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

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

July 2, 2017           10:30 am 

Meditation 

Faith is based upon truth, a correct understanding of God, but it is a leaning on, banking our hope on that truth.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                          — Unknown

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 Voluntary in A W. Selby
¨  Call to Worship
 One: Welcome! In the name of God, welcome!
All: The arms of God are stretched out wide, ready to embrace all with love.
One: You who are thirsty for the presence of God, welcome – and may your thirst be satisfied.
All: Let us drink deeply of God’s living water.
One: You who are longing for a caring touch, welcome – and may you know God’s love through the care of this community.
All: Let us drink deeply of God’s presence and share this grace with one another.
One: Come, let us worship God.
¨  Opening Hymn #86 When Morning Gilds the Skies Laudes Domini
¨  Prayer of Approach and Confession (unison) 
Welcoming God, You open your arms to everyone: and your joyful embrace wraps the whole creation into one circle of love. As we come together today, teach us to welcome others as joyfully as you have welcomed us. Open our eyes to see those who are waiting for an invitation and open our hearts to be the welcome you promise them;. Forgive us the times we are too busy to stop and look for those for whom a welcome is like a cup of cold water.  Forgive us the times our eyes are so focused on ourselves and our own problems we do not see those who are just waiting for an invitation to  your healing grace. Open our eyes that we might see, and our hearts that they may radiate your love in generous hospitality. Hear our prayers.  
[a brief silence is kept]    
One: Amen.  
All: Amen.
¨  Words of Assurance
One: Our God is a God of mercy and love, who provides for our deepest longing.  Drink deeply of God’s kindness and let the abundant love of God gurgle down into your heart.  Let it wash over your emptiness and fill you with peace and satisfaction until your greatest thirst is quenched forever and ever. Believe the good news:  There is more love in God than sin in us.  Thanks be to God. 
¨  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 joy. 

The Living Word among us

Anthem We Come Together Here J. Stevens
Union Church Summer Choir
We come together here as one before the Lord. We come together here, our hearts in one accord.  We take the cup and bread, remembering what Christ said.  We come together here as one before the Lord.
We break the bread, we bow our head.  We think of Jesus’ sacrifice, He died alone, the cross His throne, where He would pay sin’s price.  
We bless the cup, we lift it up.  We think of Jesus’ sacrifice, the agony of Calvary, where He would pay sin’s price.
Gospel Lesson               Matthew 10:40-42
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 Children’s Moment, 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.
Hebrew Scripture Lesson Genesis 22:1-14
Sermon Just Who is Testing Whom? Rev. Carla 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                    Marche Heroique W. Stickles
¨  Doxology                 Avery/Marsh

Responding to God’s Love in Communion

Invitation to Communion
One: God bids us welcome! Lift up your hearts!
All: We lift them to the Lord.
One: Let us open our hearts!
All: We open them to God and to the world.
One:  Let us give God thanks!
All: It is right that we give God thanks and praise.
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
One: God of those who feel welcome, and those who feel shut out, help those who feel aware of your love reach out to those who do not, so that all may feel received.
All: Move us to care, O God.
One: God of those who are rejoicing, and those who are mourning, help those who are filled with joy reach out to those who are filled with sorrow that all feel comforted.
All: Move us to care, O God.
One: God of those who are safe, and those who are in danger, help those who are secure reach out to those who are in peril so that all feel protected.
All: Move us to care, O God.
One: May we welcome others through our relationship, in our forgiving and accepting forgiveness, in the joy of love’s offering and receiving.  Amen.
Communion Prayer
One: ….Lord, welcomed at this table, we offer our gratitude hat the Holy One who is living water and bread of life invites us here again and again and proclaim our praise and thanksgiving, singing:
Sanctus:
Words of Institution
One:      We remember that when Jesus ate with his friends, he took a loaf of bread and, after blessing it, he broke it and gave it to them, saying,
All:       “Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Each time you do this, remember me.”
One:  Then he took a cup and, after giving thanks, passed it to his friends, saying,
All: “Drink.  This cup that is poured out for you is the promise of God, made in my blood. Whenever you drink it, remember me.”
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 (unison)
Thank you for this refreshing cup and sustaining loaf. May it strengthen us as we share with one another the gift of welcome, hospitality, and life known to us by the birth, life, death and resurrection of your son, Jesus the Christ. And that through your Holy Spirit we may be  into that cup of cold water and loaf of kindness to all we meet.  Amen.

From Here to There

¨  Closing Hymn  O Beautiful, for Spacious Skies (next page) Materna
¨  Benediction & Sending Forth
   Postlude Liberty Bell March  
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 Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda and our brothers and sisters at Middletown  Baptist Church 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.
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound:  Ruth Butwell, Edith Hansen, Mary Miller, Alva Peloquin, Gloria VanWinkle.
¨ John McWiliams, recovering at home from an infection.
¨ Susan Pross Kramer, recovering from knee replacement.
¨ Laura Robie, recovering at home from a shoulder replacement.
¨ Loretta Mountjoy, struggling with several health issues.
¨ Elizabeth Barrett, recovering at home.
¨ Families in difficulty
¨ Travel mercies for members & friends here and abroad. 
Mark your calendars & Save these Dates!
July 23: Help move the nursery! The nursery is moving to Rm. 104 so that our youngest worshipers can use the newly refurbished playground on nice mornings. Can you stay after church on Sunday, July 23rd to help move the furniture and toys from the old nursery to the new? Many hands make light and quick work, and we’ll celebrate our work with pizza.
July 23: Community Hymn Sing in Cowan Chapel! 4-5:30 pm
August 11: All Y’all Field Day! Join us on the church lawn from 7:00-8:30 pm on Friday, August 11th for a good old fashioned field day. We’ll complete in cornhole, races, and other fun games and then wrap it all up with some ice cream. Do you have a cornhole set or other lawn games to lend for the evening? Please see Chris McKenzie or Jenny Hobson.
You are cordially invited to a wedding/honeymoon shower in honor of Diana Hultgren and Kent Gilbert on Sunday, July 9, at noon in Union Church’s Community Room.
A light luncheon will be served. Gift suggestions may be found at http://www.simpleregistry.com/kentanddiana/
Join the church next week!  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! New members are received every second Sunday of a month. YOU are welcome here!
Both pastors will be at their United Church of Christ (UCC) General Synod in Baltimore, Md., next week-July 5. Every two years, General Synod brings together thousands of faithful members of the United Church of Christ for formal church witness, inspirational worship, and fellowship with friends (new and old).
Thousands from across the country (and abroad) will gather at the Baltimore Convention Center. Together, we will discern resolutions of witness, church structure, and function. We will stand up for issues that demand a faithful witness. And we will join together in worship each day to lift up the Stillspeaking God.
At General Synod 2017, we will “Make Glad!” as we celebrate, debate, worship and witness.
Can you do some office-sitting? Joan English, Office Admin, will be going away July 7-12. We need office coverage July 7, 10, 11 & 12—half or full days. Please call or email if you can help out. Thanks.
Carillon Concert Saturday, July 8, on the Draper Quad, 7:30 pm!
Berea Leadership Experience – A Camp for Building Bridges of Peace and Resolving Conflict.  Registration for The Berea Leadership Experience is open!  It’s a weeklong camp for kids ages 6-13 that is designed to help kids develop skills of transforming conflict into community.
We’re using a curriculum that helps kids learn to build peace through Mindfulness, Connecting with Nature, Media Literacy, and Conflict Resolution.
Berea Leadership Experience will be July 24th-28th, 9am-3pm at the Berea Friends Meeting House. The cost is very low: $75 per student, and up to half of the campers can receive scholarships of $50 to make it even more affordable. Register them here: www.union-church.org/ble
    Thanks for helping this dream come true!
Scribes to help our Pastors. You may see a member of the Pastoral Relations Board standing near the pastors as they greet folks on their way out of the worship service. These are scribes—their job is to note  important conversations and details the pastors  might forget in the activity.
Help Wanted.  We have an ongoing need for volunteers to help with Sunday services.  Can you be a worship reader, greeter, coffee angel, etc.?   For details go to the church website, union-church.org and click on “Volunteer” near the upper right corner (or talk to Doug Hindman).