The United Church of Gainesville – October 4, 2020
If you would like to watch the service as a playlist, please click here and you will be directed to our YouTube page. If you prefer, you may click on the individual links below at your own pace.
Welcome and Introduction, Special Music, Time with the Children
Welcome- Andy Bachmann
Love All Creation- by Fydor Dostoyevsky, read by Nan Ryan
Love all Creation
The whole of it and every grain of sand
Love every leaf
Every ray of God’s light
Love the animals
Love the plants
Love everything
If you love everything
You will perceive
The divine mystery in things
And once you have perceived it
You will begin to comprehend it ceaselessly
More and more everyday
And you will at last come to love the whole world
With an abiding universal love.
Opening Song- “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan
How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, ‘n’ how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they’re forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind
Yes, ‘n’ how many years can a mountain exist
Before it is washed to the sea?
Yes, ‘n’ how many years can some people exist
Before they’re allowed to be free?
Yes, ‘n’ how many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn’t see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind
Yes, ‘n’ how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take ’til he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind
Time with the Children- Talia Raymond
United Tribes Activity Time – UCG youth Jhett Hill will read his stories live and answer questions!
Special Music, Reading, Prayers and Prayer response
Special Music, “The Listening” by Mark Burlingame
Rest in Prayer- St. Catherine of Sienna, interpreted by Daniel Ladinsky
The sun hears the fields talking about effort
And the sun
Smiles,
And whispers to
Me
“Why don’t the fields just rest, for
I am willing to do everything
To help them grow?”
Rest, my dears, in prayer.
Time for Prayer-Bromleigh McCleneghan
Prayer response- O Lord, Hear My Prayer
O Lord, hear my prayer- O Lord, hear my prayer. When I call, answer me. O Lord, hear my prayer, O Lord, hear my prayer; come and listen to me.
Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.[a] 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem[b] on your forehead, 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
1Kings 19:11-13: The word of the Lord came to Elijah, and said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, for the Israelites have forsaken the covenant with thee, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left, and they are seeking to take my life away.”
God said, “Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.”
And behold, the Lord was passing by, and a great and mighty wind was rending the mountain and shattering the rocks before the Lord;(KJV: tore into the mountain and broke the rock into pieces) but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but the lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, a fire; but the lord was not in the fire. And after the fire a sound of gentle stillness (KJV a still small voice) (NRSV sheer silence). Now as soon as Elijah perceived it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then behold there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Sermon- “Hear and Listen,” Andy Bachmann
Benediction and Alleluia
Here are the UCG friends celebrating a birthday this week.
Happy Birthday!
|
Deb |
Dippre |
09/20 |
|
Aaron |
Gitzendanner |
10/04 |
|
Bill |
Gallagher |
10/05 |
|
Carlos |
Hernandez |
10/05 |
|
Lisa |
Langford |
10/05 |
|
Stephanie |
Wohlgemuth |
10/05 |
|
Lisa |
Wolcott |
10/05 |
|
Andy |
Ingram |
10/07 |
|
Bodhi |
Delisle |
10/09 |
|
Gretchen |
Casey |
10/10 |
No Sunday Seminars Today!
Join us at the Fall Congregational Meeting at 10:30am! Join below.
Important Announcements
Call to Attend!
Fall Congregational Meeting – This Morning at 10:30am
In advance of the meeting, please have reviewed the proposed Three-Year-Plan that you can find here. The Board of Business will present the proposed budget for 2021 in addition to updates on the Corona Contingency Fund and PPP loan. We will also hear from the Board of Endowment Management, the COVID Advisory Team, and the Enlistment Committee. Watch for the Zoom link in the E-vents email and the Sunday Worship Bulletin. Click here to join. Mandatory Passcode – 990650. Please Attend!
Join us at the UCG Drive-Thru Donation Event today, immediately following the Congregational Meeting until 2pm, in east UCG parking lot. Sponsored by Compassion in Action committee, please bring for Gainesville Community Ministries: non-perishable food items. Bring for Grace Marketplace: much needed full-sized self care products – such as bug spray, toothbrush/toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner, body wash, razor, bar soap, bandages, hand sanitizer, feminine products . Drive by, wear your mask, pop your trunk, and our awesome volunteers will pick up your donations. To kick off our Enlistment Campaign, there will also be members of our Enlistment Committee onsite handing out and collecting pledge cards! See you there!
This Sunday marks the beginning of our Enlistment Campaign, where we ask you, members and friends of the United Church of Gainesville to prayerfully consider your financial gifts for the coming year.
Once again this year, you are able to use our ShelbyNext website and app to make your pledge. First, if you haven’t logged into your ShelbyNext account, click here for a quick tutorial.
If you’d rather access ShelbyNext from your smartphone, you’ll need to download the app. Click here for a video to show you how to get the app in the App Store.
And if you have the app and you are ready to go, click here for a video on how to submit your pledge commitment for 2021.
You can also stop by the church office to fill out a paper pledge card. There are blank pledge cards and envelopes in the Suggestion Box next to the church office door. If you are returning a completed card, you can use the black mail box at the corner of the office building closest to the Sanctuary. If you aren’t a UCG member or you live far away, simply contact the office (info@ucgainesville.org or 352-378-3500) and we will be happy to mail a pledge card to you. You may also email your commitment directly and confidentially at our accountant, catherinec@ucgainesville.org. Please note that all pledging is confidential.
Our hope is to complete our pledge campaign by November 8th, so please let us know as soon as you can! Thank you so much for your commitment to UCG!
Share Your Story! – We will be celebrating PRIDE Sunday on October 18. One element that makes our Pride service so meaningful are the personal stories shared by our members. This year’s theme is: “History of Pride.” Would you be willing to share your story of your history of Pride? This can be about your own life story as a member of the LGBTQQIA+ community or as a friend or family member that has been on a journey with our community. It can be about an experience at a live Pride festival, your story of finding Pride in yourself or a loved one, or something else that this theme brings to mind for you. If you would be willing to share a 2-5 minute reflection/story, please email Talia. We will most likely still be virtual, and you are welcome to submit your own video, or we will coordinate a time for you to record in the Sanctuary. Thank you for sharing your story, your history of Pride with your UCG family.
Invitation to UCG Young Adults Sunday Lunch Group -UCG Young Adult Group is holding a fall virtual lunch meeting this Sunday, October 4, at noon. Are you a UCG young adult? Older than high school, younger than 30ish? Grab your lunch (optional) and join the UCG YA group for a meal, making connections, and for discussions on various topics. Call Judy Parsons 352-213-6516 if you have any questions or need more information. Join here.
There are only three spots left for the White Privilege Study Group – This small group will be meeting on Tuesday nights from 7:00-8:30pm via Zoom for four weeks, beginning on October 6th and ending October 27th. We will be discussing our white privilege and identify how it has benefitted us and disadvantaged people of color. We will identify specific incidences in our lives when we did not understand how our white privilege hurt people of color & become more cognizant of our privilege in our daily lives. The group will be facilitated by Joyce Orr and will be open to 12 participants. If you are interested in this group, please sign up here.
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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 2020 is $40,000, 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 click here. Thank you for your support.
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Please note: While the Church Office remains closed, we are still available by phone or email from 9am – 4pm, Monday – Friday.