Hawaii: A few photos and thoughts

From 75F and sunny to 4F and not-so-sunny, I'm back in Anchorage. It's good to be home and sleep in my comfy bed. I miss the warmth, though, and the daily yoga and fresh meals so amply laid before me.

I returned Monday the 23rd and enjoyed a couple of quiet days by myself, as Erik went to the slope for a short assignment while I was away. He returns tonight.

Reunited with my laptop, I thought I'd post a few pictures.

To the left is Pr. Dave Kieffer, of Christ Lutheran, Mililani (Oahu). He took the time to tell me the story of his call to Mililani, explaining how the doors just opened and things just worked out (the sign of a call!) I also appreciated his enthusiasm for the projector they use in worship. I'm excited to try this at Central.

On the Big Island of Hawaii, I met Pr. Larry Hand, Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, Kona. Larry was welcoming and helpful. I honored that he asked me to preach on Sunday, Jan. 15, since he's only been at this call for about six months. I had a long conversation with Larry about how a pastor gets to know a congregation and how to figure out personal and professional boundaries as a pastor. The people at LCHT were so very kind and welcoming; I was blessed to be among them.

Then, of course, the yoga retreat at Kalani Oceanside retreat center, outside of Pahoa on the Hilo side of the island. Folks told me that this is how all of Hawaii looked before the high-rises and over-developed beaches. The Pahoa area is full of windy roads, locally-owned restaurants, and of course, the beautiful grounds of Kalani retreat center. I did a lot of yoga, of course, but I also attended a hula dancing class at Kalani. I learned how to dance the "seaweed" dance, a beautiful hula that reminded me of the Eskimo dancing I've seen in Brevig Mission. The other hulas I saw told stories of nature, of the land and sea, similar to the Alaska Native dances.

I traveled some around the area, too, visiting Volcanoes National Park, a local state park with a lava rock shoreline and a local fruit farm, owned by a fellow yoga student. I saw and tasted fruits I've never tried before: jackfruit, starfruit, rambutans and passionfruit.

When the retreat was over, I felt like I slowed down, slept well, and took time to be with people without rushing. I lost about two pounds, which I'd previously gained during the stressful and junk-food rich season of Christmas.

At the yoga retreat, I was, perhaps, overly anxious about navigating the waters of getting to know people while having to deal with their issues of religion and the church. In the end, I remembered that whatever I do and wherever I go, my primary identity is a baptized child of God.

Back home, I'm resting and (surprisingly) working on another sermon. I'm traveling Jan. 30-Feb. 1 to Everett, WA, for the annual Byberg Preaching Conference. The theme this year is a sort of "preaching lab," where several of us preach and the others critique. More on the assigned text and this sermon in another post!