A Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the Church of Christ, Union
Fifth Sunday of Lent 10:30 am
Meditation
If I’m quiet, and if I’m paying attention, I can usually hear God whisper inside of me, “Good work, my child. Now keep digging.” ~Rev. Sarah Are (excerpt from ‘Keep Digging”)
From There to Here: We Gather
Prelude Ave Maria Schubert
Welcome
¨ Call to Worship Rev. Theresa Scherf, Reader
One: Every week is a new week, another chance to say:
All: “Here I am. Use me.”
One: Every day is a new day, another chance to say:
All: “Thank you for yesterday. Thank you for tomorrow.”
One: Every hour is a new hour, another chance to say,
All: “Again and again, make me new.”
One: We do not come to this place to stay the same.
All: We come to this place to be changed.
One: So let us worship holy God, who created yesterday, will create tomorrow, and even now is creating something new.
All: Thanks be to God. Amen.
¨ Hymn I Want Jesus to Walk with Me Walk with Me
Reprinted with permission using OneLicense #A-723786
¨ Prayer of Approach and Confession (unison)
Gracious God,
We want to see you.
We want to be known as the people who looked for Jesus;
But not only that, we want to be people who have your covenant written on our hearts.
Why do we feel so far away from that at times?
What went wrong?
Where did we lose our way?
Could you, would you, once again, write on our fragile hearts?
We would be so grateful.
Amen.
¨ Words of Assurance
One: Friends, despite our wonderings, despite our distractions, despite wrong turns time and time again, We are known and loved by God. Like a lighthouse keeper by the sea, God will never stop waving us home. So hear and believe the good news of the gospel:
All: Our fragile bones are held by the Great Creator.
Our fragile hearts are loved by the Great Creator.
Our tender spirits are forgiven by the Great Creator.
One: Today is a new day.
All: Again and again, we are forgiven; again and again,we are reformed. Thanks be to God. Amen.
¨ 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.
Word and Worship
Anthem There Is Gonna Come a Day Mary McDonald Union Church Choir
There is gonna come a day when the glorious Christ will come through the sky and we’ll rise! Every eye will see, every knee will bow, on that glorious day, every tongue will sing: He is the King of kings!
There is gonna come a day when the trumpet will sound, we will all be changed, and we will rise! O happy day when Jesus washed my sins away. He taught me how to watch and pray and live rejoicing every day!
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.
Sung Psalm 51:1-12
The psalms were originally musical compositions. During Lent we will pray the psalms in musical form. You are invited to sing the response when invited, at the “R” if using the hymnal. Each measure refers to one line in a stanza. The melody is comprised of three notes—the reciting tone for most of the line, the passing tone, and the cadence tone on the accented syllable. Always sing the first and last measures, so that for a two-line stanza, sing the first and last measures. For a four-line stanza, sing measures 1,2,3, and 6.
Scripture Reading John 12:20-33
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say–‘ Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder.
Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
Sermon Again and Again: We Are Reformed Grace McKenzie
Video Reflection
Living Prayer
Call to 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.
Offertory Were You There?
A Chance for Generosity: www.easytithe.com/union
A community of caring relies on support. Your recurring or one-time donation will make a ministry of healing, justice, and teaching available to all in need.
¨ Use your smart phone or computer and go to www.easytithe.com/union. No registration required, but registering once makes future generosity an amount and a click.
¨ Baskets for checks or cash are located at the head of each aisle for those who wish to make an in-person donation.
¨ Give by Text. Text an amount to 859-448-3403 (Example: Text “$50.00 Offering”)
¨ Give by Mail to: 200 Prospect St., Berea, KY 40403
Your contribution is love made visible. Thank you!
Prayer and Reflection Questions
Reformed and Reforming:
In prayer time, now or later, allow yourself to review the ways you were formed and the ways you have expressed that formation in different ways at different times. Is God calling you to reform something now? What help are you asking for? What blessing is at stake? With both gratitude and awe, hold what you know in a holy place so you can act on what Spirit directs.
We Would See Jesus:
Read the poem “Keep Digging” printed in the bulletin. In the scripture today the travelers tell the disciples “We would see Jesus.” If someone asked that of you, what would you show them? We don’t have a physical prophet Jesus to take them, too, so what of that life and ministry is alive around you and how would you tell someone to look for those things? Are there Jesus elements you admire? In whom do you see them right now, in this room? In your community? Any in yourself? If there are parts of you in the way, what needs to be done to move them, so more of the life in Spirit can come through? Keep digging. Keep looking. Keep praying for all you need.
¨ Kyrie
In this season of Lent, we come together in prayer with the beautiful chant of “Kyrie Eleison,” meaning “God, have mercy on us,” and “Christe Eleison,” meaning “Christ have mercy.” You are invited to sing back the phrase after the cantor, prayerfully remembering that God’s mercy is a gift of love, freely given to us.
¨ Community Prayer Rev. Theresa Scherf, Reader
Holy God, Scripture tells us that your word is written on our hearts, but we struggle to hear it. Is it possible that we have covered up your words with our own self-narratives? Is it possible that we have erased your truth to write our own? Is it possible that we have forgotten your words entirely? Take us back to the beginning. Remove the self-talk that distracts. Clear away the cobwebs of doubt. Show us how to look inside ourselves for your truth, and then write on our hearts once more. We are listening. We are hopeful. We are here. Speak now. This we pray in the name of Jesus who taught us to reach to you as…
¨ Our Lord’s Prayer
Our Maker, Our Mother, and 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.
From Here to There
¨ Hymn #388 Help Us Accept Each Other Aurelia
1 Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us; teach us as sister, brother, each person to embrace. Be present, God, among us, and bring us to believe we are ourselves accepted and meant to love and live.
2 Teach us, O God, your lessons, as in our daily life we struggle to be human and search for hope and faith. Teach us to care for people, for all, not just for some, to love them as we find them, or as they may become.
3 Let your acceptance change us, so that we may be moved in living situations to do the truth in love; To practice your acceptance, until we know by heart the table of forgiveness and laughter’s healing art.
4 God, for today’s encounters with all who are in need, who hunger for acceptance, for righteousness and bread, Bring us new eyes for seeing, new hands for holding on: renew us with your Spirit; God! Free us, make us one!
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
Laura Clay (February 9, 1849 – June 29, 1941), youngest daughter of the Kentucky politician and abolitionist Cassius Clay, was co-founder and first president of the Kentucky Equal Rights Association, and was a leader of the American women’s suffrage movement. She was one of the most important suffragists in the South, with leadership roles in local, state and national politics. In 1920 at the Democratic National Convention, she was one of the first two women to have their names placed into nomination for the presidency at the convention of a major political party.
After the 1881 meeting of the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) a group of Kentucky women organized Kentucky’s (and the South’s) first suffrage organization. In 1888 Laura and others founded the Kentucky Equal Rights Association (KERA), for which Laura served as president until 1912. One of the missions of the KERA was to improve the legal status of women in Kentucky and increase educational opportunities.
Laura later came into conflict with the national women’s suffrage movement due to her belief in states’ rights, but she remained active in progressive politics into the 1930s, after which she retired from public life, dying at age 92 in Lexington in 1941.
Partnership and Purpose
Today presents an opportunity to covenant together! All who would like to are welcome to join the church family – you will be received in joy.
Questions of the Congregation and New Members
¨ Covenant of Welcome
And we, the members and faithful friends of this church, renewing our own covenant to God and to each other, do now heartily welcome you to our fellowship, promising to watch over you in love, and praying that you, and we, may be true witnesses for Christ, a light in the world, and continue to increase in usefulness and joy in his service.
¨ Benediction The God of Second Chances David Haas
Those who are able & willing are invited to fill the aisles as we sing the Benediction Response together. If you’re at home or in the balcony, you are part of the embrace too. The embrace is as wide as God’s love!
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 Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; and our brothers and sisters at Church on the Rock in our hearts, and pray for them today and throughout the week.
¨ 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 in the Middle East.
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes or who are homebound: Jan Hamilton, Betsy Hoefer, Dorie Hubbard, Lois Morgan, Sara Parker, Cheryl Payne, Alva Peloquin, Laura Robie, Sally Zimmerman.
¨ All those suffering from mental strain, trauma, and disease: may God soothe and heal all who are troubled.
¨ Members and Friends who need safer housing and income security.
¨ JoAnn Russell, Reda Hutton’s aunt, facing several medical challenges.
¨ Barb Taylor, recovering at home from a stroke.
¨ NoraRuth Jenkins, recovering from two recent surgeries.
¨ Cron Carpenter, recovering from extensive heart surgery, and Delores as she cares for him.
¨ Rita Lashley Barlow’s oldest sister, Janet, who has had a recurrence of cancer and is now under the care of Hospice.
¨ Andrea Wescott, at the loss of her grandmother, Ella Fay Rader
¨ Keila Thomas, recovering from recent surgery.
¨ Seth Hutchins, recovering from a complicated shoulder surgery.
¨ Muse Watson, at the loss of a dear cousin.
¨ Tennant Kirk’s family, at the sudden loss of her brother’s grandson, Chad Nicely, at just 40.
¨ Travel mercies for Rev. Kent, who is in Denver, CO, officiating at the memorial service of a beloved mentor.
¨ Celebrations with Prayers of Joy!
Birthdays: March 18 – Landen Doring-Zook, 19 – Laura Bellnier, EJ Stokes; 22 – Carla Gilbert, Jennifer Melton; 24 – Claire Garrett
Anniversaries: March 24 – Steve & Teresa Gowler
If we haven’t got your important dates, let us know. We’ll help you get connected in FellowshipOne Go!
Leave a Reply