LutherFest! • Saturday, October 27

Posted on October 13, 2019June 25, 2022 by admin

beer garden graphic Come celebrate our Lutheran heritage at our annual LutherFest, where we eat, drink, laugh, and have fun in the Hörmann Courtyard. Festivities will begin at 5:30 pm with light pupus and non-alcoholic punch provided. Beer and wine are available for a donation. A German themed potluck follows at 6:00 pm. Brats will be provided, but please bring a German dish, if possible. To help ensure a balanced table, we suggest the following guidelines:

A thru H—salad or side dish
I thru Q—dessert
R thru Z—main dish

You can look online for suggested German dishes like sausages and sauerkraut, sauerbraten, roast chicken, potato salad, potato dumplings, spätzle, and many other options.

Following dinner, we will enjoy a rousing game of Lutheran Jeopardy! (You Betcha). Brush up your knowledge of the Bible, Martin Luther, favorite hymns, and all things Lutheran so that you’re ready to compete.

Donations for beer and wine will be by LutherBucks, so bring a check or cash to exchange for your LutherBucks. And don’t worry about purchasing too many LutherBucks since all donations will go to the Waikīkī’s Youth Outreach (YO), which serves as a safe haven for homeless youths. YO offers medical care, social services and non-judgmental support along with food, hot showers, and clothing.

More details will be forthcoming in future Sunday announcements. Danke sehr and hope to see you there!

Feast of St. Francis—Blessing of the Animals • Sunday, October 6, at both morning services

Posted on September 28, 2019June 25, 2022 by admin

St. Francis graphic Recognizing God’s love for all creatures and in celebration of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, please join us for the Blessing of the Animals, during worship at both services. We will have pet treats available for the social hour and water stations to keep our friends comfortable.

Feel free to bring your pets of various species to church with you. Please be mindful of temperament and companionability. Some pets simply do not get along with others and should remain comfortably at home. We will bless them from afar.

There will be a pet-free zone for those who may be uncomfortable sitting next to a water buffalo or a duckbill platypus. Without exception, all pets must be leashed or caged at all times while on campus. Free flights of large birds and unfettered wandering of Bengal tigers will, no doubt, lead to unpleasantness. So please, religiously observe the commandment to cage and leash at all times.

Regular Worship and Education Schedule Resumes September 1

Posted on August 30, 2019June 24, 2022 by admin

LCH resumes is regular schedule of worship services and Christian education offerings on September 1. There are three Sunday worship services:

Holy Communion at 8:00 am each Sunday morning. Music is led by the Early Worship Ensemble.
Choral Euchartist at 10:30 am each Sunday morning. Music is led by the LCH Choir.
Compline at 7:30 pm on the first and third Sunday of each music. This quiet and contemplative service is offered by the Men’s Schola.

Christian Education is offered Sunday morning between the two services at 9:20 am.

Sunday School is offered for children from kindergarten through senior high. The older children (grades 6-12) meet in the Rainbow Room. The younger children (grades k-5) meet in the Godly Play Room. (See The HeartBeat for weekly topics.) All are welcome! (Check
Adult Forum meets in the Boardroom. For four Sundays in September, Marsha Schweitzer will lead the Adult Forum. Topics of discussion, by popular demand but subject to change, center around the broad idea of Mysticism. (See The HeartBeat for weekly topics.) Everyone is invited to bring their refreshments and join in the discussion.

Several other groups that have been on hiatus over the Summer will resume meeting. Please see The HeartBeat, our newsletter, for more information.

LCH Bids Farewell to Vicar Andy

Posted on July 15, 2019June 24, 2022 by admin

LCH bid farewell to Vicar Andy Flatt-Kuntze over the weekend of July 13 and 14. The congregation celebrated with Vicar Andy and his husband Justin on the completion of his year as pastoral intern with the congregation. The internship was the last part of his studies at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in preparation for ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

The festivities began on Saturday evening with a catered dinner in Hörmann Courtyard. In typical LCH style, the delicious food was accompanied by LCH-labeled wine and cold beer. Following dinner, members of the vicar’s lay committee, on behalf of the congregation, presented gift, including a red Hawaiian-style clergy shirt, LCH T-shirts, and a hand-made cross. The photo on the right shows Josie Bidgood, president of the church council, presenting the cross, which was made by former pastor Don Johnson. (Click on the photo, and others not this page, to see a larger version.)

Following Sunday morning worship, the congregation made their final farewells with a service of ”God speed” (shown in the photo at left), lei for both Andy and Justin, and more gifts. Andy was given a green Hawaiian-style clergy shirt (since the red season is so short) and a distinctive Hawai‘i-themed stole that is reserved for clergy associated with LCH (shown in the photo below). Andy told the congregation that he will wear the stole for his ordination.

Lenten Suppers and Worship (Wednesdays through April 10)

Posted on March 7, 2019June 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.

Our Lenten theme for 2019 is “Love Unspoken.” As Karoline Lewis writes in her essay for Sundays and Seasons, we tend to let the word “grace” do a lot of the the theological heavy lifting in our proclamation. Her thought is that we find a way to highlight grace in the world without actually having to use the word. We might then look to explore “grace” expressed through actions, relationships, and moments. Grace is God’s love unleashed. Our hope is proclaim God’s love through image, story, experience, art and worship in a way that opens our eyes and hearts to God’s grace unleashed in the world.

The primary text for the entire midweek Lenten cycle will be I Corinthians 13:4–13, which will be read each week as a kind of lectio divina. Verses 4–7 will be incorporated into our opening litany. Writer’s Writers Workshop will be asked to focus on a different verse or verses each Wednesday. Our hope is that the reflection will be artistic and engaging. Poetry, prose or reflective meditation are all possibilities.

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.

Lent Begins with Ash Wednesday (March 6)

Posted on February 15, 2019June 24, 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 March 6 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. Beginning on March 6 and continuing through April 10, members and friends will gather at 6:00 pm for a light supper of soup and salad, followed by worship at 7:00. This year’s worship will focus on the theme “Love Unspoken.” The liturgy used during worship will incorporate the music and prayerful song from Marty Haugen’s Holden Evening Prayer.

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.

15th Annual Faith and Arts Sunday (Feb. 10)

Posted on January 27, 2019June 25, 2022 by admin

Members look at examples of the art work of children and adults submitted as part of 2017’s annual Faith and Arts Sunday

LCH celebrated its annual Faith and Arts Sunday on February 10. 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, poetry, prose, photography, drawings, woodworking, and more. 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, children look at one of the art work of children and adults submitted for Faith and Arts Sunday 2019.

The slideshow below shows the items displayed this year. Click on any of the photos to see a larger version.

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

Punahou Carnival Parking Fundraiser • Feb. 1–2

Posted on January 27, 2019June 25, 2022 by admin

some of the volunteers who helped with the fundraiser Each year, the LCH youth (with help of others from the congregation) hold Punahou Carnival parking fundraiser. The carnival takes place this Friday and Saturday, February 1 and 2.

Thank you to all volunteers who have already signed up to help, but we still have a few spots, for both adult and youth volunteers. We encourage members and friends to sign up for a three-hour shifts during the carnival. If you have not done so, please contact Jerelyn Watanabe through the Church office at 808-941-2566.

If you’re going to the carnival, please park at LCH. We have the closest lots, and your donation support our youth’s many activities over the year. Parking in $15 (no in-out privileges), and the lots are open from 10:45 am to 11:30 pm both days.

German Vespers · January 1 · 4:00 pm

Posted on December 28, 2018June 15, 2022 by admin

German Vespers poster Welcome the new year with German Vespers for New Year’s Day, a tradition—either on January 1 or for Epiphany—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 Telemann, a Magnificat attributed to Buxtehude, German hymns, and other works. 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.