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

Pentecost May 24, 2015, 10:30 am

Meditation
“The dove descending breaks the air
With flame of incandescent terror
Of which the tongues declare
The one discharge from sin and error.
The only hope, or else despair
Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre-
To be redeemed from fire by fire.
Who then devised the torment? Love.
Love is the unfamiliar Name
Behind the hands that wove
The intolerable shirt of flame
Which human power cannot remove.
We only live, only suspire
Consumed by either fire or fire.”
― T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets

From there to here

Prelude     Tune for Pentecost      Hegarty
*  Call to Worship 
One:     When the day of Pentecost had come, wind from heaven blew and filled the house!
All:      Lord, send the winds of change and renewal.
One:     Tongues of flame, like fire, danced on their heads.
All:      Lord, send the fire of your justice, send the fire of your love!
One:     On the day of Pentecost, the disciples became the church and the church became incandescent with purpose and joy!
All:      Lord, rekindle on us the fire of such love. Send us as a wind   of your hope. Call from us all holy gifts to accomplish all holy work.
One:     Come, Holy spirit!
All:      Come and dwell in your people!
*  Opening Hymn #289 Black        Come Forth O Love Divine    Down Ampney
*  Prayer of Approach
*  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.

The Word in our Midst

Anthem    Send Down the Fire    Marty Haugen

Union Church Choir

Send down the fire of your justice, send down the rains of your love; come, send down the Spirit, breathe life in your people, and make us the people of God.
1. Call us to be your compassion, teach us the song of your love; give us hearts that sing, give us deeds that ring, make us ring with the song of your love.
2. Call us to learn of your mercy, teach us the way of your peace; give us hearts that feel, give us hands that heal, make us walk in the way of your peace.
3. Call us to answer oppression, teach us the fire of your truth; give us righteous souls, til your justice rolls, make us burn with the fire of your love.
4. Call us to witness your kingdom, give us the presence of Christ; may your holy light keep us shining bright, ever shine with the presence of Christ.
Lesson from the Acts of the Apostles                Acts 2:1-21
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-3 are invited to Children’s Church, which takes place in the chapel.  If this is your child’s first time attending Children’s Church, please accompany them to fill out a registration form.  Otherwise, children are welcome to follow volunteers to their worship spaces. For children preschool & under, care is available in the Nursery, downstairs off the Community Room. Please pick up your children in the Chapel after the service.
Gospel Lesson                  John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
Sermon     Confirmed!  Rev. Kent Gilbert

Confirming Our faith

Confirmation is the acceptance of one’s baptismal promises and is preceded by study of the Christian faith and an examination of one’s own commitment to the Gospel. Those standing before us have undertaken months of study and prayer, had the chance to be mentored by members of the congregation, and now receive the church’s blessing. We celebrate the faith journeys of Chloe Clark, MacGregor Lakes, Michael Mecham, Michelle Mecham, Sunni Walters, and Zoe Wilcher. Some of the class have asked to be baptized. Some, who were previously baptized, will be confirmed with the sign of the cross. Some have decided to continue their preparation until a later time. All are children of God and a gift to God’s world. Parents and family are invited to make their way to the front of the auditorium at this time to participate in the laying on of hands.
Presentation of Confirmation Class Members by their Mentors
Presentation of Those Who Will be Baptized or Confirmed 
Covenant of the Congregation:             When invited, please respond:
We promise our love, support and care of each one standing before us. We see God’s creation in you, witness to your redemption in Jesus Christ, and pray that you may be guided and graced by the Holy Spirit all the days of your life.
Prayer of the Spirit
Confirmation Hymn #353 Black             Great Work God Has Begun in You Verbum Dei
Question of the Confirmands and Congregation
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Pouring of Water
The Act of Baptism                     MacGregor Lakes, Sunni Walters,                              Zoe Wilcher
Since our founding in 1853, each member of the church may choose their method of baptism, respecting both the leading in Spirit of each, and the diverse denominational backgrounds from which our members come. MacGregor has chosen the blessing of water poured out here in the church. Sunni and Zoe have chosen to be immersed in Brushy Fork. All are invited to join the ministers at the bridge near the Berea Municipal Utilities building and Friends Meeting House immediately after service for the completion of their celebration.
Congregational Response                       When invited, please respond:
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 may continue to increase in usefulness and joy in his service.
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.) Please give generously, and fill out a Spring Forward card if you are pledging a future gift!
Your contribution is love made visible. Thank you!
Offertory              O Had I Jubal’s Lyre  D. Bish
*  Doxology              Avery/Marsh

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 in Japan and is also rung in the hope of peace for all nations.
Silent Prayers and Prayers of the Community
Our Lord’s Prayer
In observance of Pentecost, you may wish to pray in another language.  Several translations are below.  Apologies for any inaccuracies.
One:   Our Maker, our Mother, and …

Spanish

Padre nuestro que Estás en los cielos: Santificado sea tu nombre, venga tu reino, sea hecha tu voluntad, como en el cielo Así también en la tierra. El pan nuestro de cada Día, Dánoslo hoy. Perdónanos nuestras deudas, como también nosotros perdonamos a nuestros deudores. Y no nos metas en Tentación, mas Líbranos del mal. Porque tuyo es el reino, el poder
y la gloria por todos los siglos. Amén.

German

Vater Unser im Himmel, Geheiligt werde Dein Name, Dein Reich komme. Dein Wille geschehe, Wie im Himmel, so auf Erden. Unser tägliches Brot gib uns heute, Und vergib uns unsere Schuld, Wie auch wir vergeben unseren Schuldigern. Und führe uns nicht in Versuchung, Sondern erlöse uns von dem Bösen. Denn Dein ist das Reich und die Kraft und die Herrlichkeit, in Ewigkeit.  Amen.

Swahili

Baba yetu uliye mbinguni, Jina lako litukuzwe, Ufalme wako uje, Mapenzi yako yatimizwe, hapa duniani kama huko mbinguni. Utupe leo riziki yetu. Utusamehe deni zetu, kama sisi nasi tuwasamehevyo wadeni wetu. Na usitutie majaribuni, lakini utuokoe na yule mwovu. Kwa kuwa ufalme ni wako, na nguvu, na utukufu, hata milele. Amina.

Japanese

Ten ni orareru watashi-tachi no Chichi yo, minna ga sei tosaremasu yo ni. Mi kuni ga kimasu yo ni. Mi kokoro ga ten ni okona wareru tori chi   ni mo okonawaremasu yo ni. Watashitachi no hi goto no kate o kyo mo oatae kudasai. Watashitachi no tsumi o yurushi kudasai.Watashitachi mo hito o yurushimasu. Watashitachi o yuwaku ni ochi irasezu, aku kara o sukui kudasai.Amen.

From Here to There

*  Closing Hymn #265 Black          Come, O Spirit, with Your Sound        Boundless Mercy
*  Benediction & Sending Forth
Postlude (please be seated)         Toccata           arr. Behnke
_____________________________
*   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 Kenya and Tanzania and our brothers and sisters at New Liberty Baptist Church in your hearts, and pray for them.
Please also hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week:
* The victims of the earthquake and aftershocks in Nepal, and those who seek to assist them
* Those in harm’s way in service of our country, and those who wait and worry for them.
* Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound:  Edith Hansen, Nancy Jones, Mary Miller, Averill Kilbourne, Alva Peloquin, Ruth Butwell
* Kelly Mehler—we celebrate that his cancer is in remission!
* Michelle Tooley, now on hospice
* Ed Doty, Patty Boyce’s brother, as he continues treatment for bladder cancer
* Our Confirmation Class members and their mentors
* Susie Ritchie, Patty Tartar and their family, at the loss of their 20-year-old cousin, Reed Haga
* Krystin Porter at the loss of her great aunt, to whom she was very close
* Debra Catron and family, at the death of her mother, Katherine Taylor
* Randy Osborne and wife, Melissa. Randy has been diagnosed with tonsil cancer
* Annie Sims’ sister,  suffering from breast cancer
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.

Today is Pentecost! Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit 40 days after Easter. Pentecost is the birthday of the Christian church. Originally, Pentecost was a Jewish holiday held 50 days after Passover. One of three major feasts during the Jewish year, it celebrated Thanksgiving for harvested crops. However, Pentecost for Christians means something very different. Before Jesus was crucified, he told his disciples that the Holy Spirit would come after him:

   “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.’” John 14:16–18
And 40 days after Jesus was resurrected (10 days after he ascended into heaven), that promise was fulfilled when Peter and the early Church were in Jerusalem for Pentecost:  “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:1–4  We wear red to church to symbolize the flames, and celebrate the Spirit breaking into our lives!
A Musical Note: Please join us May 31st, for Choirs of the Church Sunday! Both the Union Church Choir and Union Handbell Ensemble have compiled a special musical service to bring their musical season to a joyful close!
Please remember registration cards and dues for the Bell Beginners Workshop is due on May 31st.
Looking for a way to serve?  We need people to provide snacks and service for Lemonade on the Porch this summer. We’ll need people to help set up and clean up, as well as to provide food.  Call or email Kevin Burke at 859-985-1144 or kevin_burke@wind stream.net
Change of date: Our Newcomers’ Information session will be on Sunday, May 31st after the worship service.  This way, all people can participate in Pentecost activities.
Summer Music Opportunities start SOON! Grab a brochure and check it out!
Do you have a volleyball we can use?  Community Life and Growth wants to have one at our all-church Burger Bash and Pool Party on June 20th.  If you can help, contact Kevin Burke (see info above.)
Donate ONLINE or by TEXT, Now or Anytime! For online giving, Union Church uses EasyTithe, a completely secure contribution system. You can use Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express Credit and Debit Cards, or an E-Check from your checking account. Scan the code here to go right to the website on your smartphone, or visit www.union-church.org and click on the Donate button for instructions.
You do not need to register to make a donation (just choose “Quick Give” ). If you do register, your information will be securely stored making future visits faster and giving you full control of  your giving reports.  Credit card processing does cost the church about 3.1% of your transaction. ACH (E-Checks) only incur a 1% fee. Please use whichever is best for you, but if you can, consider adding a little additional to help cover the bank fee!
Give By Texting 859-448-3403: Yes! You can give using your web-enabled phone. Text any amount to 859-448-3403. The first time you do–and just the first time–you’ll get a link to associate your phone and enter your securely stored credit or debit card. It doesn’t go on your phone bill, but only to a card you specify. After that, all you need to do is text the number with an amount and any designation. It’s fast and easy! Of course, like every credit card transaction the church pays a 3.1% fee. If you can include that little extra bit, it will make a big difference!
Examples: Text “$50.00” to contribute to today’s offering or substitute the designation of your choice (youth, missions, BFCO, etc. Amounts texted without a designation will automatically go to the Annual Ministry Budget and all giving will be included in your annual giving records.
Kroger Rewards and Amazon Smile—two easy ways to give.
     Kroger has been committed to supporting the communities it serves by assisting local charitable organizations through its Rewards Program.  Union Church will earn rewards on all eligible purchases you make using your Kroger Plus Card.  The Kroger rewards will accumulate and be donated quarterly to Union Church.  This is an easy way for all to fund-raise for Union Church.  Check bulletins for info or visit kroger.com/communityrewards
     Amazon Smile will donate .5% of eligible sales to Union Church if you register at https://smile.amazon.com/ch/61-0444677. This is a great way to support Union Church.
Celebration of Oscar Romero June 3 with St. Clare Catholic Church… Union Church and St. Clare members have maintained a 20+ year partnership with the community of Valle Verde in El Salvador. Dozens of Bereans have traveled to El Salvador as part of this partnership. Pope Francis recently beatified murdered Archbishop Oscar Romero, and our two churches will celebrate Romero’s contribution to justice and Christian faith. New Bishop of Lexington (RC) Stowe will preach.
Join us June 3 at St. Clare at 5:30 for potluck and a 7:00 pm service.             We’ll follow the hour long service with a community Fiesta! Stay tuned for more info!

It’s wedding season! The Union Church family is invited to attend two joyous celebrations in June!

Christine Ward & Teri Van Pelt

June 20, 2:00 pm Cowan Chapel

Reception to follow in the Community Room

RSVP to Christine at 859-358-6857

 

Elizabeth Grace Spencer & Luke Gabriel Erlandson

June 26, 6:30 pmSanctuary

Reception to follow in the Community Room

RSVP to Lizzy at 859-868-7135

Luke 859-779-9838