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 March 1, 2026 Second Sunday in Lent

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WORSHIP SERVICE

PRELUDE

GATHERING SONG Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross ELW 335

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

PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also, with you.

P: Let us pray, together.

C: O God, our leader and guide, in the waters of baptism you bring us to new birth to live as your children. Strengthen our faith in your promises, that by your Spirit we may lift up your life to all the world through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.

SCRIPTURE LESSONS

March 1, 2026 – Second Sunday in Lent

FIRST READING: Genesis 12:1-4a

The Call of Abram

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

² “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” ⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.

The word of the Lord.

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

THE PSALM Psalm 121

SECOND READING: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

Abraham Justified by Faith

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? ² If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. ³ What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

¹³ It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. ¹⁴ For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, ¹⁵ because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

The word of the Lord.

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

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: ELW Pg. 142

Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,

and abounding in steadfast love.

THE HOLY GOSPEL: John 3:1-17

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

⁹ “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still, you people do not accept our testimony. ¹² I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.

¹⁴ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Congregational response: Praise to you, O Christ.

PR. JIM’S SERMON: https://youtu.be/yn9qg6pu_2E

LENT 2A 3-1-26 Jn 3.1-17

NICODEMUS: NO WAY/YES WAY

“Come gather ‘round people wherever you roam

And admit that the waters around you have grown

And accept it that soon you’ll be drenched to the bone.

If your time to you is worth savin’

Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone

For the times, they are a changin’.

The line it is drawn the curse it is cast

The slow one now will later be fast

As the present now will later be past

The order is rapidly fadin’.

And the first one now will later be last

For the times they are a-changin’.”

Nicodemus was a seeker. He was a leader of the Pharisees, a judge, a man devoted to conserving the spiritual treasures of Judaism, an esteemed elder searching for a redeeming future path in an impossible time. He is living in a time when the general consensus is that there is no way forward with hope. It is a time of desperation. Grace, love and joy are an impossible dream. Everyone is split apart and pitted against each other. There will be no second chances. No way, impossible, we are doomed! Nicodemus is not the first person to deal with change and he won’t be the last. We watch our lives change daily. That’s the one thing you can count on. Children grow up. Friends move away. Loved ones die. You lived in the country and watched deer graze in the acreage behind your house, right there, where Wal-Mart’s parking lot is now. Part of successful living is learning to expect and adapt to change.

Biographies of Hitler tell that he rigidly resisted change. He wore the same clothes all the time. He kept the same schedule every day, walking his dog at the same time and place, picking up and throwing the same stick in the same spot, and listening to the same music, watching the same movies over and over again.

Sometimes we only change when it is forced upon us. 13 years ago, two weeks before major heart surgery, I quit a dangerous habit. I talked to God about it. I said, “I am changing this, for good, forever. It might be too late. I can live with that. Your will be done.”

Turns out it was a good thing to adapt to change. It might even be helpful to seek out change, when the current options play out, and tomorrow becomes a nice theory.

Nicodemus is a hero of the search and exploration of new possibilities in the face of those who have given up; those who say impossible, no chance, no way. Nicodemus is exploring with a much younger man that he goes to, as his rabbi, his spiritual superior. He is searching for what might be a second chance, a possibility, a way forward. He picked the right man to talk with. Jesus----The Way, the Truth and the Life!

Bad scholarship attributes this nighttime visit to Jesus as a consequence of Nicodemus’ fear, or embarrassment, or subterfuge, to betray the higher courts of the land. “What will my fellow Pharisees think?” At the very least, some gleefully say that smart Jesus is really putting a ‘dumb’ Pharisee in his place. That is a very low expectation for a seminar of two leaders exploring the future of faith, culture and civilization.

Here’s the deal. The rabbis taught that the Torah was best studied at night in a quiet time with no distractions. Nicodemus uses his study time to meet the author of all creation, to meet the fulfillment of the Torah. To verify the things that he has pondered for a lifetime. Jesus could be too good to be true!!! He is!!!! He says to Jesus, “Teacher, I know you are straight from God. Measure my life and tell me what I can do next.”

And Jesus says, “Be reborn. Let go. Start over. God will catch you and re-create you. It’s seeming impossible. So, count on it!” Before the circus performer can grab the trapeze bar that saves her life, she must let go of the bar she is swinging on, and float through space, with confidence and courage. Dr. Paul Scherer was my Christian Missions professor in seminary. He said that Christianity is like riding a bicycle. The only way Christianity is possible, is to keep moving forward. Otherwise, you can’t stay on the bike. Forward movement is the secret.

The next time we see Nicodemus, he is going with Joseph of Arimathea to the tomb of Jesus, prepared for anything. He is thinking “No way.” He carries 75-100 pounds of ointment and myrrh and spices for embalming. Just in case. He knows intellectually that no way will he understand Resurrection, but Jesus said, WAY, and he’s betting on that.

Born again in the Gospel is somewhat of a commission but it is also a relief. It is a re-start. A second chance. A Way out of No Way. It is not getting turned into a Super-Christian. It is starting a fresh new process of spiritual growth. You don’t always have to be, what you have become, up to this point. It can get better. “You must be born again,” is an offer we can’t afford to refuse. It is courage in the face of the hopelessly impossible.

Dick Gregory lived in a high-rise, on a short block of boulevard that split 55^th Street, in Chicago, halfway between the seminary and Lake Michigan. He jogged the neighborhood daily, and gladly stopped to talk about his experience, and civil rights issues. He spoke of a man who in the 60’s, went into a diner in Mississippi and ordered half a rotisserie chicken. A couple of red-necks started giving him a hard time, saying, “We don’t serve Negroes here.”

He said, “That’s ok. I don’t eat Negroes anywhere.”

The waitress, filled with terror, brought him his chicken, and the other red-neck walked over and said menacingly, “This is a warning. Whatever you do to that chicken, we’re gonna do to you.”

Making it out of the diner alive looked impossible. The man thought for a moment. He knew it wouldn’t matter what he did. It was over. He put down his knife and fork.

He said, “Y’all line up.” Then he picked up the chicken and kissed it. Shocked silence…….and then breathtaking laughter. They respected his courage and asked him to their table to eat. This time it turned out that way.

Nicodemus may be growing older, but his courage and his hope for the future is inspiration for all Christians. Like Nicodemus we are here to impart courage to the next generation. To show them how to live. To show them how to die. To show them our lives lived in faith and grace. We don’t cast despair into the future. Even in the face of the impossible we cast forward a hope we can’t even imagine or describe. We are as young as our faith, but as old as our doubt; as young as our hope, but as old as our despair.

One of the facts of life, described biblically in the expulsion from the Garden of Eden, is that you can’t go back. The Gospel fact of life as Jesus explains to Nicodemus, is that you can go anywhere forward. Welcome home to God’s kingdom. Here the impossible is a daily workout. Expect a miracle.

Near the end of WW II, a B-17 Flying Fortress was in a bombing run when it encountered the direct hits of withering fire from anti-aircraft guns. They knew they were dead. The pilot headed for base with gas leaking. He couldn’t believe that he wasn’t on fire. The ground crew dug eleven, 20 mm shells out of the gas tank. They had not exploded. They dismantled the shells and there was no explosive material in them. One had a note in it written in Czech. It read, “This is all we can do for you now.”

It is so much fun to witness the impossible happen. It is the freshness of the Holy Spirit blowing where it wills leaving a trail of scattered blessings for all who can see. Reborn in the Spirit, we can see God’s will in all things. What a joy, to be so caught up in God’s love, that everything else receives meaning and purpose in the context of that love. Jesus was sent to us, not to judge us or condemn us, but to breathe life and salvation into us.

“No way!” “Yes……. Way!!!!!!” Amen.

HYMN OF THE DAY What Wondrous Love Is This ELW 666

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 “Praise to The Lord, The Almighty” Ernswerten Gesangbuch

THE OFFERTORY RESPONSE Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful ELW Hymn 142

THE OFFERING PRAYER

All pray together:

O God, maker of heaven and earth, your steadfast love embraces all creation. You send rain and sunshine to nourish the earth and bring forth its bounty. Through these gifts of bread and wine, draw us into the death and life of your Son, who calls us to bear witness to his saving work. We ask this in Jesus’ name. 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 Now, Lord ELW 201

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Presider:

God of our salvation, we give you thanks for this meal that restores our souls, reconciles us to you, and strengthens us for the journey. Through the body and blood of your Son, may we become Christ’s body in the world, bearing witness to your love for all creation, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Congregation: Amen.

THE BLESSING

SENDING SONG Blessed Assurance ELW 638

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

§ Pat Boessling

§ Jim Fritze

§ Eliseo Gonzales

§ Paul Houghton

§ Joyce Huey

§ Bruce Jaster

§ Charlotte Jaster

§ 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, March 15, 2026,

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

Church Council

USHERS

Month: March Team # 05 Leader: Barbara Neumann

LAY READERS & ASSISTANTS

MARCH

1 Reader — Alice Braun

P/E — Nancy Beamesderfer

8 Reader — Jay Fort

P/E — Julie Kilkenny

15 Reader — Ike Thompson

P/E — Sharon Wagner

22 Reader — Linda Cuzzort

P/E — Penny Schick

28 Reader — Mallory Hileman

P/E — Alma Byerly

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.

KINDLY REMINDER

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

LENTEN SCHEDULE - 2026

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

EASTER LILIES

Order forms for Easter Lilies will be available

March 1^st, through the 22^nd. 

Lilies will be used to decorate the Sanctuary Easter Sunday. 

They will be $10.⁰⁰ each and may be picked up after the Easter Service. 

Lilies may be dedicated

"In Memory of", In Honor of" or “To The Glory of God". 

Order envelopes will be available in the Atrium and in the Narthex.

Complete the order form and place in the basket.  Thank you!

 Sharon Wagner

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FELLOWSHIP CLUB

The Fellowship Club will be meeting Saturday, March 21,

at the Hunan Chef located at 8404 I10W at 3:00 pm.

Please let Nancy know by March 18, if you plan to attend call/text 281-814-4153; email nbeamesdefer@comcast.net.

 Hope to see you there! Nancy Beamesderfer

EASTER EGG HUNT

We’d love to continue the HCLC Easter Egg Hunt Tradition, (scheduled for Saturday, March 28^th, at 3:30 p.m. after the Springfest)

but we need volunteers, including a Coordinator!

Can you help?

Contact Wendy Lambeth for details (wklambeth@comcast.net)

Julie Kilkenny

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 5—6 p.m. Girl Scouts meeting –FLC room
This week at Holy Cross
2 Mon	3 Tues	4 Wed	5 Thurs	6 Fri	7 Sat
11—12 pm ELC Chapel –WC	11—12 pm ELC Chapel –WC	9 am Men’s Breakfast 10—12 pm ELC Rodeo –FLC 11 am Choir practice –CL 12 noon LENTEN SERVICE Followed by a light meal prepared by the Choir	10—12 pm ELC Rodeo –FLC 8 pm AA Women mtg. —FLCA	7—9 pm Bayou City Band practice –FLC	10 am WELCA General meeting --FLCA 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