The Great Three Days: Maundy Thursday

Posted on April 18, 2014June 25, 2022 by admin

Two sisters wash each other’s feet as part of the Maundy Footwashing

The Triduum, or Three Great Days, celebrates Jesus’s passover from death to life. It begins with Maundy Thursday, which focuses on the Last Supper, when Jesus washed his disciples’s feet and instituted the Eucharist, or Holy Communion.

Again this year there, members of the congregation participated in the Maundy Footwashing by washing the feet of another, having their feet washed, or doing both. With the large number of volunteers. the choir was able to chant all four appointed antiphons. At right, two sisters wash each other’s feet.

Following the footwashing, the service continued with Holy Communion and concluded with the stripping of the altar, a final anthem, and members of the congregation departing in silence.

The Triduum continues with the Good Friday Liturgy at 7:30 pm on Friday and concludes with Easter Vigil on Saturday, also at 7:30 pm. Easter morning worship services are at 8:00 and 10:30 am, with a potluck and Easter egg hunt between services. Bach cantata No. 4, Christ lag in Todesbanden, will be presented at the 10:30 service. See the Holy Week and Easter Worship page for details.

The Holy Week and Easter slideshow below includes addition photos from Maundy Thursday (beginning with the ninth slide).

Holy Week Begins with Palm Sunday

Posted on April 15, 2014June 25, 2022 by admin

The dramatization of the Passion Gospel from Matthew was the centerpiece of Palm Sunday worship.

Palm Sunday 2014 was marked with rainy weather and some changes to the usual way of doing things, but the rain did not dampen spirits at LCH.

Both morning worship services begin in the Hörmann Courtyard with the blessing of palms and a short homily, but instead of processing around the church building, the congregation processed around the Nave before taking their seats for the rest of worship.

Members of the congregation joined together for a dramatic presentation of the Passion Gospel from Matthew. At right, Sylvia Hormann-Alper (at the lectern) reads the part of the evangelist, while Jim Sullivan, Peggy Anderson (in white, taking the role of Jesus), and Amanda Lippert take other parts.

Between morning worship services, the children led members during the annual Seder Meal in Isenberg Hall.

All are invited for worship at 7:30 pm on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil). See the Holy Week and Easter Worship page for details.

The Holy Week and Easter slideshow below includes addition photos from Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter.

Congregational Work Day to Prepare for Holy Week

Posted on April 12, 2014June 25, 2022 by admin

April Smith and members of the Yost family prepare the altar raid for painting.

Members of the congregation gathered on Saturday morning, April 12, to get everything in top shape for Holy Week and Easter. There was lots to do.

In the Nave, the altar rails were removed so the legs could be painted, and the flooring in the altar area was cleaned of wax drippings. A crown of thorns was arranged behind the processional cross, and the scarlet papraments were put out for Palm Sunday and Holy Week. At the same time, the communion vessels were polished up for the important week ahead.

Outside, a sign board was put up by the parking lot entrance to the Hörmann Courtyard to cover up the photovoltaic inverters and allow us to put up the church sign. Once that was done, plants were moved in front of the sign board. Up in the Poki Lot, the hedges were trimmed, and behind the Boardroom, trees were trimmed.

While all this was going on, a busy group in the Boardroom sewed a number of the stoles that will be worn by clergy at the upcoming Synod Assembly to be held in Waikiki.

And of course, when noon came, everyone gathered in Isenberg Hall for a lunch of sub sandwiches and chips.

Additional photos from the day are available on the LCH Facebook page.

Lent Begins with Ash Wednesday

Posted on March 17, 2014June 27, 2022 by admin

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

LCH began the observance of Lent on March 5 with the traditional Ash Wednesday Liturgy with imposition of ashes.

Throughout the Lent, members and friends will gather on Wednesday evenings for Dinner Church at 6:30 pm. Basically, Dinner Church is both a meal with worship and a feasting with the Divine Love found in fellowship within community. The concept isn’t something totally new. In fact, it is thousands of years old. The experience is very different in our world today, of course, but it is modeled after what the earliest disciples might have experienced when they shared a meal with Jesus in the Upper Room.

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. We will break bread together, share in a meal, hear the Word, sing the Word, and bless the wine. The liturgy used during Dinner Church will incorporate the music and prayerful song from Haugen’s Holden Evening Prayer.

10th Annual Faith and Arts Sunday

Posted on February 23, 2014June 27, 2022 by admin

A member looks 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 23. 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, stained glass, digital media, poetry, prose, photography, duct tape, 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.

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 prose and poetry shared by members of the Writers’ Workshop.

Church Council Members Installed

Posted on February 16, 2014June 25, 2022 by admin

Pastor Angela Freeman installs Council members Olivia Castro, Randy Castello, and Naomi Castro during the 10:30 am service on February 16.

As part of both morning worship services on February 16, newly-elected and continuing members of the LCH Church Council were installed. Council members guide the congregation in our life together. We all join in praying for their success in this ministry.

Council officers for 2013–14 are April Smith, president; Randy Castello, vice president; Amanda Lippert, secretary; and Gary Brauer, treasurer.

Other members are Fred Benco, Sophie C., Craig Clissold, Lori Nishimura, Naomi Castro, Olivia Castro, and Georgine Stark.

Pastor Angela Freeman (center back) with other members installed during the 8:00 am service: Sophie C., Amanda Lippeert, April Smith, Georgine Stark, Lori Nishimura, Fred Benco, and Craig Clissold.

Andrew Shenton, Organist · February 15 & 16

Posted on February 4, 2014June 25, 2022 by admin

The Abendmusiken Series is delighted to host organist and scholar Dr. Andrew Shenton as our 2014 guest recitalist. Shenton trained at The Royal College of Music in London, Yale, and Harvard, and brings a wealth of experience as performer that spans continents and centuries.

For his Hawai‘i debut, the British-born Shenton offers a pair of distinct programs that join the Lutheran Church of Honolulu’s centennial celebration of Benjamin Britten. In addition to works by Britten, audiences will enjoy a musical journey exploring works by those who influenced or were peers of Britten. Other composers include Frank Bridge, Mathias, Pärt, Rutter, Stanford, Tippett, Victoria, and… J. S. Bach!

Don’t miss this unique, centennial concert pairing featuring our historic Beckerath organ and special appearances by the LCH Choir.

Dates, Times, & Location
Saturday, February 15, 7:30 pm (music listing)
Sunday, February 16, 4:00 pm (music listing)
at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu

Ticket Prices (One Concert/Two Concerts)
General Admission: $25/$40; Students with valid id: $10/$15

Driving Directions / Bus Information
For more information, call 808-941-2566

Bach for the Presentation of Our Lord

Posted on February 2, 2014June 25, 2022 by admin

Bass Jeremy Wong singes from J. S. Bach’s Cantata 82, Ich habe genung, during worship on February 2, the Presentation of Our Lord

Bass Jeremy Wong sings from J. S. Bach’s Cantata 82, Ich habe genung, during worship on February 2, the Presentation of Our Lord

February 2 is the Presentation of Our Lord, an important day in the church year that doesn’t get much attention since it rarely lands on Sunday. It does this year, so Music Director Miguel Felipe decided to seize the opportunity and include a Bach cantata for solo bass in this morning’s 10:30 am worship service. Cantata 82, Ich have genus (I have enough) was sung by bass Jeremy Wong, accompanied by members of the Bach Chamber Orchestra.

The Presentation of Our Lord (also known as Candlemas or the Feast of the Purification) commemorates the day when Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the temple, as required in the Jewish law. There they met Simeon, an old man who had been told he would not die until he had seen the messiah. Simeon recognizes Jesus and says that he is ready to depart (die) because he has seen the messiah, the light of the world. This story, recorded in Luke, is the source of the text Nunc dimities (Now let your servant depart in peace), which is sung each day at Compline.

In Bach’s day, Candlemas was an important feast, and he wrote five different cantatas for the celebration. Cantata 82 was one of his favorites, and we were happy to hear the beautiful performance as part of worship.

Angela Freeman Officially Called as Co-Pastor

Posted on January 26, 2014June 25, 2022 by admin

Pastor Angela speaks to the meeting following her election as co-pastor

A Special Congregational Meeting on Saturday evening, January 25, voted unanimously to call the Rev. Angela Freeman as co-pastor of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. This was the culmination of a process begun in the summer of 2012 when Pastor Angela joined the LCH staff as associate pastor with a two-year term.

In the last year and a half, it has become clear to both Pastor Angela and the congregation that God is calling us all to ministry together on a long-term basis. In the fall, the congregation signaled our intent to issue a regular call, and a Search Committee was formed to work through the process outlined by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Special Congregational Meeting was the last step.

Preceding the Special Congregational Meeting was the second half of the Annual Meeting, when the annual report was accepted and an operating budget for 2014 was approved. In additional to all of the rest of the regular expenses of the congregation, the budget, which was also adopted unanimously, included the salary for Pastor Angela.