Congregational Life at LCH—January, February, and March 2012

Lenten Wednesdays

In keeping with tradition, members of the congregation gather each Wednesday evening during Lent for food and fellowship, worship, and book study.

The evenings begin at 6:00 PM with homemade soup, healthy salads, and nutritious bread for supper in the Hörmann Courtyard. As important as the delicious food is the nourishing table fellowship. Following dinner, everyone pitches in for the clean up and then moves to the Nave for Holden Evening Prayer at 7:00.

After worship, there is also intellectual stimulation in the book study. This year we are reading Walter Brueggemann’s Journey to the Common Good.

At left, attendees serve up their dinner of soup, salad, and bread in the kitchen. Additional photos are available on the LCH Facebook page.

Eighth Annual Fill the Ark Benefit Concert

A Nave full of family, friends, and music lovers enjoyed the eighth annual Children’s Benefit Concert on Saturday, March 3. The concert was the kick-off for the children’s yearly challenge for the congregation to purchase an ark of animals from Heifer International for poor children and families around the world.

The concert featured the F.R.O.G.S. (Families Revering Our God in Song) Choir and Chamber Orchestra; individual performances on the piano, violin, cello, and organ; vocal and piano duets; hula; a poetry recitation; and even a kung fu demonstration.

At right, the F.R.O.G.S. sing and play “Sing Alleluia” by Sue Ellen Page for the finale.

Additional pictures from the concert are available in the Benefit Concert 2012 slideshow.

Associate Pastor Candidate Visits LCH

Beginning on Thursday, February 24, our associate pastor candidate has been visiting LCH. She and her husband have been meeting with members and friends of LCH, participating in worship, and getting to know Honolulu.

A key part of the visit was a potluck and “meet and greet” on Saturday evening. Because of the threatening weather, tables for dinner were set up in Isenberg Hall, but the rain did hold off so that the social hour before dinner and the meditation following dinner could be held in the Courtyard.

At left, members enjoy the potluck dinner.

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Lent Begins on Ash Wednesday

Lent began on February 22 with the traditional Ash Wednesday liturgy with imposition of ashes.

At right, the ministers and assistants serve communion to choir members as part of the liturgy.

In addition to regular Sunday worship services, members of the congregation will gather each Wednesday evening for a soup and salad supper at 6:00 PM, followed by worship at 7:00 and book study at 7:30. This year’s book is Journey to the Common Good by Walter Brueggemann.

Remembering Ruth Johnson

A capacity crowd filled the Nave on Sunday afternoon, February 19, as family and friends from the congregation and the congregation gathered to remember Ruth Johnson, who died on February 3.

Ruth was the beloved wife of Don Johnson, long-time pastor of LCH, and served as superintended of the LCH Sunday School for many years.

A Night of Volleyball

Members of the congregation gathered Saturday evening, February 18, for a barbecue at the church and the carpooled to UH for the men’s volleyball match with UH. Nick Castello, who grew up in the congregation, is libero and tri-captain of the team.

At right, the group takes a break from the action to smile for the camera. Nick’s proud parents, Randy and Jeanne Castello, are on the right in the second row.

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Young and Old Enjoy Faith and Arts Sunday

Members and friends of all ages thronged the displays in the Hörmann Courtyard for LCH’s annual Faith and Arts Sunday on February 12. There were Legos and knitting, sculpture and preserves, photography and scrapbooks, paintings and ribbon lei, collages and drawings, earbuds and poetry, stained glass and drawings, prose and crochet, and even a dramatic reenactment of a Bible story during worship.

If you missed this event, photos of most of the items displayed are included in the Faith and Arts 2012 slideshow, the poetry and prose are posted in the Small Groups section, and a recording of the dramatic presentations is available on the Children’s Conversation page.

Thanks to all the artists who displayed their work and to Linda Miller who coordinated the event.

At left, members and friends, young and old examine items on the display tables on Faith and Arts Sunday.

LCH Parks Cars for Punahou Carnival

The first weekend in February, and the people of Honolulu had much to be happy about. It was Punahou Carnival, and for the fourth year in a row, it wasn’t raining. In addition to the good weather, a small number of lucky carnival-goers were pleased with the newly-paved parking lot at LCH—easy in and easy out, spacious stalls, and a smooth concrete surface.

LCH youth and adults were happy about another feature of the new lot. Based on Pam Buckley’s suggestion, holes had been included at entrances to the parking lot so temporary bollards could be installed to control movement in and out. So, instead of renting safety barriers to be positioned Thursday night, all they had to do was unscrew the covers and insert the PVC bollards. On Friday morning, when they were ready to begin parking cars, they just pulled out a couple of the bollards, and customers could drive right in.

Of course, everyone at LCH was also happy that there was lots of business to generate parking donations in support of youth activities throughout the year.

Additional photos are available on the LCH Facebook page.

Parking Lot Dedicated

Members and friends gathered in the new back parking lot on Saturday evening, January 28, for a brief service of dedication and celebration. The dedication followed a bountiful potluck and preceded the second half of the annual Congregational Meeting held that evening.

The brief service was held as the sun was setting and included a psalm and dedicatory prayer. In addition, leis were given to individuals who had planned and coordinated the renovation project.

At left, Pastor Jeff says a few words of thanks following the dedicatory prayer.

Painting the Stripes for the Parking Lot

On Saturday, January 7, workers arrived to stripe the parking lot. The workers began to lay out all the lines that would be painted, carefully measuring the angles and dividing the space so everything would be perfect. Once that was done, the put down the lines with a precision spray machine. The final step was labeling the spots that are reserved on weekdays for Punahou parkers.

The new lot has diagonal stalls and one-way traffic entering from Dominis Street and exiting onto Poki Street. There are two handicapped stalls, one on either side of the walkway into the courtyard.

Once they had finished with the back parking lot, the workers also repainted the stripes on the Poki Lot.

At right, one of the workers uses the precision spraying machine to paint parking lines.

Additional photos are available on the LCH Facebook page.

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