Congregational Life at LCH—April, May, and June 2012

Big LCH Group for One Pot One Hope

June 30 was the monthly One Pot One Hope gathering to feed homeless folks in Wai‘anae, sponsored by the Hukilau Conference of ELCA congregations in Hawai‘i, and eight folks from LCH piled in cars to make the journey out to Maluhia Lutheran Church to prepare the food.

Working with five folks from Christ Lutheran in Mililani and one woman from Maluhia, who opened up for us, the group prepared meals for more than one hundred. Each meal package consisted of a sandwich (peanut butter and jelly), chili and rice, a granola bar, and apple, and a personal care kit.

At left, the groups prepares containers of chili and rice for distribution. Additional photos are available on the LCH Facebook page.

LCHers will leave the parking lot at 9:15 AM on Saturday morning, July 28, for the next One Pot One Hope event. See Peggy Anderson for more information. Donations are also welcome. See the Social Ministry page for the list.

Sunday School Year Ends with Annual Fun Day

Not only was May 27 Pentecost, but being the last Sunday of May, it was also the last time for two morning worship services until fall and the annual Fun Day, marking the end of the Sunday School year.

The day began with hot dogs with all the fixings for everyone, followed by a variety of games and other activities in Isenberg Hall and around the Hörmann Courtyard. The children could choose for a variety of games of skill, craft activities, and the grab bag. Children who were successful at their games could choose from a variety of prizes.

At fight, two brothers plot strategy in a modified version of tic-tac-toe.

Additional photos from Fun Day are available on the LCH Facebook page.

Selecting Wine for LutherFest

With the welcome party for Pastor Angela in July, and the installation in August, there was a chance that the LCH wine cellar might run low on red wine. And we all know that we can’t let that happen, so more than twenty members and friends of the congregation headed over to Oeno Winemaking in Kailua on Saturday, May 26, to select a new wine that would be ready for LutherFest at the end of October.

While the stated purpose of the event was to choose the new red wine for LutherFest, there was also lots of ‘ono food and even more lively conversation. And several folks were looking for their own vintage to take home for personal enjoyment and gift giving. The group ended up tasting three different white wines and five different reds, and a couple of regulars twisted the owner’s arm to try out a couple of other wines. In the end, the group decided on the Italian Amarone for the LCH cellar.

If you want to be part of the process but missed the wine tasting, watch for bottling parties in late July or early August.

At left, Naomi Castro, Jerrik Feliciano, Karyn Castro, and Andrew McCaffrey taste some of the white wines.

Additional pictures are available in the Wine Tasting Slideshow.

Celebrating Earth Day

The abundant blessings of rain showers could not dampen the celebration of Earth Day at LCH. Between morning worship services, members of the congregation joined the teachers and students from the Sunday School in the parking lot for a dedication of the trees and ground cover planted as part of the Saturday work day.

Following brief remarks from Earth Day and parking lot coordinator Jim Sullivan and prayers led by Pastor Jeff, children from the Sunday School shoveled dirt for the ceremonial planting of a native milo tree, one of four trees planted along the Poki Street side of the new back parking lot.

At right, boys from the Sunday School enthusiastically shovel dirt onto the milo tree as part of the dedication of the new landscaping for the back parking lot.

More photos from the Earth Day celebration can be found on the LCH Facebook page.

Another Busy Saturday

The landscaping work day for the new parking lot began early, but as the saying goes, “many hands make light work.” Everyone got to work planting four trees on the Poki Street side of the parking lot, extending the mock orange hedge along the sidewalk, installing edging for the beds of ground cover and the drip irrigation system, and planting the ground cover.

At left, volunteers lay out the plants for the extension of the hedge after two of the new trees have been planted along the Poki Street side of the parking lot.

While the work crew was busy with their landscaping, members of the LCH Choir and Bach Chamber Orchestra gathered in the Nave to rehearse for their Abendmusiken Concert in the evening. Continuing the Bach Pilgrimage series, the concert would focus on work from 1726 while Bach was in Leipzig. The concert will include a partita for harpsichord, two cantatas, and a reprise of “Singet dem Herrn,” which was performed on Easter Sunday.

At right, tenor Renson Madarang rehearses his aria with the orchestra.

LCH at the Honolulu AIDS Walk

Again this year a team from LCH participated in the annual Honolulu AIDS Walk to benefit the Life Foundation.

Members of the team—who ranged in age from high school age to “mature”—had been busy for the last couple of weeks recruiting walkers and sponsors. They fell a little short of the ambitious goal of $2,500 dollars, but they exceeded their goal of twelve walkers by one.

At left, most of the walkers pose for a picture at the end of the walk.

A Busy Saturday

The Second Sunday of Easter is often referred to as “low Sunday,” but there was nothing low about the Saturday leading up to it. In Stitches was displaced from their regular meeting spot, so they gathered in the Hörmann Courtyard to work on ribbon lei and other crafts project. In the Boardroom, the Process Thought Forum considered “The Dao of Fungi.”

Meanwhile, out in the new parking lot, Pastor Jeff and members of the Property Committee installed the new irrigation system in preparation for tree planting on Earth Day Sunday, April 22. There were holes to be dug and water lines to be pushed through the conduits under the concrete. Then the fixtures could be put in place so the new trees would get enough water.

At right, Pastor Jeff and Jim Sullivan dig around the street side of the parking lot to expose the conduits so the water lines could be installed. Thanks also to Gary Brauer, Randy Castello, and Jim Niermann, who also helped with the work.

Saturday evening was LCH night at the spring fund drive at Hawai‘i Public Radio. Once again, Josie Bidgood had arranged for LCH to answer phones during that most Lutheran of public radio programs, A Prairie Home Companion. This spring, KHPR was rebroadcasting the New Years Eve show that was taped in Honolulu at the end of last year.

As always, Chuck Pearson provided the tuna hotdish, and other pitched in to provided a real Lutheran potluck for the volunteers and radio staff.

At left, Bob Zimmer and Frank Haas (facing the camera) from LCH talk with David Farmer and HPR’s Beth Ann Koslovich. Answering the phones were Josie Bidgood, Jim Cartwright, Chuck Pearson, and Bill Potter from LCH, along with Beth’s mother Carol Koslovich, who has helped out with enough of these LCH nights to become an honorary Lutheran.

A Joyful Easter Morn

Members, friends, and visitors gathered on Easter morning for two joyful worship services.

Between service, there was a delicious potluck brunch and a puppet show and Easter egg hunt for children.

One highlight of both services was the children’s conversation when Pastor Jeff sent the children searching for the Alleluia scroll that had been hidden away on the first Sunday of Lent. At 8:00 AM, the children remembered where it had been hidden and rushed to pull it out, so for the second service, Jeff hid it in a different place, and the hunt took longer. At right, the children lift the scroll up high to signal the congregation to proclaim “Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!”

Another highlight for the second service was the music provided by the LCH Choir and the Bach Chamber Orchestra. Organist Kathy Crosier and the orchestra played the “Sinfonia” from Bach’s Cantata 35 for the prelude, and the choir and orchestra performed Motet No. 1, “Singet dem Herrn,” for the offertory, communion, and postlude.

More photos from the Easter Sunday can be found in the Holy Week & Easter 2012 slideshow and on the LCH Facebook page.

The Great Three Days: The Great Vigil of Easter

The Triduum concluded with the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday evening. Beginning with the new fire in the courtyard and the lighting of the Paschal candle, the service included the recounting of salvation history through seven lessons from Hebrew scriptures, a baptism, the Easter proclamation, and Holy Communion.

Following the service, everyone returned to the courtyard to break the Lenten fast with champagne, strawberries, and cookies.

At left, Crystal and Adam Landherr and their baby, who would be baptized later in the Vigil, hold their lighted candles while the deacon chants the Exsultet.

More photos from the Easter Vigil can be found in the Holy Week & Easter 2012 slideshow and on the LCH Facebook page.

The Great Three Days: Good Friday

The Good Friday Liturgy centered on the Passion according to John and the Procession of the Cross.

Again this year, the Passion Gospel was chanted using chorus from Tomás Luis de Victoria adapted into English.

Following the Passion, the Taizé Cross, which normally hangs on a side wall, was carried to different parts of the Nave, the deacon chanting, “Behold, the life-giving cross on which was hung the salvation of the world.”

The service continued with members of the congregation places candles around the cross and offering prayers as the choir sang another of Crabtree’s Tenebræ Responsories.

At right, Keane Ishii singing the part of Jesus in the Passion Gospel.

More photos from Good Friday can be found in the Holy Week & Easter 2012 slideshow and on the LCH Facebook page.

The Great Three Days: Maundy Thursday

The LCH celebration of the Triduum or Great Three Days began with the commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.

Following the reading of the Gospel, Pastor Jeff and the assisting ministers washed the feel of twelve representatives of the congregation. The service continued with Holy Communion, and then as the congregation sang, the ministers removed the communion elements.

The ministers then returned in black to finish stripping the altar. At the same time, the choir sang two of Paul Crabtree’s Tenebræ Responsories on Songs by Bob Dylan (2007). The lights then dimmed, and the congregation left in silence.

At left, a close up of the foot washing from Maundy Thursday.

Additional photos from Maundy Thursday can be found in the Holy Week & Easter 2012 slideshow and on the LCH Facebook page.

Holy Week Begins with Palm Sunday

Holy Week began on Palm Sunday, April 1, with traditional processions with palms at the beginning of both morning worship services. As worship continued, the focus shifted to the Passion according to Mark read by members of the congregation

Between services, the Sunday School hosted their annual Seder Meal.

At right, the procession rounds the corner of Punahou and Dominis Streets.

Holy Week worship continues with the Triduum (Three Days) on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7:30 PM. Easter will be celebrated with Holy Communion at 8:00 and 10:30 AM and Compline at 9:00 PM on Sunday, April 8.

Additional photos from Palm Sunday can be found in the Holy Week & Easter 2012 slideshow and on the LCH Facebook page in the Palm Sunday and Seder Meal albums..

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