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

Second Sunday after Pentecost

May 29, 2016 10:30 am

 
Meditation
The Church knew what the Psalmist knew: Music praises God. Music is well or better able to praise [God] than the building of the church and all its decoration; it is the Church’s greatest ornament.
—Igor Stravinsky
 

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!
Recognizing our Graduates             Clem Pearson, Della Walters and Emma White
Prelude  Simple Gifts Shaker Tune, arr. Brenda Austin
Handbell Ensemble
* Call to Worship   Come, Christians, Join to Sing    Madrid, arr. Bill Ingram Handbell Quintet
* Opening Hymn #529    Now Let Us All, in Hymns of Praise (alt. tune) Ellacombe
* Prayer of Approach  Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing Michael Larkin
Union Church Choir
Come, Thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace, streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
I am bound for the kingdom, will you go to glory with me? Hallelujah, praise the Lord!
Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be, let that grace now like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.
*  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 Keep Your Lamps! Arr. Andre Thomas
Union Church Choir
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, the time is drawing nigh. Children, don’t get weary ‘til your work is done. Christian, journey soon be over, the time is drawing nigh.
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.
Hebrew Scripture Lesson Psalm 96
Sermon        Harmonic Convergence 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 Exuberant Joy Arnold Sherman Handbell Ensemble
*  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
Song Song for Love      Ar Hyd y Nos, arr. Anna Briggs

1. Now we sing to praise love’s blessing all through our lives, laughter, joy, surprise confessing, all through our lives. Love that dreamed a new creation, love that dared an incarnation, love that offers transformation all through our lives.
2. How our wounds ache for love’s healing all through our days. How our world needs love’s revealing, in all its ways. Fearful hearts suspect the stranger, hardened nations arm for danger, love lives on, the powerful changer, all through our days.
3. Love’s the grace that makes us caring all through our lives, urges us to warmth and sharing all though our lives, speaks in us, oppression naming, strives in us, injustice shaming, lives in us, true peace proclaiming all through our lives.
4. Love’s the clown that mocks at winning all through the world, midwife of each new beginning all through the world. In the struggles that confound us, in the chaos all around us love’s wide arms with hope surround us all through the world.
5. In God’s faithful love we flourish all through our lives, known and loved, each other nourish all through our lives. Though the world’s demands are pressing, what life brings is left to guessing, still we sing to praise love’s blessing all through our lives.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 When in Our Music  Engelberg
   *  Blessing the Way
   John Stanley has accepted an exciting new position with a prestigious residential academy in Mississippi as agricultural coordinator. He is leaving now to begin work, and Heather will follow shortly. With deep feeling, we commend John Stanley to life and work in other places, sending with him our strong support and sincere prayers.    
   All: Go forth into the world!
   Piano Side: In peace!
   Bell Side: In love!
   Piano: To teach!
   Bell: To learn!
   All: Go forth into the world!
   Piano: To preach!
   Bell: To pray!
   Piano: To heal!
   Bell:                   To comfort!
   All:       Go forth into the world!
   Piano:             To build!
   Bell:                   To plant!
   Piano:             To grow!
   Bell:                   To thrive!
   All: Go forth into the world to love and serve the Lord.
   * Benediction Go Forth Into the World in Peace John Rutter
   Union Church Choir
   Go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage; hold fast to that which is good; render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the faint-hearted; support the weak, help the afflicted; honor all people; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
   All the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be upon you, and remain with you forever. Amen.
   Postlude (please  be  seated) Tuba Tune in D Major C.S. Lang
   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 Kenya and Tanzania and our brothers and sisters at Lighthouse Baptist  Church in your hearts, and pray for them.
   Please also hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week:
   ¨ Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service.  We pray for our veterans and the families who have lost their beloved family members and friends in service.
   ” 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, Gloria VanWinkle
   ¨ Rev. Rachel, recovering from surgery well, at home. She thanks everyone for the cards and prayers, still isn’t quite ready for visitors
   ¨ Terry Confer, facing surgery and treatment for cancer
   ¨ Kelly Ambrose and family
   ¨ Michelle Hayden’s mother, being cared for by hospice
   ¨ Judy Rowell, recovering from successful surgery for gum cancer
   ¨ Toby Wilcher, recovering from broken bones at home, and for Shane Wilcher
   ¨ Anne Weatherford, now in hospice care in North Carolina
   ¨ The family of Les Pross, in his death
   ¨ Loyal Jones and all the family of Nancy Jones, as we grieve her passing
   ¨ 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.
   Lemonade on the Porch starts next week! Stay for a few minutes after worship and share fellowship, welcome visitors, enjoy the beautiful weather! If you can bring snacks to accompany the lemonade, there is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. Please sign-up if you can help! Many thanks from the CL&G Board.
   Study & Reflect on the Psalms: All are welcome to join a group to read together and reflect upon the Psalms.  Our first meeting will be June 8th at 7 p.m. in the Union Church classroom when we will decide how often to meet. If interested please email Donna Eder at eder@indiana.edu or call 859-868-1142
   Last week was the first week of Union’s hosting the Summer Food Service Program (locations & times on the back) and it was a great start. Many thanks to church friends and family for making our building available for the good of our whole 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!