Little Words/Big Ideas
This morning our worship service will live-stream at 10:00am. It is available for viewing at anytime after this. Please click here to begin. If the live-stream link is not active or working for you, you can find our service at our YouTube page here.
WELCOME, RINGING THE BELL, and LIGHTING THE CANDLE – Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan
PRELUDE MUSIC – Phillip Herr-Klepacki
CALL TO WORSHIP
One: Emerging from our memories, as melodies and poems,
All: we recall the many usages of these little words.
One: Four letter words, or three. Or even two. So much held in a remarkably small package.
All: Awe and fear. Exile and beauty. Separation and wholeness.
One: Affirmation and refutation.
All: Yes and no.
One: Between yes-men and “girls who cain’t say no,” there are hard conversations about what is right and good.
All: About who has power. About what is true.
One: About the expectations of others, and our own deepest needs.
All: As we gather this day, may we consider the power in these words.
One: Let us pray for a world in which every yes we offer can be enthusiastic, and every no is heard and respected.
HYMN – “Enter, Rejoice and Come In”
Enter, rejoice, and come in. Enter, rejoice, and come in.
Today will be a joyful day; enter, rejoice, and come in.
Open your ears to the song. Open your ears to the song.
Today will be a joyful day; enter, rejoice, and come in.
Open your hearts ev’ryone. Open your hearts ev’ryone.
Today will be a joyful day; enter, rejoice, and come in.
Don’t be afraid of some change. Don’t be afraid of some
change. Today will be a joyful day; enter, rejoice, and come in.
Enter, rejoice, and come in. Enter, rejoice, and come in.
Today will be a joyful day; enter, rejoice, and come in.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – Talia Raymond
SPECIAL MUSIC – “Hello, Goodbye” Paul McCartney – Performed by Elizabeth Clark and Michael McCoy
READING – “For Naomi Osaka 大坂なおみ & Simone Biles,” by Leslé Honoré
They didn’t quit
They didn’t give up
They didn’t cower
They did what we have been taught
Is the one thing
Magical Black Women
CAN NOT DO
Put ourselves first
Our health
Our bodies
Our minds
Our talent
Our desires
Our strength
Our beauty
Our genius
Our abilities to fly
To soar
To win
Are supposed to be laid at the feet
Of whiteness
Of this nation
Of this world
Offered up like a sacrifice
The rent we are expected to pay
To be seen as
Athlete
Entertainment
Disposable
But never whole
Worthy of protection
Worthy of peace
We are never supposed to
Get off the stage
Leave the competition
Demand solace
Without permission
Permission to be human
Permission to rest
Permission that is always
Denied
They did what
Black Women
are told
We can not do
They took their power
And walked away
They determined what was best
For them
For their souls
Their hearts
Their lives
We are watching
Learning
Following the trails blazed
Rest should not be a Revolution
But it is
And they are
And that is worth more than
Any medal or title
On earth
SCRIPTURE – Matthew 5:33-37
‘Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.” But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
SERMON -“‘No’ is a complete sentence” – Bromleigh McCleneghan
CLOSING HYMN – “Times They are A-Changin”
Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon
For the wheel’s still in spin
And there’s no tellin’ who that it’s namin’
For the loser now will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’
It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’
BENEDICTION
ALLELUIA
Here are the UCG friends celebrating a birthday this week.
|
Kale |
Delisle |
08/01 |
|
Lucy |
Stein |
08/01 |
|
Cynthia |
Granger |
08/02 |
|
Betsy |
Harris |
08/02 |
|
Tony |
Delisle |
08/04 |
|
Emi |
Maxwell |
08/04 |
|
Elizabeth |
Poe |
08/04 |
|
Lynda |
Spence |
08/04 |
|
Adam |
Stout |
08/04 |
|
Bill |
Zegel |
08/04 |
|
Michelle |
Myers |
08/05 |
|
Sharon |
Schreiber |
08/05 |
|
Melanie |
Cake |
08/06 |
|
Heather |
Dewar |
08/06 |
|
Reisa |
George |
08/07 |
|
Catherine |
Puckett |
08/07 |
_____________________
Announcements
Mask Update – UCG is still a mask-wearing community when it comes to our larger gatherings. This is not only out of respect and inclusion for those who may not have been vaccinated (for whatever reason) but with awareness for our now most vulnerable population: younger people (those under 12 who cannot be vaccinated, yet).
On Tuesday evening, August 3, the Alachua County School Board will vote on the COVID-19 plan for the coming school year (which begins August 10). Currently, the plan names mask-wearing by all individuals, vaccinated and otherwise, as “strongly encouraged,” but not mandated. “Strongly encouraged” is not enough given the rise in cases and the growing prevalence of the Delta variant. The Delta variant is more dangerous to children and is showing up in an increasing number of breakthrough cases among the vaccinated who can spread it to others even if they are asymptomatic (according to the CDC).
Please consider writing to the ACSB members to insist on the necessity of a mask mandate to keep our children, who have already sacrificed so much, safe and thriving. Mask wearing has thus far been the primary means of keeping children and teachers safe in in-person school, and most children have adapted easily to this simple, and highly effective, change. The School Board member emails are below. Thank you!
certain@gm.sbac.edu, paulson@gm.sbac.edu, mcnealy@gm.sbac.edu, rob.hyatt@gm.sbac.edu, supt@gm.sbac.edu (Carlee Simon)
July 31 COVID Update – The past week’s average number of daily new cases of COVID-19 in Alachua County increased from 95 to 155 per day, rising further into the red zone (extremely high risk of transmission).
CIA – Our next Food First Sunday for GCM is today, August 1. Please drop off your donations before or after the 10:00am service.
Our Back to School Blessing on August 8th is open to all children and youth, preschoolers through high schoolers. On that day, please bring your child(ren) to the playground/nursery before 10am just as you have been doing since re-gathering. The children will be brought to the courtyard at the end of the worship service and will stand in a circle in the center of the courtyard. The congregation will exit the sanctuary and assemble, masked, around the courtyard under the overhang (Christmas Eve style). We will bless the children and youth and sing our Alleluia together. We will then have the children step into Reimer Hall and invite parents to sign their children out from our childcare staff there. We hope that you will join us as we send our children back to school with blessings for safety, care, learning, and compassion.
Let’s “Grush” This! – Looking for an easy way to re-emerge with your UCG community this summer? We are still looking for individuals or couples willing to help greet/usher (aka “Grusher”!) at the Sunday services this summer. There’s no lifting involved and you can show up as late as 9:30AM to help for just 30 minutes before the start of the service. No experience necessary. Dar will train you in ~5 minutes or less! To volunteer, click here, email Dar Mikula, or call (352)378-3500. Thank you for your help with this important job!
A Matter of Balance, an evidenced based eight- week program designed to manage falls and increase activity levels in older adults, will be offered at UCG on Tuesdays, August 10 – September 28, from 9-11am. Sponsored by Elder Options, participants will learn to view falls as controllable, set goals to increase activity, make changes to reduce fall risk, and exercise to increase strength and balance. Those who may want to attend include anyone concerned about falls, anyone interested in improving balance, flexibility and strength, anyone who has fallen in the past and anyone who has restricted activities because of falling concerns. For more information email Andrea Longstreet or call 352 692-5230. Limit of 12 participants.
Please help keep our church finances healthy while you stay healthy! Please consider donating online. To GIVE, click here to make a one-time donation to UCG -or- to set up a recurring donation schedule via your bank account or credit card. Our budgeted (anticipated) amount of Plate Income for 2021 is $36,000, so we rely on the weekly passing of the plate. Here is a video on how to use Shelby Giving. Thank you for your support!
