A Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the
Church of Christ, Union
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 17, 2014, 10:30 am & 7:00 pm
“A Celebration of Celtic Spirituality”
Meditation
Sometimes the light is coming, and sometimes it is going. Sometimes the moon is full, and sometimes it is nowhere to be found. There is nothing capricious about this variety since it happens on a regular basis. Is it dark out tonight? Fear not; it will not be dark out forever. Is it bright out tonight? Enjoy it; it will not be bright forever.
— Barbara Brown Taylor, Learning to Walk in the Dark
From there to Here
Welcome & Announcements
Prelude Prelude and Fugue in C Major J.S. Bach
* Call to Worship
One: We gather here in your presence, God.
All: In our need, and bringing with us the needs of the world.
One: We come to you, for you come to us in Jesus,
All: And you know by experience what human life is like.
One: We come with our faith and with our doubts;
All: We come with our hopes and our fears.
One: We come as we are, because you invite us to come;
All: And you have promised never to turn us away.
* Opening Hymn #175 Black O Christ the Healer, We Have Come Kentridge
* Prayer of Approach and Confession
One: O Trinity of Love, God in community, holy and one, look now on us who look to you…
All: And hear our prayer for the our community.
One: Where there is falseness…
All: Smother it by your truth;
One: Where there is any coldness….
All: Kindle the flame of your love;
One: Where there is outrage…
All: Temper it into healing action.
One: Where there is joy and hope…
All: Free us to share it together;
One: And make us one…
All: As you are one.
One: Before God and you who are near me, I release anything I hold against you; I regret all I have done to harm you; I stand beside the wrong in my life and ask for God’s forgiveness.
All: Before God and you who are near, we release anything we hold against one another; we regret the harm we have done; we stand beside the wrong in our lives and ask for God’s forgiveness.
* Affirmation and Words of Assurance
One: Jesus says to us, each one: “Go and sin no more, come and follow me.” Now bind our hands with honesty and grace as we offer them to each other in peace.
Breathing in The Living Word
Passing the Peace of Jesus 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 joy.
Special Music morning: Jackie Tar/Fearghal O’Gadhra trad.
Jeni Balcom & Simone Westerkamp
evening: Rose in Heather
Deborah Payne, fiddle
Hebrew Scripture Lesson Genesis 45:1-15
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.
Gospel Lesson Matthew 15:21-28
Reflection Deep Peace of the Shining Star Rev. Rachel Small Stokes
Guided Meditation Joan Moore
Sharing the Gifts of Love
Call to Offering
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 to those in need via many external agencies.
This can now be done online! or by text to 859-448-3403 (Example: Text “$50.00 Offering” to contribute to the ongoing ministries, or add “youth,” or “missions” or designation of your choice to benefit one in particular.)
Your contribution is love made visible. Thank you!
Offertory morning: The Swaggering Jig/Fisherman’s Lilt trad.
Wheels of the World Jeni Balcom & Simone Westerkamp
evening: The Butterfly
Deborah Payne, fiddle
* Iona Doxology John Bell
* Prayer of Thanksgiving
Being and Becoming One
Prayers of the Community
When invited, please respond:
One: God in your mercy,
All: May they know the deep peace of Christ.
Song of Reflection morning: An Draigheann (The Blackthorn) Peader O’Riada
Jeni Balcom & Simone Westerkamp
evening: Jesus, We Ask You Teri Van Pelt
Prayer of Healing
Spirit of the living God, present with us now, enter you, body, mind and spirit, and heal you of all that harms you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
From here to there
* Closing Hymn We Cannot Measure How You Heal John Bell
* Benediction
* Postlude Aeolian Fanfare C. Callahan
____________________________
* Please rise in body or in spirit
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 Canada and the United States and our brothers and sisters at Berea Friends Meeting 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 service of our country, and those who wait and worry for them
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes: Edith Hansen, Klara Welsh, Bernice Robertson, Nancy Jones, Mary Miller, Virginia Piland, Averill Kilbourne, Ann Thomasson, Alva Peloquin
¨ Charlie Smithson, Paul’s brother, battling multiple myeloma.
¨ Janet Dailey-Hosp
¨ The Orwig family, at Elizabeth’s death. A service will be held here at Union Church, 11:00 am on August 30
¨ Averill Kilbourne, who suffered a back fracture this week
¨ Bob Bates, who had open heart bypass and valve replacement surgery. He is at St. Joseph Main in Lexington
¨ Best wishes and prayers to Les Pross on his 90th birthday!
Announcements
You Matter! Please Sign the Register, Check in on Facebook/Twitter and try a nametag! It’s hard to get to know people elsewhere, but we don’t want it that way at church. Use the pew folder in your row, passing it back when all have signed. Let’s all try to get to know each other better.
Carillon Recital tomorrow, Monday, August 18! On the Berea College Quad, 6:30 pm. Tin-Shi Tam, Carillonneur at Iowa State University, will play the John Courter Carillon. All welcome, no charge.
Next week—Fourth Sunday Membership Info: Come One Come All! Each Fourth Sunday of the Month anyone wanting to know more about Union Church or wanting to explore church membership, as well as new members who have not been able to participate in a previous meeting, are invited to come to the classroom two doors past the church office immediately following worship for conversation with the Pastors and the Community Life and Growth Board.
Light refreshments will be offered and you are invited to pick up coffee or tea in the parlor on your way through the hall. Childcare will be offered downstairs as needed; please contact the church office the prior week if you would like this service.
New members will be received each Second Sunday of the month (September 14) at the close of worship. Those joining may choose to attend the Fourth Sunday meeting prior to or after becoming members, whichever is more convenient.
Help is available – No matter what problems you are dealing with, we want to help you find a reason to keep living. By calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) you’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area, anytime 24/7. the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day. If you feel you are in a crisis, whether or not you are thinking about killing yourself, please call the Lifeline. People have called for help with substance abuse, economic worries, relationship and family problems, sexual orientation, illness, getting over abuse, depression, mental and physical illness, and even loneliness.
Mini-Bazaar Saturday, August 23 10 am until 2 pm. Baked goods, jams & jellies, treasures, rummage, household items, books, baskets, plants…all kinds of items needed to sell (not clothing). Please price your items (no lower than $1). Many volunteers needed! Sign up at www.union-church.org or talk to John Payne.
New Berea Solar Farm panels available for leasing! The Berea Municipal Utilities (BMU) has more than doubled its Solar Farm – again! – adding 126 new 250 watt solar panels that are now producing electricity and available for leasing! Founded in 2011, the purpose of the Solar Farm is to provide anyone who wants to invest locally in clean energy an opportunity to do so.
How does the leasing work? Anyone can lease solar panels for a one-time fee of $750 per panel. In return, the BMU customer designated by the leaser will receive credit every billing period for 25 years for the electricity generated by the Solar Farm panels. This provides access to solar generation at an excellent fixed rate as utility prices continue to increase.
How is this related to Union Church? The program creates an opportunity for anyone to lease panels and donate the billing credit to Union Church – a gift that keeps on giving
every month for 25 years. Union Church currently receives credit for the electricity produced by 12 Solar Farm panels, 10 that the church has leased over three years and 2 that have been donated by church members.
How can I sign up or get more information? Call Joyce Hendricks at BMU, 986-4391.
Sunday Morning AND Evening worship in Cowan Chapel. While the sanctuary flooring is being renovated, services will be held in Cowan Chapel. Because the chapel is small, There will be TWO services per Sunday, one at the usual 10:30 am, regular time, and one at 7:00 pm. We encourage those who like to “sleep in” to attend the evening service.
Union Church Choir kicks off soon! We would love to welcome all current, old and new members, and anyone who is curious to join. We welcome all people, music readers and non-music readers, to be part of us. If you don’t know what an eighth note is, we will gladly teach you. Youth (high school and older), along with Berea College students, are strongly encouraged and invited to join. Practices will begin on a regular weekly schedule, Thursday, August 28 at 6:15pm, with our first anthem to be sung on September 7. To accommodate Berea students and members who may not be able to join on Thursday evenings, there will be an additional rehearsal that will meet outside of regular choir rehearsal time –TBA at a later time. If you would like to discuss an interest or have any questions about joining our musical family, please feel free to email Director of Music Ministries, Gabriel Evans, at gevans@union-church.org.
Free Qigong workshop September 6, 9:00—5:00. Qigong (this type is called Zhineng Qigong) involves slow gentle movements along with meditation. A regular practice of Zhineng Qigong can be very helpful for those with all kinds of health challenges….(both physical, mental, emotional and spiritual). All levels of physical ability are welcome and encouraged to attend. Joan is a certified nurse practitioner and has been practicing and teaching qigong for several years. Please check website for more information: www.smilingheartqigongcenter.com Please bring a water bottle, wear comfortable clothing and something you may lay on if you are able.
Amazon Smile Donates to Union Church…When you can’t shop local for what you need, many turn to Amazon.com. Here’s a way to help locally even if you have to shop online. Amazon supports charities with a special program called “Smile.” By registering and choosing Union Church as your charity, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases the ministry of the congregation. While each contribution might be small, it all adds up, and your purchases can support the mission of peace and justice we all care so much about.
Already an Amazon customer? All you have to do is put “smile” before “amazon.com” in the address bar of your favorite browser, like this: https://smile.amazon.com/. Either sign in or register, and when prompted for the charity of your choice, pick “Church of Christ Union” in Berea. That’s it! There’s no cost to you, you can still use your Amazon Prime benefits, and Amazon will remember that you are a Smile user and help you maximize your contribution. However you choose to support good work, thank you!
Donate ONLINE or by TEXT, Now or Anytime! For online giving, Union Church uses EasyTithe, a completely secure contribution system. You can use Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express Credit and Debit Cards, or an E-Check from your checking account. Scan the code here to go right to the website on your smartphone, or visit www.union-church.org and click on the Donate button for instructions. You do not need to register to make a donation (just choose “Quick Give” ). If you do register, your information will be securely stored making future visits faster and giving you full control of your giving reports. Credit card processing does cost the church about 3.1% of your transaction. ACH (E-Checks) only incur a 1% fee. Please use whichever is best for you, but if you can, consider adding a little additional to help cover the bank fee!
Give By Texting 859-448-3403: Yes! You can give using your web-enabled phone. Text any amount to 859-448-3403. The first time you do–and just the first time–you’ll get a link to associate your phone and enter your securely stored credit or debit card. It doesn’t go on your phone bill, but only to a card you specify. After that, all you need to do is text the number with an amount and any designation. It’s fast and easy! Of course, like every credit card transaction the church pays a 3.1% fee. If you can include that little extra bit, it will make a big difference!
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