WELCOME – Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan
 
PRELUDE — Phillip Herr-Klepacki
 
CALL TO WORSHIP – Rev. Talia Raymond
 
(Please read along with the bolded text)
 
God is calling us
Out of the places we hide
Out of insecurity
Out of shame
Out from under that which silences love and justice.
Come out, people of God!
 
Though we may be afraid
Though we will be at risk
Though the cross stands as a threat
God calls us to courage!
 
Our God is a god of resurrection.
Of new life after devastation. Of hope in the grip of evil.
And so we dare to proclaim, with pride and faith, our truths:
 
We believe in the power of love.
We believe in solidarity with the suffering.
We believe we are each valuable.
We believe that our togetherness is transformative.

The world is longing for Holy truths that reveal,
voices that speak real words of hope.
Come out, people of God! – from enfleshed

OPENING SONG – “Let Us Hope When Hope Seems Hopeless” 




 
TIME WITH THE CHILDREN – Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan
 
PRAYER
 
BIRTHDAYS
 
INTERLUDE 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – offered by Rev. Chad McGinnis
 
READINGS — offered by Rob White and Kari Shattuck
 
from “Fever Pitch” by Nick Hornby
 
“Yes, yes, I know all the jokes. What else could I have expected at Highbury? But I went to Chelsea and to Tottenham and to Rangers and saw the same thing: that the natural state of a football fan is bitter disappointment, no matter what the score.”
 
from “A Theology of Liberation” by Gustavo Gutiérrez
 
“The Bible is the book of the Promise, the Promise made by God to human beings, the efficacious revelation of God’s love and self-communication; simultaneously, it reveals humankind to itself. . . . [One biblical scholar] says that ‘this Promise lies behind the whole Bible, and makes it the book of hope, the slight hope stronger than experience . . . which persists through all trials and is reborn to greater strength after every setback.’ ”
 
SPECIAL MUSIC and OFFERING — “All the Way” by Eddie Vedder — offered by Adam Hill
 
Your gifts support all facets of the UCG community. You can also give online: bit.ly/ucgplate. 
 
SERMON — “Underdogs and Eschatological Hope” — Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan
 
CELEBRATING HOLY COMMUNION
 
MUSIC WHILE RECEIVING — “Come to the Table” by Allen Pote – offered by the UCG Choir, directed by Phillip Herr-Klepacki
 
PRAYER AFTER RECEIVING
 
CLOSING HYMN — “O for a World”


 
BENEDICTION
 
“ALLELUIA”
 
POSTLUDE

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Carol	James	10/01
Susan	Kirkland	10/01
Kate	Boisseau	10/01
Bethany	Highsmith	10/03
Rolf	Larsen	10/03
Aaron	Gitzendanner	10/04
Carlos	Hernandez	10/05
Lisa	Langford	10/05
Stephanie	Wohlgemuth	10/05
Lisa	Wolcott	10/05
Andy	Ingram	10/07
Phillip	Herr-Klepacki	10/07

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9:45 a.m.                Child Care
10:00 a.m.              Worship – Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan   
10:15 a.m.              United Tribes
11:00 a.m.              Fellowship and Beverages
11:15 a.m.              Sunday Seminar
                                 MST & YU      
12:30 p.m.              Kairos  
4:00 p.m.               Blessing of the Animals – Rev. Talia Raymond

Sunday Seminar – “Measuring Earth’s Fever” with Allan March, a retired physician and climate realist. Allan will use human physiology as a segue to introduce the Climate Shift Index (CSI), an evidence-based embodiment of weather attribution science, suitable for everyday use by the general public, no matter where they live. He will present practical applications of CSI and provide accessible resources suitable for all age groups. In Reimer Hall or on Zoom at 11:15 a.m. Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385, Passcode: 1624.

Blessing of the Animals today, October 1, 4 p.m. — Bring your furry babies and scaly siblings, and anyone else who plays nicely with others, for a brief outside service of blessing with Rev. Talia Raymond.

Food First is this Sunday! Thank you, UCG for your generous commitment to stocking the Food Pantry at Gainesville Community Ministries with monthly donations. In addition, we have contributed to Bread of the Mighty Food Bank this year. To date in 2023, we have generously provided 2.1 tons of food! Please donate online here. 

Family Promise  – We are scheduled to host families for a week at UCG beginning October 8, and we still have a number of volunteer slots to fill. Please click here to help with this important UCG program. Thank you!

Are you interested in joining UCG? — We will be welcoming new members on Sunday, October 15, and invite you to join us at UCG 101, our new members orientation on Tuesday, October 3 at 5:30 p.m. in Reimer Hall. Contact the office if you would like to attend (352 378-3500). Child care is provided.

Open and Affirming (ONA) invites you to walk with us next to the Community Pride Float in UF’s Homecoming Parade on October 6. We are participating in the parade, along with other local organizations, to show support to LGBTQ+ students and families. We’d also love to have lots of cheers from the crowd so please join us with Pride! Please contact Malika Green if you’d like to walk! Click here for parade day details if you are participating.  

Banned Book Week Reception in UCG Library on Sunday, October 8, 11 a.m. to noon. Get to know what children, youth, and adult books are banned from K-12 classrooms and school media centers in Florida and the U.S. Check out UCG’s collection of banned books and learn how you can advocate for intellectual freedom. Sign up to read a banned book and discuss it at a seminar in late October. Your donation to UCG will help the Racial Justice Committee expand UCG’s banned book collection to include these titles. Click here to view the list. 

There’s still time to register for the Men’s Retreat “Masking and Unmasking: Living into Our Authentic Selves,” November 3-5 at Camp Weed in Live Oak, Florida. The cost per person is $155, which includes 2 nights of lodging in shared rooms, all meals from Saturday breakfast through Sunday breakfast, and all programming. The optional Friday dinner is an additional $15/person ($170 total). If you prefer a room to yourself, add $85. If you cannot make the full weekend, Saturday-only registration is $70. Scholarships are available if the cost is a barrier. To sign up, or if you have questions, please contact Tim Martin (tamartin@ufl.edu) or Chad McGinnis (chad.a.mcginnis@gmail.com). Registration deadline is October 15.

Advent Book Submissions  — We are gathering writings and visual art for the 2023 Advent devotional booklet. This year’s theme is “All I Want . . . (for Christmas).” You can contribute one of your favorite writings (poems, sermon excerpts, songs, hymns, etc.) or an original piece of your own. Please submit all writings as an attached Word document or straight to the body of your email, for easy editing. We also accept visual art in jpg format if possible. Send submissions to Taylor Williams. The final deadline for submissions is Friday, November 10. Thank you for contributing!

Calling All Artists! We want you to exhibit your creations at our annual UCG Art Show on Sunday, November 12.  You can sell your work, just show it, or both. We call it, “Show & Tell . . . and Sell” and welcome all ages, all kinds of creativity, and all skill levels! Applications are available online at https://bit.ly/artsapp23 or in the Foyer.
 
In light of the fall and Christmas schedule and to allow more time for consideration, we will continue with a single 10 a.m. service through January 2024. A preliminary report will be presented at the October 15 congregational meeting, and a decision on the worship schedule will be made at the January 28, 2024 congregational meeting

10:00 a.m.     Worship – Rev. Chad McGinnis  
10:15 a.m.     United Tribes
11:00 a.m.     Fellowship and Beverages
                       RJC Read a Banned Book Event
                       Common Threaders
11:15 a.m.     YU & MST 
11:30 a.m.     Sunday Seminar — Webster’s Faith Vocabulary, Vol. 2

12:30 p.m.     Board of Membership Meeting  
4:00 p.m.       Dances of Universal Peace
6:00 p.m.       Sacred Sound Symphony