September 9, 2018 PRELUDE WELCOME OPENING WORDS

Transcription

1 PRELUDE WELCOME OPENING WORDS Beth Merrill adapted God of all Creation, what do you require of us? To do justice, seeking peace & reconciliation, standing with people who are marginalized and forgotten to love kindness showing compassion and unconditional caring for people in need to walk humbly following in the steps of Jesus, we lift up not the work of our hands but the power that sustains our service. September 9, 2018 *OPENING HYMN NCH #1 Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise Tune: St. Denio *PRAYER OF INVOCATION Sharon Flaten God, we come before you today knowing what it is that you require of us but wondering how to achieve these things you ask of us. As we continue to ask ourselves how to better serve you and one another, guide us, support us, and encourage us. Guide us in making the right choice. Support us as we work to follow those decisions. Encourage us so that we may always be asking the questions and striving to find the answers. In your name we pray. Amen.

2 Adult Learning Time Sept 9 - Sara John, Executive Director and Project Coordinator, The St. Louis Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America will talk about immigration issues. *RESPONSE What Does the Lord Require? Jim Strathdee Sept 16 - Tyler Connoley will help us deepen our conversation on immigration and share some things he learned while making the decision to be arrested. Journey Dialogues Continue......with a discussion about Bible Facts. Today, 9:45 a.m. in room 23. 5th -7th Grade Youth 5th -7th Grade Youth will meet Sunday, Sept. 16th in Room 21 after the 11:00 worship - 2:00 p.m. We will have hot dogs and chips for lunch, create kindness rocks, play flashlight Bible Trivia, and learn about the Three Great Loves of the UCC. A READING FROM THE HEBREW TRADITION Psalm 146 Alleluia! Praise Yahweh, my soul! I will praise you all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live! Do not trust in rulers, in mortals in whom there is no salvation. When their spirits depart, they return to the earth, and on that day their plans perish. Happy are those whose help is the God of Israel, whose hope is Yahweh, their God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in it! Yahweh, you keep faith forever; you secure justice for the oppressed; you give food to the hungry; you set captives free; you give sight to the blind; you raise up those who were bowed down; you love those who are righteous; you protect strangers; you sustain orphans and the bereaved but you thwart the way of the corrupt. Yahweh will reign forever your God, Zion! through all generations. Alleluia!

3 For the marvelous blend of fact, myth, poetry, and story that is in scripture, we give thanks. May the Spirit open us to the wisdom we most need to hear. CHILDREN S TIME Following the story, young children are encouraged to remain in worship or they may go to the nursery (birth-3). Attendance pads will be passed out at this time; please sign in so that we may celebrate that you were here. SPECIAL MUSIC 8:30 You Are the Voice David Haas Folk Choir 11:00 African Psalm Victor C. Johnson Chancel Choir SERMON Rev. Wendy Bruner *HYMN NCH #575 O For a World Tune: Azmon To families of young children at Peace UCC When God made children, they were made with a little giggle, a little squirm, and a whole lot of love. When you worship with us your children are invited to sit at the front of the sanctuary. That way they can see what is going on in church and interact better with what Peace UCC has to offer. When your children are here, our building is filled with a joyful noise. This is something for which we rejoice and praise God. If your children start to get restless please don t leave. Stay and continue worship because when you do you show them that worship is something important and that their presence is important to us. At times we know this can be a struggle, but thank you for making the effort. 1. There are activity bags for the young children. They are available near the sanctuary doors. 2. There is a rocking chair at the back of the sanctuary that you can use. We also have a nursery just outside of the sanctuary. Ask someone and they will give you directions. 3. We have changing tables in the nursery and downstairs in the bathroom by the fellowship hall. We understand the difficulty of worshipping with a little one. We hope that you feel we are a Child-Loving church. Please know that when your child gets fussy that we are honored to have you with us today. Thank you for joining us in worship today and I hope that you will join us again. Peace to you, Pastor Wendy

4 Instrumental Ensemble Sunday, Sept. 23rd 10:30-11:00 a.m. Youth and adults are welcome to play in this ensemble. St. Louis Association of Women, UCC Fall Gathering Women of Peace are cordially invited to The Fall Gathering. It will be held on September 26, 9:00a.m. at Cape Albeon, 3380 Lake Bend Drive, Valley Park, MO. Interactive, Interdependent and Intriguing Interfaith Relationships! A discussion and presentation by Rev. David Mehl, staff at Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis. Registration deadline is September 14. $10.00 per person includes lunch. Sign up on the registration sheet on the bulletin board by the coffee. Marge Engelsdorfer will submit the registration. Questions? call Marge. Hope you can come and enjoy the day. Coffee Hour Hosts Needed Help us live out our extravagant welcome and hospitality for all by signing up to bring refreshments for our Sunday Morning Coffee Hour. Please see the sign-up board in the church narthex. Fireside Art Gallery We need artwork or items that members collect to be displayed in the Fireside Room monthly. If you are interested in displaying your talent or collection please contact Brenda Detrick In This House We Believe Signs If you did not get an In This House We Believe yard sign, we now have more available. The cost is $ Please call the church to arrange a time to pick one up. PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Believing that each joy and/or concern expressed is indeed a prayer, after each expression, the worship leader will say: Loving God. And the people may respond: Hear our prayer. PRAYER This is a time for quiet reflection. LORD S PRAYER Mai-Anh Le Tran Creator, who encompasses the universes May your rule of peace and justice be upon this earth Give us just enough to eat Forgive us our sins, and deliver us from evil especially our own For power, honor, and glory does not belong to us Amen CELEBRATION OF COMMUNION 8:30AM INVITATION AND COMMUNION PRAYER based on our Theological Assumptions Minister: Come, Holy Spirit, and move among these elements assembled at this Table. Through this sacrament, transform our hurt into healing, our fear into faith, and death into life. Minister: As the grain, sown in hills and valleys, is harvested, and now becomes one in the loaf, so we, scattered, diverse, separated and isolated from one another, hear your invitation to become one body around this Table, the center of our life together. Liturgist: As this juice, grown in vineyards under the sun, fills the cup, may we be filled and refreshed by this meal, and strengthened to respond to your call to reach out in compassion to all living things. Minister: In sharing this meal we remember. We remember meals Jesus shared with friends and enemies, outcasts and marginalized, fearful and earnest. Minister: He took the bread and, giving thanks, blessed it and broke it and shared it. As we share the bread today, we eat it as those who seek to follow Jesus. Liturgist: After the meal, Jesus took the cup. Giving thanks, he shared it, symbolizing a new relationship with God, a relationship of partnership founded on grace. As we share the cup, we seek to experience that grace in which Jesus lived fully. All: Come, Holy Spirit, come. Bless this bread and bless this fruit of the vine. Bless all of us in our eating and drinking that our eyes might be opened, that we might recognize the risen Christ in our midst, indeed, in one another. Come, Holy Spirit, come. The Congregation is invited to come forward by the center aisle, partake of the gluten-free bread and juice, and light a candle in prayer. Catch the eye of a table host if you would prefer to be served at your seat.

5 8:30 RESPONSE Open My Eyes Manibusan & Zaragoza Congregational Conversation! Wednesday, September 12, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Come with your questions or comments for the Governing Body. Team focus: Learning, Community, and Servant. Questions? Contact Debbie Gregg, Mary Martha Circle The Mary Martha Circle will meet at noon on Wednesday, September 12. Bring a sandwich or salad. Beverage and dessert provided. Program: Stories of summertime travel, family visits, and fun! 8:30 PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING Worship Ways Gracious God, we thank you for this meal and for all of the ways you nourish us. Grow in us that we may nourish others. Sustain us as we press toward the goal of your call in Christ Jesus. Amen. HOW WILL WE DO GOD S WORK IN THE WORLD? We will open our How Shall We Do God s Work In The World time with an opportunity to give. The ushers will pass an offering plate to you as you remain in your seats. We invite you to sing along to Over My Head NCH #514. PRAYER OF DEDICATION Rev. Christopher Ney Loving and merciful God, we offer these gifts in gratitude for all the ways in which you have blessed our lives. We offer these gifts to remember that you are the source of our hope and our peace. With these gifts we commit ourselves to serve you and to work for peace in this world. Amen Yellow Bag Ministry Food Collection Peace has been collecting boxed and canned food in the grocery cart in the narthex for many years. Check out the cart to the left of the entry to the sanctuary. There, you will find a list of suggested items for meals and yellow bags to put the items in. Of course, all food you put in the cart will be greatly appreciated, as well as detergent, soap, toilet paper etc. We are taking the food to Pilgrim Food Pantry on Union Avenue or Webster/Rock Hill Ministries in Webster. Installation at St. Philip s UCC The St. Louis Association of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ and St. Philip s United Church of Christ invite you to the installation of Rev. Mike Krewson as Pastor and Teacher on Sunday, September 16 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Philips United Church of Christ, Lavinia Drive, St. Louis Missouri Scan and Give Supporting the work of this church has never been easier. Just scan the QR code with your smartphone and you can make a donation to Peace UCC.

6 Join the quilters for a taste of Ethiopia On Thursday, September 13, the Peace UCC Quilters will enjoy lunch at an Ethiopian restaurant named Meskerem, located at 3210 South Grand in south city. Our guide for this adventure will be Helen Wall. As many of you know, Helen has spent a great deal of time in Ethiopia. She and her husband Lewis are leaders in two ministries there, the World Wide Fistula Fund and Dignity Period. We will meet at Meskerem at 11:30. If you would like to carpool from church, come to the lower parking lot at 11 a.m. Please RSVP to Gail Saxton by Monday, Sept. 10, so that we can turn in an accurate reservation number. Also, let her know if you want to carpool from church, so that we can plan logistics there. We welcome anyone who enjoys food and fellowship to join us! *HYMN We Are Called Tune: We Are Called The Moms Group will meet on Tuesday October 16 at noon. We will brainstorm topics for future discussions. Please bring your lunch. Decadent dessert will be provided. If you need childcare call Dee Ban ahead of time. Book Club Come join us for Book Club on Friday, Sept 28 at the church at 7. We are reading Still Life by Louise Penny. Bring a snack to share. You can call Kathy Adair if you have questions. *BENEDICTION *POSTLUDE

7 Opportunities to do God s work Reviving Justice Three-day Fall Revival at Christ the King UCC, Old Halls Ferry Rd., Florissant, MO. Don t miss this powerful move of God on September 11-13, beginning at 7:00 p.m. each night. The lineup of phenomenal preachers are: September 11 - Rev. Dr. Robert C. Scott September 12 - Rev. Dr. Leslie D. Callahan September 13 - Rev. Dr. Gina M. Stewart ALL are welcome and encouraged to attend! Please join The Alliance for Interracial Dignity (AID) September 13, 7-8:30 p.m. in the community room at Douglass Manor for a shared learning opportunity with Dr. Molly Metzger, fair housing expert from Washington University. She will speak about equitable housing solutions inclusive of racial and cultural contexts within communities where risings costs are driving out longtime residents. Further context for Dr. Metzger s work can be found in the report -st-louis/ No More Sitting Out: Reclaiming Our Democracy MCU congregations are taking back the decision making in our schools. We have challenged the overuse of out of school suspension of our children of color, the overuse of police for discipline, lack of trauma care trained teachers, and more. We are getting results, but do you know how Webster Groves stands up? Join us on October 7 from 3 PM to 4:30 PM at Peace UCC to hear from Webster Groves School District administrators and the Webster Groves Police Department on how our children are being treated. We will also launch a final push toward the November mid-terms and getting a win on our issues: Amendment 1 (CLEAN) and Prop B (RUM). For more information, contact Kevin Prange. Home Sweet Home: Grand Opening Open House On Thursday, September 13 4:30-7:00 p.m. Home Sweet Home is having a Grand Opening Open House at their new warehouse. The warehouse is located at 290 Hanley Industrial Court, Brentwood, MO. You will be able to see their new, expanded space and meet their amazing volunteers and dedicated board. You will have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets to win one of the hand-refurbished chairs. St. Louis CROP Hunger Walk is on Sunday, October 7 at Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves registration/check-in at 4:30 p.m. and step-off at 5:00 p.m. CROP/Church World Service strongly encourages registration and raising of funds online. More information can be found at saintlouismo. The CROP Walk will be followed at 7:00 p. m. by the 2 nd Annual CROP Concert (which is also the 7 th Annual Eden Festival of Psalms). It features nationally known and world-class musicians like Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, Paul Vasile, Christopher Grundy, and more! The concert is free, but there will be an opportunity to donate to CROP! The deadline for submissions to our weekly publications, the Sunday Bulletin and News & Notes, is Thursday morning at 10 a.m. If you are not receiving our weekly e-newsletter News and Notes and would like to, please contact the church office. Notes: Sources for words, images, and music are noted where available. Permission to reprint music and words from sources other than The New Century Hymnal is granted under OneLicense.net, license no. A , and/or LicenSing.org. THIS WEEK AT PEACE UCC SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 TODAY 8:30 a.m. Worship Service 9:45 a.m. Adult Learning Hour 9:45 a.m. Journey Dialogues 11:00 a.m. Worship Service MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 9:00 a.m. Staff Meeting TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 12:00 p.m. Mary Martha Circle 4:30 p.m. Children s Choir 5:30 p.m. Handchimes 6:30 p.m. Congregational Conversation THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 OFFICE CLOSED SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 11:00 a.m. Youth Choir SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 8:30 a.m. Worship Service 9:45 a.m. Adult Learning Hour 11:00 a.m. Worship Service For a complete calendar visit: Mission, Vision & Values Our Mission Following the God made known in the life and teachings of Jesus, we at Peace United Church of Christ gather as an Open and Affirming community to worship, learn and serve. Our Values As a community, Peace United Church of Christ celebrates the values embodied in the ministry of Jesus: Inclusiveness in our diversity, Intentionality in our commitment to social justice, Intimacy in our fellowship together, Inspiration in our communal worship and Inquisitiveness in our personal spiritual growth. Our Vision We desire to be a leader in helping the wider community affirm that God is still speaking.