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

Trinity Sunday  June 15, 2014, 10:30 am

Meditation

“If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come.”

—anonymous

FROM THERE TO HERE

Welcome & Announcements
Prelude     Imagine Peace              Phil Edmonds
*  Call to Worship
Let the light fall warm on the rocks, let the bird sing their morning song, and let God’s people say Amen! (Amen!) Let the burdens be put down, the minds put at rest, the tools for work laid aside, and let God’s people say Amen! (Amen!). Let the earth and stars speak of God’s creation, let Christ’s works speak of God’s care for us, let hearts be glad and filled with a spirit of holy joy. Let us enter worship and let all God’s people say Amen! (Amen!).
*   Hymn      Going Down the Valley           Pounds, Filmore
*  Prayer of Approach and Confession
One:     O God, your fertile earth is slowly being stripped of its riches,
All:      Open our eyes to see.
One:     O God, your living waters are slowly being choked with chemicals,
All:      Open our eyes to see.
One:     O God, your clear air is slowly being filled with pollutants,
All:      Open our eyes to see.
One:     O God, your creatures are slowly dying and your people are suffering,
All:      Open our eyes to see.
One:     God our maker, so move us by the wonder of creation,
All:      That we may repent and care more deeply.
One:     So move us to grieve the loss of life,
All:      That we learn to cherish and protect your world.

from the Iona Abbey worship book

*  Words of Assurance
*  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

*  Anthem   Resignation     Isaac Watts
Hebrew Scripture Lesson                       Genesis 1:1-2:4
Children’s Moment                           
Gospel Lesson                  Matthew 28:16-20
Sermon                 The Other Gospel        Rev. Kent Gilbert
BEING AND BECOMING ONE

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
Our Lord’s Prayer   
One: Our Maker, our Mother,
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.
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  Morning Song Dan Dutton
*  Doxology             Avery/Marsh

FROM HERE TO THERE

*  Closing Hymn     Going Up Home         Stanley, Gearheart
*  Benediction                    
Postlude    One Day I Will            E.C. Ball
____________________________

*  Please rise in body or in spirit

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 Angola and Mozambique and our brothers and sisters at St. Clare Catholic 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:  Edith Hansen, Klara Welsh, Bernice Robertson, Nancy Jones, Mary Miller, Virginia Piland, Averill Kilbourne
* All those grieving the loss of those they have loved
* Charlie Smithson, Paul’s brother, battling multiple myeloma.
* Bob Moore, Joan Moore’s father, for peace as he approaches the end of his life
* Ann Thomasson, who has had a stroke and moved to a room in assisted living. The news right now is encouraging and she would love to hear from Berea friends. Anne is using Gene & Dorothy’s mailing address, which is 3314 W. Morgan Rd., Tucson, AZ  85745
* Eddie Kennedy, recovering from heart valve replacement surgery, now at home
* Maggie Park’s hometown of Lisbon, OH, which was hit by devastating windstorms last week, leaving almost no structure or person unaffected
* Katie Morgan, with gall bladder problems
* Cadence Perman and her family, as she recovers from surgery
Atwater~Donnelly, tonight, 7:00pm   Great Folk duo Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly are coming back to Berea for another evening of great music, dance, and song. This is a great concert for kids and will be especially in honor of Father’s Day. $12.00 adults, $6.00 kids  They will also offer mountain (lap) dulcimer classes at Union Church on Sunday from 2:00 – 4:00 pm.  Beginner and Intermediate/Advanced, $20.  Proceeds support Union Church’s mission of peace and justice for all people. Tickets available at the door.

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 (next week, the 22nd). 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.  New members are received every Second Sunday of the month.

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.
A Big THANK YOU to all who helped make Vacation Bible School a wonderful experience for our kids!  It takes a village, and we sure had an awesome one!  More than twenty-five children participated, and we fed up to sixty people (including children, families and volunteers) each night.  In addition to the many parents who helped out with their children, we want to extend a special thanks to the volunteers who made the week smooth, fun, and inspirational!  Thank you,  Andy Blyth, Sue Peterson Blyth, Kevin Burke, Abigale Embry, Kent Gilbert, Jan Hamilton, Jenny Hobson, Jessica Holly, Lorilyn Howie-Kipphut, Kim Kobersmith, Mary Nash, Whitney Owens, Maggie Park, Deborah Payne, John Payne, Jarrett Robertson, Dana Rousey, Annie Sims, Barb Taylor, Kayleena Ward, Hamrick Walters, Renee Wellinghurst, Abi Woodie, and Stephanie Woodie!
Successful Creek CleanUp! On Thursday  200 pounds of garbage was cleaned out from Brush Fork Creek!
And another thank you to those who prepared, and brought, food to the cookout on Friday!
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”.  More later….. John Payne

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.

Who We Are and What We Believe…

We, the People of Union Church, seek to live out our discipleship to God as a community inspired by Jesus’ transforming love. As a gathering of those seeking to boldly and creatively embody Christ’s life and ministry, we commit ourselves to work and fellowship that makes the radical and inclusive love of God, the beloved community proclaimed by Jesus, and the continuing inspiration of the Holy Spirit visible and real to all. As one in body with Christ, we commit ourselves to acts of:

* Unbounded Hospitality to Build a Beloved Community of Christ

* Thoughtful, Inspirational and Intentional Faith Development

* Passionate Worship

* Risk-Taking Mission and Service

* Extravagant Generosity and Care in Our Stewardship

Read What we think each of these mean to us at our website:

www.union-church.org/mission-statement/ 

All Are Welcome!

In keeping with Union Church’s inclusive Christian tradition and its emphasis on the dignity  and worth of all people, the congregation values and embraces diversity. Employment, membership, and participation in any church activity is open to all without regard to ethnicity, race, skin color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability or religion.