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Join us this Sunday, June 7, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. (hybrid service*) for our Remembrance Service. Each month, we take the time to honor & memorialize loved ones, whether it be family members, friends, or pets, who have passed in that month (any year). Our speaker will be Rev. David Fujimoto, Resident Minister, Mōʻiliʻili Hongwanji Mission. Refreshments and fellowship to follow in the Social Hall (ground floor). We look forward to seeing you! *Mōʻiliʻili Hongwanji continues to hold hybrid services. This means you can join us either in-person or through Zoom, although in-person attendance is highly encouraged. The zoom link for Mōʻiliʻili Hongwanji’s Sunday Services remains the same each week. If you have not received the zoom link yet, please contact the office, or subscribe to our Weekly Email from our home page, https://www.moiliilihongwanji.org/. The Weekly Email will keep you informed of upcoming events. The post Join us this Sunday, June 7, for our June Remembrance Service. Our speaker will be Rev. David Fujimoto, Resident Minister, Mōʻiliʻili Hongwanji Mission. appeared first on Mō‘ili‘ili Hongwanji Mission.
Welcome Father Greg!Brett BotbylMay 151 min readThe Epiphany family is happy to welcome back Father Greg Johnson, our guest this Sunday while Father Chris is on sabbatical. He'll be with us on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at our 7 am and 9:30 am worship services. Join us! ʻAnoʻai!
Welcome, Bishop Alexander!Brett BotbylMay 292 min readPlease join us in welcoming The Right Reverend J. Neil Alexander, who will be our guest at Epiphany. He will serve as our preacher and celebrant at our 7:00 am and 9:30 am worship services on May 31 and June 7, 14, 21, and 28, 2026.J. Neil Alexander is a bishop of The Episcopal Church and Professor of Liturgy and Quintard Professor of Theology, Emeritus, at the School of Theology of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. He also served as Dean of the School of Theology. Before joining the Sewanee faculty in 1997 to teach liturgics and homiletics, he was the Trinity Church Professor of Liturgy and Preaching at The General Theological Seminary in New York City. He was the first to hold the Norma and Olan Mills Professorship of Divinity.Alexander was elected the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta, serving from 2001 to 2012, and he also served as the 23rd chancellor of the University of the South. During his tenure as bishop, he focused on growing new congregations and ministries, and established a successful communication plan for the diocese. He led many pilgrimages and mission trips to dioceses in Africa, focusing on building relationships with global-south dioceses. He has served in a variety of parish settings and has taught at The General Theological Seminary, Emory University, Yale University, Drew University, and Wilfrid Laurier University.He is a former board member of the Episcopal Preaching Foundation, where he also served as a faculty member and chaplain for the Preaching Excellence Conference. Additionally, he was the first president of the Board of Directors of the College for Bishops. Alexander earned degrees from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Moravian College, and the University of South Carolina. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and a Doctor of Theology in liturgics from The General Theological Seminary. He holds two honorary doctorates. Alexander has written numerous articles on liturgics, homiletics, sacramental theology, and pastoral practice. His latest publication is Celebrating Liturgical Time: Days, Weeks, and Seasons, a commentary on sacred time as expressed in the rites of the Book of Common Prayer. In 2022, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church appointed him Custodian of the Book of Common Prayer.
" Direct Lineage: Grand Masters Helio & Relson Gracie to RSAThe strength of a martial arts academy is measured by the depth of its roots and the quality of its practitioners. At Ronn Shiraki Academy, our legacy reflects decades of consistent dedication. This July, our family will witness another historic milestone. Grand Master Relson Gracie will personally promote our six newest black belts. This marks a momentous expansion of our academy’s recognized ranks. It represents a direct progression of technique and perseverance passed down through our doors for decades. The confirmed date will be announced once all candidates successfully pass their final testing.The Black Belts of Our LineageTo earn a black belt is a serious responsibility. We recognize the full tree of student black belts who have dedicated their lives to this standard under our banner, exactly as they are honored on our academy walls:RSA Recognized Black BeltsJustin Nihei • Antonio Criado • Kalani Pacyau • Gye Nitta • Phil Baltunado • Neil Verbrugge • Sean Springer • Daniel Cervelin • Wade Abreu • Craig Okutani • Ryan Tamashiro • Genji Moriya • Andy Choy • James Kim • Bob Hennessey • Ron Van CliefEvery name on this roster represents thousands of hours on the mat. To maintain the clarity and historical integrity of our lineage, this roster only reflects black belts who are currently recognized by and actively affiliated with our academy. Those who are no longer listed have chosen paths outside of our organization, or have engaged in conduct inconsistent with the standards, ethics, and values expected of this lineage...altering the very meaning of the rank they carry.Traditional Lineage vs. The New Commercial NormThere is a distinct difference today between corporate tournament organizations and traditional lineages. While RSA respects modern sports federations like the IBJJF and supports our students who choose to compete, we do not let external corporate standards dictate our internal ranks.The IBJJF was established in 2002 as a private, for-profit tournament corporation. Its graduation system was designed by Carlos Gracie Jr. to support the business model of the Gracie Barra franchise. This corporate framework introduced rigid administrative timelines, mathematical clocks, and monetized youth rankings. While the vast majority of the modern Jiu-Jitsu community has bought into this corporate establishment, RSA never did. A franchise-driven approach serves a tournament business. It does not represent the foundational structure of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.We answer exclusively to the direct lineage of Grand Master Helio Gracie, passed down by his son, Grand Master Relson Gracie.Long before later generations altered the ranking landscape to fit a commercial model, Grand Master Helio Gracie built his legacy on real-world effectiveness and personal integrity. Grand Master Relson Gracie preserves this exact combat-tested system. He fiercely protects the rank against commercial dilution by enforcing an unyielding testing standard.Under his banner, earning a black belt requires passing a comprehensive, multi-stage examination. It is entirely separate from sport competition timelines. Candidates must navigate an intensive evaluation consisting of Grand Master Helio Gracie's original combative self-defense program, positional grappling blocks, and full fight simulations. Because Grand Master Relson mandates absolute mechanical precision over automated time frames, the margin for error is razor-thin. A wrong base, an extra step, an incorrect hand placement, or a delayed reaction will cause a student to fail the evaluation. This uncompromising approach ensures that a black belt under his lineage remains exceptionally rare, highly selective, and profoundly earned.Progression is also evaluated strictly on character, honor, loyalty, and comprehensive self-defense proficiency—requirements completely separate from tournament points.“If you want to drink water, you should go to the source, you shouldn't drink it from the river downstream.”This famous perspective highlights the danger of dilution when a martial art becomes heavily commercialized. Think of it like the traditional construction of a voyaging canoe. For generations, a master builder selected the wood, shaped the hull, and certified its seaworthiness based strictly on real-world ocean durability and ancestral knowledge. Modern commercial racing associations use administrative inspection rules and standardized points to certify boats for a weekend regatta. While those rules work for organizing a sports competition, they have no jurisdiction over the indigenous heritage of the craft. A sports committee cannot override the authority of a master builder who answers directly to the lineage.In this traditional family standard, rank is not an automated calculation. It is evaluated directly by the grand master based on technical mastery, leadership, and the extensive propagation of the lineage over decades. An academy's ultimate legitimacy is found in the output of its tree. When a school has quietly and consistently produced a massive network of technical black belts under a single banner, it establishes master-level service to the art. This profound accumulation of student output commands absolute authority in our lineage. Extending the Lineage ForwardWe guard against the trap of vanity that can affect individuals who attain the rank of black belt. At RSA, we focus on the responsibilities of the rank. A rank is a powerful symbol. Worn with integrity, a black belt symbolizes direct lineage, lifelong dedication, and profound technical mastery.At RSA, a belt is never a tool for personal status or self-promotion. It is a symbol of increased obligation to our students and the preservation of our history. This milestone belongs entirely to the names on our wall and the collective effort of every student who has ever stepped through our doors. We look forward to sharing this evening with our entire academy family as we honor both our traditional roots and our competitive drive, stepping into the next chapter of our legacy together.Stay tuned.Ronn Shiraki Academy"
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