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

Sixth Sunday of Easter    May 6, 2018 10:30 am 

Meditation
“What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.”     — Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

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 Praise! Gilbert M. Martin
¨  Call to Worship 
One: Friends in worship this day, we are commanded to love one another, to abide deeply in the path that leads to life, to draw close to God and show lovingkindness as the hallmark of our faith.
All: In these things God takes delight! With glad hearts, let us free ourselves of burdens and take up the redemption of Love. Let us worship God!
¨  Opening Hymn #251 Black  I Greet You, Sure Redeemer Toulon
¨  Prayer of Approach 
One: Bountiful God, who gathers your church and feeds it through word and sacrament, fill us, we pray, with the joy of your presence.
All: Turn us from lessons of war to lessons of peace. Turn us from a craving for things of this world to a hunger for that which satisfies forever.
One: We pray, dearest God, that as you have ushered in this Lord’s Day so you will usher in that day of your holy realm of peace.
All: Help us to live so that our lives are signs, however small, of its coming. In the name of Christ we pray. 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 and joy. 

The Living Word among us

Lesson from Acts of the Apostles Acts 10:34-41, 44-48 (p. 1333)
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. 
Following the Children’s Moment, children kindergarten through 5th grade are invited to Children’s Church in Cowan Chapel. They are also welcome to stay in the service if they prefer. The Children’s Worship Center in the back of the sanctuary has toys, books, and drawing materials for children (or adults) who would like help staying present in the service. For children preschool age & under, care is available in the Nursery, downstairs in Room 104 off the playground.
Gospel Lesson John 15:4-5, 9-14 (p. 1305)
Sermon Abide in Me Rev. Dr. Theresa Scherf

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        Praise to the Lord, the Almighty arr. J. Wayne Kerr
¨  Doxology  Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Lasst Uns Erfreuen
Praise God all creatures here below! Alleluia, alleluia! Praise God above, ye heavenly host! Creator, Christ and Holy Ghost. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Sharing God’s Love in Communion

Invitation to Communion
One:      God be with you!
All:     And also with you!
One:      Lift up your hearts.
All:     We lift them up to God.
One:     Let us give thanks to God.
All:     It is right to give God thanks and praise.
One: Jesus sat with all sorts, the many different colors of humanity, but mainly those excluded, and broke bread.
One: So along with everyone the world has turned its back on, along with everyone hungry, and everyone hungry for justice and truth, along with everyone abused as stranger and foreigner, along with everyone who does not fit “normal,” along with everyone who questions, doubts, and even denies, along with every prejudice that has ever been flung, along with everyone made poor by other’s riches, you, you and I, are welcomed at this table.
Communion Hymn #332 Black As We Gather at Your Table Beach Spring
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 of the Community
Communion Prayer
One:    “Get up,” you cried to your Word and Spirit, “and go down the wilderness road to chaos.” And so they went, calling forth life out of nothingness, planting seeds that branched into vines, pouring clear water into earth’s hollows, crafting us in your imaginative image, love in creation.
One: You showed all of this to us, with delight in your heart, but we did not understand what we were seeing. We chose poorly, made violent decisions in this life. Though we loved you last, you loved us first, sending your prophets to declare all you had done, but we continued to abide in the tangled briars of temptation: Love rejected.
One: So you sent Jesus to us, the One who would bear your fruit of salvation and hope for all your children, Love embodied and restored. With those who seem to intuit your heart, with those seeking to understand your hopes, with all those still on the path, we lift our songs of thanksgiving to you:
Words of Institution
One:      Love is your language of holiness, Lord, and Jesus the Christ, your living word. We remember that even on the night of betrayal his abode was love, and his invitation to us is yet green with life.
All:       Abide with us, Lord, as we abide with you at this table.
One:     In that upper room, Jesus sat at table with his friends, took bread, blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to them, saying:
All:    “Take and eat, this is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
One:    After supper he took the cup of wine and, after giving thanks, gave it to them and said,
All:    “Drink this, all of you: this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you and many for the forgiveness of sins.  Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
One: Abide in us at this Table, Lord Christ, as you pour out your Spirit on the gifts of the bread and cup, and on your children gathered in this place.
Serving One Another
All who seek the love of God are welcome at this meal and are invited to freely receive from it.  We will share the elements today by intinction, dipping the bread in the cup. When invited please come to one of the stations by exiting your pew to the left and returning by the right. If it is not convenient to come forward, the elements can be brought to your seat by signaling to the usher.
Communion Music Prière à Notre-Dame                             Léon Boëllmann
Blessing for Those Who Will Receive at Home
If you would like serve by taking communion to others, you are very welcome to do so and are invited to volunteer with the Nurture and Care Board members or by contacting Pastor Kent.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
One: Thanks be to you for the blessings of Love! May the broken bread remind us that you loved us so that we might put the needs of the hungry, the searching, the hurting, the lonely before our own.
May this the cup, and every cup of grace nourish us so we can join with oppressed and outcast, intertwining our branches with theirs, abiding in the heart of justice and of hope. Thank you for feeding us, in heart, in body, in love. As you have fed us, may we feed others in Christ’s name. Amen.

From Here to There

¨  Closing Hymn #388 Black Help Us Accept Each Other Aurelia
¨  Benediction & Sending Forth
Postlude (please be seated) Toccata on arr. J. Wayne Kerr “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”
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 India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and our brothers and sisters at Gethsemane Baptist Church in our hearts, and pray for them. Please 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, Nancy Hindman, Loyal Jones, Mary Miller, Alva Peloquin
¨ Dan Rohrer, who is suffering from a severe liver disorder.
¨ Dave Wellinghurst, receiving treatment for glioblastoma.
¨ Betty Sarafin and the family and friends of Gary Dillon, who has passed away after a long struggle with cancer. A memorial for Berea family and friends is scheduled for May 27th at Union Church.
¨ For Luke Woodie, recovering from bile duct cancer surgery at home.
¨ Alejandra Sanchez’s sister in El Salvador, Marco Amalia Sanchez, suffering the final stages of cancer, and her family.
¨ Loyal Jones, recovering at Arcadian Cove.
¨ Tennant Kirk, recovering well at home from extensive ankle surgery.
¨ Joan Moore, who will be in Najaf, Iraq, till May 19 teaching conversational English with the Muslim Peacemaker Team.
¨ Jimmie Lewis’ sister, undergoing cancer treatment.
¨ Congratulations to the Berea College students who will graduate today!
Dana Rousey, recovering from hip replacements surgery. Cards can be sent to her at 4 Fairway Dr., Berea.
We Want to Join YOU! Membership Sunday Next Week! As a family of faith committed to boldly and creatively embodying the life and ministry of Jesus, we would like to join YOU. We’d like to be a context and inspiration for your own spiritual path, and work with you to make your heart, your world, your life more peace-filled and joy-full. Next Sunday there will be an opportunity to covenant together. No prior action on your part is required, but if you have any questions at all, we’d like to help. Working together, we want to make God’s love visible and real to all. Please let us join with you!
 
Empowering Lay Leadership at Union. Come to WNL on May 9th! After supper you’ll have the chance to hear findings and recommendations from the Needs Assessment Committee about lay leadership, presented by Grace McKenzie. This information has been presented to the Long-Term Planning group.  Our hope is for an opportunity to gain feedback and start some conversation about potential ways we can move forward together to empower lay leadership.
“What’s Next, Union Church?!” If you can be a facilitator or recorder as we discuss the ways we empower lay leadership as we move forward  at Union, please call the office and let us know. A training session for facilitators and recorders will be held after Grace’s presentation May 9 and again on May 16 at 6:30 pm.
Feminist Artists of Kentucky’s Ghana Art Project documentary to be shown on KET today, 4 pm! In November, Union Church hosted an art exhibit in the lower level gallery as a fundraiser for both Puerto Rico hurricane relief and for the repair & replacement of school uniforms in Ghana. KET recorded a documentary of the work, and it will be shown TODAY at 4 pm! The group raised $1500 for Puerto Rico and $500 for uniform repair and replacement.
Library podcast to be recorded May 7, 7:00 pm in Cowan Chapel: Did you know that our public library has its own podcast? Neither did we. The Nerd Factor (from the Madison County Public Library in Richmond and Berea, Kentucky) is partnering with The Jeff Richey Experience for this LIVE recording of their Season 2 Finale and Small Concert. Free, all welcome!
Kentuckians for the Commonwealth’s annual Pie Auction will be Thursday, May 10, 6 to 8 pm at First Christian Church’s gymnasium. This year, we invite our community to bring everyone along, including children as we will include fun activities for all ages. We are anticipating an exciting auction filled with laughter, love, and pie! $5 for adults, $3 for students, free for children 12 and under. 
Youth Talent Show May 11, 7 pm: Spring is in the air and it is that time of year again, time for the Union Church Youth Group Talent Show! This year’s talent show will be on Friday, May 11th at 7:00 pm in the Community Room. We will have return appearances from some of last year’s great performers with brand new material, and we have several new talents as well. Tickets are $5 per person, or $15 per family. We will have concessions available for a suggested donation to enjoy with the show. All proceeds will go to help offset the costs of the Youth Group’s summer trips and activities. Please come out for this evening of entertainment and fellowship that supports a good cause. 
May 18, SongFarmers’ Gathering, Community Room, 5:30 pm. SongFarmers of Madison County is focused on creating opportunities for musicians and artists to play and jam together and for all to benefit from the love of live music. This event will include an acoustic open mic for singer/songwriters doing original work and covers plus a jam (play and singalong) section, all intermingled with poetry (original or inspired). Do join us for an evening of community and music. Come early for chili and an opportunity to build community. If you want to perform, please sign up by 6 PM.
Upcoming Concert: Deborah Payne and Sam Gleaves, Kentucky Music Hall of Fame & Museum, 2590 Richmond St., Mt Vernon, Saturday May 19, 3:00 pm. Tickets $10, available in advance at www.KentuckyMusicHallofFame.com
Make Me An Instrument of Peace. A Musical Meditation on the Prayer of St. Francis, May 20th, 2:00.  Both the Union Church Choir and Handbell Ensemble are hard at work preparing for this upcoming concert. Both groups will perform selections that have carefully been crafted to transform this beautiful prayer into a deeper meaning.  Please join us for our first ever concert together! Admission is free and open to the public. We will be taking a love offering to help support the Berea Leadership Experience.
May 22 is Election Day for Kentucky’s Primary races. Polls are open 6 am—6 pm.
Baby Shower June 3, after worship! Come celebrate baby Ahnat, the foster daughter of Deborah Payne!! Gift registry info: https://smile.amazon.com/baby-reg/deborah-payne-june-2018-berea/2KOF12RKFHN6R (this link will also be in the emailed announcements tomorrow, so you can just click on it).
Older iPad Needed: Do you have an older generation iPad you no longer use? The AV system we use in the Community Room would benefit from a dedicated iPad  for church and rental use. It must have the older, wider power connection to work, but other than that, any iPad will be more than enough to power the system. Contact the office or Rev. Kent if you can help!
Official Record Book Still Missing :(. Have you seen the sign-in book we use to record new members’ joining dates and attendance at meetings? Did you look in your car? What about at home? It’s been missing since November and maybe some-one accidentally took it home or tucked it somewhere for safe keeping? It’s black padded leather, about 8 1/2 x 11. Help!
Please Sign up to Read Scripture or to Help Greet and Usher!  Please use our electronic sign up system, http://signup.com/go/xkdVtB, where you can pick a date that works for you and get reminders!  OR you can also call the office and we’ll get you on the lists.
UPDATE. Berea Leadership Experience for Rising 2nd-8th graders. Registration is open! Berea Leadership Experience will hold its camp for kids to learn skills of conflict resolution, media literacy, mindfulness, and appreciation of nature the week of July 16th -20th, 9 am – 2 pm.
The camp is already half filled after 3 weeks of sign-ups, so register soon. There are also openings for several staff members. Training and a reasonable stipend are provided; contact Director at kim.kobersmith@gmail.com if interested. Thank you!