Sunday, February 19, 2023 – 9:15 am
Taking Flight
Our live stream begins at 9:15 am. Click here to join.
For this service, we encourage at-home participants to share their responses via the chat thread on YouTube.
WELCOME – “It’s Not Like This Every Sunday” – Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan
PRELUDE AND OFFERTORY – Phillip Herr-Klepacki
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TIME WITH CHILDREN – “The Promise of a New Earth” From Children of God Storybook Bible by Archbishop Desmond Tutu
BIRTHDAYS
INTERLUDE
READING – Jim White
I must confess, my friends, that the road ahead will not always be smooth. There will still be rocky places of frustration and meandering points of bewilderment. There will be inevitable setbacks here and there. And there will be those moments when the buoyancy of hope will be transformed into the fatigue of despair. Our dreams will sometimes be shattered and our ethereal hopes blasted… But difficult and painful as it is, we must walk on in the days ahead with audacious faith in the future…. – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
REFLECTION
SINGING TOGETHER – “In the Midst of New Dimensions” Vs. 1-2
Question #1 – What are your most audacious dreams for your family and the world?
SINGING TOGETHER – “In the Midst of New Dimensions” Vs. 3-4
READING – From “Credo” – Rev. Talia Raymond
A church is a place where we try to think, speak, and act in God’s way, not in the way of a fear-filled world. A Church is a home for love, a home for brothers and sisters to dwell in unity, to rest and be healed, to let go their defenses and be free — free from worries, free from tensions, free to laugh, free to cry.
– William Sloane Coffin
READING – From “High Fidelity: Dogged Devotion” – Jeremy Archer
I live in the north country mountains, where winter begins in late October and gives up, some years, in early May. That means you come to church half the year in boots—heavy boots, in case you get stuck in a snowbank on the way. Which means, in turn, that the carpet on the floor better be some shade of brown.
Two or three times in my years there I’ve vacuumed the church. (Not very often, because we tend to divide up jobs along Traditional Gender Lines. Men make sure the furnace is turned up, change the storm windows, lift heavy things, paint, put away folding chairs, shovel the stairs. Women do everything else.) The first time I vacuumed I was merrily buzzing away between the pews, listening to the random click-clack of sand disappearing up the hose, when all of a sudden the noise trebled—click-click-click, like a Geiger counter in a uranium mine. – Bill McKibben
SINGING TOGETHER – “Coming Home”
Question #2 – What are your most audacious dreams for UCG?
MUSIC FOR REFLECTION – Shelby Havens, drums; Shirell Hix, flute
SCRIPTURE READING – From Exodus 14 – Tim Martin
The Israelites leave their enslavement in Egypt and reach the shores of the Red Sea. Pursued by Pharoah’s army, they fear for their lives in the absence of a way forward.
REFLECTION
Question #3 – What are the barriers to these dreams?
SCRIPTURE READING – From Isaiah 43 – Rev. Andy Bachmann
But now thus says the Lord,
The One who created you, O Jacob,
The One who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
READING – From “Making a Way Out of No Way: A womanist theology” – Kim Kruse
“Making a way out of no way” is an expression that acknowledges God’s presence in providing options that do not appear to exist in the experiences of the past. It is a weaving of the past, future, and possibilities offered by God; a weaving that leads to survival, quality of life, and liberating activity on the part of black women.
“Making a way out of no way” acknowledges both the role of God and of human agency as new ways break forth into the future. There are four characteristics of “making a way out of no way”: (1) God’s presentation of unforeseen possibilities; (2) human agency; (3) the goal of justice, survival, and quality of life; and (4) a challenge to the existing order. – Monica A. Coleman
SINGING TOGETHER – “We Would Be Building” Vs. 1-2
Question #4 – What are we called to build, to bring these dreams to reality?
SINGING TOGETHER – “We Would Be Building” Vs. 3
ANNOUNCEMENTS & PRAYERS – Rev. Talia Raymond
BENEDICTION
ALLELUIA
Here are our UCG friends celebrating a birthday this week!
Happy Birthday!
|
Haley |
Chance |
02/19 |
|
Daniel |
Webster |
02/19 |
|
Mary |
Aplin |
02/20 |
|
Andy |
Bachmann |
02/20 |
|
Glenn |
Terry |
02/20 |
|
Laura |
Farberow |
02/20 |
|
Carlos |
Frenock |
02/21 |
|
Diego |
Frenock |
02/21 |
|
Tristan Keith |
Hemmerich-Sullivan |
02/21 |
|
Kathy |
Carroll |
02/22 |
|
Kathy |
Funke |
02/23 |
|
Jane |
Houston |
02/24 |
|
Hazel |
Jury |
02/24 |
Announcements
9:00am Childcare Gift Bags for the Homeless Project Collection9:15am & 11:15am Worship – Taking Flight Table Talks9:30am United Tribes Time10:15am Fellowship & Beverages YU & MST Women’s Retreat Registration10:30am Sunday Seminar11:15am Friendship Group 12:15pm Young Adult Lunch
Sunday Seminar – “Mommy Reads at an End?” – Karen Johnson will discuss the current state of UCG’s Mommy Reads program as a result of the COVID Pandemic. Join us in Reimer Hall or on Zoom. Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385 Passcode: 1624
Spring Small Group Registration continues! Signing up for one of our small groups is a great way to make some friendly connections with your fellow UCG’ers while enhancing your life through one of our amazing offerings. Register through ShelbyNext or contact the front office for how to get connected on ShelbyNext. Click here for offerings and registration. The deadline to register is Sunday, February 26.
Lenten Contemplative Prayer offers a quiet hour each week to add yeast for the soul with simple spiritual practices of awareness that can renew our spiritual journey with rekindled hope and grace at Easter. Join us in the beauty of our Sanctuary for these times of silence, for Psalms and reflection, for prayer, and for sharing. We meet on Wednesday evenings – March 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 – 6 to 7pm. Participants are asked to commit to at least three of these five evenings. Led by Sandy Reimer. Register through Adult Small Groups or by e-mailing Sandy at reimer.sandy@gmail.com. Note that the firm deadline for registering is Tuesday, February 21, an earlier deadline than other Adult Small Groups.
Today is the last day to contribute to the “Gift Bags for the Homeless” project. There is a list of requested items here. Please bring donations during church services today. Volunteers will transfer your donations to colorful handmade cloth bags that will be delivered to our neighbors at GRACE Marketplace and St. Francis House. Thank you!
The church office is closed on Monday, February 20 for President’s Day.
Walk the Labyrinth in the Sanctuary, February 20-22, 9:00am – 4:00pm- UCG’s large canvas labyrinth and finger labyrinths will be available for those who wish to engage in this ancient practice of walking contemplation.
Ash Wednesday Services – February 22 at noon and 6 pm in the Sanctuary – Join us as we welcome the Lenten season grounded in ritual: walk the labyrinth, light a candle, receive the mark of ashes; sing and pray in community. The evening service will have a special children’s bulletin to help them engage in the stations.
Vinery Invitation – Many of us have increasing concerns about recent, politically motivated, decisions made at the state level derailing the work of making the campus more diverse, inclusive, and equitable, in the name of academic freedom. UCGers who are interested in this set of issues — who are in need of support and encouragement, who are looking for solidarity and workarounds, who have ideas of how UCG can help — are invited for dinner and discussion from 6-8pm on Tuesday, February 21 in the West Wing. Dinner and childcare provided; RSVP by Sunday, February 19th to bromleighm@ucgainesville.org.
If you are so inclined, the Creation Care, Climate Justice Task Force invites you to write the City Commission Urging them to Discontinue Natural Gas Rebates: Later this month the Gainesville City Commission will be voting about whether or not to discontinue current rebates given for creating new natural gas customers. Please stop by the Creation Care and Climate Justice Task Force table in the courtyard during coffee time to get more information about this important issue. Click here for a letter template. If you would like to help with the earthquake recovery in Turkey and Syria, please visit this link from the UCC for donation options. Call to Artists – We are looking for artists who would like to have a show in the UCG Library. Please contact Susan Torgerson James if you are interested.
UCG Women’s Retreat
February 25 at UCGCheck in begins 8:30am – Retreat ends at 5:15pmFree childcare is available for the day, on the registration form.
Registration is happening online and is available here. You may drop a check or pay cash to the front office if you do not pay by credit/debit card online (select pay later to submit). We will be in Seminar B from 10:15-11:15 today for any questions, and a laptop to assist with the final day of registration. Registration closes at 7:00pm TODAY so we may submit our food order and plan session spaces. Contact Jane Emmeree at emmeree@gmail.com and Laura Robertson at alurajuly@gmail.com for more information.
February 17 COVID Update – According to the CDC, Alachua County residents have a high risk of serious illness from COVID-19 (the Orange Zone). Although new cases numbers are decreasing, the positivity rate and hospitalizations are unchanged. Masks are still required for everyone in the Sanctuary.