Spirituality, However Known
Sunday, July 14, 2024 – 10 a.m.
Our livestream begins here at 10 a.m.
“Love – through service to others; Joy – through generous hospitality; Peace – through reconciliation” – The Vision Statement of Koinonia Farm
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS – Rev. Talia Raymond
AN UPDATE FROM THE PATHFINDER COMMITTEE – Meaghan Bonnaghan
UCG STORY CORPS – Anne Casella
PRELUDE – Phillip Herr-Klepacki
CALL TO WORSHIP – Inspired by Psalm 133 – offered by Juniper Barros
One: How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!
All: It is precious and life-giving, to live in communities of peace.
One: How very good and pleasant it is to hear stories from others, to learn and grow from one another.
All: How delightful to be introduced to other traditions and to new wisdom.
One: How very good and pleasant it is to know that we need not live our lives in isolation, but can depend on the bonds found in communities of solidarity.
All: As we gather this day, let us continue to work for a world in which all creation sings, and all people can flourish with dignity and equity.
OPENING SONG – “Hammer Song”
If I had a hammer, I’d hammer in the morning
I’d hammer in the evening, all over this land.
I’d hammer out danger, I’d hammer out warning,
I’d hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters, all over this land.
If I had a bell, I’d ring it in the morning,
I’d ring it in the evening, all over this land.
I’d ring out danger, I’d ring out warning,
I’d ring out love between my brothers and my sisters, all over this land.
If I had a song, I’d sing it in the morning,
I’d sing it in the evening, all over this land.
I’d sing out danger, I’d sing out warning,
I’d sing out love between my brothers and my sisters, all over this land.
Well, I got a hammer and I got a bell,
And I got a song to sing all over this land.
It’s the hammer of justice, It’s the bell of freedom,
It’s the song about love between my brothers and my sisters, all over this land.
TIME WITH THE CHILDREN AND BIRTHDAYS
INTERLUDE
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – Rev. Talia Raymond
MEDITATIVE MUSIC – offered by Shirell Hix, piano and Eric Nelson, cello
READING – Selections from Cotton Patch Sermons by Rev. Dr. Clarence Jordan – offered by Rev. Chad McGinnis
We cannot enter the kingdom of peace with a six-shooter on our hip… Even though people about us choose the path of hate and violence and warfare and greed and prejudice, we who are Christ’s body must throw off these poisons and let love permeate and cleanse every tissue and cell. Nor are we to allow ourselves to become easily discouraged when love is not always obviously successful or pleasant. Love never quits…
There is nothing that can tear a person to pieces like religious hypocrisy – teaching one thing and practicing another… It would be better to never teach them anything at all about God than to teach them the word of God and then bring them up in a society that nullifies the whole thing. [Jesus] is not standing on the shore of eternity beckoning us to join him there; he is standing beside us, strengthening us in this life. The good news of the resurrection of Jesus is not that we shall die and go home to be with him, but that he has risen and comes home with us, bringing all his hungry, naked, thirsty, sick prisoner brothers with him.
SPECIAL MUSIC and OFFERING – “When I Look Up” from The Cotton Patch Gospel by Harry Chapin – offered by Juniper Barros, RD Bonnaghan, Mira Lemstrom, Chad McGinnis, Talia Raymond, vocals, and Phillip Herr-Klepacki, piano.
Your gifts support all facets of the UCG community. You can also give online: bit.ly/ucgplate.
SCRIPTURE – Matthew 25: 34-40
REFLECTION – Rev. Talia Raymond
WORK TOUR REFLECTONS – Andrew Bittikoffer
Brian Martin
Tami Herchel
Cadien Archer
Mae Jewell McGinnis
WORK TOUR SLIDE SHOW
CLOSING SONG – “Garden Song”
Chorus:
Inch by inch, row by row,
gonna make this garden grow.
All it takes is a rake and a hoe
and a piece of fertile ground.
Inch by inch, row by row,
someone bless these seeds I sow.
Someone warm them from below
til the rain comes tumbling down.
Pullin’ weeds, pickin’ stones,
we are made of dreams and bones.
I feel a need to grow my own
for the time is near at hand.
Grain for grain, sun and rain,
find my way through nature’s chain.
As I tune my body and brain
to the music of the land. (Chorus)
Make your rows, straight and long,
temper them with warmth and song.
Mother earth will make you strong
if you give her love and care.
See that crow, watching hungrily,
from its perch on yonder tree.
In my garden I’m as free
as that feathered thief up there. (Chorus)
BENEDICTION – Rev. Talia Raymond
“ALLELUIA”
POSTLUDE
Here are our UCG friends celebrating a birthday this week:
Lauren McIntyreJuly 16
Cindy Bergbower
Janet Jackson
Lena BuharinaJuly 17
Miles Wolcott-DuranteJuly 18
Christie King
Linda Ledbetter
Sandy ReimerJuly 19
Jamie Baldwin
Suzanna Smith
Mike Ward
July 20
Keith Berg
Work Tour Sunday
10:00 a.m. Worship Service
10:15 a.m. Activity Time
11:00 a.m. Fellowship and Beverages
Ask the Leadership
Story Corps
Lost and Found Table
11:30 a.m. Sunday Seminar: Sustainable Florida Gardening
6:00 p.m. Open and Affirming Sunday Social
Sunday Seminar: Sustainable Florida Gardening with Denise Weber at 11:30 AM in Reimer Hall or via Zoom. Zoom meeting ID 829 6457 0385 passcode:1624. Denise Weber is a local landscape designer with nearly 30 years of experience in the residential sector. Her work is about creating outdoor living environments alive with diversity, natural beauty, and shrinking energy footprints. Her interest is in creating functional spaces using combinations of native, Florida-friendly, and edible plants. It is about creating spaces to be cared for over spaces to be managed. Denise believes a well-designed, well-installed landscape can bring a host of benefits and provide a “sense of place” on the principles of health, safety, and welfare.
Lost and Found – Please check out the table in the courtyard this Sunday to see if any of your lost items can be reclaimed!
Open and Affirming Sunday Social – UCG’s Open and Affirming Committee is launching a new monthly social gathering called the “Open and Affirming Sunday Social.” Come get to know members of UCG in a fun and inclusive environment, hosted by ONA. We’re going to meet up on the second Sunday of the month in the evening, starting in July! Our first Sunday Social will be tonight at 6 p.m. at The Bull. Please contact Brandon Telg with any questions.
Capital Campaign Feasibility Study Update: One of the important findings of this spring’s Capital Campaign Feasibility Study was that congregants needed to learn more about the projects on the “Essential Repairs and Improvements” list, what they entailed, why they were necessary, and so on. As part of the effort to address this need, the UCG Capital Campaign Visioning Committee and the Buildings and Grounds Committee are assembling a series of short videos to describe projects on the “Essential Repairs and Improvements” list. The videos will be available on this YouTube playlist. The first two videos cover the church water supply, and the beam that separates Reimer Hall from the West Wing. Please send any questions or comments about the projects, and about the effectiveness of these videos, to either Tim Martin or Erick Smith.
A timely reminder ahead of the August 20 primary that the deadline to register to vote is July 22. If you need to register or make changes in your current voter registration, you have less than two weeks to meet the deadline! There have been legislative changes that now require voters to renew their vote by mail requests every two years. To receive vote-by-mail ballots in 2024, you must make a new request. If you have election-related questions, consider contacting your county Supervisor of Elections.
Special thanks to Dar Mikula as she steps away from her interim support staff role with UCG. Dar will continue to support the office when she is needed.
LifeSouth Blood Drive next Sunday, July 21. There is an emergency need for all blood types. Please give the gift of life.
9:45 a.m. Childcare
10:00 a.m. Worship Service with Rev. LaTrell Harrison, UCC Florida
Conference Associate Minister
10:15 a.m. Activity Time
11:00 a.m. Fellowship and Beverages
Ask the Leadership
Story Corps
11:30 a.m. Sunday Seminar: “Affirmations However Known”
art workshop with Jessica Elkins
Sunday Seminar: Affirmations However Known art workshop with Jessica Elkins – Our art event will be a hands-on workshop to create affirmations for yourself and others. We will design cards and bookmarks to use for personal meditative practice or as a gift for others. These will be simple expressions of encouragement. Materials used will be black and colored Micron drawing pens, neon markers, Tombow markers, watercolor pencils, and water pens. Please note this workshop is 60 – 75 minutes.
Picnic at O’Leno State Park on Sunday July 28, 1:00 p.m. – All UCGers and friends, come have fun and fellowship at our church picnic! Pack a picnic basket and bring your own chairs. There is river access, so bring a swimsuit if you’d like to cool off. Please note there will be no lifeguard on duty.
A Reminder to Gather Water – Wherever you are this summer – in your own backyard or somewhere else, in this or another country – gather a small amount of water to bring to our annual Gathering of Waters service on Sunday, August 11. We will celebrate our summer journeys, however known, and our reunited community. We will combine the gathered waters into one sacred water to use for baptisms and blessing rituals in the coming year.
COVID is back! Emergency room visits and hospitalizations for COVID-19 have both increased dramatically. The newest variant LB.1 causes symptoms much like previous COVID strains but evades most people’s waning immunity. However, prior immunization against COVID will help protect you from serious, life-threatening illness.
With such a high prevalence in the community, elderly people, pregnant women, and people with compromised immunity are advised to wear masks when attending indoor public events. People who are severely immune compromised should speak to their doctor about getting a monoclonal antibody called Pemgarda (pemivibart) to protect them against acquiring COVID-19.
Everyone should consider getting one of the three updated COVID vaccines that will be available in August and September.
