United Church of Gainesville
Sunday, April 27, 2025 – 10 a.m.
Rev. Sandy Reimer
Our livestream begins here at 10 a.m.
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS – Rev. Sandy Reimer
PRELUDE – Phillip Herr-Klepacki
CALL TO WORSHIP from Psalm 90 as translated by Stephen Mitchell
One: Fill us, God, in the morning with your wisdom.
Shine through us all of our lives.
Let our hearts grow transparent in the radiance of your love.
All: Show us how precious each day is. Teach us to be fully here.
And let the work of our hands prosper, for our little while.
SONG – “This Little Light of Mine” accompanied by Andy Bachmann, Ellen Ribe, Phillip Herr-Klepacki, and Larry Reimer
The musicians will play the song once, and then we sing the verses below.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine (3 times)
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Hide it under a bucket, NO! I’m gonna let it shine. (3 times)
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine (3 times)
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
RESPONSIVE PRAYER – from The Hospital Handbook by Larry Reimer
Please join in reading the lines that are in bold.
One: There are times when we wake and discover that the landscape
has changed.
The light suggests a later season; the way is different,
and yet the land is the same.
We feel alone at times with no path to follow.
In those days, O God, you urge us deep into the river of faith.
And there we find you, flowing with the ever-moving stream
of our lives.
All: We sense your pulse in the beating of our hearts.
We hear your spirit in the rhythm of our breath.
We feel your grace in the cleansing wash of tears.
We feel your release in the burst of laughter.
One: And we find that what we feared we would lose in the midst
of these changes is ourselves, and we find that, instead,
we are found. Blessed be. Amen.
TIME WITH THE CHILDREN – Meaghan Bonnaghan
PRAYER AND BIRTHDAYS
INTERLUDE AND OFFERTORY
Your gifts support all facets of the UCG community. You can also give online: bit.ly/ucgplate.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – Rev. Ellen Ribe
After the prayers, Phillip will play the choral response once; we sing it twice.
CHORAL RESPONSE: Ubi caritas et amor. Ubi caritas; Deus ibi est.
(Where charity and love are; Where charity is, there is God.)
MEDITATIVE MUSIC – Nan Ryan
READINGS – Barbara Rienzo and Donn Smith-Lopez
In the general framework within which our destinies are worked out, periods of stability alternate with times of transition. I have found that little can be understood as either and or. I have found that it is most often both. It is true that the present is powerfully shaped by the past, and it is also true that the circumstances of every life transition can shake up and revise the old arrangements. And it is true that insight at any age can free us. We can’t understand our history in terms of continuity or change. We must include both. – Judith Viorst
Sometimes it is scary to make these transitions. Yet through change, whether thrust upon us or self-consciously willed, we restructure our lives and start to see other possibilities and new directions. It takes courage, humor, self-reflection, time, and patience. Home base and journey, home and away, inward and outward – we all need to experience these dialectics of life’s polarities to be fully ourselves, to be deeply integrated in the rich complexity of who we are meant to be. – Clare Cooper Marcus
SPECIAL MUSIC – “Both Sides Now” offered by Andy Bachmann
SERMON – “On the Other Side” – Rev. Sandy Reimer
Scripture – The Gospel of John: Chapter 21, Verses 1-4
PRAYER
SONG – “Eagle’s Wings” – Phillip will play the song once; then we sing it twice.
And God will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
And make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of God’s hand.
BENEDICTION
Take courage, friends. The way is often hard, the path may not be clear,
and the stakes are very high.
Take courage, friends, for deep down there is another truth:
You are not alone! Blessed be.
POSTLUDE
Diana Nagy
Henry WiseApril 28
Justin Ramos
May 1
John Engels
May 2
Elizabeth Clark
Sherrilene Classen
Josh Fields
Anne Longley
Rachel Stein
May 3
Anna Samuelsson
9:45 a.m. Childcare
Puzzlers Exchange
10 a.m. Worship Service – Rev. Sandy Reimer
Coffee Church
11 a.m. Fellowship and Beverages
11:30 a.m. Sunday Seminar
12:30 p.m. Congregational Life Team meeting
2 p.m. OWL Program
5:30 p.m. Noodles and Doodles Pasta Dinner/Art Auction
Coffee Church will be held in Reimer Hall at 10 a.m. as an alternative space to the Sanctuary. The service will be livestreamed on the big screen TV and coffee and tea will be available. Join us if you want to eat and drink and be together in a less-crowded room for the service.
“The Trans, the Cis, and the Non-binary: Understanding the Gender Spectrum” will be the topic of today’s Seminar at 11:30 a.m. in Reimer Hall. Carolina Cordero will explore key gender concepts, including basic definitions, pronouns, and gender dysphoria. The seminar will also touch on topics like legal name changes, hormone replacement (HRT), and surgeries. In person and on Zoom.
Our Annual Noodles and Doodles Fundraiser is TODAY at 5:30 p.m.! This art auction and pasta dinner fundraiser supports our Youth United as they prepare for their summer Work Tour. This year, they are headed to Washington, DC to volunteer at the World Pride Festival, serve at food pantries and soup kitchens, participate in park cleanups, and meet with activists in racial and social justice. The cost to attend Noodles and Doodles is $10 for adults and $5 for kids. This includes a spaghetti dinner, salad, and dessert (gluten-free and vegan options will be available). A silent auction will run throughout the evening for amazing art, and, during dessert, we will have a live art auction on some very special pieces.
Welcome Basket for Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper and Warren Goldstein – Interim Minister Rev. Schaper will arrive on Thursday, May 1. If you would like to contribute to a “Welcome to Gainesville” basket, please bring a gift card to your favorite local spot in any amount and/or a note of welcome to the office. Deadline is Today!
For Good Friday (April 18), Rev. Talia put together a 14-station creation-themed sensory experience accompanied by readings, photographs, and action-focused responses along with meditative music provided by Mark Burlingame, Shirell Hix, and Penta Rose. If you were not able to attend and are curious, or if you did attend and want access to the materials, click here for the music recording and here for the readings and reflective art.
We are delighted to announce that your generous donations on Easter and online have replenished our Emergency Loan Fund (aka ELF, or Christmas Eve Fund) by an additional $2,315. It will be a joy to be able to help more people with these donations.
Lively Arts invites you to the spring concert of the Gainesville Flute Ensemble this Tuesday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the UCG Sanctuary. Join us for a varied program of music arranged for the full range of flute voices. The concert is free and open to the public.
The next Food First Sunday will be May 4. In the first four months of 2025, our congregation donated over 942 pounds – almost half a ton – to the food pantry of our community partner, Gainesville Community Ministry. Thank you for your commitment to this important ministry! Donations of nonperishable food items immensely help those experiencing food insecurity in our community. If you forget to bring your donations or prefer to donate online click here. Learn more here. Please bring your non-perishable donations to the shopping cart in front of the Sanctuary on May 4.
A service of celebration, full of music and love to honor Jeff Shapiro’s life will be held at United Church of Gainesville on Sunday, May 18 at 3 p.m. with reception to follow. Jeff passed away on Saturday, April 19.
UCG Directory – The Board of Membership encourages members to wear their name tags and upload a photo of themselves in our ShelbyNext online directory. This helps us put a face to a name and get to know one another. It is also helpful when individuals sign up for boards/committees, small groups, etc. To view your profile, go to https://bit.ly/UCGSNLog.
Work has progressed on the remodeling of the west side bathrooms! It won’t be too long until completion. Please continue to use the office bathrooms for now. Exterior access is available from the breezeway between the chapel and courtyard, next to the water fountain. Note also that our west side parking lot may have limited spaces available.
Next Sunday, May 4
Food First
9 a.m. Ministerial Mornings with Rev. Donna Schaper
9:45 a.m. Childcare
10 a.m. Worship Service – Rev. Talia Raymond
Coffee Church
11 a.m. Fellowship and Beverages
11:15 a.m. Common Threaders
11:30 a.m. Sunday Seminar – Behavioral Covenant with the Congregational Life Team
Youth United/Middle School Together
Board of Parish Ministry meeting
Our interim minister, Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper, invites you to join her on Sunday mornings from 9 – 9:45 a.m. in Reimer Hall for “Ministerial Mornings” (aka coffee and conversation) starting Sunday, May 4.
Let’s Stay Connected
Read our April newsletter!
Submit Your E-vents and Bulletin Announcements – Please email E-vents and bulletin announcements to Shanna Swiers to have them included in our newsletter, bulletin, and emails.
Church Office Schedule for April/May 2025
Tuesdays and Thursdays – 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Wednesdays and Fridays – 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Sundays – 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
