Online Worship for January 23, 2022

Welcome to Church of the Holy Cross’s live streaming worship service for January 23, 2022. Feel free to follow the service text by scrolling down, or you may download and print the service in PDF format below.

Online Worship, January 23, 2022
Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Rev. Eric S. Anderson, Pastor

WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD

Welcome                                                                                                    Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Prelude: Trumpet in Dialogue–Clerambault                                Kayleen Yuda

Call to Worship: based on Psalm 19                                                 Carolyn Lum-Bellem

Leader: “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul,” wrote the Psalmist.
All: The law of the LORD may be perfect, but human understanding is not.

Leader: “The decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the foolish,” wrote the Psalmist.
All: Yet the decrees of care and compassion are drowned by the follies of greed and pride.

Leader: Who can discern their errors? May we be cleared of our hidden faults.
All: Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to God, our rock and our redeemer.

Invocation: based on Psalm 19                                                           Carolyn Lum-Bellem

The heavens tell your glory, O God. The whirling stars proclaim your Creation. All around us the living world begs to be known. We do not hear their voices, but we strive for the knowledge with which you endowed them. May we seek beyond them to the voice of your wisdom, your guidance, and your commandments, O God. May we value them more than gold, more than the sweetness of honey. Protect us from temptation, O God, and cleanse us of our sins. Accept the worship we bring to you today in joy. Amen.

Hymn #584: I Am the Light of the World                                       Eric Anderson
                                                                                                                        Doug Albertson
                                                                                                                      Movement led by Genie Phillips

Scripture:                                                                                                   Carolyn Lum-Bellem

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
All the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Story/Sermon: Redemption and Responsibility                         Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Pastoral Prayer                                                                                       Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen

Instrumental Anthem: Sonata in G minor K.450- Scarlatti    Kanako Okita

Call to Offering                                                                                        Carolyn Lum-Bellem

Did God command us to share? Yes, God did – but the means of sharing belongs to each of us. We invite you to give to the work of this church, to its ministry of building spirits, strengthening community, and worshiping God. Please send your offering through the mail in an envelope to 440 West Lanikaula Street, Hilo, Hawai’i, 96720, or give online at holycrosshilo.com/donate. Let us pray together:

Offertory Prayer                                                                                     Carolyn Lum-Bellem

You ask a great deal of us, O God, including the request to give. We dedicate these offerings to your purposes, asking that you guide those who receive them so that your work and will are done in the world. In Jesus’ name,  Amen.

Vocal Anthem: Grace Alone                                                                Eric Anderson
                                                                                                                        Doug Albertson
                                                                                                                      Movement led by Genie Phillips

Announcements                                                                                     Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Benediction                                                                                               Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Postlude: Festal Finale–Coleman                                                      Kayleen Yuda

Permissions:
Trumpet in Dialogue
L Clerambault
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890

I Am the Light of the World
Text: Jim and Jean Strathdee
In response to a Christmas poem by Howard Thurman
© 1969 Desert Flower Music/Jim and Jean Strathdee
Tune: LIGHT OF THE WORLD
© 1969 Desert Flower Music/Jim and Jean Strathdee
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890

Sonata in G minor K.450- Scarlatti
Public Domain

Grace Alone
Words and Music: Scott Wesley Brown & Jeff Nelson
© 1998 Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing
Streamed by permission: CCLI License # 1595965
www.ccli.com

Festal Finale
by Henry Coleman
© 1956 Oxford University Press
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890

Pastor                                                          Rev. Eric S. Anderson
Moderator                                                 Woody Kita
Lay Reader                                                Carolyn Lum-Bellem
Chapel Decorations                              Ethel Yoshimasu & Teddy Mukai
Choir Accompanist                                Kanako Okita
Choir Director                                         Doug Albertson
Organist                                                     Kayleen Yuda
Hand Bell Director                                Anna Kennedy
Childcare Coordinator                        Evonne Shioshita
Movement Leader                                 Genie Phillips
Projected Imagery                                Sue Smith
Web Master                                              Ruth Niino-DuPonte  
Videographers                                        Eric Tanouye, Bob Smith

This week at the Church of the Holy Cross

• Pickleball: Wednesdays, 2:00 p.m., Saturdays 12:00 p.m., Sundays 1:30 p.m. Building of Faith—limited to 10 attendees
• Bible Study with Pastor Eric: Tuesdays, 3:00 p.m. via Zoom.
• Online Song – Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. online.
• Community Concert – 2^nd and 4th Fridays, 6:00 p.m. online.