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

Third Sunday after Pentecost

June 30, 2019 10:30 am

Meditation
“The day will come when, after harnessing the winds, the tides, and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world,  man will have discovered fire.”— Teilhard de Chardin,Fire of Love: Encountering the Holy Spirit

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 Goodbye for Now, but Not Forever Justin Levitt
The Call   John O’Donohue
When the rhythm of the heart becomes hectic,
Time takes on the strain until it breaks;
Then all the unattended stress falls in
On the mind like an endless, increasing weight.
The light in the mind becomes dim.
Things you could take in your stride before
Now become laborsome events of will.
You have been forced to enter empty time.
The desire that drove you has relinquished.
There is nothing else to do now but rest
And patiently learn to receive the self
You have forsaken in the race of days.
Now your soul has come to take you back.
Take refuge in your senses, open up
To all the small miracles you rushed through.
Become inclined to watch the way of rain
When it falls slow and free.
Imitate the habit of twilight,
Taking time to open the well of color
That fostered the brightness of day.
Draw alongside the silence of stone
Until its calmness can claim you.
Be excessively gentle with yourself.
Stay clear of those vexed in spirit.
Learn to linger around someone of ease
Who feels they have all the time in the world.
Gradually, you will return to yourself,
Having learned a new respect for your heart
And the joy that dwells far within slow time. Excerpt from John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings
¨  Hymn #286 Black  Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness Spirit
¨  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 Hymn of Promise Natalie Sleeth
Union Church Summer Choir
In the bulb there is a flower, in the seed, an apple tree; in cocoons, a hidden promise butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter, there’s a spring that waits to be, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.
There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody; there’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.
In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity. in our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity. in our death, a resurrection; at last a victory, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.
Hebrew Scripture Lesson  2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 (p. 446)
The older prophet, Elijah, bestows his mantle upon the younger prophet, Elisha, thus enabling God’s word to continue to be spoken to Israel.
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 are welcome to return to their seats. 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.
Epistle Lesson Galatians 5:1,13-25 (p. 1419)
Paul proclaims the great good news of freedom to the new Christians at Galatia.
Sermon 5-4-3-2-1!  Rev. Kent Gilbert

Living Prayer

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.
Please Write a Blessing On the Enclosed Card and Drop In the Offering!
Our benediction today will come from all of us. Use the enclosed paper to write a hope or blessing for this season of sabbatical, one for Rev. Kent, and one for  all of the church. We bless him in his wayfaring and ask God’s blessing on our wayfinding.
A Chance for Generosity: Offering Baskets Coming Your Way
Today offering baskets will be passed like a blessing, hand to hand, to every pew. 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!
Symbols for Being On The Way
During the musical reflection symbols of wayfaring will be passed to the congregation: A walking staff for added stability, a lantern to guide the way home, and a pilgrim’s shell to remind us of baptismal grace. As an item passes through your section, you are invited to take in the blessing these symbols represent, and to add to them your blessing and love as they are shared with others. Please pass them from the front to the back of the sanctuary. The ushers will collect them at the rear and they will be placed near the peace bell for the duration of our sabbatical season.
Please sing when invited:
Let there be Peace on Earth, and let it begin with me; let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. With God, our creator, children all are we. Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now. With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow: to take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally. Let there be peace on earth and let  it begin with me.

From Here to There: Blessing the Way

Assisting in our transition blessing today is Ms. Gail Wolford, immediate past Moderator of the Congregation representing Church Council, Ms. LaRee Jacobs, chair of the Pastoral Relations Board, and the Rev. Nate Craddock, our sabbatical replacement pastor.
Church Council Representative:  The poet T.S. Eliot wrote, “We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started… and know the place for the first time.” Starting today, we begin a period of such exploring and today we ask God’s blessing on that journey.
PRB Chair: In order to refresh and renew the ministry of the whole church, after a period of 5 years the congregation releases a pastor from the day-to-day ministries of the church and charges him or her to take sabbath rest. The congregation also takes this time to examine the call of God and to understand our ministry in new ways. Both pastor and people then come back together to share these new perspectives and witness to the ways the Spirit is moving among us: recommitted, renewed and re-invigorated. So today after careful preparation, we commission our pastor, our sabbatical pastor, and ourselves for wayfaring and wayfinding.
Church Council Representative: Do you, Rev. Kent Gilbert, receive this gift of this Sabbath time? Will you promise that you will return to ministry here after 4 months, and serve for at least one year after that time? Will you promise to rest and release yourself from the burdens and responsibilities of your call here? Will you strive to seek peace and pursue it, and promise to make yourself available to God in ways not possible in the routines of regular service?
Rev. Gilbert: With God’s help, I do so promise. I will pray for you, hold God’s work with you in my heart, and rejoice when we come together again to share the fruit of our time apart. I entrust you to God’s care and the leading of the Holy Spirit as you boldly and creatively embody the life and ministry of Jesus.
Church Council Representative: Do you, the staff, members, and friends of the Church of Christ, Union, receive the gift of this Sabbath time for Rev. Kent and for our church community? Will you promise to bond and work together with our sabbatical pastor and other leaders as we fulfill God’s call in this place?  Will you seek together new patterns of grace for our community? Are you willing to promise to offer your individual spiritual gifts as we find our new way from here now and when Rev. Kent returns to us? Will you strive to seek peace and pursue it, and promise to make yourself available to God in ways not possible in the routines of regular service?
All:     We do so promise. This day we release you, Rev. Kent Gilbert, from the responsibilities of shepherding Union Church for this time of renewal. We will pray for you, hold God’s work for you in our hearts, and rejoice when we come together again to share the fruit of our time apart. We entrust you to God’s care and the leading of the Holy Spirit as you boldly and creatively embody the life and ministry of Jesus.
PRB Chair: As a congregation we are also on a journey, one that requires movement of will and of thought and of care. The Rev. Nate Craddock has been duly interviewed and hired by Church Council to be our Sabbatical Replacement Minister. As a sign of your acceptance of this position, Nate, we ask you to come forward.
[to Rev. Nate] We thank you for lending your presence, love, and wayfinding gifts. We value your ministry among us and look forward to learning from you how we can care for each other and God’s ministry in ever new ways.
Rev. Nate Craddock, will you covenant with God and with this congregation to become better acquainted in strong and loving fellowship, to seek ways to better care for this community as Christ would lead, to assume responsibility in the ministry and service of this church during our pastor’s absence, and help us to sojourn toward God’s rising vision in this community?
[to the congregation]  And to the congregation: will you covenant with one another to become better acquainted in strong and loving fellowship, to seek ways to better care for one another as Christ would lead, to renew your responsibility in the ministry and service of this church during our pastor’s absence, each as you are able, and will you support and sustain the work of Nate Craddock, our Sabbatical Replacement Minister, as he teaches and leads us in such care?
All:  We do so covenant, asking God’s blessing on our journey to learn, to serve, to love and to lead. We promise to shepherd and care for one another, deepening our skills and methods. We promise to support Pastor Nate, our staff and our missions that together we may continue to bless God’s world in ways old and new.
Exchange of Symbols and Gifts
The Moderator removes the stole from Rev. Kent symbolizing release from his responsibilities.
Blessing Prayer
All:     Most holy God, we await the touch of your Spirit with eagerness. We ask that you enter the lives of each one of us today, refreshing and renewing and healing us with the power of your loving Spirit. Bless this way we walk and bless the sabbath rest we claim, that we may live with purpose, bear spiritual fruit with enthusiasm and courage, and walk in faith, serve in truth, and live through love in Christ name. Lord, help us find the way! Amen!
¨  Hymn #495 Black Called as Partners In Christ’s Service Hyfrydol (p. 257)
¨  The Sending and Blessing
For our benediction Rev. Nate will read selections from the hopes and blessings from the cards placed in the offering basket. As each pair is read, let us respond with
“Yes, Let’s!”
This is an accurate modern translation of the Aramaic “amen” and will be our joyful response to these good words.
Postlude God Be With You Jeremiah Rankin
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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 the Wallaceton 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.
¨ 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.
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound: Edith Hansen, Nancy Hindman, Loyal Jones, Jennie Kiteck, Mary Miller, Alva Peloquin.
¨ For those who are without homes and safe places, that we may work together for solutions.
¨ Mary Lou Wiese’s brother, Dean Jacobs, having pain and seizures associated with new clinical trials.
¨ Tom Warth, recovering at home.
¨ Judy Rowell, recovering at home.
¨ The Drake family, at the death of Dick Drake. Arrangements pending.
¨ Hazel Morris, recovering well at Berea Health Care Center. Cards can be sent to her home, 106 Garden Gate Dr, Berea.
¨ The evergreen on the altar is for the family of Jennie Kiteck. Jennie’s grand-daughter-in-law and great-grandson who were killed, while out on a family walk, by a mentally unstable man driving a car.
¨ Congratulations to Callie Northern and Bradley Pennington, who were married here at Union yesterday!
¨ David Rowlette, recovering from a stroke at home, anticipating a long recovery.
¨ Rev. Rachel Small Stokes and family, at the death of her stepmother, Teri Small.
¨ Loyal Jones, who has just moved to North Carolina. His new address is 200 Tabernacle Rd., Apt. L-205, Black Mountain, NC 28711.
¨ Jack and Pearl Marshall, serving sentences at the Madison County Detention Center.
Announcements
Today – meet our Sabbatical Replacement Minister, Rev. Nate Craddock, and then join in a picnic at Rev. Kent and Diana’s at 298 Harrison Rd. after church to welcome Rev. Nate and family.
Arrive around 12:30 p.m., bring a dish to share, along with picnic plates,  utensils, and cups, lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on. Then stay around for Stream Clean-up at 2:30 p.m. or to continue visiting and/or to help with clean-up.
Grilled beef, veggie burgers and hot dogs, buns and condiments provided, along with drinks.
Footwear for Stream Clean-up: old sneakers, crocs, or waders, wear clothes you won’t mind getting wet. Garbage bags, gloves, and instructions will be provided. Bring a “grabber” if you have one.
Rain Location (hopefully not needed)! Community Room at the Church.
Update from Church Council  After this past year of house meetings, visioning groups, congregational family meetings followed by more visioning resulting in our 5-4-3-2-1 Plan for moving forward, our Church Council, which by our Constitution(5.5.1) serves as the interim decision-making body, approved the hiring of Rev. Nate Craddock as our sabbatical replacement minister for July-October, 2019. This month CC approved the hiring of Generis as financial consultants to help us with  #4: Vital Skills Sets: Fundraising and Stewardship. Up to $10,000 for this year’s work will be drawn from transition resources set aside after Rev. Rachel’s departure.
About Rev. Nate: The Rev. Nate Craddock is a writer, composer, pastor, podcaster, and spiritual director in the Bluegrass, where he produces the Jailbreak the Sacred podcast, drinks a lot of Diet Dr Pepper, and helps people to tell their stories using ancient technologies for understanding one’s place in space and time.
Nate completed his MDiv at Asbury Theological Seminary, [most of] his MA in historical musicology at the University of Kentucky, and a BA in music composition at Asbury University. After finishing seminary (and coming out), he worked in human services as a youth care worker and job coach for adults with disabilities for several years while figuring out where to land within the Church, and eventually found his way to the United Church of
Christ after orbiting the world of Independent Catholicism and the Episcopal Church for a while. Because of that, he’s church mutt and, for better or for worse, a terrible Protestant, but he absolutely and utterly adores the United Church of Christ and is beyond thrilled to have found a home that takes seriously its covenant to welcome all and work for justice.
Nate welcomes the opportunity to bring all of his stories and passions with Union for the next few months. Nate lifts weights, writes music, and reads dead languages for fun when not working. Nate lives with his husband Michael, daughter Lucy, and their Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Calvin, in Lexington, KY, where Michael is completing his Ed.S. degree in School Psychology.
Quilt Raffle — Two children’s quilts, made by Jo Wernegreen, will be raffled off! Proceeds to benefit Samuel’s Kids. Watch for more info!
Do you wear contact lenses that come in blister packs? I just found out that Bausch & Lomb accepts them for recycling (any brand). The packs are too small to recycle conventionally and are usually discarded. Bring them to the office and I’ll send them off when we have a small box’s worth. — Joan
What once was lost … is going to the Goodwill next week. If you’ve lost something at church,  please check the shelves across from the office.
The Census Bureau is hiring now and up to the 2020 Census. You must be 18 years old or older, a US citizen, have transportation, an email address, internet access to apply (you can use a computer here). Pay is $14 an hour + 58 cents a mile driven for the job. Part time, flexible hours. Paid training for 3-5 days.  2020census.gov/jobs.

Regular Events Happening all Summer—you’re Invited!

Zen Meditation every weekday, 8:00 am. Join us for 20 minutes of unstructured quiet meditation in beautiful Cowan Chapel, on the Scaffold Cane Road side of the church.
Zen Teaching Mondays at 6:30 pm, Cowan Chapel. David Parks will offer Zen teaching: Meditation, Koans, Conversation, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, Cowan Chapel.
Thursday Noon Bible Study. Meet with Rev. Carla in the Classroom at noon to reflect upon the Scripture for the week and issues of the day.
Fridays – Bridge Club, 1:30 pm in the Classroom. Call Doug Hindman, 582-5806 if interested.
First & Third Sundays, 1:30 pm in the Parlor ShapeNote Singers. Shape notes are a music notation designed to facilitate congregational and community singing. The notation, introduced in late 18th century England, became a popular teaching device in American singing schools.
Fourth Sundays – Learn More About the Church. Enquirers’ Class for new members, prospective members, or those just interested in learning what Union Church is about. Meet in the Classroom after the worship service.
First & Third Tuesdays Memory Keepers, 7:30 pm, Wayside Room. Memory Keepers is a support group for those caring for loved ones with memory loss. For more information or resources call Doug Hindman at 582-5806 or Carla Gilbert at 985-1144.
Fourth Tuesdays – Psalm Study, 4:00 pm, in the Classroom.
Summer Music

• Choir: No Robes – No Stairs – No Commitment! Rehearsal is 9:30 am Sundays in June & July. We’ll learn the anthem for the day and sing it at     the 10:30 service.
• New Union Church Orchestra meets Thursdays at 7:00 pm in the Choir    Room

Community Hymn Sing in Cowan Chapel July 21 at  1:00 pm
Share your Music Sunday August 11. Please contact Music Director, Bernardo Scarambone, Bernardo.Scarambone@eku.edu if you’d like to participate.