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, February 15, 2026. You will find the service outline below, and you may download and print the PDF to follow more easily.
Service of Worship February 22, 2026
First Sunday in Lent
Rev. Eric S. Anderson, 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: Allegro Kayleen Yuda
Lighting of the Candles
Ringing of the Bell
Welcome: Rev. Eric S. Anderson
* Call to Worship Anna Kennedy
Leader: Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
People: Happy are those whom the LORD has relieved of guilt.
Leader: When we try to hide our sins from God, our souls groan with the effort.
People: It dries up our spirit’s strength like the blaze of the summer sun.
Leader: When we repent and confess, the LORD forgives.
People: Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayers to God!
All: Let us worship God!
* Hymn #209: O Love, How Vast, How Flowing Free (v. 1-3)
* Invocation (based on Psalm 32:7-11) Anna Kennedy
You are a safe place for us, O God; you preserve us from trouble. You surround us with glad shouts of deliverance. Keep your eye upon us and counsel us to understanding. May your steadfast love surround us as we trust in you mercy. Hear our gladness in this time of worship, O God, and the joyous shouts of our uplifted hearts. Amen.
Please be seated
WE SHARE THE WORD OF GOD
Anthem: Simple Song Landon Scott
Time with the Children Rev. Eric S. Anderson
Scripture: Anna Kennedy
Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.”’ 4 But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written,
“One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you”,
and “On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”’
Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.”’
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Sermon: Small Wisdoms 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 #211: Lord Jesus, Who through Forty Days (v. 1-4)
Call to Offering Anna Kennedy
Jesus confronted his temptations equipped with the wisdom of the ages to supplement his strength of heart. May we follow that wisdom as well, including the wisdom of generosity and sharing. 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: 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
Accept these gifts, O God, from your people today. We have not resisted temptation as successfully as Jesus, but we strive to follow him in faithfulness and sharing today and in the days to come. Amen.
* Hymn #202: O God, How We Have Wandered (v. 1 -3)
Please be seated
Announcements Rev. Eric S. Anderson
Benediction Rev. Eric S. Anderson
Postlude: A Joyous Acclamation Kayleen Yuda
* Please stand if you are able.
PERMISSIONS
Allegro
Contributors: Johann Gottfried Walther, Kevin Norris
Tune: © 1983 Lorenz Publishing Company,
a division of the Lorenz Corporation (
Admin. by Music Services)
A Simple Song
By Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Schwartz.
All Rights Reserved.
The Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Co LLC
(Administered by Music Services)
All Rights Reserved. ASCAP
Streamed by permission CCS License #13303
O Love, How Vast, How Flowing Free
15th cent. Latin text, trans. New Century Hymnal, 1994
© 1994 The Pilgrim Press
Tune DEO GRACIAS trad. English, ca. 1415
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890
Lord Jesus, Who through Forty Days
Text by Claudia F. I. Hernaman, 1873
Tune ST. FLAVIAN first pub. 1562
Public Domain
Cantilena
Contributors: G B Sammartini, George Blake
Tune: © 1983 Lorenz Publishing Company,
a division of The Lorenz Corporation
(Admin. by Music Services)
O God, How We Have Wandered
Text by Kevin Nichols, 1980
From Resource Collection of Hymns and Service
Music for the Liturgy, © 1981 ICEL Corp. All rights reserved.
Tune PASSION CHORALE by Hans Leo Hassler, 1601
Harm. by J. S. Bach, 1729
Public Domain
Streamed by permission of ICEL
A Joyous Acclamation
Contributors: Lani Smith
Tune: © 2000 Lorenz Publishing Company,
a division of The Lorenz Corporation
(Admin. by Music Services)
IMPORTANT DATES
Sunday, March 1 – Annual meeting for members and associate members after Worship Service
Sundays, 8:30 AM – Holy Cross Singers Rehearsal in the Lounge
Mondays, 11:30 AM — Pickleball lessons; contact Connie 808-936-7534 or
Ruth at rnduponte07@gmail.com to sign up.
Wednesdays, 11:00 AM– One Song from Church of the Holy Cross streamed live
Wednesdays, 5 PM – Bible Study in Pastor’s Study and via Zoom (The meeting link and Bible references will be in the Weekly Chime); Lenten “Wisdom in the Scriptures” Bible Study for five weeks beginning February 25 at 6:30 PM
Fridays, 10 AM – Hand Bell Choir Rehearsal in Building of Faith’s meeting room
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 Anna Kenney
Chapel Decorations Theone Albano and Jill Suzuki
Organist / Pianist Kayleen Yuda
Guest Soloist Landon Scott
Choir Director Bob Grove
Hand Bell Director Anna Kennedy
IYAA Choir Director Stuart Mori
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
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.
