A Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the Church of Christ, Union
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 14, 2014, 10:30 am
Meditation
Forgiveness is more like planting a tree than cutting one down.
Source unknown
Welcome and Announcements
From there to Here
Prelude Meditation Curtis
* Call to Worship
One: To those who are strong and those who are weak, Jesus says,
All: You are welcome here.
One: To those who have sinned and those who have been sinned against, Jesus says,
All: You are welcome here.
One: To those who walk with calm assurance and those whose knees shake with doubt, Jesus says,
All: You are welcome here.
One: To all who seek the God of love and grace, Jesus says,
All: You are welcome here.
One: Come, church! Let us worship the God who proclaims:
All: You are welcome here.
* Opening Hymn #459 Black Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing Nettleton
* Prayer of Approach and Confession
One: What if God paid us back in full for all the wrong we have done?
O Lord we seek your mercy…
All: yet we ourselves look for payback when we are wronged. We think it “only fair” and “what is right” when we retaliate, and use harsh words, and withdraw from relationship.
One: The forgiveness you offer on our account is larger than we can comprehend, still we withhold forgiveness and carry the grudge over petty items.
All: We are eager to do your judging. In so doing, we miss entirely the blessing of your grace, and do instead further damage to your creation. Forgive us, Lord, for the sins we know in our hearts. Save us, Lord, from the sins we hide. Amen.
—adapted from a prayer by Bill Wessner
* Words of Assurance
* 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.
Anthem The Peace of God John Rutter
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge of the love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost be amongst you and remain with you always. Amen.
Celebrating God’s Gift in Baptism
Introduction of Ella Valentine Garrett
Questions of the Family
Blessing the Waters
Baptismal Prayers and Blessings
Blessings are offered by Ella’s parents, Andrew and Mary Robert Garrett, Ella’s grandmother, Paige Sweeney, and Ella’s sisters, Claire and Paige.
Covenant and Welcome
One: The church is the family of God and the Body of Christ, the community in which we grow in faith and commitment.
All: We rejoice to welcome you, Ella, to our care. We commit to being a community that boldly and creatively embodies Christ’s life and ministry, and which lives as faithful heirs to Christ’s promise. In all that we do, we will seek God’s grace to make the radical and inclusive love of God, the beloved community proclaimed by Jesus, and the continuing inspiration of the Holy Spirit visible and real to you, and to all.
Hymn of Blessing #350 Black Now in the Days of Youth Diademata
Breathing in The Living Word
Epistle Lesson Romans 14:1-12
Childrens 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, Little Church for children preschool & under is available in the Nursery, downstairs off the Community Room; and Children’s Church, for grades K-3, takes place in the chapel. If this is your child’s first time attending Little Church or Children’s Church, please accompany them to fill out a registration form. Otherwise, children are welcome to follow volunteers to their worship spaces.
Gospel Lesson Matthew 18:21-35
Sermon Growing Down Rev. Kent Gilbert
Sharing the Gifts of Love
Call to 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.
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 Reflection Wagner
* Doxology Avery/Marsh
* Prayer of Thanksgiving
Being and Becoming One
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.
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 hymn. Thanks be to God for these ministers among us.
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.
* Closing Hymn #552 Black From the Crush of Wealth and Power Bridegroom
* Benediction
Postlude Recessional in F Kellner
____________________________
* Please rise in body or in spirit
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 Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia and our brothers and sisters at Dreyfus Church of Christ 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 service of our country, and those who wait and worry for them
* Our church family members in nursing homes: Edith Hansen, Klara Welsh, Bernice Robertson, Nancy Jones, Mary Miller, Virginia Piland, Averill Kilbourne, Alva Peloquin
* Janet Dailey-Hosp, recovering well from a lung transplant
* Bob Bates, recovering from open heart bypass and valve replacement surgery.
* Bill, Melody and Eleanor Srsic, recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident
* The family and friends of Pat Napier, at his death
* Klara Welsh, who has had a fall. She’s sore but otherwise ok.
* Naomi Brandenburg, Larry’s mother, who has been ill
* The Chao family, at Dorothy’s mom and former Union Church member, Anne Thomasson’s death
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. Use the pew folder in your row, passing it back when all have signed. Let’s all try to get to know each other better.
Join the church today! You are welcome here! New members will be received today, September 14, and the second Sunday of every month.
College Students! We want to meet you! Rev. Rachel and the Community Life and Growth team will be hosting a lunch after church. We’d love for you to come and share with us. We can’t wait to meet you!
Sunday School Teacher and Little Church Volunteers Still Needed We need you! As part of our covenant of baptism, we promise to educate our children in the ways of God’s love. Our elementary students still need one more person to help them learn about this during Sunday School. Work with the creative and dynamic dream team of Alvera Perman and Maggie Park. You will not have to commit to every Sunday.
We’re also looking for 2 or more folks who might accompany our toddlers to Little Church in the nursery once a month and read stories, sing songs, or just play with the kids. Volunteer by talking to Rev. Rachel or Kim Kobersmith
What Inspires Your Faith? The Faith Development Board is here to serve you. Help us learn how! Please fill out the survey included in your bulletin and let us know what will help you develop your thoughtful, inspirational, and intentional faith development.
Pastoral Evaluations Are Coming Up—The Pastoral Relations Board has been working on a pastoral evaluation survey to gather information on how we feel our pastors are fulfilling their various roles in our overall ministry. We plan to conduct the survey beginning mid-September and running for about a month. The survey will be done online, with paper options available for those without internet access. Please make sure we have your email address by entering it in the pew folder (if you get the announcements on Mondays, we already have it). More information to come.
The Nurture and Care Board is currently a small group of people who meet monthly to consider how to be a loving and nurturing presence for our church community. We presently send greeting cards for grief and illness. We help get warm food to families that have experienced recent death, illness, or those with new family additions. We are working on a few pilot projects which may include providing transportation needs and we hope to collaborate with parish nurses to craft a few upcoming health projects. We would love to know how to help you! Please don’t hesitate to contact us! Rebekah Easton-Hogg, rebekaheaston@gmail.com
Food Bank Focus in September! The Mission Board has designated September as a month during which we are particularly aware of the food insecurity and hunger in our community. If you can bring nonperishable items to church, we’ll get them to the Food Bank. Many thanks!
Raffle tickets on sale From now until the November 16 drawing, Mission Board will be selling tickets for a beautiful Amish quilt and a coverlet crocheted Tunisian style. Single tickets are $1; $5 for six tickets; and $20 gets an envelope of 25 tickets. There will be two drawings: Red tickets are for the quilt. Blue ones for the coverlet. The proceeds will go to support the church’s mission outreach.
WNL News! Sept. 17, 7:30 pm Candlelight Vigil. Please join us in honoring National Recovery Month with a community candlelight prayer vigil at Union Church (outdoors, weather permitting) for those suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction, for those in recovery from addictive diseases and for family and friends affected by a loved one’s addiction. This is a Wednesday Nite Live program. After supper at 5:45, there will be a discussion about addictive diseases with question and answer period to follow.
Wednesday Night Live: Community Potluck September 24 Who is our neighbor? As a response to the needs of the refugee children on our Southern borders, we are inviting the faith communities of Berea to meet together for Wednesday Night Live on September 24. We ask you to bring something delicious at 5:45 pm and, following the potluck, we’ll have a brief presentation, then talk about immigrant children and what we are doing, as people of faith who recognize the vulnerable neighbor, Christ, in our midst.
Union Church is a Bread for the World partner congregation. If you remember Rev. Kent’s sermon last month, you’ll know something about the immigration crisis in Texas and New Mexico. Next week, Congress returns to Washington from its month-long recess. But they won’t be in town for long. Congress has only two weeks to pass some sort of budget before leaving again for final campaigning and the midterm elections. The government’s fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, and Congress is likely to pass a short-term budget due to the congressional elections in November.
This means the window of opportunity for Congress to also address the humanitarian crisis of unaccompanied children fleeing their homes in Mexico and Central America is closing rapidly.
Call (800-826-3688) or email your U.S. representative and your U.S. senators! Go to www.bread.org and follow the “How You Can Help” tab. Urge them to include in any budget bill they consider funding for effective poverty-focused development assistance programs in Central America that will address the root causes of poverty, hunger, and violence that are driving the children to flee. Our government has effective programs like Feed the Future (also found at bread.org) which helps provide sustainable agriculture in countries like Guatemala, and the McGovern-Dole school feeding program.
When children go to bed hungry every night, parents often feel like they have few options but to send them away. No parent should have to make this decision, but thousands in Central America continue to do so.
As followers of Christ, we should express and embody God’s love at all times. The Bible affirms that all people, including these refugee children, are made in the image of God and have inherent value, a right to life and dignity that we must protect, especially during humanitarian crises.
Your voice will send a powerful message to your elected officials that, while the national media coverage may be dwindling, you haven’t forgotten about the tens of thousands of refugee children fleeing into the United States from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. There’s a chance Congress will act on this, but your members of Congress need to hear from you!
[1-800-826-3688: Senator Mitch McConnell and Senator Rand Paul, Representative Andy Barr or your Senator or Representative]
September 21, next Sunday!
Please come to the re-dedication of our renovated sanctuary, special dedication of the Thomas Memorial Library and the inaugural organ concert by Gabriel Evans, Director of Music Ministries
* Ribbon Cutting & Remarks 4:00pm
* Organ Concert 4:30pm
* Reception to Follow
The “Fee Memorial Chapel” was dedicated in 1922. Newly finished floors, an improved pew arrangement, painting and new carpet, have renewed and refreshed the building for glorification of God and Christ-like service.
Taran Thomas (1970-1988) and Evan Thomas (1985-2002), sons of John and Keila, were each lost to tragic accidents. Their memorial library has been hand finished in rare hardwoods by their father and is offered as a place of peace and reflection overlooking the Union Church memorial garden.
Gabriel Evans, director of Music Ministries at Union Church is a masters candidate in Sacred Music at the University of Kentucky. His joy and enthusiasm for organ, piano and voice enrich each service. He will play pieces prepared for the church’s superb Steiner-Reck tracker organ, installed in 1979.
Leave a Reply