalani died on November 11, 1917 and is buried at the Mauna ‘Ala Royal
Mausoleum in Honolulu. The date of January 29, her new date of commemoration in The Episcopal Church, is the date of her coronation as queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Aloha! I am praying that the holy light of Epiphany is shining on you this week! It’s a very important week in the life of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church. Following our service this Sunday, we will have our Annual Meeting in Sumida Hall. If you picked up an Annual Meeting booklet at church on Sunday, please bring it with you. If you weren't able to pick up the booklet, please click the button below. We will keep reporting to a minimum during the meeting, since the information about each ministry is covered in the report. But we do welcome your questions and ideas at the meeting. Eligible voters attending will cast ballots for new Bishop’s Committee members and Delegates to Diocesan Annual Convention. We will also discuss the list of potential projects found in the back of the report and ask for your feedback. We’ll have pupu platters to munch on, but please bring something to share if you can. I hope you will plan on attending this important meeting—we look forward together to God’s guidance in the year ahead at St. Timothy’s. In addition to our Annual Meeting, this Sunday is also our Patronal Feast Day -- the Church observes the Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus on this day. We’ll take a look at who this St. Timothy was, and what it means for us to be called St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church. Last Sunday we explored John 2:1-11, the story of the wedding at Cana, where Jesus turned jugs full of water into fine wine. Through this passage, and through all the Scripture texts we heard last Sunday, God’s light shines. And God calls us to shine the light for others to see. How have you been letting your light shine this week?  Last Sunday we also dedicated our new green vestments, altar hangings, and Gospel Book. Our thanks to Evangeline Barney and Rebecca Kang for making these items possible. Looking ahead, we are honored that our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Robert Fitzpatrick, will make his official visitation to St. Timothy’s on Sunday, February 16! Watch the Epistle for more information. If you would like to be baptized or received into The Episcopal Church when Bishop Bob is here, please contact me as soon as possible. Regarding Adult Formation, some of you have asked when we will have the last two sessions of our Faith & Science series. Those are scheduled for March 2 and 16. Look for more information coming soon. We had a wonderful time last fall, and everyone is welcome to join us for these last two sessions. 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 vicar. May God bless you and your loved ones.
Aloha Ke Akua! Fr. Pete+  Aloha! We are now in the season of Epiphany, which began with the coming of the Magi from distant lands to worship the newborn King. In last week’s Epistle, I shared that Epiphany is a season of light, as we, along with the Magi, have followed the bright star in the sky to come and see the glory of the newborn King. And now we journey in the light of Epiphany until we enter the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Last Sunday we celebrated the Baptism of the Lord, and we explored the gospel lesson of Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, which tells the story of John’s baptism of his cousin Jesus in the Jordan River. God’s words for Jesus ring in our ears— “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” And we considered what they must have meant to Jesus as he faced his wilderness temptation. We renewed our own baptismal vows with a sprinkling of water from our baptismal font, and learned that we too can draw courage from these powerful words to help us fulfill our baptismal vows, because we too are God’s beloved and God is well pleased in us! I hope you will hold those words in your heart and carry them with you through this season of light. This Sunday, January 19, we will dive into John 2:1-11, the story of the wedding at Cana, where Jesus turned jugs full of water into fine wine. Through this passage, and through all the Scripture texts we’ll hear this Sunday, God’s light shines. And God calls us to shine the light for others to see. How might we do that in these times that can seem so dark? Let’s find out together how to “shine the light.” Please keep in mind that our Annual Meeting will be held after our worship service on January 26, which fittingly is also our Patronal Feast Day—the church celebrates Saints Timothy and Titus on this day. Please plan to be with us for this important meeting. We hope to have the Annual Report booklet available for you to pick up this Sunday so you can read the reports ahead of time, and then bring your questions with you. We will also vote for new Bishop’s Committee members and Diocesan Convention delegates. If you can bring a dish for our refreshments, we would be grateful! We look forward together to God’s guidance in this new year ahead. Dear sisters and brothers, may blessings abound in the year ahead. 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 vicar. May God bless you and your loved ones. Aloha Ke Akua! Fr. Pete+  Aloha! We are all still beaming after our wonderful Christmas/Epiphany Pageant last Sunday. If you missed it, you can watch it on our St. Tim’s Facebook page. We are grateful for our children’s Sunday school teachers for preparing and rehearsing for the pageant: Anne Kiyosaki, Valerie Krutsinger, Joanne Mahuka, and Adele Thomas. And all the keiki did an amazing job of telling the beloved story of the birth of the Christ child and the visit of the shepherds and Magi: MJ, Caroline, Jean, Hunter, Alexandria, Juno, Hanon, Bradley, Braiden, Wyatt, and baby Juliette! We thank them all for helping us get our season of Epiphany off to a brilliant start. Epiphany begins with the coming of the Magi to worship the newborn King. And it continues this year for 8 more weeks until Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins. Epiphany is a season of light, as we, with the Magi, have followed the bright star in the sky to see the glory of the newborn King. And the season culminates in the dramatic revelation of the shining glory of the Son of God on the Mount of Transfiguration. The Episcopal Dictionary of the Church describes this season of Epiphany in this way: “Epiphany is a season of four to nine weeks, from the Feast of the Epiphany (Jan. 6) through the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The length of the season varies according to the date of Easter. The gospel stories of this season describe various events that manifest the divinity of Jesus. The coming of the Magi is celebrated on the Epiphany. The Baptism of our Lord is observed on the Sunday after Epiphany. The gospels for the other Sundays of the Epiphany season describe the wedding at Cana, the calling of the disciples, and various miracles and teachings of Jesus. The Last Sunday after the Epiphany is always devoted to the Transfiguration. Jesus' identity as the Son of God is dramatically revealed in the Transfiguration gospel, as well as the gospel of the baptism of Christ. We are called to respond to Christ in faith through the showings of his divinity recorded in the gospels of the Epiphany season.” This Sunday, the First Sunday after Epiphany, we will focus on the Baptism of the Lord and renew our own baptismal vows. We’ll explore the gospel lesson of Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, when John baptizes his cousin Jesus in the Jordan River. As God’s words about Jesus ring in our ears— “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased”—we’ll consider what they must have meant to Jesus as he faced his wilderness temptation. Can we too draw courage from these words to face our own wildernesses? Let’s find out! Dear sisters and brothers, may blessings abound in the year ahead. 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 vicar. May God bless you and your loved ones.
Aloha Ke Akua! Fr. Pete+  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us! (Left to right: Mayra, Dan, Fr. Peter, Matt, Mia, Fernando, and Maria) Hau‘oli Makahiki hou! Happy New Year! After an eventful and meaningful Christmas and New Year’s Day (and I’m grateful for all of you who warned us in advance about the New Year’s fireworks!), we now look ahead to the new year, committing ourselves to follow the Spirit of God at work at St. Timothy’s. This Sunday is Epiphany Sunday, and during our 9 a.m. service, our keiki will present the Epiphany Pageant. They will share in word and song the story of the birth of the Christ child as the Magi, having followed the star from afar, finally make their way to the manger to worship Jesus and bring him gifts. You won’t want to miss this delightful retelling of the beloved story! Many thanks to our children’s Sunday School teachers for preparing and rehearsing for the pageant, and to our keiki for sharing their talents. May this special presentation fill us with joy, hope, and love for the new year ahead. Thank you for welcoming Rev. Richard Shields as our supply priest on December 29. I’m grateful that Fr. Richard filled in so I could spend more time with my visiting family members. As I mentioned last week, I videotaped a Prayer for the New Year and it’s posted on our St. Tim’s Facebook page (see the link below). Below you will also the words of the prayer, and you might wish to pray it yourself from time to time as we move into this new year, trusting in God’s guidance, provision, and safeguarding for each of us and our church. Dear sisters and brothers, may blessings abound in this Christmastide and in the year ahead. 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 vicar. May God bless you and your loved ones. Aloha Ke Akua! Fr. Pete+ A New Year’s Prayer for St. Timothy’s Almighty and all-loving God, we come to you at this pivotal moment in our lives as we conclude one year and welcome a new year. We praise and thank you for the many blessings you have so generously bestowed upon us over these past twelve months. We acknowledge that even in the midst of difficulties, trials, and pains, you are with us. The loss of a loved one, health concerns for ourselves or those we love, financial stresses, all the crises and struggles that make us human, they all encourage us to turn to you in faith and hope, knowing within our bones that you are always with us, that your Holy Spirit dwells within us to heal us, comfort us, and guide us. We thank you for our beloved St. Timothy’s Church, and all who are part of it. Our wardens and the Bishop’s Committee members, our staff members, and the lay leaders of all the ministries happening in our midst—the Altar Guild, Daughters of the King, Sunday School teachers, our Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, and Acolytes, our Music Team, our AudioVisual team, our groundskeeping crew, our Outreach volunteers, we are so grateful for all their dedication and good work. We thank you for every single person who comes through our chapel door—each one has blessed us and served you in meaningful and lovely ways. We thank you for our neighbors in need whom we serve through our Outreach ministry, and we ask your blessings upon them. We thank you for the community service organizations on our church campus who serve so many people, young and mature, every day of the week. Please continue to bless their work here on our campus. Loving Lord, this has been a tumultuous year for many of us, for many reasons. But we know that you love us, that you are always present with us, that you are graciously willing to provide the support, care, and comfort that we need to get through this life. And now we face this new year 2025. We have no idea what it holds for us as individuals, as families, as a church, as a nation, as citizens of this world. But we know within our hearts that you know, and that your wisdom and love will lead us forward. We entrust our planet to you, we entrust our lives to you, and we commit afresh to love and serve you and our neighbors to the best of our abilities, that we may encourage others to know you and follow you. “O God of new beginnings, of hope and liberation, in this new year bring us fresh opportunities, equip us for new tasks, fill us with eager longing, encourage us with fresh starts, that with the past behind us we may look to all that lies ahead with utter faith in Jesus, hope in you, and love for all.”* “Most gracious and merciful God, you have reconciled us to yourself through Jesus Christ your son, and called us to new life in him. Grant that we, who begin this new year in his Name, may complete it to his honor and glory; who lives and reigns, now and for ever.”** Amen. * Adapted from a prayer by the Very Rev’d Andrew Nunn ** From the Book of Common Prayer  Aloha! What a joyful, wonder-filled Christmas we have had at St. Timothy’s this week! Our Christmas Eve Lessons & Carols and Eucharist with our Christmas Choir leading us in song, and our Christmas morning Eucharist, offered us hope and joy as we celebrated the coming of the Christ child, our Savior Jesus. My thanks to everyone who had a part in these services, our Lectors and EMs, choir members, and all who joined with us in person or on Facebook to worship at this holy time of year. I’m grateful for you all! Welcoming our supply priest this Sunday: As you know, my son Matt and his family—wife Mayra, daughter Mia June, mother-in-law Maria, and brother-in-law Fernando, are visiting with us, so I am taking some vacation time to spend more time with them on this lovely island. I’m grateful that my good friend the Rev. Richard Shields will be with us this Sunday, December 29, to serve as our celebrant and preacher. Please warmly welcome Father Richard to St. Tim’s! And then, on Epiphany Sunday, January 5, during our regular 9 a.m. service, we’ll have our Epiphany Pageant. Our keiki will share in word and song the story of the birth of the Christ child as the Magi finally make their way to the manger to worship. You won’t want to miss this wonderful retelling of the beloved story! And finally, I have recorded a special Prayer for the New Year. I hope you will join me in prayer for St. Timothy’s and all its members by watching the video on our Facebook page at your convenience. Please click the link below to watch. Dear sisters and brothers, let’s continue to worship and serve our Savior Jesus in this Christmas season. 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 vicar. May God bless you all in the new year ahead.
Aloha Ke Akua! Fr. Pete+  Aloha! I’m so grateful to be spending my first Advent season with you here at St. Timothy’s. Together in worship during these four Advent Sundays, we are considering some powerful scripture texts to help us prepare our hearts, minds, and spirits to welcome the newborn King Jesus at Christmas.
And so, after this prayerful and penitential Advent, even while we’ve been surrounded by festive Christmas music, hectic shopping, fun holiday parties, and family comings and goings, we are about to enter the joy and glory of Christmas. And I hope you will be able to join us in person, or on Facebook Live, for our special Christmas services at St. Tim’s. On Christmas Eve, December 24, we will have a Service of Lessons & Carols at 7 p.m., followed by a Eucharist at 8 p.m. And then December 25 at 9 a.m., we’ll have a special Christmas Day Eucharist. At all these services our Christmas Choir will help lead us in singing the carols we all cherish. And then, on Epiphany Sunday, January 5, during our regular 9 a.m. service, our keiki will share in word and song the story of the birth of the Christ child as the Magi finally make their way to the manger to worship. Even in this busy season, there are meaningful ways you can share our many blessings with others here at St. Timothy’s. Your Giving Tree donations are due this Sunday so that we may distribute them to our neighbors in need at area shelters. Or consider participating in our Outreach Ministry by volunteering on Sunday mornings, Tuesday afternoons, or during the week when we shop at the Foodbank and unload the groceries in our pantry. I hope you can join us in these wonderful opportunities to worship, sing, serve, and celebrate the birth of our Savior. My prayers are with you and your loved ones for a very merry Christmas and a blessed new year. Aloha Ke Akua! Fr. Pete+ Watch Rev. Peter’s video message about Christmas at St. Timothy’s on our Facebook page. Click here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GzEm1rqnq/
 Aloha! We are right in the middle of the season of Advent, and while we’re surrounded by festive Christmas music, hectic shopping, fun holiday parties, and family comings and goings, we are also endeavoring to keep our focus on preparing our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus in Bethlehem. Last Saturday I was honored to attend the Daughters of the King Christmas lunch (what a fun time!), and I shared with them some quotations by one of my favorite authors, Henri Nouwen, about Love, Joy, Peace, and Hope at Advent. I want to share his words with you now as a way of helping us all to be mindful of the message of Advent: Henri Nouwen on Love, Joy, Peace, and Hope at Advent: Love: “In this season of Advent, love is not passive. It is a verb, a force that requires us to reach out, to serve, and to care for others.” Joy: “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy, and keep choosing it every day. It is a choice based on the knowledge that we belong to God and have found in God our refuge and our safety, and that nothing, not even death, can take God away from us.” Peace: “True peace comes from within and radiates outward. As we prepare for Christ’s coming during Advent, let us be vessels of peace for others.” Hope: “Hope is a gift that we can share with others. In this season, as we prepare for Christ’s coming, our hope becomes a beacon for those who feel lost or weary.” So let us pray for love, joy, peace, and hope in abundance, so that we may share those blessings of God with those around us. Even in this busy season, there are meaningful ways you can share those blessings with others here at St. Timothy’s, including taking one or more of the ornament cards from our Giving Tree and providing much-needed gifts to neighbors in need at area shelters. Or consider participating in our Outreach Ministry by volunteering on Sunday mornings, Tuesday afternoons, or during the week when we shop at the Foodbank and unload the groceries in our pantry. There’s more information about both ministries in our Epistle newsletter, or take a look at the information on our church Outreach Ministry page. Last Sunday, the Second Sunday of Advent, we explored Malachi 3:1-4 and Luke 3:1-6. The ancient prophet Malachi speaks of the day of the Lord’s coming, telling us that he will come like a refiner’s fire and like fullers' soap. Those are both high-powered cleansing methods to remove impurities (and they wouldn’t make very good Christmas gifts!). Malachi calls for us to have a spiritual scrub-down so we might be prepared to welcome the Messiah who is coming in glory. And then Luke introduces us to another “prophet,” John the Baptist, who is stirring up revival in the desert to prepare the way for the coming Messiah Jesus. I hope you’ve been pondering how we might respond to the powerful message these two prophets have given us as we make ready for the coming Savior. This Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday, when we light the rose candle in the Advent wreath. “Gaudete” is the Latin word for “Rejoice,” the first word in our Epistle reading from Philippians 4. This is the Sunday we celebrate the joy of our anticipation of the coming of Jesus. We’ll hear more from John the Baptizer as he calls people to repent, to change their way of life, as they wait for the Savior to come. We’ll talk about our own expectations, not only at this season of year, but in our lives going forward. How are you setting your expectations?
Dear sisters and brothers, let’s continue to prepare our hearts for a holy Advent and a joyous Christmas. 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 vicar. May God bless you all. Aloha Ke Akua! Fr. Pete+  Aloha! We had a wonderful week here at St. Timothy’s last week. Together, we celebrated Thanksgiving Day with a special Eucharist in the morning, followed by a delightful and delicious time of fellowship around the table with two (unexpectedly frozen!) turkeys from Zippy’s, and a wide assortment of fantastic side dishes and desserts. I’m so grateful for everyone who helped with the service, in the kitchen, providing food, and setting up and cleaning up! It was just one big ‘ohana. We will plan to do this again next year. Then, last Sunday was the First Sunday of Advent. We began our journey together to the manger in Bethlehem. While the world around us is decorating for Christmas, we began a new church year by focusing on Luke 21:25-36—a “high heat” apocalyptic text about the end of times, a grim lesson that hardly seems fitting as we hear joyful Christmas carols wherever we go. But it’s an important reminder that one day Jesus will return for us in victory. So, we prepare our hearts not only for the birth of Jesus in the manger, but also for the coming of Jesus at the end of time. We wait and we hope. This Sunday, the Second Sunday of Advent, we will explore Malachi 3:1-4 and Luke
3:1-6. While last week we considered the future end of times, this week we’ll go back to the past to hear Malachi’s powerful and ancient prophetic words. He too speaks of the day of the Lord’s coming, telling us that he will come like a refiner’s fire and like fuller’s soap. What does that mean? And then Luke introduces us to another “prophet,” John the Baptist, who is stirring up revival in the desert to prepare the way for the coming Messiah Jesus. How should we respond to John’s message? Let’s find out on Sunday! Dear sisters and brothers, let’s continue to prepare our hearts for a holy Advent and a joyous Christmas. 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 vicar. May God bless you all. Aloha Ke Akua! Fr. Pete+ |
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ST. TIMOTHY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
98-939 Moanalua Rd. 'Aiea, HI 96701 Phone: (808) 488-5747 Church Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. |
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