“Game Plan”
United Church of Gainesville
October 8, 2023
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“My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness.” — Maya Angelou
WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS — Rev. Chad McGinnis
PRELUDE — “Land of 1,000 Dances” by Chris Kenner, arranged by Tom Wallace. Offered by Brian and David Martin, trumpet; Mae McGinnis, flag; Keith Berg, drum.
OPENING READING
I will bring my whole
messy
human self
because I know,
i just know,
deep in my bones,
that you are already running to
meet me.
There are no cuts on this team.
You said you’d take it all,
so here I come.
Me and all my humanity.
We are on my way.
~ from “On My Way” by Rev. Sarah Speed
OPENING HYMN — “Awake, My Soul, Stretch Every Nerve”
PRAYER — Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan
We call first on the Beings of the Past. Be with us now all you who’ve gone before, you our ancestors and teachers. You who walked and loved and faithfully tended this Earth be present to us now that we may carry on the legacy you bequeathed us. Silently in our hearts we say your names and see your faces . . .
We call also on the Beings of the Present: all you with whom we live and work on this endangered planet, all you with whom we share this brink of time, be with us now. Fellow humans and brothers and sisters of other species, help us open our collective will and wisdom. Silently we say your names and picture your faces . . .
Lastly, we call on the Beings of the Future. All you who will come after us on this Earth, be with us now. All you who are waiting to be born in the ages to come, it is for your sakes too, that we work to heal our world. We cannot picture your faces or say your names — you have none yet — but we would feel the reality of your claim on life. It helps us to be faithful in the task that must be done, so that there will be for you, as there was for our ancestors, blue sky, fruitful land, clear waters. Amen. ~ Joanna Macy
TIME WITH CHILDREN – “The Hello, Goodbye Window” by Justin Norton and Chris Raschka — offered by Beth Hinrichs
PRAYER
BIRTHDAYS
INTERLUDE AND OFFERING
Your gifts support all facets of the UCG community. You can also give online: bit.ly/ucgplate.
SPECIAL MUSIC – “Hero” by Joe Keefe – offered by Mark Burlingame, piano, and Chad McGinnis, vocals
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE — Rev Talia Raymond
SCRIPTURE — Isaiah 43:19
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
SERMON — “Legacies and Opportunities” — Rev. Chad McGinnis
CLOSING SONG — “They’ll Know We’re God’s People by Our Love”
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the Spirit we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
Chorus:
And they’ll know we’re God’s people
By our love, by our love,
Yes, they’ll know we’re God’s people
by our love.
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand.
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand.
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land.
Chorus
We will work with each other, we will work side by side.
We will work with each other, we will work side by side.
And we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride.
Chorus
All praise the Creator, from whom all things come,
And all praise to Christ Jesus, who guides us on,
And all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one.
Chorus
BENEDICTION — Rev. Chad McGinnis
“ALLELUIA”
POSTLUDE
Here are our UCG friends celebrating a birthday this week!
| Gretchen | Casey | 10/10 |
| Charlotte | Gravlee | 10/11 |
| Stan | Smith | 10/11 |
| Tami | Herchel | 10/12 |
| Andrea | Palmer | 10/12 |
| Paul | George | 10/12 |
| Jackson | Kruse | 10/12 |
| Nancy | Henry | 10/12 |
| Doug | Kiker | 10/13 |
| Lois | McNamara | 10/13 |
| Helda | Montero | 10/13 |
ANNOUNCEMENTS Today at UCG
10:00 a.m. Worship – Rev. Chad McGinnis 10:15 a.m. United Tribes11:00 a.m. Fellowship and Beverages RJC Read a Banned Book Event Common Threaders
Board of Membership Meeting 11:15 a.m. YU & MST 11:30 a.m. Sunday Seminar — Webster’s Faith Vocabulary, Vol. 2 4:00 p.m. Dances of Universal Peace6:00 p.m. Sacred Sound Symphony
Sunday Seminar – “Webster’s Faith Vocabulary, Volume 2″ — In this seminar, we will continue to explore some key faith-related words, including defining, comparing, and contrasting key oft-used religious terms through the lens of a progressive religious perspective. As time allows, we may explore some words more specifically connected to who we are as UCG. Daniel Webster will be more fully utilizing the premise of the book “Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith” by poet Kathleen Norris, among other texts, as a launching point. Please note this seminar will begin at 11:30 a.m. in Reimer Hall or on Zoom. Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385, Passcode: 1624.
Banned Book Week Reception in UCG Library today, 11 a.m. to noon. Get to know what children, youth, and adult books are banned from K-12 classrooms and school media centers in Florida and the U.S. Check out UCG’s collection of banned books and learn how you can advocate for intellectual freedom. Sign up to read a banned book and discuss it at a seminar in late October. Your donation to UCG will help the Racial Justice Committee expand UCG’s banned book collection to include these titles. Click here to view the list.
Parents Night Out — October 13, 5:30-9:30 p.m., UCG Education Wing – Children from infants through fifth grade are invited for a night of pizza and fun. $15 for the first child, and $10 for each additional child. RSVP by Wednesday, October 11 to juliac@ucgainesville.org.
Join us for our Fall congregational meeting next Sunday, October 15 at 11:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary and on Zoom. We will discuss and vote on the Transition Team’s proposal and the 2024 challenge budget, as well as kick off the 2024 enlistment campaign. Please watch your email for the official announcement, including the agenda and the specific items to be discussed. Meeting ID: 834 2811 1992 Passcode:098514
Neighbors in Need offering October 15. Neighbors in Need (NIN) is a special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that supports ministries of justice and compassion in the United States. This year, the focus of the denomination’s campaign is environmental justice and the ways we are called to steward our world’s resources and life. The offering during our October 15 service will support Neighbors in Need, but you can also donate directly on ShelbyNext; simply designate that your donation is going to NIN in the dropdown menu.
The Women’s Overnight 2024 Planning Committee Seeks Your Input – In addition to returning to Camp Weed in Live Oak the weekend of January 19-21, we are considering a third annual one-day retreat at UCG at the end of February or the first weekend of March. Please take five minutes to share your feedback here as we gather to plan wonderful events for fellowship. The survey deadline is Wednesday, October 11, 8:00 p.m. If you have questions, please email Laura Robertson (alurajuly@gmail.com) or Jane Emmeree (emmeree@gmail.com). Paper copies of the survey are available in the church office.
There’s still time to register for the Men’s Retreat “Masking and Unmasking: Living into Our Authentic Selves,” November 3-5 at Camp Weed in Live Oak, Florida. The cost per person is $155, which includes 2 nights of lodging in shared rooms, all meals from Saturday breakfast through Sunday breakfast, and all programming. The optional Friday dinner is an additional $15/person ($170 total). If you prefer a room to yourself, add $85. If you cannot make the full weekend, Saturday-only registration is $70. Scholarships are available if the cost is a barrier. To sign up, or if you have questions, please contact Tim Martin (tamartin@ufl.edu) or Chad McGinnis (chad.a.mcginnis@gmail.com). Registration deadline is October 15.
Advent Book Submissions — We are gathering writings and visual art for the 2023 Advent devotional booklet. This year’s theme is “All I Want . . . (for Christmas).” You can contribute one of your favorite writings (poems, sermon excerpts, songs, hymns, etc.) or an original piece of your own. Please submit all writings as an attached Word document or straight to the body of your email, for easy editing. We also accept visual art in jpg format if possible. Send submissions to Taylor Williams. The final deadline for submissions is Friday, November 10. Thank you for contributing!
Calling All Artists! We want you to exhibit your creations at our annual UCG Art Show on Sunday, November 12. You can sell your work, just show it, or both. We call it, “Show & Tell . . . and Sell” and welcome all ages, all kinds of creativity, and all skill levels! Applications are available online at https://bit.ly/artsapp23 or in the Foyer.
In light of the fall and Christmas schedule and to allow more time for consideration, we will continue with a single 10 a.m. service through January 2024. A preliminary report will be presented at the October 15 congregational meeting, and a decision on the worship schedule will be made at the January 28, 2024 congregational meeting.
Next Sunday, October 15
Family Promise Hosting Begins
9:45 a.m. Childcare
10:00 a.m. Worship – Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan
10:15 a.m. United Tribes
11:00 a.m. Fellowship and Beverages
New Members Reception
11:30 a.m. Fall Congregational Meeting
12:30 p.m. Lively Arts Committee
5:30 p.m. YU/MST Second Sundays
7:00 p.m. Climate Justice Movie Night
October 6 Covid Update
The levels of COVID-19 virus in Alachua County’s wastewater samples remain extremely high. However, the number of new cases and the test positivity rate are both decreasing. This indicates that people who are infected are either testing themselves at home and not reporting the results or are not getting tested at all.
People over age 65 and people with compromised immunity are encouraged to get one of the updated mRNA vaccines that are now available in local pharmacies. Free at-home rapid antigen test kits are now available by contacting covidtest.gov. The kits are typically sent out in 7-12 days.
In the Sanctuary N-95 or KN-95 masks are strongly encouraged for people at risk for serious illness from COVID, for people who live with someone at increased risk, and for people who have any respiratory tract symptoms. KN-95 masks are available in the foyer.
