Worship for July 5, 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.

This service includes the celebration of Holy Communion. If you will be worshiping from home, please prepare and have ready some bread or other staple food and grape juice or another beverage for that portion of the service.

Welcome to the live stream of worship from Church of the Holy Cross for Sunday, July 5, 2026. You will find the service outline below, and you may download and print the PDF to follow more easily. 

Service of Worship July 5, 2026
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Rev. Eric S. Anderson, Pastor

WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD

Lighting of the Candles

Ringing of the Bell

Welcome:                           Rev. Eric S. Anderson

* Call to Worship (based on Psalm 145:8-14)     Faith Mishina

Leader:   The LORD is gracious and merciful,
People:  Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Leader:   God is good to everyone.
People:  God has compassion for all the created world.

Leader:   May all God’s works give thanks to the LORD!
People:  May all God’s faithful tell of the glory and power of the LORD!

All:           Let us worship God!

* Hymn #449: Softly and Tenderly (v. 1 – 3)

* Invocation (based on Song of Solomon 2:8-13)                  Faith Mishina

We look for you as we look for one we love, O God. Come to us leaping over the mountains. Come to us sailing over the hills. Let the winter of our spirits pass, let the flowers bloom on earth and the singing ring in the trees. Come to us, O God, as we look for one we love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Please be seated

WE SHARE THE WORD OF GOD

Anthem: Ngang Mi Nenieoch            Stuart Mori

Time with the Children                      Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Scripture:                           Faith Mishina

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-76

So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and he has given him all that he has. My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I live, but you shall go to my father’s house, to my kindred, and get a wife for my son.’

“I came today to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going! I am standing here by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also”—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’

“Before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels. Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left.”

And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will.” So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham’s servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“May you, our sister, become
    thousands of myriads;
may your offspring gain possession
    of the gates of their foes.”

Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man, and the servant took Rebekah and went his way.

Now Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi and was settled in the Negeb. Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field, and, looking up, he saw camels coming. And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel and said to the servant, “Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
    we wailed, and you did not mourn.’

“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Sermon: Never Satisfied                       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.

Call to Offering                Faith Mishina

“Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds,” said Jesus. Let us be wise indeed and share our offerings with God and with our neighbors, so that they may know how deeply they are loved. 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: Prayer            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         Faith Mishina

We present these gifts aware that, in themselves, they will accomplish less than we wish and less than we hope. We present these aware that in your hands, there are no limits to the good we can do through them. Receive them, we pray, and through them build your realm. Amen.

* Hymn #336: Here, O My Lord, I See You Face to Face (v. 1-5)

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Invitation

Consecrating the Bread and Cup    

Prayer of Thanksgiving

* Hymn #459: Come, O Fount of Every Blessing (v. 1 – 3)

Please be seated

Announcements             Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Benediction                      Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Postlude: Great Is the Lord                 Kayleen Yuda

* Please stand if you are able.

Permissions

Important Dates and Announcements

Today, July 5 – Board of Trustees meeting after Worship service in the Lounge.

July 19 – J’s Mini-Mart & Bread for the World Bake Sale – requesting baked goods for sale; all proceeds will go to Bread for the World’s Mission in Action.

August 16 – Church Picnic after Worship Service

Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m. – One Song from Church of the Holy Cross streamed live (canceled this week)

Wednesdays, 5:00 p.m. – Bible Study in person, in Pastor’s Study or via Zoom (see The Weekly Chime for Zoom meeting link.)

Pickleball Lessons – Contact Connie 808-936-7534 or Ruth at rnduponte07@gmail.com to sign up

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.