United Church of Gainesville
Sunday, March 2, 2025 – 10 a.m.
And Today, The Letter “M”: Mardi Gras
Our livestream begins here at 10 a.m.
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS – Rev. Larry Reimer
PRELUDE – “Washington Swing” offered by Jazz Bandits plus Legacy Hogtown Strutters: Keith Berg, drums; Kali Blount, vocal; Mark Burlingame, piano; Michael Dixon, baritone; David Evans, banjo; Mary Fukuyama, flute; Alan Hill, bass; Cheryl Poe, clarinet; Ed Haukland, drums; Steve Patterson, sax; Larry Reimer, trumpet; Jerry Steinberg, drums; Myles Sullivan, guitar.
CALL TO WORSHIP – by Amanda Ripley, “How to Survive a Crisis” (Time Magazine, June 2008), read by Rev. Amy Rixx
Surviving a crisis is not just a product of luck.
We can do far more than we think to improve our odds…
It’s a matter of preparation…and mental conditioning.
Each of us has a “crisis personality,”
A state of being that takes over in a crisis.
It’s the core of who we are.
OPENING HYMN – “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” #38 UCG songbook
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it Jesus if you please,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
I am weak, but Thou art strong
Jesus, keep me from all wrong.
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk, close to Thee.
Through this world of toils and snares,
If I falter Lord, who cares,
Who with me my burden shares?
Only Thee, dear Lord, only Thee.
When this troubled life is o’er
Time for me will be no more.
Then guide me gently, safely on,
To Thy shore, dear Lord to Thy shore.
(Repeat verse 1)
A PSALM 150 MIX – adapted from a translation by Stephen Mitchell, read by Remy Bachmann
Leader: Praise God in the depths of the universe.
Praise God in the human heart.
People: Praise God for celebration and beauty,
For holy, all-feeling, fathomless love.
Leader: Praise God with drums, banjo and guitar,
(Drummer drums, banjo picks, guitar strums.)
People: Praise God with the piano and bass.
(Piano plays and bass strums.)
Leader: Praise God with the flute, clarinet and sax.
(Flute sings, clarinet croons, and the sax wails.)
People: Praise God with the baritone and the trumpet
(Baritone proclaims and the trumpet trumpets.)
All: How about one big Hallelujah, all of us!
– 1,2,3,4 “Hallelujah!”
TIME WITH THE CHILDREN – Rev. Larry Reimer and the band, ending with “He’s got the whole world in His hands” and “She’s got the little bitty baby in Her hands”
PRAYER
BIRTHDAYS
INTERLUDE
SPECIAL MUSIC AND OFFERING – “Sermonette” by Hendriks and Adderly, offered by the Jazz Bandits.
Your gifts support all facets of the UCG community. You can also give online: bit.ly/ucgplate.
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE – Rev. Sandy Reimer
RESPONSE: “Within our Darkest Night” – Taizé
Within our darkest night, you kindle the fire that never dies away, never
dies away. Within our darkest night, you kindle the fire that never dies
away, never dies away. (Sing twice)
SERMON – “Wearing Down Injustice” – Rev. Larry Reimer
SCRIPTURE – Luke 18: 1-8 and Mark 14: 35-36.
PRAYER
UNISON PRAYER – paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer by Jim Cotton
Eternal Spirit, Life Giver, Pain Bearer, Love Maker,
Source of all that is and shall be, Mother and Father of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
Sustain our hope and be born on earth!
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation, strengthen us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and forever. Amen.
HYMN – “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In” #85 UCG songbook
Oh when the saints go marchin’ in
Oh When the saints go marchin’ in
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marchin’ in.
Oh when the band begins to play,
Oh when the band begins to play,
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the band begins to play.
Oh when the light begins to shine,
Oh when the light begins to shine,
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the light begins to shine.
Oh when the dream begins to live,
Oh when the dream begins to live,
Oh, Lord I want to be in that number,
When the dream begins to live.
Oh when the saints go marchin’ in
Oh When the saints go marchin’ in
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marchin’ in.
BENEDICTION from Celtic Benedictions by J. Philip Newell
In the turbulence of your own life
and the unsettled waters of the world today,
May there be new birthings of God’s spirit.
In the currents of your own heart
and the upheavals of the world today,
Let there be new birthings of God’s mighty spirit.
Amen.
ALLELUIA
POSTLUDE – “Tin Roof Blues” – offered by Jazz Bandits and Strutters
Thank you to the Legacy Hogtown Strutters and the Jazz Bandits for the music today. If you’d like to hear more, the Jazz Bandits play at Cypress and Grove Craft Brewery on the third Friday of every month from 7 – 9 p.m.
Here are our UCG friends celebrating a birthday this week:
Lianna Fields
KC Nelson
John Schert
Amy Vollmer
Wendi Wheeler
Renee Andrews
Malika Green
March 5
John Lybas
Doug Whalen
March 6
Cherie Stabler Anderson
Michael Tudeen
March 7
Heather Hall Frenchman
Barbara Kelleher
Lisa McElwee-White
March 8
Ella Bittikoffer
Margee Rymal
****************ANNOUNCEMENTS******************
Today at UCG
Food First
9:45 a.m. Childcare – children’s wing
Food First collection – courtyard
10 a.m. Worship Service – Rev. Larry Reimer
11 a.m. Fellowship and Beverages – courtyard
11:15 a.m. Common Threaders – library
11:30 a.m. Sunday Seminar – Reimer Hall
Youth United and Middle School Together – youth room
2 p.m. OWL Training – west wing
Hidden Truth about Chamber Music (small group) – chapel
Food First Sunday: The first two months of 2025, our congregation donated over 450 pounds for the food pantry of our community partner, Gainesville Community Ministry (GCM). Thank you! Please place donations in the shopping cart outside the Sanctuary. If you forget to bring your donations or prefer to donate online, go to bit.ly/ciafoodfirst.
Sunday Seminar – “What’s Coming Up Weatherwise” with special guest Bill Quinlan. Retired meteorologist Bill Quinlan will share our upcoming forecast…for the next couple of decades! You will appreciate his clear explanations of what to expect here in Florida, with impacts of climate change described in his straightforward style. In-person and on Zoom. Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385 Passcode: 1624
During the season of Lent, you are invited to join Lenten Contemplative Prayer on Tuesday evenings March 11, 18, 25, April 1 and 8 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Please note that the sign-up deadline for this group is today. You can register through ShelbyNext or by contacting Sandy Reimer at reimer.sandy@gmail.com.
Labyrinth Walk – A favorite tradition for many at United Church of Gainesville is walking the labyrinth during particularly sacred times in the church year. Walking the labyrinth allows individuals the opportunity to place one foot in front of the other, without needing to focus on anything but the next step. With that path laid out, the mind and spirit can reflect and remember, discern, and pray. The labyrinth will be in our Sanctuary from Monday, March 3 through Thursday, March 6. Open hours will be 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
Lenten Reflection Booklets – Daily readings are offered from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday. These will be available for pickup or for digital delivery on Tuesday, March 4. Featuring original and favorite artwork, music, photos, and writings by UCG members, curated by Taylor Williams.
Ash Wednesday Services – March 5 at noon and 6 p.m. Each service has interactive stations, including for receiving communion and the imposition of ashes, inviting participants to enter the Lenten season. We will begin with a prayer and a chant with the rest of the service being self-led. You can spend as much or as little time at each station as you desire.
All Church Retreat: Join us at Warren Willis United Methodist Camp and Conference Center April 4 – 6. Registration opens in-office on Wednesday, March 5 and runs through Sunday, March 16. Please reach out to Tami Herchel at tamih@ucgainesville.org to submit a workshop idea.
Racial Justice Committee are collaborating with the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project (ACCRP) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on a series of lectures about black history in Alachua County, The Other Book: Black History in Alachua County. The third lecture will be on Saturday, March 8 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the County Administration Building.
Open and Affirming Sunday Social – Come get to know members of UCG in a fun and inclusive environment, hosted by ONA. We meet up on the Second Sunday of the month. The next Sunday Social will be on March 9 at 6 p.m. We will be getting dinner and playing minigolf at the Pink Flamingo Diner in High Springs! Please RSVP to Brandon Telg at brantelg@gmail.com by Thursday, March 6.
Pride at the Capitol 2025: ONA is coordinating a trip to Tallahassee on Tuesday, March 18 for Pride at the Capitol. This is our time to mobilize our community and allies to defeat as many harmful bills as possible, reduce the damage of any legislation that may pass, and champion our proactive legislation. Pride at the Capitol takes place March 18-20 in Tallahassee. The current plan for UCG is that we will carpool to participate on March 18, leaving Gainesville at 5:45 a.m. Please email brantelg@gmail.com with any questions; sign up by Tuesday March 11.
Youth United would like to offer enthusiastic appreciation to Art Crummer for sharing his gifts of poetry and song last Sunday. “An Evening with Art Crummer” was a memorable night of reflection, connection and shared laughter among the 100+ attendees. Proceeds from the event and Art’s book sales generated more than $1400 in donations in support of Work Tour 2025.
UCG Supper Club: The last supper club of the year will take place on Saturday, April 12 at Jim White and Lisa McElwee-White’s home on Kanapaha Prairie. Rather than being assigned a recipe, you will be assigned a category (appetizer, salad, side or dessert) and can bring whatever you wish. We also request that you bring your place settings and beverage so we only need to collect money to reimburse Jim for the meat he will barbecue (no charge for vegetarians). Please RSVP to annecasella@gmail.com or kmccollough224@gmail.
Speak Up! Make Change! As we read the “outrage du jour” in the daily news, instead of feeling hopeless and depressed, speak up and make change! One of the most effective methods of influencing our legislators is with phone calls. According to research, people who work in Senate offices understand that people who call are deeply invested in the issues, most likely to vote and to influence others to vote. Calls are tallied daily! One call per day, two minutes a day to make a difference. Meaghan Bonnaghan has created this easy guide on how to “Speak Up! Make Change” which will be updated weekly! Let’s do it! Sponsored by the Justice League.
Work continues with the remodeling of the west side bathrooms. Please use the office bathrooms for a few more weeks. Exterior access is available from the breezeway between the chapel and courtyard, next to the water fountain. Note also that our west side parking lot may have limited spaces available. Please let the office know if you will need assistance on Sundays for parking so we can help arrange a driver.
Help wanted for Kids Night Out (KNO) – We are so grateful for how KNO has been going. The children have loved the different events and activities each month. We have two unplanned Fridays left and are looking for volunteers to do activities with the kids. Please email Julia at juliac@ucgainesville.org if you would like to bring your area of expertise to a fun night at KNO.
Next Sunday, March 9
First Sunday in Lent
9:45 a.m. Childcare – children’s wing
10 a.m. Worship Service – Rev. Andy Bachmann
11 a.m. Fellowship and Beverages
11:15 a.m. Board of Membership
11:30 a.m. Sunday Seminar: “Spiritual Diversity at UCG”
1 p.m. Youth United and Middle School Together
2 p.m. OWL Training
3 p.m. Dances of Universal Peace
6 p.m. ONA Open and Affirming Sunday Social – offsite
The United Church of Gainesville was organized in 1965 and is freely affiliated with the United Church of Christ, a denomination born of the merger of the former Congregational-Christian and the Evangelical and Reformed Churches in 1957.
This church is independent in spirit and congregational in organization, welcoming into its fellowship persons embodying a wide range of religious convictions. We honor the Timucua, Seminole, and all other Native people who lived on this land and cared for it long before us. The church values the human diversity each individual brings to the congregation, including racial identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, and religious background. Membership in the church is based solely upon a person’s acceptance of the Compact of the United Church of Gainesville:
“We join as a spiritual community in this compact:
To worship God, however known,
To welcome into our church those of differing
understanding and theological opinion,
To learn from our religious heritage, yet to
grow by seeking new dimensions of truth.
To follow, even imperfectly, the way of Jesus
in personal involvement with each other,
And, strengthened by this bond, to act in
Christian concern for the welfare of all people.”
