September 19, 2021, Worship Bulletin, Prayer Concerns, Coffee Hour Link

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

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost 10:30 am 

Meditation “Wonder is the building block for Love.” — Valarie Kaur

From There to Here: We Gather

Gathering Music

Welcome

The Call                                    Debbonnaire Kovacs and Ruth McLain Smith, Readers

One: To wonder is to let in a sense of awe and openness, a sense of deep curiosity. It is to look upon the face of anyone or anything and say, you are a part of me I do not yet know. To wonder about another person is to open ourselves up to their thoughts and experiences, their pains and joys, their wants and needs.

One:  It’s an orientation of humility. It’s recognizing that they are as complex, and infinite, and vast to themselves as we are to ourselves. Wondering about another person gives us information for how to love them. — Valarie Kaur

Passing of the Peace at Home

Today we light the Justice Candle Today we light the Justice Candle in honor of Rev. Dr. Jamesetta Ferguson who is senior pastor at   historic St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Louisville, Ky  and who helped revive the church as well as imagining social services and businesses next to its historic building.

The  30,000-square-foot facility, known as the Village at West Jefferson was dedicated with a Grand opening in July 2021 It also goes by MOLO Village, using the word for “welcome” in Xhosa, a southern African language. She has also been instrumental in working with the City of Louisville in the process of creating MOLO as the city was tearing down Beecher Terrace, a public housing complex across the street.  Residents had to leave, but Dr. Ferguson made sure they would have the option to move back in after the city rebuilt it

MOLO houses the first significant new services in the Russell neighborhood — part of the larger West End section of Louisville — in decades.

.The Village is built to foster community. Ferguson’s MOLO Village Community Development Corporation will have its own space for activities for seniors there, as well as educational programs for all ages  designed to further the mission of Village which is to transform, empower, and renew the lives of those who we serve through education, community service, advocacy, and healthy living.

Included in its tenants re:

*The Drippin’ Crab, a seafood restaurant set to open in late spring. A Louisville celebrity chef, Darnell Ferguson, will run it.

*The Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative. It will operate a kindergarten for some 85 children.

*A health clinic facilitated by Norton Health.

*The Black-owned G. Starks Realty Co. , and  other black owned entrepreneurships designed to further the mission.

“It’s a dream come true,” “We started this project with the hope of bringing Black investment back into the Russell community.” And it is happening!

Hymn         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 power displayed, who are we that you should love us, creatures that your hand hath 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.

Epistle Lesson James 3:13 – 4:3, 7-8a Ruth McLain Smith,  Reader

Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, “God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

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 9:30-37

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Sermon The Wonder of Revolutionary Love Rev. Kent Gilbert

Living Prayer

Call to Prayer and Offering

A Chance for Generosity: www.easytithe.com/union 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 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

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 Debbonnaire Kovacs, Reader

O holy God, author of all wonder and wisdom, we pray today for open hearts. We pray for clear minds unclouded by the desire to see only what we want to see. In a time of challenge, help us keep wonder alive: the wonder of your care, the wonder of your creation, the wonder and saving curiosity about how we realize your kin-dom in our midst. Keep us open to others that we might, like you, see no stranger. Heal us our infirmities, and keep those we love safe. Do not spare us from challenge, but strengthen each of us for the course. For in you is love. In you is wisdom. Made in your image, may we treat each other with both wonder and compassion, in Jesus name we pray reaching to you as…

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 Rooted and Grounded in Love Words and Music:                                                        Amanda Udis-Kessler; arr.  Bryan T. Johnson

1. In a time of disease, we are called to be healers embodying Love’s holy care. We follow the healer who tended the suffering, restoring the wounded, our work and our prayer. We are joyful and strong as our faith is revealed in the richest abundance of fruit that we yield.

2. Chorus: We are rooted and grounded in love. Like a tree by the river, we’re planted so deep. We are rooted and grounded in love with each gift that we bring and each promise we keep. As we birth a new world where we all have enough, we are rooted and grounded in love.

3. In a time of distrust, we are called to be teachers embodying Love’s holy grace. We follow the teacher who welcomed the stranger, enlarging Love’s realm with each sacred embrace. We are joyful and strong as our faith is revealed in the richest abundance of fruit that we yield. Chorus.

4. In a time of despair, we are called to be prophets, proclaiming all people as one. We follow the prophet who cried out for justice, our lives offered up so Love’s will can be done. We are joyful and strong as our faith is revealed in the richest abundance of fruit that we yield.

Benediction

Postlude

OUR FELLOWSHIP PRINCIPLES:

“Union Church welcomes all followers of Christ and works with all who work with Him; respecting each person’s conscience; working by love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.”

Come to Coffee Hour after worship! https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87387600761

 Nurture & Care meeting cancelled for September.

¨ 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 Ghana and Nigeria; and our brothers and sisters at St. Clare Catholic 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.

¨ Tom Hubbard

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

¨ Sharona Nelson, as she faces decisions regarding a difficult family situation.

¨ Dorie Hubbard’s great grand-niece, Marie, whose cancer has gotten worse.

¨ Shelagh Quigley, dear friend of Dodie Murphy, who has Covid-19.

¨ Sandy and Bob Kittendorf, relocating after long and successful careers and retirement in Louisville.

¨ New Stephen Ministers to be commissioned next Sunday, Sept. 26.  These dedicated people have been training for several months and are ready to begin their caring ministry among us here at Union Church.  We thank God for all our Stephen Ministers and pray that God will bless their ministries. These lay ministers will provide care for people in and around our congregation who are going through many kinds of difficulties in their lives. Please show your support and appreciation for  Doug Hindman, Tennant Kirk, Hazel Morris, Susie Ritchie and Betsy Whaley at the commissioning service and through your prayers.

Prayers for those in danger from fires and flood, especially those in western wildfires and cleaning up after

¨ Hurricane Ida. 

¨ 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 now over 8200 Kentucky residents, and 124 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 FellowshipOne Go!

Birthdays coming up: today, September 19 – Reid Connelly; 20 – Mark Gailey; 21 – Renee Wellinghurst; 25 – Brice Catlett; 27 – Olin Shaw Perry