September 17, 2026 Minister’s Message

Aloha, fellow warriors for divine peace and human rights!

This Sunday, we gather on the theme: “Warriors for the Human Spirit: Living Our Call.” As I read and write to prepare, evidence of the work of warriors in our beloved community floods in.

When I arrived at church last Thursday around 9:30 am carrying silverware and napkins, our president was lining up parking spaces; Marie and BJ were already in the kitchen; Gabe and John-Paul were setting up tables; and Catherine was setting places and guiding us all despite a wounded shoulder. Cynthia and Tom were in the sanctuary setting up the check-in and handout tables. Everything felt generous, graceful, and like clockwork as we prepared for the first collaborative “Sacred Vote” event, a “Break Bread” luncheon for clergy and lay leaders.

“Sacred Vote” is an initiative to engage faith communities in raising awareness of our kuleana to preserve human rights and support congregations voting. We joined TIAH (The Interfaith Association of Hawai‘i), HCAN (Hawai‘i Children’s Action Network), the ACLU, and the League of Women Voters in this work. We have two major meetings and ongoing awareness work to do.

At “Break Bread” last Thursday, over 30 clergy and lay leaders from across Oahu came together at our invitation in person in our sanctuary. Many more leaders said they were off-island or booked, but they’ll be with us in spirit and/or at our next event, “Sacred Vote – Community Faith Feast.”

Gabe launched our event with a beautiful and powerful Oli!  Lunching with others and sharing our concerns and support felt like a powerful uniting of like-hearted people. I prepared a plain-language guide to our Hawai‘i state ballots and our Honolulu City and County ballots. Rev. Dr. Cynthia (president of TIAH) reminded me not to distribute these if it would interfere with the League of Women Voters and their handouts. I greeted LWV president, Judith Wong, before the gathering and asked – she enthusiastically accepted my handouts, distributed them with her materials. This morning she wrote to ask if I would mind if the League uses these in their materials.

Here they are for you: Hawai‘i Plain Language Ballot Guide and Honolulu Plain Language Ballot Guide.

Being with others from across Oahu, in our sanctuary, transformed to hold and support these leaders in this work to support the sacred vote essential to our human rights, I felt proud and lucky to be in this congregation.

Mahalo for all you do,
Rev. Deborah