Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the Church of Christ, Union

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

July 7, 2019 10:30 am

Meditation
Just as God is our Father, so God is also our Mother.
And He showed me this truth in all things, but especially in those sweet words when He says: “It is I.”
As if to say, I am the power and the Goodness of the Father, I am the Wisdom of the Mother, I am the Light and the Grace which is blessed love, I am the Trinity, I am the Unity, I am the supreme Goodness of all kind of things, I am the One who makes you love, I am the One who makes you desire, I am the never-ending fulfilment of all true desires.
—Julian of Norwich

From there to here: we Gather

Welcome & Announcements
Welcome to this service of worship!  During the service, you are invited to rise in body or in spirit, standing or sitting, at points in the service marked “ ”.”
Please sign in using the pew folder, passing it back down the row so all can greet one another by name, and place the sheet in an offering plate. We’re glad you’re here!
Prelude Wayfarin’ Stranger arr. Calvin Taylor
The Call    Psalm 66:1-9
Make a joyful noise to the One, all the earth; sing the glory of her name; give to her glorious praise. Say to the One, “How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies bow before you. All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.” Come and see what the One has done: she is awesome in her deeds among mortals. She turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in her who rules by her love forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations– let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Bless our Creator, O peoples, let the sound of her praise be heard, who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.
¨  Hymn #467 Black  Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth Andrew
¨  Passing the Peace of Christ
All who come to this sanctuary are welcome companions on this day! You are invited to turn to those nearest you and greet them with words of peace and hospitality.

The Living Word among us

Anthem Hold Us in Your Mercy Tom Conry
Union Church Summer Choir
Hold us in your mercy, bind us with your peace beyond our dreaming; and in your Kingdom only justice, like a river over all.
Fragile, almost nothing at all, you know who we are and who we might be. How easily we give up our song; longing for some voice to break the silence we have fashioned with our own machines.
You have seen us counting our dead: yet know who we are and who we might be. How evenly we order our graves; paving your creation with intentions we have fashioned with our own machines.
Clinging finally only to you, you know who we are and who we might be, How faithfully your story endures: sure of only that we remember.
Hebrew Scripture Lesson  2 Kings 5:1-14 (p. 451)
Our series of readings form 2nd Kings comes to an end this Sunday with the story of Namaan, a powerful Syrian general, who was healed by God working through the efforts of a Hebrew servant girl.
Children’s Moment                                 As the children return to their seats we sing:
May God’s presence guard, protect and guide you. God bless you, God bless you. Our savior’s loving arms be ever ’round you. God bless you, God bless you.
Following the Children’s Moment, children are welcome to return to their seats. The Children’s Worship Center in the back of the sanctuary has toys, books, and drawing materials for children (or parents) who would like help staying present in the service. For children preschool age & under, care is available in the Nursery, downstairs in Room 104 off the playground.
Hebrew Scripture Lesson Isaiah 66:10-14 (p. 884)
The Lord will help Jerusalem.
Sermon Mother God Debbonnaire Kovacs

Living Prayer

Ringing of the Peace Bell
The Union Church Peace Bell was created by Jeff Enge in honor of Union Church member Carl Eschbach (1904-1998).  A twin bell hangs in Berea’s sister province in Japan and is also rung in the hope of peace for all nations.
Acts of Reflection and Prayer
Some resources for reflection prayer and today’s Call are provided. You are free to use  – or ignore –  these prompts as you find helpful. In whatever prayer manner you adopt, please hold the concerns of those listed and those you know about in God’s peace-giving light.
Think of a time when you felt the sickness and desperation (physical or not) that Namaan felt. What cleansed and healed you? Can you pass that on in some way? How have children blessed you? What feelings arise as you think of God as Mother?
Bell Corner Table  In your bulletin you will find a small piece of paper. Write a prayer to your Mother God and bring it to the basket which represents her arms.
Prayer Corner  Come to Mother’s knees and speak whatever you need, or listen for her words of counsel, or just bask in her love and gentleness.
Community Sharing Table  Mothers in need have a very hard row to hoe. Think of something to do to help a mother this week.
Children’s Fire  Children, especially, can understand and relate to God as mother. Children (or anyone) may write or draw how God is like a Mommy. Or ask them, and they will tell you!
A Chance for Generosity: Offering Baskets in the Aisles
Offering baskets are placed in the aisle, and can also be brought to your seat. Our gifts help sustain this particular community of caring by sustaining the building, pastors and staff, and all the materials that make our ministry of healing, justice, and teaching available to all in need. In addition, a good portion of our contributions flows out to aid those in need via many external agencies.
Many friends give online, and you can use your smart phone or computer and go to www.easytithe.com/union. You don’t have to register to make a contribution, but if you do,  it can make future generosity that much easier. You can even give by text! Text to 859-448-3403 (Example: Text “$50.00 Offering)
Your contribution is love made visible. Thank you!
Please sing when invited:
Let there be Peace on Earth, and let it begin with me; let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. With God, our creator, children all are we. Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now. With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow: to take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally. Let there be peace on earth and let  it begin with me.
Our Lord’s Prayer
One:      Our Maker, our Father, and …
  Our Mother, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; Thy kin-dom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kin-dom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

From Here to There

¨  Hymn #583 Black Like a Mother Who Has Borne Us Austin
¨  The Sending and Blessing
Postlude (please be seated) On Jordan’s Stormy Banks Durham, arr. Hayes
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Especially in our prayers
Each week we join millions of Christians who pray for one another through the ecumenical prayer cycle and, locally, the Berea Ministerial Association’s prayer cycle. Let us hold the people of Eritrea and Ethiopia and our brothers and sisters at the West Side Baptist Church in our hearts, and pray for them. Please hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week.
Prayer requests to be printed may be sent to the office anytime before 10:00 am Fridays.
¨ Families and Friends in Crises…may God be present to every need and heal every rift and wound.
¨ For Children in detention centers, that they may be reunited with their families soon. 15,000 are now detained in the US.
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound: Edith Hansen, Nancy Hindman, Jennie Kiteck, Mary Miller, Alva Peloquin.
¨ For those who are without homes and safe places, that we may work together for solutions.
¨ Mary Lou Wiese’s brother, Dean Jacobs, having pain and seizures associated with new clinical trials.
¨ Tom Warth, recovering at home.
¨ Judy Rowell, recovering at home.
¨ The Drake family, at the death of Dick Drake. A service will be held here at Union, August 4, at 2:00 pm. Condolences may be sent to John Drake; 5 Whippoorwill Hill; Asheville; NC; 28804.
¨ Hazel Morris, recovering well at Berea Health Care Center. cards can be sent to her home, 108 Garden Gate Dr., Berea.
¨ Marie, 4-year-old great grand niece of Dorie Hubbard, being treated for cancer.
Announcements
Next Week: new members welcomed! As a family of faith committed to boldly and creatively embodying the life and ministry of Jesus, we would like to join with YOU. We’d like to be a context and inspiration for your own spiritual path, and work with you to make your heart, your world, your life more peace-filled and joy-full. Next Sunday, and every second Sunday of the month, there will be an opportunity to covenant together. No prior action on your part is required, but if you have any questions at all, we’d like to help. Working together, we want to make God’s love visible and real to all.
Quilt Raffle — Two children’s quilts, made by Jo Wernegreen, will be raffled off! Proceeds to benefit Samuel’s Kids.
Lights for Liberty: A Vigil to End Human Concentration Camps, July 12, 7:30 pm. Union Church will host an event, one of many Lights for Liberty events happening July 12 around the country. Join us in songs of children and songs of protest. Join us in sharing messages of hope, of outrage, of humanity at 7:30 pm. At 9:00 pm we, along with other Lights for Liberty events in our time zone, will hold a candlelight silent vigil. Lights for Liberty will bring thousands of people to locations worldwide as well as to concentration camps across the country, into the streets and into their own front yards, to protest the inhumane conditions faced by migrants.
Several in the church have asked if it is possible to write to either Jack or Pearl Marshall while they are incarcerated at the Madison County Detention Center. The best way is a new electronic email system available to prisoners. Cost of a message is $0.50 and requires that you register at https://www.smartjailmail.com. Select the Madison County Detention Center from the list, then search for “John Marshall” and “Pearl Marshall” and a request to open messaging will be sent to them. Once they accept you may send emails, photos, and (if available) limited video chat. You must buy a minimum $5 of message credits, but you can transfer a credit so Jack or Pearl can write back without incurring additional fees on their end.
We need a new Directory! Let’s help Rev. Nate out with accurate info and faces to put to names. Send a new photo and any updates to your info to office@union-church.org.  We’ll print around mid-month, for better or worse.