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

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

August 4, 2019      10:30 am

Meditation
Batter my heart, three-person’d God, for you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurp’d town to another due,
Labor to admit you, but oh, to no end;
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captiv’d, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be lov’d fain,
But am betroth’d unto your enemy;
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.
—John Donne, Holy Sonnet XIV, the poem that inspired Robert J Oppenheimer  to name the Trinity atomic bomb test

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 “t.”
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 Kimigayo Hiromori Hayashi
The Call James Conlon
Where there are ruptures in creation,
    we are aroused to peace,
Where there is disquietude
    we are invited to balance.
Where there is discord
    we are attuned to resonance./
In and through the pain of our planet
    we are called to make our Easter with the Earth
From collapse and devastation
we discover within the risen heart of the universe
Cosmic peace, profound harmony, deep balance,
compassionate resonance, pentecost for the planet and geo-justice with the Earth.
¨  Hymn #273 Black  Praise with Joy the World’s Creator Lauda Anima
¨  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 Joyful Rhythm Kevin McChesney
Union Church Handbell Ensemble
Epistle Lesson  Colossians 3:1-11 (p. 1436)
“Seek the things that are above,” Paul urges the Corinthians, “not the things that are on earth.”
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 12:13-21 (p. 1252)
A man comes up to Jesus, asking Jesus to settle a dispute between him and his brother. In response, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool.
Sermon A New Look at Old Vows Rev. Nate Craddock

Responding to God’s Love in Communion

Invitation to Communion
One:   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 our Creator.
All:  It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Communion Prayer
One:      We gather around this table to reclaim our memories and to risk ourselves in a journey of costly love.
One:      We are invited to pause and then to seek for ourselves Jesus’ clarity of vision and passionate resolve, to feel for ourselves the Spirit’s ever-present offering of life, and find in ourselves a remembrance and a readiness to work toward a world restored.
One: Who is welcome here? All who seek and serve the love of God, all who hunger and thirst for righteousness, all who are weary and long for strength in a struggle for justice and  who yearn for peace within and without. Let us together prepare in prayer to gather at the table of blessing.
Ringing of the Peace Bell and Prayers of the Community
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.
Communion Prayer
One: It is truly right always and everywhere to praise you,
Lord God our Parent, Giver of light.
For you made humanity and all things in a world of glory,
and taught us to live together in love forever.
And though we turned from your light
and made war on one another,
wasting the gifts of your creation,
until we could find no way out of the darkness, but began to die,
and all things cried to you for release
— even then you did not destroy or forsake us.
You called Abraham and Sarah on a journey of promise,
and brought Israel out of captivity;
you made Moses your friend and taught him to grow in the truth.
And in due time the new star of glory appeared,
scattering the shadows of death
and leading us on the road to peace.
Our eyes at first were dim: we could not make him out.
We wondered as he taught us the way of your peaceable kin-dom;
we fled in fear when he died for us, showing the fullness of love.
But you raised him again,
and in his new dawn the truth shone plainly for all to see.
Now we have cast down our fears;
we have turned our faces full to the light.
And running together from all parts of the earth,
we join in love once more,
to follow his example and share his glorious life in the breaking of bread.
For this great work we sing your praises,
joining our voices to the voices of those
who gather throughout space and time
at this endless banquet as we sing:
Communion Sanctus #793 Holy, Holy, Holy Please join in singing, first in Spanish, then English
Communion Prayer
One: On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said—
All: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
One: After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and said—
All: “Drink of this, all of you: This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
One: Mothering God, we pray that in your goodness and mercy your Holy Spirit may descend upon us, and upon these gifts, sanctifying them and showing them to be holy gifts for your holy people, the bread of life and the cup of salvation, the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus Christ.
Grant that all who share this bread and cup may become one body and one spirit, a living sacrifice in Christ, to the praise of your Name.
Remembering you as we come to the richness of your table, we cannot and we do not forget the rawness of the world and the cry of the poor.
We cannot take bread and forget those who are hungry. We cannot drink and forget those who are thirsty. Help us feed others as we are fed.
And here we remember that you have offered us not just bread, not just a cup, but your very self in a costly outpouring of love. You did this so that we may be filled and forgiven, healed, blessed, and made new again; that we might have both beauty and bread in our lives.
All: Ground us in your love that we may be strong and discerning for the journey. Bless us, as we open our hearts and hands to receive, and celebrate the goodness of the world. Come, Holy Spirit, Come! Amen.
One:      And now, as Jesus taught us, we are bold to say:
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.
One: Holy food for a holy people: come share in the meal!
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!
Serving One Another
All who seek the love of God are welcome at this meal and are invited to freely receive from it.  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. All the bread is gluten-free, and the chalices are filled with non-alcoholic grape juice.
Please sing when invited:                Metta Prayer
May I be at peace
May my heart remain open
May I awaken to the light
Of my own true nature:
May I be healed
And be a source of healing
For all beings
(substitute “you/your” on second verse, “we/our” on third verse)
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. The elements from our meal will go with our blessing and prayers for our continued unity in the Spirit. If you would like to serve by taking communion to others, you are very welcome to do so and are invited to volunteer.
Prayer of Thanksgiving (unison)
Though broken, we are made whole; lost, we are brought home; empty, we are filled with songs of gladness. We rejoice and give thanks to you, God of reconciling hope, who has graced us with mercy, love, and gifts for healing the world. Amen.

From Here to There

¨   Hymn #590 Black Spirit of Jesus, if I Love My Neighbor              Benjamin
¨  The Sending and Blessing
Postlude (please be seated) Sakura, Sakura trad. Japanese
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 Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea and our brothers and sisters at Silver Creek 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: 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.
¨ A service will be held here in celebration of Dick Drake’s life 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, and those victimized by his actions.
¨ Judy Rowell, recovering at home.
¨ The Brunner family, and the Berea community, at the death of Pat Brunner.
¨ Dean Jacobs, Mary Lou Wiese’s brother, who had brain surgery last week.
¨ Bartolo Carbajal, gravely ill in Mexico. Prayer request received online.
¨ Samuel Ssengooba from Samuel’s Kids school & orphanage and several of the children are in the hospital with malaria, and help is urgently needed. Donations can be made at https://www.paypal.me/samuelskidsorg.
Today 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.
Judy Rowell is recovering well at home from her congestive heart failure and would like to thank everyone for all the prayers, cards and assistance during these months as she recovers from cancer surgery. She is very grateful. Cards are still very much appreciated. Her address is 548 Ashley Ct., Berea.
Next week – Share Your Music Sunday!  We have received a bounty of musical offerings! So we will be doing something new – just this once – we will have gathering music. If you would like the full experience, come to church by 10:15.
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 Hospit-ality 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.
Children’s Church Team Seeks 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
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 must buy a minimum $5 of message credits, but you can transfer a credit so he can write back without incurring additional fees.
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 – in the vestibule!
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 coordinator of the delegation is Chad Abbott. E-mail Chad at: 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 her at church.