July 29, 2018 at 10 am Tenth Sunday after Pentecost Commissioning of the Guatemala Partnership Team

Transcription

1 An open and affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ July 29, 2018 at 10 am Tenth Sunday after Pentecost Commissioning of the Guatemala Partnership Team Ruby Bridges by Colby Jackson From Courageous, Eccentric, Diverse: New Monuments for New Orleans written by Third Graders of Homer A. Plessy Community School Was Ruby Bridges old when she fought racism? No, she was not. She was a kid. Ruby Bridges deserves a monument because she fought racism by herself. She as the first Black American to go to a White school in New Orleans. It was William Frantz Elementary. She was six. She fought racism because they didn t want Black people at a White school. Bill Clinton gave her a gold medal. She met Barack Obama and she got an award. She was a brave person. And she was a person of the United States. She was good at many things. They don t want to take her school down because it is a monument. And you can locate her house.

2 Welcome to our summer worship service. This summer the hymns are printed in the summer hymn book located outside the Chapel. Please take one when you come in and please return them when the service is over. Please join us for refreshments and time for fellowship immediately following the service. PRELUDE Preludio from Trio Sonata in G Major, No. 61 Joseph Bodin de Boismortier ( ) Claudia Yapp and Alan Clayton-Matthews - recorder Janet King - piano HYMN (pages 7,8) For the Earth Forever Turning WELCOME & PEACE HYMN (page 44) I Choose Love CANDLES AND PRAYER You are welcome to come forward to light a candle. You may share I light this candle for...:, I light this candle to celebrate, I light this candle in memory of or you may just light the candle and return to your seat. COMMUNITY PRAYERS Please use whatever form is comforting to you. Mother/Father, or Our Father/Our Creator...trespasses or debts. Here is an ecumenical version in contemporary language: Our Father and Mother in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your reign come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen. Response The Peace of the Earth Be With You 2

3 Commissioning of Guatemala Partnership Team PRAISE (as announced) READING John 6:1-21 SERMON Rev. Jim Mitulski OFFERING & ANTHEM Anthem Andante from Trio Sonata in G minor (Op.2, No. 2) G. F. Handel ( ) WELCOME TABLE EVERYONE is welcome to receive the Bread and Cup. You don't need to be a member of this church or any church. Pick up a piece of gluten-free bread, dip it in the cup, and hold it. We will receive all at once, following the pastor s direction. If you are not sure what to do, ask, and we are glad to explain. The cup contains grape juice. Largo from Trio Sonata in g minor (op. 2, no. 2) G. F. Handel ( ) Post communion Prayer, a reflection on Matthew 14:13-21 Elise Hardebeck One: Jesus withdrew to a remote place but someone saw him, and word got out. The crowds followed him and when he saw the people gathered, he was overcome with compassion and healed those who were sick. All: Loving God, help us to be overcome with compassion, too, for others and ourselves. May your hand of healing touch all those who are living with illness, seen or unseen, may they be strengthened in your spirit and held in your love. One: The disciples said, Send the crowds away. We do not have enough to feed them all. Let them go to the villages and buy themselves some food. All: Life-giving God, when we start to think like the disciples, remind us that the least of these are your beloved. Help us to remember that we belong to one another and to you, and in remembering may we seek to bring people together rather than send people away. When we would close our fists, O Lord, stretch out our hands. One: Jesus blessed the five loaves of bread and two fish. The disciples began to distribute these to the people gathered on the hillside. Everyone ate their fill. When the disciples collected what was leftover, there was enough to fill 12 baskets. All: Holy God, you have gathered us together and offered us a feast. As we are fed by this bread and this cup, send us back into the world so that we may continue to love, 3

4 welcome, and nourish others in your name. Amen. HYMN & BLESSING (page 9) I, the Lord of Sea and Sky POSTLUDE Affetuoso from Trio Sonata in G Major, No. 61 Joseph Bodin de Boismortier ( ) Worship Assistant: Dibby Moder Deacons: Jan Rubenstein, Lucy Slosser Altar Guild: Jean Veigas Flower Delivery: Caryl Johnson Ushers: Dave Johnson, Jan Rubenstein, Todd Barth The flowers on the altar are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Ara Donoian, given by Dianne and Bill Rees Church Covenant We strive to be a joyful, welcoming Christian Community. We seek to be faithful in a world torn by suffering, injustice, oppression, and war. We are inspired by God, Christ s Ministry, and the examples of other faithful people. We join together in worship and song, fellowship, study, and mission to embrace the risks and challenges of continuing Christ s ministry We struggle to live out our faith in the world by furthering justice and peace, witnessing to the truth, and proclaiming God s love and mercy for all people. Open and Affirming Statement As a covenant community we are committed to the belief that all people are created equal before God. In affirmation of the inclusive love of Christ Jesus, we welcome persons of any race, gender, age, sexual orientation, ability and economic circumstance to full participation in our community life and ministry. We strive to reflect these beliefs in the language and content of our worship and in our lives together. (This statement adopted in 2000, reflects the welcome of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender people and their friends an d families.) 4

5 7/22/2018 Collections* = $5,607 7/22/2018 Worship Attendance = 39 People June Electronic Pledge Amount: $10, Please contact the church office or office@needhamucc.org to find out how you can give electronically. *Collection amount does not include additional pledges received electronically. The Board is responsible for the overall administrative life of the church including buildings, finances, personnel and the overall health of the church. Moderator: Jackie Allen Clerk: Jane Brand Term Ends 2019: Jim Conroy, Diane Rees, Kristin Mollerus Term Ends 2020: Howard Sesso, Barbra Morton, Amanda Angel Term Ends 2021: Craig Morrison, Scott Lively, Amy Hurley Note: We have a vacant position in the class of The Deacons are responsible for the spiritual life and well-being of the church. Term Ends 2019: Rick Devereux, Dibby Moder, Scott Stewart, Carol Miller, Jean Veigas Term Ends 2020: Kevin Blume, Paul Brown, Sue Cotton, Lucy Slosser Term Ends 2021: Jim Ruetenik, Phil Gotwals, KM Abraham, Patty Morrison, Janet Rubenstein The Outreach Committee advocates to the church and its members about important issues relating to social justice in our church, community, city state and the world. They provide opportunities to volunteer and guide us in financial giving. We aim to give 15% of our income from pledges to the church to Outreach financial giving. Term Ends 2019: Bill Rees, Fred Moder, Hiroko Hardebeck, Lynn Gotwals, Term Ends 2020: Carol Brown, Mi Herzog, Tom Mollerus Term Ends 2021: Connie Kaufman The PRC is an independent group that supports and maintains an open and healthy relationship between the Minister(s) and Members of the Congregation. The PRC does not take the place of communications between the Members and the Minister(s), but rather helps those who need advice and assistance with such communications. Members: Tom Mollerus, Fred Moder, Martha Lamb 5

6 Welcome to all who are new or here for the first time! If you are interested in learning more about our church, please Rev. Jim at Rev Heike at or call the office at to set up a conversation. For updates on church life, our family ministries, Christian Education and Youth Ministries follow us on Instagram Congregational Church of Needham UCC on on Twitter Please silence your cell phone before attending the service. You can Check In on Facebook and let people know you are here. Feel free to Tweet, Snapchat, or Instagram during the service. If you would like or need a hearing device an usher will be able to assist you. Children s Childcare is offered for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers in the Nursery located downstairs during the service. Rev. Jim Mitulski s Office Hours Please contact the church office to schedule an appointment during his office hours of Tuesday & Wednesday 2 6pm; Thursday 2 5pm Evening hours are also available by appointment. *If these mes do not work for you please contact the office for alternate availability. Interim Senior Minister The Rev. Jim Mitulski RevJim@needhamucc.org , ext. 106 Associate Minister The Rev. Heike Werder RevHeike@needhamucc.org , ext. 105 Director of Children &Youth Ministries Madelyn Downer Youth@needhamucc.org , ext. 104 Organist/Accompanist Sangyoung Kim Housekeeper Sanira Alchaar Staff Church Administrator Danielle Jurdan Office@needhamucc.org , ext. 101 Office Assistant & Bookkeeper Cindy Sullivan Office2@needhamucc.org , ext. 100 Music Director Valerie Becker musicdirector@needhamucc.org Handyman Bill Donovan The Congregational Church of Needham 1154 Great Plain Avenue Needham, Massachusetts Facebook: Congrega onal Church of Needham UCC Twi Instagram: needhamucc of ice@needhamucc.org The Rev. Dr. Paul Clayton, Pastor Emeritus 6

7 ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS July 29, 2018 NEWS FROM THE SEARCH COMMITTEE As your Search Committee, we continue to review candidate profiles and refine our sense of potential matches for our church. Prior to face -to-face interviews, we have begun a series of screening interviews by Zoom Teleconference (similar to Skype) for those candidates whose qualifications, faith, passions and outlook particularly speak to us. You can follow the overall progress of the search on the poster on the bulletin board in the church hallway just outside the sanctuary. The poster shows each step of the process from surveying the congregation and writing the Church Profile, through the reading of candidate profiles, the interviewing of candidates, to the calling of a new pastor. As each step is completed, we will indicate that by a checkmark on the poster. The process continues to challenge us and fill us with excitement. The work requires our careful and prayerful attention, so we ask your patience, knowing that we will share news with you when we can. We respectfully ask that you refrain from approaching us individually with questions. As always, we appreciate your continued prayers. Altar Flower Donations August 15th Whether to honor a loved one or celebrate a special occasion, an opportunity awaits to accommodate your wishes. We have a vacancy in the month of August. Anyone interested may contact the church office at or office@needhamucc.org Additionally, an altar flower donation form can be found in the circular rack in the Narthex. Yummy snacks for Coffee Hour! Let s transform our oreo cookie coffee hour into something a little more fun, delicious and delightful. Our church committees and teams will be hosting one coffee hour each month with yummy treats. We invite you to host or co-host a Sunday as well! Families and individuals are invited to sign up for a Sunday to provide the food. You can use this opportunity to celebrate someone s birthday, anniversary or honor a person in your family or an occasion by providing goodies for coffee hour. Your sponsorship will be mentioned in the bulletin just like the families and individuals who give flowers for the altar. The office has set up an online sign-up form at or you can simply call the office to do so. Please call the office if you have any questions at August Delegation to Santa María Tzejá: The travelers are preparing to visit Guatemala this summer (August 1-12). We look forward to seeing the new middle school building in action, as students and teachers enjoy this comfortable space for learning. Please join us for: 1) the Delegation Send-Off gathering on Tuesday, July 31st (7-8 Great Plain Ave; and 2) the Reportback on our travels on Sunday, Sept. 16th, 11:30 am (Linden Hall). 7

8 Looking Ahead -- Welcome-Back Sunday (September 9th): Once again the Guatemala Partnership will host a Welcome-Back Brunch for the congregation following worship that day. This is always a special occasion, when folks return from summer activities and renew old friendships, make new ones, and enjoy great food together! Hope to see you there. February 2019 Delegation Sign-Up: It s not too early to sign up for the February 13-24, 2019 delegation, since the delegation will be finalized and airline tickets will be purchased in late September. Please contact co-leaders Brenda Metzler or Fred Moder with your interest or questions: bmetzler7@verizon.net; or fmoder@verizon.net. Have a ball with inter-faith bowling! UU Wellesley would like to challenge your church to join us for some inter-faith bowling. We currently have two teams and would like to get some more teams to meet people from all the local houses of worship. If you are interested, please contact Marianne Laffitte at MarianneLaffitte1975@gmail.com. The details: Date/time: Sunday nights - 7 to 9 pm Start Date: September 16, 2018 Location: Kings Dedham Legacy Place Duration: 6 weeks (with a break for Columbus Day) Cost: $324 for a team of six people ($54 per person) If we get 10 teams: $270 for a team ($45 per person) Price includes 6 nights of bowling and shoe rental Note: Must be 21 years of age, as Kings serves adult beverages Each team needs one captain to coordinate and collect fees Volunteer Opportunity for Baby Basics We are looking for a person who can host the distribution table on the first Tuesday of every month. This entails giving families diapers from 6-7 pm, dinner provided for you and your family. Contact Jennifer Haggerty at jenniferhaggerty@hotmail.com for more information or to volunteer. Community Dinners continue over the summer months! Upcoming date for summer community dinner in August 7, Volunteers are always welcome to help set up, serve, and clean up at our monthly community dinner for our Baby Basics families. Please contact Diana Conroy if you would like to join our volunteer team. There will be a first-aid supply drive for Santa Maria Tzeja happening to the end of this July! Items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, painkillers, topical antibiotics and antifungals, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be dropped off in a labeled box located on a bench in Fellowship Hall. List of first aid supplies need: painkillers (acetaminophen, ibuprofen for adults and children), topical antibiotic creams/gels, topical antifungal creams/gels, anti-allergy medications, multivitamins (adults and children), toothpaste, toothbrushes, bandages, among others. 8

9 GOD S BIG BACKYARD: Mon. 8/20 Fri. 8/24 Kids are invited to join us as we explore God's Big Backyard! Children will learn about God's love through arts and crafts, science, cooking, and games workshops. Each day we will learn about a Bible story that teaches us about caring for the earth and all of our friends who call this place home! During the week we will be collecting donations of school supplies and Spanish-language children's books for our Guatemala Partnership and the ministry they do in Santa Maria Tzeja, Guatemala. A gluten-free, nut-free snack is provided each day. Students should bring a bagged lunch (please, no nut products). Program Ages: Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 5 Program Dates & Times: Monday, August 20, Friday, August 24, 2018 Drop-off is between 9:00 and 9:15 AM. Pickup is between 12:45 and 1:00 PM. Sign up online All students take home crafts and activities. Students who participate for the full week will receive a VBS t-shirt! Wednesday is Water Day! Our activities include water toys and shaving cream races. Bathing suits, towels, and a dry change of clothes are encouraged. If you are registering more than 3 children, please submit two forms. Questions? Get in touch with Maddie, our Director of Christian Education and Youth Ministries by ing youth@needhamucc.org or calling

10 Sunday July 29th Tuesday July 31st Wednesday August 1st Friday August 3rd Sunday August 5th Tuesday August 7th Wednesday August 8th Friday August 10th Sunday August 12th Monday August 13th Wednesday August 15th Thursday August 16th Friday August 17th Sunday August 19th Monday August 20th Tuesday August 21st Wednesday August 22st 10:00 am 11:30 am Worship Blessing the Guatemala Delegation, Chapel Coffee Hour, Front Courtyard Guatemala History Presentation 7:00 pm Guatemala Send Off, 505 GPA 7:00 pm Wednesday Night Worship, Chapel 7:30 pm 10:00 am 11:30 am Office Closed Friday Night Family Movies (Clue LEt s GO watch this brick adventure) Worship, Chapel Coffee Hour, Front Courtyard) 6:00 pm Community Dinner, Linden Hall 7:00 pm Wednesday Night Worship, Chapel Board Meeting, Library 7:30 pm Office Closed Friday Night Family Movies (Clue adventurous girl on a quest) 10:00 am Worship, Chapel 7:00 pm Finance Team Meeting, Conference Room 7:00 pm Wednesday Night Vespers, Chapel 7:00 pm CE/Youth Meeting, Conference Room 7:30 pm Office Closed Friday Night Family Movies(Clue: Flying away in an old house w/ balloons.) 10:00 am Worship, Chapel 9:00 am Vacation Bible School 9:00 am Vacation Bible School 9:00 am 7:00 pm Vacation Bible School Wednesday Night Worship, Chapel N 10