I officiate for:All sacred ceremonies begin with blowing the pu (conch shell) to the four directions. This anncounces to all that a sacred ceremony is about to begin. Additional charges depending on location.
Hilo, Puna and the East side of the island are the base $200.
Punaluʻu Beach is $250 due to my travel time.
Anything on the West or North sides of the Big Island are $300 due to my travel time.
One Hawaiian tradition I like to do is to help the couple put together a hoʻokupu (pronounced hoe-oh-coo-poo) gratitude offering. This is not some prayer to an imagined island god or such. Instead Hawaiian spirituality is rooted in gratitude to the land and the ocean as the source of life. The point of ritual is to bring your own focus and attention to that which is truly important - love and life, and where they come from.
Hoʻokupu is a small bundle of ti leaves with various things inside as an offering of gratitude to the land. Suitable things include:
One last comment about the hoʻokupu ritual. The most important thing is your intent in offering respect and gratitude to the land.
One local kumu writes:
"The most appropriate offering that any person can make can be made without any tangible item being left behind. The most perfect offering is one's aloha (love), ha (breath), and olelo (speech). To love a place, and breathe out that love in the form of a spoken promise to cherish and protect it, that is the most perfect offering."
What may be the best thing for you to bring would be a simple hand written note, folded up, that expresses your gratitude for the beauty and aloha that Hawaii has given you. We can put that in the bundle along with any other items you wish to be included. Your word and aloha are the most precious thing you can give back to the land.
I bring the ti leaves for the hoʻokupu, and you bring things to put in it. I will also bring paper on which you can write a note of gratitude on the spot if you don't find your way to bring anything
I also do memorial services: I am called to bear witness, hear sorrow and honor pain in times of loss. These times are universally experienced and bring the great questions of meaning and mystery. Everything changes. Everything is impermanent. Whoever knows love will also know loss. Your grief is just your love in another form. To never grieve is to never love and who wants to give that up?
I will fashion a memorial and service for your loved one, which will help you to find the strength and courage to deal with your pain.
The role of chaplain is to bear witness to suffering, to offer a spiritual perspective in times of challenge, and to help remember that there is always a tomorrow.
About: Ordained by the Chaplaincy Institute of Berkeley, California, I have done service work with the Ministry of the Golden Gate, the San Francisco Night Ministry, as well as the work of hospital and hospice chaplain. I have walked into hospital rooms of the dead, dying and their families, providing prayer and solace in the way they best need. Rev Russ has borne witness to suffering and brought comfort to those in the worst hours of their lives. His work is one of compassion and giving back to Life.
I tailor ceremonies to fit your spiritual traditions and preferences. I meet you on your spiritual turf. I like to describe the word sacred as that which gives us life as well as gives us meaning. Hawaiian culture sees the land and ocean as sacred, for they provide the means of life. The ti plant is sacred because its many uses including healing, food preparation and construction. Many Hawaiians feel that ohana(family) is sacred because they anchor their identity in it.
Whether or not you see yourself as religious, weddings and memorial gatherings are sacred because they mark major milestones in our lives. They identify who we are and speak to meaning and purpose, which feed the heart.
For those who want a deeper understanding of my spirituality, please visit my blog site at: