A Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the Church of Christ, Union
Proper 8 of the Season after Pentecost 10:30 am
Meditation
“Healing isn’t about closure. It is about openness. It is about a profound vulnerability that releases us from the need to hide from anything, and that ultimately leads us to freedom.” ~ Bonnie O’Brien Jonsson
From There to Here: We Gather
Welcome
Welcome to this service of worship! Please sign in using the pew folder, pass-ing 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! During the service, you are invited to rise in body or in spirit, standing or sitting, at points in the service marked “<>.”
¨ The Call Teri VanPelt, Reader
One: In God we take refuge; In God there is sanctuary and a security beyond the chaos of the world.
All: Trust in God is the beginning of delight.
One: We gather to step away from falsehood and sorrows and step closer to truth.
All: We gather to center, connect and worship the Lord who gives good advice, loving knowledge, and fills our cup.
One: The Lord is always with us and we shall not be moved from God’s embrace.
All: Let our lives show the fruit of such grace: Let our hearts be glad and our souls rejoice!
One: Come, let us worship and sing, pray and praise the God of all creation.
¨ Hymn #425 For the Fruit of All Creation Ar Hyd y Nos
1. For the fruit of all creation,
Thanks be to God.
For God’s gifts to every nation,
Thanks be to God.
For the plowing, sowing, reaping,
Silent growth while we are sleeping,
Future needs in earth’s safe-keeping,
Thanks be to God.
2. In the just reward of labor,
God’s will is done.
In the help we give our neighbor,
God’s will is done.
In our world-wide task of caring
For the hungry and despairing,
In the harvests we are sharing,
God’s will is done.
3. For the harvests of the Spirit,
Thanks be to God.
For the good we all inherit,
Thanks be to God.
For the wonders that astound us,
For the truths that still confound us,
Most of all, that love has found us,
Thanks be to God.
¨ Prayer of Approach and Confession
One: From self-righteousness that will not compromise, and from selfishness that gains from the manipulation of others,
All: deliver us, O God.
One: From the lust for money or power that drives to kill,
All: deliver us, O God.
One: From the arrogance and thoughtlessness that abuses your good creation,
All: deliver us, O God.
One: From trusting in the weapons of war, and mistrusting the councils of peace,
All: deliver us, O God.
One: From hearing, believing, and speaking lies about other nations,
All: deliver us, O God.
One: From suspicions and fears that stand in the way of reconciliation,
All: deliver us, O God.
One: From words and deeds that encourage discord, perpetuate racist assumptions, sexist stereotypes, and classist attitudes; from everything that contributes to oppression,
All: Forgive us, transform us, and deliver us, O God. Amen.
~ adapted from United Church Publishing House, Celebrate God’s Presence (United Church Publishing House, 2000).
¨ Words of Assurance
One: The Lord God is merciful and gracious, endlessly patient, loving, and true, showing mercy, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, and granting pardon.
All: Thanks be to God for a love like that! Amen!
¨ Passing the Peace of Christ
All who come to this sanctuary are welcome companions on the journey of faith. Please turn to those nearest you and greet them with words of peace.
Word and Worship
Special Music Keep Your Hand on the Plow, trad. spiritual Al, Alice & Ruth
Scripture Reading Galatians 5:1, 13-25
The Chosen One set us free so that we can remain free, so stand firm and do not let anyone rope you into being slaves again. But you, my sacred family members, have been called to walk in freedom. Do not use this freedom to walk in weak and broken human ways. Instead, walk in love and serve each other. For all of our tribal law finds its full meaning and purpose in this one instruction, “Love your fellow human beings in the same way you love yourself.” If you keep on acting like wild animals, biting and snapping at each other, watch out! You may end up wiping each other out!
So I say to you, if you keep walking by the Spirit’s guidance, your weak and broken desires will no longer lead you down the wrong path. For our broken human desires go against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit go against our broken human desires. They are at war with each other, and this struggle keeps you from doing the things you want to do. But if you follow the guidance of the Spirit, you are not under tribal law. You have been set free to follow the Spirit!
We all know the things our weak and broken human ways lead us to do, things such as walking in impure ways, giving in to dark desires, following after spirit-images, and participating in witchcraft. Also hostile ways such as fighting, jealousy, lashing out in anger, arguing and making trouble, and dividing into opposing groups. Our broken ways also lead us to want what belongs to others, to become drunks, and to participate in wild parties. It is things like this that I am warning you about. For I have already warned you that the ones who walk in these ways will not share in the blessings of Creator’s good road.
On the other hand, if we follow the guidance of the Spirit, our lives will bear good spiritual fruit. The Spirit will grow in us the fruit of love and joy, peace and patience, kindness and goodness, faithful hearts, gentle ways, and self-control. Our tribal law has nothing to say against those who walk in these ways. For the ones who belong to Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One have nailed their weak and broken humanity to his cross. This puts to death all their wrong desires and broken ways. Since our life comes from the Spirit, let us dance in step with the Spirit and follow the Spirit’s guidance.
~ First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: IVP: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2021), Ga 5:13–25.
Children’s Moment as the children return to their seats we sing:
May God’s blessings 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.
Scripture Reading Luke 9:51-62
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to prepare for his arrival, but they did not receive him because his face was set toward Jerusalem.
When his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village. As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
And Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” And Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
~ New Revised Standard Version, updated
Sermon Focus, People! Rev. Kent Gilbert
Video Reflection
A chance to take in what we have heard and reflect together.
Living Prayer
Call to Prayer
Ringing 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.
Embodied Prayer
You are invited to reflect and pray at the candle tables. You may also choose to source the essential ingredient of solitude and private prayer, remaining with your own thoughts in your pew.
Getting Enough Fruit?
On a scale of 1 to 10 how connected are you feeling to each of these “fruits?” Are you getting enough? And what about giving them out? Pick one or two to pray over: ask God for whatever you need to take more in and give more out.
* love
* joy
* peace
* patience
* kindness
* goodness
* faithful hearts
* gentle ways
* self-control
Focus:
Jesus is full of passion and seems to demand zealous focus from all of his followers. Perhaps it’s good to focus on focus: In prayer today see if you can identify specifically where your passion and focus is. Is it where it should be?
What are the tensions at play?
Are there competing “goods” you have to sort?
What are they?
Taking deep breaths of holy Spirit, set your hand to the plow as love demands.
Offertory Swing Low/Swing Down Sweet Chariot trad. spiritual Al, Alice & Ruth
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¨ Doxology Gathered Here in the Mystery of This Hour Phil Porter
Silent Prayer and Prayers Community Teri VanPelt, Reader
Lord of the plow, lord of the sun, lord of the vine, bring forth in us the fruits of the spirit. We pray to substitute the broken ways for the good roads of joy and patience, peace and kindness; lavishing the world with faithful hearts and gentle ways, with love and temperance in all we do and for all we meet. We hold the hurt of so many broken people and places in our prayer. We ask all healing for those suffering, for those in harm’s way, for those in danger and afraid. It is to them we ask to be sent as emissaries of all Love demands.
Make strong the weak, and help us keep our hands to the work and our hearts to you: in all our living, in all our loving, we would walk the Way of your Christ. We pray to you as Jesus’ name and as he taught, reaching to you as…
Our Lord’s Prayer
Our Maker, Our Mother, and Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; Thy kin-dom 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 kin-dom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
¨ Hymn The Summons Bell, Maule
From Here to There
Community Connections
Announcements
We share opportunities for Beloved Community and ways to serve. Please see the listing of church & community events, prayers, and notices in the pages following the service.
Lighting the Justice Candle to Lead us Forth
Today we light the justice candle for a remarkable scholar who inspired millions to think about God’s driving passion for justice. Walter Brueggemann (who was a classmate of beloved Union Church member, Ruth Zimmerman Eschbach) argued from his in-depth studies of both the Hebrew prophets and Jesus’ life, that the Church must provide a counter-narrative to the dominant forces of consumerism, militarism, and nationalism. The prophets were more intimately concerned with economic justice, not personal piety his research concluded, and his writing tried to recover the idea that God’s justice in the Biblical record calls for “restorative” not “retributive” methods.
His book, “The Prophetic Imagination” has sold more than a million copies–an unheard of phenomenon in theological circles– and remains an inspiring, accessible explication of Hebrew and Christian prophetic and ethical motivations. Many in our congregation studied with him and/or were influenced heavily by his work, including Betty Hibler, Rev. Carla, Rev. Kent, Rev. Rachel Small Stokes, and Ruth (as mentioned above). He taught at Eden and Columbia theological seminaries, published 58 books, and in addition to a doctorate in law, held 3 additional doctorates in theology. Walter Brueggemann died at the age of 92, on June 5. May he rest in peace and power.
¨ Benediction
¨ Benediction Response Send Down the Fire M. Haugen
Our Prayers for Others
¨ 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 (World Council of Churches Ecumenical Prayer cycle: union-church.org/ministries/prayer). Let us hold the people of Kenya and Tanzania and our siblings at Hays Fork Baptist Church in our hearts, and pray for them today and throughout the week.
¨ JoAnn Russell, Reda Hutton’s aunt, facing several medical challenges.
¨ Dave Reilly’s nephew, Herb Post, ill with kidney cancer that has spread to his lung.
¨ Rev. Christina Ryan Perkins recovering very well from complex jugular vein surgery. Please hold her in your prayers!
¨ Charlie Hoffman, with cardiac issues.
¨ Meal Train for George Marshall & Brigitte Fowler and kiddos, Seymour and Beatrice! Their new baby, Imogene, arrived June 24, and we’re going to make them lots of yummy, nourishing food. Let’s help make the transition a little easier (and a lot more delicious). By providing meals, we can help free up their time and energy so they can soak in this sweet (and sleep-deprived!) season with their growing family. mealtrain.com/trains/13rm83
¨ All the people of Ukraine for their safety and sovereignty. Prayers also that the government of Russia will turn to reason & respect for their own peoples’ lives as well as for Ukrainian families.
¨ All those affected by the devastating losses in the current conflict, and starvation of those in Gaza.
¨ We pray for our country, and those who are directly affected by the actions and inaction of our government to address the needs of its people and the world.
” Prayers for those undergoing cancer treatments. We give thanks for the doctors, nurses, and other scientists working to help them.
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes or who are homebound: Jerry Cooper, Jan Hamilton, Betsy Hoefer, Dorie Hubbard, Susan Kramer, Lois Morgan, Sara Parker, Cheryl Payne, Alva Peloquin, Laura Robie, Theresa Scherf.
¨ Celebrations with Prayers of Joy!
Birthdays: June 29 – Olivia Puckett; 30 – Patty Boyce, Kerry Jones, Mathew Parrish; July 1 – Laura Robie; 2 – Delores Carpenter; Lori Eiselt; 3 – Susie Ritchie; 4 – John Coyne; 5 – Sune Frederiksen
Laura Robie will be 94 on July 1!! Cards can be sent to her at Morning Pointe of Lexington, East 150 Shoreline Dr. Lexington, 40505
If we haven’t got your important dates, let us know. We’ll help you get connected in FellowshipOne Go!
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