Christ was still inside the womb and yet his specialness couldn’t be hidden from another unborn infant!

When was the last time you leaped for joy at the coming Christ?

Every year, my family and I look to the Pacific Ocean for the “Christmas whales” to arrive to be reminded that Jesus will be back someday.

My ancestors response to suffering was to gather and examine the community for wrongdoing and ask for forgiveness. We can learn from them.

When trials come, do not blame God. Repent. Confess your sins and ask for forgiveness. And our joy, in suffering or not, is God’s grace through Jesus and the promise of an eternal joy.

It is interesting that the first thing Jesus says to the disciples was words of assurance, the words “peace be with you,” not “have no fear” or “you are safe now.” Why? Because the real fear of eternal death and the danger of eternal separation from God is now gone. In the words of our resurrected Lord, “Peace be with you!”

If there is one word that describes the work of Lutheran Indian Ministries in Hawaii, it is COMMUNITY.

On the island of Oahu, where churches and communities are becoming more disconnected, Vicar Clarence DeLude (Native Hawaiian) works to create missional communities and bring church bodies together.

 Lord, remind me often that You have been exceedingly generous to me. Help me to extend that generosity toward those around me, so that they may know who You are and have this “Good tidings of great joy," a Nu Oli in You!

In the year 1824, Kapiolani took a journey of nearly a hundred miles on foot on the trails to the great crater of Kilauea volcano. This was the home of the goddess of the volcano, the much feared “Pele.” Her faith in the true God led many Native Hawaiians to Christ.

“Stories play an important part in our lives,” Clarence says. “We read stories to our children to help them fall asleep. We tell stories of our day over the dinner table. We recount stories of times long past with old friends at reunions. “Stories teach lessons from the past and create ideas for the future. The greatest story of all, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, gives us hope and assurance for our eternity. This is the story the Native children of Hawaii need to hear.”