Worship for June 21, 2026

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, June 21, 2026. 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: Dear Lord and Father of Mankind          Kayleen Yuda

Lighting of the Candles

Ringing of the Bell

Welcome:                           Rev. Eric S. Anderson

* Call to Worship (based on Matthew 10:24-39)                  Cynthia Debus

Leader:   Jesus said, “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light.
People:  What you hear whispered, proclaim from the rooftops.

Leader:   Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
People:  God’s love endures beyond the life we know.

Leader:   God knows the life and death of sparrows.
People:  We will not fear, because we know we are of more value than many sparrows.

All:           Let us worship God!

* Hymn #24: The God of Abraham Praise (v. 1 – 4, Eng.)

* Invocation (based on Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17)    Cynthia Debus

Incline your ear to us, O God, for we need your help and aid. We come to you in devotion. You are our God, and we cry for you all day long. You, O God, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love. Be with us in this time of worship, and hear our thanks and praise. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Please be seated

WE SHARE THE WORD OF GOD

Anthem: Sing with the Spirit!             Holy Cross Singers

Time with the Children                      Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Scripture:                           Cynthia Debus

Genesis 21:8-21

The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.” The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Do not let me look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Romans 6:1b-11

Should we continue in sin in order that grace may increase? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Sermon: Better than the Bible            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. Amen.

* Hymn #400: Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation (v. 1-3)

Call to Offering                Cynthia Debus

We have gathered for worship because Jesus has changed our lives in some way. As we have been blessed, let us turn to blessing others. 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: Presence Divine                  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         Cynthia Debus

We thank you, O God, for the presence of Jesus in our lives. May these gifts make your love visible, tangible, and powerful in the lives of others. Amen.

* Hymn #391: In the Midst of New Dimensions (v. 1 – 5)

Please be seated

Announcements             Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Benediction                      Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Postlude: Sing a New Song of Joy      Kayleen Yuda

* Please stand if you are able.

PERMISSIONS

IMPORTANT DATES

Today, June 21 – Board of Deacons meeting after Worship service in the Lounge
Saturday, June 27, 4:00 p.m.. – Service for Janet Fujioka in the Sanctuary
Sundays, 8:30 a.m. – Holy Cross Singers Rehearsal in the Lounge
Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m. – One Song from Church of the Holy Cross streamed live
Wednesdays, 5:00 p.m. – Bible Study in person, in Pastor’s Study or via Zoom
Fridays, 9:00 a.m. – Bell Choir Rehearsal in the Building of Faith Meeting Room
Interested in pickleball? Contact Connie at 808-936-7534 or Ruth at rnduponte07@gmail.com

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             Lorraine Davis
Vice Moderator Elwood Kita
Lay Reader      Cindy Debus
Chapel Decorations  Ruth Ohata, in memory of Roy & Sachi Ohata
Organist / Pianist     Kayleen Yuda   
Music Director-Accompanist Bob Grove
Hand Bell Director        Evan Montemayor 
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
Office Manager Kahealani Mahone-Brooks

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.