In this issue:
- Legacies and Blessings
- An Endless Song of Welcoming and Worshipping
- 125th Anniversary Celebration Schedule
- A Musical Time for the LCH 125th Anniversary!
- God’s Work, Our Hands Anniversary Project
- 125th Anniversary Book
- 125th Anniversary Photo
- First Mondays Concerts: Royal Hawaiian Band
- Anniversary Zoom: Time to Remember and Give Thanks
- Legacies and Blessings: People, Places, and Stories
- Anniversary Banquet Dinner and Entertainment featuring Ei Nei
- 125th Anniversary Bulletin Board
- Stewardship Corner
- LCH Office Hours
- Regular Offerings
- Selected Photos from Life at LCH
- HeartBeat Deadline
- Electronic Funds Transfers for July
- Attendance and Offerings for August
- Prayer Requests
- September Birthdays
- Calendar: September 2025
Legacies and Blessings
We have been blessed to be a blessing (adapted from Genesis 12:2).
Over the past 125 years, God has richly blessed us, and you are one of our many blessings. So, we are inviting members, friends, and former members to remember and give thanks for our many blessings as you read and reflect on LCH’s 125th Anniversary Commemorative Edition of the HeartBeat. Together, let’s rejoice and give thanks for God’s abundant blessings!
An Endless Song of Welcoming and Worshipping—A 125-Year Legacy
By Joseph T. Leong ©, Translated by David Del Rocco ©
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From Germany God’s voice beckoned Calling to minister to its homeland’s people Far away in Hawai’i
On the island of O‘ahu In the moku of Kona They settled To minister to His people
Through conflict, through hardship The small congregation survived Its members dedicated to its foundation
In time, changes were realized German transitioned to English Music developed and its reach enhanced
The Church’s welcome to all Rang true All were welcomed in this house That the Lord created
All who gathered gained spiritual sustenance The Church’s influence entered the community To sustain those who were forgotten
Its love reached far beyond What was first imagined It is true love of humankind And a true church Founded in the essence of God
125 years have passed Our music is renowned Our love embraces all Our community has grown and changed
Our church stands as a testament to its fortitude To its people’s dedication But it is still not complete
The Church will never be complete As time invokes a lasting spirit That forever evolves Its endless song of welcoming and worshipping Thanks be to God! |
Ua kāhea mai ka leo o ka Haku i Kelemānia, E kāhea ana no ka lawelawe ʻana I ka poʻe o ka ʻāina hānau Mamao loa aku i Hawaiʻi
Ma ka mokupuni ʻo Oʻahu I ka moku o Kona Ua hoʻokahua lākou E lawelawe i Kona poʻe
Ma o ka pōpilikia, ka ʻīnea Ua ola ke anaina hoʻomana Kūpaʻa ka poʻe I ka hoʻokahua ʻana o ka hale pule
Ma o nā makahiki, ua loli kekahi mau mea Ua hoʻolilo ka ʻōlelo Kelemānia i ʻōlelo Pelekane Ua ulu ka mele A ua hoʻonui ke kīkoʻo o ia mele
Ua kō ʻiʻo ke aloha o ka hale pule I ka poʻe a pau Ua komo ka poʻe a pau i loko o kēia hale pule I hoʻokumu ʻia e ka Haku
Ua hānai ʻia nā mea a pau Me ka ʻuhane Ua komo ka mana o ka hale pule I ke kaiāulu, i mea e paepae ai I nā mea i poina ʻia
ʻOi aku ke kīkoʻo o kona aloha Ma mua aku o ka mamao i Manaʻo ʻia mua ʻO ke aloha ʻoiaʻiʻo nō O ka lāhui kanaka A he hale pule maoli I hoʻokahua ʻia i ka mana o ke Akua
Ua hala aku hoʻokahi haneli iwakāluakūmālima makahiki Kaulana nō hoʻi ko kākou mele Pūliki ko kākou aloha i nā kānaka a pau Ua ulu a ua hoʻololi ko kākou kaiāulu
Kū ko kākou hale pule ma ke ʻano he kauoha I kona ikaika I ke kūpaʻa o ka poʻe Akā naʻe ʻaʻole pau pono nō ia,
ʻAʻole loa i pau pono ka hale pule Hū aʻe ka ʻuhane mau loa E haku mau ana kona mele O ka hoʻokipa ʻana a me ka hoʻomana ʻana Mahalo ke Akua! |
A Musical Time for the LCH 125th Anniversary!
The week of September 7 through 14 will be filled with joyful music. It is what a 125th-anniversary celebration demands and deserves. Can you imagine all of the music that was heard in these halls and the halls of the former church on Beretania? We all resound with that music, and we all resonate with the saints that came before us in the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. What a legacy, what a joy divine!
The week begins on September 7 with former Pastor David Barber preaching and the LCH Choir sharing pieces by two great contemporary Lutheran composers, F. Melius Christiansen of St. Olaf, and René Clausen of Concordia College. I was fortunate to have a masterclass with Mr. Clausen during my time in Grand Forks, ND. He was wonderfully kind in his teaching and very approachable and personable. The hall at Concordia has a bold bust of Christiansen in its foyer. It’s a bit surprising! The music of these two excellent Lutheran composers starts the week of celebrations off with a joyful bang!
Monday, September 8, continues to resonate with history as we celebrate with the Royal Hawaiian Band playing our First Mondays Concert (on the second Monday). The first organist of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu was Henry Berger. He was also the band director of the Royal Hawaiian Band for many years and a friend to Queen Lili‘uokolani. We will hear his arrangements in this concert and enjoy our ties to 1900 and 1901. What an amazing connection! Please invite your friends and bring pūpū if you can. We expect a beyond-capacity crowd.
The week continues on Friday with a wonderful viewing of Dan Dennison’s video, “Legacies and Blessings: People, Places, and Stories,” followed by a Lecture by For Beer and the Bible author Dr. Sandra Wagner-Wright. Dan will undoubtedly include some of LCH’s great music in his video, so please enjoy that musical perspective.
Saturday evening, September 13, is an exciting banquet for all LCH members and friends to enjoy. We will be serenaded by the wonderful sounds of Ei Nei, a local Hawaiian group that shared their beautiful music with us in our First Mondays Series last year. Please come and enjoy their beautiful music.
Sunday, September 14, will include two services. Join us for a simple prayer service at 9:00 am. Our full choral eucharist will be celebrated at 4:00 pm with Bishop David Nagler preaching and Pastor Lesley Radius presiding. There will be a beautiful mix of German and Hawaiian in our liturgy. For the service music, I have added liturgical texts to hymnody chosen by our previous pastors and Bishop Nagler. The LCH Choir will share music by two of our favorite contemporary composers: Will Todd’s setting of T.S. Eliot’s text “You have seen a house built” speaking of building a church and what that means as we move into our future and Jessica French’s “Strengthen for Service” based on a 5th-century liturgical text. It calls for the Lord to strengthen us in our service to the world.
Music at LCH abounds. Are you surprised? You will be joyfully surprised! Join us!
Barry J. Wenger
Director of Music and Liturgy and Organist
God’s Work, Our Hands Anniversary Project
Two Saturdays, September 6 and October 4
For those of you not “in the know,” Fernhurst is the greenish building on the corner of Punahou and Wilder that you’ve undoubtedly passed on your way to or from church. Managed by the YWCA, it provides safe lodging for women escaping domestic violence, transitioning from being incarcerated, or recovering from substance abuse. Some women arrive with only the clothes on their backs! At Fernhurst they are given apparel, lodging, food, case management services, lessons in nutrition, finance, job interviews, etc. As residents, all are required to work or to be actively seeking employment.
In 2016, when a friend of the congregation, Sue Hanson, passed away, she left money to LCH earmarked for just such an organization as Fernhurst, and this year, the women’s shelter was chosen as our God’s Work, Our Hands (GWOH) 125th anniversary project. In the spring, a couple of members from LCH initiated a relationship with representatives from Fernhurst’s administrative staff to discover how we might use Sue Hanson’s monetary gift to improve the lives of their residents, and then during the last four months, a small committee has been meeting to draw up design plans for the two areas we’ve been asked to focus on―the Book Nook (a small library area) and the Clothes Closet (a room that holds a variety of apparel for the residents). Since we are updating, reconfiguring and refurnishing those areas, there’s too much to do to complete the entire project in one morning. Work days are planned for September 6 and October 4, beginning at 9:00 am and continuing until 4:00 pm if necessary. We already have enough people for the first work day on September 6. Volunteers for October 4 are encouraged to sign up with Cindy Scheinert.
For 125 years, Lutheran Church of Honolulu has listened to the call to share God’s aloha with those beyond our church campus. Let us give thanks for the past 125 years of service as we begin our journey into the next 125 years, hands and hearts joined to do God’s work.
As LCH reflects on its history in this 125th anniversary year, how fitting that the first event of the celebration is a service project! It speaks to who we have been, who we are, and who we will be—God’s hands and heart, loving and serving the world.
125th Anniversary Book
The book, Legacies and Blessings: Celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu begins where For Beer and The Bible ended, the year 2000. It focuses on the people and the community of faith that is so vital to the fabric of LCH. The book is full of stories about servant leaders of our congregation and the God-given gifts they brought and shared with this community and the greater community. It illustrates how their gifts blessed others and contributed to God’s mission and ministry.
Using both narrative and picture, the book tells the story of LCH with the knowledge that our story and “our song goes on in endless praise.” As you read this book, our prayer is that you are filled with the awareness of the grace of God, the wisdom of our ancestors, and the hope that indeed our work and our witness of God’s love and light and our song continues for at least another 125 years.
The book will be available beginning September 7 after worship. Hard copies will be for pickup at each of the anniversary events, whether or not you reserved a copy in advance. Digital copies in PDF (for viewing on your computer) or EPUB (for many e-readers) formats may be downloaded from the LCH website at www.lchwelcome.org/anniversary-book/ beginning on September 7 after worship. (Please note that the webpage will not be available until September 7.)
There is no cost for the book. The cost of publication has been covered by generous donors. If you wish to give a donation for the book, that donation should go to the Mission Fund so we may continue to build that fund to accomplish its goals.
Thank you to all who made this book possible. Check out the last page of the book and please say mahalo to all.
125th Anniversary Photo
Sunday, September 7 • Following Worship
When the LCH ‘ohana gathers to mark an important occasion, we like to get a group picture in front of the church. You’ll see examples for the past on the cover of the anniversary book and in the graphic accompanying this month’s StewardshipCorner.
We will be taking our 125th anniversary photo on Sunday, September 7, after morning worship. Preaching that morning will be Pr. David Barber, who led our congregation at the beginning of this century, and the LCH Choir has been busy preparing special music as they begin the 2025–2026 season. You won’t want to miss this special time or worship. Then, when worship has finish, join us in front of the church for the 125th anniversary photo.
First Mondays Concerts: Royal Hawaiian Band
Monday, September 8, at 7:00 pm
Join us on the eve of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu’s 125th anniversary! The Royal Hawaiian Band will kick off our celebration, honoring Bandmaster Henry Berger (1871–1915), who was also the first organist and a charter member of LCH.
All are invited to gather for pūpū in the Hörmann Courtyard and 6:15 pm. First Mondays Concerts are free and supported by the generous sponsorship of the Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation and other donors in the LCH ‘ohana.
The September First Mondays Concert launches our “Music in Mission” model. With the cost of concerts covered by our generous sponsors, all donations by those attending each month’s concert will go to a non-profit organization on O‘ahu. This concert will benefit Angel Network, a ministry located at Calvary-by-the-Sea Lutheran Church in ‘Āina Haina that provides food and services to those in need. In addition to your suggested donation of $20, please bring packaged, unopened dry goods (e.g., cereal, flour, sugar, pasta, etc.) and canned food donations for their foodbank, which serves the elderly, families, children, and other individuals who struggle financially to make ends.
Anniversary Zoom: Time to Remember and Give Thanks
September 9 at 7:00 pm
“While the German community on Kaua‘i enjoyed the services of an organized church, Germans in Honolulu were largely unchurched,” shares Dr. Sandra Wagner-Wright in her book, For Beer and The Bible. To resolve that problem, Paul Isenberg and Johann F. Hackfeld each gave $25,000 to establish a German church on O‘ahu. Duetsch Evangelisch Lutherische Gemeinde Zu Honolulu was chartered on September 9, 1900.
To honor that day, to remember all that have brought us to this place and time, and to give thanks to God for all the blessings we have received these past 125 years, we will gather on Zoom at 7:00 pm on September 9.
Our time together will begin with prayer, reading the charter of September 9, 1900, and then we will spend some time “talking story” and doing what we do best, being community together. This will be a Zoom Open House—drop in when you can, leave when you need. Come and join us to be LCH at its best. Click on this link to join the Zoom meeting.
Legacies and Blessings: People, Places, and Stories
The September 12 celebration kicks off with the debut showing of a half-hour-long video, “Legacies and Blessings: People, Places, and Stories.” This documentary traces the Lutheran Church of Honolulu’s German roots and how that legacy lives on today, with a rich tradition of service, involvement, and diversity in a God-centered welcoming manner.
The production, by LCH member Dan Dennison, includes excerpts of extensive interviews conducted with members, lay leaders, pastors, and music directors. Mirroring LCH’s own emphasis on music, the video is interspersed with multiple musical events, services, and celebrations, including the 50th anniversary of the church’s newly refurbished Beckerath organ. It also includes a tribute to Pastor Jeff Lilley and is dedicated to Pastor Jeff and Jean Lilley.
Anniversary Banquet Dinner and Entertainment featuring Ei Nei
Saturday, September 13 • Pūpū at 5:00 pm • Banquet at 6:00 pm
Hui! Ei Nei is composed of Dane Fujiwara (Wailuku), Grant Kono (Oneawa), and Ekolu Chang (Kāne‘ohe). After having been on their own paths as musicians for some time with various individual accolades, Ei Nei began their musical journey together in 2016. In 2020, they won the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award as the Most Promising Artist, and they have been nominated for many other awards over the years. Their music has been featured on a variety of shows and movies including an Emmy award-winning documentary. Together, they feature a smooth vocal blend with rich harmonies and a refreshing glimpse into the traditional past with their sights set on the future of Hawaiian music.
Our brief program will include words from Bishop Nagler, Nicholas Hörmann, and others.
Christ’s Community II
For this stewardship year we have been looking at LCH’s mission statement bit by bit, and this month we have arrived at the last phrase of this haiku, “Christ’s community.”
September has arrived and LCH’s 125th anniversary celebration begins! We’ve been hearing about the many and various plans and events for about a year, and many have been involved in the details of making it happen. From Sunday the 7th to Sunday the 14th we will celebrate a great cloud of witnesses, past, present, and future—125 years’ worth—and we look forward to many more years of ministry.
So many before us have run with perseverance the race that was set before them. The great cloud of witnesses before us has passed on the baton to us to continue the race that was set before them and is now before us. In last month’s Stewardship Corner, Bill Potter wrote about the current cloud of witnesses, saying that everyone who is currently part of our ‘ohana has helped him persevere in the race God has put before him. Every member of our community helps in a variety of ways using their God-given gifts to support each other as well as those beyond our community. We work together in response to God’s call in our lives.
Pastor Lesley has helped us begin to identify in more detail the many and various gifts with which God has blessed each and every one of us. And, in the months ahead she will guide the Transition Team as they work with details about these gifts and other information that has been gathered to determine the mission to which God is calling us, as we move forward and begin to search for a new pastor. As we continue to work together and help each other, we are strengthened by our strong sense of community to run the race that is set before us.
As I began writing this article, the hymn that came to mind was We Are Called (ELW 720). Here is the refrain, which is based on Micah 6:8: “We are called to act with justice, we are called to love tenderly; we are called to serve one another, to walk humbly with God,” In our transition process, we are still figuring out what this acting with justice, loving tenderly, and walking humbly with God will look like. God may well lead to new ways of being God’s hands and feet as we work on the further mission to which God is calling us and the race God puts before us.
In the verses of the hymn, God invites us to “Live in the light! Shine with the joy and the love of the Lord!” God calls us “to be light for the kingdom, to live in the freedom of the city of God.” God invites us to “Open our hearts! Show [our] mercy to all those in fear!” God calls us “to be hope for the hopeless so hatred and blindness will be no more.” Finally in the third verse God invites as to “Sing a new song! Sing of that great day when all will be one! God will reign, and we’ll walk with each other as sisters and brothers united in love.” That’s the promise that gives us strength and hope to persevere in the race set before this particular yet ever-evolving community of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu.
We have so much to celebrate! Let us sing and give God thanks and praise!
Phyllis Hörmann for the Stewardship Team
Willow Chang, Phyllis Hörmann, Barbara Poole-Street, Bill Potter, and Cindy Scheinert
LCH Office Hours
- Monday—Closed
- Tuesday—9:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Wednesday—9:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Thursday—9:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Friday—9:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Saturday–Sunday—Closed
We recommend calling the office (808-941-2566) before dropping in to see the pastor or the administrator, as schedules may vary with appointments, other work commitments, and lunch breaks
Please visit the LCH website at www.lchwelcome.org for more information about weekly events and ministries, and to access the public LCH Facebook page for online worship services.
Regular Offerings
If you are not attending church in person, you are encouraged to mail your offering check directly to the church: Lutheran Church of Honolulu, 1730 Punahou Street, Honolulu HI 96822. If you would like to set up regular electronic funds transfer from your checking or savings account, forms are available at www.lchwelcome.org/support or can be requested by email to LCH@LCHwelcome.org. If you prefer to make a one-time contribution or ongoing pledge by credit card, there is a link in the bottom right corner of each page of the church website or you can go directly to www.lchwelcome.org/donate. Thank you!
HeartBeat Deadline
Tuesday, September 16, 9:00 am
Alan G., Alex M., the family of Adrian C., Amanda L., Betty H., Chuck P. and Josie B., the family of Cecilia F., Don J., Elaine, Flora and Jim S., Geneva J. and family, George T., Greg G., Harold W., Jane H., Jason M., Jean L. and her family, Uncle Jim S. and family, John B., John S., Kathleen C., Kristin H., LaVerne R., Michael, Miriam S., Peggy A., Salina R., family and friends of Star W., Steve J., Steve M., Tony P., Tracy W., Yvonne and Andy M.
Please help us to keep the Prayer Requests list relevant. If you have a friend or loved one who should remain on the list, we are glad to keep them in prayer. Please email the office to let us know when a name may be removed from the list.
| Day | Date | Event and Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | September 2 | 6:30 pm, Leadership Roundtable Zoom Meeting |
| Wednesday | September 3 | 1:00 pm, Game Day, Isenberg Hall |
| Thursday | September 4 | 10:00 am, Bible Study, Boardroom/Zoom Meeting 7:00 pm, LCH Choir rehearsal 6:30 pm, Restorative Yoga Zoom Class |
| Saturday | September 6 | 9:00 pm, God’s Work, Our Hands–Fernhurst Project |
| Sunday | September 7 | 9:00 am, Adult Forum, Boardroom 10:00 am, In-person/Streaming Worship Service |
| Monday | September 8 | 7:00 pm, First Mondays Concert: Royal Hawaiian Band |
| Tuesday | September 9 | 7:00 pm, Anniversary Zoom: Time to Remember and Give Thanks |
| Thursday | September 11 | 10:00 am, Bible Study, Boardroom/Zoom Meeting 6:30 pm, Restorative Yoga Zoom Class 7:00 pm, LCH Choir rehearsal |
| Friday | September 12 | 6:00 pm, Inaugural viewing LCH’s “Legacies and Blessing: People, Places, and Stories ”video 7:00 pm, Lecture “For Beer and the Bible” with Dr. Sandra Wagner-Wright |
| Saturday | September 13 | 5:00 pm, Pūpū Gathering, Hörmann Courtyard 6:00 pm, 125th Anniversary Banquet |
| Sunday | September 14 | 9:00 am, ELW Morning Prayer Service 4:00 pm, In-person/Streaming Festival Worship Service |
| Monday | September 15 | 4:30 pm, Writers’ Workshop Zoom Meeting 6:30 pm, Worship and Music Zoom Meeting |
| Tuesday | September 16 | HeartBeat Submissions Deadline 5:30 pm, Finance Committee Zoom Meeting |
| Thursday | September 18 | 10:00 am, Bible Study, Boardroom/Zoom Meeting noon, IHS Brown Bag Meal Prep (closed group) 6:30 pm, Restorative Yoga Zoom Class 7:00 pm, LCH Choir rehearsal |
| Sunday | September 21 | 9:00 am, Adult Forum, Boardroom 10:00 am, In-person/Streaming Worship Service 7:00 pm, In-person/Streaming Compline |
| Tuesday | September 23 | 6:00 pm, Executive Council Zoom Meeting 6:30 pm, LCH Council Zoom Meeting |
| Thursday | September 25 | 10:00 am, Bible Study, Boardroom/Zoom Meeting 6:30 pm, Restorative Yoga Zoom Class 7:00 pm, LCH Choir rehearsal |
| Saturday | September 27 | 9:00 am, One Pot, One Hope, Maluhia Lutheran Church |
| Sunday | September 28 | 9:00 am, Adult Forum, Boardroom 10:00 am, In-person/Streaming Worship Service |