A Service of Celebration and Recognition
for Rev. Andy Bachmann
United Church of Gainesville
April 30, 2023 – 10:00 am
Our live stream begins at 10:00 am. Click here to join.
PRELUDE MUSIC
“Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Offered by Members of the Friendship Group, with Andy and Stella Bachmann
“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” by U2, offered by Stella Bachmann, Elena Frenock, and Andy Bachmann
VIDEO REMEMBRANCE- Created by Dominic Durante and Friends
WELCOME – Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan and Rev. Talia Raymond
READING OF THE COMPACT (in unison)
We join as a spiritual community in this compact:
To worship God, however known,
To welcome into our church those of differing
understanding and theological opinion,
To learn from our religious heritage, yet to
grow by seeking new dimensions of truth.
To follow, even imperfectly, the way of Jesus
in personal involvement with each other,
And, strengthened by this bond, to act in
Christian concern for the welfare of all people.
OPENING HYMN – “God of Grace and God of Glory” – with accompaniment by the Lamarti Ensemble, led by Mark Burlingame
On thy people pour thy power.
Crown thine ancient church’s story,
Bring its bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the facing of this hour,
for the facing of this hour.Lo! the clouds of evil ’round us,
Hide thy brightness from our gaze
From the fears that long have bound us,
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the living of these days,
for the living of these days.
Cure thy children’s warring madness,
Teach us good and peaceful goals.
Shame our proud and selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
In our seeking to be whole,
in our seeking to be whole.
Fill us with a living vision,
Heal our wounds that we may be
Bound as one beyond division
In the journey to be free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Ears to hear and eyes to see,
ears to hear and eyes to see.
INVOCATION – Offered by members of Andy’s Search Committee
Diane Farris: We have come to worship God and to celebrate the ministry of Andy Bachmann!
People: We have found a community of friends and strangers, joining together in smiles and tears.
Mark Burlingame: We have come through the years, at different ages and stages of our lives.
People: We have found understanding and acceptance of who we are and where we are on life’s journey.
Jean Epling: We have come as seekers, questioners, and doubters, people of many faiths and of no faith.
People: We have found a place to share ideas and a call to live out our values.
Candice King: We have come, female and male, gay, straight and trans, single, partnered, divorced, married, widowed.
People: We have found confirmation of the many ways we love and confirmation that we are loved by God and by one another.
Diana Tonnessen: We have come whole and broken, in need and in abundance, laughing and crying.
People: We have found comfort and challenge, a call to new life!
Sandy Reimer: Come now to this moment of worship and celebration, hearts full of joy and grief!
Larry Reimer: Find here the Holy, known to us in many ways, moving within and among us, through word, and song, and gesture, making this a truly sacred moment!
People: Amen!
BLESSING FROM THE CHILDREN- Rev. Talia Raymond
BIRTHDAYS
FAMILY MEMORIES – Tracy Bachmann
CHORAL ANTHEM and OFFERTORY – UCG Choir, directed by Phillip Herr-Klepacki
SCRIPTURE –Romans 12:2; Micah 6:8 – Judah Bachmann
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
“God has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
SPECIAL MUSIC – “Soon Love Soon,” by Vienna Tang. Offered by Salina Briseno-Kiker, Stella and Tracy Bachmann, Elena Frenock, Jamie Baldwin, Jasmine Angelini-Knoll, Hannah Norton, and Tessa Frenchman, with Phillip Herr-Klepacki
READING – Matthew 5:14-16 – Remy Bachmann
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
REFLECTION – “Everything I Need to Know in Life, I Learned as a Youth Minister,” Rev. Andy Bachmann
SONG- “The Servant Song,” #61 in the gray songbook
Let me be as grace to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant, tooWe are pilgrims on a journey
We are neighbors on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load
I will hold the grace light for you
In the night-time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear
I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through
RECOGNITIONS and RITUAL
Members of the Congregation-Ministry Review Board
GRATITUDE and BLESSINGS – Rev. Larry Reimer, Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan, Rev. Talia Raymond, and Rev. Sandy Reimer – each blessing includes a phrase from “For Retirement” by John O’Donohue
CHORAL BLESSING
BENEDICTION
One – Now that your service has ended, may your new life begin.
All – Bless all the gifts the years have given us.
One – Bless the kindness and support we have received.
All – Bless the joys and the tears we have shared.
One – Bless the celebration of this day, filled with our love for one another.
All – Bless the promise of the future, filled with trust and with faith.
One – Bless our souls, filled with the wonder of God’s blessings,
All – as we walk step by step together in the circle of grace that is the ever-present God!
“ALLELUIA”
POSTLUDE- “Sisters and Brothers,” Offered by the Hogtown Pickers. Andy Bachmann, Art Crummer, Alan Hill, Jack Nettles, and Ned Stewart
Here are our UCG friends celebrating a birthday this week!
|
John |
Engels |
05/01 |
|
Elizabeth |
Clark |
05/02 |
|
Anne |
Longley |
05/02 |
|
Rachel |
Stein |
05/02 |
|
Sherrilene |
Classen |
05/02 |
|
Josh |
Fields |
05/02 |
|
Crissy |
Hensley |
05/03 |
|
Anna |
Samuelsson |
05/03 |
|
Summer |
Hartley |
05/04 |
|
Pat |
Morse |
05/04 |
|
Nancy |
Day |
05/05 |
Announcements
No Sunday Seminar for April 30 – Look out for upcoming seminars in the May newsletter.
Andy’s Farewell Celebration and Gifts – Join us this Sunday, April 30 for ONE service at 10 am as we celebrate Andy Bachmann’s tenure as our minister at the United Church of Gainesville. Then, join us at First Magnitude Brewing Company at 12:30 pm for Andy’s Farewell Celebration. Special music will be provided by the Hogtown Pickers at 1:30 and Stella Bachmann’s band Breakfast for Dinner at 2:30. There will be food trucks, as well as non-alcoholic beverages and cake for all! Young Adult (YA) lunch is Sunday. If you are older than high school age and younger than 30ish, please join us at Andy’s Party at First Magnitude Brewery at 12:30 pm. For more information contact Judy Parsons at judyp482@gmail.com.
Congregational gifts in honor of Andy Bachmann – If you’d like to honor Andy Bachmann’s 20 years of service to UCG with a financial gift, here are two options that speak to important threads in Andy’s ministry and spiritual journey:
- A Camp Highlands Foundation scholarship fund to enable a child(ren) from the Lac Courte Oreilles band of the Ojibwe tribe to attend camp (Andy has been working to strengthen connections between Highlands and local indigenous communities), OR
- a Pilgrimage Support Fund to help enable the continuation of Andy’s commitment to pilgrimage as an avenue for spiritual exploration, growth, and rejuvenation. You are also welcome to contribute to both!
To give, please send a check to UCG Accountant Catherine Cake with either “Highlands Scholarship” or “Pilgrimage” in the memo line or click here to give.
Compassion in Actions invites you to join our Eat Local Grow Hope Global Break-Fast potluck celebration on May 4 at 6 PM.- Through Eat Local Grow Hope Global we are acting together to ensure access to local food, we are giving together to improve access to food for our global neighbors in Guatemala https://bit.ly/GHGGUATEMALA , and, we are growing hope together as we put compassion in action. This is how our global outreach works:
- Join us in fasting “however known” from after lunch on Wednesday, May 3rd until 6 PM on Thursday, May 4.
- Sign up here for soup, salad or fruit for the Break-Fast dinner on May 4 at 6pm.
- Celebrate that we are acting together with local farmers and food providers to ensure access to local food.
- Celebrate that we are giving together to improve access to food for our global neighbors in Guatemala. And we are growing hope together as we put compassion in action.
Click here to access a secure opportunity to donate to UCG for this project. This is UCG’s only international outreach project.
Next Sunday, May 7
9:15 & 11:15am Worship – Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan
9:30am United Tribes
10:15am Fellowship & Beverages
Visitors Coffee
10:30am Sunday Seminar
NEXT Food First Sundays: May 7 and June 4. THANK YOU for your monthly donations for the Gainesville Community Ministry’s Food Bank. Since January, the congregation has generously given over one ton of nonperishable foods!
The Capital Campaign Visioning Task Force is in the process of gathering input from UCG congregants on their hopes and dreams for UCG in the future, and how different projects might contribute to bringing these dreams to reality. We encourage you to take this survey on proposed projects by the end of April. Here is a link to the survey: https://bit.ly/capsurvey23.
Youth Work Tour Fundraiser – UCG TEAL logo tumblers are still available for $22 in the front office for purchase. Proceeds go towards the Youth Summer Work Tour in June. Also, if you are able to donate toward the Work Tour Scholarship Fund, please contact Catherine Cake. Thank you for your support!
Visitors’ Coffee with Rev. Bromleigh on Sunday, May 7 at 10:15am – If you’ve been visiting UCG and would like to learn more about the church, please join us at a visitors’ coffee, where Rev. Bromleigh and members of the Board of Membership will be available to answer questions you may have.
April 28 Covid Update – According to the CDC, Alachua County residents have a low risk of serious illness from COVID-19 (the Green Zone). Hospital admissions remain low. However, the presence of COVID in all the County’s wastewater samples show that the virus is still being passed around. Masks are not required and are optional for people with medical risks.