A Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the Church of Christ, Union
Music Sunday June 2, 2013
Meditation
I am not satisfied with him who despises music, as all fanatics do; for music is an endowment and a gift of God, not a gift of men. It also drives away the devil and makes people cheerful; one forgets all anger, unchasteness, pride, and other vices. I place music next to theology and give it the highest praise. And we see how David and all saints put their pious thoughts into verse, rhyme and songs, because music reigns in times of peace. — Martin Luther, Sixteenth century
Singing In!
Welcome and Announcements
Prelude Walk Humbly with God Daniel E. Gawthrop
Union Church Choir
And what doth the Lord require of thee? But to do justly, and love mercy and walk humbly with Thy God.
* Call to Worship
One: Let all the earth praise the lord!
All: Let the rocks sing and trees join the choir.
One: We gather to rejoice in God, to celebrate our common hope and redemption, and to follow the Holy Spirit to new work and ways. Let us worship together.
* Opening Hymn #270 Black Like the Murmur of the Dove’s Song Bridegroom
* Passing the Peace of Christ
All who come to this sanctuary are welcome companions on this day. Please turn to those nearest you and greet them with words of peace.
Praise Through The Seasons
Throughout the year, the choir and musicians help translate all that is in our hearts into more than words alone can convey. Today we celebrate their work though the entire church year with scripture and song and prayers that remind us of God’s blessings in every moment.
Pentecost
Following the Day of Pentecost is that time in the church year when we react to the story of salvation proclaimed through the life and ministry of Jesus. For part of this season we retain the color red to inspire our work and passions. In the last half of the season we use green, symbolizing the growth of all things, and the flourishing of our spirits as disciples. This is the longest season of the church year: 6 months of growing and deepening in the word until the season of Advent calls us to expect a coming messiah.
Epistle Lesson Romans 8:14-17 (p. 1372)
We do not pray on our own, says Paul. Fortunately, the spirit helps us to speak as beloved children of God.
Anthem O Breath of Life John Carter
Union Church Choir
O Breath of Life, come sweeping through us, Revive your church with life and power.
O Breath of Life, come cleanse, renew us, And fit your church to meet this hour.
O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,‘Til humbly we confess our need.
Then in your tenderness remake us; Revive, restore, for this we plead.
O Breath of Love, come breathe within us, Renewing thought and will and heart.
Come, love of Christ, afresh to win us; Revive your church in every part.
Prayer of Approach and Confession
One: O Breath of Life, come again to us in our petty deaths, and small killings of the spirit. We confess the times and ways we have not warmed to the warm leading of your Holy Spirit, but have instead succumbed to our pride, our fears, our greed.
All: Forgive us and send your Spirit, teaching us to revise our ways that we may build tables of love and hope. Amen.
Words of Assurance
Congregational Hymn #261 Black Let Every Christian Pray Laudes Domini
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 Children’s Moment, child care for ages kindergarten & under is available in the Nursery, downstairs off the Fellowship Hall. Activity clipboards are available at the altar for older children.
Advent and Christmas
Advent speaks of preparation, readiness, expectant waiting, and hope. The word Advent is from the Latin adventus for “coming,” and is associated with the four weeks of preparation for Christmas. Advent always contains the four Sundays prior to December 25. It blends together a penitential spirit (very similar to Lent), a liturgical theme of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord (called the Parousia), and a joyful theme of getting ready for the Bethlehem event.
It can be said that Advent is the best mirror of what a life of faith entails on a day-to-day basis. We are called to live our lives firmly on the ground of human experience, but also in the trusting context that God’s promised new life emerges whenever God is kept at the center. We are called to live our lives in the world but not be of the world.
The traditional color of Advent is blue, which symbolizes hope and expectation. It is the color of the darkness before the dawn.
Christmas is the season in which we rejoice in God’s unique nature incarnated in the person of Jesus. We rejoice in God for sending His only son to live among us. The Christmas season lasts for 12 days, beginning on December 25 and ending on January 5. We use the colors of white and gold in the sanctuary, which represents purity, joy and hope.
Hebrew Scripture Lesson Isaiah 9:2-7 (p. 817)
For the people of Israel, who once walked in darkness, a great light has shined, a day has dawned and they are given hope. These are the words of the prophet to the oppressed in Israel.
Anthems Advent Carol (Orientis Partibus) Alfred V. Fedak
Union Church Choir
Desert, blossom as a rose rising radiant as it grows, All arrayed in crimson show; Come to us, O God of Hope.
Thirsty land, become a stream, flowing fountain, calm, serene, Clear cascade from heaven above; Come to us, O God of Love.
Weakened hands, be now made strong; Blinded eyes, your sight employ; Come to us, O God of Joy.
Soon a pathway shall be found; for the faithful, holy ground, Safe from angry, warring beast; Come to us, O God of Peace.
Sing God’s praise, Jerusalem! Hope, joy, love and peace shall come; Sorrow, sighing now dispel; Come to us, Emmanuel.
King of glory, Soul of bliss, everlasting life is this: Thee to know, Thy power to prove, thus to sing, and thus to love! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Wexford Carol Larry L. Finke
Union Church Choir
Good people all this Christmas time, consider well and bear in mind What our good God for us has done in sending His beloved Son. With Mary holy we should pray to God with love this Christmas day; In Bethlehem upon that morn there was a blessed Messiah born.
Near Bethlehem shepherds keep their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep; To whom God’s angels did appear, which put the shepherds in great fear. “Prepare, go,” the angels said, to Bethlehem be not afraid; For there you’ll find, this happy morn, a princely babe, sweet Jesus born.”
With thankful heart and joyful mind, the shepherds went the babe to find, And as God’s angel had foretold, they did their Savior Christ behold. Within a manger He was laid. And by His side the virgin mild, Attending on the Lord of all, so lowly laid in an ox’s stall.
Congregational Hymn #132 Black Joy to the World Antioch
Lent and Easter
Lent, which means “springtime,” is 40 days long, symbolizing the 40 days of rain for Noah, the 40 years of teaching the Israel people, and the 40 days of testing Jesus in the wilderness. The liturgies of Lent are subdued, meditative, meant to be a period of reflection, penitence, and renewal. It begins with Ash Wednesday in the dark of winter. It is a time of recognizing our need for God in our lives, so that we may face life and have God journey through it with us. God relates to our suffering because the Lord, too, knows of pain and tears. The color purple is used to represent both the bruising of Christ and the ultimate royalty such sacrificial love attains.
The last week of Lent is called Passion tide or Holy Week. It begins with Palm Sunday and ends with the first alleluia of Easter, often at services very early in the morning. The purpose of Holy Week is to reenact, relive, and participate in the passion of Jesus Christ. The following events are remembered Holy Week:
* Palm Sunday (or Passion Sunday), the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem.
* Holy Thursday (or Maundy Thursday), the institution of Communion and the betrayal by Judas.
* Good Friday, the arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus Christ.
* Holy Saturday, the Sabbath on which Jesus rested in the grave.
Easter
Easter is a festival season of fifty days whose first day is Easter Day, the Sunday of the Resurrection, and whose last day is the Day of Pentecost. Easter Day is the principal feast of the church year. The word “Easter” comes from Ester, a Teutonic goddess whose name is associated with springtime, growth, and fertility. In most languages the name of the day is Pascha, which means “Passover.” The color during this season is white and gold and all liturgies are meant to be jubilant and inspiring.
Epistle Lesson 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 (p. 1399)
God’s people will be raised to life.
Anthems My Song Is Love Unknown Mark Schweitzer
Union Church Choir
My song is love unknown, My savior’s love to me, Love to the loveless shown that they might lovely be. O who am I that for my sake My Lord should take frail flesh and die?
Christ came from heaven’s throne Salvation to bestow, But people scorned and none the longed-for Christ would know. But O my friend, my friend indeed, Who at my need His life did spend!
Here might I stay and sing, No story so divine: Never was love, dear King, Never was grief like Thine. This is my friend, in whose sweet praise I all my days could gladly spend.
Chanticleer’s Carol Vernon Hoyle
Union Church Choir
All this night shrill chanticleer, Day’s proclaiming trumpeter, Claps his wings and loudly cries, Mortals, wake and rise! See a wonder Heaven is under; From the earth is risen a Sun Shines all night though day be done.
Wake, O earth, wake everything! Wake and hear the joy I bring; Wake and joy; for on this day Death’s dark pall is cast away, All amazing, Still stand gazing. Angels, powers and all that be, Wake, and joy this Sun to see.
Hail, O Sun, O blessed light, Sent into the world aright. Let thy rays and heavenly powers Shine in these dark souls of ours; For most duly Thou art truly God and man, we do confess: Hail, O Sun of Righteousness!
Congregational Hymn #238 Black Now the Green Blade Riseth Noel Nouvelet
Rejoicing in return
Offertory Anthem Praise the Lord, All the Earth Donald Busarow
Union Church Choir
Refrain: Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, all the earth;
Praise God above, ye heavens. Hallelujah! Praise God angels of his; praise God, all his host! Praise God, sun and moon; praise God, shining stars. Praise God, heaven of heavens, ye waters above the heavens. Refrain
Let them praise the name of the Lord; For he commanded and they were created. He made them stand fast forever and ever; He gave them a law which shall not pass away. Refrain
Praise the Lord, all the earth. Sea monsters, depths of the ocean, fire and hail, snow and fog Praise the Lord, all the earth. Tempestuous wind, doing his will; Mountains and hills, fruit trees and cedars, Wild beasts and cattle, creeping things and birds; Kings of the earth and princes and rulers; Young men and maidens, old and young together. Praise the Lord all the earth! Refrain
Let them praise the name of the Lord, For God’s name only is exalted, God’s splendor is over earth and heaven. God has raised up strength for God’s people, And praise for all his loyal servants; The children of Israel, a people who are near him. Hallelujah! Refrain
* Doxology Praise God from whom all blessings flow Lasst Uns Erfreuen
Praise God all creatures here below;
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise God above, ye heavenly host;
Creator, Christ and Holy Ghost.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
* Prayer of Thanksgiving
Gathering at the table of grace
* Invitation to Communion
One: May God be with you!
All: And also with you!
One: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up to God.
One: Let us give thanks to God.
All: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
One: There is good news fulfilled in this table – freedom from that which has kept us bound, new vision where we have been blind, a way to hear that for which we have been afraid to listen. Good news is demanding, but it is also comforting. Much will be required of us if we take up the cross and follow, but the promise is that there will be bread for the journey, that if we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will have what we need to enact it.
Song of Preparation Come to the Table of Grace (v.1) Barbara Hamm Kent Gilbert, verse 1
Communion Prayer
One: Come to the table of Grace:
One: because things are not right, because we don’t know what to make of the world, because we are bewildered, because we need shelter. We come to the table.
All: (Sung) Come to the table of peace….
One: Because peace has not come, because your kingdom is a long time coming, because your will is hardly clear and yet brutally clear, because we have lost our way, we come to the table.
All: Come to the table of hope… (Please Join in Singing)
One: Because Jesus said, Come to me and I will give you rest, I will give you living water for your soul, I am the bread of life, we come to the table.
One: to set the stage to act as if it might be true.
One: to love as we are loved.
One: to see each other for who we really are,
One: to allow others to see who we really are,
One: with no shame and no fear,
One: to enact a kingdom that is a long time coming and that is already breaking into our midst.
One: To live the dream that nobody is standard, nobody is predictable.
One: No one is judged and no one is judging themselves,
One: where instead of punishing each other for our own failings we act with justice, love with mercy and walk humbly with each other.
One: On that night in which he gave himself up for love and justice, Jesus sat down at table with those who had become family. At that table were those who adored him, and those who would betray him. He knew this. And he gave bread to all anyway:
All: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
One: When supper was over, he took the cup, invited them all to drink from this cup of love, this cup of suffering—the sign of the covenant of relationship.
All: “Whenever you gather as family, whenever you strive to overcome, whenever you need to remember that I am with you always, do this.”
One: Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here and on these gifts of cup and plate. Let them be for us the love of Christ so tha twe may be for the world the love of Christ in every season. Liberated by his witness, passion, and life. Be with us Holy Spirit, fill us so you can move through us in all we do. Come to the table.
One: Come to the table.
One: Come to the table.
All: (Sung) Come to the table of love.
Serving One Another
All who seek the love of God are welcome at this table and are invited to freely receive from it. By tradition, unfermented grape juice is used in the cup on Sunday mornings. We will share the elements today by intinction, dipping the bread in the cup. When invited please come to one of the stations by exiting your pew to the left and returning by the right. If it is not convenient to come forward, the elements can be brought to your seat by signaling to the usher.
Singing Together During Communion
Sung: Come to the Table of Joy…
Blessing for Those Who Will Receive at Home
Members who have been designated to carry communion to those who could not be with us this morning are invited forward at this time. Elements from our meal will go with our blessing and prayers for our continued unity in the Spirit. If you would like serve by taking communion to others, you are very welcome to do so and are invited to volunteer with the Nurture and Care Board members or by contacting one of the pastors.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Singing Out!
* Hymn #561 Black When in Our Music God Is Glorified Engelberg
* Benediction
* Choral Response For the Beauty of the Earth John Rutter
Union Church Choir
For the beauty of the earth, For the beauty of the skies, For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies…Lord of all to thee we raise this our joyful hymn of praise.
For the beauty of the hour, Of the day and of the night Hill and vale and tree and flower, Sun and moon and stars of light…
For the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child Friends on earth and friends above, For all gentle thoughts and mild…
For each perfect gift of thine To our race so freely given Graces human and divine Flowers of earth and buds of heaven…
____________________________
* All are invited to rise or rise in spirit as you are able and willing
Today’s service is a celebration of the wonderful ministry offered throughout the year by our choirs and their director, Larry Brandenburg. As they prepare for a short summer hiatus, we give thanks to God for their many gifts!
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 Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland and our brothers and sisters at the Assemblies of God in your hearts, and pray for them. Please also hold these concerns in your prayers today and throughout the week.
* Those in harm’s way in the service of our country.
* Rose Brandenburg, Larry’s aunt, at Kenwood Nursing Home in Richmond
* Krystal Creevy, having a difficult pregnancy
* The Caswell family, who lost their home and possessions in a house fire
* The family of Ruth Wesley, who died on May 20
* The family and friends of Aloma Earles, at her death.
* Kevin Burke and family at the death of his mother, Mary Jones, in Idaho. The family thanks Union Church friends & family for the prayers, flowers and loving care
* Bill Stolte, recovering at home!
* Abi Dietz, who continues to recover very slowly from her car accident
* Edith Hansen, at The Terrace
* Shirley Dean, on hospice care for lung cancer
VACATION Bible School starts tonight!
Next Sunday, June 9, we will celebrate the life of Aloma Earles by sharing in a potluck lunch right after worship (main dish provided, please bring sides or desserts) followed by a memorial service at 2:00 pm in the sanctuary.
Union Church is a place where your faith can grow and deepen. We are actively looking for those who would like to explore discipleship with Jesus in this congregation. If you’d like to formally join Union Church, please call the office or either pastor. YOU are welcome here!
We’re Saving Power — Just FYI: some of the light switches have covers on them so they can’t be turned off. These lights are on timers & motion sensors and will go off on their own. PLEASE don’t remove the covers and turn off the lights, it’ll “confuse” the sensors.
Joan English, Office Administrator, will be going on vacation June 12-19. If anyone can spare some time to staff the office, maybe fold a bulletin or two, it would be much appreciated. Call the office. Patti Smithson has claimed June 12, days are going fast!
Summer Carillon Concerts! Mondays – June 10, July 15, August 5 – 6:30 pm on the Draper Quad. On June 10, the John Courter Carillon will be played by George Gregory, the Carillonneur at Central Christian Church in San Antonio, Texas. All are welcome, no charge!
Are you interested in seeing a Mountaintop Removal site? Or finding our what can be done to seek justice in the prison systems that are often built on such sites? Possible overnight trip to Wise County VA to explore issues of mountaintop removal and/ or issues of prison justice: We are considering such a Union church family trip at the end of July or early August, but we need to know if there is any interest. Please contact Willie Dodson appalachian.always@gmail.com or 540-250-5718 or Austin Godden austinmcintosh2010@live.com or 417-593-3191. As Austin and Willie gauge interest, they will be able to schedule an interest meeting to discuss further details, such as dates and possible itineraries.
What’s on your kids’ calendars after VBS? Berea Arts Council is hosting Art Camp 2013 at Union Church the weeks of June 10th-14th for ages 6-8 and June 17th -21st for ages 9-12. Join us as we explore the arts for a one of a kind experience! Each day from 9:00 am till 2:00 pm will be filled with hands on activities as we dive into artistic expression through visual art, dance, drama and music. Each week will end in a culminating performance for family and friends to enjoy. We are pleased to announce this year’s classes will be presented by Berea College Crafts and exceptional instructors such as local musician Mitch Barrett and EKU dance instructor Katrina Martir. Join us by contacting the Arts Council through email info@bereaartscouncil.org or by phone 859-985-9317. Space is limited. Full week registration is $175.00.
Tuesday Church Fixes: Come One Come All… Tuesday 8:30-Noon – Come join for whatever time you can in fellowship and helping with minor repairs, etc. There will be job opportunities for people of all skill levels.
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