Sermons

January 26, 2020Third Sunday after the Epiphany Psalm 27:1, 4-9 by Eric Anderson Just a Little Fear. That’s the title of this sermon, and some of you might wonder where that came from. Some of you, and I have my ideas about who that might be, have guessed and are wondering whether I’ll admit it.…

January 19, 2020Second Sunday after the Epiphany John 1:29-42 by Eric Anderson Every once in a while I get introduced to someone. It usually goes something like this: “Let me introduce you. This is Eric Anderson. He’s the pastor at Church of the Holy Cross in Hilo.” Then I put on my best “I’m not…

January 12, 2020Baptism of Jesus Matthew 3:13-17 by Eric Anderson Jesus went to the Jordan River, to the place where John the Baptist ranted and roared about the sinfulness of those who came to hear him. Here’s what he told the most respected religious leaders of his day when they ventured to the riverside: “You…

December 24, 2019Christmas EveLuke 2:1-16 by Eric Anderson What an evening we have had! It’s been filled with amazing music shared in different languages. It’s been filled with the ancient story of a Savior’s birth in Bethlehem. It’s been filled with people we love and people we don’t know; here we are, filling this house…

December 22, 2019Fourth Sunday of AdventMatthew 1:18-25 by Eric Anderson All the stories of Jesus’ birth have something in common: the unpredictability of it all, the intrusiveness of it all, the world-overturning plans-unmaking you-may-have-had-your-ideas-of-what-would-happen-but-I-am-God-and-I-will-get-my-way of it all. Consider Joseph. Unlike Luke, whose Gospel concentrates on Mary, Matthew tells the story of Jesus’ birth from Joseph’s…

December 8, 2019Second Sunday of Advent Isaiah 11:1-10 by David Popham, Hawai'i Conference Minister The text before us today is very familiar. No doubt, some of you can site it from memory. From the beginning of the church, we Christians have found in these verses an interpretation of who Jesus is as the Christ of…

December 1, 2019First Sunday of Advent Matthew 24:36-44 by Eric Anderson Welcome to another Advent season. We have enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday without, I hope, too many disasters in the kitchen or too many conflicts around the table. Those who enjoy the excitement of the crowds have had the thrill of Black Friday. Here in…

November 24, 2019Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost: Reign of Christ Luke 23:33-43 by Eric Anderson The Church year is drawing to a close. This is its last Sunday. Next week, we begin a new year as the season of Advent begins. This last Sunday of the year is known as Reign of Christ Sunday, and the…

November 17, 2019Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost Isaiah 65:17-25 by Eric Anderson There are things I remember, and there are things I forget. I remember watching the final strike in 2004 as the Boston Red Sox won the World Series for the first time since 1915. I don’t remember anything about the rest of the game.…

November 10, 2019Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost Luke 20:27-38 by Eric Anderson I think the most comprehensible response of a modern Christian to this account of the conversation between the Sadducees and Jesus here in the 20th chapter of Luke is: “Huh?” There’s a whole lot of background to this passage that most of you were…