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

Easter Sunday  April 20, 2014, 10:30 am

Meditation
The temple bell stops ringing
          but the sound keeps coming
out of the flowers.
― Matsuo Basho, 17th Century

Out of the Tomb 

Bell Prelude         Aria     arr. Dobrinski
The Good News!                         Matthew 28:1-10
Call to Worship
One:   The grave is empty and Christ has risen!
All:      The stone of the tomb is rolled away.  Grave, where is your victory? Death where is your sting?
One:     By the empty tomb the bonds of sin and death are broken forever! Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
All:      Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!
Easter Processional            Toccata on “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”         arr. Diane Bish
Please remain seated as this introduction to the hymn is played, the elements of celebration are processed and the sanctuary is transformed. Please rise in body or spirit when invited to sing.
*  Hymn #233 Black           Christ the Lord Is Risen Today           Easter Hymn
Keith Viveiros, trumpet

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.
Anthem    “I Will Sing with the Spirit”    John Rutter
Union Church Choir
I will sing with the spirit; alleluia.  And I will sing with the understanding also: alleluia.
Hebrew Scripture Lesson                       Jeremiah 31:1-6
Children’s Moment
Following Children’s Moment, our youngest members are invited to return to their pews. As the children return to their seats, we sing:
Epistle Lesson                  Colossians 3:1-4
Sermon                             And These Shall Be My Peeps Rev. Kent Gilbert

The Gifts of Love

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.
Silent Prayer and Prayers of the Community
Our Lord’s Prayer                                  adapted for the New Zealand Prayer Book
                              by Jim Cotter (1988)
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be;
Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever.  Amen.
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  859-448-3403859-448-3403 (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  The Call          Ralph Vaughan Williams
Todd Martin, soloist
1. Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life: such a way as gives us breath, such a truth as ends all strife, such a life as killeth death.
2. Come, my Light, my Feast, my Strength: such a light as shows a feast, such a feast as mends in length, such a strength as makes his guest.
3. Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart: such a joy as none can move, such a love as none can part, such a heart as joys in love.
*  Doxology  Holy Ground   Christopher Beatty
 These are holy times, we’re living in holy times
God loves through us, And so these times are holy.
These are holy times, we’re living in holy times
God loves through us, And so these times are holy.

 From here to there 

*  Closing Hymn #245        The Day of Resurrection         Lancashire
If you would like to join the choir in singing the Hallelujah Chorus, please make your way to the choir loft during the last verses of they hymn.
*  Benediction         
*  Benediction Response  Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah          G.F. Handel
Hallelujah!  For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth!  The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever:  King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah!
*  Sending Music     Trumpet Tune  Henry Purcell
_____________________________
*  Please rise in body or in spirit
A Special Invite:
Easter is more than just a day, and a community of caring is more than just one event. Why not have a wider experience and a deeper look? You can find out how Easter is a perspective on the world that we practice as well as preach!
Try us out for the next 6 Sundays, all of Easter, and check out our website: www.union-church.org. Consider yourself invited to any and all that Union Church has to offer and let your spirit rise. Maybe you are an Easter peep, too.
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 Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan and our brothers and sisters at all of Berea’s houses of faith  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 and all those who wait and worry for them.
* John and JoAnn Hayden, Rob and the family, at Rob’s father’s death
* Judy Royalty,  recovering from surgery
* The family of Harry Piland, at his death.
* Peggy Coyne’s daughter’s future mother-in-law, Jan Dailey-Hosp, awaiting a lung transplant
* Mary Robert Garrett, Andrew and family
* Steve Bolster, and the whole family, at his brother, Greg’s death
* Michelle Tooley, with recurrence of melanoma
* Our church family members recovering at home and in nursing homes: Rose Brandenburg, Naomi Brandenburg, Jerry Cooper, Edith Hansen, Klara Welsh, Bernice Robertson, Nancy Jones
* Marlene Payne’s niece, Sarah, her daughter, Reldy, and grand daughter, Lola
* Barbara Frederiksen, recovering from emergency surgery
* Virginia Piland, who has relocated. Her new address: Belmont Village Assisted Living, 500 McHenry Rd., Buffalo Grove, IL, 60089

Interested in Knowing More About Union Church? Next week (April 27) and every 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. We want “outsiders” to feel like “insiders!” New members are received every Second Sunday of the month.  YOU are welcome here!

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 859-448-3403859-448-3403: Yes! You can give using your web-enabled phone. Text any amount to 859-448-3403859-448-3403. 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!
Examples: Text “$50.00” to contribute to today’s offering. Text “$200.00 Capital Campaign” to contribute to a building pledge, or substitute the designation of your choice (youth, missions, BFCO, etc. Amounts texted without a designation will automatically go to the Annual Ministry Budget and all giving will be included in your annual giving records.
Union Church Hosts “SARACARE” Benefit, This Friday! An evening of music, food, raffles, and fun, SaraCare raises money to help children suffering from life-threatening illnesses and their families. Nashville stars are coming, and so should you! Dinner 6pm, Concert at 7:30pm. SaraCare is a memorial fund honoring Sara Elizabeth Kennedy, who passed away from Rhabdomyosarcoma at the age of 18 on March 23, 2005.
Don’t Miss The Berea Older Adult Resource Fair, Sat. April 26. Learn about available resources, participate in various activities and booths, and bring in old medications for safe disposal. Berea Baptist Church, 10:00 am—2:00 pm.
Enjoy The Berea Classic Chorale Spring Concert, next Sunday April 27, The Berea Classic Chorale will present its Spring Concert, “Songs of Praise and Prayer,” next Sunday, April 27th at 2:30 pm in the Union Church sanctuary. The 25-voice choir, under the direction of Larry Brandenburg, will sing a program of all sacred music, featuring the “Te Deum” of John Rutter.  Works by Bach, Mendelssohn, Faure will be included.  Music by contemporary composers Dan Gawthrop, Imant Raminsh and Brant Adams will round out the one-hour the program.  Anne Crabb and Jenny Bromley will provide the keyboard accompaniment.  A suggested donation of $5 is requested.  For further information, call Larry at 985-8669.
“Elaine Shaffer, Angel in Black” Special Presentation, Next Sunday, April 27, 7:00 pm. Bob Shaffer’s sister, Beverly, has written a book about another sister, Elaine Shaffer. She was a flutist, one of the finest in the world at the time, who played at Lincoln Center, London’s Royal Festival Hall, Tokyo’s NHK Hall and Moscow Conservatory.  The book, Angel in Black, chronicles her like and career. After her remarks, Beverly will play a selection of highly-regarded recordings Elaine made during her career.
From Amazon.com: At a time when opportunities were closed to women and orchestral venues boasted signs, “Only Men Need Apply,” Elaine Shaffer’s extraordinary talent and perseverance forged a career that would lead her to soaring heights. Angel in Black, as written by her sister Beverly Shaffer Gast, tells the true story of how Shaffer became the first female concert flutist in the world. Shaffer’s life journey, preserved in countless personal letters, press reviews, and recordings, reveals the many facets of her impossible dream. Gast details how, as an eleven-year-old girl, Elaine walked into a music shop and requested a harmonica that “played sharps and flats.” And so began a lifelong passion for music that included learning the violin, cello, timpani, and, finally, the flute. At eighteen, self-taught on the flute, Elaine auditioned for a renowned flutist and was awarded a scholarship to a prestigious music school. Her subsequent dazzling career took her across the globe for solo performances that left audiences spellbound. Angel in Black unfolds the incredible story of how one woman overcame grueling challenges to fulfill the life of her dreams—performing the kind of music that transported her listeners to a beautiful place.
It’s almost time for Vacation Bible School, “Living Waters for the World,” June 8-11!  Vacation Bible School will be held the evenings of June 8-11 for those  in pre-school – grade 5 and there’s also an adult class. Youth can volunteer to help with younger kids or join the adults . We will continue with a theme that has arisen this year – how we understand the gift of water in our faith with a mission focus on the world water crisis. We need lots of people to make this a special event for our young people – cooks, musicians, shepherds, storytellers…to volunteer, contact Pastor Rachel!
Congregational Meeting set. Union Church’s meeting to consider budget issues has been set for May 21, 7:00 pm. Childcare and transportation will be provided.