Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the
Church of Christ, Union
Third Sunday of Lent
March 19, 2017 10:30 am
Meditation
My Lord is the source of Love; I the river’s course.
Let God’s love through me. I will not obstruct it.
—Wang Weifan (Theologian, Preacher and Leader of the Protestant Church of Mainland China)
From there to Here
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 Three Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes, II R. Vaughan Williams
In honor of Rev. Kent’s 20th anniversary at Union Church
¨ Call to Worship
One: Friends, we wander in many parched places:
All: The deserts of worry, the dry lands of unending labors, the depressions of heart and mind.
One: So come to the waters! God will not leave us dead and dry. Strength springs, grace flows, living hope is rising.
All: We come to be renewed. We come to worship in spirit and in truth. We come to worship the God of living waters!
¨ Opening Hymn #307 Glorious Things of You Are Spoken Austrian Hymn
¨ Prayer of Approach and Confession
One: In silence today we meditate on what we have allowed to become dry in ourselves. We confess the living water we have denied to others. We pray for the stones of heavy hearts to be carried by the mighty floods of God’s grace, for dams to be eroded by resistless love. Let us confess and be free.
[Silence is kept]
One: Deep well of our souls,
All: Cleanse us with living water. Amen.
¨ Words of Assurance
“Kyrie eleison” and “Christe eleison” is Greek for “Lord have mercy” and “Christ have mercy.” Through Lent we will sing these ancient Christian petitions as we immerse ourselves in the mercy of God, working for the healing of all.
¨ 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 My Song Is Love Unknown Crossman, Schweizer
Union Church Choir, Stanley Kramer, violin
My song is love unknown, my Savior’s love to me, love to the loveless shown that they might lovely be. O who am I that for my sake my Lord should take frail flesh and die?
Christ came from heaven’s throne salvation to bestow, but people scorned and none the longed-for Christ would know. But O my friend, my friend indeed, who at my need, his life did spend!
Here might I stay and sing, no story so divine: never was love, dear King, never was grief like thine. This is my friend, in whose sweet praise I all my days could gladly spend. My song is Love unknown.
Epistle Lesson Romans 5:1-11
Paul celebrates the salvation of God, powerful enough to reach to us even when we sin, restoring us through Christ to a relationship with God that supersedes our troubles.
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.
Sung Psalm 95 Debbonnaire Kovacs, cantor p. 683
The Psalms were originally musical compositions. During Lent we will pray the psalms in musical form with congregational responses. Please sing the response when invited.
Gospel Lesson John 4:5-42
Jesus breaks all expectations with a serious conversation with a woman at a Samaritan well.
Sermon Well, Well, Well… Rev. Kent Gilbert
GIfts Given for Love to Flow
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 Just As I Am arr. D. Wood
¨ Doxology
Praying It Forward
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 for the Community
Our Lord’s Prayer
One: 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
Closing Hymn Come to the Water (opposite)
¨ Benediction & Sending Forth
¨ Benediction Response We Are Many Parts M. Haugen
Those who are able & willing are invited to form a circle outside the pews as we sing the Benediction Response together.
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 Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and our brothers and sisters at Hays Fork Baptist Church in your hearts, and pray for them.
Please also 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.
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound: Ruth Butwell, Edith Hansen, Mary Miller, Alva Peloquin, Gloria VanWinkle.
¨ In thanksgiving and recognition of women and the gift, wisdom, and strength they are and have been to Christ’s ministry throughout history. We celebrate Women’s History Month and pray with our actions in hope that all women may be respected, healthy, safe, educated, equal and empowered.
¨ Loretta Mountjoy, recovering at home after hospitalization for heart infection.
¨ Dodie Murphy, at home
¨ The Bolster family in the recent death of Steve’s mother and Sandy’s brother. May peace and comfort surround them.
The many suffering from viruses and illness of all kind. May God speed recovery and prevent the spread.
Announcements
You Matter! Please Sign the Register, Check in on Facebook/Twitter and try a nametag! It’s hard to get to know people elsewhere, but we don’t want it that way at church. Let’s all try to get to know each other better.
Lenten lunch today! Faith Development and Mission Boards are out lunch cooks today $5 donation if able. Right after worship in the Community Room. As has become a Union Church tradition, lunch following worship will be served during Lent through April 2. The members of the various Boards collaborate to prepare lunch for each week.
Next week’s cooks: Community Life & Growth and Properties Boards
Union Church’s Annual Meeting TODAY, March 19, after worship and the Lenten Lunch. Annual Reports will be available in the Community Room and can be emailed as pdfs.
Bloodmobile Tuesday, in the Community Room, bring ID.
Lunch Bunch Thursday – Cooking for One or Two? Join the Lunch Bunch, Thursday, March 23. Several members cooking for just themselves or one other decided to create a fellowship lunch with the opportunity to share new recipes and swap techniques for good eating. Everyone, young and old, cooking for just a few are invited to lunch at 12:00 pm in the Community Room. Bible Study will be at 1 pm on Lunch Bunch days. Every 2nd and 4th Thursday.
RSVP is needed so we can cook the right amount! Please call the church office (986-3725) by Tuesday to let us know how many are coming. Bring friends and recipes!
Board Member Orientation March 25, 9-2, Community Room. If you’re new to one of Union Church’s Boards (elected today at the Annual Meeting), you are invited to an Orientation Session on Saturday, March 25, 9 am—2 pm. Lunch provided.
StoryCorps of Faith Wed, March 29, 6:30-8:00pm, Community Room StoryCorps is a national project to inspire and instruct people to record each others’ stories in sound. Join Grace Todd McKenzie and Jenny Hobson as they lead us in this program. Bring someone you’d like to interview about faith, or we can pair you up with someone. You’ll get a video at the end to take home! If you have your own smart device, please bring it. If not, we will have a few iPads.
Berea College Empty Bowls Wednesday, March 29th. At WNL here at Union, OR at Woods-Penn Commons on Campus. ALSO: Bread for the World Offering of Letters is Wednesday’s program. In exchange for $10, you will receive a simple meal of soup and bread in a ceramic bowl made by Berea College ceramics student volunteers and community members. You keep the bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. Proceeds will go to local food banks. Event is co-sponsored by Berea College CELTS (Center for Excellence in Learning through Service), Dining Services, Ceramics Students, and Craft Education and Outreach Programs.
Healing Through Art Retreat Friday, March 31st, 6pm-9pm; Saturday, April 1, 8am-6pm $20 Materials fee suggested, but no one is turned away for lack of payment. This is not an overnight retreat. Childcare can be arranged if known at least a week in advance.
There are things that art can speak that no words ever can. Join Bob Boyce, Michelle Hayden, Les Small Stokes, and Rev. Rachel in the creation of mobiles and discussion of the ways love does (and doesn’t) work in families. We will meet Friday night for potluck, opening reflections and planning out our pieces, and Saturday we will work together in the fellowship hall and share our creations.
Friday March 24! Concert Join singer-songwriters Steven Pelland, Deborah Payne and Sam Gleaves for this special house concert at the Carlberg home, above the fudge shop in Old Town Berea. All are welcome to attend and a $10 donation is suggested. Kids under age 12 receive free admission. Reservations are encouraged, but not required, please email Sam at samuelgleaves@gmail.com.
Good Friday, April 14 Jesus Christ Superstar FREE CONCERT at Union Church Motherlodge Live Arts Exchange has been programming community-driven performance events in Kentucky and New York City since 2009. Local singers and musicians from the community will join the “Motherlodge House Band” to perform the music to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical Jesus Christ Superstar. The event will be free and open to the public.
Members of the community of Union Church and Motherlodge are hosting a crowdfunding campaign to cover the costs of this event and make it free to the people of Berea, Kentucky. Donations will pay for transportation, food costs, production supplies, performance rights, musician stipends, and the printing of programs. Donation page:
https://www.fundingworks.com/motherlodge/campaigns/71
Motherlodge is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Motherlodge must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Scam Alerts Available! Attorney General Andy Beshear met with Rev. Kent (as president of the Kentucky Council of Churches) to enlist the help of churches in fighting phone and computer scams that prey on Kentucky seniors and families. For free text alerts and help if you’ve been the victim of a scam go to: http://ag.ky.gov/scams/ or Text “KYOAG” Scam to GOV311 (468311). 7000 people have signed up for text alerts so far, and our goal is 20,000. We’ll be printing a list of known scams here in the bulletin too!
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