Transfiguration Sunday

February 7, 2016, 10:30 am

 
Meditation
My art is an attempt to reach beyond the surface appearance. I want to see growth in wood, time in stone, nature in a city, and I do not mean its parks but a deeper understanding that a city is nature too-the ground upon which it is built, the stone with which it is made.
— Andy Goldsworthy

From there to here

Welcome & Announcements
Welcome to this service of worship. We’re glad that you are here today. You are invited to rise in body or in spirit as you are able and willing 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.
 
Prelude     Amazing Grace           Bill Monroe                 John Maupin, fiddle           
¨  Call to Worship
One:     We come to the mountain,
All:      hoping for a glimpse of the holy.
One:     Surrounded by clouds of mystery,
All:      We squint our eyes, praying to see,
One:     Hearts beating hard from the effort,
All:      We climb the mountains, pray the prayers, hope for the impossible…
One:     And then, suddenly, somehow, when we’ve almost given up — we are dazzled!
All:      Glory to God!  Hallelujah! Let us praise the wonder of God!
¨  Opening Hymn #8          Praise to the Living God         Diademata
¨  Prayer of Approach and Confession  
One:     He came bathed in light, dazzling, radiant…
All:      Forgive us, God, for accepting mediocrity in your name and calling it good enough.
One:     He came appearing with Elijah and Moses…
All:      Forgive us, God, or demanding exclusive expressions of faith even in the face of your expansive vision.
One:     He came while a voice was shouting, “this is my Beloved; listen!”
All:      Forgive us, God, for silencing the voice of the other struggling to praise your name.
— Copyright © 2000 Katherine Hawker
¨ Words of Assurance
One:     You are God’s Beloved; with you, God is well pleased. You are renewed and restored. You are forgiven and loved. You are a new creation in Christ, everything old has passed away; see, everything is becoming new. Go and share the good news of God’s love. Amen.
All:       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

Anthem    With Music I will Praise Thee Natalie Sleeth
Union Church Choir

1. With music I will praise Thee, and magnify Thy Name. With melody in measure, Thy goodness, Lord, proclaim; with note of golden trumpet, with flute and tuneful string, my song of adoration to Thee I’ll sing. Alleluia, sing Alleluia, now let us sing! With flute and lute and sound of tuneful string, sing Alleluia, and praises bring!
2. With anthems of Thanksgiving, and notes of harmony, I’ll sound my Alleluias, most gracious God to Thee; for Thou art my Creator who gave me voice to sing, so unto thee forever my praise I’ll bring. With music I will praise Thee, and magnify Thy name. With melody in measure, Thy goodness, Lord, proclaim!

Hebrew Scripture Lesson                      Exodus 34:29-35
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.
Gospel Lesson                  Luke 9:28-43
Sermon                Olé, Olé, Olé           Rev. Rachel Small Stokes
Sermon Reflection           When I Can Read My Title Clear        arr. Mark Hayes
                  Whitney Owens Park, dancer

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             Jerusalem Ridge/Back Up and Push   Bill Monroe
John Maupin, fiddle
¨  Doxology             To God all glorious heavenly light;   Old Hundredth
                  To Christ revealed in earthly night;  To God the spirit now we raise Our grateful hymn of thankful praise. Amen.
¨  Prayer of Thanksgiving

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.
All:      It is right to give God thanks and praise.
One:     As we come to this table, we are reminded that this is not the table of this congregation, nor is it the table of any particular denomination.  It is the table of Jesus Christ, the family feast of the whole people of God.
One:     All who seek to be nourished and sustained in the journey of faith, and long to live justly and in peace with their neighbor, are welcome here.  So come, all of you.  Come not because you must, but come because you may.  Let us eat and drink together for our strengthening in the faith, and for the sake of the world.
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
Communion Prayer & Words of Institution
adapted from United Church of Canada liturgy
One:     Creator of light, Giver of all life, Source of love: You guide the sun, cradle the moon, and toss the stars.  At your word the earth was made and spun on its course among the planets.
One:     You breathe life into us and set us among all your creatures in a covenant of love and service.  Even when we turn away from you, you do not forsake us.  You send your prophets to proclaim your justice, to remind us of your promises of peace, and to call us back to you.
One:     Creator, Christ and Spirit, we praise you for your love revealed to us in Jesus, who walks with us, our Wisdom and our Way, sharing our joy and sorrow, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and setting the captive free.  So it is that we join the song of all creation to proclaim your goodness:
Communion Sanctus #795                     Please join in singing
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.
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 serve by taking communion to others, you are very welcome to do so and are invited to volunteer.
Prayer of Thanksgiving

From Here to There

¨  Closing Hymn #436       God of Grace and God of Glory v. 1,3,5       CWM Rhondda
¨  Benediction & Sending Forth      
   Postlude (please be seated)         Toccata in G. Major    G. Dubois
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 Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia and our brothers and sisters at Berea Church of the Nazarene 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
¨ Averill Kilbourne, very ill in North Carolina
¨ Terry Allen Watts
¨ Rochelle Seals
¨ Donna Eder’s niece, Jane Bensimhon, facing treatment for a rare cancer
¨ Sallie Gailey’s family, at her death
¨ Loretta Reynolds, in the death of her aunt Dot
¨ 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
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.
Rev. Kent will be away this week, returning, February 9th. He is returning to the congregation in Boise, ID where he served as Intern Associate Pastor, 1989-1990, and where he was ordained in 1991. They are celebrating their 125th Anniversary where Rev. Kent will be a featured guest.
Let’s Do Lunch! Lunch after church begins next week, Feb. 7. The Youth Group will hold its annual pancake & fixin’s brunch fundraiser! Directly after church, and everyone is welcome. Suggested donation of $7 per person, or $5 for families over 3 people.  There will be hat making for adults and children and wonderful pancakes (gluten free options available), sausages, and grits. Funds raised will go toward sending member of the youth group to summer camp this year.
Lent begins February 10 with Ash Wednesday. All are welcome to a service at 7:00 pm in Cowan Chapel, after Wednesday Nite Live supper.
Lenten lunches start 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.
But more important is the fellowship shared, and especially the opportunity to get to know some of our newer members. Mark your calendars now!
Fundraiser Concert to Benefit Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition Feb. 12: Hamrick Walters will play a solo piano concert as a fundraiser on February 12, 8:00—10:00 pm, in the sanctuary. Come on out—enjoy good music and support a good cause!
Board Annual Reports for the Church’s 2015 Annual Report 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.
Annual Meeting will be March 13, Board retreat and orientation will be April 16.
No Child Cold/No Child Hungry in Berea has been asked if anyone can provide 3 beds — bug- and smoke-free — for Berea Community Elementary School, as well as backpacks for kids to carry food home for the weekend.
Farristown Elementary School needs:  Girls pants, size 10, Women’s/Juniors pants, sizes 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 And some boxers in boys sizes, 12, 14, 16. Contact Dodie Murphy at dodiemurf @yahoo.com or call 859-200-7277.
Want to Help Usher? Read? Light Candles? Wash Dishes? Help with Food? VOLUNTEER SPOT! Signing up for service is easy using volunteer spot at Union Church. Here’s the link to the new page for Volunteering! Sign-ups on VolunteerSpot: https://www.volunteer spot.com/group/737396918047
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
Woman’s Creative Sewing and Crafts is making quilts.! They’re nearly out of quilt fabric. If you have extra scraps, yards, etc. of cotton fabric, please bring it to church.
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, birthday(s)—please send that info on as well. office@union-church.org.