No matter who you are, or where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here!

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "No matter who you are, or where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here!"

Philip Kelly
5 years ago
Views:

July 9, 2017 9:30 am Lector Beth Heuermann Acolyte Zachary Letchworth Greeter Kristin Bowen Usher Karen Zinkl-Taylor Offering Steward John Blaser, Kris Pounds Coffee Hour Hosts Kathy and Myron Ury

1 July 9, :30 am Lector Beth Heuermann Acolyte Zachary Letchworth Greeter Kristin Bowen Usher Karen Zinkl-Taylor Offering Steward John Blaser, Kris Pounds Coffee Hour Hosts Kathy and Myron Ury Sound System Isaac Grimm, Russ Kuttenkuler Kirkwood United Church of Christ 1603 Dougherty Ferry Road Kirkwood, MO Website Phone (314) CHURCH STAFF Betsy Happel, Pastor Donna Bay, Administrative Assistant Ron Bryant, Accompanist Jennifer Brockhouse, Nursery Care Giver MINISTERS The Whole Congregation Facebook us No matter who you are, or where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here! OUR WELCOMING STATEMENT Kirkwood United Church of Christ is called by God to be an open, diverse and caring community of Jesus disciples. In following Christ s commandment to love one another, we welcome all who wish to share in the fellowship, membership, leadership, worship, ministry, sacraments, rites, responsibilities and blessings of our faith community. As we affirm that every person is a child of God, no one is excluded, regardless of race, ethnic or socio-economic background, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, nationality or faith background. We are an Open and Affirming congregation. 1

2 GUIDE FOR WORSHIP *All who are able, please stand Hearing assistance is available, please see an usher Welcome Those seated on the aisle, please fill out the welcome sheet on the clipboard in the pew rack, and pass it to the next person. Request: the last person to sign, please put the sheet in the offering plate. Thank you. Prelude Bourrée from Water Music G. F. Handel Beth Heuermann, cello; Jill Stoll, flute *Call to Worship Excerpts from Psalm 25 I offer my life to you, Lord. My God, I trust you! Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth teach it to me because you are the God who saves me. I put my hope in you all day long. I put my hope in you all day long! *Gathering Song This Is a Day of New Beginnings Page 5 *Gathering Prayer God of love and justice, we long for peace within and peace without. We long for harmony in our families, for serenity in the midst of struggle, and for commitment to each other s growth. We long for the day when our homes will be a dwelling place for your love. Yet we confess that we are often anxious; we sometimes do not trust each other, and we harbor anger. We are not willing to take the risks and make the hard choices that love requires. Look upon us with kindness and grace. Rule in our homes and in all the world; show us how to walk your paths, through the mercy of our Savior. Amen. Children s Time Barb Harris 2

3 Scripture Reading Romans 7:15-25a (Common English Bible) I don t know what I m doing, because I don t do what I want to do. Instead, I do the thing that I hate. But if I m doing the thing that I don t want to do, I m agreeing that the Law is right. But now I m not the one doing it anymore. Instead, it s sin that lives in me. I know that good doesn t live in me that is, in my body. The desire to do good is inside of me, but I can t do it. I don t do the good that I want to do, but I do the evil that I don t want to do. But if I do the very thing that I don t want to do, then I m not the one doing it anymore. Instead, it is sin that lives in me that is doing it. So I find that, as a rule, when I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me. I gladly agree with the Law on the inside, but I see a different law at work in my body. It wages a war against the law of my mind and takes me prisoner with the law of sin that is in my body. I m a miserable human being. Who will deliver me from this dead corpse? Thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Message How s That Working For You? *Song of Response Teach Me Page 6 Prayers of the People/Lord s Prayer 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Invitation to the Offering Having received new life through the generosity of God and the hope Christ brings, let us give abundantly, that we may be called God s grateful people. Offertory Hornpipe from Water Music G. F. Handel Beth Heuermann, cello; Jill Stoll, flute *Doxology We Praise You, O God v. 3 With voices united our praises we offer, and gladly our song of thanksgiving we raise. Our sins now confessing, we pray for your blessing; to you, our great Redeemer, forever be praise! *Prayer of Dedication All good gifts around us come from you, O God. You have given us life, and new life in Christ. As you have given us gifts, so we offer our gifts that we may be gifts to one another, even as Jesus so taught and lived. Amen. 3

4 *Blessing and Commissioning *Hymn of Recession Amazing Grace vv. 1, 2, 4, & 5 Page 7 Postlude Sources Gathering Prayer adapted from Ruth Duck, The New Century Hymnal, 836. Offering Liturgy from June Christine Goudey, The New Century Hymnal, 842 & 844. KUCC CALENDAR OF EVENTS *Names in italics with an asterisk are community groups which use our facilities. SUNDAY, JULY 9 9:30 am Worship 10:30 am Coffee Hour 10:45 am Adult Ed 12:30 pm Prayer Shawl Ministry MONDAY, JULY 10 10:00 am Al-Anon* 7:00 pm SLAA* 7:00 pm COSA* TUESDAY, JULY 11 11:15 am Al-Anon* 6:00 pm Yoga 6:30 pm WE CAN meeting 7:30 pm Church Council THURSDAY, JULY 13 11:15 am Al-Anon* 5:00 pm Faith Formation 7:00 pm Faith Formation Parent Mtg FRIDAY, JULY 14 12:30 pm Men's Prayer Lunch SATURDAY, JULY 15 9:00 am WECAN Election Protection Training 9:30 am Al-Anon* 2:30 pm WECAN Assist WEDNESDAY, JULY 12 10:00 am Adult Faith Formation Class 5:00 pm Meditation Group 6:00 pm SIA* 6:30 pm Al-Anon* 4

5 5

6 6

7 7

8 NEWS SPONSORED BY KUCC WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS Sunday, July 16 We will be welcoming new members into the KUCC congregation during worship on Sunday, July 16th. If you have an interest in knowing more about this or would like to join the church, we encourage you to contact Betsy at to schedule an appointment. SUNDAY MORNING ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES: SUMMER MOVIE: FENCES - July 9, 16, 23 How do we hear God still speaking to us, especially in the everyday activities of our lives? Is it ever through contemporary media messages? The movies? Or is it in conversation with others? Or could it be in conversation with others about the messages we see and hear around us? During July, we will be viewing the recently released film Fences : Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) makes his living as a sanitation worker in 1950s Pittsburgh. Maxson once dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, but was deemed too old when the major leagues began admitting black athletes. Bitter over his missed opportunity, Troy creates further tension in his family when he squashes his son's (Jovan Adepo) chance to meet a college football recruiter. Join us in the theater in July as we view this compelling movie. While you may have seen the movie already, did you think about what message it may have had for you about your faith? Your daily life? And how does your faith reflect on the contemporary issue brought up in the film? We will explore these and other questions, and what we may hear being spoken to us. CALLING ALL GREEN THUMBS: Do you enjoy growing your own food, but do not know what to do with your surplus? KUCC is surveying members and friends to see if there is interest to start a produce table on Sunday mornings. Items would be sold with the profits going to the church budget. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Kristin Bowen (ksprad@live.com or ). FACILITY RENOVATION PROJECT PLEDGE PAYMENTS: Thank you to all who generously pledged a financial contribution toward our facility renovation project! Plans are underway for construction to begin within the next month. In the meantime, you may begin fulfilling your pledge in weekly, monthly or quarterly installments if you have not already begun to do so. Please indicate "Renovation Campaign" on the memo line of checks. Questions? Please contact Carrie Mershon at carrie4home@gmail.com. SEEKING GREENTREE FESTIVAL LEMONADE STAND COORDINATORS: One of the more fun activities we do at Kirkwood UCC is sponsor the fresh lemonade stand at the Greentree Festival at Kirkwood Park. This year's festival is being held September 15-17, and we are looking for 3-4 adults to work as a team to coordinate the efforts. Coordinators will oversee set-up, take-down, purchasing supplies, and recruiting volunteers. This is a long-standing (decades-old!) KUCC tradition, so the systems are "turn-key ready." Proceeds will go toward the KUCC operating fund, with at least 10% going toward mission and outreach ministries. If you're interested in being involved with coordination, please contact Carrie Mershon at carrie4home@gmail.com OTHER EVENTS 8

9 UNION AVENUE OPERA "CAROUSEL", with Merry Keller Union Avenue Opera will be presenting the musical, "Carousel", on July 28 & 29, and August 4 & 5, at 8:00pm. Our former Director of Music, Merry Keller, has a lead part! Tickets are $35 ($32 for seniors) and can be purchased online at Union Avenue Opera is located at 733 N. Union Blvd., Blessings upon you, Merry! MISSION TRIP TO BACK BAY MISSION, BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI Parkway UCC has a reservation for the dates of Sunday, October 29 through Saturday, November 4, 2017 for up to 12 people. Typically, work will include electrical/plumbing (assisting local contractors), carpentry, insulation, drywall, painting, roofing, flooring, deck building and some demolition. All skill levels are welcome, but they recommend that some of the group have moderate to high levels of construction skills. We will be responsible for our own food, so there is an opportunity for a cook to come along. Youth are allowed with adult supervision. The work week is typically 8-4, M-F. We usually take an afternoon off from work to sight see, probably a trip to New Orleans. Participants will each need to supply $75 lodging + $100 materials per person for the week. More information is available at thebackbaymission.org Want to talk more about the Mission Trip? Please contact Tom McKenzie: mckenzie1947@att.net

10 SABBATICAL INFORMATION As most of you know, Pastor Betsy is taking a three month sabbatical this year. The contract that Betsy signed with KUCC in 2009 included our congregational promise to grant our pastor a two month sabbatical after 5 years. This contract was later revised to grant a three month sabbatical after 7 years. It is important that we keep the covenant that we made with each other. The sabbatical period (Aug-Sept-Oct 2017) is now upon us. Betsy and the sabbatical planning teams have been making plans for many months. There are a lot of people working to make sure all the pastoral duties are covered during this time. As I look over the division of labor, so to speak, the striking thing to note is that it requires several people to do the work that Betsy does all by herself! Many prayers for rest and renewal to Betsy! Here are some of the most frequently asked questions which will provide some guidelines for our congregants. If you have additional questions, please contact Carrie Mershon. What is a sabbatical? A pastoral sabbatical is an opportunity for the pastor to step away briefly from the persistent obligations of daily parish life and community leadership and to engage in a period of physical, spiritual and emotional renewal and reflection. This can help refresh the pastor s commitment and enthusiasm for the congregation and the pastor s personal sense of call. The main Bible passage for Sabbath is Genesis 2:2-3, in which God rested after creating the Universe. It is also applied to everyone in one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11). How long will Pastor Betsy be away? The sabbatical starts on August 1 and ends on October 31, Pastor Betsy s last worship with us will be July 30, 2017 and she will be back in worship on November 5th and return to the pulpit on November 12, Will Pastor Betsy worship with us while she is on sabbatical? No. In order to make this a time of true rest and renewal for Betsy, she will not be worshiping with us. Betsy will send us an update about her experiences every two weeks. Will Betsy s spouse, Rick, worship with us while Pastor Betsy is on sabbatical? Much of the time. Rick will remain active with KUCC. He will continue leading our renovation project this fall and will worship with us much of the time. NOTE: If Rick is present, please do not ask him to take messages to Betsy or ask him to talk about what Betsy is doing. If you must express that you miss Pastor Betsy, as we all will, show it through prayer and offering to share in some of the tasks that she has been doing rather than through messages sent via Rick. What if I happen to run into Betsy at the store, or outside the parsonage? Certainly say hi and acknowledge each other! That care and love has not changed. But please do not engage in conversation about the church during your conversation. Can I go to lunch or coffee with Betsy if we don t talk about church? No. I know we will all miss Betsy s presence in our lives and there will be a pull to reach out to her and call it social instead of work. This is not allowed. The period of separation is a covenant that we made with our Pastor and it is important that we keep our word. So...no dropping by the house for any reason. What will Betsy be doing during her sabbatical? Betsy has many plans for this rest and renewal period. She will have the opportunity to vacation with Rick, and will spend other weeks away engaged in activities she loves and finds creative and inspiring. During her three months she will spend a week of personal retreat in Santa Barbara, CA. She will also spend time in Austin, TX; Chicago; and Michigan attending workshops focused on needlepoint and color theory. And, she has plans to attend the Persons in Ministry retreat in September. The rest of the time will be spent with Rick and their dog, Sox, and reading novels. Novels. Will we have an interim pastor while Pastor Betsy is away? No. We have many ordained clergy and worship leaders in our congregation, and the Worship and Music team has carefully planned a schedule for the sabbatical period. We will have many exciting guests who will be preparing the worship experience and preaching each week. 10

11 You will be informed each week about our guest and plans for Sunday worship. How will we know who is taking care of what? For some general guidance: Pastoral care needs will be taken care of by a team led by one of our members, Rev. Linda Reynolds. Administration needs will be taken care of by Donna Bay and Carrie Mershon. Worship planning will be taken care of by the Worship and Music team, led by Mara Stoll and John Blaser. As always, if at any time you have a question, please call Carrie Mershon What is the Congregation going to do during the sabbatical? There will be a lot of congregational activities happening this fall. For our own renewal and spiritual growth, we will have the opportunity to explore the spiritual practice of singing. (See separate notice regarding congregational renewal.) We will also be renovating our facility as we Create Community! This sabbatical (and all the activities and challenges) will give us a chance to reflect on who we are as a body of Christ. May our Pastor and our congregation receive this sabbatical as a gift from our loving Creator and be rested and renewed through it! Pastor Betsy s Sabbatical Offers Opportunities For Congregational Renewal A great blessing of the Clergy Renewal Grant for KUCC is the opportunity for the congregation to participate in growth experiences of it's own during Betsy's sabbatical time. The grant KUCC submitted indicated we would engage an artist or two to help us express our gratitude and joy to God in ways that access the deep emotions of our hearts. The sabbatical planning team has chosen singing as the art form we will explore more deeply during the fall. We have chosen Paul Vasile as the artist to teach us and guide us in exploring together the spiritual practice of singing. Paul brings over twenty years of ministry experience to his work as a consultant, workshop facilitator, and teacher. He is excited to help our congregations broaden our repertoire of sung prayer and praise, and to demonstrate how participatory music and liturgy can energize and unify worshippers. Paul will be with us twice a month during the Betsy's sabbatical, and even a couple times after she returns. During the month of September, Paul will conduct a workshop with the choir and another with the congregation. These sessions are intended to be fun experiences to discover how we can use singing to more fully express our faith. We are excited to begin this time of discovery and learning, and we invite and encourage everyone to participate in this process during worship and the workshops! 11

12 12

December 17, :30 am

December 17, :30 am December 17, 2017 9:30 am Lector Beth Heuermann Acolyte Jada Cleary Greeters Sam & Virginia Okoloko Ushers Rose Brockhouse, Rick Happel Sunday School Teacher Sharon Danyluck Offering Stewards Rick Bender,