Welcome to Worship
The United Church of Gainesville – July 18, 2021
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. Talia Raymond
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. So much held in a remarkably small package.
All: Awe and fear. Exile and beauty. Separation and wholeness.
One: Sin has captivated imaginations and called humans to mindfulness.
All: When the powerful name sin, it can be used to oppress and to dominate.
One: When the power-less name sin, it can call us to right relationships and the work of justice.
All: “To sin by silence, when they should protest, makes cowards of men.” (Ella Wheeler Wilcox)
One: “And sin, young man, is when you treat people like things.” (Terry Pratchett)
All: “Not only will we have to repent for the sins of bad people; but we also will have to repent for the appalling silence of good people.” (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)
One: May we in this time together consider what it is that can be called sinful, and by whom,
All: And may our ears, eyes, hearts and minds be opened to those calling for redemption.
OPENING SONG – “Blowin’ in the Wind,” #6, UCG Songbook
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
SPECIAL MUSIC- “The Word” – John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Offered by David Evans – vocal, guitar; Ned Stewart – vocal, guitar; Alan Hill- bass
SCRIPTURE – John 8:2-11, read by Tim Martin
Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”
READING – by Rebecca Ann Parker, from Proverbs of Ashes: Violence, Redemptive Suffering, and the Search for What Saves Us
Theology that defines virtue as obedience to God suppresses the virtue of revolt. After all, Eve brought sin into the world by her disobedience…
But obedience is not a virtue. It is an evasion of our responsibility. Religion must engage us in the exercise of our responsibilities, not teach us to deny the power that is ours… A God who punishes disobedience will teach us to obey and endure when it would be holy to protest and righteous to refuse to cooperate.”
SERMON – “Who Says So?” – Rev. Talia Raymond
CLOSING HYMN – “Help Us Accept Each Other,” #388, Hymnal
BENEDICTION
Here are the UCG friends celebrating a birthday this week.
Happy Birthday!
| Christie | King | 07/18 |
| Linda | Ledbetter | 07/18 |
| Sandy | Reimer | 07/18 |
| Jamie | Baldwin | 07/19 |
| Doris | Harvey | 07/19 |
| Suzanna | Smith | 07/19 |
| Mike | Ward | 07/19 |
| Corey | Cheval | 07/19 |
| Keith | Berg | 07/20 |
| William | Dougherty | 07/21 |
| Steve | Goldstein | 07/21 |
| Kimberly | McCollough | 07/21 |
| Ginny | Reed | 07/21 |
| Phoebe | Papadi | 07/22 |
| Elora | Parbst | 07/22 |
| Marybeth | Hammond | 07/23 |
| Linda | Carlson | 07/24 |
Sunday Seminar at 11:15am
Sunday Seminar at 11:15am – The Repurpose Project presents “Then & Now & Tomorrow” with Mike Myers. Join us in Reimer Hall or via Zoom where Mike will show a 20 minute TedxTalk featuring his co-founding partner Sarah Goff, followed by a Q & A. Join us to learn about the exciting new direction of repurposing in Gainesville, Alachua County, North Central Florida and the planet! Join here. Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385, Passcode: 1624.
_____________________
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).
The Lost and Found table will be in the the Courtyard this Sunday. Please check for any items that may belong to you. Anything not claimed will be donated to charity.
July 17 COVID Update – The past week’s average number of daily new cases of COVID-19 in Alachua County increased from 19 to 53 per day, moving from the yellow zone (moderate risk of transmission) to the middle of the orange zone (high risk of transmission).
“All God’s Critters” CAMP UCG 2021, August 2-6 – CAMP UCG is back! REGISTER HERE! We are delighted to announce that our summer camp for children entering PreK-6th Grade will happen on the UCG Campus from August 2-6th. More information will be coming in the July newsletter. Please email Talia with any questions, or if you would like to volunteer to help with: crafts, STEM lessons, snacks, outdoor games, or have a connection to a community group (or you yourself) who can teach our children about “critters”, however known.
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!
The Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group will meet at 7PM Tuesday, July 20. The intent of the group is to allow caregivers and/or family members touched by dementia to be together in a caring environment where it is safe to express one’s feelings about the journey. The group is conducted with the support and guidance of the Alzheimer’s Association. We are now offering a hybrid format: you can come in person to the UCG Library or join us via Zoom. Please call Dar Mikula at (352)359-4041 or email DenaliDar@gmail.com for more information or the zoom link.
Monk Manual Small Group – Today we often confuse busy-ness with productivity. But action does not always equal progress. When productivity is measured merely by efficiency, output, and speed—it’s no wonder we often experience lives of anxiety, disconnection, and exhaustion. Life isn’t about getting to the end faster, it’s about being there the whole time—engaging each moment and…investing our time in life’s most important work, building meaningful connections with the people around us, and being a force of creativity in the world. The group will meet Sundays at 2pm from July 25 – September 19 on Zoom to share our journey using the Monk Manual. Download a set of free planner pages, print your own pages ($9), or purchase the manual ($38). All are welcome, and you can come when you like or skip a week when you wish. Contact Sue Hatch with questions or for the Zoom link. Please register through ShelbyNext:
Log in to your ShelbyNext account to see your name and “My Giving”, “Directory”, etc. Click on “Groups” => “Any Type” => “Small Groups” and scroll down to find yours. Click the “Join” button, and you will be sent further instructions. If you do not have a ShelbyNext profile, contact the church office at 378-3500 for help.
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!
