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

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 15, 2019     10:30 am

Meditation
there is beauty 
in being lost –
i hope you
find it
        — kai masa

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 Celtic Farewell L. Lamb
Pearl Marshall, handbells; Jane Mecham, flute; Susan Stephens, piano
The Call   Rumi
The way of love is not a subtle argument. The door there is devastation. Birds make great sky-circles of their freedom. How do they learn it? They fall, and falling, they’re given wings.
¨  Hymn #1 Black Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise St. Denio
¨  Passing the Peace of 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 hospitality.

The Living Word among us

Anthem The King of Love My Shepherd Is Baker, Wilberg
Union Church Choir; Kim Kobersmith, flute
The King of love my shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never; I nothing lack if I am his and he is mine forever. Where streams of living water flow, my ransomed soul he leadeth and, where the verdant pastures grow, with food celestial feedeth. And so through all the length of days, thy goodness faileth never. Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise within thy house forever, within thy house forever!
Epistle Lesson  1Timothy 1:12-17 (p. 1447)
“I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,” says Paul of his former life. “But for that very reason I received mercy.”
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 Luke 15:1-10 (p. 1257)
Jesus’ critics grumble against him, “this fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Sermon Trigger Warning Rev. Nate Craddock

Living Prayer

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.
Acts of Reflection and Prayer
Some resources for reflection and prayer and today’s Call are provided. You are free to use  – or ignore –  these prompts as you find helpful. In whatever prayer manner you adopt, please hold the concerns of those listed, and those you know about, in God’s peace-giving light.
What concept have you had or do you have of each of the four words we are focusing on today? Salvation, obedience, forgiveness, repentance. Have any of these been used in a way to cause you pain? Have they been used in ways to bring health and wholeness? Are there other words that have been problematic or helpful for you?Choose your least favorite “churchy word” (it doesn’t have to be one of the words above) and hold it in your mind and heart for a while. Engage in a dialogue with this word. Are there any new insights? Can you come to an understanding that will bring you peace?
Bell Table: FORGIVENESS The Greek word “forgiveness” means “release:” from debt, from bondage, from imprisonment. On a sheet of flash paper, take time to write something or someone from which you would like to be released. With gratitude, burn the flash paper in the candle flame (please use the tongs!) and let the sudden brightness of the flame be an image of those bonds being broken.
Sharing Table: SALVATION The Greek and Latin words for “salvation” literally mean “wholeness” or “health.” Offer a prayer for those who will receive the food left here, that they may experience wholeness of mind and body. [Stephen Ministers are also available to offer you a loving hug and a prayer for healing, if you would like one.]
Children’s Corner: OBEDIENCE The word “obedience” means “to listen intently.” Using the card stock and markers on the children’s table, create your own civil disobedience sign with messages to which you wish the world would listen intently.
Prayer Chapel: REPENTANCE The word for “repentance” in Greek means “to change one’s mind.” As you join in quiet prayer here, invite divine presence to change your mind from fear to love.
A Chance for Generosity: Offering Baskets in the Aisles
Offering baskets are placed in the aisle, and can also be brought to your seat. 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 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!
Please sing when invited:  From All That Dwell below the Skies
Pastoral Prayer and 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 #547 Black Amazing Grace Amazing Grace
¨  The Sending and Blessing
      Postlude (please be seated)
_________________________________
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 Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay and our brothers and sisters at Berea Church of God 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.
¨ Families and Friends in Crises…may God be present to every need and heal every rift and wound.
¨ For Children in detention centers, that they may be reunited with their families soon. 15,000 are now detained in the US.
¨ In thanksgiving for those students, teachers, parents, lawmakers, and citizens who are witnessing and working to end gun violence in our society. May laws that help be passed; may hearts that are broken be healed; may all who are in danger be kept safe.
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound: Alva Peloquin, Edith Hansen, Joyce Henderson, Nancy Hindman, Jennie Kiteck, Mary Miller.
¨ For those who are without homes and safe places, that we may work together for solutions.
¨ Marie, 4-year-old great grand niece of Dorie Hubbard, being treated for cancer.
¨ Dean Jacobs, Mary Lou Wiese’s brother, recovering at home.
¨ Cheryl Moore, with family members struggling with health issues: Larry O’Hara in hospice care and Rob Unterberger with lung cancer.
¨ Larry Brandenburg’s mom, recovering at home from a broken hip.
¨ Al White, recovering at home.
¨ Steve Boyce, at UK Hospital in Lexington with a bout of pneumonia.
¨ Peggy Coyne, recovering from surgery after removal of tumors on her salivary glands.

Announcements

Joyce Henderson is currently residing at the Terrace, Room 110, and will be going to Blacksburg, VA, soon. Union Church will throw party in her honor on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 2:30-4:00 in the Community Room. Finger foods are welcome. There will be a basket for cards. No gifts, please. You are welcome to invite those who might wish to come.
Sept. 22. Grammy Award Winning Violinist Mads Tolling In Concert, Sanctuary, 7:30 pm. Mads Tolling, a two-time Grammy Award winner,  who hails from Copenhagen, Denmark, will perform in concert with premier jazz guitarist Jacob Fischer. Mads is a master of many genres and puts his special jazzy touch to most of it. This concert is made possible with the cooperation of the Danish American Friendship Association, “Rebild.”  Adults $20, students $5, kids under 10 free. Tickets at the door or at eventbrite. We are lucky to have Mads and Jacob in Berea on their US tour, traveling from a concert in Chicago.
Debbonnaire Kovacs invites you to celebrate her birthday by coming to a picnic open house on September 29, any time between 2 and 10 pm. Address is 773 Big Hill Rd, ½ mile down Prospect, red house on the right. Bring food, a chair, and a song or story to share. Come and go as you please. 859-779-0793.
Berea Kids Eat. At the last Berea City Council meeting, Berea Kids Eat’s funding request from the City was cut in half. Can we help?  Recognizing that food insecurity and childhood hunger are problems with solutions, Grow Appalachia and Berea College partnered with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Kentucky Department of Education to form the Berea Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Launched in 2016, Berea SFSP works with Berea College Sodexo Dining Services to prepare breakfast and lunch to are youth (ages 18 and under) during the summer months. Meals are of no cost to participants, and there are no income requirements, registrations, or limits on the numbers of meals that are available.
Grow Appalachia is also helping our Youth Group with their Wednesday suppers this fall. Donations can be sent to them at CPO 2122, Berea, 40404.
The children and teens of Union Church will be making handmade care-cards as part of their nurturing and caring for others. YOU are invited to contribute some of the following materials that you may have on hand around your house. Please bring your materials to the donation table in the back of the church on Sunday mornings, or to the table in the hallway across from the office at any time. Thanks in advance for enabling the fun card making activities. Please email Teri Mehler with any questions: teri@kelly mehler.com

• construction paper and other colored papers
• plain white cards suitable for greeting cards
• cardstock weight paper
• plain or colored envelopes
• stickers, stick-on rhinestones, anything fun for cards
• glue sticks
• washable and permanent markers – wide tip and narrow tip for writing
• any other supplies for card making

Inmates at the Madison County Detention Center are in need of books. They are only allowed paperbacks delivered directly from Amazon.  If anyone is interested in sponsoring a book or two, please send $10 or $20 to the church (offering plate, mail, or easyTithe. If writing a check, put MCDC in the memo line) and we’ll place the order from the office. Rev. Nate has a list of requested titles. Thanks so much.
Art Exhibition: “Music to My Eyes,” [Sept 13 – Nov 2] an exhibit at the Berea Arts Council, 444 Chestnut Street, has been partially sponsored by Union Church’s Music Ministries.  Please go for a visit.
Tour of Pre-Civil War Churches:  Ten Pre-Civil War churches of Madison County will host an open house tour on October 5, 10-4.  Members of Union Church will host the visitors and a photo and artifact exhibit will be staged at Union Church.  You can register at the Berea Library or the Artisan Tourism Welcome Center.

Coming up—mark your calendars!

Sunday, October 13:  Bring your lunch and come to the Community Room after church for a showing of the film “From Paris to Pittsburgh: the Climate for Change is Now.” This is a National Geographic Documentary Film and runs approximately 75 minutes. Rev. Carla and Betty Hibler viewed this film in Lexington and highly recommend it. “The film captures what’s at stake for communities around the country, and the inspiring ways Americans are responding.”
Saturday, November 23, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Celebration of Giving (Previously known as Alternative Christmas Market). Local non-profits can reserve a table by contacting: cheyenne @sustainableberea.org. Instead of another sweater or tie, give a donation to your favorite non-profit in your loved one’s name. Union Church organizations (e.g. Youth Group) can reserve a table for no charge, as we are one of the sponsors of the event. If you would like to volunteer, contact Tennant Kirk or Betty Hibler.