United Church of Gainesville
Sunday, October 2, 2022
“Get Out the Map”
World Communion Sunday
“There is no real unity to the world, the only authentic unity is in the struggle, and it is because this is our real unity here and now that we can only express the Kingdom sacramentally” – Herbert McCabe
Click here to begin viewing at 9:15am
Welcome and Announcements – Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan
Prelude – Phillip Herr-Klepacki
A Prayer for Drawing Near – Rev. Talia Raymond
It is difficult to see it from here, I know,
But trust me when I say this blessing is inscribed on the horizon.
It is written on that far point you can hardly see.
Is etched into a landscape
Whose contours you cannot know from here.
All you know is that it calls you, draws you,
Pulls you toward what you have perceived only in pieces,
In fragments that came to you in dreaming or in prayer.
I cannot account for how as you draw near,
The blessings embedded in the horizon
Begins to blossom upon the soles of your feet,
Shimmers in your two hands.
It is one of the mysteries of the road,
How the blessing you have traveled toward,
Waited for, ached for, suddenly appears,
As if it had been with you all the time,
As if it simply needed to know
How far you were willing to walk
To find the lines that were traced upon you
Before the day you were born. – Jan Richardson
Prayers of the People
Opening Song – “Rivers and Roads” by The Head and the Heart – Performed by Andy, Judah, and Stella Bachmann
Time with Children – “Extra Yarn” by Mac Barnett, Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Reading – from “Hunger,” in Traveling Mercies, by Anne Lamott
This is the story of how, at the age of thirty-three, I learned to feed myself…
To begin with, here’s what I did until then: I ate, starved, binged, purged, grew fat, grew thin, grew fat, grew thin, binged, purged, dieted, was good, was bad, grew fat, grew thin, grew thinner…
I was a spy in the world of happy eating, always hungry, or stuffed, but never full.
Anne begins therapy with Rita, and begins to see progress breaking some old habits, but there are stumbling blocks, too. For example, in one exchange Rita asks Anne if she ate because she was hungry, and Anne could not answer. She could not identify the feeling of hunger, of having an appetite and then feeding herself. At the conclusion of this chapter, she writes:
It is, finally, so wonderful to have learned to eat, to taste and love what slips down my throat, padding me, filling me up, that I’m not uncomfortable calling it a small miracle. A friend who does not believe in God says, “Maybe not a miracle, but a little improvement,: but to that I say, Listen! You must not have heard me right: I couldn’t feed myself! So thanks for your input but I know where I was, and I know where I am now, and you just can’t get here from there…So it was either a miracle… or maybe it was more of a gift, one that required some assembly. But whatever it was learning to eat was about learning to live – and deciding to live; and it is one of the most radical things I’ve ever done.
Gospel Lessons – Matthew 26:26-29
While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’
John 17:1a, 20-23
After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father… I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Sermon – “Maps, Miracles, and Mysteries” – Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan
Photo Montage – “Get Out the Map” – The Indigo Girls
Holy Communion – Rev. Talia Raymond
Closing Hymn – “Amazing Grace” – UCC Hymnal – vs. 1, 3, and 5
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright, shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
Benediction
Alleluia
Here are the UCG friends celebrating a birthday this week!
| 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 |
Announcements
UCG’s Pet Blessing originally set for October 2 will be rescheduled to a later date.Collaborative Interfaith Clean-Up – Originally set for Sunday, October 2, has been rescheduled for Sunday, November 20.
NAMI Gainesville Walk Rescheduled – The NAMI walk originally scheduled for Sunday, October 2, has been rescheduled for Sunday, October 23.
CIA Food First Sunday – Please bring your nonperishable donations to church NEXT Sunday, October 9. Click here to donate online today! Lively Arts Fine Art Show has been rescheduled to Sunday, October 9 from 10:15am to 12:30pm. Please come to Reimer Hall immediately after the first service to view our first UCG Art Showcase. Over 20 people (adults and children) will be showing their creative endeavors such as paintings, sculpture, clay, sketchbook journals, 3D and more (maybe even some specialty baked treats!) Some art will be for sale with 20% of sales going to the Food4Kids Program (cash or check preferred.) It will be a fun gathering for all!Small Groups – We have a select few of small groups needing more participants. Click here to view the select small groups and sign up through ShelbyNext. If you need help logging into ShelbyNext, please contact the front office. Grushers Needed on Sundays. Come 15 minutes early and be a welcoming presence for our friends and families at UCG. Please email hannah.norton@gmail.com or visit https://bit.ly/grusher to sign up now! The Racial Justice Committee of the United Church of Gainesville is dedicating a shelf in our library to banned books. Here is a list of books banned by counties across the country and in Florida. These books are often labeled as being “too woke,” “liberal propaganda,” and “anti-white,” among other ridiculous claims. Being a committed congregation that seeks to “Learn from our religious heritage, yet to grow by seeking new dimensions of truth,” we invite you to join us, donate to us, borrow from us, and grow with us. Titles will be removed from the list. Please choose the shipping address labeled “UCG Library (c/o Shanna Swiers.)” Thank you for your support! Roadmap to Reconciliation: A Trip to the Legacy Museum and Monument for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama – We have partnered with the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project and the NAACP to travel together to Montgomery, Alabama the weekend of November 18 – 20. We will visit the Legacy Museum and the Memorial for Peace and Justice, as well as meet with representatives from the Equal Justice Initiative. All participants are asked to join us for a preliminary gathering on November 10 and again on December 1 for a time of community building, reflection, and a memorial service for those who have been lynched in Alachua County. This will be our third trip to Montgomery. Spots are limited. Click here to register or visit the registration table between services on October 9. Have Questions? Contact Rev. Andy Bachmann.
Save the Date!
Next Sunday, October 9
9:00am Childcare9:15 & 11:15am Worship – Rev. Talia Raymond9:30am United Tribes for Children10:15am Fellowship & Beverages Lively Arts Arts Showcase Common Threaders*10:30am Adult Seminar1:00pm Prepping for Pride*5:30pm YU & MST Second Sundays6:00pm Sacred Sound Symphony*Pre-Registered Group
September 30 COVID Update – According to the CDC, Alachua County residents now have a medium risk of serious ill-ness from COVID-19 (the Yellow Zone). The number of new cases, the percent of tests that are positive, and hospital admissions have all gone down. Masks are now optional in the Sanctuary but still recommended for people with medical risks.
