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

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

October 14, 2018                10:30 am

Meditation
“Spirituality doesn’t look like sitting down and meditating. Spirituality looks like folding the towels in a sweet way and talking kindly to the people in the family even though you’ve had a long day.”
― Krista Tippett, Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living  

From there to Here: We Gather

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 Within Justin Levitt
Nothing is more powerful than hope. At the core of who we are, hope is what keeps us from giving up. This piece is a reflection of the journey of discovering and holding on to hope within.
The Call  
Prayer for Approach, Confession & Release
¨  Hymn         For Everyone Born        Everyone Born
Gospel Lesson               John 3:16 (p. 1283)
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 parents) 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  Matthew 9:9 (p. 1150)
Sermon Where He Leads Me, I Will Follow Rev. Bob Shaffer

Living Prayer

Prayers in Action and Reflections
You are invited to reflect and pray, either in your pew or at one or more of the 4 stations.  Some suggested prayer direction is printed on the bulletin insert and at the tables you visit.  You are also free to choose to rest in private prayer, remaining with your own thoughts and in your pew. The insert may be used for your thoughts, notes, drawings or other meditations at any time during the service.
Our Offering
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.
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!
Musical Meditation
When invited, please join in singing “Give Me a Clean Heart”
Give me a clean heart so I may serve you. God, fix my heart so that I may be used by you. For I’m not worthy of all these blessings. Give me a clean heart and I’ll follow you.
Community Prayer & 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

¨  Hymn O Young and Fearless Prophet (next page) Meirionnydd
¨ The Sending and Blessing
Postlude (please be seated) Moderato
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 Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama and our brothers and sisters at St. Thomas Lutheran 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.
¨ Children in detention centers, that they may be reunited with their families soon.
¨ 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, with  a severe liver disorder.
¨ Emily Spires, daughter of Randy Stone, diagnosed with breast cancer.
¨ Welcome to the world, Aurora Quinn Snow-Hurst, born September 30, weighing 8 lbs. 11 oz! She is the daughter of David and Melissa, and sister of Juniper.
¨ For Rev. Kent & Diana, Eef Fontanez, and all the members of the 2018 Madison County Delegation to Hokuto City, Japan.
¨ Tina Parker, diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery Tuesday.
¨ Ellen Mink is recovering well from her second knee replacement. She could use some help with meals. Please use this link: https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/o397qd.
Announcements
Welcome to the pulpit, Rev. Bob Shaffer!
Rev. Kent is away leading our sister city delegation to Japan until October 20.
Come to Wednesday Nite Live! All welcome for a Cuban dinner at 5:45 pm ($5 donation if able). Witness for Peace Southeast Speaker and Program & Youth Group at 6:30, Handbell rehearsal at 7. Union Church is privileged to host Alicia Sevila Hidalgo from Havana, Cuba’s Martin Luther King Center. She lives and works in Matanzas, Cuba as a pastor, ecumenical leader, popular educator and prison educator focusing on gender and liberation theology. She will be accompanied by a WFP Team from Raleigh, NC.
“Do One Thing Different” Special Wednesday Nite Live October 24, 5:45 pm supper & 6:30 presentation. Get important financial strategies from a membership organization of Christians that’s been helping members be wise with money and live generously for more than 100 years.
Everybody’s talking about one thing they can do differently to improve some aspect of their financial life. Even one change can make a big impact. Get facts to help you make more informed decisions. Then choose to do one thing differently to positively affect the way you share, save or spend. This session is hosted by Thrivent Financial representatives Joseph R Volpi and Rachel A Hooker, CLTC (No products will be sold at this event)
Next week is Gay Pride Week—daily events are scheduled. The Mocktail Mixer will be held in our Community Room tomorrow evening. Everyone is welcome to attend them all, especially Saturday’s event, a Family Block Party at the Berea City Park from 10-2 and a parade at 5:30. See poster in the hallway for the full schedule.
Pearl Marshall will perform a solo handbell recital for the next Cecilian Club meeting.  It’s 10:15am, Sat. Oct 20, at the Episcopal Church of Our Savior on 25N in Richmond.  Jenny Bromley is accompanying. All welcome.
Madison County Kentuckians for the  Commonwealth Halloween Spectacular October 21, 6-8:30 pm, Union Church Community Room, Chili Cook-Off, costume contest and silent auction!
You may have noticed some mobiles of piano hammers hanging around the church! These mobiles have been made from the hammers taken out of our grand piano during its renovation this past summer.  If you are interested, please take one.  We are asking for a donation of $25 that will be credited to account Organ Fund. Make a note on any donation that it is for the mobile and checks can be made out to Union Church. Thanks, and enjoy!
Pick up your Directory in the vestibule or the office. PDFs available for the asking. Update: Betty Wray’s phone number is back to 859-986-4377.
Church member David Parks will offer Bluegrass Zen: Meditation, Koans, Conversation on Mondays beginning Oct. 29, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, Cowan Chapel. No experience necessary, all welcome. Experience the beauty of zen, hearts opening to life just as it is.
October 28, 3-5, Community Room. Planned Parenthood of Indiana & Kentucky invites everyone to an afternoon of refreshments and conversation about reproductive justice and the importance of increasing access to care in the community. Please join the staff and President & CEO, Christie Gillespie to discuss the grown to tele-medicine and contraceptive access and how that affects Berea. RSVP to Heather Bruner (heather.bruner@ppink.org or 502-400-2302) by October 24.
Betty Wray is having a birthday (11/11) and we want to celebrate her! Come to a special birthday coffee hour after worship on Nov. 11. Call Sarah Miller if you can bring something sweet! 859-544-3873.
Meals for Jennie Kiteck. Friends, if you or your children ever played strings with Jennie Kiteck, now might be a nice time to reconnect briefly. She’s not doing much cooking these days and Union Church has set up a MealTrain to provide a home-cooked meal for her once a week on Friday evenings. She is an adventurous eater and does a great job washing up your containers! Use this MealTrain link: https://mealtrain.com/dwkg44 (the link will be live in the emailed Monday announcements).
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.