United Church of Gainesville
“The Gospel According to My 1929 Model A Ford”
Sunday, September 3, 2023 – 10:00 a.m.

Our live stream begins at 10:00 a.m. Click here to join.

Can you take off a day and talk with me?
I have my life on my mind
like a stray dog in the woods who has just found a turtle.
Could you take off a day and stray with me where turtles talk?”
~ Norman Habel, Hi! Have a Nice Day

WELCOME – Rev. Larry Reimer

PRELUDE – “When You’re Smiling” (Larry Shay) – Phillip Herr-Klepacki

CALL TO WORSHIP – Sadie Darnell

Leader:   Sometimes things don’t go, after all, from bad to worse . . .
People:   Sometimes our best efforts do not go amiss;
Leader:   Sometimes we do as we meant to.
People:   The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
                that seemed hard and frozen through.
Leader:   May it happen for you.
      ~ Sheenagh Pugh, “Sometimes,” Lenten Reflections, Sandy Reimer, ed.

OPENING SONG – “It’s About Love” #34 in the gray songbook

RESPONSIVE PRAYER OF AFFIRMATION – Earth Prayers, Judy Chicago

Leader:  And then all that has divided us will merge
And then compassion will be wedded to power;
People:  And then softness will come to a world that is harsh and
               unkind. And then no person will be subject to another’s will;
Leader:  And then all will be rich and free and varied
               And then the greed of some will give way to the needs of many;
People:  And then all will share equally in the Earth’s abundance
               And then all will cherish each other and all life’s creatures;
Leader:   And then all will live in harmony with each other and the Earth;
People:   And then everywhere will be called Eden once again.

TIME WITH THE CHILDREN – Tom Bittikoffer
PRAYER
BIRTHDAYS

INTERLUDE and OFFERING 

Your gifts support all facets of the UCG community. You can also give online: bit.ly/ucgplate.

TRANSITION TEAM – Daniel Webster

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND PRAYER CONCERNS – Rev. Larry Reimer

“In the Lord I’ll Be Ever Thankful” – Taize’
Phillip will play the song through once, then we will sing three times.

In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful. In the Lord I will rejoice.
Look to God, do not be afraid. Lift up your voices, the Lord is near.
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near.

SCRIPTURE – Mark 6:47-51 – Jesus walks on water.

SERMON – “The Gospel According to My 1929 Ford” – Rev. Larry Reimer 

SPECIAL MUSIC – “Anthem” (Leonard Cohen) – The Hogtown Pickers:
Art Crummer, David Evans, Alan Hill, Jack Nettles, Ned Stuart

The birds they sang at the break of day. Start again, I heard them say.
Don’t dwell on what has passed away or what is yet to be.
The wars they will be fought again – Bought and sold and bought again.
The dove is never free.

Join in on the Chorus: Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering.

There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in. That’s how the light gets in.

We asked for signs, they were sent. The birth betrayed the marriage spent.
Yeah, and the widowhood over every government – Signs for all to see.
I can’t run no more with the lawless crowd, While killers in high places
say their prayers out loud. But they’ve summoned up, they’ve summoned
up a thundercloud. They’re going to hear from me.

Chorus 

PRAYER

BENEDICTION – As the beginning becomes the ending,
and the ending a new beginning,
may you walk, step by step, stone by stone,
in the circle of grace
that is the ever-present God.

“ALLELUIA”

POSTLUDE


Here are our UCG friends celebrating a birthday last week and this week!

 

Susan

Austin

08/27

Brandt

Frenchman

08/29

Maureen

Killoran

08/29

Allison

LeBaron

08/30

Cathy

Myers

08/30

Marj

Hauptman

08/31

Karen

Golden

09/01

Jeff

Shapiro

09/01

Karliene

Kernon

09/01

Dotty

Faibisy

09/02

Millie

Herchel

09/02

Nancy

Dana

09/04

Patsy

Frenchman

09/04

Ron

Haase

09/04

Carol

Sarisky

09/04

Charlotte

Seubert

09/04

Jean

Sperbeck

09/04

Martha

Wroe

09/05

Kisaye

Winchester

09/05

Giovanni

Conrad

09/05

Kamie

Hemmerich

09/06

William

Hartley

09/07

Yo’

Tucker

09/07

Larry

Reimer

09/09


ANNOUNCEMENTS 
 Today at UCG
 Food First Today!

9:45 a.m.       Childcare
10:00 a.m.     Worship – “The Gospel According to My 1929 Model A Ford,” Rev. Larry Reimer 
10:15 a.m.     United Tribes
11:00 a.m.     Fellowship and Beverages

No Sunday Seminar today. Join us next week for “Webster’s Faith Vocabulary, Part 1” with Daniel Webster.

Food First Sunday is Today – Thank you for your donations to the Gainesville CommunityMinistry food bank. You can donate financially at bit.ly/ciafoodfirst. Thank you!

The Church office will be closed Monday, September 4 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. 

Food4Kids is our outreach program that provides weekly bags of food for students at Rawlings Elementary. We have been feeding kids in the community for over 13 years, and last year we had 200 students to feed! In the past, we have received grants from the county, but these funds only cover about 45% of our total budget. Our funding has traditionally come entirely from the UCG congregation, and with rising food costs and more students in our program, we need you more than ever. If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions, please contact Jess Archer. You can donate by check to UCG with Food4Kids in the subject line, or at https://bit.ly/food4k23.

There’s still time to RSVP for the UCG Supper Club on Friday, September 22, at 7 p.m. – The meal features a chicken entree. We meet in groups of 8-10 in the homes of participants. Recipes are provided so that each group shares the same menu. Since we meet on Fridays in the fall to avoid football games, working people will be assigned easy or make-ahead recipes. Contact Anne Casella (annecasella@gmail.com, 352-256-5960) or Kimberly McCollough (kmcollough224@gmail.com, 352-378-8371) to RSVP by Sunday, September 10. If you can host one of the groups, please let them know.

Single 10 a.m. Service Continues Through the Fall – A congregational decision on whether to continue with one service or return to two will take place at the October 15 congregational meeting.

Save the date! – Learn about local climate change and what we can do at the Climate Summit on September 30, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., cosponsored by the Creation Care and Climate (C3J) Task Force of UCG and the Alachua NAACP Environmental Climate Justice Committee (ECJC). Register at https://bit.ly/CSRSVP23.

Next Sunday, September 10

10:00 a.m.     Worship – “The Gospel According to ‘The Wizard of Oz’” – Rev.Talia Raymond
10:15 a.m.     United Tribes
11:00 a.m.     Fellowship and Beverages
                       Young Adult Lunch
                       Common Threaders                  
11:15 a.m.     Sunday Seminar
12:00 p.m.     Kairos Meeting
12:30 p.m.     Board of Membership
4:00 p.m.       Dances of Universal Peace
5:30 p.m.       MST & YU Second Sundays
6:00 p.m.       Sacred Sound Symphony


September 1 COVID Update 

In Alachua County the COVID-19 virus continues to be detectable in nearly all wastewater samples, even those from the new third site. The rising test positivity rate suggests that the virus continues to spread uncontrollably.

Nationwide hospitalizations for COVID-19 are increasing more rapidly than before. The continued emergence of new viral strains with additional mutations to the spike protein is increasing the probability of infections in people who have been vaccinated or previously infected.

Masks are not required in the UCG sanctuary but they are encouraged, especially for people at risk for serious illness from COVID-19. The only masks that protect people from getting infected are the N-95 and KN-95 masks, the latter of which are available in the foyer.