A Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the Church of Christ, Union
Second Sunday of Lent 10:30 am
Meditation
Again and again,
I will pray for a truth that ricochets,
For ears that will listen,
And for space to hold the truth.
~ Rev. Sarah Are (excerpt from “Truth That Ricochets”)
From There to Here: We Gather
Prelude
Welcome
¨ Call to Worship Diane Bailey, Reader
Family of faith, I invite you to close your eyes.
Rest your feet on the floor beneath you.
Release any tension you are holding—
In your jaw, your neck, your shoulders, your hands, your legs, your feet.
Take a deep breath in and slowly let it out.
The Hebrew word for breath (ruach) is the same word for Spirit.
So as you breathe, imagine that it is God who is filling up your lungs with energy and love. Trust that God is as
close as your very breath.
Now I invite you to still your mind. Imagine your mind as a river.
Thoughts will drift into view; they always do.
However, instead of holding onto those thoughts, allow yourself to let them float by.
And listen.
Listen deep.
Listen far.
Listen wide.
Listen.
The sound of your breath is the sound of the Divine.
This is a holy space.
Let us worship God.
¨ Hymn I Want Jesus to Walk with Me Walk with Me
Reprinted with permission using OneLicense #A-723786
¨ Prayer of Approach and Confession
One: Listening God,
All: Take what is closed in us and open it. Take what is distracted in us and settle it. Take what is hurting in us and hold it. Take any and all parts of us that create distance from you. For we are like Peter, O God. We argue what we don’t know. We fear what we cannot see. And we almost always speak sooner than we listen. So open us, settle us, hold us, and forgive us. We long to hear you more clearly. We long to know you more fully. With hope we pray, And with gratitude we confess. Amen.
¨ Words of Assurance
One: Siblings in Christ, We confess with gratitude because we know that God already has heard and forgiven us. No matter what we have done or left undone, we are held in God’s hand. So rest in this good news:
All: God invites us in. God meets us where we are. God hears our prayers. God forgives us.
One: Again and Again.
All: Again and Again.
One: Thanks be to God for a love like that.
All: Amen!
¨ 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.
Word and Worship
Anthem I Choose Love Miller, Thompson Union Church Choir
In the midst of pain, I choose love. In the midst of pain, sorrow falling down like rain, I await the sun again, I choose love. In the midst of war, I choose peace. In the midst of war, hate and ager keeping score, I will seek the good once more, I choose peace. When my world falls down, I will rise. When my world falls down, explanations can’t be found, I will climb to holy ground, I will rise.
Children’s Moment as the children return to their seats we sing:
May God’s blessings 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.
Sung Psalm Psalm 22:23-31, p. 633
The psalms were originally musical compositions. During Lent we will pray the psalms in musical form. Rev. Kent will lead. You are invited to sing the response when invited, at the “R” if using the hymnal.
Scripture Reading Mark 8:31-38
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Sermon Do You Hear What I Hear? Rev. Kent Gilbert
Video Reflection
Living Prayer
Call to Prayer
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.
Offertory Watching Handel Union Church Orchestra
A Chance for Generosity: www.easytithe.com/union
A community of caring relies on support. Your recurring or one-time donation will make a ministry of healing, justice, and teaching available to all in need.
¨ Use your smart phone or computer and go to www.easytithe.com/union. No registration required, but registering once makes future generosity an amount and a click.
¨ Baskets for checks or cash are located at the head of each aisle for those who wish to make an in-person donation.
¨ Give by Text. Text an amount to 859-448-3403 (Example: Text “$50.00 Offering”)
¨ Give by Mail to: 200 Prospect St., Berea, KY 40403
Your contribution is love made visible. Thank you!
Prayer and Reflection Questions
What Do You Hear When You See? Take a look at the woodcut art on the bulletin cover. Breathe deeply as you gaze upon the image. Imagine placing yourself in this scene, which describes the events from today’s Gospel reading. What do you see? How do you feel? Get quiet and still, offering a silent or spoken prayer to God.
Read the poem, Truth that Ricochets, below… What convicts you? What change or call do you sense? What do you hear when you listen again and again? Ask God for what you need and what is needed in what your heart hears.
¨ Kyrie
In this season of Lent, we come together in prayer with the beautiful chant of “Kyrie Eleison,” meaning “God, have mercy on us,” and “Christe Eleison,” meaning “Christ have mercy.” You are invited to sing back the phrase after the cantor, prayerfully remembering that God’s mercy is a gift of love, freely given to us.
¨ Community Prayer Diane Bailey, Reader
Creator God,
We cannot hear the trees growing—seeds pushing up through the dirt into the sun.
And we cannot hear a single drop of rain, missing one in the many.
We cannot hear the weight of people’s grief, a burden that so often is silent.
And we cannot hear when hearts are changed, but you can.
You hear it all.
We come to you with bowed heads and hopeful hearts,
Asking that you would lend us your ears.
Help us hear as you hear so that we can live as you lived.
We are listening.
We reach now 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.
From Here to There
¨ Hymn #204 “Take Up Your Cross,” the Savior Said Deus Tuorum Militum
1 “Take up your cross,” the Savior said, “if you would my disciple be; take up your cross with willing heart, and humbly follow after me.”
2 Take up your cross; let not its weight fill your weak spirit with alarm; Christ’s strength shall bear your spirit up and brace your heart, support your arm.
3 Take up your cross, heed not the shame, and let your foolish pride be still; for Christ did not refuse to die upon a cross, on Calvary’s hill.
4 Take up your cross, and follow Christ, nor think till death to lay it down, for only those who bear the cross may hope to wear the glorious crown.
Community Connections
Announcements
We share opportunities for Beloved Community and ways to serve. Please see the listing of church & community evens, prayers, and notices in the pages following the service.
Lighting the Justice Candle to Lead us Forth
Today we light this candle to recognize and honor our friend, Hasan Davis.
After graduating from Berea College, Hasan studied law at University of Kentucky. He served as both the Commissioner at the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice and as Vice Chairman at Federal Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee.
As a Chautauqua Scholar and living history interpreter, he enacted the powerful story of York, a black man who accompanied Lewis and Clark enabling them to be successful in their journey. Then turned his research into a children’s book, The Journey of York: Unsung Hero of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Hasan is a husband, father, community leader, author, motivational speaker, and advocate for youth. He even served in the US Army. Currently he is the founder and director of Hasan Davis Solutions, hasandavis.com.
Throughout all his many accomplishments, .Hasan has remained steadfast in his opposition to injustice: “We must continue to dig deep and find the courage to speak in defense of our common humanity. Persecution, Hate, and Violence should be offensive to any eye, in any heart, of any of faith.”
¨ Benediction The God of Second Chances David Haas
Those who are able & willing are invited to fill the aisles as we sing the Benediction Response together. If you’re at home or in the balcony, you are part of the embrace too. The embrace is as wide as God’s love!
Our Prayer for Others
¨ 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 (World Council of Churches Ecumenical Prayer cycle: union-church.org/ministries/prayer) Let us hold the people of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands; and our brothers and sisters at Berea Evangelistic Center in our hearts, and pray for them today and throughout the week.
¨ All the people of Ukraine for their safety and sovereignty. Prayers also that the government of Russia will turn to reason & respect for their own peoples’ lives as well as for Ukrainian families.
¨ All those affected by the devastating losses in the current conflict in the Middle East.
¨ To donate to those affected by the recent earthquakes in Japan, this is the most direct way to do so: Japan Red Cross: jrc.or.jp/english/
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes or who are homebound: Jan Hamilton, Betsy Hoefer, Dorie Hubbard, Lois Morgan, Sara Parker, Cheryl Payne, Alva Peloquin, Laura Robie, Sally Zimmerman.
¨ All those suffering from mental strain, trauma, and disease: may God soothe and heal all who are troubled.
¨ Members and Friends who need safer housing and income security.
¨ JoAnn Russell, Reda Hutton’s aunt, facing several medical challenges.
¨ Jeannette Davidson, having health problems.
¨ Barb Taylor, recovering at home from a stroke.
¨ Cron Carpenter, recovering from extensive heart surgery, and Delores as she cares for him.
¨ Celebrations with Prayers of Joy!
Birthdays: Today, Feb. 26 – Triss Holland; 28 – Rachael White; 29 – Bruce Spencer; March 5 – Jenny Bromley
Anniversaries: Feb. 29 – Charles & Audrey Coyne
If we haven’t got your important dates, let us know. We’ll help you get connected in FellowshipOne Go!
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