Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the Church of Christ, Union
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
August 2, 2020 10:30 am
Meditation
May we realize that God’s blessing upon us—that for which we have wrestled, some of us for so long and so fiercely—is that we be empowered to welcome and bless those who, like Jacob, indeed, like most of us, do not deserve to be blessed.
May we sustain the confidence and courage, the compassion and humor, to realize the sacred power in this stunning opportunity which is ours today, and will be ours, forever. This blessing will not be taken from us. —Carter Heyward, Imaging the Word
From there to here: we Gather
Welcome
As the Berea community responds to the governor’s suggestion to avoid gathering in large groups, we worship online to limit the risk of exposure to Covid-19. We’re delighted to welcome you into this virtual circle of God’s healing love and light.
The Call It’s Me in That Struggle Tony Kushner Maria Hartz, Reader
“I had a book of Bible stories when I was a kid. There was a picture I’d look at twenty times every day: Jacob wrestles with the angel. I don’t really remember the story, or why the wrestling — just the picture. Jacob is young and very strong. The angel is…a beautiful man, with golden hair and wings, of course. I still dream about it. Many nights. I’m…It’s me. In that struggle. Fierce, and unfair. The angel is not human, and it holds nothing back, so how could anyone human win, what kind of a fight is that? It’s not just. Losing means your soul thrown down in the dust, your heart torn out from God’s. But you can’t not lose.”
Passing the Peace at Home
Building the Community: News that Connects Us
The Living Word among us
Special Music Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire J.S. Bach Bernardo and Desiree Scarambone
Hebrew Scripture Lesson Genesis 32:22-31 Joan English, Reader
The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Penuel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.
Children’s Moment Please join in singing as we bless children everywhere:
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 14:13-21 Betty Hibler, Reader
Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Sermon Dry Faith and the Triumphant Limp Home Rev. Kent Gilbert
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.
A Chance for Generosity: www.easytithe.com/union
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 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!
Offering Music
Invitation to Communion
One: The Lord be with you!
All: And also with those you cherish.
One: Lift up your hearts!
All: We lift them to the Lord.
One: Let us give thanks to God!
All: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
One: In this time of increased isolation, let us center ourselves in this moment of committed community. If you have a candle, let’s light it now. As the disciples saw Christ coming from a distance across the water, we can allow the flame to be a reminder of strong love coming to us. Let us center ourselves now for prayer:
Communion Prayer
Holy are you, Lord God, and mighty to save. With your breath you set both land and sea on the face of the void, and fill them both with the wonder of living things. All peoples of the earth you make in your image, and in our faith you wrestle with us so that understanding can dawn. You sent the prophets to guide us to righteousness and justice for all your creatures, and in the fullness of time, you sent son, Jesus, our brother. His hand reaches to us yet: across millennia in thought and writing, across the miles from the country of his birth, through the trials of the present moment, to the heart of each one hoping to hear. Such is your grace, and such is the power of your love for us. With all creation we join you to sing our thanks and our love:
Sanctus Please join in singing:
Santo! Santo! Santo! Mi corazon te adora! Me corazon te sabe decir; santo eres Dios. Holy! Holy! Holy! My heart, my heart adores you! My heart is glad to say the words; you are holy, God.
Words of Institution
One: We remember that Jesus gathered with friends, in the upper room before his death. We remember the resurrection road to Emmaus when we thought all was lost. We remember his reconciling meal with Peter on the beach. We remember that he was made known to us in the breaking of the bread. He took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to the disciples saying
All: “Take, eat. This is my body broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
One: Take now your meal, and as you lift it to share: let us remember the long road through God’s gifts and people that bring this blessing to us: the blessing of water and field, of labor to plant and harvest, mill and bake, to carry, wrap, stock, sell, store and serve. Remembering our common lot and our mutual dependence on such gifts, take now this meal of long love and care. We eat and we remember: in Christ’s name. Next we remember that Jesus took the cup. He poured, and again blessing it, shared it with his disciples saying
All: “This cup is my blood, my life, poured out in a new covenant for you. Take and drink it all of you.”
One: As we pour we remember the life-giving elements that fill our cup. We remember the life poured into us by a loving Jesus who didn’t come to condemn but to love and shepherd us to wider life and deeper peace. A table is set before us in the presence of all our antagonizing anxieties: take and drink of this old promise made new.
Prayers of the People Joseph Jacobs, Reader
God of loaves and listening, God of reluctance and release, you have unleashed a mighty blessing in this day. Thank you for this moment of unified thought and prayer amongst we who are scattered and fractured. You have broken open the way to wholeness and fortified your people with food and faith in a better world, not yet seen, but a kin-dom in the making, here on earth. As Jesus brought the unsure to the shore, bring us to the brink of great work. As Jesus inspired generosity in adversity, so let we the fully-fed be inspired to make miracles for those in despair. We lift to you all those who suffer, who are broken, those who are ill, who cry in the night, who have ached for years. We lift to you our fears and hurts, our rages and laments. And we pray for the bravery and strength to turn to the Love that overcomes this pain. You have fed us the bread of grace, the fish of forgiveness, the word of wisdom. Bless it to our bodies that we might all heal: heal ourselves and heal the world, following Jesus our brother, who reached to you as …
Our Lord’s Prayer
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.
Our Prayers for Others
You are very welcome to email or phone prayer requests to the office for the bulletin. Please do so by 10 am Thursdays, and be sure you have permission to share the information.
¨ 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 First Baptist Church at Middletown in our hearts, and pray for them. Please hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week.
¨ All those seeking a new and just society and those fearful that they will be supplanted, may God open their hearts and include them in grace.
¨ Families and Friends in Crises…may God be present to every need and heal every rift and wound and those who care for them.
¨ Michelle Russell, family member of Reda Hutton, on a ventilator with Covid-19, in Texas.
¨ Jaidyn, granddaughter of Sandy Bowles McClure, soon to undergo open heart surgery.
¨ Marie, Dorie Hubbard’s kindergarten aged great grand-niece, who has had a recurrence of cancer and is back in treatment.
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound: Alva Peloquin, Loyal Jones, Jennie Kiteck, Mary Miller, Lois Morgan, Barb Smith, Jan Hamilton.
¨ Children in detention centers, that they may be reunited with their families soon.
¨ George Mountjoy, living with cancer.
¨ Those affected by the Covid-19 virus, their families and friends living with fear, anxiety, and feelings of isolation, may God bring peace to all who love them; and our wider community as we cope with the new realities of living.
From Here to There
Hymn God of Change and Glory Katherine
Robert Rorrer, singer
- God of change and glory, God of time and space, when we fear the future, give to us your grace. In the midst of changing ways give us still the grace to praise. May gifts, one spirit, one love known in many ways, In our difference is blessing, from diversity we praise one Giver, one Word, one Spirit, one God known in many ways, hallowing our days. For the giver, for the gifts, praise, praise, praise!
- God of many colors, God of many signs, you have made us different, blessing many kinds. As the old ways disappear, let your live cast out fear. May gifts, one spirit, one love known in many ways, In our difference is blessing, from diversity we praise one Giver, one Word, one Spirit, one God known in many ways, hallowing our days. For the giver, for the gifts, praise, praise, praise!
- Freshness of the morning, newness of each night, you are still creating endless love and light. This we see, as shadows part, many gifts from one great heart. May gifts, one spirit, one love known in many ways, In our difference is blessing, from diversity we praise one Giver, one Word, one Spirit, one God known in many ways, hallowing our days. For the giver, for the gifts, praise, praise, praise!
The Sending & Blessing
Postlude Sonata in G Telemann
Antonella Pareschi, violin; Bernardo Scarambone, piano
News and Announcements are at https://union-church.org/news/
Today the Justice Candle is lit in honor of the “Portland Moms,” Angered over the arrival of federal agents in Portland, Oregon, where racial justice protests have been ongoing for nearly two months, dozens of mothers from across the city joined demonstrators to form a “Wall of Moms.”“We will protect protesters without the use of violence,” organizers wrote on a Facebook event page for the first Wall of Moms protest. “We will shine a light of the unjust narrative being thrown around…protesters are being stripped of their rights.”
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