A Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the Church of Christ, Union
Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost November 25, 2012
Meditation
“True stability results when presumed order and presumed disorder are balanced. A truly stable system expects the unexpected, is prepared to be disrupted, waits to be transformed.”
—Tom Robbins
Gathering to Worship
Welcome and Announcements
Prelude
* Call to Worship
One: The Spirit of God rests upon us,
All: and God’s power enflames us with peace.
One: God’s peace touches us with grace;
All: And God’s grace fills us with hope;
One: God’s hope leads us always in the path of Spirit.
All: Full circle, we come with thanksgiving, beginning and end, to worship God.
* Opening Hymn Come, O Thankful People, Come St. George’s Windsor
* Prayer of Approach and Confession
One: Almighty God, from the beginning of time to the end of eternity, you have chosen to use your power and majesty to love us, to redeem us, to shape us as your people.
All: Your reign is in our midst, God of all people.
One: In the midst of our lives, our choices reveal who we are. We confess the times we have chosen badly, ignoring your rule of lovingkindness, forgetting that we follow the prince of Peace, neglecting those who need us most. Hear our sorrow in our silence. Heal our ignorance in our thinking. Feed our starving spirits in your mercy.
[silence is observed for personal reflection. Are there amends to make with others? Are there patterns that you need to shift to come into better alignment with your spirit and God’s call? What steps could you take today?]
All: Your reign is for all times and all places, Holy One. Forgive us, and show us again how to follow the way of Christ. Amen.
*Words of Assurance
One: Rest easy, children of God. Rest easy beloved. The God who was and is and is to come loves you, forgives you and will renew you! From beginning to end, be restored and strengthened for all that is right and good.
All: Thanks be to God. Amen!
* Passing the Peace of Christ
All who come to this sanctuary are welcome companions on this day. Please turn to those nearest you and greet them with words of peace.
Hearing the word
Anthem Crown Him with Many Crowns Diademata
Union Church Choir
1. Crown Him with many crowns, The Lamb upon His throne; Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns All music but its own! Awake, my soul and sing Of Him Who died for thee, And hail Him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.
2. Crown Him the Lord of love! Behold His hands and side, Rich wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified. No angel in the sky Can fully bear that sight, But downward bends His wondering eye At mysteries so bright.
3. Crown Him the Lord of peace! Whose power scepter sways from pole to pole that wars may cease, Absorbed in prayer and praise: His reign shall know no end; And round His pierced feet Fair flowers of Paradise extend Their fragrance ever sweet.
4. Crown Him the Lord of years, The Potentate of time, Creator of the rolling spheres, Ineffably sublime. All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou hast died for me; Thy praise shall never, never fail Throughout eternity.
Hebrew Scripture Lesson Psalm 132:1-18
While the Psalmist describes Jerusalem as being the “residence” of God, the witness of scripture is that God cannot, will not be confined.
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.
After Children’s moment our youngest members may return to their seats, go to the nursery in Knapp Hall Room 102 (Nursery is in the back left corner when entering the front of Knapp—ushers will be glad to direct you), or participate in Children’s Church at Knapp Hall.
Epistle Lesson Revelations 1:4b-8
Jesus is called the faithful witness, which could also mean he was a faithful martyr. It is the wording as in the gospel when Jesus speaks of testifying the truth – recognizing that it may cost him dearly.
Sermon “The End of Ordinary” Rev. Kent Gilbert
Prayers of the People
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 Kiyosato, Japan and is also rung in the hope of peace for all nations.
Silent Prayers & Prayers of the Community
Our Lord’s Prayer
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.
Offering Our Gifts
Offertory
*Doxology Avery/Mars
*Prayer of Thanksgiving
Walking Forward in Faith
*Closing Hymn You Are Salt for the Earth (opposite) Bring Forth
* Benediction and Sending Forth
Postlude
_____________________________
¨ Those who wish to may stand
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 Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger and Mauritania and our brothers and sisters at Big Hill Pentecostal Holiness Church in your hearts, and pray for them. Please also hold these concerns in your prayers today and throughout the week.
¨ Those in harm’s way in the service of our country
¨ Greg Bolster, brother of Steve, who is suffering painful abdominal complications related to his long-term cancer treatments.
¨ David Spearen, brother of Sandy Bolster, recovering from partial amputation of a leg due to severe diabetes.
¨ Abi Dietz, Berea College senior and friend of Willie Dodson and many others, who was badly injured in a car accident.
¨ Edith Hansen, at The Terrace nursing home
¨ Shirley Dean, on hospice care for lung cancer
¨ Iris Brandenburg’s mother, Leuella Cawood, ill at home in Bristol, TN
¨ Robin Perjon, childhood friend of Joan English, whose husband, Thomas Mack, has died
¨ Ruth Wesley, very ill at home. Cards welcome, to 215 Peachbloom Hill
¨ Hamdy Kemp’s address has changed to 3217 Mist Lake Court, Lexington, KY 40515, and cards are very welcome.
¨ Jean Huffman, at Morning Pointe
¨ Larry Shinn, recovering from a fall
¨ Alvera Perman, at the death of her mother
Assisting in Worship
Worship Leader today is Paul Smithson.
Many thanks to Rob Hayden for playing the organ, and BG Hibbard, the piano, this morning.
Announcements
Budget Meeting December 12! Union Church’s annual budget meeting, at which we consider and adopt the 2013 budget, will be December 12, at the Quaker Meeting House, after Weds. Nite Live, at 6:30 pm.
Thank you cards for Nurture & Care! If anyone has extra “thinking of you” cards, or blank cards or Christmas cards would you please contribute them to Nurture & Care by way of Joy Frazier? You can leave them in the office for Joy.
Join the Choir for Advent! Like to sing, but can’t commit to joining the choir at the moment? Well, make a “short term” commitment to enlarge our choir for the Advent season. Anyone interested should join us on Thursdays at 6:15 pm. We rehearse in the choir room at Presser Hall (lowest floor, near the elevator). Any questions?? Please call Larry @ 859-8669.
Help needed at the Food Bank: The Food Bank urgently needs help unloading frozen food at 10 am Tuesdays, Nov. 27, Dec. 4, and Dec. 18. Boxes, not too heavy, are placed on pallets at ground level from a delivery truck and volunteers are needed to move them promptly to the freezers in Food Bank. Wear gloves. Please call John Payne 986-8100 to say you will come. Large load expected Nov. 27; Park behind the former Darrins’ garage or behind City Hall. Should not take more than an hour at most, and stay as long as you can.
WNL November 28 — Kentucky Safe Foods Project Kentucky Safe Foods Project Coordinator Melinda Alcorn will speak on the importance of safe and healthy foods for Kentucky families. Kentucky ranks as one of the worst states for adult and childhood obesity, a statistic that Alcorn says can be prevented. “Toxic chemicals in our foods can increase the risk of obesity,” she noted. “Chemicals like BPA, which is often found in canned foods and sodas, transform into fat cells and change our metabolism rates. So it’s not only about diet and exercise; it’s also about avoiding harmful chemicals in food. As a mother, I want to promote safer and healthier foods for both myself and my family. I know others do, too.” The meal will be BPA-free and all are welcome.
Union Church to “Go (even more) Solar!” On Nov. 19th, Church Council unanimously approved the Properties Board proposal that we take on the goal of offsetting at least 50% of the electricity it uses through solar photovoltaic (PV) generation within ten years and as part of its initial implementation strategy, set $3,000 aside each year to lease the electricity produced by 4 solar PV panels from the Berea Solar Farm
POTLUCK – Details of possible delegation to El Salvador, Update on El Salvador and CoCoDa projects. Special guest: Ivan Villasboa from CoCoDa. We will discuss the possibility of a delegation from Union Church with friends to El Salvador June 13 to 23, 2013. Contact Jenny-Harriet Bromley with questions or comments. 859-623-5007 — harrietbromley@bellsouth.net. More details will be in December’s Consider. Go to www.cocoda.orgfor more information on the organization. Click the volcano to see about Ivan climbing the largest live volcano to raise money for a CoCoDA scholarship project.
Faith Development Board news: The Christmas Pageant is coming! We have parts for people of ALL ages! We’ll be rehearsing on Wednesday nights after WNL and on Saturday, Dec. 15 and Dec. 22. We will present the pageant during worship on Sunday, December 23rd. If you want to be part of the fun, contact Rev. Rachel at rsmallstokes@union-church.org, or call the church office, or just show up at Wednesday Night Live at the Berea Friends Meeting House on December 5th!
There will be no Sunday School on Dec. 23rd or Dec. 30th, due to the Christmas break. We will resume classes on Jan. 6, Epiphany! Children’s church will now meet in Knapp Hall—until we’re back in the Union Church building—with Anna Kate, and parents should look for their children there after church. Children’s church is aimed at ages 5-8, and the nursery is for children under 5.
Church member Loriel Warren is offering Christmas decorating help and taking appointments for holiday pictures. She has a new digital camera and will be offering great bargains for Union Church members only. Call her at 606-643-5448.
Are you Checking the Web? The Union Church website (www.union-church.org) is an up-to-the minute wealth of information about upcoming events, prayer concerns, and new you can use. There’s a Google calendar of all our meetings in case you forget, and reports from events you might have had to miss. You can make comments, see upcoming bulletins (try this on your smart phone or tablet for worship and let us know if it works), and gain some spiritual strength for the week. Check it out! We’re working on adding more every day AND you can contribute. Email your article to office@union-church.org and we’ll make sure it’s posted.
Did you know? Fun Facts about Pastoral Support at Union Church: The Pastoral Relations Committee helps us all work together with our pastors and helps them with church-wide concerns. Recently some concern has been raised over a misapprehension of how the pastoral work schedules affect availability for pastoral care. That told us it was time for some information and clarification so we can all serve our mission well. Here’s some “fun facts” we hope will help!
* Both of our ministers are on call to assist with spiritual needs and especially in crisis situations. That may range from a home or hospital visit, counseling in the office, or phone and email support. That said, both ministers (like all of us) need time to rest and renew each week, too. The PRC encourages them to each take 2 days off per week. Despite this both of our clergy work an average of 55-60 hours per week, often at hours when the rest of us have gone to bed. If you don’t find them in the office at 8:00 am some days, it’s not for lack of dedication!
*Even on their days off, one of the ministers is always on call, and if not immediately available, will contact you as soon as it is possible. If you have a need, or would just like to chat with one of them, call the church office: our office administrator Joan English will quickly and confidentially get you connected to Rev. Kent or Rev. Rachel. If it’s an emergency after hours, Kent’s home phone number forwards automatically to his cell phone (859-979-5368). Rev. Rachel’s cell phone number is 859-312-1482. Whether he’s at church or out visiting, he’ll get your message and one of the pastors will respond as soon as possible. Just so you know, Rev. Kent will be “Pastor on Call” during the Thanksgiving holiday, while Rachel is away visiting family.
* You can help! We are all responsible for helping support the faith family and offering the hope and healing. Help our pastors help you and others by letting them know when you are wishing a visit, and especially if you fall ill and could use some support. They want to help, but unless someone tells them, they might not know that you’re facing difficulty. It is also appropriate to let the pastors or office know if you prefer NOT to be disturbed. They can help others respect your need for privacy.
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