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

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

July 6, 2014, 10:30 am

Meditation

“The ‘rest’ Jesus promises summons up the image of the eschatological rest in the days of the Messiah, of which the Sabbath rest was a symbol and a foretaste. Paradoxically, Jesus’ ‘rest’ was also a kind of ‘yoke,’ a symbol used by the rabbis for the Mosaic law…Central to the yoke of law of Jesus…. is Jesus himself….The spiritual rest Jesus gives comes from assimilating and living Jesus’ attitudes, indeed, his very person.”

—John P. Meier

From there to Here

Welcome & Announcements
Prelude     Prelude and Fugue in G Major           J.S. Bach
*  Call to Worship
One:     Come all who are weary
All:      of wealth, of poverty, of power, of struggle, of division;
One:     Come all who are heavy-laden
All:      with too much, with too little, with anxiety, with fear, with anger;
One:     Come all who have hope
All:      for liberation, for peace, for freedom, for the kingdom;
One:     Hear these words:
All:      “See, I am making all things new.”
One:     Come, let us worship!
All:      Let us worship in joy!
*  Hymn #484 Black            Come to Me, You Weary         Meirionwydd
*  Prayer of Approach and Confession
*  Words of Assurance
One:     Hear now the good news:  God does not leave us.  God instead calls to us, beckoning us to a way that is paved with the strong stones of love and acceptance and shaded by the cool trees of grace.  Let us give thanks.
All:      Thanks be to you, gentle Savior. 
*  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.

Breathing in The Living Word

Special Music       Improvisation on “My Tribute”         
Hebrew Scripture Lesson                       Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
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.

Gospel Lesson                  Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Sermon                 What We Say, What We Do     Rev. Kent Gilbert

Sharing the Gifts of love

Offering
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  The Gift of Love          arr. John Courter
*  Doxology              Avery/Marsh

Being and Becoming One

*  Invitation to Communion
One:     The Holy One is here!
All:      God’s Spirit is with us!
One:     Lift up your hearts and hands!
All:      We raise our hearts to love, our hands to serve!
One:     Let us give thanks to God!
All:      It is right to give God thanks and praise.
One:     God of many names, you made a covenant with women and men of ancient times, and caused nations and people in amazing diversity to spread over the face of the earth. Still you proclaim release to the captives and still you lead us from enslavement to a land of promise. As you led our ancestors, so you lead us into new realms of sight and possibility. You bring us year after year to life abundant and renewed.
One:     In the fullness of time, you sent your servant Jesus: as human as we are and yet embodying your Living Word. He spoke with an accent. He walked among the poor and unwashed. He learned of justice and grace from foreign women, and was moved by those ill in body and mind who had none but God to cry to. To outsiders and insiders, he was a living holy conversation.
One:     To all these and many more, Jesus the Christ sent those who followed as servants of this love. With all who were sent, and with all who received them and were sent themselves, we stand to bear courageous witness to the hope within them and us. We praise you singing …
Communion Sanctus     
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.
Communion Prayer
One:     We remember that whenever Jesus gathered with friends, he ate. On that last night, he took an old tradition of his people and made it something new.
One:     We remember that he took bread, ordinary and present at every meal, blessed it and broke it and gave it to them saying,
All:      “Take, eat, this is my body broken for you. Whenever you do this, remember me!’
One:     After supper he took a cup, the same they had been drinking from all night, and he gave it to those gathered, saying…
All:      “Drink this, all of you. This is the covenant made new in my blood. Each time you do this, remember me!”
One:     Send, O Covenant God, your Holy Spirit upon us and on what we gather for as your united church. Transform us by this meal; empower us by your Spirit as servants of your Love, and may we be signs of shalom to you, your creation, and to each other by this meal that makes us one.
All:      Through the Christ, with the Christ, and in the Christ: all glory is yours, holy One, and we are fed by your grace.
Serving One Another
All who seek the love of God are welcome at this table 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 bread and juice 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
One:     Strengthened now by this meal and by God’s presence in each other, let us pray:
One:     We give thanks, God, that we have work to do, strength to do it, and joy in the company of our calling. Fed by those who have come before, we stand ready to serve in the present. Newly inspired, may we be tirelessly faithful.
All:      Lovingly surrounded by so great a crowd of witnesses, may every soul, every united church, send and be sent in your loving service. Transform our witness into worship, Lord, and our justice into joy, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

From here to there

*  Closing Hymn #592 Black          God of the Ages           National Hymn
*  Benediction                     
Postlude
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 Bolivia, Chile and Peru and our brothers and sisters at Berea Church of God in your hearts, and pray for them.
Please also hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week:
* In celebration of God’s many gifts to our nation and for the wisdom to use the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness with discernment and justice
* Our church family members in nursing homes:  Edith Hansen, Klara Welsh, Bernice Robertson, Nancy Jones, Mary Miller, Virginia Piland, Averill Kilbourne, Ann Thomasson, Alva Peloquin
* Charlie Smithson, Paul’s brother, battling multiple myeloma.
* Bob Moore, Joan Moore’s father, for peace as he approaches the end of his life
* Janet Dailey-Hosp, who had a lung transplant on June 11, and the early recovery is going very well.  Prayers also for the generous family that turned their tragedy into new life for others
* Travel mercies to Nick, Rusti, Daniel and Alex Mullins as they travel on the Breaking Clean Tour, teaching about mountain top removal. They were most recently in Boston!
* The Orwig family, at Elizabeth’s death  on Thursday night. A service will be held  here in Berea  on August 30
* Tim Combs and family and friends, at the  sudden death of his mother Bridget Combs
Welcome to Gabriel Evans, our new Director of Music Ministries! The Worship Board is proud to welcome Gabe Evans as our new Director of Music Ministries. Gabe is a native of Richmond, KY, and has most recently been choirmaster at a Presbyterian church in Winchester. He has 9 years of organ experience and 18 years as a concert pianist in addition to his choral skills. Today is his first worship service with us. Please help him feel welcome.

You are welcome here!  New members will be received next Sunday, July 13, and the second Sunday of every month.

Coming in August, Sunday morning worship in Cowan Chapel! While the sanctuary flooring is being renovated, (starting in August, due to contractors’ schedules, dates to be announced) services will be held in the Cowan Chapel. Because the chapel is small, There will be TWO services per Sunday, one at the usual 10:30 am, regular time, and one at 7:00 pm. We encourage those who like to “sleep in” to attend the evening service. More details to follow.
Michelle Hayden art display at St. Joseph Berea Hospital.  SJB is pleased to present a large body of Michelle Hayden’s work in the halls and in the new mammography center that opened this week. Her works will be on display through July 23. Michelle was the lead artist behind our Lent and Easter mosaic, which will soon be hung in Cowan Chapel.

Stay for Lemonade on the Porch!  The Community Life & Growth Board will provide the lemonade and the set-up on the porch, but we are seeking help with snacks for each Sunday during the summer, to go with the lemonade.  Snacks can be left in the kitchen prior to worship. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board at the back of the sanctuary. Lemonade on the Porch continues through August.  Thanks in advance for your help. (And you are allowed to sign up more than once!!)

Learn more about Union Church every fourth Sunday of the month (July 27). Anyone wanting to know more about Union Church or wanting to explore church membership, as well as new members who have not been able to participate in a previous meeting, are invited to come to the classroom two doors past the church office immediately following worship for conversation with the Pastors and the Community Life and Growth Board.

Altar Flowers needed…..There’s a sign-up sheet on the back bulletin board to bring flowers for worship.  Nothing fancy needed—if you have something pretty in your garden, you are welcome to share.
Would you like to learn to operate the sound system? We have many friends and members who rely upon it and need a few more people to be trained to operate it. A person isn’t paid to run the sound system on Sunday mornings, but if you learn it — you can run it for weddings and be paid $100. Call the office and we’ll get you trained!
Mini-Bazaar Saturday, August 23 Large Yard Sale or Small Bazaar; 10 am until 2 ish; Please bring your treasures, clearly priced, to newly  renovated storage area under front porch (formerly known as the Dungeon; now dry and lighted) “Repurposed Treasures Vault.”
Donate ONLINE or by TEXT, Now or Anytime! For online giving, Union Church uses EasyTithe, a completely secure contribution system. You can use Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express Credit and Debit Cards, or an E-Check from your checking account. Scan the code here to go right to the website on your smartphone, or visit www.union-church.org and click on the Donate button for instructions.  You do not need to register to make a donation (just choose “Quick Give” ). If you do register, your information will be securely stored making future visits faster and giving you full control of  your giving reports.  Credit card processing does cost the church about 3.1% of your transaction. ACH (E-Checks) only incur a 1% fee. Please use whichever is best for you, but if you can, consider adding a little additional to help cover the bank fee!
Give By Texting 859-448-3403: Yes! You can give using your web-enabled phone. Text any amount to 859-448-3403. The first time you do–and just the first time–you’ll get a link to associate your phone and enter your securely stored credit or debit card. It doesn’t go on your phone bill, but only to a card you specify. After that, all you need to do is text the number with an amount and any designation. It’s fast and easy! Of course, like every credit card transaction the church pays a 3.1% fee. If you can include that little extra bit, it will make a big difference!
Examples: Text “$50.00” to contribute to today’s offering. Text “$200.00 Capital Campaign” to contribute to a building pledge, or substitute the designation of your choice (youth, missions, BFCO, etc. Amounts texted without a designation will automatically go to the Annual Ministry Budget and all giving will be included in your annual giving records.