Welcome to Worship
The United Church of Gainesville – March 14, 2021
“Elemental”
The Fifth Element
This morning our worship service will premiere at 10am.
Please click here to begin.
Welcome – Bromleigh McCleneghan
Time with Children – Dancing Molecules & Heat Conductivity, with Lisa McElwee-White and Talia Raymond
Singing Together – “Weave,” by Rosemary Crow
(sing 2x)
Weave, weave, weave us together.
Weave us together in unity and love.
Weave, weave, weave us together.
Weave us together, together in love.
Prayers – Andy Bachmann
Special Music – “Twilight’s Promise” – offered by Nan Ryan, images by Edo Carter
Reading – “Cosmology,” by Marilynne Robinson, offered by Talia Raymond
It is useful to remember that at other times we have thought about our nature in other terms, as creatures in time for example. Maimonides said that because time is so precious, God gives it to us in atoms, in infinitesimal, indivisible moments. Yet the potency of time is irreducible. Within an instant, said Maimonides, everything can be won or lost. His observation about our existence in time is true, whether or not one endorses the theological terms in which it is expressed. Centuries on we know no more about time than he did, or less, since we are not so attentive to it. And yet, moment by moment, every one of us experiences along with the whole of the cosmos this great mystery of being, this great unfolding of ineluctable, irreversible time…
Maimonides’s comments about time are typical of ancient, medieval and Renaissance thought in that they make of every life a great drama. The old pagan gods of the Mediterranean and the ancient near East were fickle and violent, easy to offend and hard to placate, but they weren’t dull. And the fact that people attempted interaction with them means they thought of themselves in relation to their own creators and the creators of the universe.
Scripture Lesson – 1 John 4
Sermon – “The Fifth Element,” Bromleigh McCleneghan
Benediction
Sung Benediction – “The Peace of the Earth”
Here are the UCG friends celebrating a birthday this week.
Happy Birthday!
| Coleen | DeGroff | 03/14 |
| Jean | Epling | 03/14 |
| Joan | Rothrock | 03/14 |
| Tom | Williams | 03/14 |
| Sue | Hartman | 03/16 |
| Dorothy | Stroman | 03/16 |
| Mira | Lemstrom | 03/17 |
| Tom | Rothrock | 03/17 |
| Elise | Telg | 03/17 |
| Marthe | Walters | 03/17 |
| Candice | King | 03/18 |
| Sally | Kimberly | 03/20 |
Sunday Schedule
Sunday Seminar at 11:15am – “Bridging the Divide”- How do we work together as a country to form a more perfect union when we can’t TALK to each other? Have you lost touch with friends and family members who hold opposing views? Do you want to listen to those with opposing views explain why they hold certain political positions and then engage in respectful conversations in order to work together to address our common problems? Join Paul Witte, the regional coordinator of Braver Angels, a growing bipartisan organization that supports these aims, as he discusses tested guidelines to facilitate depolarization, conversations, and debates. This seminar will be interactive. Join here. Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385, Passcode: 1624.
Please also join us at 12:30pm for Congregational Coffee Hour. Bromleigh will be available on our Zoom account to talk and share about the online worship experience, or whatever else is on your mind! Join here. Meeting ID: 875 0792 2974 Passcode: 1624
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Announcements
Help Needed: Greeters for UCG’s Upcoming Services – Are you available to smile lovingly from behind your mask and greet UCG members with your best elbow bump? We’ve agreed it’s time to get together again – with Sunday outdoor in-person services beginning Palm Sunday (March 28) and Easter (April 4) and extending throughout the month of April. Click here for more information or email Dar Mikula at denalidar@gmail.com or call (352)359-4041 and we can have a conversation about your important role as a welcoming presence at UCG.
Staff News- After many years of making music together, we will say good-bye to Tané DeKrey as our accompanist and choir director on March 21. Please send cards and notes of appreciation or thanks to the church office prior to March 17. We’re so grateful to Tané for sharing her musicianship with us, and wish her the very best in her future endeavors.
One Great Hour of Sharing Throughout Lent – One Great Hour of Sharing is an offering that is received by United Church of Christ congregations during the season of Lent for the purpose of meeting needs around the world. Please support this important initiative through a check mailed to UCG or online. Thank you for your generous support.
Lent at UCG
Lenten Devotional Booklet – with daily readings, as well as a bag of intentional items, to guide you through your Lenten journey, are available. More
Thursdays at Noon Live Devotional – More
Labyrinth Walks – Tuesdays and Thursdays during Lent. More
Devotional for Families with Children – 20 minute Lenten session, Sundays in Lent on Zoom at 5pm. More info or click here to join. Meeting ID: 891 5904 4033 Password: 2021
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If you are a regular supporter through our collected offering, please consider making your donation now. Our budgeted (anticipated) amount of Plate Income for 2021 is $36,000, so we rely on the weekly passing of the plate. To GIVE, click here to make a one-time donation to UCG -or- to set up a recurring donation via your bank account or credit card. Thank you for your support!
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Please note: While the Church Office remains closed due to Covid-19, we are still available by phone or email from 9am – 4pm, Monday – Friday.
