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

Second Sunday of Lent

March 1, 2015, 10:30 am

Meditation

Some people are your relatives but others are your ancestors, and you choose the ones you want to have as ancestors. You create yourself out of those values.

— Ralph Ellison

From there to here

Welcome & Announcements
Prelude     Prelude and Fugue in A Minor           J.S. Bach
*  Call to Worship
One:    Lent calls us to journey, this and every day, following Jesus wherever he leads us.
All:      Lent calls us to journey: to the place where God covenants with us, to receive the new names we are given.
One:     Lent calls us to worship together, to tell future generations the good news.
All:      Lent calls us to practice justice, to bring God’s hope to all people.
One:     Lent calls us to faithful living, to trust the One who gives us life.
All:      Lent calls each of us to take up our cross, to trust the One who bears it with us.
One:     Lent calls us to journey with God.
All:      Let us worship God, who walks with us, this and every day.

~ written by Thom Shuman, and posted on Lectionary Liturgies

http://lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.ca/

* Opening Hymn #24 Black           The God of Abraham Praise   Leoni
*  Prayer of Approach & Confession
One:    Though we do our best to walk with God, we are frequently distracted and waylaid.  We wander off the path into territories marked by fear or selfish gain. Let us take silence now to turn ourselves back. Let us confess, name, and lessen the power of our past failures and twisted paths. In silence we name our temptations and ask for the power to see past brokenness in the new light of God’s way. Hear our prayers, O Lord. Walk with your people.
[Silence is kept]
* Words of Assurance 
One:     Friends, hear this: God has loved you, loves you now, and will always love you.  This is the good news that brings us new life.
All:      Thanks be to God!
*  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.

The Word in our Midst

Anthem    Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us        Gluck
Union Church Choir
Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need thy tender care; in thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use thy folds prepare.  Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, thine we are.
Hebrew Scripture Lesson                       Genesis  17:1-7, 15-16
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 grades K-3 are invited to Children’s Church, which takes place in the chapel.  If this is your child’s first time attending Children’s Church, please accompany them to fill out a registration form.  Otherwise, children are welcome to follow volunteers to their worship spaces. For children preschool & under, care is available in the Nursery, downstairs off the Community Room. Please pick up your children in the Chapel after the service.
Psalm 22:23-31                p. 632 Black
The Psalms were originally musical compositions. During Lent we will pray the psalms in musical form with congregational responses. Please sing the response at the “R” when invited.
 Gospel Lesson                 Mark 8:31-38
Sermon     It’s in Your Blood        Rev. Rachel Small Stokes

Gifts given for Love to flow

Call to 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             Largo in G      G.F. Handel
*  Doxology  Praise God from whom all blessings flow;    Old Hundredth
                  Praise God all creatures here below;
                  Praise God above, ye heavenly host:
                  Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Sharing God’s love in Communion

*  Invitation to Communion
One:     God be with you!
All:      And also with you!
One:     Lift up your hearts.
All:      We lift them up to God.
One:    Let us give thanks to God.
All:      It is right to 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 Prayers and Prayers of the Community
Communion Prayer
One:     Covenanting God, you with a word spoke the world into being, gathered it into light and dark, sea and land, minerals and organisms.  You breathed life into the blood beating through every creature, and you called it Good.
One:     As our blood ran hot, so did our tempers and our temptations, and we turned from your loving embrace to destructive ways.  You called us back, you gave us consequences, you forgave us, and still we faltered. Ultimately, you made with us a covenant that your people would have you as their God always, no matter what.
One:     In your greatest act of generosity, you emptied yourself into human flesh, walked among us in the dirt and dust, taught and laughed and sang and felt. You called us to follow in your footsteps. Then, you gave up your life, in order that we might know the power of your resurrection, the power of your everlasting love. We give you thanks and praise for your grace as we sing of your glory:
 Communion Sanctus                  please join in singing:
Words of Institution
One:    We remember that on the night before he died, Jesus sat at table with his friends, took bread, blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to them, saying:
All:      “Take and eat,
One:     this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
One:     After supper he took the cup of wine and, after giving thanks, gave it to them and said,
All:      “Drink this, all of you:
One:     this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you and many for the forgiveness of sins.  Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
One:     God of the new covenant, bless these gifts of bread and juice. As we take them into our bodies, may our souls be transfused with your love, our spirits renewed once more in your grace. Amen.
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.
If it is not your tradition to receive, you are invited to join in prayers for the unity of the Spirit and all people, within your tradition.
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

From Here to There

*  Closing Hymn #451  Black         Be Now My Vision      Slane
*  Benediction & Sending Forth
Postlude    Rondeau          J. Mouret
———————————————
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 Germany and France and our brothers and sisters at Gethsemane Baptist Church in your hearts, and pray for them.
Please also hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week:
* Those in harm’s way in service of our country, and those who wait and worry for them.
* For the victims of violence everywhere, and especially under the influence of racial prejudice and simmering fear. Peace to those everywhere our madness reigns.
* Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound:  Edith Hansen, Klara Welsh, Nancy Jones, Mary Miller, Averill Kilbourne, Alva Peloquin, Ruth Butwell, Kim Woolridge, Anne Weatherholt
* Kelly Mehler
* Mary K. Kauffman, now home in Berea
* Melissa Zook, recovering from a fall and broken leg.
* The family of Silas House in the death of his Aunt Sis
* Larry Brandenburg and family, at the death of his cousin Rick Baker, who died last Sunday. Services were yesterday in Ohio.
* Faye Pearson
* the family of Sue Peterson Blyth, whose cousin was killed in an auto accident last week
 
Next week: join the church! New members will be received next Sunday, March 8, and the second Sunday of every month.
Lenten Lunch today: The   Admin-istration and Nurture & Care Boards will team up to serve a delicious meal of Shepherd’s Pie.  There are vegetarian and gluten free options too!  Next week the Community Life & Growth and Properties Boards will make some yummy Italian pasta dishes!
Annual Meeting—Mark your Calendar! Union Church’s Annual  Meeting  will be March 22, in the Community Room, after worship & lunch. If you are a chairperson of a Board, please submit your Report for the Church’s Annual Report, by March 2 (tomorrow!)All are welcome to propose items of business, concern – or churchwide conversation – for the agenda. Please send ideas to Doug Hindman, Vice Moderator & Church Council chair, hindmandouglas @gmail.com by March 2.
The Faith Development Board needs your help! We are seeking donations of items for this year’s Easter Egg hunt for the children of the church. We need donations of plastic Easter eggs that can be taken apart and filled with items. We also need Easter candy that will fit in the eggs and small items/toys that can go in the eggs as well. Stickers, erasers and stencils are items that have worked in the past.  If you can donate any of these items, please bring them to the church office between now and Palm Sunday. The youth group will be stuffing and hiding the eggs in the days before Easter. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Thanks for the treats! Dodie Murphy thanks everyone who donated goodies for the Valentine Liberty Place tea!
Critical Need for Food: We’ve learned that folks in Harlan and Knott counties have been hit especially hard by the snow, and deliveries to the food pantry there haven’t been able to get in.  Their stocks are quite low, and we are hoping we can help.  Mim Pride will be able to make a delivery from us on Monday when she goes to Pine Mountain.  If you’re able, please bring non-perishable food with you to activities this evening, and we’ll get it to people in need – whether through Mim or to our local food bank.