Category Archives: Worship

Vespers for All Saints and All Souls • Sun., Nov. 3, 7:30 pm

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Mourning into Dancing graphic

Mourning into Dancing is a ceremony in honor of All Saints and All Souls, featuring beautiful choral and instrumental music, inspiring text, and time to come together for a collective and personal moment of reflection and remembrance.

Joined by harp, organ, and cello, the LCH Choir will present stunning works by contemporary and Renaissance composers that seek to guide us on a journey out of the darkness of grief and into the light of joy. All are welcome. Donations to the music program welcome.

Selections include:

  1. Magnificat, swv 426, by Heinrich Schütz (1585–1672)
  2. Funeral Ikos by John Tavener (1944–2013)
  3. Phoenix by Peter Hallock (1924–2014)
  4. Faire is the Heaven by William Harris (1883–1973)

LCH Choir
Jeffrey Lilley, pastor
Scott Fikse, conductor
Mark Wong, organ
Tugce Bryant, cello
Megan Bledsoe Ward, harp

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

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St. Francis graphicRecognizing 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

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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.

Summer Worship Schedule Begins June 2

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Our summer worship schedule begins on June 2. We will have one morning worship each Sunday morning at 9:15 am. This communion service incorporates elements from both the 8:00 and 10:30 services.

Watch the calendar, ENews, and HeartBeat for fellowship and education opportunities following worship around 10:45.

Compline concluded on May 19 with a service featuring a piece written by Benjamin Leonid, a member of the Men’s Schola. Regular Compline will resume the first Sunday of September.

Celebrating the Cross and Resurrection—
Photos from Holy Week and Easter at LCH

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Easter Sunday

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 an Easter egg hunt, and everyone enjoyed a bountiful potluck brunch.

Great Vigil of Easter

The last part of the Great Three Days (Triduum) began with the congregation gathered in the Hörmann Courtyard for the kindling of the new fire and the lighting of the Pascal Candle.

Members of the congregation lit their candles the flame passed from the Pascal Candle and listened to the Exsultet. The service continued with the retelling of salvation history through lessons from the Hebrew Scriptures, the renewal of baptismal vows, and the litany.

Following the litany, the ministers returned to the courtyard in white Easter vestments and let the congregation into the Nave as the choir sang the Kyrie. The Vigil continues with the joyous Easter proclamation and holy communion.

Following worship, the congregation returned to the Courtyard to break their Lenten fast with a sweet feast of champagne, strawberries, and cookies.

Good Friday

The observance of the Great Three Days (Triduum) continued with the Good Friday Liturgy. Members gathered to hear the Passion Gospel and venerate the cross.

“The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to John” was sung in a setting by Heinrich Schütz. Benjamin Leonid sang the part of the Evangelist, Keane Ishii sang Jesus, and Karol Nowicki sang Pilate; the choir took the part of the crowd.

The Passion was followed by the Solemn Collects and the the Adoration of the Crucified.

The Triduum concludes with the Easter Vigil Saturday evening at 7:30 pm.

Maundy Thursday

Our celebration of the Triduum—The Great Three Days—began on Maundy Thursday on April 18. Members gathered to hear again the story of the Last Supper, when Jesus met with his disciples in the Upper Room before being handed over to suffer and die for us.

The Gospel of John recounts how after supper, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and gave them a new commandment (Latin, mandatum, from which we get the word “Maundy”): ”Love one another.” In response, members of the congregation washed each other’s feet in the Maundy ritual.

The Maundy was followed by Holy Communion, in remembrance that Jesus instituted the sacrament in the Last Supper.

The liturgy concluded with the stripping of the altar, as Jesus was stripped before being crucified.

Palm Sunday

Our celebration of Holy Week began with Palm Sunday, April 14.

At both morning service, worshipers gathered in the courtyard to listen to the Palm Sunday Gospel, followed by the blessing and distribution of palms and procession around the church.

Once the congregation was inside the Nave, the focus turned to the reading of the Passion Gospel according to Luke.

Worship concluded with holy communion.

Holy Week and Easter Worship at LCH

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Celebrating the Cross and Resurrection
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER
at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu

Christ showing wounds

PALM SUNDAY   †   Sunday, April 14
8:00 am

PROCESSION OF PALMS AND HOLY COMMUNION

The service moves from the commemoration of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to the reading of the story of Jesus’ passion and death in the Gospel according to St. Luke. Music by the Early Worship Ensemble. List of music for this service
10:30 am

PROCESSION OF PALMS AND CHORAL EUCHARIST

The service moves from the commemoration of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to the reading of the story of Jesus’ passion and death in the Gospel according to St. Luke. Music by Franz Schubert and a brass quartet for the Procession of Palms. List of music for this service
robe and wash basin for Maundy liturgy

MAUNDY THURSDAY   †   Thursday, April 18
7:30 pm

CHORAL EUCHARIST AND MAUNDY LITURGY

A joyous celebration of the Eucharist meal quickly changes to one of love through humility in the washing of feet. The service concludes with the stripping of the altar, dramatizing Christ’s betrayal, stripping, and mocking by his captors. Music by Hallock, Dalitz, Laloux, and Lewkovitch. List of music for this service
crown of thorns

GOOD FRIDAY   †   Friday, April 19
7:30 pm

GOOD FRIDAY LITURGY AND ADORATION OF THE CRUCIFIED

This service celebrates the triumph of the cross. The service features the chanting of the St. John Passion and concludes with prayer around the cross. Music includes Heinrich Schütz’ setting of the St. John Passion and Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere Mei Deus. List of music for this service
empty cross and Paschal candle

EASTER EVE   †   Saturday, April 20
7:30 pm

EASTER VIGIL AND SOLEMN CHORAL EUCHARIST

Kindling of a new fire, the story of deliverance from the Hebrew Scriptures, and renewal of Baptismal promises lead to the proclamation of Easter Victory and a joyous celebration of Holy Communion. Featuring A Little Jazz Mass by Bob Chilcott. List of music for this service
Chi Rho and empty tomb

EASTER SUNDAY   †   Sunday, April 21
8:00 am

FESTIVAL HOLY COMMUNON

We celebrate the empty tomb, the central mystery that through death comes new life. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Music by the Early Worship Ensemble. List of music for this service
10:30 am

FESTIVAL CHORAL EUCHARIST

We celebrate the empty tomb, the central mystery that through death comes new life. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Festive music for Easter by Proulx, Robinson, and Parry. List of music for this service
7:30 pm

EASTER COMPLINE

Contemplative Easter meditation offered by the LCH Men’s Schola. Candlelight illuminates the Nave for this short service of prayer, chant, and a cappella singing. List of music for this service

The Reverend Jeff Lilley, Pastor   †   Andrew Flatt-Kuntze, Vicar   †   Scott Fikse, Director of Music and Liturgy

Lenten Suppers and Worship (Wednesdays through April 10)

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The serving line for Wednesday evening soup and salad suppers.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.The cantors place the lighted candle at the beginning of worship.

Lent Begins with Ash Wednesday (March 6)

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

Reconciling in Christ Sunday • January 27

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Welcoming Sunday graphicReconciling in Christ Sunday is January 27! This annual commemoration recognizes ELCA faith communities that have made public stands; welcoming people of all sexual orientation and gender identities. LCH is proudly included among those congregations, having agreed to become an RIC congregation in 1993.

Please join us, next Sunday, when we recognize our 26th year of welcoming and affirming LGBT+ persons in the life of the LCH congregation. Vicar Andy will preach at both services. More information on Reconciling Works can be found at www.reconcilingworks.org.

Please, invite those who may be interested in worshipping in an environment “Welcoming to all.” We look forward to seeing you and all new faces interested in learning about LCH and the ELCA!

German Vespers · January 1 · 4:00 pm

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German Vespers posterWelcome 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.