The video above will be available to stream live at 11:00 AM HAST on July 3, 2024. You may watch the recording here at any time afterward. You will need to click the Play button to view the live video.
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What I’m Thinking: Perfect Power
The Apostle Paul knew, and Jesus lived, the truth that power is made perfect in weakness.
Here’s a transcript:
I’m thinking about the twelfth chapter of Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 12:2-10).
Second Corinthians to modern eyes reads as a pretty contentious letter. In it, Paul wrote that he had already sent a “painful letter,” and you and I might be excused for wondering how could that letter have been much more painful than Second Corinthians?
One of the issues that clearly lay between Paul and the church was the issue of Paul’s own authority, yet here in chapter twelve, Paul almost refrains from boasting about himself. He would boast of someone who had received extraordinary revelations, he says, but not about himself. That seems like it’s a backhanded reference to himself.
Then Paul said something much deeper and more significant. If I would boast, I will boast of my weaknesses, he said. Boast of the hardships, boast of the sufferings, boast even of some kind of illness or disability that he says kept him from being “too exalted.”
Well. That is a statement counter to the culture of his day and, for that matter, our day. We embrace power, celebrate power, seek power, try to exert power. It has to be said that the Apostle Paul himself frequently asserted power and attempted to wield power; it’s so clear from his letters. But it’s also clear that he knew the truth, that if he was still subject to the temptations of power, he knew better; that ultimate power is found in weakness and if the Apostle Paul did not necessarily live that way, he knew of someone who had: and that was Jesus.
In Jesus, power indeed was made perfect in weakness.
So even as the world around us continues that search for power and embrace of power and idolization of power, let us remember, and strive to live as those who know that power is made perfect in weakness, and in so doing more closely follow Jesus Christ.
That’s what I’m thinking. I’m curious to hear what you’re thinking. Send me an e-mail or leave me your thoughts in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you.
Sermon: Why Trouble the Teacher?
June 30, 2024
Lamentations 3:2233
Mark 5:21-43
I wonder how long they’d been waiting.
Jesus had been teaching along the shores of Galilee. It probably provided about as convenient an open area as they were likely to find near Capernaum. At the end of the day, you might recall, he had directed his disciples to sail across the sea (or lake, however you want to think of it). Personally, I think Jesus was looking for a day off.
It didn’t go all that well. They ran into a storm which forced his disciples to wake him up, and he was cranky about that. They pulled to shore in a place where people shouldn’t have known him. It wasn’t thickly settled with Jews. A perfect place to relax.
That’s when a possessed man found him and called him by name. Apparently the demons – they described themselves as “Legion” – recognized Jesus for who he was. Jesus, of course, could not leave these demons in possession of the man, so they asked to be sent into a nearby herd of pigs. He sent them there, at which the pigs promptly rushed into the sea and drowned.
That didn’t sit well with the locals, especially the owner of the pigs, I’m sure, so they told Jesus to go away.
So much for a vacation.
When Jesus and his friends returned to the Galilee side, they found a crowd, including Jairus, leader of a local synagogue and desperate to obtain Jesus’ aid for his ailing daughter. Had they been waiting all day and all night? I wonder. They headed for the house, with the crowd still milling about and probably getting in the way more than they cleared the way. As they went, a woman reached out and touched Jesus’ cloak, and suddenly twelve years of bleeding ceased.
As Cheryl Lindsay writes at UCC.org, “Their journey is interrupted by the hemorrhaging woman. It’s interesting to note that she did not intend to disrupt their movement. Unlike Jairus, she does not need an audience with Jesus to present her petition. She believes his touch will be enough.”
As it was. But it also interrupted the journey. Jesus did not want the recipients of his healing to be anonymous, at least not to him. He wanted to praise her daring to reach out to him in faith.
That’s when the messengers arrived with the tragic news that Jairus’ daughter had died.
It’s funny. I’ve read this story for decades and I have always blamed the woman for slowing everything down, for delaying Jesus before he could reach the girl. When the real delay was caused first by Jesus leaving the area in the boat, and second by the streets filled with people.
That’s when somebody uttered these crucial words: “Why trouble the teacher any further?”
I suppose it’s nice that somebody had some regard for Jesus’ time and welfare. Up to this point in the story, that’s been hard to find. Jesus’ reputation, thus far in the Gospel of Mark, had summoned crowds that make it difficult to eat, had prompted his family to wonder if he was crazy, had brought examiners out from the Jerusalem to see what he was up to, had forced him to cross the lake to get a break (and we know how that went), and had now got him stuck in a crowd so dense that his friends can’t imagine how he distinguished one touch from all the others.
Jesus had not been having easy days.
D. Mark Davis writes at LeftBehindAndLovingIt, “I do want to note that when Jesus turns and addresses the crowd, he takes back the agency of his actions. He was met immediately by Jairus and regardless of whatever his intentions were it seems that the urgency of Jairus’ daughter suddenly scripted Jesus’ actions. Then, the woman grabs his garment and his healing power goes out of him, with no reference to Jesus’ will or intent at all. Others are determining his actions and even his location. Until now. Now, he stops – as urgent as Jairus may be – he stops and turns and inquires.”
Up to this point in our text, Jesus had been pretty passive. He’d been swept along by Jairus’ plea, and then by the movement of the crowd, and had even healed the woman without making the choice to do so. We don’t often think of Jesus as swept along by the crowd, but in this story, that’s what happened to him.
Until he stopped it all. He took a breath. He asked who touched him. He learned who touched him. He praised the courage of her faith that made her well.
Then: “Why trouble the teacher any further?”
Now the teacher troubled himself. Having praised the woman for reaching out despite her fears, he continued the journey to Jairus’ daughter despite her parents’ fears. Reaching the house, he took charge. He cleared it of everyone except the parents and three of his disciples. Maybe they hadn’t said, “How can you say, ‘Who touched me?’ which Jesus clearly hadn’t appreciated. As D. Mark Davis writes, “Regarding the disciples’ effrontery, it is a wise guiding principle, when speaking to someone who is not stupid, to act as though what s/he has said is not stupid.” So yes. Jesus didn’t need those guys in the house.
And then: a woman who had suffered twelve years had reached out to him and been healed. Jesus reached out to a twelve-year-old girl and said, “Talitha cum. Little girl, get up.” And she did.
This time, Jesus didn’t say, “Your faith has made you well.” Nobody in the room said it, but perhaps one or two thought what I’ve been thinking: “Jesus, your faith has made her well.”
We value faith in the Christian Church. A declaration of faith is a basic part of membership in the Church. We ask it of people who are baptized as adults, and when people are baptized as infants, we ask it of them later at confirmation. When people join a new church, we ask them to affirm their faith again.
It’s almost like the price of admission. You want to see the Jesus movie? Let’s see your faith.
That gets more complicated when we look at our lives in relation to illness and healing. We hear Jesus’ words in the back of our minds, don’t we? “…if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” And: “Have you still no faith?”
But what if Jesus – what if God – has faith in us?
What if faith isn’t the price of admission, but an ohi’a seed that struggles in rocky crevices to somehow, beyond expectation, produce a shoot and branches and flowers? What if Jesus extends his faith in us to us, so that we can receive it and rejoice in it, so that we can nurture it and bear fruit in it? What if God cared so much about the world to make no distinction between those with wholehearted belief and those who wonder if they could have faith? What if God loved the world and its people whether they’re faith-filled or fearful? What if God so loves the world?
It’s clear that faith makes things possible that won’t happen otherwise. On the most basic, human level, a person who believes they can’t do a thing won’t do the thing, and the thing won’t happen. A person who has lost faith in the justice system won’t contest a lawsuit, and that probably means that justice won’t happen. A person who has lost faith in their body’s capacity to recover from an illness won’t seek medical attention, putting their healing at risk.
What faith doesn’t do is open up the compassion of God. God’s love and care flows to everyone, whether they are aware of it or not, whether they believe in it or not, whether they want it or not. Faith makes it easier – not easy, but easier – to accept that love and care and to flourish in it.
So why trouble the teacher? Because that is a way to seek what is already there, and in seeking to accept what is given. Troubling the teacher opens up our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies to the grace of God. Troubling the teacher opens the door so that power may come in and raise us up.
Troubling the teacher might even leave those words echoing in our souls: “Your faith has made you well.”
Amen.
by Eric Anderson
Watch the Recorded Sermon
Pastor Eric does make changes from his prepared text as he preaches. Just watch. He’ll do it.
The image is Christ Healing a Bleeding Woman, artwork found in the catacombs of Rome. Art by anonymous (2nd cent.) – http://campus.belmont.edu/honors/CatPix/womanblood.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14728851.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A Song from Church of the Holy Cross: June 26, 2024
The video above will be available to stream live at 11:00 AM HAST on June 26, 2024. You may watch the recording here at any time afterward. You will need to click the Play button to view the live video.
Community Concert: June 28, 2024
Join us for an hour of live music at 6:00 pm on Friday evening, June 38, performed by Eric Anderson on guitar and ukulele. The program includes traditional favorites as well as original songs. Join us in person or online!
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.
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.
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.