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

Fourth Sunday of Easter

May 3, 2020      10:30 am

 
Meditation:
“… we’re lazy when it comes to doing things that are good for us; we also want someone to follow – someone to go first, for them to take the risks thereby smoothing our path; a sort of guarantee that we won’t stumble. Ironically, we also want to be followed in some way; we are both sheep and shepherd.”
― Renée Paule, Stepping Out of Time

From there to here: we Gather

Welcome
Welcome to this service of worship!  As the Berea community responds to the governor’s suggestion to avoid gathering in large groups, we worship online to limit the risk of exposure to Covid-19. We’re delighted to welcome you into this virtual circle of God’s healing love and light.
The Call Litany Billy Collins
You are the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet and the wine. You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. You are the white apron of the baker, and the marsh birds suddenly in flight. However, you are not the wind in the orchard, the plums on the counter, or the house of cards.
And you are certainly not the pine-scented air. There is just no way that you are the pine-scented air. It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge, maybe even the pigeon on the general’s head, but you are not even close to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.
And a quick look in the mirror will show that you are neither the boots in the corner nor the boat asleep in its boathouse. It might interest you to know, speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world, that I am the sound of rain on the roof.
I also happen to be the shooting star, the evening paper blowing down an alley and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table.
I am also the moon in the trees and the blind woman’s tea cup.
But don’t worry, I’m not the bread and the knife. You are still the bread and the knife. You will always be the bread and the knife, not to mention the crystal goblet and–somehow–the wine.
Passing the Peace at Home
Building the Community: News that Connects Us

The Living Word among us

Special Music The Shepherd arr. B. Childers
Pearl Marshall, Handbells
Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need your tender care; in your pleasant pastures feed us, for our use your folds prepare. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! You have bought us, yours we are.
We are yours, in love befriend us, be the guardian of our way; Keep your flock, from sin defend us, seek us when we go astray. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Hear your children when we pray.
Let us always seek your favor, let us always do your  will; Jesus Christ our only Savior, with your love our spirits fill. Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! You have loved us, love us still.
Lesson from Acts of the Apostles  Acts 2:42-47  Sharona Nelson, Reader
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Children’s Moment   
Gospel Lesson John 10:1-10  Doug Hindman, Reader
“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Sermon Hearing Voices Rev. Kent Gilbert

Living Prayer

A Chance for Generosity: www.easytithe.com/union
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 portion of our contributions flows out to aid those in need via many external agencies.
Many friends give online, and you can use your smart phone or computer and go to www.easytithe.com/union. You don’t have to register to make a contribution, but if you do, it can make future generosity that much easier. You can even give by text! Text to 859-448-3403 (Example: Text “$50.00 Offering)
Your contribution is love made visible. Thank you!
Offering Music Going Up Home
Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly

Responding to God’s Love in Communion

Invitation to Communion
One: The Lord Be with you!
All: And also with those you cherish.
One: Lift up your hearts!
All: We lift them to the Lord.
One: Let us give thanks to God!
All: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
One: In this time of increased isolation, let us center ourselves in this moment of committed community. If you have a candle with you. Let’s light it now.
With those all over the world, we are remembering light in the darkness and the light of the World by this light.  Let us center ourselves now for 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.
Communion Prayer
Sanctus

Words of Institution
We remember that Jesus gathered with friends, in the upper room before his death. We remember the resurrection road to Emmaus when we thought all was lost.  We remember his reconciling meal with Peter on the beach. We remember that he was made known to us in the breaking of the bread.
He took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to the disciples saying “Take, eat. This is my body broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Take now your meal, and as you lift it to share: let us remember the long road through God’s gifts and people that bring this blessing to us: the blessing of water and field, of labor to plant and harvest, mill and bake, to carry, wrap, stock, sell, store and serve. Remembering our common lot and our mutual dependence on such gifts, take now this meal of long love and care. We eat and we remember: in Christ’s name.
Next we remember that Jesus took the cup. He poured, And again blessing it,  shared it with his disciples saying “this cup is my blood, my life, poured out in a new covenant for you. Take and drink it all of you.
As we pour we remember the life-giving elements that fill our cup. We remember the life poured into us by a loving Jesus who didn’t come to condemn but to love and shepherd us to wider life and deeper peace.
A table is set before us in the presence of of all our antagonizing anxieties: take and drink of this old promise made new.
Let us pray:
Prayer of Thanksgiving
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 In the Bulb There Is a Flower Promise

The Sending & Blessing Rev. Kent Gilbert
Postlude Rejoice, the Lord Is King Gabriel Evans, organ
Especially in Our Prayers
You are very welcome to email or phone prayer requests to the office for the bulletin. Please do so by 10 am Thursdays, and be sure you have permission to share the information.
¨ 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 Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan  and our brothers and sisters at Galilee Baptist Church in our hearts, and pray for them. Please hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week.
¨ Families and Friends in Crises…may God be present to every need and heal every rift and wound and those who care for them.
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound: Alva Peloquin, Edith Hansen, Nancy Hindman, Loyal Jones, Jennie Kiteck, Mary Miller, Lois Morgan, Barb Smith, Tom Warth.
¨ Children in detention centers, that they may be reunited with their families soon.
¨ George Mountjoy, living with cancer.
¨ Emily Hoskins, who is pregnant and has gestational diabetes.
¨ Cheryl Caruso Payne, at the death of her mother, Geneva Mitchell
¨ Amanda Chao Benbasset and Corey Chao, both of whose families are expecting babies this summer.
¨ Those affected by the Covid-19 virus, their families and friends living with fear, anxiety, and feelings of isolation, may God bring peace to all who love them; and our wider community as we cope with the new realities of living.
Today we light the Justice Candle in Memory of Berea community member, Peg Morrow. Peg served on the Board of BFCO (Berea Faith Community Outreach) for 15 years in her role as co-ordinator of BUURR (Bereans United for Utility and Rent Relief), one of the BFCO outreach programs. Peg passed away on April 11, just days after retiring from that position.
A native of Berea, she and her husband Chester  returned to Berea from Sydney, Ohio in 2005. For 20 years while in Ohio she had been the Director of FISH (Friends in Service to Humanity), a role that prepared her well to step into her work with BFCO.
While overseeing BUURR was her primary role with BFCO, Peg was the kind of person who stepped in to help wherever needed and treated all who entered the door with compassion and respect. She touched many lives. Today we honor her life of service.
Announcements
For the latest information regarding COVID-19 visit Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ website:   https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/pages/covid19.aspx (updated daily)  COVID-19 Hotline (800) 722-5725. The City of Berea has information at its website as well: https://bereaky.gov/covid19/
Help Needed Prepping Lunches for Berea Kids! A group of hard-working volunteers prepare and hand out bagged lunches from 12 – 2 every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Berea Community School. They need help on those days between 11 and 12 to prepare the bags. It’s a labor-intensive job, so any volunteers need to be able to stay physically busy for an hour, and must not fall into any high-risk COVID-19 categories. (Over age 60, compromised immunity, etc). Can you help? If so, contact Laura at joyfulsunflower @gmail.com or 859-358-0106 (text or call).
Calling all graduates! Union Church Family, do you have a high school or college senior who’s graduating this spring? We want to honor them in our services in May, and we don’t want to leave anyone out. If you have a student in your family who’s graduating, please send the details to Joan by May 10 (office@union-church.org).
Union Church family, help us show the graduates in our community some love.  Our high school and college seniors won’t be getting to go across a stage and receive their diplomas. We’d like to do something to brighten their days as they celebrate an important milestone in a time of social distancing!  Can you commit to sending cards in the mail to our graduating seniors? Please email Joan and we’ll send you a list of names and addresses. Please note the number of seniors you’re able to send a card to in your message so that we can be sure that every senior gets some cards from our community.
Be a part of the Union Church “Share Force!” We are hoping to be a source of light and community to more and more people. You can help by simply reposting worship announcements, sharing that you are watching (or about to watch), or posting clips from Union Church services that were meaningful to you. Post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Thank you!
Thank you to all who have written and commented! We have received so much support and comments on the church work of recent weeks. Union Church viewership is growing substantially, and so are the wonderful comments and notes people are sending. Rev. Kent is trying to get back to everyone just as soon as possible with many apologies for any delay. If you have an urgent need, don’t hesitate to call the church office or put “Urgent” in your email subject line! We want to connect!
Spring is Springing! New Life Abounds! If you would like to visit Debbonnaire Kovacs’ new baby goat and baby chicks, call her at 859-779-0793 to set a time to visit the barn.
More Inclusion of More Union Church Family! To build and support our sense of community with each other we would like to invite you and any other members of your household to be a part of leading worship through video. We would like to showcase as many as 3 households per service. You record a video in your house of a scripture or prayer provided by Rev. Kent, then we will use it in our broadcast! All instructions provided! Use the comment form on the website to indicate your interest and someone from worship board will be in touch! Musicians this can include offerings from you, too! We are all in this together.
Tune in! Union Church is sponsoring the ringing of 10 am bells for Kentucky on 100.7fm the Coyote and 106.7fm the Pinnacle! #teamkentucky!
Thanks for those who are making facemasks! We now have a supply we can make available by mail to anyone who needs them. Please contact the office if you would like to have one or more sent to you, and if you would like to join in making some. We’d love to have pictures of our makers. Please send us a photo to share with and inspire others!
Nightly Live Story! Join Rev. Kent and Rev. Diana on Facebook for a story and song every night. In these hard times, and maybe stuck at home, here’s a chance to gather around a story. They are good for any of us, young or old. So grab your blanket, favorite stuffed animal, and snuggle in!
Use this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UCstorytime/
Digital Deacons and Tech Operators needed:  Can you help on Sunday mornings? We need folks to help with our online ministry — audio, video, and to serve as “social media host” – to respond online during the service to people who check in. Also needed – a person with video editing skills. Let Rev. Kent know! kgilbert@union-church.org. Also, with fewer announcements the service begins promptly at 10:30. Tune in early so you don’t miss anything!!!
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/UnionChurchBerea/ , unionchurchbereaky on Instagram, and on twitter: @UnionChurchKY This is a great way to get the latest news and inspiration as we care for one another.
Betty Sarafin is looking for an apartment to rent in Berea by mid-May. Please call her if you have a lead! 412-498-7598