At Home with God August 26, 2018 GATHERING MUSIC SILENT MEDITATION 9:50 AM Please rise in body and spirit, as you are able Facebook Check-in: As you arrive, please check-in on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @WestParkUCC
PRELUDE WELCOME AND PASSING OF THE PEACE CALL TO WORSHIP: One: Hear the voice of the Beloved, who comes leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills; Many: Our Beloved, like a gazelle or a young deer, Stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, Beloved speaks and calls to us: One: Arise, my Love, my dear one, and come away; For now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. Many: The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. One: The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; They give for fragrance. All: Arise, O love, O Dear one, and join me. (Song of Solomon 2:8-13) HYMN Christian Rise and Act Your Creed BLACK 537 INVOCATION (In Unison) Creator God, you have loved us passionately into being. We come today seeking your presence and to know we are your beloved! Enter our sanctuary and into our hearts that we may look into our loving gaze And see ourselves reflected there as you see us. Let our love for you reflect and mirror your perfect love as we gather as your Beloved Community. Amen. GLORIA PATRI Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen. CHILDREN S MESSAGE THE LORD S PRAYER (in unison) SPECIAL MUSIC Hear My Cry, Oh God sung by Dede Todd GOSPEL LESSON Mark 1:9-15 Pew Bible page 34, NT ONE: Here ends a reading from God s word. ALL: Thanks be to God, who is still speaking. 2
SERMON Co-Conspirators with God Robert Grow HYMN Lead on Eternal Sovereign BLACK 573 OFFERING & HEALING PRAYER - today, during the offering, Deacons will be available to offer a healing prayer for you or someone else. DOXOLOGY Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above Ye heavenly host: Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. PRAYER OF DEDICATION (In Unison) Accept our offerings of praise in grateful thanksgiving for your presence in our lives and the many blessings you bestow upon us. Consecrate our offering, O God, that it may become bread to fill the emptiness and heal the brokenness of the lives in this community and beyond. And may we be reminded that our real life begins when we give with generous hearts to proclaim the gospel in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen. JOYS AND CONCERNS OF THE CONGREGATION PASTORAL PRAYER HYMN Faith of the Martyrs Living Still BLACK 381 BENEDICTION ONE: Mindful of your mercy, forgiveness, and instruction, O God, we go into the world renewed, refreshed, and full of courage to be your people. We go in peace to work for justice. Amen. POSTLUDE 3
MINISTERS OF GOD S LOVE...Every Member of WPUCC SENIOR PASTOR...Rev. Jason Thompson ASSOCIATE PASTOR................James R. Furry PASTORS EMERITI...Rev. Don Norenberg, Rev. Larry Craig DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION...Wendy LeForge DIRECTOR OF MUSIC...Christopher Venesile, PhD CHURCH ADMINSTRATOR...Linda Ferro LECTOR...Julie Schleich COUNTERS...Richard & Lynne Rice, Bill & Janet Beutel WE WELCOME all who are here to worship with us today. Please sign the attendance pads and pass the pad to the side aisles, by the windows. WE ESPECIALLY WELCOME Rev. Robert Grow, who will be leading worship with us this week. Robert (Rob) Grow is a native of Akron, Ohio. He graduated from Muskingum College, now Muskingum University with a Bachelors of Arts majoring in political science and with a minor in speech communications in 1990. He then graduated from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio with a Masters of Divinity in 1993. Rob also graduated from Drew University School of Theology with a Masters of Sacred Theology were he concentrated in social ethics. He also completed two internship unites of Clinical Pastoral Education (chaplain training) at Cleveland Clinic, and a residency in C.P.E. at Saint Vincent s Mercy Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio in 2006. Rob is a former United Methodist pastor who was brought up in that denomination and also spent about five years as a very active Quaker when he lived in New Jersey. He is now a Candidate in Discernment in the Western Reserve Association of the UCC and is in his twelfth year of work as a hospice chaplain. He currently lives in Columbus and has been a member of Brecksville UCC for the past ten years. PASTOR JASON will be on vacation beginning August 22, returning on September 6. If you have a pastoral need during this time, please contact the office or Pastor Jim Furry. FOR YOUR INFORMATION: Attendance last Sunday was 80 adults and 6 children/youth. Thank you for your offerings of Operating $2,799, OCWM $35, Pink - Members in Need $100, Light the Steeple $50, Children's Plate $15, Bridge to the Future $50 PINK ENVELOPE FOR AUGUST is Members in Need. This is an annual offering of our church to assist church members during times of financial instability. The Bible teaches that God calls us to help those in need. Thanks to the contributions we have received in previous years, our church has been able to assist when a member is faced with a financial emergency. One hundred percent of the donations collected from this Pink Envelope go directly to our members in need. We thank you for giving generously from your abundance to this month s Pink Envelope. 4
WE PRAY FOR: Grace Burgess, Doug & Kathleen Henderson, George White, Grace Green, Pastor Larry & Christina Craig, Janet Gorman, Clara Strodtbeck, Jean Clark, Georgia Smith, Lakota Snow, Elmer Rogers, Pat Bunnell, Wanda Paulin, John Ittu, Carol Hunt, Midge Karnatz, Elaine Barry, Geri Frimel, Bob Owens, Shirley and Jay Gardella. Dane Beamish, Family of Chuck Smith, Larry, Caty, Renee, Lanette, Thelma, John, David, Erica, Debbie & Steve, Sharell & Josh, Shana, Grandkids, Lynn, Bea, Roz, Anne, Staci, Joe, Liz, Isabel, Jeannette, Alan, Donna, Craig, David, Noel, Eric, Rosie, Meli, Leo, Ivonne, Dawn, loved ones, LaDonna, John, Ann, Richard, Andy, Taylor, Remi, Erin, Angie, Mary, Ella, Bridget, the Flagg Family, Bonnie Carey, Brenda Joy, At home members, Nancy Pierce, Joan Kelly Noah, Rachel, Luke, Adam, Lisa, incarcerated, Anna, Lyda, Mike, Bryan, Vespucci family. NEW CHURCH DIRECTORIES! They are in a box on the back table in the Narthex. Please, one per family if possible. Staff, Officers, and Board Chairs have them in their mailboxes. I have mailed out directories to our members who are at home or in care centers, so please check with the office before you take directories for those members. If you would like an electronic copy, please let me know and I will be glad to email you a.pdf file. Thanks, Linda THE FLOWERS on the altar are presented to the glory of God in joyful celebration of the August 26, 2018 (Today!) birthday of Edna Schleich and in loving memory of the August 20, 2018 birthday of Eleanore Ann Wiesner, mother of Chris Wiesner, by Dave and Julie Schleich and Chris Wiesner. THE STEEPLE SHINES THIS WEEK in memory of David Wunderle who passed away on September 1, 2014 from Rose Mary Long. GOD IS ON THE MOVE! Our SUMMER collection is Peanut Butter and Jelly. Thanks for your generosity! 5
THIS WEEK AT WEST PARK SUNDAY, AUGUST 26: 10:00 a.m. Worship & L.I.G.H.T. 11:15 a.m. Punch on the Porch, Deacons 11:30 a.m. Community Meal MONDAY, 08/27: 7:00 p.m. Mood Disorder Support Group, Parlor TUESDAY, 08/28: 7:30 p.m. Recovery, International, Youth Room WEDNESDAY, 08/29: THURSDAY, 08/30: 9:00 p.m. AA Bartter Hall FRIDAY, 08/31: 7:00 p.m. Al- Anon, Parlor SATURDAY, September 1: 10:15 p.m. Alpha-Omega AA Bartter Hall 12:00 a.m. Westside Midnight AA Bartter Hall NEXT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2: 10:00 a.m. Worship & L.I.G.H.T. 11:15 a.m. Punch on the Porch West Park United Church of Christ 3909 Rocky River Dr. 216-671-7228 Cleveland, Ohio 44111 www.westparkucc.org WestParkUCCOffice@gmail.com 6