The HeartBeat

A Message from Pastor Jeff

Sing a New Song Unto the Lord!

This photo of the LCH Choir recently appeared on the cover of the GraceNotes, the journal of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians.

Psalm 96 has always been one of the most meaningful scripture passages for me. These few powerful lines express a banquet of joy and hope to a world and a people mired in despair. The psalmist reminds us that God’s creative and redeeming power constantly renews us and all creation, even in the midst of darkness.

In mid-April, a young man at Virginia Tech University killed 30 people in a shooting rampage. In a matter of minutes, thousands of lives were turned upside down by a troubled, lonely young man. Grief, anger, pain, and shock have swept over the campus as relatives, friends, and classmates struggle to understand how anyone could inflict such an act on total strangers. A few days later, a bomb was detonated at a food market in the Sadriya district of Baghdad. As many as 200 men, women, and children were killed in the explosion and subsequent fire. Fear is the daily bread of those living in the war zone, yet people will continue shop, fall in love, and carry on their lives to the best of their ability. I imagine that the students of Virginia Tech will never again see their campus as a haven safe from the violence of the world. Yet they too will have to carry on.

The psalmist calls God’s people to sing a new song. But how can we sing God’s song with voices choked by fear and drowned in tears? How can we share a song of hope when we ourselves are afraid? The psalmist reminds us that the god who made earth and sea remains steadfastly present. Though sea may roar God’s love remains. In faith, our prayers and compassion become a new song sung to a people who need hope. Although the events described above occurred thousands of miles away, we join all the victims in their grief, and offer prayers for comfort for our brothers and sisters around the world. God’s song lived out in God’s people is a melody of grace that refuses to be drowned out by death, violence, terrorism and destruction. In Christ, we will sing a song of hope, live lives of peace, and share with hands and heart the good news of God’s love for every person. Sing a new song unto the Lord!

Pastor Jeff

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Mutual Ministry Committee

The Mutual Ministry Team is again sponsoring Ohana gatherings. An Ohana gathering is a group of 6-8 people who will share a meal and share conversation. Meet with Pastor Jeff Lilley and share your faith journey. Pastor Jeff is interested in learning how we can be active in ministry and live out what God is calling us to do.

We are seeking people to host the gatherings beginning the weekend of May 11 to 13, through the month of June. We will not schedule Ohana gatherings for the weekend of Pastor’s installation service, which is May 20. Contact Olivia Castro or Jerelyn Watanabe through the Church Office (941-2566) if you are interested in hosting a gathering in your home or at LCH.

Look for sign-up sheets in the courtyard between services.

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The new hymnals are in the pews!

Thank you, thank you, to all the people who so generously donated towards purchasing the “cranberry” hymnals. They are in the pews and were used for the first time on April 15. Next time you are looking through the hymnal, turn to the front to see who donated it.

If there is an error on a bookplate, please contact the church office.

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Operation Backpack

Once again, the “angels” of LCH have come through for the less fortunate. The items collected for Operation Backpack were taken to the Angel Network at Calvary by the Sea and sorted and packed for distribution last week. Elderly individuals living in low-income housing, residents of transitional housing projects, the homeless on the beaches in the Waianae area, clients of the Angel Network, and individuals living in the VA center in Kalaeloa were served. A “Big Mahalo” to all!

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Giving Statements, Offering Envelopes, etc.

Statements of giving for the first quarter of 2007 are available for review. Please pick yours up at church to save on postage. We do our best to accurately record your contributions so that you have proper documentation at tax time, but mistakes do happen. Please review your statement and let us know about any errors by telling the church office or Financial Secretary Bill Potter.

We are grateful for all contributions, whether they come by check, cash, or electronic funds transfer (EFT). If you would like weekly offering envelopes and did not get them at the end of 2006, just call the church office or leave a note in the offering plate, and we will be happy to give you a set. If you would like information about EFT, please contact Bill Potter.

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May Day Concert

“May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii,” and it’s also the eve before the opening of the Pacifica Synod. In hopes to encourage friendship and share our genuine “welcoming” spirit, we are gathering for an evening of enjoyment at the Brothers Cazimero May Day Concert. We have purchased 20 tickets for the lawn area. Cost of a ticket is $25.00. Join us for some great music and an LCH-style potluck picnic. Make plans now for this SPLENDIFEROUS evening!

For more information, please contact Peggy Anderson through the Church Office (941-2566).

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May Assembly

This year, the Pacifica Synod Assembly will be at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Hotel, May 2-5. As hosts for some 800 people, there are a great many details to which we as Hukilau congregations must attend, including sharing the unique ministry of LCH with a busload of visitors on May 3 at 12 Noon. A LCH coordinator is needed to help identify and train our volunteers. Sign-up sheets for specific tasks are on the bulletin board in the courtyard. A LCH display table will be set up at the Assembly and also needs volunteers to share information about our ministry. The Assembly schedule and list of volunteer needs is posted on the bulletin board.

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Every Day Is Earth Day

The Oahu Invasive Species Committee leads a volunteer service trip on the second Saturday of each month. Come spend a day in the woods, protecting Oahu from invasive species.

Service trips last from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and usually involve an hour-long hike, a few hours of pulling weeds, and lots of fun.

For more information call 286-4616, email disc@hawaii.edu, or visit www.oahuisc.org on the web.

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Writers’ Workshop

Writers’ Workshop will meet on Monday, May 7, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm in the pastor’s office at LCH. This will be our final meeting for the Spring season.

Our first Fall meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 13.

All are welcome. For more information, please contact Kathryn Klingebiel through the Church Office (941-2566).

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In Stitches

The church craft group will continue to meet through the summer on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from 9:00 to 11:00 am in the Boardroom. We work on our own crafts, or make pillow, lei, and other items for the church. The next few meetings are May 12 and 26, and June 9 and 23. Contact Linda Miller through the Church Office (941-2566) for more information or encouragement.

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The Young Organist, April 21st

Performers at The Young Organist concert. Nearly 100 people attended the concert which was a benefit for the Organ Maintenance Fund and the American Guild of Organists Scholarship Fund.

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Process Theology Workshop

“It’s About Time”

Process Theology Series Continues: “It’s About Time”—Yes, that is the theme of the session on Saturday, May 12, 9:30-11:00 a.m. at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. The concept of time has puzzled people and cultures for millennia. Evidence of various models of time, from cyclical and mythical to progressive and purposive, can still be observed today. Come and see what a Process Thought perspective has to contribute to the conundrums of time—past, present and future. Discussion led by Fritz Fritschel

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The Annual Mother’s Day Benefit Bakery Sale, Sunday, May 13

This popular event returns to LCH. Homemade baked goods made by our own members, fair trade coffees and DIVINE fair trade chocolate bars will be available in the courtyard between services. This year, some lo-cal items will be available, along with the wonderful gooey goodies we’ve enjoyed in the past. Anyone who would like to contribute baked goods please speak to Carol Langner or Peggy Brandt from the Social Ministry Committee.

The Social Ministry Committee wanted to find a way to support medical treatment for people caught in the violence in the Middle East. Therefore, the proceeds from this year’s sale will be donated to the Augusta Victoria Hospital in Palestine/Jerusalem. The AV Hospital was founded in 1907 by Kaiser Wilhelm II in honor of his wife and is now owned by the Lutheran World Federation. It is located on the Mount of Olives. With the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, the International Committees of the Red Cross established AVH as a hospital for the Palestinian Refugees displaced after 1948. In 1950, the United Nations Relief and Works Administration (UNRWA) took over responsibility for the Palestinian Refugees. To this day, 75% of the hospital’s referrals are made by UNRWA.

Since the victory of the Hamas party in Palestinian elections in January 2006, the hospital has been operating in a financial crisis. The international community has frozen aid and the Israeli government has withheld Palestinians’ tax revenues. International aid still comes to Palestinians from the European Union, the U.S., Arab countries, and humanitarian groups, all bypassing the Palestinian government. Even so, the hospital is hard pressed to pay salaries and to purchase medical supplies and equipment.

From the Mission Statement: The Augusta Victoria Hospital is a health care institution of the Lutheran World Federation. The mission of the LWF is to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ by providing, in part, diaconal action, the alleviation of human suffering, and the promotion of peace and human rights. The Augusta Victoria Hospital furthers this mission by providing health care within the context of East Jerusalem, Israel, and in the West Band without regard to race, creed, sex, or national origin.

The Augusta Victoria Hospital is committed to the development and maintenance of the highest standard of diagnostic and clinical services relevant to the needs, both present and anticipated, of the emerging Palestinian Health System.

The Hospital will demonstrate its Christian witness through the spirit of its personnel in their dedication to and care of the well being of patients. Consistent with its character and reflective of its special witness, the Hospital will provide services for those in social or economic need, with a priority of service to Palestinian refugees.

Lutheran World Federation is headquartered in Geneva Switzerland. The LWF President is Mark S. Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the ELCA. Total membership of LWF is 66.7 million people worldwide, including members of LCH! Information about LWF is available at www.lutheranworld.org. Information on the Augusta Victoria Hospital is available at <www.avh.org>. Several short articles have been included in The Lutheran magazine over the past two years about the financial crisis and resulting challenge of delivering medical care. You can search the website at <www.thelutheran.org> to read these articles.

See you at the Bakery!

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Food for Thought

Food for Thought will meet for our usual monthly potluck supper and discussion at the home of Irmgard Hormann on Saturday, May 26, at 6:30 pm. All are welcome.

For directions or information, please contact Linda Miller through the Church Office (941-2566).

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Game Night

Potluck, games and fun on the fourth Saturday of every month...May 26, June 23, and July 28 at 6:30 pm at Stephanie Miller’s home in Kaimuki. Bring a game. For more information, contact Stephanie Miller through the Church Office (941-2566).

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Children’s Sermon

Pastor Jeff talks to the children about “fishing for people.”

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What’s New on the LCH Website?

by Bill Potter

This is a season of change at LCH—a new pastor, new hymnals, and now podcasts of sermons. For those of you who are not familiar with the term, Wikipedia defines podcast as “a digital media file, or a series of such files, that is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on portable media players and personal computers.” If that doesn’t make much sense, think of it as a way to get audio or video sent to your computer on a regular basis. CNN and NPR have podcasts and now so does LCH (or at least, we soon will).

You could say I didn’t have a choice since Pastor Jeff does not preach from a manuscript, and no one has time to transcribe the sermons. But moving to audio files/podcasts for sermons is a natural since these days sermons are meant to be listened to and not read. We will be recording sermons, changing them into digital audio files, and posting them on our website. Then individuals all over the world can listen to them on their computers or iPods. We also hope to make them available on the iTunes Store.

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IHS Fundraiser—used ink cartridges and old cell phones

Drop your used printer ink cartridges/toners and old cell phones (handsets and batteries only) at the church office or in a drop box located at the church. Two companies will turn the cartridges and cell phones into CA$H. The minimum we can send in is 50 cartridges and 35 cell phones. We have collected 35 cartridges and 34 cell phones.

Proceeds raised go towards supporting the Institute for Human Services meals for the homeless.

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Angel Network

The Angel Network, hosted at Calvary by the Sea, is the Hukilau’s food bank for feeding the homeless and destitute. Please consider including them in your regular grocery shopping. Bring cooked meat items and other food and toiletry items to church on Sundays.

Those who travel are encouraged to collect hotel soaps, shampoos/conditioners, and lotions for them.

The Angel Network also need your assistance on Thursdays and Fridays to stock shelves and fill grocery bags. Call Nikki Silverstein at 358-6954 to volunteer.

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Keep in Your Prayers...

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Earth Day at LCH—April 22, 2007

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May Birthdays

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Heart Beat Deadline

Next Heart Beat Deadline is Tuesday, May 22!

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Calendar: May 2007

Wednesday, May 2

6:30 PM Pacifica Synod Assembly—Opening Worship—St. Augustine’s, Waikiki

Thursday, May 3

7:00 PM LCH Choir Rehearsal

Sunday, May 6—Palm Sunday

8:00 AM Holy Communion

10:30 AM Choral Eucharist

6:30 PM Joint Confirmation—Christ Lutheran, Mililani

8:30 PM Pre-Compline Discussion

9:00 PM Compline

Monday, May 7

7:00 PM Writers’ Workshop

Tuesday, May 8

6:30 PM Worship and Music

Wednesday, May 9

12:30 PM Finance Committee

Thursday, May 10

7:00 PM LCH Choir Rehearsal

Saturday, May 12

9:00 AM In Stitches

9:30 AM Process Theology Workshop

10:00 AM Calvary Kids Car Wash

Sunday, May 13—Happy Mother’s Day

8:00 AM Holy Communion

10:30 AM Choral Eucharist

12:00 Noon Process Theology Workshop

12:30 PM Lunch Bunch

8:30 PM Pre-Compline Discussion

9:00 PM Compline

Tuesday, May 15

6:00 PM Executive Committee

6:30 PM Council Meeting

Thursday, May 17

7:00 PM LCH Choir Rehearsal

Friday, May 18

1:30 PM Prepare IHS Meals

5:30 PM Serve IHS Meals

Sunday, May 20—Jacob Burkman’s Farewell

8:00 AM Holy Communion

9:10 AM Learning Ministries

10:30 AM Choral Eucharist

4:00 PM Installation of Pastor Jeff Lilley

8:30 PM Pre-Compline Discussion

9:00 PM Compline

Tuesday, May 22

9:00 AM Heart Beat Deadline

Wednesday, May 23

6:30 PM Confirmation—Calvary by the Sea

Thursday, May 24

10:30 AM Joint Confirmation Planning

7:00 PM LCH Choir Rehearsal

Saturday, May 26

9:00 AM In Stitches

6:00 PM Food for Thought—Irmgard’s

6:30 PM Game Night

Sunday, May 27—Pentecost

8:00 AM Holy Communion

9:10 AM Learning Ministries

10:30 AM Choral Eucharist

6:30 PM Confirmation Sunday—Calvary by the Sea

8:30 PM Pre-Compline Discussion

9:00 PM Compline

Monday, May 28—Memorial Day—Office Closed

Tuesday, May 29

6:00 PM OYEA Concert

Wednesday, May 30

9:00 AM Heart Beat Mailing

6:30 PM 8:00 O’clock Ensemble rehearsal

Thursday, May 31

7:00 PM LCH Choir Rehearsal (Final rehearsal for season)

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