I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.—2 Timothy 4:7–8
As many of you know, Pastor Jeff Lilley passed away unexpectedly Sunday morning, [October 13,] before services. The congregation of the Lutheran Church of Honolulu is grieving, while providing support for Jeff’s wife Jean, and their children Seth and Meghann and family. Jeff had served this congregation for more than 16 years and was beloved both within and outside the church. Please keep his loved ones in your prayers and thoughts during this most difficult time.
As Bishop Dave Nagler told your church council Sunday morning, Pastor Jeff was one of a kind. We all have stories that bears this out and we will expect to hear and capture many others to honor his life in the coming days and weeks.
First and foremost, we need to support Jean, Seth, and Meghann and family through this very difficult time. The council has established a support committee for this purpose. The Lilley children, Seth and Meghann, will arrive on Monday. The council has decided that LCH will cover their housing during their stay and will also waive the rent for the pastor’s Luther Place apartment as long as Jean needs it.
We also need to be with one another in our grief. We have both in-person and virtual options for pastoral care or grief counseling below and hope to provide additional opportunities to you early this week.
In the meantime, Pastor Margarethe will join Thursday bible study at 10:00 am and Pastor Ruth will be at Choir Practice on Thursday at 7:00 pm.
We are receiving tremendous support from the Pacifica Synod, from the Hukilau Conference, and from the Council of Bishops.
We firmly believe Pastor Jeff would want our congregation to continue providing the spiritual sustenance, community outreach and goodwill, and special events that LCH is well known for.
Please take care of yourselves and your loved ones during this especially difficult time, and do not hesitate to contact another member of the LCH family or a council member if you feel the need to just talk.
And while we all grieve, please give the Lilley family time and space to do so in their own time and way.
On behalf of the LCH Council,
Dan Dennison