KAPAA – Once a month, Kapaa Unified Church of Christ celebrates the mystery of Communion and the power of God’s presence in their lives. This Sunday, the significance of Communion and how it unifies and strengthens their parish and the
KAPAA – Once a month, Kapaa Unified Church of Christ celebrates the mystery of Communion and the power of God’s presence in their lives. This Sunday, the significance of Communion and how it unifies and strengthens their parish and the world will be magnified during their morning worship.
“I think the congregation will be very pleased to see how nice the church is going to look,” the Rev. Jeannie D. Thompson said. “This will be the first time we have centered our worship around World Communion Sunday.”
The international celebration is observed by several Christian denominations and always takes place on the first Sunday of every October. The mission of the event is to promote unity and ecumenical cooperation.
“We will remember how Christ, on the last night of his life, gathered his friends and shared the bread and the cup with them,” Thompson said. “He especially asked them to remember him in the breaking of the bread — a sacrifice of love is made so that all are blessed — and he reiterated how his love is settled on all of us through the cup of life which is offered to all.”
Thompson said the Kapaa Unified Church of Christ is rooted in its Japanese foundation laid during the 1920s.
While blessed hosts and grape juice are the usual symbolic foods offered at their communion services, this week those offerings will be expanded. They will include different types of bread that will be blessed, along with the usual elements.
“We’ll have rice, poi, breadfruit, naan, pita bread and we might even sneak in a bagel because I like bagels,” she said with a laugh.
In a serious moment of reflection, Thompson recalled the significant moment in her life when she received her First Communion while living on Oahu, when she was eight years old.
“I remember it being quite a mystery. I was at church with neighbors and I remember seeing the priest or minister preparing the communion elements,” Thompson said. “I remember it being joyful and mysterious. In my mind I can still see the man pouring the wine into the chalice. It was beautiful and seemed otherworldly to me.”
This Sunday, Thompson, who has been a minister on Kapaa for the past eight years, said the parishioners will renew their commitment to be “one” with others through the love and life of Christ.
“This is what we are called to do at all times in our lives as people of faith—to remember how we are made one through Christ.”
The Sunday service will begin at 10 a.m. at Kapaa United Church of Christ, 1315 Ulu Street, Kappa. After the worship service, the blessed foods will be offered during their Aloha Hour.
Lisa Ann Capozzi, a features and education reporter can be reached at lcapozzi@thegardenisland.com
