Lenten Suppers and Worship (Wednesdays beginning Feb. 17)

Posted on February 8, 2016June 24, 2022 by admin

The serving line for Wednesday evening soup and salad suppers.

Each Wednesday evening during the season of Lent, members and friends of LCH will gather for table fellowship and worship.

The evenings begin with a light supper of soup, salad, and bread beginning at 6:00 pm. The meal is provided by volunteers, and all are welcome to join in fellowship and conversation around the table. If you feel moved to contribute to the meal, please sign up in the courtyard on Sunday morning.

Worship follows the meal at 7:00 pm using the music and prayerful song from Marty Haugen’s Holden Evening Prayer. This year’s worship will focus on feminine images of God through Bible lesson drawn from the prophets, wisdom literature, and the Gospels and through meditations prepared by members of our Writers’ Workshop. This focus was suggested by our Jahreslosung (“year verse”), “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13). The Jarreslosung was introduced during German Vespers on New Year’s Day.

As we all move forward on our Lenten journey and prepare for Easter joy in the resurrection, all are invited to come together at the table, to be fed and nourished in body and soul, and to worship together as a faith community.

The cantors place the lighted candle at the beginning of worship.

12th Annual Faith and Arts Sunday

Posted on February 6, 2016June 24, 2022 by admin

Members look at examples of the art work of children and adults submitted as part of the annual Faith and Arts Sunday

LCH celebrated its annual Faith and Arts Sunday on February 8. Held each spring, this is a time when members of the congregations recognize the many ways the arts enrich our lives and honor the artist of all ages who call LCH home.

Works submitted this year represented a wide variety of media. There were examples of needle craft, paintings, digital media, poetry, prose, photography, drawings, woodworking, and even action figures.

Participating artists included young children, working adults, and retirees. Some, like members of the Writers’ Workshop, meet regularly as a group, but many work at home and share as part of this annual event.

At right, members look at examples of the art work of children and adults submitted as part of the annual Faith and Arts Sunday.

The slideshow below includes photos of most of the works shared. Click on any of the slides to open up a larger version in a new window.

Read poetry and prose written by members of the Writers’ Workshop.

“Ying Yang,” and “Mt. Fiji” (ceramics) by Diana Sellner

Items Displayed at Faith and Arts Sunday (clockwise from top left)—“something” (something) by Jean-Paul Klingebiel; “something” (something) by Kathryn Klingebiel; “Lace Sampler Sweater” (linen) and “Two-tone Blanket” (cotton) by Linda Miller; “Heart Pillow” (hand sewn) by Samantha Luuloa

Items Displayed at Faith and Arts Sunday (clockwise from top left)—“Arizona” (photograph) by Richard Cook; “Side Table” (Broken LCH pew) and “Carved Travel Cribbage” (teak) by Jeff Lilley; “Trophy for Nana” (clay) by Azure Sueda; “Winnie’s Family” (Wooden puzzles and photo) by Don Johnson

Members read the poetry and prose shared by participants in the Writers’ Workshop.

Items Displayed at Faith and Arts Sunday (left to right)—“Tree of Life” (wood, copper, and gold leaf), “Gathering Light from Above and Below” (painting and wood sculpture), and “Like a Tree” (carved wood) by Don Johnson

Items Displayed at Faith and Arts Sunday (top to bottom)—“Untitled” (tempera) by Carol Langner; “Sophie” (charcoal) by Fritz Fritschel

Items Displayed at Faith and Arts Sunday (left to right and top to bottom)—5 unidentified; “Progeny—80 and Counting” (photography) by Don Johnson

Items Displayed at Faith and Arts Sunday—“Scenes in Honolulu #1 through #7” (photography) by Jim Cartwright

Items Displayed at Faith and Arts Sunday (top to bottom and left to right)—“Scenes in Honolulu #8 and #9” (photography) by Jim Cartwright; “Nudibranch-Lungs (left), Smelling Horns (right),” “Anna’s Chromodoris Nudibranch,” “Christmas Tree Worm,” “Yellow Sea Cucumbers with 5-Tentacle Mouths,” “Grey Gill Nudibranch (note horns),” “Gold Mouth Sea Squirt Tunicate” (photography) by Steve Miller

Items Displayed at Faith and Arts Sunday (top to bottom and left to right)—“Sleepy Network Pipefish,” “Banded Coral Shrimp (3 pairs of claws),” “Squirrel Fish and Friends” (photography) by Steve Miller; “Still Life” and “Aspens and Pines” (charcoal) by Fritz Fritschel

Items Displayed at Faith and Arts Sunday—“Action v. Interaction” (posed action figures) by Robert Tellander

Lent Begins with Ash Wednesday (Feb. 10)

Posted on January 18, 2016June 17, 2022 by admin

Pastor Jeff Lilley marks the foreheads of members of the congregation with ashes during the Ash Wednesday Liturgy.

LCH begins the observance of Lent on February 10 with the traditional Ash Wednesday Liturgy with imposition of ashes.

Throughout the Lent, members and friends will gather on Wednesday evenings for table fellowship and worship. This year’s worship will focus on feminine images of God through Bible lesson drawn from the prophets, wisdom literature, and the Gospels and through meditations prepared by members of our Writers’ Workshop. This focus was suggested by our Jahreslosung (“year verse”), “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13). The Jarreslosung was introduced during German Vespers on New Year’s Day.

As our congregations prepares for our Easter joy in the resurrection, all are invited to come together at the table, to be fed and nourished in body and soul, and to feast together as a faith community. The liturgy used during Wednesday worship will incorporate the music and prayerful song from Haugen’s Holden Evening Prayer.

12th Annual Faith and Arts Sunday (Feb. 7)

Posted on January 2, 2016June 25, 2022 by admin

Members look at examples of the art work of children and adults submitted as part of 2015’s annual Faith and Arts Sunday

LCH will celebrate its annual Faith and Arts Sunday on February 7. Held each spring, this is a time when members of the congregations recognize the many ways the arts enrich our lives and honor the artist of all ages who call LCH home.

Works displayed each year represent a wide variety of media: needle craft, paintings, digital media, poetry, prose, photography, drawings, woodworking, and more. Participating artists included young children, working adults, and retirees. Some, like members of the Writers’ Workshop an the In Stitches craft group, meet regularly as a group, but many work at home and share as part of this annual event.

At right, members look at examples of the art work of children and adults submitted for Faith and Arts Sunday 2015. Photos from 2015 are available on the 2015 Faith and Arts Sunday page, as are poetry and prose written by members of the Writers’ Workshop.

German Vespers · January 1 · 4:00 pm

Posted on December 25, 2015June 25, 2022 by admin

German Vespers poster Welcome the new year with German Vespers for New Year’s Day, a tradition at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu since 2002. The service honors the church’s heritage as a congregation founded by German immigrants to Hawaii‘i and the the German practice of ushering in the new year with religious celebrations.

This year’s German Vespers features a cantata by J.S. Bach, Herr Gott, dich loben wir, BWV 16, and Johannes Brahms’ ”Ihr Habt Nun Traurigkeit” from Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45. Music we be performed by the LCH Choir, soloists, and the Bach Chamber Orchestra, all under the direction of Scott Fikse. The sermon will be offered (in German, with translation) by the Rev. Anke Flor.

The worship service is free, and a freewill offering will be received to benefit the church’s music program.

Advent Means Preparing for Christmas

Posted on November 30, 2015June 25, 2022 by admin

An acolyte lights one of the candles on the Advent wreath.

The season of Advent has begun, and all around the church preparations for Christmas are underway. The children are practicing their skit for Christmas Eve worship, and the choirs are working on their music. Each Sunday of Advent we will light another candle on the Advent wreath during worship, and there aren’t any Christmas carols.

Plans are already being made to decorate the Nave for Christmas on the morning of December 24. The antique crèche (imported from German in the 1920s) will be brought out from storage, poinsettias unwrapped and placed around the Nave, a wreath of greens assembled and hung by the entrance, and a tree decorated. With the help of many hands, we will be ready for two worship services on Christmas Even and one on Christmas Day.

All are welcome to the three Christmas worship service:

Family Worship on Christmas Eve at 5:00 pm featuring a Christmas skit by the children, familiar carols, and Holy Communion.
Festival Choral Eucharist on Christmas Eve at 11:00 pm featuring the LCH Choir, familiar carols, and Holy Communion. Come early and enjoy music of Egil Hovland and Gustav Holst sung by the LCH Choir at 10:30.
Choral Eucharist on Christmas Day at 10:30 am featuring the men of the LCH Choir, familiar carols, and Holy Communion

Above, an acolyte lights one of the candles on the Advent wreath.

At left, Steve Miller and the kids unwrap poinsettias.

Barbershop Quartet for the Last Summer Sunday

Posted on September 1, 2015June 27, 2022 by admin

August 30, the last summer Sunday with only one worship service, Scott Fikse, our new director of music and liturgy, brought along the other members of his Barbershop Quartet to provide music for worship. Pastor Jeff joked that the roof might cave in because LCH is not used to this kind of music, but God was cool with it all, and the roof is still intact.

Society Dues, which includes Scott and three friends, is beginning their second year of competing within the Barbershop Harmony Society, so when Scott moved to Honolulu this summer to join the staff at LCH, they decided to rehearse here for the upcoming Evergreen District competition in October. (The sacrifices one makes for the sake of music!) Everyone at LCH was glad to welcome them to worship on Sunday and to hear their uplifting renditions of spiritual songs.

Outdoor Worship and Picnic July 5

Posted on July 6, 2015June 27, 2022 by admin

God’s People gather for worship

The LCH ‘ohana worshipped outdoors on Sunday as we dedicated the new eco-shade covering for the Hörmann Courtyard. The ensemble choir lead the congregation in worship as we heard God’s word and shared God’s supper. Following worship, everyone enjoyed a picnic lunch on the lawn.

Grillmasters Craig and Walter at work

Hamburgers, hotdogs, watermelon, and a variety of side dishes made for a festive meal.

The congregation also had a chance for some friendly competition of Cornhole and Lawn Darts

We give thanks to everyone who helped make the Hørmann Courtyard Eco-shade covering possible. The courtyard is now usable in all weather conditions allowing us to better serve our community.

A Joyful Easter Celebration

Posted on April 13, 2015June 25, 2022 by admin

Members and friends gather for a joyful celebration Easter Sunday morning. Between two festive worship services at 8:00 and 10:30 am, the younger children enjoyed a puppet show and then headed out to hunt for Easter eggs that the older children had hidden, and everyone enjoyed a bountiful potluck brunch.