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

Second Sunday after the Epiphany

January 19, 2020  10:30 am

Meditation
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”― Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches that Changed the World

From there to here: we Gather

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 Pavanne Fauré
The Call John 1 & Prayers of St. Brigid, adapted
“Rabbi, where are you staying?”
I would welcome the poor
and honor them.
I would welcome the sick
in the presence of angels
and ask God to bless and
embrace us all.
      Come and see. 
“Rabbi, where are you staying?”
Seeing a stranger approach,
I would put food in the eating place,
drink in the drinking place,
music in the listening place,
and look with joy for the blessing of God,
who often comes to my home
in the blessing of a stranger.
    Come and see.
¨  Hymn  For Everyone Born (opposite) Shirley Erena Murray
¨  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 and hospitality.

The Living Word among us

Anthem A Joyful Song Robert Leaf
Union Church Choir
A joyful song we sing to the Lord, let all who will serve rejoice and sing their praises to God: Alleluia, praise the Lord. Praise we sing to honor the Lord, together with music our praise we bring. Oh raise your voice with praise to the Lord, let all God’s children be glad and sing. Rejoice, the victory is won, the Lord has risen; God’s holy Son!
Epistle Lesson              1 Corinthians 1:1-9 (p. 1385)
Paul speaks of his own call to be “an apostle of Christ Jesus.” Then he moves to praise the vocation of the Christians in Corinth who are “called to be saints.”
Children’s Moment                                             As the children 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 Children’s Moment, children kindergarten through 5th grade are invited to Children’s Church in Cowan Chapel. They are also welcome to stay in the service if they prefer. The Children’s Worship Center in the back of the sanctuary has 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 in Room 104 off the playground.
Gospel Lesson John 1:29-42 (p. 1280)
John the Baptist testifies to Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. Jesus then calls a couple of John’s disciples to follow him. Then saying “come and see,” Jesus calls others to follow him, including Andrew and Simon Peter.
Sermon Can You See What I See? Rev. Kent Gilbert
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.

Living Prayer

A Chance for Generosity: Offering Is The Empowering of Ministry
Offering baskets will be passed and are also placed in the aisle.
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 those in need via many external agencies.
Many friends give online, and you can use your smart phone or computer and go to www.easytithe.com/union. You don’t have to register to make a contribution, but if you do, it can make future generosity that much easier. You can even give by text! Text to 859-448-3403 (Example: Text “$50.00 Offering)
Your contribution is love made visible. Thank you!
Acts of Reflection and Prayer
Some resources for reflection and prayer are provided. You are free to use—or ignore—these prompts as you find helpful. In whatever prayer manner you adopt, please hold the concerns of those listed and those you know about in God’s peace-giving light.
Today’s challenge is looking deeper. Great saints and wise practitioners have asked us often to look with more than our eyes. When you close your eyes, what do you see?  What invitation to “see” have you had trouble accepting? And, when you look with you heart, where you do see God going? Are you headed that direction?
 
Fears of failure or ridicule or reprisal often keep us from following where faith might call. If you could lift such a fear, where would you go, what would you say or do? Allow the words from 1 Corinthians to strengthen you. If you can, take one step, speak one word, do one thing.
Justice & Service Corner: (Rear, Bell Side) Because Justice is what Love looks like in Public!  At this station you will find ways to learn about self and others, pray about God’s call to us, and act in loving ways to bring God’s community of Shalom wholeness into being.  Want to Learn, Pray, & Act in a deeper way? Sign up to join the new “Learn Pray Act” Spirituality Practice Team.  With Rev. Kent we’ll explore issues and faithful responses to engage us all. 
Living right with God is predicated on doing right by others. The churches of Kentucky are praying for important criminal justice reforms that affect hundreds of thousands of fellow citizens. Put your faith in action by calling your state representatives (800-372-7181) and asking them to write or sponsor a bill on bail reform. You could also make your views known about bills restoring voting rights to those who have served their sentences. Finally, there is a bill that would keep more juvenile offenders in the juvenile court system, rather than requiring judges to try them and imprison them to adult jails.
Bell Table (Front Right) : Another story of confirmation and call from today’s Gospel reminds us to look deep, and Paul’s letter assures us that we have what it takes to do God’s work.  Dip your hand in the water for Grace and Peace and Strength, and a reminder that you will come through the waters.
Prayer Corner (Front Left)  “Come and See” is the focus today….
As We Draw Back to Our Seats, Please sing when invited: 
We shall overcome, we shall overcome, We shall overcome some day Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,We shall overcome some day.
Pastoral Prayer and 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

¨  Hymn #593 Black Lift Every Voice and Sing Lift Every Voice
¨  The Sending and Blessing
Postlude (please be seated)    Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise arr. Jan Sanborn
_________________________________
 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  Cyprus, Greece and Turkey and our brothers and sisters at Church on the Rock, in our hearts, and pray for them. Please hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week.
Prayer requests to be printed may be sent to the office anytime before 10:00 am Fridays.
¨ Families and Friends in Crises…may God be present to every need and heal every rift and wound.
¨ For Children in detention centers, that they may be reunited with their families soon. 15,000 are now detained in the US.
¨ Carla Gilbert, who will be in the Tucson area for a couple of weeks working in a migrant shelter at the US/Mexico border.
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound: Alva Peloquin, Edith Hansen, Joyce Henderson, Nancy Hindman, Loyal Jones, Jennie Kiteck, Mary Miller, Tom Warth.
¨ For Room in the Inn, Berea’s cooperative housing effort. Union Church will host tonight.
¨ Mary Lou Wiese and all the family, at the death of her brother, Dean Jacobs, who died on January 2.
¨ Toby Wilcher, recovering well at home from surgery on her fibula and ankle.
¨ George Mountjoy.
¨ Barb Smith, recovering from surgery at Berea Health Care Center.
¨ Peggy Coyne, recovering from knee surgery.
¨ In thanksgiving for a “no cancer” diagnosis in recent tests for Dodie Murphy.
¨ Dennis Jacobs, recovering from successful kidney surgery.
¨ Bob Boyce, recovering from shoulder replacement surgery.
¨ Lois Morgan, who has moved to Somerset to be nearer her daughter.
¨ Dean Horn, half-brother of Anthony Smallwood, and for the family as they deal with Dean’s terminal illness.
¨ The family of Gretchen Tatum Todd, Ellen Mink’s sister, who died on Monday.
¨ Michelle Hayden, who has received  good health news after recent evaluations at the Mayo Clinic.
¨ In celebration of Brandon Hensley Murphy’s adoption into the Murphy Clan!
¨ Margaret Perez and her husband, struggling with fertility issues. Prayer request received online.
Announcements
Trip to see Just Mercy today! Meet right after worship in the back hallway near the handicap ramp for a 12:25 show.
Deck and Ramp Projects Made Possible: Union Church in Chicago is again coming down to Berea for a work experience. They are looking for households in need of accessibility ramps, decks to improve their homes, and other construction projects that would benefit those who could not otherwise afford the work. If you or someone you know has such a need, please contact Rev. Kent or Guy Patrick (859-986-7942) before April 19, when site evaluations will be considered.
Help Wanted! Set up for Coffee Hour! Read at Worship! Serve as Usher! Learn the Sound System! Sign up for these (and other) tasks to help put the YOU in “Union!” (sorry … ) at union-church.org under the Volunteer tab. Thank you!
Union Church’s Annual Meeting will be March 15, 2020. Board chairs, please start thinking about your Annual Reports. They’re due in the office February 26 and we plan to have them available at worship on March 8. Thank you! If you need copies of previous years’ reports for reference, I can them send to you. Joan English, Office Admin. PLUS if you have any photos of church life in 2019, send ‘em along. We’d love to include them.
From our Nominating Board: Its that time again! Union Church can only be the church with the excellent leadership of its members. The Nominating Board is seeking to fill positions on  all Union Church’s Boards to be elected at our Annual Meeting in March. Worship, Faith Development, Nurture and Care, Finance, Properties, Mission and Service, Administration, Community Life and Growth, and Pastoral Relations all have space for you. Job descriptions are printed in the front of our directory. Regular terms are three years, but there are many which are less due to persons unable to fill their term. Please consider where God may calling you to serve and let that be known to Carla Gilbert, Kim Kobersmith, and/or Rachel Lakes who are seeking your gifts.
Congratulations! Pearl Marshall has been named Associate Conductor for the Handbell Musicians of America’s Spring Festival in Louisville March 6 & 7.
Beautiful 2020 Calendars for a Donation: By a lucky accident, Jennifer Melton has extra copies of the gorgeous 2020 calendars she makes using her own photographs. She’d like to offer them to any who’d like them – for a donation to Union Church (sugg. $10). Pick up in the vestibule or in the office.
Group Hikes! On Fridays. 12:30 – Meet at the fountain by the Alumni Building to hike at Brushy Fork. On Saturdays Meet at the Forestry Outreach Center to hike the Pinnacles from 1-3:30 pm. More info on the poster in the back hallway.
Upcoming Construction: Berea College is demolishing Kettering Hall, beginning in the next couple of weeks. Traffic and parking will be affected for the span of the demolishing and rebuilding (a year +). Use extra caution, especially when pulling in and out of the parking lot.
Save the Date & Watch for Details
Feb. 11 – Union Church Day at the Legislature.  Join Rev. Kent, and the Mission and Service Board, for a chance to Learn, Pray, and Act with our faith. We’ll join with the Kentucky Council of Churches “Prayer in Action” day opposing gun violence, then have a chance to meet with Madison County lawmakers. Our youth group will also be joining us. We will return to Berea mid-afternoon. Come learn about and participate in the conversations that affect millions!
Everyone is welcome to attend all the Prayer in Action Days, held on Tuesdays through March. See next page for topics to be considered.