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

Trinity Sunday  May 22, 2016 10:30 am

 
Meditation
Wisdom is oftimes nearer when we stoop than when we soar.
—William Wordsworth, The Excursion

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  Prelude and Fugue, BWV 557 J.S. Bach
*  Call to Worship    
One: Praise to God our Creator, source of our being and wellspring of life.
All: Praise to God our liberator, who sets us free and gives us hope.
One: Praise to God the Word, love made flesh to dwell among us.
All: Praise to Jesus the Christ, who feeds the hungry and shows us the Way.
One: Praise to God the Spirit, fiery light and rushing wind.
All: Praise to the Holy Spirit, who inspires, challenges, comforts, and sustains us.
One: Come let us worship the Earth-maker, the Pain-bearer, and the Life-giver—
All: Let us worship God!  
— Rev. Heather A. Moody
*  Opening Hymn #277 Holy, Holy, Holy Nicaea
*  Prayer of Approach 
One: Loving, delighting God: we do not always remember who you are or whose we are. We seek wisdom in the wrong places; we miss her voice in the world’s noise; and when we do hear her voice, we turn away.
We forget to celebrate the simple joy of being, as we fret over our doings. We forget your delight in your Creation and instead focus our energies on controlling it.
All: Forgive us our narrow vision, our distracted focus, and our forgetfulness. Enable us to remember your grace, your joy, your clear call to love and service. Amen.
*  Words of Assurance
One:     We forget, but God remembers. God remembers God’s covenant and promises to be with us always, to love us always. As the words form in our minds, God hears our confession,
All:    and we know ourselves forgiven. 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 Our Lord Is in This Place Mary McDonald
Union Church Choir
Surely the Lord is in this place. God is in this place; our Lord is in this place. For where the Lord is there is holiness, for the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. God is with us! God is for us, then who will stand against us? There is nothing can separate us! In the presence of the Lord there is love. In the presence of the Lord there is peace. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there will be peace. In the power of the Lord there is joy!  For the Lord, our God, is great and greatly to be praised. God is greatly to be praised.
Hebrew Scripture Lesson  Proverbs 8:1-4;22-31
Scripture Response        Oceans   (Where My Feet May Fail) Hillsong United
Dance by Whitney Owens
Note for online viewers: Due to licensing restrictions, this song cannot be broadcast in our streaming video.  If you are watching online, we apologize for the silence, but invite you to meditate on Whitney’s dance and bring your own song to it.
You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where feet may fail and there I find You in the mystery in oceans deep my faith will stand.
And I will call upon Your name and keep my eyes above the waves when oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace. For I am Yours and You are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters; your sovereign hand will be my guide where feet may fail and fear surrounds me. You’ve never failed and You won’t start now.
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior
Children’s Moment 
As the children return to their seats or move to children’s church, 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 are welcome to visit the Children’s Worship Center, where there are toys, books, and drawing materials for children (or parents) who would like help staying present in the service. For children preschool & under, care is available in the Nursery, downstairs off the Community Room.
Gospel Lesson John 16:12-15
Sermon        Wisdom Is Still Speaking Rev. Rachel Small Stokes

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 Spirit Song D. Wood
* Doxology Avery/Marsh

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 #273              Praise with Joy the World’s Creator           Lauda Anima
*  Benediction & Sending Forth
*   Postlude (please  be  seated)            Sonata II, Op. 65, Mov. IV, Fuga           F. Mendelssohn
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 Eritrea and Ethiopia and our brothers and sisters at Wallaceton Baptist Church in your hearts, and pray for them.
Please also hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week:
¨ Refugee families and individuals seeking shelter and safety, and all who are working to provide it: May God magnify our efforts.
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound:  Edith Hansen, Mary Miller, Alva Peloquin
¨ Sheila Johnson, facing breast cancer
¨ Kelly Ambrose and family
¨ Terry Allen Watts, NoraRuth Jenkins’ cousin
¨ Cindy Saylor’s friend Genny Bryant, who  has colon cancer.
¨ Gloria VanWinkle, now at the Terrace.
¨ Toby Wilcher, recovering from broken bones at home, and for Shane Wilcher
¨ The family of Les Pross, in his death
¨ Loyal Jones and all the family of Nancy Jones, as we grieve her passing
¨ Steven Bailey, Rhonda Edward’s son, recovering from a stroke
¨ Michelle Hayden’s mother, very ill in Indiana
¨ Anne Weatherford, now in hospice care in North Carolina
¨ Judy Rowell, recovering from surgery for gum cancer
¨ Marlene Payne’s family, at her passing
¨ For all discerning the way forward in difficult circumstances, may God’s light lead and guide
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.
Today Fourth Sunday New Membership Info: Come One Come All!  Each fourth Sunday of the Month anyone wanting to know more about Union Church or wanting to explore church membership, as well as new members who have not been able to participate in a previous meeting, are invited to come to the classroom two doors past the church after lunch for conversation with the Pastors and the Community Life and Growth Board.
New members will be received each Second Sunday of the month at the close of worship.  Next chance: June 12!
Where There’s a Will There’s a Way! Please come to lunch and a brief presentation on planned giving on Thursday, May 26, 2016 from Noon until 2:00 p.m. in the Classroom next to the Conference Room. Berea attorney Charlie Hoffman will be discussing ways to benefit others in your Last Will and Testament and estate plan.
Electronic Directories available—just email office@unon-church.org.
ABLE (Achieving and Building Life Equally) will meet on Tuesday, March 22 (and every 4th Tuesday), at 5:30pm in Room 101. ABLE is a support group/network for those who self-identify as differently-abled: to inspire, encourage, and empower one another, and to make Berea a more accessible community.
John G. Fee for young people! Debbonnaire Kovacs has learned that there is no children’s book about John G. Fee, and thinks there should be! She is running a 30-day Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to enable her to spend a year researching, writing, and illustrating a middle grade biography that will help educate young people about the anti-racist, anti-sexist, inclusive society Fee and  his colleagues envisioned, and for which we still work today.
If she does not reach her funding goal, she won’t get anything, so please check out the website, support her if you can, and let all your friends and networks know! You can either type in the following link, or simply go to kickstarter.com and type John Fee into the search box. Check out the cool rewards at various giving levels!
Volunteer Opportunity: Help support fair trade by volunteering at PeaceCraft, Berea’s fair trade store located on College Square.  Volunteers are needed to help staff the store during 4-hour shifts.  Stop by PeaceCraft to speak with Amy, the store manager, while you browse through the lovely merchandise made by craftspeople throughout the developing world or contact Amy at 859-986-7441 for more information.