The Congregational Church of Westborough UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST West Main & Church Streets, Westborough, Massachusetts OPEN DOORS GROWING FAITH!
Some Notes to Help You Feel at Ease this Morning Children... Four and Under: The nursery is available downstairs during the service if needed. Pre-K Grade 4: Will go to Summer Story Time after the Children s Time! Outside the sanctuary are bags filled with crayons to keep little hands busy in pews! Visitors of all ages... We're glad you are here! We have large print bulletins and an elevator too! You are welcome to an all-age fellowship after worship in the room downstairs directly under the sanctuary. Folks new and returning to worship... There are no assigned seats; sit where you feel most comfortable. We celebrate the noises of small children; they remind us that we're alive! Generally, we stand for the opening of the service and for singing. We sing with joy and Spirit, without fear of judgement. We share our prayers vulnerably, and hold them with care. We pray with our eyes closed and open, our heads bowed and raised. We pass the peace with hugs and handshakes, with nods and smiles. We share communion with all who are willing-especially children! OPEN DOORS GROWING FAITH! This is our vision statement. It speaks to our desire to open our doors to all of God s children, and to have all of the love and acceptance that is in this place flow out of our doors for the community and beyond. Our hope is also to grow faith in kids, youth and adults so that we can walk together in Jesus way, led by the Holy Spirit. Join us! We are an Open and Affirming Church! 1
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF WESTBOROUGH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Jun 25, 2017 *The congregation is invited to stand. 10:00 AM You Are the Work of God It is not you who shape God; it is God that shapes you. If then you are the work of God, await the hand of the Artist who does all things in due season. Offer the Potter you heart, soft and tractable, and keep the form in which the Artist has fashioned you. Let your clay be moist, lest you grow hard and lose the imprint of the Potter s fingers. - Irenaeus, 2 nd century theologian PRELUDE Little Bird by Edvard Grieg WELCOME! *CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: God is calling. Do you not hear? You are being called by name, for a purpose. People: God, You have searched us and know us. You discern our thoughts from far away. Leader: Do not confuse the siren calls of the world for God s call. Do not confuse the values of this world for God s values. People: You know, O God, when we sit and when we stand. You know when we lie down and where we go. Leader: Your words and Your deeds are known to God. You were known to God before you were even born! ALL: Your knowledge of us is more than we can understand. Your Love for us is utterly profound; Your desire for our wholeness is fierce. We are Your Beautiful Creation and every day we are here was written in Your Book. Blessed Be! *OPENING HYMN #2 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee HYMN TO JOY 2
*UNISON PRAYER Like a skilled potter, O God, You have shaped each one of us as a unique design. You know us better than we know ourselves and You love us more than we can love ourselves and others. You value us more highly than we can imagine. You weep when we are marred or broken through our own misdeeds or by the world s cruelty. You sent us Your very own Son to be our bridge to You. We gather now, Holy One, to assemble our prayers for one another and for all the world s people in a chorus of devotion. Come to us, Be with us, help us open to Your glorious Holy Spirit. We pray all this in the very name of your son Jesus who taught us to pray: *THE LORD'S PRAYER (Debts) Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. (Everyone may be seated) CHILDREN S SCRIPTURE Philippians 4:12-13 (pew Bible page 955) CHILDREN S TIME Amanda Borglund (Children pre-school ages through grade 4 are invited to join Summer Story Time while students grades 5 and up will remain with their parents in worship. Everyone else is invited to greet one another.) ANTHEM Song Without Words by Felix Mendelssohn PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Linda Hartley *HYMN #284 Gather Us In GATHER US IN SERMON SCRIPTURE Psalm 139:1-18, 23-24 (pew Bible page 503) SERMON You are meant to BE here! Rev. Elaine S. Gaetani OFFERING OF OUR GIFTS Invitation: When we perceive all the good we may do for Jesus Christ, we are eager to share. Jesus welcomes into discipleship those willing to put God first in all matters. God has made a costly investment in humanity. For love s sake, God sent Christ among us. For love s sake, we make the offering of ourselves and our resources a high and holy part of our worship. 3
In each of our pews today is a black friendship book which we encourage you to fill out and pass to the person next to you during the offering. If you have been with us before, just put down your name, but if you are new today, please let us know who you are. Please place the attendance sheets on top of the black books. Thanks! Offertory Notturno by Edvard Grieg *DOXOLOGY (unison) Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below; Praise God above, ye heavenly hosts: Creator, Christ and Holy Ghost. Amen. *PRAYER OF DEDICATION We have heard You calling us, God of Love, in the cries of Your children---cries for bread, for justice, for relief. We have seen You beckoning to us amid the corporate greed and social distortions of our day. We have felt the pain of sisters and brothers caught up in addictions, or damaging relationships that violate Your holy temple within them. We want to help, Oh God, and we believe Your church can be Christ s healing Presence for all people. Show us the Way to be messengers of Your gentle judgment and powerful Good News! May our offerings be used for the transformation of church and society, for individuals and groups. Amen. *SENDING HYMN #15 Rejoice, You Pure in Heart MARION *BENEDICTION Leader: We are a community of: PEOPLE: OPEN DOORS-AND GROWING FAITH! *POSTLUDE Solfeggietto by C.P.E. Bach We give thanks for Judy Ellis who is filling in for Clayton this week. Joan Truesdell greeted you and served as liturgist. Roy Rogers and Elaine Moore are Deacons of the day. Join us for refreshments and fellowship downstairs after worship! PRAYERS & CELEBRATIONS FOR JUNE 25, 2017 Bereavement: Please pray for Nancy Reimann and family as she grieves the loss her best friend Ruth Ann. Also pray for comfort for Ruth Ann s family during this difficult time. Continued Prayers: Prayers for Justine and Lexi Lovely; Julia Zepeda, daughter of Dana and Linda Crawford during her pregnancy; Cathie Achorn s sister Linda Palatka; Dee Mumby (Cathie Achorn s mother); Helena Engberg 4
Prayer requests: You can place prayer concerns on the church s email distribution list at eprayers@uccwestboro.org. If you would like a prayer request included in today s service, please let a Deacon know prior to the start of worship. Prayers will remain listed for 8 weeks. If you would like a prayer renewed, please call the church office. SUMMER OFFICE HOURS For the weeks of June 19 th and 26 th the office will be open Monday Thursday, 9AM 1PM. Summer hours for July and August will be Wednesday and Thursday 9 AM 1 PM, beginning the week of July 3 rd. PARKING OPTIONS Please know that in addition to parking in our lot or on the street, you can park next door in the library parking spaces on Parkman St., or behind the Forbes building next to the library. We re glad you re here! TORAH FROM THE TOP Miriam Hickey welcomes you to her class on Torah from the Top. Come take a journey back in time with me to the Galilee where we will explore Jesus in His culture and His time. This will be an in-depth study of the Sermon on the Mount. Class will include lecture, DVD with discussion and delicious kosher food. Dates: 6/20/17, 6/27/17 and 7/5/27 from 7-9PM in the Kerygma Room. PLEASE RSVP (617)960-6974 SAVE THE DATES FOR IHN HOSTING! JULY 16-23 RD This summer the week our church will be hosting at the IHN house at 91 June Street is Sunday evening, July 16 through Sunday morning July 23. We ll need volunteers to be there while the staff is off duty. We can take supper for the families or just be there while they cook and serve from 5:30-7:30 pm, or volunteer for the overnight shift from 7:30 pm to 7am. There will be information sheets on the Mission Table along with a sign-up sheet. THE SERMONATORS The softball team has a home game tomorrow night June 26, against Christian Reformed Church, at 6pm. Here are a few more upcoming games: July 10 Uxbridge Nazarene, home game July 17 Valley Chapel, home game VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL Get your registrations in soon by June 30! -Save your spot and Save on cost! This year s Vacation Bible School will take place July 31 st to Aug. 4 th this summer at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. More information and registration sheets are on the Mission table in the Vestry. DISMAS HOUSE Our church goes on the first Thursday of the month to cook and serve a meal with the people of Dismas House, a home for ex-prisoners. If you would like to help, be in touch with Karen Hutchinson at millarhutch@aol.com. We will go again Thursday, July 6th. Donations of Stop and Shop cards are greatly appreciated to help with the shopping for the meals! Thank you 5
PRAYER TIME CARDS We are encouraging people to speak to a pastor upstairs before the service if you want a prayer lifted up on Sunday morning, or you can fill out a blue card (located at a table near the front entrance, outside the sanctuary and in the pews) and give it to a Deacon, Thanks! GROCERY CARDS 2017 Goal: $ 8,000 2017 YTD Sales: $ 3,187.00 Last week s profits were $69.50. Grocery cards will be on sale in the vestry after worship service. Bring your checkbook to Church so you can eat heathy, shop locally with your Grocery Card. Stop by our table after worship on Sundays for more information or contact one of us and we will deliver them to you. Karen Hutchinson at 508.870.1782 or millarhutch@aol.com or Nancy Quimby at 774.249.4431 or nquimby11@gmail.com or Sally Petersen at sbpetersen4@gmail.com and 366.5169 CALENDAR FOR JUNE 25 th JULY 2 nd Jun 25 Sunday 10:00 AM Worship & Summer Story Time Jun 26 Monday 7:30 PM AA/Nursery Jun 27 Tuesday 7-9:00 PM Torah from the Top /Kerygma Rm Jun 28 Wednesday Evangel Published 3:30 PM Journey Home Singers Jun 29 Thursday Noon 6PM Farmer s Market 2:30 PM PCC/Fannie Forbes Summer Office Hours Weeks of June 19 th and 26 th Mon thru Thurs. 9AM-1PM, Closed Fridays July & August Wednesday & Thursday 9AM -1PM Jun 30 Friday- office closed Town Block Party Parking Lot Closed Jul 1 Saturday (no scheduled events) Jul 2 Communion Sunday 10:00 AM Worship & Summer Story Time 11:30 AM Deacons/Kerygma Room 6
Pastor Paul Sangree, Senior Pastor phsangree@gmail.com Rev. Elaine S. Gaetani, Pastor of Spiritual Development - revelaineg@aol.com Wendy Reardon, Director of Children s and Youth Ministries - wendysreardon@yahoo.com Clayton Heidbreder, Minister of Music/Organist claytonlh1@gmail.com Sue Menzel, Director of Bells westcongmusic@gmail.com Linda Hartley, Pastoral Associate lhartley@ants.edu Summer Office hours: Wed & Thurs 9-1,Church office phone 508/366-2000 General Church email westboroucc@verizon.net Church website www.uccwestboro.org www.facebook.com/thecongregationalchurchofwestborough 7