The United Church of Gainesville – July 4, 2021Next to Normal
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.
PRELUDE MUSIC – Phillip Herr-Klepacki
WELCOME, RINGING THE BELL, and LIGHTING THE CANDLE – Renée Andrews
CALL TO WORSHIP – from The Book of Delights by Ross Gay– Heather Dewar
One: It’s my birthday, and today I am, without hesitation, delighting in that. …Noticing on a patch of at-first-look barren ground no fewer than four colorful tiny flowers in bloom, one of them pink as the sky over the cemetery in Bloomington on lucky nights, one yellow as the sun.
All: A black cat on the way to the kombucha store whom I startled awake by yelling Gato!
One: A young man at the Laundromat who asked if he could tell me a joke, which makes me nervous because you know, but feeling emboldened and lucky and generous, I said go for it. “What does your hippie buddy tell you when you try to kick him off your couch?”
All: “Namaste.”
One: And kids playing a board game in the café, I think it was Life.
All: And phone conversations with beloveds.
One: A tiny bee alighting in the gully between my knuckles.
All: A hummingbird hovering close enough to fill my left ear with wind.
One: A very sweet hello from the woman stocking shelves, rubbing her eye with her fist and smiling.
All: A nap as a light rain came down, swaying the blinds.
One: An early evening cup of good coffee.
All: The hiding moon lighting up a cataract of clouds.
One: … My friend Pat told me about the village next to his mother’s in the Philippines where, a few years back, a typhoon had leveled most of everything.
All: Salvaged from the wreckage, stacked in the gazebo that had survived, were all the doors.
HYMN – “Simple Gifts”
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – Hannah Norton
HYMN – “The Gift of Love”
SCRIPTURE – 1 Corinthians 15:53 – Daniel Webster
Listen, friends, and I will tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will be changed…
SERMON – “Next to Delighted” – Daniel Webster
BLESSED BY OUR DELIGHTS
Please share one of your next to normal delights with those gathered. Hannah will bring a microphone to your seat.
CLOSING HYMN – “This is My Song”
BENEDICTION
Go now into the new moments of this day. Greet each new experience as sacred. Welcome the possibility of each second, each hour, with a deep sense of thankfulness. And the blessing of God will surely pour down upon you, wildly, extravagantly, generously.
ALLELUIA
Here are the UCG friends celebrating a birthday this week.
|
Geoff |
Dahl |
07/04 |
|
Michelle |
Einmo |
07/04 |
|
Yvette |
Silvey |
07/04 |
|
Luken |
Clifford |
07/04 |
|
Darrell |
Hartman |
07/05 |
|
Tom |
Dana |
07/06 |
|
Jenny |
Land |
07/06 |
|
Theresa |
Foster |
07/07 |
|
Donn |
Smith-Lopez |
07/07 |
|
Amanda |
Davis |
07/08 |
|
Vicki |
Evans |
07/08 |
|
Alice |
Hill |
07/08 |
|
Jenny |
Hill |
07/08 |
|
Lilliam |
Pancorbo |
07/08 |
|
Elizabeth |
Sugalski |
07/08 |
|
Tracy |
Bachmann |
07/09 |
|
Reid |
Schreiber |
07/10 |
|
Stasia |
Snowden |
07/10 |
_____________________
Announcements
Food First is TODAY – CIA invites you to bring your non-perishable food items that support Gainesville Community Ministries to church this Morning, July 4 between 10-11am.
July 3 COVID Update – The past week’s average number of daily new cases of COVID-19 in Alachua County increased from 10 to 13 per day (Yellow Zone). The Yellow Zone represents 3-27 daily new cases (moderate risk of viral 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!
Summer Small Groups – We have three Summer Small Groups for your groupie enjoyment! Like before, registration is via UCG Shelby Next:
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.
Hurricane Season starts NOW! – If you live in Florida, you likely know that Hurricane Season is upon us and lasts officially through November 30th. Two years ago, UCG started a group called the Emergency Response Team to check in on those who signed up for both a pre-storm and post-storm check in call. The primary purpose is to educate UCG members on what supplies to have on hand to be prepared as well as a reassuring phone call before and after a severe storm. If you want to be on the list or double check that your name is still on the list, email Star Bradbury or call the church office at 352-378-3500. The best websites to review to be prepared are: The National Weather Service or the official United States government website for Hurricanes. The 2021 Florida Department of Elder Affairs Disaster Resource Guide is an excellent source of information for anyone, no matter what your age!
Minister Andy Bachmann is in Wisconsin for the summer at Camp Highlands. Please contact the church office to reach him or to speak to the minister handling his programs for the summer.
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!
