The HeartBeat—July 2009

A Message from Pastor Jeff

Simple Pleasures

Judging from conversations with several LCH families, July is vacation time! Some of our members are traveling off island to exotic locations like China or Great Britain. Others are heading to the Mainland to visit family or relax with friends. Some of us, however, are evoking the newly coined practice of “staycation.” Yep, that means taking your vacation without actually going anywhere. While not as romantic, exciting, or life-changing as an exotic vacation abroad, there is something pretty cool and biblical about a “staycation.”

Have you ever noticed that the Bible doesn’t seem to say a lot about vacations? I wonder where Joshua went after a hard fought battle to rest and recuperate. Did Samuel take a week on the beach during the tourist season? Did Isaiah take in the camel races after a hard year of prophesy? Did Jonah go fishing? The Bible doesn’t seem to say much at all about vacations. It is likely that for most of the population, the idea of time away from the daily tasks of raising a family, providing food, and surviving was unknown. But we do know that our biblical heroes did understand the value of time out for rejuvenation.

King David balanced his warrior vocation with music and poetry. Lavish meals and gatherings for weddings were times for the community to gather to relax and share laughter, food, wine, and dance. Jesus was known to “go off to a lonely place alone” where he took time for prayer, meditation, and respite. We should also take time away from our daily work for ourselves, our families, and our communities. A recent poll quoted on CNN (June 10, 2009) showed that workers who have managed to keep their jobs are showing high levels of stress as they take on the work left by layoffs and early retirements. Now more than ever, we need to pay attention to our physical, spiritual, and mental health. By taking time to rest and rejuvenate, we strengthen ourselves and our relationships for the future. How can those of us who can afford neither the time nor the money for a traditional vacation find a little rest?

Start by making “breathing moments” in your day. A friend of mine uses his time between phone calls and meetings to take “mini vacations.” He reads scripture, meditates, or takes a walk around his building to break up the day. The key is that he is intentional about “harvesting time” for himself. For something a little more extended, grab the family and spend a Saturday at the beach. Even better, if you have a day of vacation to burn, take yourself and/or the kids to the beach on Monday! Pack lunch and a book and head on out. I know a lot of folks don’t like Waikiki, but if you are looking for a cheap and relaxing afternoon or evening, it is hard to beat. The key is low stress. Park at the Ala Wai Boat Harbor for 25¢ an hour (not a misprint), walk up the beach, and enjoy several venues of (free) music at the Hilton. Watch the sunset (free) from the beach in front of the Outrigger Reef Hotel while listening to live music at the Shorebird. Walk up to Kuhio Beach and the hula mound near the Duke Kahanamoku statue for a free hula show between 6:30 and 7:30 every day except Monday. I don’t mean to sound like a tourist guide, but we really do sometimes forget that we already live in a vacation destination—a perfect place for a staycation.

The point is that we do—despite all the pressure from our bosses, boards, and family—need to take time to let our bodies and our minds rest, recover, and rejuvenate. We need to take Sabbath seriously and engage in meaningful worship and fellowship with our church ‘ohana. We need to take moments or even days to pay attention to God, our families, our bodies, and our hearts so that we can joyfully return to our vocations invigorated (or at least a little less grumpy). So, go fishing with Jonah, play music with David, or pray with Jesus, but take time to take care of God’s precious gift—yourself.

Pastor Jeff Lilley
pr.jeff@lchwelcome.org

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June Council Minutes

The LCH Council met on June 16, 2009. Here is a brief recap of the items discussed.

• For the month of May, plate offerings were good; we are catching up with budget.
• Punahou student summer parking is all rented out. Fall contracts for student parking will be mailed out in July. We have a waiting list.
• We are getting donations from the appeal letters that were sent out.
• Committees are looking into creating more classes to encourage fellowship and get newcomers involved.

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Angel Network—Gather in Giving!

The June in-gathering for the Angel Network was satisfying. A shopping cart with saimin, canned goods, Spam, and personal care items was collected for the Angel Network located at Calvary by the Sea Lutheran Church. Thank you for all your support. In-gatherings are scheduled for the first Sunday of each month, so your next opportunity to participate is July 5th.

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Leadership Roundtable

Sunday, July 5th, at 10:30 AM, the chairperson or another representative of each committee will meet in the Boardroom with Pastor Jeff and Council President Olivia Castro. This meeting, repeated the first Sunday of every month, is to enhance communications among committees. See you there!

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Members smile for the camera as they dish up the last few plates of LCH meatloaf at the monthly feeding of guests at IHS, Honolulu’s homeless shelter. You can join them the third Friday of the month. Just contact Jimmy or Olivia Castro, or call the Church Office.

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Process Thought Forum

The July Process Forum deserves attention! Saturday, July 11th, 9:30–11:00 AM, we will listen to and discuss “With Everlasting Love,” an audio presentation by Rabbi B. Artson, describing the use of Process Thought in Jewish Theology. In this fascinating talk, you will not only learn something about process thinking but also find out more about the Jewish tradition. Please consider coming, even as a newcomer. There will be a repeat session on Sunday, July 12th, around 10:30 AM.

Contact Fritz through the Church Office (941-2566) for further information.

(Webmaster’s Note: Rabbi Artson’s presentation is available at <www.ctr4process.org/media/>.)

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OYEA Summer Camp 2009

Camp Erdman on the North Shore
June 28–July 3 (Sunday–Friday)

Our junior and senior high youth (7th–12th graders) will be at Summer Bible Camp at Camp Erdman on the North Shore the week of June 28. OYEA brought over professional counselors from Camp WAPO in Wisconsin to lead this week of fun, fellowship, and great opportunities for our youth to learn about God’s word.

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In Stitches is Building up its Inventory

We have had so many wonderful visitors the last few weeks that we are dangerously low on leis. If you are one of our faithful suppliers, could you pick up the ribbon at church and craft a few for us? If you would like to learn how to make the ribbon lei, we would love to teach you.

In Stitches, the LCH craft group, is taking a break for the month of July, but we return on Saturday, August 8. We meet the second and the fourth Saturday of every month from 9 to 11 AM in the Boardroom. We welcome all to enjoy fellowship while working with our hands. You can bring your own project or work on a craft/create something for the church.

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Opening Your Spiritual Gifts

Have you seen the new bulletin board designed by Carol Langner and Bill Potter? The “Opening Your Spiritual Gifts” display further describes the spiritual gifts you identified when you took the Spiritual Gifts Inventory a few months ago and allows you to get involved in a particular ministry that utilizes that gift. All you have to do is:

1. Find the spiritual gift that you are gifted with.
2. Lift up the flap, read about that spiritual gift, identify a ministry that seems right for you, and fill out the card tucked under the flap.
3. Place the completed card in the Honu box.
4. Your information will be collected, and you’ll be contacted by the coordinator of the ministry so you can try out your gift.

Everyone has several spiritual gifts, so please fill out as many cards as you wish in order to try out the various ministries that your gifts match.

Didn’t get a chance to take the Spiritual Gifts Inventory? If you look to the left of the main bulletin board, you will find printed inventory sheets that you can take and fill out. If you’d like “to be green” and take the inventory on line, you can find a slip of paper with the URL to do so. (You can also review the information found in the bulletin board online. Just go to <www.lchwelcome.org/gifts>.)

We hope you will take this opportunity to find what your Spiritual Gifts are, and most importantly, try out your gifts in one or more of the marvelous ministries here at LCH. Please ask anyone of us on the Stewardship Committee if you have any questions.

Pam Buckley, Jeanne Castello,
Bill Potter and April Smith

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“Spiritual Phases” is Back (with Nursery Attendants)!

Some mothers of small children and choir members said they would have liked to attend the recently finished course on the Phases of Spiritual Development. Here’s another chance! While there is one service during the summer, we have arranged for the nursery attendants to stay for an hour after the single service so that parents and whoever desires can attend a repeat of the Seven Phases of Spiritual Development Course, led by Steve Miller. We will discuss our personal experiences and how they parallel the guidance of Christianity and many other religions. Please come, share your experiences of change in life, and learn what life might have in store for you next!

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Food for Thought

Food for Thought will meet for our next potluck supper and discussion at the home of Irmgard Hörmann on Saturday, August 1st, at 6:30 PM. All are welcome. For directions or information, please contact Kathryn Klingebiel through the Church Office (941-2566).

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Writers’ Workshop

Writers’ Workshop will meet next on Monday, August 3rd, 7:00-8:30 PM in the Boardroom (or the Rainbow Room) at LCH. All are welcome. For information, please call Kathryn Klingebiel through the Church Office (941-2566).

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What’s New on the LCH Website?

Bill Potter, Webmaster

As you will have read earlier in this HeartBeat, we have added a number of pages to the LCH website that will help each of us identify our spiritual gifts and put them to work in God’s service at LCH.

You can get to the introductory page with this URL: <www.lchwelcome.org/gifts>, and from there you can study the scriptural background, take the interactive Spiritual Gifts Inventory, and then explore your own individual gifts.

When you get to the “Exploration of Use” page, just click on the icon of one of your gifts and the explanatory material appears in the middle of the array. The explanation includes a listing of ministries at LCH where you can put that particular gift to use.

As you explore your gifts, when you see a ministry at LCH that appeals to you, just click on the link at the end of the explanation, and you can send form mail to one of our Spiritual Gifts team volunteering to “try out” that ministry. Your name and contact information will be forwarded to the coordinator of that ministry, and you’ll be contracted to get started. Part of the theory behind spiritual gifts is that we need to validate the gifts we identify by putting them to use, so we should all look on this as a chance to try out the gift and not a lifetime commitment.

We hope you will give the spiritual gifts “mini website” a try.

On a different matter, you may remember that a year or so ago we introduced the LCH Table Talk message boards on the LCH website. The message boards allow members and friends to exchange ideas from their computers and give our groups a secure site to discuss their issues. Since not many of us have gotten involved, we are going to reintroduce LCH Table Talk during the Christian Education hour following worship on Sunday, July 19, when the Stages of Spiritual Development series is on break. Come to the Boardroom for a demonstration of the capabilities of the message boards and to get help with the registration process. Join us on July 19, around 10:30.

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LCH GOLF* Anyone?

* Gosh Ole Lutherans have Fun

The newly formed “Golf’n’ Ohana” enjoyed their first outing on June 14th. The flags were really flying, and a glorious time was had by all.

Come join our next outing planned for:

Date: August 2nd @ Noon

Place: Fort Shafter

Don’t miss out. All skill levels are welcomed!

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To Everyone at LCH:

As many of you know, I just finished my Masters Degree program at Springfield College in May. I received an M.Ed. in Psychology (Concentration: School Counselling). Now the process of finding a job begins in earnest. I am relocating back to Tacoma, WA, where I lived during my undergraduate years at Pacific Lutheran University. My hope is that I will be hired to fill one of the positions I have applied for and begin a career as a middle school counsellor this fall.

The congregation of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu has continually supported me with your prayers and with scholarship money during my college journey. For this I am sincerely grateful. I have been blessed with a loving church family!

Now I hope to take everything that I have learned and begin a new path.

Mahalo nui loa,
Marisa Castello

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Youth Snorkel Trip

Pastor Jeff, Crescent, Sophie, and Mr. Cheng accompanied other Hukilau youth and adults on a snorkeling adventure sponsored by Island Divers Hawaii. We had a blast!

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Youth Learn about God’s ‘Aina

Members of the LCH youth group joined OYEA (Oahu Youth Education and Activities) for a fun an informative day at Calvary by the Sea Lutheran Church with Malama Maunalua Bay, an organization offering education and services to protect and revitalize the bay fronting Hawaii Kai and Aina Haina.

Seth holding a bonefish, or ‘o‘io, freshly caught by a local fisherman.

Youth participants were treated to hands-on research projects like measuring oxygen levels in the bay, checking for phosphates, and identifying invasive species of seaweed. By wading along the tidal wall to a nearby stream, the youth learned how important freshwater tidal areas are to certain species of sea life. The youth then walked along the shore removing invasive species of seaweed along with trash and debris.

Jordan and Andrew check phosphate levels.

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Attendance and Offerings for Sunday, June 28, 2009, were not available at time of publication.

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Prayer Requests

Charles	Mark
Ron	Ruby

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July Birthdays

Date	Name
7/02	David Del Rocco
7/05	Craig Clissold
7/07	Ann DeVallee
7/08	Linda Miller
7/09	Kathy Shibuya
7/10	Bobby Broyles
7/12	Norm Gibson
7/13	Melissa H.
7/14	Ellie Ann O.
7/16	Whitney Walker
7/17	Don Person
7/17	Bill Potter
7/19	Shane S.
7/20	Marian Myers
7/20	Audrey Keller
7/23	Karen Fay
7/24	Savannah M.
7/25	Lori Nishimura
7/25	Patricia Chamberlain
7/25	Georgine Stark
7/26	Eric Lentz
7/28	Tomi Haehnlen
7/28	Irmgard Hörmann
7/29	Robert Zimmer
7/31	Paul Kath
7/31	Kendall McCreary

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Heart Beat Deadline

Next Heart Beat Deadline is Tuesday, July 21!

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Heavenly Humor

The Wit and Wisdom of a Founding Father

When America was still a colony from 1732 to 1758, Benjamin Franklin authored and published an annual Poor Richard’s Almanack that was full of wit and wisdom, proverbs and maxims on industry, frugality, thrift, courtesy, and health. The Almanack became a best-seller, and was distributed free by clergy to poor parishioners. Here is some of Poor Richard’s maxims:

• “Many have quarreled about religion who never practiced it.”
• “None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing.”
• “Good sense and learning may esteem obtain, humor and wit a laugh, if rightly taken; fair virtue admiration may impart; but tis good-nature only wins the heart. It molds the body to an easy grace, and brightens every feature of the face; it smooths the unpolished tongue with eloquence, and adds persuasion to the finest sense.”
• “Great beauty, great strength, and great riches are really and truly of no great use; a right heart exceeds all.”
• “Virtue and happiness are mother and daughter.”
• “Don’t judge of men’s wealth or piety by their Sunday appearances.”
• “Love, and be loved.”
• “Those who are feared are hated.”
• “Nothing brings more pain than too much pleasure; nothing more bondage than too much liberty.”
• “Who has deceived thee as often as thyself?”
• “The learned fool writes his nonsense in better language than the unlearned, but still it is nonsense.”
• “Industry pays debts but despair increases them.”
• “God gives all things to industry.”
• “Have you something to do tomorrow? Do it today.”
• “Beware of little expense; a small leak will sink a whole ship.”
• “Pay what you owe and you will know what is your own.”

Out of the Mouths of God’s Kids

R. Alan Stewart, DDS, passed this one on from Grandma Gail:

A weary mother of four-year-old triplet boys went upstairs for the third time to settle them down for their bedtime. This time she raised her voice.

One of the boys said, “Mommy, God doesn’t like it when we yell.” His brother turned to him and said, “Do you think Daddy knows that?”

A six-year-old girl asked her grandmother: “Grandma, when you die, can you ask God one thing for me?”

“Sure, what do you want me to ask?” the grandmother replied.

“Ask Him, are dragons real?”

“How am I supposed to let you know what God says?” the grandmother asked.

“Just text me,” the girl said. “Don’t be a ghost. That would scare me.”

—via Jeff Totten
Lake Charles, LA

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