United Church of Gainesville
“Forgotten Library”
Sunday, May 29, 2022 – 10:00 am
Click here to join the live stream beginning at 10am
Imagination: Blessed Eyes and Blessed Ears
“Child’s Wisdom”
“Paradoxically, that which places the child at her greatest risk and vulnerability is also, at the same moment, her greatest strength, this is her innocence. In his innocence the child is again open to the world immediately around him and inside him. Compelled by keen curiosity and great receptivity, the child reaches out to the world with her six senses of touching, hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, and imagining.” –Alberto Breccia
WELCOME – ANNOUNCEMENTS -Alberto Breccia
PRELUDE – Phillip Herr-Klepacki
CALL TO WORSHIP – written by Stephen Best, edited, and led by Daniel Webster
Leader: In this place
All: We open to the creative heartbeat of this morning,
The divine urging which is within, around and beyond us.
Leader: Dispel our stupor.
All: Energize our bodies.
Open the eyes of our hearts.
Enthuse our passion.
Leader: Open the ears of our spirits
All: And center us
So this day is worthy of the name holy.
SONG – “Simple Gifts”
‘Tis a gift to be simple, ‘Tis a gift to be free,
‘Tis a gift to come down where you ought to be.
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed.
To turn, turn will be our delight,
‘Til by turning, turning, we come ‘round right.
‘Tis the gift to be gentle, ‘tis the gift to be kind,
‘Tis the gift to love and leave the rest behind;
And when we find a center in a simple life,
Twill be the end of our fear and strife.
When true simplicity is gained to bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed. To turn, turn will be our delight.
Til by turning, turning we come round right.
‘Tis the gift to be humble, ‘tis the gift when we care,
‘Tis the gift that God has given us to share;
And when we help another soul in need,
‘Twill be a joy of grace indeed!
When true simplicity is gained, to bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed. To turn, turn will be our delight, til by turning, turning we come round right. To turn, turn will be our delight, Til by turning, turning we come ‘round right.
TIME WITH CHILDREN – Renee Andrews, “First Tomato” by Rosemary Wells
BIRTHDAYS
INTERLUDE
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – Pam Smith
Sung Response “Within Our Darkest Night”
Within our darkest night,
you kindle the fire that never dies away,
never dies away.
Within our darkest night,
you kindle the fire that never dies away,
never dies away.
READING – “On Children” by Kahlil Gibran read by Alberto Breccia
And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said,
Speak to us of Children.
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.
SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 13:10-17 – Daniel Webster
A GOOD WORD: Number the Stars – Hannah Norton
HYMN – “I Would Be True”
A GOOD WORD: The Boxcar Children – Heather Dewar
OFFERTORY “Angels Watching Over Me”
Chorus
All night, all day
Angels watchin’ over me, my Lord
All night, all day
Angels watchin’ over me
When I lay me down to sleep,
Angels watchin’ over me, my Lord
Pray the Lord my soul to keep,
Angels watchin’ over me.
Chorus
When I fear I cannot stand,
Angels watchin’ over me, my Lord,
Angels take me by the hand,
Angels watchin’ over me.
Chorus
Angels bring us God’s command,
Angels watchin’ over me, my Lord,
Peace and justice in our land.
Angels watchin’ over me.
A GOOD WORD: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Pam Smith
SONG – “Some Glad Morning (I’ll Fly Away)”
BENEDICTION – Daniel Webster
“ALLELUIA”
“We all have an obligation to daydream. We have an obligation to imagine. It is easy to pretend that nobody can change anything, that society is huge and the individual is less than nothing. But the truth is individuals make the future, and they do it by imagining that things can be different.” -Neil Gaiman
Here are the UCG friends celebrating a birthday this week!
Happy Birthday!
|
Peggy |
DiNegro |
05/29 |
|
John |
Eyler |
05/29 |
|
Madeline Grace |
Berryman-Dages |
05/30 |
|
Tom |
Summers |
05/30 |
|
Meaghan |
Bonnaghan |
05/30 |
|
Jacquelyn |
Daniels |
05/31 |
|
Elijah |
Milch |
05/31 |
|
Sal |
Pancorbo |
05/31 |
|
Salina |
Briseno Kiker |
06/01 |
|
Eric |
Lemstrom |
06/01 |
|
Nadira |
Najm-Cary |
06/01 |
|
Steve |
Pennypacker |
06/01 |
|
Amy |
Ransom |
06/01 |
|
Mary Ellen |
Drummond |
06/02 |
|
Alexis |
Dixon |
06/02 |
|
Wes |
Gullidge |
06/03 |
|
Angela Lucas |
Hoppe |
06/03 |
|
Sallie |
Maxwell |
06/03 |
|
Martina |
Murphy |
06/03 |
|
Ruth |
Saunders |
06/03 |
|
Clark |
Durant |
06/04 |
Announcements
Today at UCG
LifeSouth Blood Drive Today! Please give the Gift of Life!
9:45am Childcare
10:00am Worship – Board of Parish Ministry
10:15am Extended Activity Time for Children
11:00am Fellowship & Beverages
United Tribes – This Sunday begins our Summer Activity Time for kids. United Tribes church school resumes in August.
Summer Worship Schedule – We have moved to our summer worship schedule of one service at 10am. Beginning Monday, June 6 the summer office hours will be Monday – Friday from 9:00-4:00pm. Two services, as well as Sunday seminars, will resume in August.
The Church office will be closed on Monday, May 30th for Memorial Day.
Help Needed! -Allan and Janet March could use some help with meals while Allan recovers from recent heart surgery. If you can provide a meal, please click here. Thank you!
Grushers Needed! We are looking for Grusher volunteers (aka greeter/ushers) on Sundays in June and July. No experience necessary. Come 15 minutes early and be a welcoming presence for our friends and families returning to UCG. Whether you have 15 or 50 minutes to spare, we can use your help! Email hannah.norton@gmail.com for more information or visit https://bit.ly/grusher to sign up now!
C.A.M.P. UCG – For children entering PreK-6th Grade will be July 25-29, 2022! We are returning to our “All God’s Critters” theme from our abbreviated week last year including special guests, water slide day, yummy snacks, spiritual exploration, and a visit from the zoo! Rates: $30 per child (8:30-12:00pm), $50 family cap for children in the same household; Aftercare Rate: from 12:00-5:00pm: $100 for the week, $20 per day. Email taliar@ucgainesville.org with any questions, or to volunteer to help with: crafts, STEM lessons, snacks, outdoor games, or if you have a connection to a community group (or you yourself) who can teach our children about “critters”, however known. Monetary donations or gift cards to grocery stores and big box stores (Target/Sam’s) are also very welcome. Register here.
The United Church of Gainesville is welcoming new members on Sunday, June 19! If you’ve been thinking about joining this community of spiritual and open-minded people, please join us at “UCG 101” on Thursday, June 2 at 5:30pm in Reimer Hall. Light refreshments and childcare provided. Please contact the church office (352 378-3500) to let us know you’ll be there and let us know if you will need childcare.
Summer Musical Showcase, Sunday, June 5 at 2pm. We welcome you to hear some great music in person or online including Pickers Light- Art Crummer, David Evans, Alan Hill, Jack Nettles; Nan Ryan and Mark Burlingame; Amanda Garrigues DeMouey; Jeff Shapiro and Connie Caldwell; Kathie McGill and Ruth Saunders on Dulcimer and viola; Arwynn Collins and Melvin Smith-Lopez; Sue Hartman, Hannah Norton, Susan Kirkland Vocal trio; and the Ukulele players.
The newly-elected members of the Church Council will gather for their annual Leadership Summit on Sunday, June 5th from 5:30 – 7:00pm in Reimer Hall. The outgoing and the incoming chairpersons of Boards and Committees will meet together for dinner, for the sharing of important information, and for inspiration and training. Supper and childcare will be provided. Please RSVP at https://bit.ly/leadsummit22.
Next Sunday, June 5th
Graduate Sunday
9:45am Childcare
10:00am Worship – Talia Raymond
10:15am Extended Activity Time for Children
11:00am Reception for Graduates & Fellowship
2:00pm Summer Musical Showcase
5:30pm Leadership Summit
Alachua County residents have a high risk of serious illness from COVID-19 (the ORANGE Zone). New cases and hospitalizations are rising quickly. Masks are required for everyone at UCG’s Sunday worship service.
UCG is now following Endemic Response Guidelines which are based on the risk for serious disease and not the risk for transmission. We will be using a color zone approach based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s revised focus on the risk for serious disease. We are currently in the orange zone and masking will be required in the Sanctuary. There is a section of the Sanctuary with fewer chairs if you need more space for social distancing. Please note that UCG will continue broadcasting one Sunday worship service on YouTube.
Gathering Water – Wherever you are this summer- in your own yard, at the beach, in another state or country– remember to gather a small amount of water to bring to our annual “Gathering of Waters” service on August 28. This service is our ritual of re-gathering as a church community at the end of the summer.