First Sunday of Lent
February 14, 2016, 10:30 am
Meditation
No Christian escapes a taste of the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land.
— Evelyn Underhill, The Fruits of the Spirit
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 Processional K. McChesney
Union Church Handbell Ensemble
from the Lillian McGuire Memorial Fund for Handbell Music
• Call to Worship
One: Sisters and brothers, Lenten pilgrims together we embark on a wilderness journey:
All: Pilgrims on a road of awe and wonder.
One: We journey through places of solitude, questions, reflection:
All: Pilgrims on a road to self-discovery and learning.
One: We journey through times of alienation, hunger, thirst:
All: Pilgrims on a road to refreshment and hospitality.
One: We journey through struggles born of circumstance or choice:
All: Pilgrims on the road to service, acceptance and healing.
One: We journey through the hills and valleys of faithful living:
All: Pilgrims on a road to compassion and liberation.
One: We make this journey together – side-by-side – moving with Christ to the beat of God’s heart:
All: Pilgrims on the road to risen life.
• Opening Hymn #24 The God of Abraham Praise LEONI
• Prayer of Approach and Confession
“Kyrie eleison” is Greek for “Lord have mercy,” and is an ancient petition in prayers of confession. When invited, please sing the refrain through twice, and hum while the worship leaders interweave the prayers between our singing.
All: Kyrie Refrain (sung twice)
One: When we meet and fail to recognize you in the stranger; when we are tempted to turn away; when we allow trivialities to distract us from your call: hear us we pray.
All: Kyrie Refrain (sung once)
One: Make of our inward journey a purification of body, mind and spirit; that the Spirit of the Living God may shape our words and deeds and lead us into life.
All: Kyrie Refrain (sung once)
One: Lead us, O lord, of the desert. Guide first our hearts and then our feet, that we might serve you best by resisting the powers of evil in ourselves and in the world.
All: Kyrie Refrain (sung twice)
• 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
Anthem Be Thou My Vision Byrne, Forrest
Union Church Choir
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart, naught be all else but to me, save that thou art; thou my best thought by day or by night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word, I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord; Mother, Father, you are both to me, forever your child I will be.
Riches I heed not, nor one’s empty praise: thou mine inheritance now and always; thou and thou only first in my heart; high king of heaven, my treasure thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won, may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s bright sun, heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
Hebrew Scripture Lesson Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Children’s Moment
As the children return to their seats or move to children’s church, 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 Children’s Moment, children grades K-5 are invited to Children’s Church, which takes place in Cowan Chapel. Otherwise, children are welcome to visit 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 & under, care is available in the Nursery, downstairs off the Community Room. Please pick up your children in the Chapel or Nursery after the service.
Sung Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
The Psalms were originally musical compositions. During Lent we will pray the psalms in musical form with congregational responses. Please sing the response at the “R” when invited.
Gospel Lesson Luke 9:28-43
Sermon The Temptations Greatest Hits Rev. Kent Gilbert
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!
Offertory Into the Wilderness J. Krug
Union Church Handbell Ensemble
• Doxology
PRAYING IT FORWARD
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 Prayers and Prayers for the Community
Our Lord’s Prayer
One: 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
Introduction and Invitation to Membership
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, and are welcome to come forward during the Closing Hymn. Thanks be to God for these ministers among us.
• Closing Hymn #205 Forty Days and Forty Nights HEINLEIN
• Questions of the Congregation and New Members
• Covenant of Welcome
And we, the members of this church, renewing our own covenant to God and to each other, do now heartily welcome you to our fellowship, promising to watch over you in love, and praying that you, and we, may be true witnesses for Christ, a light in the world, and continue to increase in usefulness and joy in his service.
• Benediction & Sending Forth
• Benediction Response
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me;
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me;
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Postlude (please be seated) Grand Choeur in D C. Callahan
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 peoples of Denmark, Finland, Iceland Norway and Sweden and our brothers and sisters at First Faith Independent Baptist Church in your hearts, and pray for them.
Please also hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week:
• Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound: Edith Hansen, Nancy Jones, Mary Miller, Alva Peloquin
• Judy Rowell
• George Oberst
• Cassandra Jaggers, facing breast cancer
• Sheila Johnson, facing breast cancer
• Marlene Payne and her family
• Kelly Ambrose
• Terry Allen Watts
• Rochelle Seals
• Donna Eder’s niece, Jane Bensimhon, facing treatment for a rare cancer
• Alvera Perman’s nephew Kendrell Marshall and his family as he fights non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Destiny Marshall, injured in a car accident
• Teri VanPelt at the loss of a dear friend
• Darlene Lytle’s friend, Emily
• The evergreen on the altar is in memory of Averill Kilbourne, who died early Wednesday morning
• Elsie Hardman, Joan English’s mom, with an extremely painful back injury after a fall and heart issues
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 today! Membership at Union Church is not a club, it is a act of service and the following of a call to deeper faith exploration. You don’t have to have all the answers: come ask the questions in an environment dedicated to justice and joy for all people. Members are received every second Sunday of a month at the end of service. YOU are welcome here!
Calling All Knitters, Needle-workers, Crafters, Crocheters and More! Sunday mornings of Lent, 9:45am-10:15am, bring your own creative project to work on, and join others for relaxed and unstructured conversation, community-building, and coffee before the church service begins. Led by Ashley Cochrane.
Let’s Do Lunch! Lenten lunches start Today, Feb. 14! You may have noticed the Line Item “Lenten Lunches” in the Income section of the Church Budget. Each year the Boards work together to provide lunch for the five Sundays of Lent (through March 13, which is our ANNUAL MEETING!) and the income from these lunches helps to fund the budgets of our Boards — suggested donations of $5.00/single or $15.00/family. Today the Faith Development and Worship Boards are cooking!
TODAY’S MENU:
Baked Ham or Vegetarian Entrée,
Beans, Salad, Rolls and Dessert!
More important is the fellowship shared, and especially the opportunity to get to know some of our newer members. Mark your calendars now!
The Art of Love: Valentines to the Soul Today, 1-4pm. After our first Lenten lunch, join us to celebrate love in poetry, art, and free trade chocolate. This intergenerational All Y’all Faith Day will explore all kinds of love, not just romance. Some of our congregation will share poetry and wisdom to inspire our work on miniature artworks that we will create and trade as artist trading cards. And what is Valentine’s Day without a little chocolate? Bring your favorite art supplies or verses about love in its many forms or just bring yourself and your desire to enjoy and connect with the love we show each other and the world.
Tuesday Evening Walking Meditation begins February 16th. Please join us and meet at Alumni Field. Walks will be led by David Bellnier and will be a chance to revel in nature and inspiration, while enjoying exercise and new friends. Listen together to a reading, then walk together in meditation!
Story time! Wednesdays, 6:30 pm, Community Room. After Wednesday Night Live supper, we’ll have a different member of the community tell a story. Have a story you’d love to tell? Contact Rev. Rachel.
Book Study America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America Wednesdays, 7pm, Classroom. Rev. Kent and Rev. Rachel will lead a discussion of this new book by Sojourners executive director and long-time Civil Rights ally Jim Wallis. This will be a time of non-judgmental, thoughtful, and prayerful study as we try to learn more how to be effective advocates for racial justice. (If you can’t attend the class, you can read along with us; discussion guides available online.)
Contra Dance Feb. 19! 7-8:30pm, Community Room. For children and adults! Learn how to do basic moves of contra dances, both in a circle and in pairs. Live music, with Rev. Kent and other guests calling and teaching. (Young children will especially enjoy the first half hour; the rest might be challenging for those under 10 who are beginners.)
Dances of Universal Peace Sunday, Feb. 21, 5-7pm. Join a worldwide movement for peace through dance. Led by Carla Gilbert and others, the gathered group will be taught sacred steps from around the world, sharing as we do in prayers of peace and harmony. Created by a Sufi teacher and Zen master, the Dances set scriptures and sacred phrases from the world’s spiritual traditions to music and movement. They are transformative spiritual practice, invoking an embodied sense of unity, presence and compassion and touching the spiritual essence within ourselves.
Board Annual Reports Are Due Soon! Reports from all boards are due in the office by March 1. If you’d like to consult previous Annual Reports, several years of Board minutes and/or newsletters, those are all available on the church’s website, union-church.org. Call the office if you need a hand navigating. Our Annual Meeting will be March 13, Board retreat and orientation will be April 16.
Internet woes: We use Berea College’s internet system and have heard from them this week that the volume of internet traffic is crashing their server. They are seeking solutions to the problem but, in the meantime, our email/website/streaming may not be up to par. Sorry.
Tax-prep Help! Eastern Kentucky Asset Building Coalition & Berea College VITA offer free tax preparation for those who make under $54,000 by IRS certified volunteers Thursday Evenings 5:30 to 8:00 pm, Union Church Community Room. For information Call: 800-378-3778
Want to Chime In? The Handbell Ensemble is Seeking Donations to acquire a 3rd octave of handchime instruments. We’ve greatly enjoyed the warm, rich sound of our first two octaves of chimes, but wish to expand to the third octave so we that all our ringers can play chime notes as our music indicates.
Michelle Hayden in an Exhibition: “Turn up the Heat” is an encaustic art invitational exhibit at M. S. Rezny Studio/Gallery, (Lexington Distillery District, 903 Manchester Street) . You can support Michelle and enjoy this lovely artform of beeswax and pigments with mixed media through Feb. 20.
We Need a New Church Directory! We’re coming up with a plan for taking photos BUT if you’ve got one you’d like to use, please send it to the office. Also — if there’s a chance we don’t have your address, phone, email address, anniversary, or birthday(s)—please send that info on as well: office@union-church.org.
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