Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the

Church of Christ, Union

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost & Youth Sunday

August 7, 2016 10:30 am

Meditation “The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver read by Kay Ward
The Summer Day
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life? —Mary Oliver

From there to Here

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  William Tell Overture Al White & Theo MacMillan
*  Call to Worship   Sayer Kobersmith, Kelsea Richmond, Sunni Walters, Julia Whaley-Jones
All: Come, let us worship the Lord!
Voice 1: Let us worship the Lord with dance, and singing.
Voice 2: Let us worship the Lord with light and laughter.
Voices 3 & 4: Let us shout joyfully!
Voice 1: Let us climb trees
Voice 2: and feel the leaves in the breeze.
Voice 3: Let us rest in the sunlight
Voice 4: and dream under the stars.
Voices 1 & 2: Let us imagine what God will do with each of us
Voices 3 & 4: and This One Wild Life.
All: Come, let us worship the Lord!
*  Opening Hymn #256 We Live by Faith and Not by Sight Dunlap’s Creek
*Prayer of Approach and Confession                     written by Grace McKenzie;  led by Mallory Lakes
One:      As the moments turn into days and then into decades we see our routines as tame and ordinary.
All:       Remind us Lord of the wonder, the wildness, the preciousness that fill our veins and the cosmos.
One: In the hurried, abrasive conversation with a stranger we ignore the preciousness of your creation.
All: Open our eyes to each person you have carefully and uniquely formed.
One: We ignore the birdsong in our rush to work and school.
All: Open us to the possibility in the commonplace.
One: We look in the mirror and see pimply faces, graying hairs, or an extra roll of fat.
All: Show us, Lord, the bold and creative transformers of the world within the mirror.
Testimony Kay Ward
*  Words of Assurance
One: By the grace of God, we are all God’s children, swept under the wings of God’s wild and precious forgiveness.
All: Thanks be to God! Amen.
*  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.

The Word in our Midst

Special Music Amazing Grace arr. Mark O’Connor
First Scripture Lesson John 10:10b read by Shane Wilcher
Middle-Aged Moment  Sunni Walters & Sayer Kobersmith
As the beloved elders 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 Middle-Aged Moment, children are welcome to return to their seats or follow volunteers to the front entrance of the sanctuary to the Children’s Worship Center, where there are 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 off the Community Room.
Testimony Ben Whaley-Jones
Second Scripture Lesson  Matthew 6:25-34 read by Kelsea Richards
Sermon        This Precious (and more often than not) Wild Life Della Walters

Gifts Given For Love to Flow

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!
Invitation to the Offering Julia Whaley-Jones
Offertory I’ll Fly Away arr. Mark O’Connor
*  Doxology Avery/Marsh

Responding  to God’s Love in Communion

*  Invitation to Communion
One:     The Lord is here.
All:       The Wild Spirit is with us.
One:     Lift up your hearts.
All:       We lift them to the Lord.
One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All:    It is right to offer thanks and praise!
One:     It is our great joy to give you thanks and praise, O God, creator and sustainer of the universe. You have created a wild and precious landscape, of sun and sea and sky, of lilies and sparrows, of a universe full of wonder and mystery. You have created this,
All:    and it is precious.
One:     When we went astray despite your guidance, O God, you sent us prophets to remind us that we are called to love and serve each other, your wild and precious beings. We give you thanks for our creation and our calling, for friendship and community, for love and laughter, for tears and pain of growth.
All:    They are precious.
One:     With all who stand before you in earth and heaven, from every culture, land and tongue, we praise you, giving voice to every creature, as we join the never ending hymn:
Communion Sanctus  Please Join in Singing

1. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
2. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest.

 Communion Prayer MacGregor Lakes
One:     Blessed are you, most Holy, in Jesus Christ, who came among us as a servant and a friend. He took those things that grew wild – the wheat and the grapes – and made them precious.  So, too, you take what is wild within us, and refine it into justice and joy, peace and renewal. We thank you for the good news you bring of unquenchable love, and the promise of a banquet where all your children shall be free. For your gift of Christ we praise you,
All:     for it is precious.
One:     Glory and thanks be to you, almighty God, because on the night before he died, your Son, Jesus the Christ, took bread; when he had given you thanks, he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said:
All:    Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you; do this to remember me.
One:     After supper he took the cup; when he had given you thanks, he gave it to them and said:
All:      This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you; do this as often as you drink it to remember me.
One:     Therefore, loving God, recalling now Christ’s death and resurrection, and remembering all the grace and good news offered to us, we ask you to accept this our sacrifice of praise. Send your Holy and Wild Spirit upon us and our celebration, that we may know life wider than our own and show love deepened with divine care.
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. As you wait for your turn, you are invited to reflect upon your communion and the music.
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
One:    Lord, we are so very grateful for all that lifts and stirs us to greater life. By this meal, Strengthen us to make our work your work, to be healed of terrors within and without, and to be your body in the world. Unite us in Christ and give us your peace. For your mercy, we give you thanks.
All:    It is precious, indeed! Amen.

From Here to There

*  Closing Hymn        This Wild Life          David Burroughs
* Benediction & Sending Forth           Della Walters
   Postlude (please  be  seated) Hornpipe G.F. Handel
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 Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico and our brothers and sisters at Glades Church of Christ in your hearts, and pray for them.
Please also hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week:
¨ Members of the armed services and reserves and all who are in harm’s way and their families. We pray for the day when war shall be no more.
¨ For the healing of families, communities, and our nation wracked by violence and murder. May we be agents of transformation.
¨ Gratitude from Jasmine Beltran and Elijah and Christopher Mullins for all the help and support in welcoming their new baby.
¨ Jim & JoAn Gaines, at the sudden death of Jim’s son, Eric
¨ Gary Dillon, undergoing chemo for lung cancer.
¨  Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound:  Edith Hansen, Mary Miller, Alva Peloquin, Gloria VanWinkle.
¨ Toby Wilcher, recovering from broken bones at home, and for Shane Wilcher.
¨ Travel mercies for Rev. Kent, travelling & vacationing in Colorado until August 15.
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.  Let’s all try to get to know each other better.
Join the church next week! Union Church is a vital and growing family of faith, a home to those committed to the way of Christ’s sacrificial love and service. All who feel led to join will be received in joy! New members are received every second Sunday of a month. YOU are welcome here!
Can you help with Rev. Rachel and Leslie’s baby shower August 14?

• Help setting up tables and putting some of the food out about 2:00 pm
• It would make preparing enough refreshments easier if BJ Godby or Dodie Murphy had a an idea of how many people plan to attend. Please let either one of them know ASAP (their numbers are in the church directory).
• If you plan to attend we ask you to bring sweet or savory finger foods to the Community Room by 2:30. If your contribution doesn’t need to be refrigerated or heated it can be left on the metal table in the kitchen before or after Sunday’s worship. And it’s also okay to contribute food even if you can’t attend.

Kitchen Elves Wanted: Orientation Wednesday, August 17, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. If you have wanted to be a Kitchen Elf (that’s a helper in the church kitchen before or after events), but feel intimidated by so many cabinets or the commercial dish washer that looks nothing like yours at home, then this opportunity is for you!
The Community Life & Growth Board will have an orientation to the kitchen and its equipment on Weds., August 17, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Please consider joining us. It would help to know if you plan to come, so please either sign up on the bulletin board in the back of the sanctuary or e-mail betty_hibler@berea.edu. Thanks in advance from the CL&G Board, because we can certainly use your help!
Celtic Festival coming up August 19-21. The Sunday service will have a touch of Irish tradition and harp music by Jeni Balcom of Cincinnati.
It’s time to re-enroll with Kroger Rewards. Check Kroger.com or your August newsletter for details.
It’s time to re-enroll with Kroger Rewards. Kroger has been committed to supporting the communities it serves by assisting local charitable organizations through its Rewards Program. Union Church will earn rewards on all eligible purchases you make using your Kroger Plus Card. The Kroger rewards will accumulate and be donated quarterly to Union Church. This is an easy way for all to fund-raise for Union Church.

• Go to www.Kroger.com
• Click the blue Sign In tab at top of the page, follow the step-by-step instructions.
• Call 1-800-KROGERS, Option #3, with questions.

If you haven’t enrolled in Kroger rewards & would like to, visit www.Kroger.com for instructions.
Kids’ Underwear needed for back-to-school! The Family Resource Centers that serve Berea schools has asked No Child Cold/No Child Hungry in Berea to provide boys’ and girls’ underwear in children’s sizes 4 to 10. Donations can be left outside the church office marked to the attention of Dodie Murphy or given to Dodie in church on Sundays. The August issue of Consider will have a list of food the Family Resource Centers need to send home with children on the weekends.