“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” -Joseph Campbell
WELCOME- Rev. Andy Bachmann
PRELUDE- Mark Burlingame
CALL TO WORSHIP – Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan
We are all on a journey together…
To the center of the universe…
Look deep
Into yourself, into another.
It is to a center which is everywhere
That is the holy journey…
First you need only look:
Notice and honor the radiance of Everything about you…
Play in this universe. Tend
All these shining things around you:
The smallest plant, the creatures and
Objects in your care.
Be gentle and nurture. Listen…
As we experience and accept
All that we really are…
We grow in care.
We begin to embrace others
As ourselves, and learn to live
As one among many… – Anne Hillman
OPENING SONG – “Here We Are”
Chorus: Here we are, all together
As we sing our song joyfully.
Here we are, joined together
As we pray we will always be.
Join we now as friends, and celebrate
The community we share, all as one.
Keep the fire burning, kindle it with care,
And we’ll all join in and sing:
Chorus
Glorify the Lord with all your voices,
Show Him we’re sincere by all our deeds.
Shout the joys of freedom everywhere,
And we’ll all join in and sing:
Chorus
Happy now are those who do their best
To free the troubled world from all its pain.
Let us join with them to free the troubled world
As we all join in and sing:
Chorus
Let us make the world an Alleluia
Let us make the world a better place.
Keep a smile handy, lend a helping hand
Let us all join in and sing:
Chorus
RESPONSIVE PRAYER – “Lost” by David Wagoner- Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan
Please read the bolded passages aloud.
Stand still. The trees ahead and the bushes beside you
are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
and you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying, Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
TIME WITH THE CHILDREN- Rev. Andy Bachmann
BIRTHDAYS
INTERLUDE
BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF THE OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS THREE TYPES OF FUN- our players today are: Taylor Williams, Bromleigh McCleneghan, Tim Martin, Taylor Stein, Jeremy Archer, Dominic Durante, Art Crummer, and Talia Raymond
SPECIAL MUSIC – “Get Out the Map.” by the Indigo Girls. Offered by Amanda Garrigues DeMouey, vocals, Jack Nettles on mandolin, Andy Bachmann on guitar, Alan Hill on bass, and Mary Fukuyama on percussion.
SCRIPTURE- from 1 Kings 19 – Offered by Rev. Talia Raymond and
Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan
SERMON- “Finding Our Way” by Rev. Andy Bachmann
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
MOMENT FOR MISSION ON THE TRIP TO MONTGOMERY- Suzanne Stapleton
CLOSING SONG- “Here I Am Lord”
BENEDICTION
ALLELUIA
Today at UCG
Fall Congregational Meeting at 10:30 am
9:00am Childcare
9:15 Worship “Finding Your Way” – Andy Bachmann
9:30 am United Tribes Church School
10:30 am Fall Congregational Meeting
11:15 am All Church Gathering
12:30 pm Board of Membership
2:00pm OWL Session
United Tribes – Why does our church have meetings? We will have our own Mock-Meeting and vote.
Fall Congregational Meeting at 10:30 am in the Sanctuary and on Zoom, followed by an All-church Gathering in the Courtyard. Join us on Zoom. Meeting ID: 874 8596 0164 Passcode: 1624
Announcements
Roadmap to Reconciliation: A Trip to the Legacy Museum and Monument for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama – We have partnered with the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project and the NAACP to travel together to Montgomery, Alabama the weekend of November 18 – 20. We will visit the Legacy Museum and the Memorial for Peace and Justice, as well as meet with representatives from the Equal Justice Initiative. All participants are asked to join us for a preliminary gathering on November 10 and again on December 1 for a time of community building, reflection, and a memorial service for those who have been lynched in Alachua County. This will be our third trip to Montgomery. Spots are limited. Click here to register or visit the registration table after the Congregational meeting on October 16. Have Questions? Contact Rev. Andy Bachmann.
Gainesville Area AIDS Project (GAAP) and their TREE program (The Replenishment of Everyday Essentials) on PRIDE Sunday, October 23rd. Help assist our income-challenged neighbors living with HIV/AIDS by providing essential items that cannot be purchased with food stamps/SNAP. Click here for a list of items to bring on PRIDE Sunday, October 23rd. For early donations during the week of October 16th, staff can open Seminar B, Monday – Friday from 9am-4:30pm. Our congregation is the largest donor to this important program. Thank you for your generosity.
The UCG Choir resumes on Thursday, October 20. Watch for a reminder email!
Pride Sunday, October 23, at UCG!!
Services at 9:15 and 11:15. We are looking for storytellers or speakers to add a brief reflection about Pride: where we have been, where we are, and/or where we are going. Contact Talia if you are willing to speak!
Pride Seminar- “Gender Affirming Care for All God’s Children”
Pride Brunch: After the 11:15 service (12:30-ish), bring a dish to share. Let’s nourish bodies and souls and replace all the shaming with Pride!
The UCG All-Board Kickoff is on Sunday, October 30th from 4 PM-5:40 PM in-person in Reimer Hall. All new and continuing Board and Committee chairs and members are invited! There will be snacks and drinks and childcare will be provided. The objectives include:
- An opportunity for connection and fellowship
- A way for new board and committee members to experience the importance and impact of the work of our ministries
- A chance to meet as a Board/Committee during the breakout session
- An understanding of and engagement in our Three-Year Plan
Please sign up here. Note: There won’t be a Zoom option for this meeting.
We are gathering writings and visual art for the 2022 Advent devotional booklet! You can contribute one of your favorite writings, an original piece of your own, or visual art. Please submit all writings as an attached word document or straight to the body of your email and all artwork as a JPG. Send submissions to Taylor Williams by Sunday, November 6. Thank you!
The United Church of Christ has issued an appeal to support the immediate needs of families and communities affected by Hurricanes Fiona and Ian. If you can help, please click here. Thank you!!
NAMI Gainesville Walk and 5K has been rescheduled to Sunday, October 23.
Collaborative Interfaith Clean-Up has been rescheduled for Sunday, November 20.
Grushers Needed on Sundays. Come 15 minutes early and be a welcoming presence for our friends and families at UCG. Please email hannah.norton@gmail.com or visit https://bit.ly/grusher to sign up now!
The Racial Justice Committee of the United Church of Gainesville is dedicating a shelf in our library to banned books. Here is a list of books banned by counties across the country and in Florida. These books are often labeled as being “too woke,” “liberal propaganda,” and “anti-white,” among other ridiculous claims. Being a committed congregation that seeks to “Learn from our religious heritage, yet to grow by seeking new dimensions of truth,” we invite you to join us, donate to us, borrow from us, and grow with us. Titles will be removed from the list. Please choose the shipping address labeled “UCG Library (c/o Shanna Swiers.)” Thank you for your support!
Next Sunday, October 23
PRIDE Sunday at UCG!!
9:00 am Childcare
9:15 & 11:15 am Worship – Rev. Talia Raymond
9:30am United Tribes Time for Children
10:15am Fellowship & Beverages
Art in the Library Reception
Puzzlers Exchange
YU/MST
*Women’s Easy Backpacking
Montgomery Trip Registration
10:30am Pride Seminar
11:15am Friendship Group
12:30pm Pride Brunch
1:00pm NAMI Walk
*pre-registered small group
