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

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

July 28, 2019       10:30 am

Meditation

Prayer is the art of presence.  Where there is no wonder there is little depth of presence. —from Eternal Echoes by John O’Donohue

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 Today’s Lord’s Prayer Richard St. Clair
The Call   Kahlil Gibran
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; For love is sufficient unto love. And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course. Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.”
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires: To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness. To be wounded by your own understanding of love; And to bleed willingly and joyfully.” 
¨  Hymn #104 Black  We Hail You, God’s Anointed Ellacombe
¨  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 In All Our Grief and Fear We Turn to You arr. Thomas Keesecker
Union Church Summer Choir
In all our grief and fear we turn to you. Oh God, you know all that we think or do, you know the pain. We put each other through. Lord, have mercy Christ have mercy Lord grant us peace.
Epistle Lesson  Colossians 2:6-15 (p. 1435)
Paul proclaims the resurrection of Christ as the great cosmic victory through which God overcame the powers of evil and death.
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.
Gospel Lesson Luke 11:1-13 (p. 1248)
After teaching his disciples a model prayer, Jesus teaches his disciples about the need for persistence.
Sermon Teach Us to Pray Rev. Nate Craddock

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
Do you feel that you have the freedom to argue with God?
How does it affect your hearing of this text when Jesus says that God will give us the Holy Spirit, rather than “all good things”?
Why do you pray? How do you pray?
The NRSV translation renders the Greek word anaideia “persistence,” but it means something more like “shameless.” Why do you think Jesus highlights “shamelessness” in his teaching about prayer?
When have you, and/or a situation, been changed by prayer?
Are there times when we get the egg, but it looks like a scorpion? The fish, but it looks like a snake?
Jesus’ prayer begins and ends in praise: You are high and holy; You have the dominion, power, and glory. Come to the prayer corner to praise God’s glory.
The prayer says that God’s will is done in heaven, but expresses the hope that it may be done on earth. In other words, God is in charge, but we get to choose. Come to the table to write some specific way you would like to work for God’s will on earth.
At base, all sin is selfishness; seeking my needs without regard to and at the expense of other people’s needs. When we share daily bread with our neighbors, we nip that tendency in the bud. As you come to the sharing table, you may give or take both daily bread and forgiveness of the times you have sought your own needs at others’ expense.
When we see our children, we want to keep them safe, and we remember our own need for God to keep us safe. Around the children’s fire, you, whether you are young or not-so-young, can feel safe. Use the blocks to build a safe space.
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 Mother, and …
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 sins as we forgive those who sin 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. Amen.

From Here to There

¨   Hymn #607 Black We Would Be Building         Finlandia
¨  The Sending and Blessing
Postlude (please be seated) The Lord’s Prayer           Albert Mallote
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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 Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe and our brothers and sisters at the Living Waters Sanctuary 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: Alva Peloquin, Edith Hansen, Nancy Hindman, Jennie Kiteck, Mary Miller.
¨ For those who are without homes and safe places, that we may work together for solutions.
¨ 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 home.
¨ Marie, 4-year-old great grand niece of Dorie Hubbard, being treated for cancer.
¨ Jack Marshall, serving a sentence at the Madison County Detention Center.
¨ Judy Rowell, who has suffered a mild heart attack.
Announcements
Next week we will celebrate the life of Dick Drake with a service at 2:00 pm, reception to follow in the Community Room. All are welcome to bring food for the reception. Please bring it downstairs to the kitchen.
Hospitality & Cookies – can you help?! One of the things that we do best is making each other feel welcome and loved and included every single week. The Hospitality Team is committed to creating a space — with lemonade and cookies! — for this to happen after service. Can you commit to helping your church family by volunteering to prepare after-church snacks once every three months? (If we have 12 volunteers, everyone only has to do it about four times per year!) We provide the food and drinks. You get them ready (10 minutes, usually before service begins), carry them upstairs (10 minutes near the end of service), and then carry the empty plates back down to wash them (10 minutes). It’s a great opportunity for families to volunteer together. We will show you everything you need to know. Please contact Laura at 859-358-0106 (text or call) or joyfulsunflower@gmail.com or find her after service. Thank you SO much for your willingness to be the church for each other.
Scribes to help our Pastor. You may see a member of the Pastoral Relations Board standing near the pastor as he greets folks on their way out of the worship service. These are scribes—their job is to note important conversations and details the pastor might forget in the activity.
Learn more about the church after worship today! Come One, Come All! Each fourth Sunday of the month anyone wanting to know more about Union Church or wanting to explore church membership, are invited to come to the Classroom, past the office at the end of the hall, and join in conversation with the Community Life and Growth Board after worship.
Union Church seeks a nursery worker! If you are 18+, love kids (especially the 0-5 age group) and are available on Sunday mornings, this might be a great opportunity for you. Nursery staff earn $12 / hour and must complete a background check and our free Safe Sanctuaries training. Interested? Contact Laura Nagle (859-358-0106 or joyfulsunflower@gmail.com) for more information.
The Children’s Church Team is Seeking One More Teacher for the 2019/20 Year: Come join the most fun ministry of all! You don’t need to be a trained educator, you just need to be willing to sit on the floor and explore our faith with small humans. You would be paired with another teacher, and scheduled to teach approximately once every three weeks. (Don’t worry, we all know that things come up and schedules change. We work well together to adjust accordingly.) Spending time in the chapel with Union’s bright and beautiful kids during Children’s Church is truly a joyful experience. Contact Laura with questions or interest: 859-358-0106 (text or call) or joyfulsunflower@gmail.com
If you’ve ever wanted to try handbells, summer is a great time! You don’t need to know how to read music. Come up to the bell table during the offering and we will teach you!!
Several in the church have asked if it is possible to write to Jack Marshall 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 a request to open messaging will be sent. 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 he can write back without incurring additional fees on his end.
Quilt Raffle! Check out the two beautiful children’s quilts in the back of sanctuary hand stitched by Jo Wernegreen. Raffle proceeds will benefit Samuel’s Kids. Buy tickets after worship – $2 each or 6 for $10 – today in the vestibule!
Share your Music Sunday August 11. Please contact Music Director, Bernardo Scarambone at bscarambone@union-church.org if you’d like to participate.
Kentucky Council of Churches 72nd Annual Assembly will be October 24 & 25 at First Baptist Church in Morehead. Union Church can send voting delegates, and will pay the registration fee of $140. Lodging and meals on your own. Stop in or call the office for info, or look online at kycouncilofchurches.org
Mission Trip opportunity: The Indiana/Kentucky Conference of the UCC (United Church of Christ) is organizing a 15-member delegation to the Arizona border January 14-19, 2020, through the organization “Common Ground on the Border” and hosted by the Sahuarita, AZ UCC church, south of Tucson.
Participants will be housed/hosted by members of the church and there will be speakers and other educational opportunities during the stay.
The cost for participants is  $200 + travel (flights or carpooling, etc.). An $80 registration fee is due by August 31st.
There are two books of required reading: “The Hope and Terror” and “U.S. Immigration Crisis”, by Miguel De La Torre, plus a required delegation meeting in Indiana in October.
The co-ordinator of the delegation is Chad Abbott and can be reached via e-mail: c.abbott@IKCUCC.org or phone: 317-924-1395. Carla Gilbert will participate in the delegation and may be contacted for more information.
If the January date does not work for you or if the delegation has already filled its spaces, the Mission &Service Board is interested in working with former Union Church member Dorothy Chao in Tucson, who is active in border work and would be willing to coordinate a similar delegation. Please let Betty HIbler, Chair, know of your interest: betty_hibler@berea.edu — or speak to me at church.
The Mission Board thanks Rhonda Cardwell for sharing the many winter neck scarfs she has made and shared with us. The Family Resource Center has been given these scarfs and they will distribute them to children who will get them as winter weather returns.