July 25, 2021, Worship Bulletin & Prayer Concerns

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

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost 10:30 am 

Meditation “There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

From There to Here: We Gather

Gathering Music Kyrie & Fugue; Cromhorne en Taille   Gaspard Corrette

Welcome

The Call Jenny Bromley and EJ Stokes, Readers

“Transformation begins in you, wherever you are, whatever has happened, however you are suffering. Transformation is always possible. We do not heal in isolation.

We reach out and connect with one another–when we tell the story, name the hurt, grant the forgiveness, and renew or release the relationship–our suffering begins to transform.” —Desmond Tutu

Passing of the Peace Please remain seated.

Hymn #558 Black Oh How Glorious, Full of Wonder In Babilone

1. O how glorious, full of wonder is your name o’er all the earth, God, who wrought creation’s splendor, bringing suns and stars to birth! Rapt in reverence we adore you, marveling at your mystic ways. Humbly now we bow before you, lifting up our hearts in praise.
2. When we see your lights of heaven, moon and stars, your powers displayed, who are we that you should love us, creatures that your hand has made? Born of earth, yet full of yearning, mixture strange of good and ill, from your ways so often turning, yet your love does seek us still.
3. You have set us in communion with the wonders of your hand, made us fly with eagle pinion, pilgrims over sea and land. Soaring spire and ruined city, these our hopes and failures show. Teach us more of human pity, that we in your image grow.
4. O how wondrous, O how glorious is your name in every land, God, whose purpose shines before us toward the goal that you have planned! Yours the will our hearts are seeking, conscious of our human need. Spirit in our spirit speaking, make us yours, O God, indeed.

Lighting the Justice Candle

This week we light the Justice Candle in honor of Appalshop. Located in Whitesburg, KY, Appalshop is a media, arts, and education center celebrating the culture and voicing the concerns of Appalachians. Appalshop’s 50-year core mission is cultural preservation. The aim is to tell the full picture of  life in these mountains. “The Appalshop Archive cares for thousands of hours of 16mm film, videotape and audio recordings, plus photographic prints and negatives, paper records, and material ephemera that show an incredible range of life and history in central Appalachia.“  
Appalshop recently received a challenge grant from National  Endowment for the Humanities to preserve, and expand access to, their archived collections of Appalachian history. In July, the Mission and Service Board made a donation toward the required $375,00.00 match.  Our own Ben Whaley-Jones is an intern at Appalshop, creating a documentary examining John Fee’s vision of integrated education and the reality of racism in the community. Visit Appalshop online: www.appalshop.org

The Living Word Among Us           

Hebrew Scripture Lesson                      2 Samuel 11:1-15 EJ Stokes, Reader

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, “This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.” So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared, and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house?” Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing.” Then David said to Uriah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day. On the next day, David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die.”

Children’s Moment                     Please join in singing as we bless children everywhere:

May God’s blessing 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. 

Gospel Lesson Mark 6:1-21

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”

When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

Sermon Enough But Not Too Much Rev. Kent Gilbert

Living Prayer

Call to Prayer and Offering

A Chance for Generosity: www.easytithe.com/unionOur 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 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”)

You can also use US mail!  Mail to: CPO 2105, Berea, KY 40404

Your contribution is love made visible. Thank you!

Offering Music Prelude on Bridegroom Sue Mitchell Wallace

Offertory 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.

Prayers of the Community Jenney Bromley, Reader

When we are face to face with our fears, Lord; when we are lost in a sea of need, you come to us across the waves of tumult with baskets of bounty. Turn us away from our fears and toward each other where the bread of heaven is held. Ground us in the small circles of grace that break open the hope, and heal us of all that might harm us.

We pray as your Christ taught us, saying…

Our Lord’s Prayer

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 #347 Black Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ Linstead

1. Let us talents and tongues employ, reaching out with a shout of joy: bread is broken, the wine is poured, Christ is spoken and seen and heard. Jesus lives again; earth can breathe again. Pass the Word around: loaves abound!
2. Christ is able to make us one, at his table he set the tone, teaching people to live to bless, love in word and in deed express. Jesus lives again; earth can breathe again. Pass the Word around: loaves abound!
3. Jesus calls us in, sends us out bearing fruit in a world of doubt, gives us love to tell, bread to share: God (Immanuel) everywhere! Jesus lives again; earth can breathe again. Pass the Word around: loaves abound!

Benediction

Postlude Andante in F Fanny Mendelssohn

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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 Sudan, South Sudan, and Uganda and our brothers and sisters at Westside Baptist Church in our hearts, and pray for them. Please hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week.

¨ All those seeking a new and just society and those fearful that they will be supplanted, may God open their hearts and include them in grace.

¨ Our church family members in nursing homes or who are homebound: Alva Peloquin, Loyal Jones, Jennie Kiteck, Mary Miller, Lois Morgan, Jan Hamilton, Laura Robie

¨ Families and Friends in Crises…may God be present to every need and heal every rift and wound and those who care for them.

¨ Bob Boyce, now St. Joseph East.

¨ Patty Boyce, recovering from heart valve surgery at UK Hospital.

¨ Tom Hubbard

¨ Robert Rorrer, celebrating “graduation” from chemotherapy!!

¨ Sally Hindman, recovering from shoulder surgery.

¨ JoAnn Russell, Reda Hutton’s aunt, facing several medical challenges.

¨ Children in detention centers, that they may be reunited with their families soon.

¨ Those affected by the Covid-19 virus, their families and friends living with fear, anxiety, and feelings of isolation, may God bring peace to all who love them; and our wider community as we cope with the new realities of living, including the over 7300 Kentucky residents, and 113 Madison County residents, who have died to date from Covid-19.

¨ Important dates—if we haven’t got yours, let us know. We’ll help you get connected in FellowshipOneGo!

Birthdays coming up this week:  July 26– Jesse Montgomery, 27 – Silas Montgomery, 29 – Barbara Frederiksen, 31-Sharona Nelson, August 1 – Tom Hubbard

Anniversaries this week: July  27 – John & Ramona Culp