Eden United Church of Christ Order for Worship Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost Sunday, September 11, :00 a.m.

Transcription

1 Eden United Church of Christ Order for Worship Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost Sunday, September 11, :00 a.m. WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS Eden United Church of Christ is an Open and Affirming congregation. We believe that all people are children of God; that persons of all ages, races and sexual orientations are part of our increasingly diverse culture. We welcome all persons into the full life and ministry of this church. Children s bulletins are available upon request from the ushers. Thank you for muting your cell phone, pager, and PDA during worship. Thank you for bringing no food or beverages in the Sanctuary other than sacramental elements and bottled water. PRELUDE Processional in A Major Alex Guilmant THE LIGHT ENTERS WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT GREETING & ANNOUNCEMENTS The Rev. Pepper Swanson (Thank you for your gift of presence and for completing a blue worship card today) INTROIT Praise to God, Your Praises Bring (v.4) NCH 430 Praise God for the garden root, meadow grass, and orchard fruit: Praise for hills and valleys broad, each the table of our God. * CALL TO WORSHIP (All who are able may stand) Herb Graw L: We are strangers to one another, O God, but never to you. R: You know the longing of our souls, the sighs too deep for words. L: In sleeping and in waking, R: in quiet and in confusion, L: in despair and in hope, R: in silence and in sound, L: you hear the cries of our hearts. R: Come this day, O God, and dwell among us. L: Come, and turn our sorrows into singing, R: our cares into commitment, L: our bleak memories into bright promise. R: Come, and make all things new. Amen.

2 * HYMN Lift Every Voice and Sing NCH #593 * INVOCATION (in unison) Herb God of the Living and the Dead, today we remember nearly 3000 people who died in our nation 15 years ago, as we continue to watch the horror show unfolding in other cities and nations where acts of terror are nearly an everyday occurrence. The magnitude of these tragedies nearly overwhelms us; but then we hear your still, small voice calling us to prayer, to peace, and to peacemaking with our neighbors. For this calling, for your encouragement, and for the prophets vision, we give you thanks, and pray that we might be faithful followers of the Prince of Peace. Amen. * PASSING OF THE PEACE Herb L: The peace of God be with you all. R: And also with you. L: Let us greet our neighbors with a sign of peace. MUSICAL INTERLUDE L: Our service continues with the Children s Gathering. Pepper CHILDREN S GATHERING Pepper CHILDREN S BLESSING Great Work Has God Begun in You (v.2) 353 In love, God calls you to this day, and gives you strength, these vows to say; Take up the faith that you were shown, and grow, assured you are God's own. (Children K-12 th are excused to their Church School classes. Nursery care is available at any time during worship. Please see an usher for an escort to the nursery.) SCRIPTURE READING Jer. 4:11-12, Herb (Today s scripture lesson can be found on page in the pew Bibles.) SERMON The on 9-11 The Rev. Dr. Arlene K. Nehring * HYMN Lead Us from Death to Life NCH 581

3 PRAYERS FOR PEACE & HEALING Arlene One: We pray for the innocent, whose lives were lost swiftly and in violence. All: May they forever find shelter with you. One: We pray for the faithful, whose lives were lost in service to others. All: May they forever find shelter with you. One: We pray for the wounded, whose lives are damaged in body and spirit. All: Comfort and heal them, and give them strength. One: We pray for the young, whose lives are marred by anxiety and loss. All: Comfort and heal them, and give them strength. One: We pray for the fearful, whose lives are truncated by worry and confusion. All: Comfort them, and give them peace. One: We pray for the angry, whose lives are fueled by hatred. All: Show them your way of love. One: We pray for the poor, whose lives are ruled by hungers of body and mind. All: Fill their emptiness with abundance. One: We pray for the powerful, whose choices signal life or death for others. All: Grant them wisdom and compassion. One: We pray for the peacemakers, whose lives are daily in harm s way. All: Protect them, and grant them mercy in time of trial. One: These things we ask in the name of the One who came to offer a more abundant life to one and all, Jesus Christ. All: Amen. Prayer Response Dona Nobis Pacem Traditional Canon OFFERING & DEDICATION OF OUR GIFTS Invitation (Thank you for placing your blue worship card in the offering plate) Herb Offertory Impromptus Op.90 No.3 in G-flat Major F. Schubert

4 Prayer Response God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending (v.1) NCH 565 God, whose giv-ing knows no end-ing, from your rich and end-less store, Na-ture s won-der, Je-sus wis-dom, cost-ly cross, grave s shat-tered door: Gift-ed by you, we turn to you of-fering up our-selves in praise; Thank-ful song shall rise for-ev-er, gra-cious do-nor of our days. * Prayer of Dedication Herb * HYMN Come, Let Us Join with Faithful Souls NCH 383 * BENEDICTION Arlene * RESPONSE O Grant Us Light (v. 1) NCH 571 O God of love, O God of peace, make wars throughout the world to cease; The wrath of human wrong restrain; Give peace, O God, give peace again! * CHIMES & THE LIGHT DEPARTS WITH THE PEOPLE (The congregation is seated for the Postlude) POSTLUDE Allegro Maestros from Water Music Handel Worship Leaders The Rev. Dr. Arlene K. Nehring, Senior Minister The Rev. Pepper Swanson, Associate Minister Herb Graw, Liturgist Dr. Jessie Wenchieh Lo, Organist Miriam Hutchinson & Isabel Walth, Greeter Miriam Hutchinson, Russ Newman, Stephanie Spencer, and TBD, Ushers Pepper Swanson, Jana Aloo, Rozetta Walth, Church School Teachers Angelina Collier & Kemy Gekara, Childcare Workers Amy Servas & Jacob Smith, Fellowship Captain Amy Servas & Jacob Smith and Pat Payne, Fellowship Hosts Russ Newman, Trustee on Duty Dawn Coburn, Sunday Sexton Welcome Welcome to Eden United Church of Christ! If you are searching for a spiritual home, please consider becoming part of our congregation. Eden welcomes members who seek a deeper relationship with God in a caring community and who strive to make a difference in the lives of others. We will celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism and the Rite of Church Membership four to five times yearly during morning worship. Please see one of our pastors or an usher, deacon, or member of the E-Team if you seek baptism for yourself or your child, or if you would like to be received into church membership. We will celebrate infant and adult baptism and receive new members several times each year.

5 Flower Dedication The flowers on the altar are given by Scott and Pepper Swanson in celebration of their wedding on Sept 11, TODAY Welcome Back Sunday! TODAY is our annual Welcome Back Sunday celebration. Please join us after worship for a luncheon provided by Amy Servas and our Fellowship Committee. In addition, visit our Education, Spiritual, Life, and Outreach tables for information about upcoming programs and volunteer opportunities. Icebreakers, candy, cookies, and balloons available for kids of all ages! Confirmation begins on TONIGHT, 5 to 7 pm in Oliver Hall. Confirmation is a faith formation program offered every other year or so at Eden for youth in 8 th grade and up. The nine-month program culminates in students making a choice of whether to participate in an ancient rite of the Christian church, by affirming their baptism and joining the church. Contact Pastor Pepper for information. Upcoming Events E-Team Meeting: The E-Team will meet on Sunday, Sept 18 in the Fireside Room to discuss the fall calendar and to plan for this year s evangelism events. Everyone is invited to attend and contribute their ideas for how to spread God s good news in our community. For more information, contact Keith Smith or Athena Malloy, E- Team co-chairs. Taste & See: Newcomers to Eden Church are invited to join our pastor and welcoming team for a reception in the Norberg Room, Sunday, Sept 25, 11:30 am 12:30 pm. Grab coffee & a snack from Fellowship in Oliver Hall, meet up in the Norberg Room (east wing). Tell us a little about yourself and your spiritual journey. Ask questions. Learn more about enriching experiences offered at Eden such as Church School, voter education events, yoga classes, Bible study, volunteer opportunities, and church school. Children are welcome! See Pastor Arlene or Pastor Pepper today for more information. Fall Bible Study Begins: Bible Study will resume this fall by reading the Acts of the Apostles. The first meeting is Monday, Sept 26 in the Community Room. We meet 7 to 8:30 pm for prayer, fellowship, and to read the Scripture. Mark your calendar for all fall dates: Oct 10 & 24, Nov 7 & 21 and Dec 5. Need a ride? Please don t hesitate to contact Dianne Dorn or Keith Smith for carpool arrangements. Window Shopping for a Retirement Community: The second in a series of conversations about retirement living will be held in the not-too-distant future. This intergenerational conversation will include creating a smart shopper s guide to retirement communities in the Bay Area based on participants input. Fieldtrips will be organized to a sampling of sites if sufficient interest is expressed. The conversation will be facilitated by Pastor Arlene. Participants are encouraged but not required to submit conversation topics to either or both of the organizers, Pastor Arlene and Carol Price. Hayward School Board Candidates Forum: Eden Church will host a 2016 HUSD Board of Trustees Candidates Forum, Wed, Oct 5, from 6 to 8pm. The public is invited to attend. A free community dinner will be served at 5:30pm. A formal panel co-moderated by our leaders will start at 6 pm in Oliver Hall. Children s Enrichment programs, homework help, and access to the Cherryland Computer Café computer will be available for school-aged children and provided by the Hayward Public Library and Eden Church. The League of Women Voters (Eden Area) will be present to register voters. Registration forms will be available in 10 languages, including English and Spanish. Candidates have been invited to bring literature to distribute and to meet and greet the public before and after the panel. To volunteer or find out more, please contact Corina Vasaure at or Andrea Orea at

6 Congregation Strategic Planning Meeting, Sun, Oct 16, 11:30am to 3 pm (tentative). Save the date! Our Strategic Planning consultant John Wimberly will be present to meet with the new Strategic Planning Teams for Worship, Congregational Life and Outreach & Cultural Learning. John will guide the Teams and the congregation on how approach their assignments, workplans, and Team interaction. Everyone is invited to attend and stay involved in the Strategic Planning process. For more information, contact Pastor Pepper. Voter Education: Alameda County Housing Bond: Sun, Oct 23, 11:30am to 12:45pm Eden Church will host an Interfaith voter education forum on the Alameda County Housing Bond. Information about the Housing Bond will be presented by Sue Merrill, Executive Director of the South Hayward Parish, followed by Q&A. Members of Congregation Shir Ami, South Hayward Parish, First Presbyterian Church in Hayward, and Eden church will attend. The public is also invited. Contact Pastor Arlene or Fellowship Chair Pat Payne if you are interested in helping with hospitality for this event. Call to the Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting: The Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting of Eden United Church of Christ will be held Sunday, Oct 30, in the Sanctuary following morning worship. This meeting is called by the Church Council in accordance with the Church bylaws. The meeting purpose is twofold: to receive a report from the Eden Area Foundation (EAF) Board of Directors regarding the 2017 grants, and to act on a recommendation from the Church Council that Eden United Church of Christ in Hayward extend the term of our Designated Term Associate Minister Patricia (Pepper) Swanson until June 30, Announcements Wiebe-Freed Family Support: Eden members and friends have resumed our practice of providing Friday night supper for the Wiebe-Freed family. Volunteers are needed to coordinate, cook, and deliver meals. Please contact Keith Smith to learn more and get involved. Emergency Preparedness at Eden Church: We are updating our Emergency Preparedness Plan to ensure that we are as ready as possible to respond in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency. Please help us gather the information we need to update our communication system and our ability to assist ourselves and our neighbors by completing our 2016 Emergency Preparedness Survey online. A link to a survey can be found in the upper left corner of our website, No computer? Please contact the Office Manager for assistance in completing the Survey. For more information, contact Naomi Weinstein at naomi@pcmprojectmgmt.com. Seekers Book Discussion: The Seekers read books on religion and other topics. Beginning Sept 14 is Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint by the Nadia Bolz-Weber. Please join us for our weekly discussions on Wednesdays at 10 am in the Community Room. Contact Pastor Pepper for info. Flowers for Worship: The 2016 Flower Calendar is posted in the Church Office. Stop by to sign up for a date to match your occasion. Flowers can be provided by: 1) Cut or purchase flowers and arrange them at home or church and place them on the communion table; 2) Make arrangements with Eden s Flower Coordinator Mary Graw to provide flowers and she or another member will arrange them; or (3) Order flowers delivered from a florist to the church on the Saturday prior to your date. Bulletin dedications are due to the Church Office by 12 noon on the Wednesday before your date. For information, contact Mary Graw at (510)

7 Joys Sally Kusalo s grandtwins Samantha and Solomon Kusalo were born at San Leandro Kaiser on August 31. All three were transferred to Oakland Kaiser last week. Mom and Solomon were released this past week. It is hoped that Samantha will be released next week. The Church Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Tania Martinez as full-time Office Manager. Tania will begin her service with us on Tuesday, September 13, Her office hours will be 8:30am to 5 pm with a one-hour off campus lunch from 12-1pm. Congratulations to Pete Michell who retired as Vice President of Finance at St. Mary s University on August 15, Daniella Prym, is home making a miraculous recovering from knee replacement surgery. The surgery took place on August 23. She is at her new home in Tracy with where her daughter and son-in-law who are caring for her. Your calls and cards are welcome. Please see Pastor Arlene or call the church office for Daniella s new home address. The Church Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Diana Zankowsky as part-time Operations Manager for Eden Church. Diana s current work schedule is 8:30am to 1 pm, Monday through Friday. Prayer Concerns Three families in our congregation and two families in the Cherryland neighborhood have asked Eden Church for help finding affordable housing. If you have a lead on a room to rent, or on an efficiency apartment, or a one, two or three bedroom house or apartment to rent, please contact Pastor Arlene. For members and friends who are living with mental health challenges. And for Mary Bernstein, Juanita Chavez, Ann Dodd, Regina Fischer, Clyde Howell, Arden Keune, Wesley Moniz, Jan Richards, Ruth Schaap, June Staley, the Wiebe-Freed family, and Terry Wilkerson. Sep 14 Sep 18 Sep 18 Sep 25 Sep 25 Sep 26 Sep 27 Sep 28 Oct 02 Oct 02 Oct 05 Oct 10 Oct 12 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 23 Oct 23 Oct 24 Oct 26 Oct 26 Oct 30 Coming Attractions Mark Your Calendars! New or amended items are in italics. Comida para Cherryland Worship Practices Meeting E-Team Meeting Confirmation Class Taste & See Bible Study ESLO Meeting Comida para Cherryland World Communion Sunday & International Salad Potluck Neighbors in Need Offering HUSD Candidates Forum Bible Study Comida para Cherryland Ashland-Cherryland FamFest Strategic Planning Meeting Housing Bond Voter Education Event Confirmation Class Bible Study Dia de los Muertos/Ofrenda Comida para Cherryland Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting

8 This Week At-A-Glance Sunday, September 11 9:00 9:45 a.m. Music Rehearsal Sanctuary 10:00 11:15 a.m. Sunday Worship Sanctuary 11:30 12:30 p.m. Welcome Back Luncheon & ESLO Fair Oliver Hall 11:30 12:30 p.m. Sunday Counters Library 5:00 7:00 p.m. Confirmation Class Oliver Hall & Norberg Room Monday, September 12 4:00 7:00 p.m. Cherryland Computer Café Norberg Room Tuesday, September 13 10:00 12:00 p.m. Eden Stitchers Jensen Room 4:00 7:00 p.m. Cherryland Computer Café Norberg Room 7:00 9:00 p.m. Board of Trustees Community Room Wednesday, September 14 10:00 11:30 a.m. Seekers Community Room 11:30 12:45 p.m. Yoga at Eden Fireside Room 1:30 4:30 p.m. Comida para Cherryland Oliver Hall 1:00 4:00 p.m. Cherryland Computer Café Norberg Room Sunday, September 18 9:00 9:45 a.m. Music Rehearsal Sanctuary 10:00 11:15 a.m. Sunday Worship Sanctuary 11:15 1:00 p.m. Worship Practices Team Norberg Room 11:30 12:30 p.m. Sunday Counters Library 11:30 12:30 p.m. E-Team Meeting Fireside Ongoing Events & Announcement Eden Stitchers: Quilters and others with sewing projects are invited to join the Eden Stitchers on Tuesdays at 10 am in the Jensen Room. Contact Suzie Hasselkuss or Shannon Whitney for the date of the next meeting. Yoga for Lunch: Yoga classes are held on Wednesdays at 11:30 am in the Fireside Room. Join Yogi Amanda Sharpe and Eden members and friends. Comida Contributions Needed: Thank you to all who have responded with contributions in support of Comida para Cherryland. Based on current needs we anticipate having enough money to fund the food pantry through Oct Every dollar contributed goes directly to the purchase of food. Please make checks payable to Eden United Church of Christ and note Comida on the envelope or check. For information about the budget, see the Rev. Rob Parrish. To discuss financial contributions to Comida, see Michael Stuber.