Congregational Life at LCH—July, August, and September 2008

Aloha to Church Administrator Coleen Howard

The people of LCH bid a fond aloha to Coleen Howard, church administrator, as she leaves LCH to accept a new job. Coleen has been an important part of the LCH ‘ohana for the last two and a half years, staffing the office, producing The HeartBeat, and participating in a variety of events from In Stitches to Pau Hana Fridays.

The congregation was able to wish Coleen aloha in person at both morning worship services on Sunday, September 28. At left, she poses for a quick photo beside one of the cakes honoring her.

Replacing Coleen as church administrator is Kanani Rosehill.

Preparing for Michaelmas Vespers

The LCH Choir and members of the Bach Chamber Orchestra were hard at work Saturday afternoon, September 27, as they prepared for Solemn Vespers and Compline on the Eve of the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, or Michaelmas, as it was called in England. This feast honors the Archangel Michael and has been popular in Northern Europe since the Middle Ages.

Vespers, scheduled for 7:00 PM on Sunday, September 28, will feature Bach’s Cantata 130: Herr Good, dich loben alle wir, one of four cantatas Bach wrote for this festival. and Herbert Howells’ Magnificat. (Howells’ Nunc dimittis will be performed at Compline, sung at 9:00 PM.) Refreshments will be provided in the courtyard between the two services. Poster (PDF) and detailed music list.

At right, Keane Ishii and the Bach Chamber Orchestra under Carl Crosier rehearse his aria Der alte Drache brennt vor Neid (The old dragon is consumed with envy), an exuberant number with trumpets and tympani, with a text derived from the battle between Michael and the devil in the form of a dragon recounted in Revelations.

Gerda Turner Celebrates 93rd Birthday with Writers’ Workshop

It’s not everyday one gets to celebrate someone’s 93rd birthday, and the honoree was not just anyone. Gerda Turner, long-time member of LCH, marked that milestone on September 15 with members of the Writers’ Workshop. (Her actually birthday was a few days earlier on September 10.) Gerda has been a faithful participant in the Workshop, and her prose has been a regular part of their displays on Faith and Arts Sunday.

At left, Gerda poses for a picture with Workshop participant Jim Cartwright before enjoying birthday cupcakes.

Writers’ Workshop is a group for all who want help putting their thoughts on paper. Follow this link to read more about the Writers’ Workshop or to find links to examples of their work.

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A Busy Saturday at LCH

With the new school year well under way, LCH has settled into its normal busy pace, and the campus was full of activity on Saturday morning, September 13.

Members of In Stitches, the LCH craft group, gathered to work on needlepoint, ribbon lei, and other activities at 9:00. In Stitches meets on the second and fourth Saturday of each month throughout the year.

At 9:30, the Process Thought discussion group (right) met in Isenberg to consider prayer from a process perspective. The group will convene on the second Saturday of each month (with a repeat discussion the following Sunday at noon) through May.

At 10:00, the archives work group (left) got back to the task of reviewing and conserving the church archives. The group is led by Jim Cartwright (standing), an archivist with the UH libraries. Joining him were Marlise Tellander, Chuck Huxel, and Jean-Paul Klingebiel.

If that weren’t enough, Food for Thought and the Mary Magdalene Society were scheduled to meet in the evening. A busy Saturday at LCH!

Mary Magdalene Society Bottles Wine for LutherFest

Members of LCH’s Mary Magdalene Society returned to the Diamond Head Winery on Sand Island Access Road on Saturday, September 6, to bottle the new wine for the upcoming LutherFest celebration scheduled for Saturday, October 25. The group had decided on a hearty Luna Rossa at their June 21 wine tasting, and the vintage was ready for bottling.

See more pictures in the LutherFest Wine Bottling Slideshow.

Sunday School Year Kicks Off with Rally Day

Sunday, August 31, marked the end of summer and the beginning of the school year with the annual Sunday School Rally day. Although Sunday School classes had been meeting informally for a few weeks, this was the day for parents to register their children.

At left, Norman and Becky Gibson register their two children for Sunday School classes with Linda Miller, one of our two Sunday School coordinators. Registration took place in Hörmann Courtyard, under a tent decorated with prayer flags that children had made the previous Sunday.

Information about the various Sunday School classes and special activities planned for the semester is available on the Children page.

Seminarian Jacob Burkman Returns to Preach

LCH member Jacob Burkman, home from Luther Seminary for his Clinical Pastoral Education at Queen’s Hospital, preached at both services on Sunday, August 17. At right, he uses his dirty hands to illustrate the point of the children’s conversation. (Listen to Jacob’s sermon or children’s conversation.)

Following his return to seminary, Jacob wrote, “My heartfelt thanks goes out to the ‘ohana at LCH for all that you have done and continue to do in supporting my education in preparation for ministry in the church. It was wonderful to have the chance to be ‘home’ again in Hawaii this summer and to worship at LCH. It was great to see all of you again, and even though I have only been gone for a short time, I find my myself missing you and LCH.”

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The Serving Line

Friday, August 15, may have been a holiday for some in Hawai‘i, but there was no day off at the Institute for Human Services (IHS, Honolulu’a full-service homeless shelter). And since it was the third Friday of the month, the LCH team was there to prepare and serve a delicious meal of meatloaf, rice, hot vegetables, peaches, and dessert.

At left, Bill Potter, Mary-Jo Estes, Rudy Riigen, and Kira Ann T. prepare plates to be served. Also helping were Billie Jean Ries and Lori Nishimura.

If you’d like to help next month, see the Castros or call the Church Office (941-2566). Cooking begins at 1:00, and dinner is served beginning at 5:30 PM, the third Friday of each month.

Pot Luck Says Aloha to Summer and the Schmidts

August 10 was the last Sunday of the summer worship schedule, and the Fellowship Committee marked the occasion with a potluck. In venerable LCH tradition, the serving table was laden with a wide range of delicious offerings

This was also the last Sunday for the Schmidt family who are moving to North Carolina. Pastor Jeff called the whole family forward at the beginning of worship, and they were presented with lei.

At right, tables fill the courtyard for the potluck, with the Schmidt family at the center table.

Pau Hana Friday at Ala Moana Beach Park

Originally there had been some disappointment because we could not hold this second Pau Hana Friday at Magic Island like the last one, but the alternate location in Ala Moana Beach Park turned out to be much better. They didn’t have to move the grill so far, parking was better, and it was easier to find. God does move in mysterious ways!

There was another good crowd, the grilled food was delicious, and a variety of side dishes made for a wonderful evening.

At left, the group enjoyed friendly conversation following dinner.

See more pictures in the Pau Hana Gathering Slideshow.

Emptying the Music Storage Room

A new storage system has been ordered for LCH’s extensive music collection, but before it can be installed, everything had to be emptied out of the storage room behind the organ. Once Pastor Jeff and Seth had opened the side door to the blower room during the week, the stage was set so the filing cabinets could be moved out. A sizeable crew gathered on Saturday morning, July 26, and got to work. At right, Jim Sullivan—the man with the plan—supervises as one of the file cabinets full of music is moved out of the room.

Thanks to all those who helped with the move: Allen Bauchle Sr. , Allen Bauchle Jr. , Ken Bauchle, Randy Castello, Carl Crosier, Kathy Crosier, Edward Ichikawa, George Pascal, Jim Sullivan, and Jerome Vasconcellos.

See more pictures from the move in the Music Storage Room Slideshow.

A Day of Transitions

Sunday, July 20, was a day of transitions for three members of the LCH congregation as Don and Biz Person prepared to leave Honolulu and Marian Myers celebrated her 80th birthday.

Don Person and Biz Person (on the left in this picture), long-time members of the congregation, had planned to leave Honolulu on Sunday, but medical issues have prolonged their stay a bit longer. Don is former president of the Church Council and chair of the 2004–06 Capital Campaign. Biz has been a stalwart member of In Stitches. Once Don is able to travel, they will be relocating to San Antonio.

Marian Myers (on the right), another long-time member of the congregation, celebrated her birthday with family members from as far away as Germany.

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The Joy of Serving

We all remember Jesus’ saying that it is more blessed to give than to receive, but who knew that one of those blessings was ‘ono meatloaf. That just one part of the reward on the third Friday of each month when folks from LCH prepare and serve dinner for guests at IHS (Institute for Human Services, Honolulu’s full-service homeless shelter). Every month a happy crew prepares the meal of meatloaf (with real meat!), mixed vegetables, salad, and more. Then others join them to serve the meal. The serving was a challenge in July since there were only four of us, but the smiles on Olivia, Jimmy, and Rudy’s faces in the picture on the right tell you it was worth it.

The date for our next dinner is Friday, August 15. Contact Jimmy or Olivia Castro for more information.

Jamming in the Boardroom

LCH’s monthly Aloha Jam tried out a new venue in July—the Boardroom. No matter where they set up, the group enjoys a range of musical styles and good fellowship.

Everyone is welcome to bring their instruments and join in the Aloha Jam on the second Monday of every month. The next Jam is scheduled for Monday, August 11.

Wapo at Erdman a Big Success

Youth from all over the Hukilau Conference gathered from a summer camp experience at Camp Erdman on the North Shore during the first week of July. In past years, Hukilau youth had journeyed to Camp Wapogasset (“Wapo”) in Wisconsin for camp, but this year Wapo counselors brought the camp experience here to the Island of O‘ahu. Camp was a week of fun, fellowship, and great opportunities to learn about God’s Word with the theme: “Blessings from God.”

At right, campers and counselors line up for a group shot on the beach. Can you find our own Jordan M. in the picture?

Adam Burke, OYEA coordinator, promises more pictures soon. Watch for them either on our website or the forthcoming OYEA website.

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