Holy Cross Lutheran Church

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

7901 Westview Dr. Houston, TX 77055 Tel. 713-686-8253

Website: www.holycross.us e-mail: hclc@holycross.us 713-686-8254

Rev. Jim Berggren February 15, 2026 Transfiguration of Our Lord

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WORSHIP SERVICE

PRELUDE

GATHERING SONG How Good, Lord, to be Here! ELW 315

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

P: In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

P: God of all mercy and consolation, come to the help of your people, turning us from our sin to live for you alone. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that we may confess our sin, receive your forgiveness, and grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

C: Amen.

P: Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Most merciful God,

C: We confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

P: God, who is rich in mercy, loved us even when we were dead in sin, and made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. In the name of V Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Almighty God strengthen you with power through the Holy Spirit, that Christ may live in your hearts through faith.

C: Amen.

PASTORAL GREETING

THE KYRIE

CANTICLE OF PRAISE This is the Feast

PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also, with you.

P: Let us pray, together.

C: O God, in the transfiguration of your Son you confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the witness of Moses and Elijah, and in the voice from the bright cloud declaring Jesus your beloved Son, you foreshadowed our adoption as your children. Make us heirs with Christ of your glory, and bring us to enjoy its fullness, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

SCRIPTURE LESSONS

February 15, 2026 – Transfiguration of Our Lord

FIRST READING: Exodus 24:12-18

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

¹³ Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. ¹⁴ He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.”

¹⁵ When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, ¹⁶ and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. ¹⁷ To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. ¹⁸ Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

The word of the Lord.

Congregation response following the reading is: Thanks be to God!

THE PSALM Psalm 99

SECOND READING: 2 Peter 1:16-21

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” ¹⁸ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

¹⁹ We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. ²⁰ Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The word of the Lord.

Congregation response following the reading is: Thanks be to God!

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: ELW Pg. 151

Alleluia.

Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life.

Alleluia.

THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 17:1-9

The Transfiguration

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

⁴ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” ⁸ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. ⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Congregational response: Praise to you, O Christ.

PR. JIM’S SERMON: https://youtu.be/qNBfUbhhG5s

TRANSFIGURATION A, 2-15-26, MT 17.1-9

LISTEN TO HIM

Transfiguration is nothing more than the miracle of hearing with new ears, and seeing with new eyes. Transfiguration is suddenly finding yourself in the sweet spot. An athlete might say, “In the Zone.” A person of spiritual understanding might say, “A moment in Eternity.” Time stands still and the common and usual become divine holiness and awe. It was a normal day, and then……. well……. words aren’t adequate.

It is when, instead of seeing the obvious grit in life, we see the pearl being formed. We have a vision of what that acorn is going to be. It is where the common…. which truly IS holy….is seen for the miracle that it is. You can practice for these moments.

Sometimes I have given homework to classes I have taught from confirmation to community college. It is an exercise in shifting perception. Confirmation age kids are in an awkward developmental stage. Everything is changing: their bodies, their relationships to parents and peers, their frustrating drive for independence and their aggravating dependence. One of the words I have heard them say to describe their experience is “annoying.” It’s a great word. I understand. During times of big changes and displacement, sometimes people, places, and things are annoying. Sometimes we are annoying to ourselves.

The homework simply is: Identify two really annoying things in your life this week. Just two. Write down the annoying thing. Try to see God’s image or God’s action or God’s Will, in those annoying things. Ask yourself, “What could God possibly be saying to me?” Be curious about what annoys you. That is a growth point! When you do this, your life will start feeling better. It may even start working better.

Witness the examples in the Gospel lesson. Jesus, the daily travel companion becomes someone divine and unspeakably transcendent. His dusty, sweat-stained, road-worn clothes become dazzling white. Elijah and Moses, representing the Law and the Prophets, seem to be dead and hopeless issues to the disciples, in their disintegrating and corrupt, progressive Roman culture. Nobody cares about history and Moses and Elijah, and yet with Jesus they are alive and vital and more relevant than ever. Peter, terrified and confused, becomes Peter, listening to God’s wonderful validation of Jesus from a translucent cloud. Not able to see, they must hear the voice of God. Listen to Him.

In our own worlds, transfiguration is constantly available as we begin to hear God’s affirmation through the ears of faith. Like Peter, James and John, we get distracted with impressive visual effects. Who can’t want to freeze-frame the moment on a clear, dazzling mountaintop day, with an all-star cast for a holy performance? Who doesn’t want to go back to that ecstatic moment and replay it nostalgically? It is the addict’s dilemma. That first high was so astounding that the person spends a lifetime doing it over and over and over again, trying to repeat, replay and relive what is a one-time only experience. That poor person will judge all life on the false scale of one impressive, but temporary event. All other living will be discounted.

I helped a young couple once with their wedding ceremony, which was to occur on the 14,000-foot Notch Mountain overlook of the even higher, Mount of the Holy Cross. They had a dream of a Wedding Day transfiguration. That location was 4 miles, and 4000 feet above the last trailhead you could drive to above Mintern, Colorado. Then, if you were in good shape, you had a 4-hour uphill hike ahead of you. We arranged to meet at the summit at noon, since they were planning to start the day before and camp on the trail overnight. I started out briskly, rhythmically breathing, to the soaring guitar melody of Joe Satriani, playing Flying In a Blue Dream, over my headphones. To my left was a steep drop-off to an ancient volcanic scree field, and the sun, struggling to pull itself free from the Gore Mountain Range on the eastern horizon. At 9:00, my dog, Cleo, went crazy, darting around, and snarling and barking. I was on high alert, adrenal glands cramping. I thought she had rousted a bear.

Thank goodness it was only the wedding party, still 3,000 feet from the summit, just waking up. It took 6 more hours and a lot of cussing, yelling and grumbling, and “who’s-idea-was-this-anyway,” comments. There were moments of anger and frustration where I was convinced that this ceremony was not going to happen. They stopped often to catch their breath. Once they got some oxygen in their brain, they said, “I’m sorry. I love you. Let’s get moving!” Remarkably, they listened to each other! We got to the top for the ceremony, just in time for the afternoon, high altitude daily thunder and lightning storms. It was a dangerous time and place to stand on a bare mountaintop. I have to say, the visuals were amazing. But even better, God spoke, and they listened and are in their third decade of married life.

Sandburs at the beach. What a nuisance. A month after the beach trip, you will find a hitchhiking sandbur in an article of clothing that has been washed several times already. How annoying!!

A poet will look at that little spur and marvel. “Look how nature attaches itself to humanity and spreads it’s genetic material, sandbur love throughout the world.

The engineer looks at that little spur and its tenacity with a microscope. Eleven years later, he’s come up with a new thing called Velcro. Still not as good as a sandbur, but close. Transfiguration is possible all the time. Transfiguration is cool. It is only a perceptual shift away from where you are right now.

The loss of joy in daily life is attended by fixed perceptions instead of fluid, listening assessments of the world around us. One of the reasons for trouble in relationships, is that we get stuck seeing each other in one way only. This annoying mannerism…..that way of saying things…..that one issue or big incident…..becomes the standard for future interactions. The prognosis is not good. We see only one thing and we quit listening for more. God says, “Listen to Him.” Listen to Jesus. Old assumptions and reflex perceptions ignore the transfigurations around us. He has come to give us new life. Not the repetitive stasis of habit, but novel, new ways to rejoice and serve!

“The Man with Two Brains,” is a Steve Martin comedy. He plays a brain surgeon, Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr. Throughout the movie, no one can pronounce his name. He is a grieving widower, and has fallen in love with a wicked temptress, played by sexy, Kathleen Turner. He stands before his late wife’s picture, and asks for her guidance from beyond. “Just show me a sign. Should I marry her or not? Just a little sign.”

Suddenly a cold wind blows, and a voice wails, “Nooooo, noooo, don’t do it…” The wall cracks and the portrait spins. The furnishings are crashing all around, like a drunken poltergeist on crystal meth.

Suddenly, all is still, and Dr. Hfuhruhurr, dusts himself off, and says, “Well. Since you won’t show me a sign, I guess it’s okay to marry her.” And he goes on his clueless way. God is always speaking. Listen to Him!

Like Simon Peter’s, the transitory vision is very compelling, and the internal narrative tries to control reality. But it’s God’s reality. Listen to him. Prayer is listening. Not making speeches to the debate coach. To enjoy transfiguration, we need to rise above the limitations of human visions and ideas to hear things as they really are.

When someone does not greet you, do not imagine that she is your enemy. When you have the sniffles, don’t decide it is pneumonia. When you are having difficulties with someone, don’t anticipate that you will never hear each other’s point of view. Stop imagination in order to live happily. Listen to reality, and hear the glory of the present moment. Until I’m grateful for the little gifts I have been given, God can’t trust me with the great gifts he wants to give.

The glory and grace of the Transfiguration is that God has placed us in the midst of constant opportunities to perceive His World emerging in wonder and joy. Listen to him as he renames and redeems our lives.

In the great classic, The Man of La Mancha, Don Quixote lives in a strange world, seeing things no one else sees, fighting battles that no one else understands. (Don’t we all do something like that?) And through all of this he is in love with Aldonza the Whore, whom he devotedly calls, My Lady Dulcinea. She treats this title, this name, with dismissal. She can’t understand herself in this way. She faithfully ministers to Quixote, as he dies, and after his passing, someone addresses her as Aldonza. She gently corrects them. “My name is Dulcinea.” That is who she becomes. Quixote’s devotion and love transfigured her life and redeemed her. And she listened to him. Jesus’ devotion and love transfigure, redeems our lives. Listen to him! Amen.

HYMN OF THE DAY Songs of Thankfulness and Praise ELW 310

APOSTLES’ CREED

P: God has made us His people through our Baptism into Christ. Living together in trust and hope, we confess our faith:

C: I believe in God the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

He ascended into heaven,

He is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

The Lord’s Peace (Please share the Peace with a neighbor)

THE OFFERING “Jesus Loves Me!” W. B. Bradbury

THE OFFERTORY RESPONSE Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful ELW Hymn 142

THE OFFERING PRAYER

All pray together:

God of glory, great are your wonders among us and many are the blessings you bestow. Use us and these your gifts for the needs of the world, that all the ends of the earth may rejoice in your saving grace, through Christ our Savior. Amen.

AGNUS DEI

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,

have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,

have, mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,

grant us thy peace.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

P: In the night in which he was betrayed, Our Lord Jesus took bread and gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying: Take and eat, this is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks and gave it for all to drink saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this in remembrance of me.

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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; 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.

COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION

POST COMMUNION BLESSING

The Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and preserve you in Eternal Life.

POST COMMUNION SONG Thankful Hearts and Voices Raise

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Presider:

Incarnate God, you are among us at this table. May we treasure this gift and ponder in our hearts the mystery of your presence. Move us to discover the wonders of your love in the everyday moments of our lives, through Christ born in us.

Congregation: Amen.

THE BLESSING

SENDING SONG Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing ELW 807

GO IN PEACE, IN SERVICE

C: Thanks be to God!

PSALM 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

§ Ken Beamesderfer

§ Jim Berggren

§ Jim Fritze

§ Eliseo Gonzales

§ Paul Houghton

§ Joyce Huey

§ Lane Kelly

§ Nancy Lancaster

§ David Magrill

§ Jeremy Mitchell

§ Geraine Moore

§ Ed Peterman

§ Dorothy Preuss

§ Lupe Romero

§ Wayne Schaper

§ Steve Schulze

§ Scott Spates

§ Marilyn Thigpen

§ Jaime Urbanski

§ Bennie Valites

§ Michael Williams

§ Lin Worsham

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COUNCIL MEETING

Council meeting will be Sunday, February 22, 2026,

at 11:00 a.m. in the Annex.

Church Council

USHERS

Month: February Team # 04 Leader: Julie Kilkenny

LAY READERS & ASSISTANTS

FEBRUARY

1 Reader — Charlotte Jaster

P/E — Nancy Beamesderfer

8 Reader — Ruby Schaper

P/E — Alma Byerly

15 Reader — Scott Wegner

P/E — Sharon Wagner

22 Reader — Nancy Beamesderfer

P/E — Nancy Beamesderfer

P/E stands for Prayers and Eucharist

Nancy Beamesderfer

ATTENTION HOLY CROSS MEMBERS

Following the Church Safety Protocol, if you would like to make a reservation to use the church facilities for private events, please contact Sussy. You must to fill out a Calendar Request Form as well.

CONGREGATIONAL MEETING PART II

Holy Cross Congregational meeting will be Sunday, March 22, 2026.

Please send your 2025 Reports to Sussy by Sunday, March 8.

Church Council

FELLOWSHIP CLUB

The Fellowship Club will be meeting at Don Jose Mexican Restaurant, located at 5305 Antoine, at 3:00 pm Saturday, February 21.

Please mark your calendars and make plans to join us for some good fellowship and good food!

Nancy Beamesderfer

SUNDAY SCHOOL AND NURSERY

We are looking for volunteers to support our Sunday School and Nursery!

To give our weekly teachers the opportunity to attend services,

we are building a rotation.

Whether you can help once a month or even once a quarter, we need you.

The role is simple: supervise 2–4 children, bring them in for Bible Time, and lead a small activity. It’s a low-pressure way to serve our church family.

Please reach out to Wendy Lambeth or Julie Richter if you can help!

Julie Richter

LENTEN SCHEDULE - 2026

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES

FEBRUARY 18^th

12:00 noon and 7:00 p.m.

Lenten services will be held on Wednesdays

at 12:00 noon in the Atrium the following dates:

FEBRUARY 25, MARCH 4, 11, 18 & 25,

followed by a light meal after the services.

LENTEN MEALS

This is the schedule for the Lenten Meals:

· 2/25 Council

· 3/04 Choir

· 3/11 Ruth Circle

· 3/18 Fellowship Club

· 3/25 Men's Breakfast Group

Lenten Study

for Wednesday Noon Services

This year we will explore the Lenten study “Killing Jesus”

by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard.

Pastor Jim Berggren

LENTEN DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS

Lenten Devotional Booklets are available in the Narthex and Atrium. 

These booklets, MERCY, PASSION AND JOY, are meditations based on the works of C.S. Lewis.  A beautiful way to spend a few minutes every day preparing for the journey to the Cross and Resurrection of our Lord.

Sharon Wagner

Safeguards Safety Training

Holycross coupon code for 15% discount: HCLC2026

CLASS	DAY	DATE	TIME
Adult CPR *CPR only ($79) *CPR + First Aid ($92)	Friday Sunday	1/23/2026 2/8/2026	1 pm — 4:30 pm 1 pm — 4:30 pm
Adult & Pediatric CPR *CPR only ($98) *CPR + First Aid ($108)	Saturday Saturday	1/31/2026 2/14/2026	1 pm — 5:30 pm 1 pm — 5:30 pm
Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers and Professional Rescuers ($89)	TEMPORARILY DISCONTINUED WILL RETURN IN LATE FEBRUARY / EARLY MARCH
CPR Instructor Course ($299)	Friday	2/20/2026	9 am — 5:30 pm

Classes are in the Youth Room, Media Room and in the Annex.

You can sign up online for classes by going to

www.safeguards-safety.com and choosing “Register for Classes.”

  Or call 713-854-8085 for more information

Congregation members and their families will receive a discount of 15%

for any class by using the above-mentioned coupon code when signing up.

 John Lambeth

SUNDAY’S SCHEDULE 9:30 a.m. Traditional Worship service with Rev. Jim Berggren —WC Sunday School / Nursery is available for small children during the service — Crib Room 10:30 a.m. Coffee fellowship following the service —FLC
This week at Holy Cross
16 Mon	17 Tues	18 Wed	19 Thurs	20 Fri	21 Sat
President’s Day --Office closed-- CROSSTIES DEADLINE	11—12 pm ELC Chapel –WC	10 am Roundtable Group -VR 11 am Choir practice –CL ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES 12 pm and 7:00 pm	8 pm AA Women mtg. —FLCA	9 am—5:30 pm SST CPR Instructor course –MR/YR 7—9 pm Bayou City Band practice –FLC	3 pm Fellowship Club –Don Jose Mexican Restaurant 6 pm Saturday Informal service –AT
AT =Atrium, CL=Choir Loft, CR=Choir Room, FLC= Family Life Center, FLCA=Annex, KiM= Kids in Motion, MR=Media Room, WC=Worship Center, YR=Youth Room  BLS=Basic Life Support, SST=Safeguards Safety Training, UCL=Upcycled Crafty Ladies