United Methodists in Maui

Dear Bloggers, My husband and I just returned yesterday from Maui and while there we had the opportunity to visit the Lahaina United Methodist Church. I was amazed at how welcoming this church was to us. They gave us a necklace of flowers on entering and had us stand and introduce ourselves. People came over and welcomed us after worship and invited us to their potluck after church. The order of service was as ours is, although the responses were in Hawaiian with English typed in the bulletin. They said a prayer called "Queen Liliuokalani's Prayer": Your loving mercy is wide as the heavens; Let us too with love and truth, regard ourselves and others. Amen At the end of the service we joined hands in a circle and said the Circle of Ohana: (Our dear islands, long as mountains stand. I will sing of truth and justice, heavenly peace; I will sing of Hawaii nei! Hawaii's youth now raise your voices, O Hawaii nei! This glad day! This glad day! While the gentle winds are wafted o'er God's blue sea, I will sing of our Hawaii!) Then we sang "He Lives" to end a beautiful service. My sister and her husband went to the Catholic church down the street from the church we visited, and found that same warm feeling and familiar service. Eighteen hours away in a far off island faith lives in peoples hearts. Beyond the warm weather and sites we saw, this Sunday was a high point of a special trip. Love, Diana