A Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the CHURCH OF CHRIST, UNION
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost October 11, 2015, 10:30 am
Meditation
“We’d all like a reputation for generosity, and we’d all like to buy it cheap.”
— Mignon McLaughlin (American Journalist and Author, 1913-1983)
FROM THERE TO HERE
Prelude Prelude in C Major J.S. Bach
* Call to Worship
One: My friends, we gather to worship God and serve the Christ. How then shall we live?
All: With joy and justice, we will carry the light of Jesus.
One: We come from diverse backgrounds, we don’t all think alike, we have differing gifts and needs. How then shall we live?
All: With gratitude and generosity of Spirit, we will bear Christ’s light.
One: We pledge to love what God loves, to serve those whom God cares for. How then shall we live?
All: Believing in, caring for, proclaiming and bearing the love Jesus bears for us, and for all, let us prosper the work of God’s heart in all we do!
*Opening Hymn #493 Black Oh Jesus, I Have Promised ANGEL’S STORY
* Prayer of Approach & Confession (unison)
We stand before you, Saving God, stripped of our pretensions and pride, for nothing we do or say, or do not, can be hidden from you. You hear the angry words we preach to ourselves; you sift through the rubble of hurts we have caused; you see how we stumble, weighed down by all that ‘stuff’ which keeps us from following Jesus.
We stand before you, Holy Grace. As you release our hands from the wealth of unneeded things we cling so tightly to, fill them with your grace and hope. As we let go of all which might hold us back, give us the trust to follow Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, into that life with which he offers to each of us. Thom M. Shuman
* Words of Assurance
One: Hear the good news! Because God loves us, we lack for nothing; because God forgives us, we have everything we need; because God surrounds us with sisters and brothers, we do not journey alone.
All: Committing everything to God, trusting in the One who redeems us, we decide to live as God’s faithful and forgiven people. This is how we shall live!
* 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.
Bearing the Light
Bearing the light of Christ is our joy and mission. Whether it be in offering a true welcome to those seeking God’s presence, or shining the light of love into tragedy, Union Church is pledged to make Jesus’ ministry our own. We support that ministry with money, commit-ment, intelligence, and delight. On November 8 we will receive and bless our estimates of giving for the next year so we can bear the Christ-light faithfully and well in all we do.
THE WORD IN OUR MIDST
Anthem 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 loudest songs of 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 thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the Lord I love. Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.
Hebrew Scripture Lesson Psalm 90:12-17
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 Children’s Moment, children grades K-5 are invited to Children’s Church, which takes place in Cowan Chapel. Otherwise, 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. Please pick up your children in the Chapel or Nursery after the service.
Gospel Lesson Mark 10:17-31
Sermon Lighting the Torch 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 Percussive Praise K. McChesney
Handbell Ensemble
* Doxology We give thee but thine own, what e’re the gift may be, SCHUMANN
All that we have is thine alone, a trust, O God, from thee!
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 inJapan and is also rung in the hope of peace for all nations.
Silent Prayers and Prayers of 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
Introduction and Invitation to Membership
Union Church is a vital and growing family of faith, a home to those committed to the way of Christ’s sacrificial love and service. All who feel led to join will be received in joy, and are welcome to come forward during the Closing Hymn. Thanks be to God for these ministers among us.
* Closing Hymn #448 Black Take My Life, God, Let it Be VIENNA
Questions of the Congregation and New Members
* Covenant of Welcome
And we, the members of this church, renewing our own covenant to God and to each other, do now heartily welcome you to our fellowship, promising to watch over you in love, and praying that you, and we, may be true witnesses for Christ, a light in the world, and continue to increase in usefulness and joy in his service.
* Benediction & Sending Forth
Postlude (please be seated) Love Divine, All Loves Excelling J. Raney
____________________
* Please rise in body or in spirit as you wish
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 the Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and our brothers and sisters at Wayside Christian Church in your hearts, and pray for them.
Please also hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week:
* Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound: Edith Hansen, Nancy Jones, Mary Miller, Averill Kilbourne, Alva Peloquin
* George Oberst, undergoing cancer therapy
*Delores Carpenter’s mother, who is very ill
*Elizabeth Long’s brother, Jay, whose cancer has metastasized
*Joe Jaggers’ mother, Cassandra Jaggers, with aggressive breast cancer
* The Coynes’ neighbor, Sheila Johnson, fighting breast cancer
* Marlene Payne, and for her family as she continues her cancer treatment. Visit her Caring Bridge site www.caringbridge.org/visit/marlenepayne
* Kelly Ambrose, and for his family as his radiation treatments continue.
* Merlin Kindel, who is now under hospice care at home. We hold Dot and all the family in our prayers as his illness progresses.
* Rob and Michelle Hayden and their sons, Eli and Ian, who lost much of their home to a fire last Monday night. If you would like to “pray in action” the church is accepting money donations. Please make the check to Union Church with “Emergency Assist Fund” in the memo line.
* Teri Van Pelt, with a bronchial infection
* Travel mercies for Rev. Kent and the Madison County delegation to our sister region in Japan, Oct 12-20.
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.
Join the church today! New members are received every second Sunday of a month. YOU are welcome here!
Come to WNL this Wednesday to hear a presentation about CoCoDa & a 2016 Delegation to El Salvador. Union Church and the Berea community have a long history of involvement with El Salvador, going back to the dark days of the twelve years long civil war.
The last delegation with Companion Community Development Alternatives (CoCoDA) was in 2013. We worked with the local residents of the village of El Roble to tear down their school which had been bombed during the war. We stayed in the villagers’ simple houses and ate their delicious home cooked food. This resulted in a deep interaction with the people and their culture.
Delicious Youth Group Fundraiser! Youth Group will be doing a fundraiser this fall in partnership with Equal Exchange, a fair trade chocolate and coffee company. Our Community Life & Growth Board purchases the coffee used for church coffee hours, WNL and other events from Equal Exchange. So you know you already love it!
The youth will have catalogs to sell Equal Exchange products, and we will receive 40% of the profits from these sales. The money we raise will go toward getting youth to camp next summer at “Passport Choices” in North Carolina.
The fundraiser will continue until November 11th, when we will send in our final orders to Equal Exchange. The Equal Exchange products you buy from us will not only be fantastic Christmas presents, but will support the youth of Union Church, and help support fair prices from coffee and cocoa bean producers world wide. Thank you all for your support!
Drivers needed! Help our youth relieve hunger in Berea! On October 17th and 24th (both Saturdays), our youth will be dropping off empty bags and picking up filled bags of food in neighborhoods throughout Berea as part of the Hunger Hurts Food Drive. We need at least two adults each Saturday with working vehicles (minivans and SUVs would be awesome) to help drive the students. Exact times are TBA, but it would be in the morning. Please see Rev. Rachel or Chris McKenzie to volunteer. Thanks!
The Hunger Hurts Food Drive is an annual event coordinated by the Center for Excellence in Learning through Service (CELTS) at Berea College in collaboration with Berea Faith Community Outreach (BFCO) to collect donations used to stock the Berea Community Food Bank, which greatly benefit families needing food assistance throughout the winter months. This is the 23rd year of the Hunger Hurts Food Drive, which has raised more than 8,000 lbs. of food for those who are in need.
“Black Lives Matter” yard signs. Union Church, in our ongoing commitment to our history and work for justice, has “Black Lives Matter” yard signs available. We are requesting a donation of $10 to cover the cost of the signs and to further our work toward racial justice. The requested donation is $10. These signs are limited, although if the interest is greater than the number, we may order more. You can pick them up at the church office. Donations should be made to Union Church with the notation of Racial Justice Fund in the memo.
October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. A remembrance will be held at Irvine McDowell Park in Richmond from 6:00-8:00 pm with candle lighting starting at 7:00 pm. Parents are welcome to share poems, letters and memories of their babies gone to soon. Names of babies will be read during this time too. If you have a baby you would like to remember, please message Tresslaree. doula@gmail.com
Celebration of Traditional Music next weekend! Come one, come all to this year’s Celebration, featureing musicians from eastern Kentucky who are carrying on and making new music in the tradition of the musicians recorded by John and Alan Lomax in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The kickoff is at next Thursday’s 3:00 p.m. convocation, in which 19 eastern Kentucky musicians will share their roots’ stories, followed on Friday and Saturday by talks, workshops, dancing, and concerts. For details on schedules & bios of speakers, performers, and musicians see www.berea.edu/ctm/ac.
Our Public Library is chock full of fun & informative events! A few are listed here, but check out the bulletin board by the “ramp” door for others!
Legislative Meet & Greet at the public library October 17 9:30-10:30 am. Meet elected officials and local candidates. All welcome, snacks served!
Friends of the Library Book Sale October 17 & 18.
“Fertile Ground” art exhibit features Union Church members. Several Union Church members are featured artists in the exhibit “Fertile Ground,” which celebrates women’s roles at the forefront of our community’s food culture. This exhibit at the Berea Arts Council features visual art in several mediums, as well as literary pieces. On Tuesday, October 20, from 6:30–8 pm at BAC, artists will give readings of their work. Please join in this celebration of our community!
“Age-Friendly” Berea Survey Results: If you filled out an “Age-Friendly” Berea Survey (or if you didn’t), you are welcome to an Open House at the library to hear the results Thursday Oct 22, 4-6 pm.
Library Fundraiser! Make a small quilt based on a favorite book! Contact Rita Barlow at lashleybarlow@gmail.com for details.
Did you know that Union Church now hosts 6 (six!) recovery support groups in our building? We have Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Al-Anon, Al-Anon Step Study and Depression & Bipolar Disorder groups. Check the calendar for meeting times, or call the office for the contact person;
Plus: 3 handwork/craft groups: Knitters, Quilters, and Basketweavers;
Plus: 3 musical groups in addition to our own choirs: ShapeNote Singers, Classic Chorale, Drum Circle!
We are delighted to offer the building as community space to these groups! With all this activity comes … well, a lot of activity. If you want to schedule a meeting, please call the office to be sure space is available before making plans. You can consult the church calendar is on the website at union-church.org. Thanks.
Save-the-Date! November 7—Family Cook-out/Potluck, Bonfire, & Music at Rev. Kent’s. Brought to you by your Community Life & Growth Board.
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