In this issue:
- 49th Annual Advent Procession
- First Mondays Concert: A Festival of Carols in Brass—Re-Imagined
- Worship Service during Christmastime
- From Pr. Margrethe
- LCH Office Hours
- Stewardship Corner
- Committee/Interest Group Chairs
- Mahalo for Give Aloha Donations!
- Committee Chair Reports
- End of Year Donations
- Donate a Poinsettia for Christmas
- Angel Network In-Gathering
- Mary Magdalene Society
- All Ages Sunday School
- Adult Forum
- Virtual Coffee Talk
- Leadership Roundtable
- Book of Faith Bible Study
- Restorative Yoga
- Food for Thought
- Confirmation Classes
- LCH Women’s Book Club
- Writers’ Workshop will not meet in December
- IHS Brown Bag Meal Prep Volunteers Needed
- Blue Christmas Evening Prayer Service
- LCH Office Closed for the Christmas Holiday
- Deck the Halls!
- One Pot, One Hope
- Regular Offerings
- HeartBeat Deadline
- Electronic Funds Transfers for October
- Attendance and Offerings for November
- Prayer Requests
- December Birthdays
- Calendar: December 2023
49th Annual Advent Procession
December 3 at 7:30 pm • In-person and Via Livestreaming Broadcast
Join us for Lutheran Church of Honolulu’s annual Advent Procession, a beloved Hawai‘i tradition since 1975. This year the service, led by Barry Wenger, our organist and director of music, will include seasonal readings, hymns old and new, and glorious choral selections by the LCH Choir. Music this year includes selections by Wilbur Held, Peter Hallock, Hildegard of Bingen, and Arvo Pärt.
For those not attending in person, the concert will be livestreamed on our Worship Services page and the LCH Facebook page and then archived on the LCH Facebook page
First Mondays Concert: A Festival of Carols in Brass—Re-Imagined
Monday, December 4, at 7:00 pm
Join our brass ensemble for some fresh arrangements of your favorite traditional carols. Inspired by A Festival of Carols in Brass, recorded in 1967 by the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble, these arrangements were created by Japan-born trumpet player Hayato Tanaka. Performing will be Casey Tamanaha and Ethan Garland, trumpets; Marie Lickwar, horn; Gabe Cruz, euphonium; Jordan Goto, trombone; and Lisa Stoneham, bass trombone.
Let the festive sounds of brass bring you some holiday cheer with beauty, elegance, and flare! This concert will help you set the mood for the Christmas season.
All are invited to gather for pūpū in the Hörmann Courtyard and 6:15 pm. The concert is free, with a suggested donation $20. In addition, we will continue to collect packaged, unopened dry goods (e.g., cereal, flour, sugar, pasta, etc.) and canned food donations for the Angel Network at each concert.
As a courtesy to others, please wear a face mask inside the church.
Wednesday, December 20
7:30 pm • A Service of Grief and Remembrance
In-person only, no livestream
Christmas Eve
Sunday, December 24
10:00 am • Choral Eucharist for Advent IV
5:00 pm • Family Worship
7:00 pm • Festival Prelude
7:30 pm • Choral Eucharist
with music provided by the LCH Choir
Sunday, December 25
10:00 am • Choral Eucharist
featuring the tenors and basses
of the LCH Choir
New Year’s Eve
Sunday, December 31
10:00 am • Choral Eucharist
A Service of Lessons and Carols
All are welcome to these services. In the spirit of mutual care, we encourage those attending in
person to wear masks. All services, except for the Blue Christmas worship, will also livestream
on the LCH Facebook page and our Worship Services page.
From Pr. Margrethe
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.—Luke 2:7
It is Advent. Christmas is coming. The “shopping days to Christmas” countdown has begun. There are gifts to buy and wrap, cookies to bake, parties to attend, and Christmas greetings to send. Add all this to our usual tight schedules, and there is no room for anything else.
There was no room for them in the inn. The folks at the inn didn’t know what they missed. For them, it was just another night. If only they had let go of just a little of their fullness and made a little space, they too could have heard the songs of angels, caught the excitement of breathless shepherds, and rejoiced at the birth of the miraculous child.
During this busy season, it may seem like there is no room to pack anything else in our busy schedules. The danger is that we may rush through the holiday season in a frenzy of activity and, like the folks at the inn, completely miss the spirit of Christmas. Poet Ann Weems (from Kneeling in Bethlehem: Poetry for Advent and Christmas. © 1993 Ann Barr Weems. Used by permission of Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved) reminds us:
In each heart lies a Bethlehem,
an inn where we must ultimately answer
whether there is room or not.
When we are Bethlehem-bound
we experience our own advent in his.
When we are Bethlehem-bound
we can no longer look the other way
conveniently not seeing stars
not hearing angel voices.
We can no longer excuse ourselves by busily
tending our sheep or our kingdoms.
This Advent let’s go to Bethlehem
and see this thing that the Lord has made known to us.
In the midst of shopping sprees
let’s ponder in our hearts the Gift of Gifts.
Through the tinsel
let’s look for the gold of the Christmas Star.
In the excitement and confusion, in the merry chaos,
let’s listen for the brush of angels’ wings.
This Advent, let’s go to Bethlehem
and find our kneeling places.
In the merry bustle that is so much of part of this season, take care to look and listen for the presence of the Christ Child. Have a blessed Advent and a joyous Christmas!
Pastor Margrethe
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
Given the persistence of covid in our community, the LCH office and church campus are generally closed to in-person meetings and gatherings as we continue to practice mutual care. We require masks for in-person interactions and recommend calling the office (808-941-2566) before dropping in to see Pastor Jeff 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.
Committee/Interest Group Chairs
| Committee/Group | Leader |
|---|---|
| Archive: | Jim Cartwright |
| Concert: | Barry Wenger |
| Communications: | Carol Langner |
| Community Life: | Larry Anderson |
| Council: | Dan Dennison |
| Fellowship: | Mary-Jo Estes |
| Finance: | Steve Miller |
| Financial Review: | Dori Palcovich |
| Food for Thought: | Marlise Tellander |
| Lay Ministers: | Carolyn Koehler |
| Learning Ministry: | Fred Benco |
| Mary Magdalene Society: | Bill Potter Roy Helms |
| Process Theology: | Carol Langner |
| Property: | Richard Mundell Pastor Jeff Lilley |
| Scholarship: | Fred Benco |
| Social Ministry: | Jean Lilley Miles Sato |
| Stewardship: | Phyllis Hörmann Willow Chang |
| Sunday School: | Linda Miller |
| Website: | Bill Potter |
| Worship & Music: | Roy Helms Randy Castello |
| Writers’ Workshop: | Peter Flachsbart |
| Youth: | Pastor Jeff Lilley |
Continuing the Journey towards Wholeness
Happy New Year! Not only do we begin a new church year as we enter the season of Advent, but we also begin a new stewardship year, which will actually be an extension of the past year’s theme of Healing a Broken World. As you can see in our heading above, this year we are continuing a journey of healing, and so, with God’s help as well as yours, we hope to move ever closer to wholeness and well-being or God’s shalom.
The Stewardship Team would like to express its gratitude for your engagement with last year’s theme and activities, as well as for the many ways you generously shared your unique and wonderfully-diverse talents, your time, and your treasure to help in the healing process. Thank you all for the commitments you have made for the next year as we continue the journey.
Like last year, we will again have several focuses for the year—In-reach (including ongoing community renewal), Spirituality and Healing through the Arts, Creation Care, Stewardship of our “Stuff,” and Community Out-reach. Should any of these topics intrigue or interest you and you’d like to apply your talents and help us plan and/or lead an activity for the congregation, please don’t hesitate to speak to one of the team members whose names are listed at the end of the article.
During December and January, we will focus on in-reach and community renewal. There will be occasional community building activities, in-person visits, especially to those who are unable to come to church, and phone visits. The Stewardship Team discussed in our last meeting the possibility of establishing a phone buddy system or other opportunities for mutual support. We’ll be sending out a survey soon to gauge your interest in this idea.
There are opportunities for community renewal every Sunday, so we encourage you to share the peace with someone you may not know as well and to spend some time during coffee hour chatting with a newcomer or someone less familiar. If there is someone you miss seeing at church, you can pick up your phone and give that person a call just to check in. We are ‘ohana after all!
We have also returned to using name tags. We will reuse ones we have as well as make new ones for people who don’t already have tags. A new directory is also being compiled. We hope both of these will help us as we continue reconnecting with each other. Watch for details about name tags and the new directory as well as other ways that we can strengthen the bonds that connect us.
May Advent and the Christmas season bring us ever closer to the Christ who accompanies us on our journey toward peace, love, and wholeness.
Phyllis Hörmann for the Stewardship Team
Pam Buckley, Willow Chang, Phyllis Hörmann, Barbara Poole-Street, Bill Potter, and Cynthia Scheinert
Mahalo for Give Aloha Donations!
The Give Aloha organization extends their congratulations to LCH! “Your success in Foodland’s Give Aloha 2022 program has resulted in a top 100 finish!” LCH donations totaled $2,341.00, resulting in matching gifts of $504.66, and a grand total of $2,845.66 for LCH and LCH programs. Mahalo for your generosity!
Committee Chair Reports
It’s time to begin compiling the Annual Report! Please submit your committee’s yearly report to the LCH office by Monday, December 18. Direct questions to the office at 808-941-2566 or email LCH@LCHwelcome.org.
End of Year Donations
Thank you for your generous giving throughout this year. Your faithful stewardship has enabled us to grow in ministry and faithfully support the larger church and community. Mahalo!
Your generous gifts are always needed and appreciated this time of year, and any gift you can give will be a blessing. Additional gifts to the general fund are always most helpful, but you may also make gifts to support capital projects, community assistance, or any other need.
The IRS requires that charitable donations must be received at LCH, or postmarked, by December 31 in order to be counted as 2023 charitable deductions. Contributions brought to LCH or postmarked on or after January 1 will be counted as 2024 charitable deductions, no matter what the date is on the check.
Donate a Poinsettia for Christmas
You have an opportunity to dedicate a poinsettia plant to help decorate the nave for Christmas. If you wish to donate poinsettia, please email the LCH office at lch@LCHwelcome.org. Provide the names of friends and loved ones you are dedicating, and whether the dedication is in their honor or memory. Indicate the number of plants you are purchasing, and mail a check to LCH for the total cost (plants are $9 each). Thank you for helping to make the environment festive for Christmas!
Angel Network In-Gathering
LCH is not collecting donations for Angel Network Charities until further notice. However, Angel Network is accepting donations at the Calvary-by-the-Sea Lutheran Church location in east O‘ahu: 5339 Kalaniana‘ole Highway, Honolulu 96821.
For those who are able and interested in donating, they accept donations on Thursdays and Fridays, from 8:30 am to noon. They will only accept packaged, unopened dry goods (e.g. cereal, flour, sugar, pasta, etc.) and canned goods.
Angel Network requires that donating drivers identify themselves and remain in their vehicle. Volunteers will offload donation items from your vehicle with protective gloves. Over 2,500 individuals are served monthly through this program. Mahalo for your generosity and support.
Mary Magdalene Society Potluck and Game Night
Saturday, December 2, at 6:00 pm • Hörmann Courtyard
Mary Magdalene Society will meet in-person for our potluck and game night in the Hörmann Courtyard. We invite LGBTQI members and friends of LCH to prepare their favorite potluck dish and join in the festivities. As part of our commitment to mutual care, participants should RSVP in advance and be fully-vaccinated. With the decline in covid cases, the group has decided that masks are optional.
An email was sent on November 26 to those who are already on the Mary Magdalene mailing list, detailing the RSVP procedure. If you don’t receive your invitation, have questions, or want to be added to the mailing list, please contact Bill Potter, group facilitator, at bill.potter808@gmail.com.
Mary Magdalene Society will also meet on Saturday, December 30, for potluck and their annual gift exchange.
All Ages Sunday School
Come explore with each other the highlights of our Judeo-Christian tradition. Starting September 3, we will meet each Sunday in Isenberg Hall at 9:00 for a story, discussion, and creative response. We will use the form and techniques of Godly Play. This approach will help us understand how our history and practice weave together to create today’s church. Everyone is welcome from the youngest child to the oldest adult.
All Ages Sunday School topics for October:
- 12/3—Advent I (Prophets)
- 12/10—Advent II (The Holy Family)
- 12/17—Advent III (Shepherds)
- 12/24—Advent IV (Wise Men)
- 12/31—The Legend of Babushka
Adult Forum
Sundays at 9:00 am • In-person in the Boardroom or Via Zoom Meeting
During the Sundays of Advent the topic will be “The Christmas Season—Religious, Secular and Personal.” All are invited to this wide-ranging discussions of all things Christmas.
All are welcome to join the Adult Forum on Sunday mornings in-person in the Boardroom. (Because no one has been joining Adult Forum over Zoom, that option was discontinued in November.) If you are coming for worship, just get your coffee and head to the Boardroom at 9:00 to join the others who are there.
Virtual Coffee Talk
Sunday, December 3, 11:30 am • Via Zoom Meeting
Virtual Coffee Hour will be held at 11:30 am on the first Sunday of each month. Hope you can join us! You are invited to join with your LCH ‘ohana on the first Sunday for a virtual coffee talk following online worship. This discussion time will be via Zoom Meeting, and will run for approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
In order to avoid “Zoom bombing” (surprise visits from unsavory folks), you will need to contact Kathy Baptista via email at kathynt@gmail.com for a meeting number and password to log into the meeting. While these are not ideal gathering circumstances, we can at least enjoy a chance to commune together briefly.
Leadership Roundtable
Tuesday, December 5, 6:30 pm • Via Zoom Meeting
Committee chairs and team leaders, please plan to gather for a short (45 minute) meeting. This month’s meeting will be conducted via the Zoom online meeting platform. Please refer to your email for the Zoom Meeting details. This is an opportunity for us to sit down together and share information on what is happening with all the ministries at LCH. If you are a committee or team leader, you will receive an email with login information. Please be prepared to share a little information on your activities with the group. Mahalo!
Book of Faith Bible Study
Thursdays, 10:00–11:45 am • Boardroom/Zoom Meeting
The Book of Faith Bible Study meets on Thursday mornings in-person or via Zoom meeting. All are welcome to join this lively discussion of the Biblical texts, relevant current events, and historical foundations. Please contact Pastor Margrethe at pr.margrethe@LCHwelcome.org to receive an invitation to the next Zoom Bible study discussion.
Restorative Yoga
Thursdays, December 7, 14, 21, and 28, at 6:00 pm • Via Zoom Meeting
Explore the restorative and ancient practice of yoga, led by LCH member Willow Chang. As a yoga practitioner for over 30 years, Willow shares the joy, wonder, and enthusiasm of a beginner. She emphasizes the origins, cultural context, and safe practice of yoga for all. In this 4-week session, she’ll share various aspects of yoga, from pranayama (breathing exercises) and yogic philosophy (ahimsa), to poses, referred to as asanas.
Join for one, two, or all four sessions from the safety of your own shelter-in-place. These unique classes also provide an opportunity to answer your questions about yoga practice and form. You don’t need yoga pants, previous experience, youth, flexibility, or any real-life experience in India to learn about yoga. Bring your amazing self to be in wonder of your abilities! Please contact Willow Chang (willowchang@hotmail.com) to be included in the weekly Zoom meeting invitation. Let’s learn and find a new center, together!
Food for Thought
Saturday, December 9, at 5:30 pm • Hörmann’s Home
Food for Thought meets at the home of David Hörmann, who will provide the main dish, while others are asked to bring side dishes or dessert to complete the potluck. If you would like to participate virtually, please contact Peter Flachsbart at pflachsbart@gmail.com to receive an invitation for the next Zoom meeting. If you wish to come in person, contact Marlise Tellander at marlisetellander@hotmail.com. Those who plan to come in person should be vaccinated.
Confirmation Classes
Sundays, December 10, at 11:45 am • Rainbow Room
Confirmation is voluntary for youth, grades 6 and up, who would like to confirm their faith. At baptism we promise to “place in [your child’s] hands the Holy Scripture and provide for their education in the Christian Faith.” In confirmation class we study scripture, the Reformation, and Christian history, but we are more interested in helping young people develop as persons of faith.
Please contact Pastor Margrethe at pr.margrethe@LCHwelcome.org for more information.
LCH Women’s Book Club
Monday, December 18, at 10:00 am • In-Person at the Murashige’s Home and Via Zoom
LCH Women’s Book Club will meet on Monday, December 18, at the Murashige’s home. We will have our annual Christmas party and bring books for consideration for our 2024 reading list. We will also be on Zoom for those who prefer to maintain distance. While no book has been selected in advance, please come and join us for a fun morning.
If you are not already on the Book Club list, please contact Juditha Murashige at jcmurashige@earthlink.net to receive an invitation to join them. All are welcome.
Writers’ Workshop
Tuesday, December 19, at 4:30 pm • Via Zoom Meeting Cancelled for December
Writers’ Workshop will resume meeting via Zoom meeting in January. All are welcome! If you would like to participate, please contact Peter Flachsbart at pflachsbart@gmail.com for information on how to connect remotely.
IHS Brown Bag Meal Prep Volunteers Needed
Through all the restrictions and uncertainties during the covid years, a small group of LCH volunteers continued our LCH commitment to assist IHS with feeding the homeless. Although restrictions have been lifted, we continue to practice the requirements of social distancing, masks, sanitizing, etc. Within those perimeters, additional volunteers are now welcome to assist with this monthly ministry.
We meet one Thursday of each month in the LCH kitchen and work from noon to 2:00 pm. During this time, we make 375 ham/cheese sandwiches and pack up 375 brown bag meals including the sandwich, chips, and fruit. Then designated drivers deliver the finished meals to IHS in Iwilei. If interested, please call the LCH office at 808-941-2566 to let Brenda know of your availability. Mahalo.
Blue Christmas Evening Prayer Service
Wednesday, December 20, 6:00 pm • In-person Only
Holidays can be a time of celebration and joy. They can be an occasion for gathering with loved ones and celebrating the gifts of the season and of each other. For some of us, they can also be a time of grief—remembering and longing for loved ones that are no longer with us, those that have been lost during these holiday times, or praying for people who may be grieving around the world. All are welcome to a Wednesday evening prayer service on the winter solstice, the darkest night of the year in the northern hemisphere, to grieve the losses that are closer to our hearts during this time of year. This service continues our Stewardship theme at LCH of Healing a Broken World. Come for prayer, song, and lighting candles during this service that offers space for grief amidst the holidays.
LCH Office Closed for the Christmas Holiday
Beginning Friday, December 22, through Tuesday, December 26.
Deck the Halls!
On Saturday, December 23, at 9:00 am willing members of the congregation are invited to help decorate the Nave for Christmas. Come join us at this festive time! If you have any questions, please contact the church office.
One Pot, One Hope
There will be no One Pot, One Hope in November and December. Contact Billie Jean Reis or Linda Muller with any questions. Mahalo for assisting with this mission to provide meals to our neighbors.
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, December 19, 9:00 am
Angela N., Aubrey A., friends and family of Billy S., Chuck H. and Nan W., Colleen K., Dan, Diane B., Harold W., Ilse L., Intae K., Jenny P., friends and family of John David S., Judy M., Karen and Kerstin, Karen and Richard E., Kathy M., Kendra K., Kim B., Lissa G., Lori W., Mabel D., Mel S., Michael, Mike M., Miriam S., Patricia, Resi, Roger R., Samantha C., friends and family of Shirley M., Steve, Sweetie K., Tom P., Tom R., and William
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.
