Thank you for joining us for this live stream (or recording, as the case may be) of Sunday worship. May it bless you! You may need to click “Play” to launch the stream, which will be live around 9:50 AM.
Welcome to the live stream of worship from Church of the Holy Cross for Sunday, March 9, 2025. You will find the service outline below, and you may download and print the PDF to follow more easily.
Service of Worship March 9, 2025
First Sunday in Lent
Rev. Eric S. Anderson, Pastor
Rev. Dr. Diane Weible, Sabbatical Interim Pastor
WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD
Please note that audio and video of this service are being live streamed on the Internet and will be recorded. The right rear section of the sanctuary will not be captured by any cameras. Please be aware that in other sections you may be visible at times.
Prelude: Prelude on Ellers Kayleen Yuda
Lighting of the Candles
Ringing of the Bell
Welcome Rev. Dr. Diane Weible
* Call to Worship (adapted from Psalm 91) Anna Kennedy
Leader: You who live in the shelter of the Most High
People: Who abide in the shadow of the Almighty
Leader: will say to our God, “My refuge and my fortress;
People: my God, in whom I trust
Leader: God, who commands the angels to guard us, also reminds us that:
People: Those who love me, I will deliver;
Leader: I will protect those who know my name.
People: When they call to me, I will answer them;
Leader: I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue them and honor them
People: Let us worship the God who promises to always be with us.
* Hymn #84 This is the Day (vs. 1-3)
* Invocation Anna Kennedy
God, our refuge and strength, we gather today, noticing the change in this season as we enter Lent. We know Lent may challenge us. Some of us wonder what these next days will bring. We pray you will walk with us even when it’s tough because
we yearn to grow in our faith and we long to be made one in Jesus Christ. Amen.
WE SHARE THE WORD OF GOD
Anthem: Lord of the Dance Kayleen Yuda
Time with the Children Rev. Dr. Diane Weible
Scripture: Romans 10:8b-13 Anna Kennedy
But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Luke 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was temptedby the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
Sermon: Through the Wilderness Rev. Dr. Diane Weible
WE RESPOND IN WORD AND DEED
Pastoral Prayer Rev. Dr. Diane Weible
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
* Hymn #205: Forty Days and Forty Nights (vs. 1-4)
Call to Offering Anna Kennedy
Deuteronomy 26:2 declares: “…you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.”
How do we spend our “first fruits”- the best in which we have? Have we kept it for ourselves? Have we dedicated these gifts to God and shared them with our neighbors who lack basic necessities? How is God calling us to share the best we possess?
Offertory: Cantilena Kayleen Yuda
* Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost – Amen
* Offertory Prayer Anna Kennedy
Holy God, We share our gratitude for all of our fruits – from our possessions to knowledge and from our time to abilities. May our “best” be something that we do not hoard but that we freely give away. As we embrace this season of fasting and reflection, may we recognize the best of our talents, treasures, and time and share with God and neighbor. Amen.
* Hymn #209: O Love, How Vast, How Flowing Free (vs. 1-3)
Announcements Rev. Dr. Diane Weible
Benediction Rev. Dr. Diane Weible
Postlude: Postlude Kayleen Yuda
* Please stand if you are able.
Permissions
Prayer of Invocation adapted from Center for Faith and Giving, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 2025.
Offertory from Take Every Test: Service Prayers for the First Sunday of Lent C was written by the Rev. Michelle L. Torigian, Senior Pastor of St. Paul United Church of Christ, Belleville, Illinois, 2022.
Prelude on Ellers
David H. Hegarty
Edward J. Hopkins
Tune: © Lorenz Publishing Company,
a division of The Lorenz Corporation
(Admin. by Music Services)
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890
This is the Day
vs. 1 paraphr by Less Garrett, 1967
vs. 2-3, traditional, alt.
Tune: THIS IS THE DAY
Les Garrett, 1967
Streamed by permission CCLI License #1595965
Lord of the Dance
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890
Forty Days and Forty Nights
George Hunt Smyttan, 1856
Tune: HEINLEIN
attributed to Martin Herbst, 1676
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890
Cantilena
G Sammartini
George Blake
Tune: © 1983 Lorenz Publishing Company,
a division of The Lorenz Corporation
(Admin. by Music Services)
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890
O Love, How Vast, How Flowing Free
15th Century Latin Tune
New Century Hymnal, 1994
Text: © 1994, Pilgrim Press
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890
Postlude
César Franck
Public Domain
Dates to Remember
February 1 to April 30, 2025 Pastor Eric’s Sabbatical Leave. The Rev. Dr. Diane Weible is our Interim Pastor.
Please join us for a Lenten Conversation Series beginning March 12 from 5-6:30 pm. Please see The Weekly Chime and today’s Worship Bulletin (see the link near the top of this page) for details (Bible passages, a prompt, and discussion questions).
Today, March 9th – Council Meeting after worship in the lounge
Saturday, March 15 – Service Day—your help is needed
The next service day sponsored by the Board of Trustees will be Saturday, March 15 at 8:30 am. This service day will be dedicated to the Building of Faith with emphasis on windows and screens, appliances and storage areas. Weather permitting, there will be weeding and grounds maintenance that falls outside the purview of our lawn services. Folks that want to make the place sparkle and shine are invited to meet in the back parking lot by the Building of Faith at 8:30 am. We need your time, talent and muscles to make this happen. We hope to see you there.
Mondays, 11:30 a.m. –Pickleball lessons; contact Connie 808-936-7534 or
Ruth 808-938-3858 to sign up.
Wednesdays, 12 noon –Pickleball lessons; contact Connie 808-936-7534 or
Ruth 808-938-3858 to sign up.
Please Send Pledge Cards
A reminder from the Every Member Canvass Committee, please send in your 2025 pledge cards if you have not done so. This will help us in planning for our year’s program. To date we have received 28 pledges for 68% of our goal. Thank you to all who have already sent in pledges.
Other Faith Groups that meet at Church of the Holy Cross
The United Church of Christ, Pohnpei – Sanctuary, 12 noon
Rev. Bensis Henry
Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa – Sanctuary, 2:00 p.m.
Rev. Sitau Ofoia, Jr.
The Bedesta Church – Sanctuary, 4 p.m.
Rev. Edmes Edwin
Pastor Rev. Eric S. Anderson
Sabbatical Interim Pastor Rev. Dr. Diane Weible
Moderator Stefan Tanouye
Lay Reader Anna Kennedy
Chapel Decorations Genie Phillips
Organist Kayleen Yuda
Hand Bell Director Anna Kennedy
Hymn Leader Chandra Oshima
Projected Imagery Sue Smith
Web Master Ruth Niino-DuPonte
Videographers Eric Tanouye, Eli Yamaki,
Mace Peng, Bob Smith
Sunday School Teacher Gloria Kobayashi
Sunday School Aide Johanna Narruhn
Church Office Manager Pearl Momi Lyman
