February 5, 2017
Gathering Welcome (Visitors are invited to fill out a welcome card and place it in the offering basket.) Sharing in the Life of the Church* Gathering Song Jesus calls us here to meet him STJ 3 Invitation to Worship Call to Worship Leader: A blessing on you who are poor, All: yours is the kingdom of God. Leader: a blessing on you who mourn, All: you shall be comforted. Leader: A blessing on you who hunger for justice, All: you shall be satisfied, Leader: A blessing on you who make peace, All: you shall be called children of God. Leader: A blessing on you who are persecuted for the cause of right, All: yours is the kingdom of heaven. - Sing the Story 147 Passing the Peace of Christ Praising Song of Praise Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing HWB 110 Offering Prayer Offering Hearing Scripture Reading Luke 7:1-17 Children s Time (Children ages 3 through 7 are excused to Children s Circle) Song Blessed are they STS 41 Proclaiming Pastor Renee Kanagy What two things can we do at the same time? 2
Responding Response In your sickness HWB 585 Sharing joys and sorrows, sermon response, and introduction of guests Prayers of the Community Sending Sending Song We will walk with God STJ 78 Benediction *Near the beginning of our worship, we will have a time for sharing events of the life of the church. Bulletin announcements will be highlighted by the Worship Leader, followed by an opportunity to offer additional sharing. Please be mindful of the limited time we have to worship together on Sunday mornings. --Worship Committee We warmly welcome all who are visiting with us today! We hope you will join us for fellowship time after the service and give us an opportunity to get to know you. Please fill out a visitor card from the pew rack and place it in the offering basket. Listening assistance devices are available through the sound technician at the rear of the sanctuary. 3
We offer the following activities for children: A supervised nursery for newborns through age 3, located next to the main entr ance; Children's Circle for children ages 3 through 7, which currently meets in the Quiet Room (located to the left of the coat r ack) dur ing the second half of the worship service. In preparation for next week s service, you may wish to read Luke 7:18-35. ANNOUNCEMENTS Please send your announcements to the office before 11:00am-Friday to be printed in the bulletin...today Sunday, February 5..THIS WEEK Tuesday, February 7..NEXT WEEK Tuesday, February 14..COMING UP Wednesday, March 1 Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany Worship Committee (7pm, tentative, at home of Pastor Renee) Community Meal (5-7pm); all are welcome! Ash Wednesday; services to be held at CMF, more information TBA Check out the EVENTS page on our website for more calendar information. In the event of inclement weather, notification of cancellation of church service will be sent by email by and posted on Facebook. CMF Welcome Statement Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship is a Christ-centered, welcoming and inclusive church community committed to peace and justice. We acknowledge and affirm the image of God in persons of every race, ability, class, gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation. We celebrate an open communion in which all who seek a closer journey with God are welcome to participate. We invite all who covenant with us to join in the full life of the congregation. 4
CMF Vision Statement As a Mennonite community, seeking to follow Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we will be embracing, engaging, growing. NOTES Join us for PRAYER FLAG CREATION with Joann L and Pastor Renee Kanagy, following worship, TODAY, February 5, 2017! News for next week During education hour: please come to the second of two consecutive Adult Forums designed to get ourselves educated, to reflect on biblical materials and the pros and cons of the various options, and to begin to discern a faithful response that we as a whole congregation could support. The process will be as important as the decision. Good resources for familiarization: pro http://www.groundswell-mvmt.org/ sanctuary-101-how-churches-and-synagogues-are-stopping-deportations/; and con http://www.aim.org/aim-column/the-religious-origins-of-the-sanctuarymovement/ During service: Next week we gather to share stories of healing and hope, to tell one another what we have seen and heard. Of late, the pain, sickness, and evil have been made plain before our eyes and we long for Jesus s healing and hope in the world and in our own lives; it is here, even in trying times, and we gather to celebrate its light in the darkness. In addition to highlighting stories from specific members of our congregation, sharing time will be extended so that the rest of us may also come together and share the healing and hope we have seen. Please join Clair H, Jim M, Naomi G and Chris, Kate, and Alex I as part of Fluidity, a Creative Choral Community for a Cause, as Fluidity presents: La nourriture. Event is at New Riff Distillery, Friday, February 10, 2017, starting at 6:30pm. Details posted on the bulletin board; for tickets and more information go to www.fluiditycccc.org 5
Furniture Drive for Refugees Last fall, the Peace, Justice, Outreach and Service Committee brought Catholic Charities to CMF to help us learn about refugee resettlement in Cincinnati. We learned that providing furniture for these families is one big need that the resettlement services at Catholic Charities could use some help with. Therefore, PJOS Committee is hosting a "Furniture Drive" during the month of February. Below is a list of items needed. Please be thinking about any used furniture you might be able to donate. In February, there will be a sign-up list to communicate what you want to donate, and at the end of the month or beginning of March; we will arrange to pick up and transport the furniture to the Catholic Charities warehouse so, we will likely also need volunteers who have a truck available. Items Needed: Sitting Room Furniture Bed frames and Headboards Dressers Living Room Chairs Lamps Occasional Tables Bedside Tables Dining Tables and Chairs Vacuum Cleaners Microwave Ovens Small kitchen appliances FAITH TALK Matthew 5:38 48: Love your enemies Here are some ways to nurture faith at home based on this week s story.* (1) Read Matthew 5:43 44. Share about a time you loved your neighbor. (2) Have you ever seen or heard about enemies becoming friends? (3) Search online for how to make a peace crane. Use your folded crane as a reminder to pray for peace among enemies. Did you know? People send strings of paper cranes to the Hiroshima Children s Peace Monument each year to show their desire for peace. (1,000) Prayer for the week: God, you love everyone, even those who don t love you back. May we love like you. *Preschool children have a For families section in the Early Childhood leaflet for the story Jesus heals a servant. ATTENDANCE LAST WEEK 73 with 3 visitors Pray for the participants in the Hope for the Future conference, which concludes today in Hampton, Virginia. More than 70 dynamic leaders from across the church, including many people of color, were expected to attend. 6
New Israel/Palestine Study Guide Available Kairos Palestine: A Four-Week Congregational Study Plan is now available for congregations to use in preparation for the convention in Orlando in July. The Mennonite Palestine Israel Network prepared the study guide in response to the resolution entitled "A Statement of Support for our Palestinian and Israeli Partners in Peacemaking" passed by the Delegate Assembly in Kansas City in 2015. The resolution pledged to devote the next two years to learning about the situation in Israel/Palestine and to discernment regarding the Mennonite Church response. The basis of the study guide is the Kairos Palestine document that was written by Palestinian Christian leaders in 2009 as an appeal to the world, including their Christian brothers and sisters, to understand their situation and to respond with action. Kairos Palestine is deeply committed to Jesus' way of love and nonviolence, even in the face of entrenched injustice. The study guide includes the full text of the Kairos Palestine document, as well as helpful background information about the reality on the ground, and a four-week congregational plan of study with links to video resources. The study guide is available from MennoMedia and also as a free download on the MC USA website and the MennoPIN website. MennoMedia http://store.mennomedia.org/kairos-palestine-p4755.aspx Free download http://mennoniteusa.org/what-we-do/peacebuilding/israelpalestineinitiatives/ Free download https://mennopin.org/2014/08/01/kairos-palestine-mennoniteresponse/ Looking for a summer internship? Learn, grow and develop your skills while interning (some positions are paid) for an organization that makes a difference in the world! Check out opportunities with Mennonite Central Committee at: https://mcc.org/getinvolved/serve/openings/short-term 7
PRAYERS FOR FAITH AND LEARNING Pray for Emmaus, Bethany Christian Schools performing arts troupe, as they take their program Buckets Make a Sandcastle into elementary schools with the message focusing on the unique way each human being is created and the way that we all come together to form one unique creation..prayers FOR THE MENNONITE MISSION NETWORK Marisa Smucker, mentor for Mennonite Mission Network s Journey International team in Indonesia, will spend 12 days with participants beginning this Wednesday, Feb. 8. Pray for safe travel for Marisa and for a good time of reflection with team members. Book Club will meet on Sunday, March 5 after church at the home of Mary and Rod S. The book to be discussed is "Prague Winter" by Madeleine Albright. Please bring a dish to share. Journey Groups Contact information available through the office for all facilitators. Women s Spiritual Journey : Contact Facilitator Judy H with interest Women s Group: Group Facilitator Kristen L; please contact her to be added to email list or with questions. Playdates Coordinator: Becca S we have a regular play group for babies & preschool-aged kids that meets at Jane Ps house on the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month from 9am - 11:30am. Questions? Contact Becca or Jane. Men s Group: Meets every third Saturday of each month--all men are welcome. Coordinator: Jim M. If interested and not on Jim s email list, please ask to be added. Watch email for location. Jim would appreciate a headcount midweek prior to the Breakfast. Time is 7:30am -??? Youth Group: coordinators: Scott and Allison T 4229 Brownway Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45209 871.0035 office@cincinnatimennonite.org Renee Kanagy, Pastor 513.884.2677 (cell) reneekanagy@cincinnatimennonite.org Office hours: Tuesday - Friday 9 to 4 unless something prevents Violet Sears, Office Administrator, is in the office, 9am-3pm on Tuesdays and Fridays unless something prevents or the work is done Church office located in Peace House at 3046 Minot Avenue, First Floor Services are recorded and available to be checked out; Sermons are posted online 8