Worship for July 27, 2025

Welcome to the live stream of worship from Church of the Holy Cross for Sunday, July 27, 2025. You will find the service outline below, and you may download and print the PDF to follow more easily. 

Rev. Eric S. Anderson, Pastor

WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD

Prelude: Fidelis Servus Pièces d’orgue       Kayleen Yuda

Lighting of the Candles

Ringing of the Bell

Welcome                            Rev. Eric S. Anderson

* Call to Worship: (based on Psalm 85)     Nina Buchanan

Leader:   The LORD has forgiven the unfaithfulness of the people;
People:  The LORD has pardoned all our sins.

Leader:   May the LORD revive us again, so that we may rejoice in God.
People:  May we receive the steadfast love of the LORD and rejoice in God’s salvation.

Leader:   May the LORD speak peace to the people, to those who bring their hearts to God.
People:  Let steadfast love and righteousness meet, and faithfulness spring up from the ground.

All:           Let us worship God!

* Hymn #179: We Yearn, O Christ, for Wholeness (v. 1-3)

* Invocation: (based on Psalm 138) Nina Buchanan

On the day we called you, O God, you answered us. From you we received our strength of soul. Though you are great beyond our imaginations, you stay near to us in our everyday lives. When we walk through the midst of trouble, move with us. Stretch out your hand and deliver us. Your steadfast love endures forever, O God, and so we worship you today and always. Amen.

Please be seated

WE SHARE THE WORD OF GOD

Anthem: You Are Mine  Kayleen Yuda

Time with the Children           Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Scripture: Hosea 1:2-10           Nina Buchanan
When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, ‘Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.’ So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

 And the Lord said to him, ‘Name him Jezreel; for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.’

 She conceived again and bore a daughter. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or forgive them. But I will have pity on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God; I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by war, or by horses, or by horsemen.’

When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said, ‘Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people and I am not your God.’

Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people’, it shall be said to them, ‘Children of the living God.’

Luke 11:1-13
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name.
    Your kingdom come.
    Give us each day our daily bread.
    And forgive us our sins,
        for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
    And do not bring us to the time of trial.’

 And he said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.” And he answers from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

 ‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for^[e] a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit^[f] to those who ask him!’

Sermon: Persistence      Rev. Eric S. Anderson

WE RESPOND IN WORD AND DEED

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

* Hymn #508: Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire (v. 1-5)

Call to Offering                Nina Buchanan

When we came to God, knocking on the door in the middle of the night, God answered us with speedy grace. Now our neighbors knock at our door, and they need our help and God’s grace. Let us rise and respond. Whether you share your gift here in the church today, through a gift online, or via an envelope in the mail, let the offering now be received.

Offertory: Prelude on “Spanish Hymn”       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         Nina Buchanan

O God who is generous to one and all, accept these gifts from your grateful people. We have, in this small way, imitated your ways of open hands and open hearts. May others be fed in body, mind, and spirit through our offerings and your steadfast love. Amen.

* Hymn #403: My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less (v. 1-4)

Announcements             Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Benediction                      Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Postlude: Jubilate Deo Omnis Terra Kayleen Yuda

PERMISSIONS

Fidelis Servus Pièces d’orgue
J. Fischer and Bros.
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890

We Yearn, O Christ, for Wholeness
Text by Dosia Carlson, 1986
© 1986, 1993 by Dosia Carlson
Streamed by permission of the family
Tune PASSION CHORALE by Hans Leo Hassler, 1601
Harm. by J. S. Bach, 1719
Public Domain

You Are Mine
David Haas
Tune and text: © 1991, GIA Publications, Inc.
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890

Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire
Text by James Montgomery, 1818
Tune ST. AGNES by John B. Dykes, 1866
Public Domain

Prelude on “Spanish Hymn”
Flor Peeters
© 1960 C. F. Peters
Streamed by permission CCS License #13303

My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less
Text by Edward Mote, c. 1834
Tune SOLID ROCK by William B. Bradbury, 1863
Public Domain

Jubilate Deo Omnis Terra
J. Fischer and Bros
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890

IMPORTANT DATES

Today, July 27 – J’s Mini Mart before Worship Service; Bread for the World Bake Sale after Worship Service

Sundays, 3 p.m. – Confirmation class in Pastor’s Study

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
Moderator             Stefan Tanouye
Vice Moderator Lorraine Davis
Lay Reader            Nina Buchanan
Chapel Decorations    Sally and Froilan Queja
Organist / Pianist     Kayleen Yuda   
Hand Bell Director        Anna Kennedy   
Projected Imagery        Sue Smith
Live Stream Director         Ruth Niino-DuPonte. Bob Smith 
Videographers    Eric Tanouye, Bob Smith, Woody Kita,
            Mace Peng, Cindy Debus
Sound Engineer Ben Yamaki
Sunday School Teacher          Gloria Kobayashi
Sunday School Aide      Johanna Narruhn
Church Office Manager Pearl Momi Lyman

We welcome you to worship this day. Church of the Holy Cross seeks to help its members, friends, and visitors follow the guidance of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, encouraging all people to love one another according to the teachings of Jesus. We live and teach the faith, speak good news, minister to people near and far, and work with other households of faith and helping agencies to improve our community and our world. To support our ministries, please visit our Donate Page.