Jesse Tree Devotions begin Dec. 2 at 9:10 am

placing a symbol on the Jesse TreeAs Advent approaches, we would like to invite the whole congregation to join our children for the Jesse Tree devotions each Sunday of Advent in the nave at 9:10. It is a tradition at LCH for the children to present this short service of music and readings during Advent. During the four Sundays of Advent, the children will be focusing on the people in the Old Testament that lead the way for Christ. This year the Jesse Tree service will be held on December 2, 9, 16, and 23. The older children will read Bible stories and prayers, the youngest children will hang ornaments on the tree representing each story, and everyone will sing the Jesse Tree song.

Sometimes called the Root of Jesse or radix Jesse in Latin, the Jesse Tree is a visual representation of Jesus’ genealogy dating back to Jesse, the father of David. The Jesse Tree is found in the writings of Church Fathers, Latin hymns, and in visual arts—especially during the 12th to 16th centuries.

Each week’s presentation is divided into segments referring to key figures in the genealogy. Each segment begins with one child who introduces the character by describing key events in their life and relating those events to our lives today. During this presentation, one of the younger children hangs the individual’s symbol on the tree. Then all the children sing the verse about that individual from the Jesse Tree song, with the congregation joining in the chorus. Each week, the chorus grows as new inviduals are added. And when Advent IV arrives, we can sing the whole story of the Jesse Tree:

Jesse Tree, Jesse Tree,
sign of God’s fidelity,
that he may love eternally—
 
the promise made to Noah,
and Abraham and Isaac,
and Jacob on a journey,
and Joseph and the tribes;
 
and as well to Moses,
and David who’d be king,
and Solomon, his son,
and Jonah in the sea;
 
to prophets like Isaiah,
and to Ruth, a woman wise,
and Daniel in the den,
and to John who baptized;
 
and last made to Mary,
and Joseph in a dream,
was Jesus, Son of God,
who came here to redeem;
 
all who waited for the coming of Emmanuel.

Celebrate Thanksgiving with LCH • Nov. 21 & 22

pie graphicThanksgiving Eve Joint Worship

Wednesday, November 21, 7:00 pm • St. Clement Church

St. Clement Church is hosting the Thanksgiving Eve worship this year. Pastor Jeff Lilley is scheduled to preach.

The annual pie reception will follow immediately after worship. Sign-up sheets for the pie reception will be made available starting Sunday, November 4.

Annual Thanksgiving Dinner at LCH

Thursday, November 23, 3:30 pm • Isenberg Hall and Hörmann Courtyard

turkey dinner graphicAll are welcome to join the LCH ‘ohana for our annual Thanksgiving Dinner in the courtyard. This is a potluck meal for anyone who would like to attend. Please bring your friends, neighbors, college and university students, and folks who would like some fellowship and food. Pastor Jeff and Jean will prepare the turkeys and bring fresh-baked rolls. A donation of ham would be appreciated. Please plan to bring your favorite dish in quantities to feed at least six persons. Pupu, side dishes, casseroles, desserts, or any other dish is very welcome! Please sign up in the courtyard beginning November 6 so we can plan accordingly.

Annual LutherFest—Food, Fun, and Frivolity • Sat., Oct. 27

beer garden graphicCome celebrate our Lutheran heritage at our annual LutherFest, where we eat, drink, laugh, and have fun in the Hörmann Courtyard. Festivities will begin Saturday, October 27,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—dessert
  • I thru Q—main dish
  • R thru Z—salad or side 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. As a special treat, Avelina will prepare apple strudel and apple kuchen to round out the desserts.

Following dinner, our own Bill Fay (who has a secret life outside LCH as a caller for contra dances) will be leading us in line dances and other folk dances in Isenberg Hall. Bill will teach us each step so all of us—adults and children of all ages—can all participate in the fun. This intergenerational event is sure to be a time or laughter and good exercise, so bring along your dancing shoes.

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 Waikīkī Health’s Youth Outreach program.

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

Youth Event at Wet ’n’ Wild • Sept. 30

Wet'n'Wild graphicJoin the youth of LCH at Wet ’n’ Wild Water Park on Sunday, September 30, after the early morning service. Youth and adults will leave LCH following the 8:00 am service and carpool to the park at 400 Farrington Highway, Kapolei. The event will end at 4:00 pm.

The event is free for youth and $20 per person for adults. Youth must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

Registration is open in the courtyard Sunday mornings. Questions may be directed to Georgine Stark or Vicar Andy.

LCH Property Work Day • Sat., Sept. 8

tools graphicProperty Chair Rich Mundell will lead a workday involving several projects around the LCH campus. We will clean and move a storage shed from the Luther Place apartments, clean out plant beds, repair settling concrete in the courtyard, repair the nave door, and other chores that may come up. Please bring gloves and sturdy shoes. LCH will provide needed tools and materials.

Work day begins at 9:00 and ends at 1:00 nd Lunch and beverages will be provided.

Please contact the church office at lch@lchwelcome.org if you are able to participate.

Potluck and Silent Auction This Saturday!

Saturday, April 28, Beginning at 5:30 pm

auction graphicJoin the Lutheran Church of Honolulu ‘ohana for Potluck and Silent Auction to raise funds for the new pew chairs that have replaced the 60-year-old pews in the LCH Nave.

Cold beer and LCH wine will be available for donations while you browse and bid on auction items during the social hour from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Items for auction include:

  • Dinner for four at Chef Sophia’s home in Kaka‘ako
  • Handmade woodwork by Don Johnson, Jeff Lilley, and Larry Nitz made from the old LCH pews
  • One-of-a kind jewelry items
  • Winemaking experience from Oeno Winemaking
  • Fine photography
  • ‘Ono baked goods from our outstanding bakers
  • Sunset sail for four on Jeff and Jean’s Lilley’s boat Orca
  • Private lessons is bread baking, voice, and knitting
  • Gift certificates to restaurants
  • Seats at a concert given by Mark Russell with pupus by Rudy Riingen
  • Original works of art, including a limited edition Dali print

Potluck dinner begins at 6:30, and as anyone who has experienced an LCH potluck will tell you, it is not to be missed.

Bidding in the Silent Auction will end at 7:30.

For more information on this fun evening, email auction@lchwelcome.org.

The New Pew Chairs Are Here!

chair graphicAfter many years of faithful service our beloved pews have reached the end of their useful life. Following much research, we settled on replacing the pews with high quality white oak pew chairs. The pew chairs were delivered to LCH on Wednesday, April 4. Now all we need to do is pay for them.

The addition of the chairs will help transform the worship space and provide LCH with the needed exibility to not only accommodate Sunday worship, but also concerts, recitals, plays, conferences, and the many ways our church members and the community use the building as an extension of our mission.

Three styles of chairs are featured:

  • The majority of the chairs will have a padded seat and no arms. These chairs can be connected to create the feeling of more traditional pews through an easy to use locking mechanism.
  • Armed chairs with padding on the seat and back will be available for those who need a little extra support.
  • The choir will have chairs that fold to provide more exibility for various arrangements.

chair graphicLutheran Church of Honolulu is asking for your support in paying for the 200 chairs that will replace the mahoghany pews currently in the sanctuary. The fundraising for the pew chairs will be done throughout 2018 and into 2019. The goal is to raise $60,000 to pay for the chairs and the shipping.

We humbly ask for your support in this important project. Your help ensures a future in which we can continue to provide a place for worship and a space to serve the community through our music programs and public outreach.

If you would like to help, you can make a secure donation or pledge by credit or debit card on this site or send a check payable to the Lutheran Church of Honolulu, with “PEW CHAIRS” noted on the check LCH at 1730 Punahou Street, Honolulu, HI 96822. Donations of any amount are welcome, but as a guide, the cost of each chair is about $300.

Single chair image copyright Sauder Worship Seating. Used by permission.

Lenten Suppers and Worship (Wednesdays through March 21)

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. This year’s worship will focus on the theme “Made Whole: Remembering our Baptism.”

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 (Feb. 14)

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 February 14 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. This year’s worship will focus on the theme “Made Whole: Remembering our Baptism.”

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. The liturgy used during Wednesday worship will incorporate the music and prayerful song from Haugen’s Holden Evening Prayer.

14th Annual Faith and Arts Sunday (Feb. 11)

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 11. 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 this year represented 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 an the In Stitches craft group, meet regularly as a group, but many work at home and share as part of this annual event.

At right, members look at examples of the art work of children and adults submitted for Faith and Arts Sunday 2018.

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.