Category Archives: Worship

Worship for the Christmas Season

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The Twelve Days of Christmas

Christmas Eve
Thursday, December 24

5:00 pm • Family Service
featuring the youth virtual Christmas Pageant
 
7:00 pm • Choral Eucharist
with Messe breve No. 7 aux chapelles by Charles Gounod (1818–1893)

 

Christmas Day
Friday, December 25

10:00 am • Festival Worship
with music provided by the men of the LCH Choir
 
 

First Sunday of Christmas
Sunday, December 27

10:00 am • Lessons & Carols
featuring members of the LCH Choir

 
 
 
 

New Year’s Day
Friday, January 1

4:00 pm • New Year’s Day Vespers
featuring Hawaiian mele and traditional music for the new year

All worship service will stream on the LCH Facebook page. They will also stream on our Worship Services page, where
orders of worship are available for download.

46th Annual Advent Procession • Nov. 29, 7:30 pm

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advent graphicLutheran Church of Honolulu’s Advent Procession has been a Hawai‘i tradition since 1975. We come to the end of Kingdomtide (Time after Pentecost) and begin a new liturgical cycle with a service that melds music and word. This year we’ve adapted our service for the livestream setting as we offer The O Antiphons by Peter Hallock, invoking ancient titles of Christ through choral music. If one looks at the first letter of each antiphon in Latin — Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, and Sapientia — it spells the Latin phrase ero cras, which translates, “Tomorrow, I will come.”

Join us as we begin a new liturgical year and carry on a beloved Hawai‘i tradition. Livestreaming at facebook.com/LCHwelcome.

Compline Livestreams November 1 & 15 at 7:30 pm

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prayer graphicWe warmly invite all people in all places of faith and life to Compline. Offered on the first and third Sundays of each month, this beautiful candle-lit service is a meditative experience of a cappella singing and chanting to commemorate the day’s end. This month, November 1 will feature Women’s Compline. November 15 compline will be led by members of the LCH Men’s Schola. Musical selections include Gregorian chant, Taizé chant, Renaissance polyphony, and more.

Access to the LCH public Facebook page at facebook.com/LCHwelcome or by using the link on the bottom of any page on the LCH website.

Welcome Intern Pastor Brianna Llyod

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Intern Pastor Brianna Lloyd

On September 1, Lutheran Church of Honolulu welcomed Intern Pastor Brianna Llyod for a one-year, full-time internship. Vicar Bree is a “terminal year intern,” meaning that at the end of her internship she will be eligible for call to a congregation. During her year at LCH, she will have the opportunity to experience the full range of pastoral duties, including worship leadership, pastoral care, teaching, youth ministry, administration, stewardship, and finance. In addition, she will undertake an internship project of her own choice. This internship will be somewhat unique given the pandemic. Many of your interactions with Vicar Bree will be via phone, Zoom, or other technology. Pastoral care, committee meetings, and even personal interactions will require some intentionality and care to make this the best experience possible. LCH is a great community in which to learn and develop pastoral skills and a healthy pastoral identity. Please remember, Vicar Bree is a student who is learning all the time. At the same time, we will learn a great deal from her as she brings her unique gifts to bear on God’s ministry through LCH. I pray you will welcome Vicar Bree with your customary enthusiasm and joy!

Vicar Bree has a lay committee with whom she will meet monthly. The initial committee members include Mary Fastenau, Bobby Broyles, Hunter Nishimura, and Olivia Arnold. Vicar Bree will have the opportunity to add one or more other members over the next several weeks as she gets to know our community. The lay committee serves as a sounding board for the vicar, but does not have a supervisory role.

Vecar Bree was formally installed during online worship on Sunday, September 6

Midweek Vespers • August 13 & 27

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Midweek Vespers in Honor of Nurses

Thursday, August 13, 7:00 pm • live-stream on the LCH Facebook page

prayer graphicOn this day, the church remembers two self-sacrificing nurses, Florence Nightingale and Clara Maass, renewers of society. At a time when our medical professionals are giving of themselves at the front lines of a pandemic, we offer this service of thanksgiving for the work of nurses everywhere. A solo quartet featuring Naomi Barrett (soprano), Sarah Connelly (alto), Scott Fikse (bass), and Tomas Ramos (tenor) will offer music by beloved British composers Ralph Vaughan Williams, Charles Wood, and Derek Healey.

St. Bartholomew graphicVespers for the Feast of St. Bartholomew

Thursday, August 27, 7:00 pm • live-stream on the LCH Facebook page

Bartholomew (who many believe is referred to as “Nathanael” in John’s Gospel) was one of the first disciples called to “come and see,” and he is present on the shore of the Sea of Tiberius when the risen Christ invites his friends to “come and have breakfast” (John 21:12). Join us for a special vespers in honor of St. Bartholomew, featuring music of the great British composers Charles Wood, Robert Ramsey, and Herbert Howells. Organist Mark Wong and Director of Music and Liturgy Scott Fikse are joined by Sarah Connelly (alto), Tomás Ramos (tenor), and Naomi Barrett (soprano).

Midweek Vespers • July 9 & 23

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Our weekday vespers continue in July with two special services. Join us on the second and fourth Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm in services featuring guest musicians from our local choral and orchestral community.

Assurance in God’s Presence

Thursday, July 9 • 7:00 pm

This evening’s service focuses on the comforting text of Psalm 63 and the promise of God’s love and eternal changelessness. As we navigate the day-to-day changes of our current world, the church stands ready to grow and adapt to whatever the future holds through God’s grace. Music will be provided by Naomi Barrett (soprano), Carrie Staiger (alto), Benjamin Sobel (tenor), and Scott Fikse (bass) accompanied by Mark Wong and guest violinist Duane Padilla.

Vespers for the Feast of Mary Magdalene

Thursday, July 23 • 7:00 pm

“She, while Apostles shrank, could dangers brave, / Last at His cross and earliest at His grave.”—E. S. Barrett (1786–1820)

There are few figures in the Bible with as much legend and lore surrounding them as Mary Magdalene, but it’s clear from the Gospels that she was one of the most devoted followers of Jesus. Join us for a special vespers with a reflection by Pastor Jeff Lilley. Music will include selections by French composers Gounod and Massanet offered by Georgine Stark (soprano), Sarah Connelly (alto), Tomás Ramos (tenor), and Scott Fikse (bass) accompanied by organist Mark Wong and violinist Darel Stark.

COVID-19 Update

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Like many organizations throughout Hawai‘i, LCH continues to operate on a modified schedule in response to the covid-19 pandemic. Our primary concern is the safety and health of everyone using the campus. While groups are being allowed to return to campus, they are required to follow CDC, state, and local guidelines for social distancing and sanitization, as well as holding LCH harmless for any covid-19 related illness or injury. Here are some updates on recent developments at LCH:

  1. Worship
    1. The congregational council has directed that in-person Sunday worship be delayed until after August 31, 2020. Online streaming worship will continue.
    2. Limited in-person worship at midweek vespers may commence beginning in July. These services will be held in the courtyard observing all current recommendations for physical distancing and mask use.
    3. The worship committee has appointed a working group to develop a plan for return to in-person worship which will include policies and procedures.
  2. Office Hours—Staff continue to work from home with limited presence at the church office. Anne Sing monitors email daily from home and checks phone messages in the LCH office during twice weekly visits for necessary administrative tasks and supervision of contractors. We do continue to ask for your patience as some inquiries and requests may take longer to respond than usual. Carolyn Koehler keeps us up to date on billing and drafts check payments weekly. Pastor Jeff is in the office almost every day to assure campus security and maintenance. Scott Fikse is working mostly from home.
  3. Community Groups/Tenants: Some community groups have requested permission to begin meeting on the LCH Campus. The council is allowing some groups to return with very stringent guidelines.
    1. Western Presbyterian Church of Hawai‘i (WPCH) has begun in-person worship on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings. They are a very small group and are diligently following the guidelines set forth by the congregational council.
    2. Alcoholics Anonymous—one group initially asked to resume meeting at LCH, but due to leadership adjustments has had to postpone the resumption of meetings. They are cleared to begin as soon as they are ready.
    3. Habitat for Humanity has resumed limited use of their office.
    4. Christiansen Educators tutoring has resumed limited use of the campus.
    5. Organ lessons will be allowed to resume on a limited basis.

March 25 COVID-19 Letter from Pastor Jeff

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Aloha and Blessings,

In response to the covid-19 crisis, Governor Ige has announced a statewide shelter in place order effective through April 30, 2020. Although difficult for all of us, the order is intended to provide the best chance to manage infection rates, especially among the most vulnerable in our population. We thank our government and health authorities for their leadership and example.

Sadly, this means that the LCH community will not be able to hold in-person worship services for Holy Week, Easter, and the Sundays after Easter through April 30. However, we have received communication from Mayor Caldwell’s office that churches may use their sanctuaries for live-streaming worship as long as a very limited number of worship leaders adhere to rules of social distancing and personal hygiene. Our worship team has carefully designed our worship to abide with these guidelines and will continue to stream worship from our sanctuary unless it unsafe to do so. We hope and pray that you will join us online and share this worship opportunity with your extended family far and wide. Many congregations are not able to provide online worship, and we can be a temporary church home for them during this crisis. Our first Lenten service was viewed over 1,200 times and reached over 2,500 people!

Secondly, I will be reaching out to several members to serve on a “calling tree” that will make weekly calls to members and friends of the congregation. If you would like to help with this, please contact Pastor Jeff at pr.jeff@lchwelcome.org. I am also setting up three online fellowship opportunities each week to help keep us connected and encouraged over the next few weeks.

Lastly, several members of our congregation have been laid off or lost their jobs as businesses are forced to close due to the state and federal shutdowns. We do not expect those folks to continue with their usual patterns of giving and encourage them to care for their families. For those of us who are able, an additional stewardship gift would be welcome. If you or your family are in need of emergency financial help, please contact Pastor.

As always, God is walking with us through dark days, and we know that Easter dawns each day. Thank you to staff members Anne Sing, Scott Fikse, Reid Ishikawa, Mark Wong, and Carolyn Koehler for their hard work and dedication. And a HUGE mahalo to our steadfast council and volunteers who keep the faithful work of the church alive and thriving!

Peace,
Pastor Jeff Lilley