Stories

  • Story: Comforter - March 8, 2026 Exodus 17:1-7John 4:5-42 I don’t know precisely why the ae’o was upset. I don’t know whether someone had squawked something at her, or if one of the fish she caught tasted bad, or whether the sun was too hot for her that morning. I suppose she might have been frustrated by a … Continue reading Story: Comforter
  • Story: The Fast and the Futile - March 1, 2026 Romans 4:1-5, 13-17John 3:1-17 Saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, and sourness. Those are the four senses of the human tastebuds. I’ve told stories about the first three over the last three weeks. Shall we go for sour? Let’s go for sour. He was the fasted akekeke in his generation (the English name is ruddy … Continue reading Story: The Fast and the Futile
  • Story: The Crunchiness of Life - February 22, 2026 Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7Matthew 4:1-11 Saltiness, sweetness, and yes, I’m visiting another one of the taste buds. I’m afraid it’s bitterness. That’s not a favorite for many people. Now, coffee drinkers do tend to like some bitterness to it, but the birds of the mountain forests don’t drink coffee. Instead, they drink nectar, … Continue reading Story: The Crunchiness of Life
  • Story: Finding Sweetness - February 15, 2026 Exodus 24:12-18Matthew 17:1-9 Last week it was saltiness. This week it’s sweetness. We’re making our way around the taste buds, I guess. I don’t actually have plans to visit sourness or bitterness, but who knows? An i’iwi was having a hard time. They’re used to sipping nectar from ohi’a flowers and koa … Continue reading Story: Finding Sweetness
  • Story: The Salty Koa’e ‘Ula - February 8, 2026 Isaiah 58:1-12Matthew 5:13-20 Salt is a funny thing. Your body, my body, pretty much every body of every person and every creature needs some salt. Without salt, we get sick. On the other hand, if we have too much salt, we also get sick. Not too much, not too little. That’s the … Continue reading Story: The Salty Koa’e ‘Ula
  • Story: The Bright Oma’o - February 1, 2026 Micah 6:1-8Matthew 5:1-12 Lots of the Hawaiian forest birds are bright with color. Think about the ‘amakihi and the ‘ahiapola’au with their bright yellow feathers, or the ‘apapane in red and black, or the i’iwi that adds a bright orange bill and orange legs to all those red feathers. That’s a lot … Continue reading Story: The Bright Oma’o
  • Story: The Fishing Game - January 25, 2026 Isaiah 9:1-4Matthew 4:12-23 One of the things that humans do, you’ve probably noticed, is play games. Sometimes they’re running around games, sometimes they’re tossing things back and forth games, sometimes they’re sit around the table and hope you get to move the number of spaces you want to move games. Sometimes they’re … Continue reading Story: The Fishing Game
  • Story: What Are You Looking For? - January 18, 2026 Isaiah 49:1-7John 1:29-42 At this time of the year, you might forgive an ‘apapane for looking a little flustered. Or just for looking around. And flying around. A lot. This time of the year can be complicated. For one thing, it’s time to get pairs together. When two birds have decided they’ll … Continue reading Story: What Are You Looking For?
  • Story: Not So Cool - January 11, 2026 Isaiah 42:1-9Matthew 3:13-17 ‘Auku’u are cool birds. They’re the most widespread heron in the world (black-crowned night heron). Our Hawaiian ‘auku’u have relatives across all the continents, including Antarctica. They’ve got startling orange eyes when they’re young and even more startling red eyes when they get older. Their blue and gray feathering … Continue reading Story: Not So Cool
  • Story: The Wisdom of Flight - January 4, 2026 Jeremiah 31:7-14John 1:1-18 “What is wisdom?” wondered the ‘amakihi as he flew through the sky. “What is wisdom?” wondered the ‘amakihi as he sipped on ohi’a nectar. “What is wisdom?” wondered the ‘amakihi as he settled down to sleep at night. “What is wisdom?” wondered the ‘amakihi as he woke in the … Continue reading Story: The Wisdom of Flight