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Rev. Eric Anderson Worship Services

Worship for June 30, 2024

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 30, 2024. You will find the service outline below, and you may download and print the PDF to follow more easily. 

Worship Service for June 30, 2024 (PDF)Download

Service of Worship June 30, 2024
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

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: Prelude in F Major                                                                   Kayleen Yuda

Lighting of the Candles

Ringing of the Bell

Welcome                                                           Rev. Eric S. Anderson

* Call to Worship:  (based on 2 Corinthians 8:7-15)              Anna Kennedy

Leader:         Paul praised the faith, speech, knowledge, and eagerness of the Christians to
                        whom he wrote.
People:        He encouraged them to complete the generous task to which they had
                        committed.

Leader:         Jesus came as one who was rich but became poor.
People:        So that we might become rich in spirit and in truth.

Leader:         If the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has.
People:        Let us bring our eagerness and our wealth of spirit to this time of prayer.

All:     Let us worship God!

* Hymn #43: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (v. 1-4)

* Invocation (based on Psalm 30)          Anna Kennedy

We praise your name, O LORD, for you have drawn us close to you. We cried to you, and you have healed us. You have restored us to life from the shadows of death. You have turned mourning into dancing; you have bid us shed our sackcloth and clothe ourselves with joy. Hear our praise today, for we give you thanks forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Please be seated

WE SHARE THE WORD OF GOD

Anthem: Twelve Years and a Moment                                         Eric Anderson

Time with the Children

Scripture: Lamentations 3:22-33                                                 Anna Kennedy
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul,
    ‘therefore I will hope in him.’

 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
    to the soul that seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for one to bear
    the yoke in youth,
to sit alone in silence
    when the Lord has imposed it,
to put one’s mouth to the dust
    (there may yet be hope),
to give one’s cheek to the smiter,
    and be filled with insults.

 For the Lord will not
    reject forever.
Although he causes grief, he will have compassion
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
for he does not willingly afflict
    or grieve anyone.

Mark 5:21-43
When Jesus had crossed again in the boatto the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?”’ He looked all round to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’

While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Sermon: Why Trouble the Teacher?                                                      Rev. Eric S. Anderson

WE RESPOND IN WORD AND DEED

Pastoral Prayer

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 #545: There was Jesus by the Water (v. 1-4)

Call to Offering                                                           Anna Kennedy

They troubled the Teacher, and Jesus responded with compassion and care. The world’s needs trouble us, and this is one opportunity to respond with similar compassion and care. 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: Duet                                                             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 of your grateful people and your needy people, O God. Extend your hand to us in love and healing, and extend our gifts to others to bring love and healing to neighbors near and far. Amen.

* Hymn #327: Jesus Loves Me (v. 1-3 Engl, v. 1 Hwn)

Announcements                                                    Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Benediction                                               Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Postlude: Trumpet                                                           Kayleen Yuda

* Please stand if you are able.

Permissions

Prelude in F Major
Adolph F. Hesse
Public Domain

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Text by Charles Wesley, 1747
Tune BEECHER by John Zundel, 1855
Public Domain

Twelve Years and a Moment
Eric S. Anderson
Used by permission

There Was Jesus by the Water
Text by Gracia Grindal, 1983
© 1993 Selah Publishing Company
Tune TALITHA CUMI by Rusty Edwards, 1983
© 1983, Hope Publishing Company
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890

Duet
George Frederic Handel
Public Domain

Jesus Loves Me
Text St. 1 by Anna B. Warner, 1860
St. 2-3 by David Rutherford McGuire, 1971
Hwn trans. by Laiana, 19th cent.
Tune JESUS LOVES ME by William B Bradbury, 1862
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890

Trumpet Finale
Tomaso Albinoni
arr. S. Drummond Wolff
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890

Dates to Remember
Today—June 30: Stewardship & Mission

Pastor                                                                                  Rev. Eric S. Anderson
Moderator                                                                         Stefan Tanouye
Lay Reader                                                                        Anna Kennedy
Choir Accompanist                                                        Kanako Okita
Choir Director                                                                 Doug Albertson
Organist                                                                             Kayleen Yuda
Hand Bell Director                                                        Anna Kennedy
Chapel Decorations                                                       Mark Tanouye
Projected Imagery                                                        Sue Smith
Web Master                                                                      Ruth Niino-DuPonte  
Videographers                                                                Eric Tanouye, Eli Yamaki
                                                                           Ruth Niino-DuPonte, Bob Smith

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.

Rev. Eric Anderson Pastor's Corner

Pastor’s Corner: The 202nd ‘Aha Pae’aina

June 26, 2024

The 202nd ‘Aha Pae’aina of the Hawai’i Conference, United Church of Christ, took place over the weekend of June 13-15 at Central Union Church UCC in Honolulu. We rejoiced to have the UCC’s General Minister and President with us. The Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, who preached at Church of the Holy Cross in June 2016, responded to questions and delivered the sermon at opening worship. Since then, she has visited the devastated community of Lahaina on Maui and attended some of the Pacific Islander and Asian-American Ministries meeting held on O’ahu the following week.

The Conference reflects the reality of Hawai’i. The old injuries of the overthrow and the accumulation of power and wealth affect the lives of every resident of these islands. It takes time to understand; it takes time to find remedies to the problems; it takes even more time to heal. We made decisions for this day, but other days lie ahead and more decisions.

For myself, the end of the meeting marked the close of my tenure as Council Chair. I was deeply touched to receive a lovely departing gift from the Conference which came from our own RK Woods here in Hilo. As I said to our Conference Minister, the Rev. Dr. David Popham, I wish that we’d made more progress on some of the difficult questions we’ve faced in the last four years. Given that I was elected to the position toward the beginning of a global pandemic, however, I feel we did well.

May we make use of the time we’re given to learn, to consider, and to heal.

In peace,

Pastor Eric

Photo of the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson by Eric Anderson.

Rev. Eric Anderson What I'm Thinking

What I’m Thinking: Beyond Hope

Sometimes, in our faith, we reach out to Jesus. Sometimes, in faith, Jesus reaches out to us.

Here’s a transcript:

I’m thinking about the fifth chapter of Mark’s Gospel (Mark 5:21-43), which contains two interwoven stories of healing: the healing of a woman with a hemorrhage, and the raising of Jairus’ daughter.

Jesus had just returned from a trip across the Sea of Galilee. Jairus met him at the beach and asked him to come to see his daughter who, he said, was at the point of death. On the way to the house, a woman in the crowd reached out and touched Jesus’ cloak because, she thought, if she could just touch his clothing. then she would be healed from some bleeding that she had endured for many years.

And in fact, she was.

Jesus realized that something had happened and asked, “Who touched me?” She came forward. He told her that her faith had made her well.

They would have continued on to Jairus’ house, but some people came from the house to tell Jairus that his daughter had died. Jesus responded that the girl was not dead, but sleeping, and insisted that they go there. He sent everybody out of the house except for the parents, sat with the child, and said, “Talitha cum,” “Little girl, get up.” She did, and he restored her to her family.

In both of these stories, somebody does something beyond expectation. In the case of the woman, she reached out in faith, a faith that was so strong that she didn’t think she even needed to speak to Jesus in order to receive the healing power that was his. She was absolutely right. Her faith made her well.

In the other case, it was Jesus’ faith that raised the little girl, because they said, “Why trouble the teacher any longer?” when they believed that she had died. It was Jesus who insisted on continuing to go to the house. It was Jesus who insisted on calling the little girl back to her family.

So sometimes in the life of faith we will be the ones who reach out from faith and beyond hope, and other times when hope has failed us and when all the expectations seem to have fallen away, then it is Jesus who comes to us, and lifts us up, and restores us to life.

That’s what I’m thinking. I’m curious to hear what you’re thinking. Leave me your thoughts in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you.

Rev. Eric Anderson Sermons

Sermon: In Danger

June 23, 2024

1 Samuel 17:32-49
Mark 4:35-41

That little boat on the Sea of Galilee was in real danger. Galilee is shallow and surrounded by hills. That means that sometimes the wind gets channeled between the hills and kicks up the water into good-sized waves. It turns out that one of the worst times to embark upon the Sea of Galilee is night.

When Jesus and his disciples set sail.

Jesus, apparently, was worn out, because the heaving boat, the sound of waves and wind, and the cries of his friends didn’t wake him. This is somebody who could sleep on an airplane. The flying spray and the groaning boat eventually persuaded his disciples, some of them sailors, that something more than nautical skill was needed. In danger, in desperation, they called on Jesus.

And Jesus accused them of being cowards (that’s a translation offered by several commentators). Jesus accused them of not having any faith.

Huh?

Fear is the natural response of a human body in danger. Fear gets various glands busy, producing things like adrenalin that will give that extra kick of energy to fight or flee from danger. Fear is normal. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.

As for faith: they woke Jesus up for help, didn’t they? They went as far as human skill and strength could go, and then they followed their faith right to Jesus. He could help. He did help. See what faith can do?

Why didn’t Jesus see it that way?

I suppose it might be the way they asked for help.

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

Yeah. That might be it.

How many of us, frustrated at something that didn’t happen that we wanted to happen, have asked a father or mother, an auntie or an uncle, “Don’t you love me? Then why didn’t you do this for me?” I’m pretty sure I remember doing that to my mother when I was four. It’s possible that I did it to my father when I was forty, but let’s not go into that.

It must be said that God has heard such things for centuries. Jeremiah called God a “deceitful brook, like waters that fail.” (Jeremiah 15:18) Psalm 10 asks, “Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” Psalm 80 wonders, “How long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?” And of course, Psalm 22 opens with the words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus quoted that psalm from the cross.

The disciples knew what that felt like when they woke Jesus with those accusing words.

It turns out that wasn’t the faith Jesus had been hoping for.

It was one thing to believe that Jesus could make a difference in the storm. It was another to trust in his willingness to do so. Which would offend you more? That someone isn’t certain that you can do something, or whether you care enough about them to do it? These people were, at that time, the closest people in Jesus’ life. Of course he ached when they asked him, “Don’t you care?”

As for that fear, Debie Thomas writes at JourneyWithJesus.net, “The problem isn’t fear; the problem is where fear leads. When I face fearsome circumstances, my go-to position is not trust or even curiosity; it’s full-on suspicion. In my fear, I conjure up a God who is stony-faced, implacable, and loveless. A God to whom I am expendable. A God who withdraws. Once I’ve conjured that God, I withdraw, too. I curl up tight and focus on mere survival, convinced that I’m alone. All capacity for reflection disappears.”

The disciples were afraid. Nothing was going to change that. What did they do in their fear? Did they maintain their confidence that their friend and teacher loved them? Cared about them? Shared their lives and their trust? They could have done that, but that took courage, and they let courage fly away on the wind.

They got rebuked for it, but I’ll tell you, better a rebuke than drowning, in my opinion.

When Mark’s Gospel began to circulate among Christians, things were not good. The rebellion against Rome had erupted in Jerusalem, and the Temple had burned. Christians had been persecuted in the city of Rome under Nero and sporadically in other provinces of the Empire. Sharon H. Ringe writes at Working Preacher, “If Mark’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry were to be ‘good news’ for the church, it would have to proclaim that message in the midst of the storms through which they were living (and in which many were dying). It would have to shine a light of hope in the nighttime of the life of the church, and not only proclaim the coming ‘day’ of Christ’s longed-for return in power. This story affirms that still in that nighttime, when the long and perilous journey is in process, the cosmic authority of the crucified and risen Christ is with us. God is with us, and we are not alone.”

We are not alone. We are in danger, but we are not alone.

This is not the first century Roman Empire, and we are not subject to arrest and detention for being Christians in the US, no matter what some people claim. This is no longer 2020, and our risk from COVID-19 is much reduced from four years ago. Again, despite what some people claim, violent crime in the United States is down. Eric Levenson at CNN quotes FBI statistics for the first quarter of 2024: “The new numbers show violent crime from January to March dropped 15.2% compared to the same period in 2023, while murders fell 26.4% and reported rapes decreased by 25.7%. Aggravated assaults decreased during that period when compared to last year by 12.5%, according to the data, while robberies fell 17.8%.”

Rates in Hawai’i, by the way, tend to be significantly lower than the US as a whole.

So what are we in danger from? What’s the storm that’s threatening our boat?

Has anybody noticed that we’re getting older?

OK. You aren’t. But I certainly am. My portrait that hangs on the wall in the church Lounge alongside all the other pastors of this church shows somebody with a dark red mustache. It’s pretty much white now. When I worked for the Connecticut Conference, one of my tasks was to take photos at events. That meant I spent a lot of time crouching at the front of a room. Well, a few years ago I was visiting someone in a nursing home, and I crouched beside the bed because it was set low and there wasn’t a chair in the room. My legs went to sleep. When I finally got them awake enough to carry me out, I was sure that I was going to fall flat on my face in the hallway and the staff was going to admit me.

Sleepy legs aside, the simple truth is that aging is a pretty stormy thing, isn’t it? Not only do our bodies have more trouble doing the things we’re used to, they also start doing things we don’t want them to do. Hypertension. Heart disease. Decreased lung capacity. Neurological conditions. Cancer. How many of us have been in the boat accompanying someone through their storms? How many of us look ahead and see that the seas ahead may be rising, that the winds might be strengthening?

As I look ahead as a church leader, I see storm clouds. We in the United Church of Christ and in the mainline Protestant tradition have lost members, and influence, and resources over the years. Aging membership means storms for each of us, and it also means a storm for the church as a whole, as we confront the world’s deep needs with fewer people, and with less money, than we’ve had before. Well we might ask if Jesus cares whether the United Church of Christ, or Church of the Holy Cross UCC, exist.

Debie Thomas writes, “I think I will spend the rest of my life seeking this one grace — the grace to experience God’s presence in the storm. The grace to know that I am accompanied by the divine in the bleakest, most treacherous places. The grace to trust that Jesus cares even when I’m drowning. The grace to believe in both the existence and the power of Love even when Jesus ‘sleeps.’ Even when the miraculous calm doesn’t come.”

The one thing I am sure of is that when the storm is upon us, Jesus is there. God is there. The Holy Spirit is there. Sometimes over the years that has been a comfort. Sometimes over the years that has been a frustration. Sometimes over the years it’s been all that kept me going. Sometimes over the years it’s been the gentle arm over my shoulders when I had to come to a stop.

In danger, in the storm, go ahead and call for Jesus. Wake him if you feel you must. If you can help it, try to avoid, “Don’t you care?” It didn’t work with your mother, it’s not going to work much better with Jesus. But either way, Jesus will be there, the Holy Spirit will be there, God will be there, and in the midst of the storm, you will not be alone.

Amen.

by Eric Anderson

Watch the Recorded Sermon

Pastor Eric makes changes in the course of preaching. Mostly he hope these are improvements.

The image is Christ on the Sea of Galilee by Eugene Delacroix (1853) – https://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/51982.html?mulR=258816936%7C28, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77326827.

Rev. Eric Anderson Worship Services

Worship for June 23, 2024

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 23, 2024. You will find the service outline below, and you may download and print the PDF to follow more easily. 

Worship Service for June 23, 2024 (PDF)Download
Story: Mother Memory (PDF)Download
Sermon: In Danger (PDF)Download
Pastoral Prayer (PDF)Download

Service of Worship June 23, 2024
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

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: Allemande                                                      Kayleen Yuda

Lighting of the Candles

Ringing of the Bell

Welcome                                                                             Rev. Eric S. Anderson

* Call to Worship: (based on Psalm 9:9-20)        Stefan Tanouye

Leader:         The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
People:        God has not forsaken those who have placed their trust in the LORD.

Leader:         Sing praises to the LORD, and celebrate God’s deeds.
People:        The LORD does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

Leader:         The needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.
People:        Rise up, O LORD! Do not let mortals prevail. Lead the nations to justice and peace.

All:                 Let us worship God!

* Hymn #21: God Reigns o’er All the Earth (v. 1-4)

* Invocation (based on Psalm 133)                                            Stefan Tanouye

How lovely and pleasant it is, O God, when kindred live together in unity! It is like sweet oil that drips from the head and down the cheeks with its soothing touch. It is like the dew that refreshes the dry peaks of the mountains. Send your blessings upon us, O LORD: life evermore. Amen.

Please be seated

WE SHARE THE WORD OF GOD

Anthem: Beautiful Dreamer                                                   Keiko Formanek
                                                                                            Kanako Okita

Time with the Children

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:32-49                                                   Stefan Tanouye
David said to Saul, ‘Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.’ Saul said to David, ‘You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.’ But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.’ David said, ‘The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.’ So Saul said to David, ‘Go, and may the Lord be with you!’

Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, ‘I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them.’ So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.

 The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. The Philistine said to David, ‘Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, ‘Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field.’ But David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.’

When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly towards the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

Mark 4:35-41
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’

Sermon: In Danger                                                                      Rev. Eric S. Anderson

WE RESPOND IN WORD AND DEED

Pastoral Prayer

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 #441: Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me (v. 1-3)

Call to Offering                                       Stefan Tanouye

David came to the battle with his gifts of skill and courage. Jesus came to the boat with his gifts of power and grace. What gifts do you bring to share today? 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: Air                                                           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              Stefan Tanouye

We know your love and care for us, O God, as sweet as the scent of plumeria, as melodious as the mejiro. Accept these gifts of love and care, and direct them to the blessing of your people. Amen.

* Hymn #442: I’m Pressing on the Upward Way (v. 1-4)

Please be seated

Announcements                                               Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Benediction                                                       Rev. Eric S. Anderson

Postlude: Rigandon                                                         Kayleen Yuda

* Please stand if you are able.

Permissions

Allemande
Arcangelo Corelli
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890

God Reigns o’er All the Earth
Text by Jane Parker Huber, 1981
© 1981 Jane Parker Huber
Admin. by Westminster John Knox Press
Tune TERRA BEATA Trad. English melody
Adapt. Franklin L. Sheppard, 1915
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890

Beautiful Dreamer
Text & tune by Stephen C. Foster
Trans. by Shuichi Tsugawa
Public Domain

Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me
Text by Edward Hopper, 1871
Tune PILOT by John E. Gould, 1871
Public Domain

Air
Johan Ernst Galliard
Glenn Medlock
Tune: © 1986 Lorenz Publishing Company
a division of The Lorenz Corporation
(Admin. by Music Services)
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890

I’m Pressing on the Upward Way
Text by Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1892
Tune HIGHER GROUND by Charles H. Gabriel, 1898
Public Domain

Rigandon
Andre Campra
Streamed by permission ONELICENSE A-735890

Dates to Remember
Today—June 23: J’s Mini Mart

Pastor                                                                                  Rev. Eric S. Anderson
Moderator                                                                         Stefan Tanouye
Lay Reader                                                                        Stefan Tanouye
Choir Accompanist                                                        Kanako Okita
Soprano                                                                              Keiko Formanek
Choir Director                                                                 Doug Albertson
Organist                                                                             Kayleen Yuda
Hand Bell Director                                                        Anna Kennedy
Chapel Decorations                                                       Ruth Ohata
Projected Imagery                                                        Sue Smith
Web Master                                                                      Ruth Niino-DuPonte  
Videographers                                                                Eric Tanouye, Eli Yamaki
                                                                             Ruth Niino-DuPonte, Bob Smith

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.

Rev. Eric Anderson Pastor's Corner

Pastor’s Corner: Honor with Tears

June 19, 2024

As I said in worship on June 9th, we have suffered a number of losses in our community lately, deaths of people who made a positive difference in the lives of their families, their homes, and Church of the Holy Cross. I have had to say the names with tears prickling at the corners of my eyes.

That is as it should be.

I wish that these friends now departed could have been with us longer with all the health, wisdom, talent, humor, and affection that we’ve known. I wish we could all have grown older together, and that includes those who died in their forties as well as those who died in their eighties. When I say “that is as it should be,” I’m not referring to the time of their passing.

I’m talking about our sadness.

Many times I’ve heard someone say to friends or family, “I don’t want anyone crying for me.” It’s a loving thing to say. A kind person doesn’t want their loved ones to be sad.

But the loss of a loving person will make us sad, no matter what they hope we’ll feel. We will remember the joys, yes, and tell the funny stories for certain, and we will do so with tears on our cheeks. Grief follows from love. When we love and lose, we mourn.

If you really don’t want anyone to weep for you, act badly. Be harsh. Be somebody nobody will miss.

Or be the kind and loving person that God called you to be, the one you’ve been for a lifetime. And accept that, for a time, we will honor your love with our tears.

In peace,

Pastor Eric

The image is of Mary Magdalene crying in a statue of Jesus laid in the sepulchre, 17th cent. Photo by User:Vassil – File:Sépulcre_Arc-en-Barrois_111008_12.jpg, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16942922.

Rev. Eric Anderson What I'm Thinking

What I’m Thinking: Do You Have Faith?

Jesus asked his disciples if they had faith after stilling the storm. But didn’t they have faith to wake him up?

Here’s a transcript:

I’m thinking about the fourth chapter of Mark’s Gospel (Mark 4:35-41), in which Jesus and his disciples encountered a storm at sea.

As is not unusual in the gospels, Jesus had been working hard throughout chapter four. He had been teaching it in parables, and at this point Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us cross the lake to the other side.” He was tired. He fell asleep in the back of the boat.

While he was sleeping, a storm came up, and storms on the sea of Galilee are nothing to trifle with. His disciples, some of whom had been fishermen, struggled to keep the boat afloat. Eventually they woke him up, saying, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus said, “Peace, be still!” to the waves and the wind and everything went calm. Then Jesus turned to his frightened disciples and said, “Do you not have any faith?”

It’s a curious question, because they had enough faith to wake him up. They had enough faith to believe that he, Jesus, was able to bring something to the danger, to the chaos, to the threat of death, that they could not. I grant you “Don’t you care?” is not the way I’d like to be woken if people were looking for my help, but still, they had enough faith to go to Jesus when their own efforts no longer sufficed.

I wonder if Jesus’ question was not so much about do they have faith in him. I think Jesus may be asking, “Do you have faith in yourselves? Do you have faith, not in your abilities as sailors, do you have faith in your connection with God? Do you have faith that God is attentive to you even while I am asleep? Do you have faith that God cares?”

I think that’s a question that could be asked of any one of us at any moment. Do we have faith that God cares, not just in the most dangerous or frightening times? Do we have faith that God cares in the midst of our successes and joys? Do we have faith that God cares in the midst of the ordinariness of our days? Do we demand some kind of special occurrence from God to believe, to trust, to have faith that God is with us?

If I’m honest with myself, I suspect the answer, for me, is yes.

“Do you have faith?” Jesus asked them, and eventually they did. “Do you have faith?” Jesus asks us and I believe that, eventually, we will.

That’s what I’m thinking. I’m curious to hear what you’re thinking. Leave me your thoughts in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you.