UNION CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF HANCOCK
We respect tradition — and we welcome inclusive language about people and expansive language about God. Please pray using words most meaningful to you.
Open and Affirming of ALL God’s Children
Photo Credit Patrice Alexander
Sunday – August 25, 2024
This service will be in-person at Sam Ball Farm and on Zoom at 9:30 a.m.
(Recorded for Facebook and YouTube)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 822 2425 2518
Passcode: 755650
The first pew in front of the pulpit has books and quiet activities for people of all ages.
Please borrow something that suits you, and return it after the service.
Silent Prayer
Defender of the exploited, protector of the vulnerable, help us to see clearly
in this time of chaos. Do not let us be deceived. Where we are harming or being harmed,
give us the courage to disrupt systems of evil in all their forms. Through our hands,
our hearts, our community, may thy Kin-dom come. Amen
* Indicates points in the service when we stand in body or spirit
Announcements
Prelude The Gift to Be Simple arr. Dale Wood
Welcome
*Introit Spirit of the Living God (v. 1) Hymns of Truth & Light #281
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me, Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.
*Call to Worship
One: The One who is Love is our firm foundation.
All: In times of loss and times of abundance, God upholds us.
One: Though we may be afraid, We will not be abandoned.
All: Though the path may be unclear, The Spirit will guide us.
One: Though the journey is long,
All: We go together.
One: Let the people of God take heart.
All: We rejoice in the assurance of God with us!
*Passing of the Peace (ASL) and Lighting of Peace & Justice Candle
*Hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful Hymns of Truth & Light #63
Refrain:
All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings,God made their glowing colors, and made their tiny wings.
Refrain:
The purple headed mountains, the rivers running by,the sunset, and the morning that brightens up the sky.
Refrain:
The cold wind in the winter, the pleasant summer sun,the ripe fruits in the garden, God made them every one.
Refrain:
All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.
*Invocation
O Holy One, Source of all life and Ground of all love, we thank you for your love that never lets us go. Thank you for the privilege of gathering in this space with our neighbors. As we worship you today, help us to respond to the call of love – to love you, our neighbors, and ourselves. May we be transformed from individuals to members of your one body. We pray for our nation that we be united as a people tied to a single garment of destiny. Guide us as families, as a community of faith, as a nation to follow the path of love. Amen
Children’s Message
Greek Scripture Mark 12:28-3 and Romans 13:8-10
Special Music Balm in Gilead David Paxton
Based on Trad. Spiritual
Message
*Hymn God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens Hymns of Truth & Light #67
God, who stretched the spangled heavens infinite in time and place,
flung the suns in burning radiance through the silent fields of space;
we, your children, in your likeness, share inventive powers with you;
Great Creator, still creating, show us what we yet may do.
We have ventured worlds undreamed of since the childhood of our race;
known the ecstasy of winging through untraveled realms of space;
probed the secrets of the atom, yielding unimagined power,
facing us with life's destruction or our most triumphant hour.
As each far horizon beckons, may it challenge us anew,
children of creative purpose, serving others, honoring you.
May our dreams prove rich with promise, each endeavor well begun;
Great Creator, give us guidance till our goals and yours are one.
Prayers of the People – Sharing Joys & Concerns
Our Father (Creator, Mother) who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us
our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen
Lead me Lord, lead me in thy righteousness, make thy way plain before my face.
For it is thou Lord, thou Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety.
Invitation to Offering –
In true community, the needs of none go unmet. We long for the day when hunger is no more, when all have access to shelter, and when every individual is recognized as part of the beloved family of God. In faith that God has given us all that we need in order to practice such radical care of one another, here, in this community, let us bring our offerings.
Offertory Quiet Devotion Kevin Boesinger
*The Doxology
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God for all that love has done; Creator, Christ, and Spirit, One. Amen
*Prayer of Dedication
God, you have shown us what it is to live out radical generosity. By your Spirit, may we also come to practice such love through our words, our giving, and our actions. Receive these gifts and through them may you uplift the lowly, sustain the weary, and bring comfort to the afflicted. Amen
*Hymn God of Earth and Sea and Heaven Hymns of Truth & Light #455
God of earth and sea and heaven, by your power all things are made;
We, created in your image, live nor breathe without your aid.
God, who formed the earth’s wide reaches, summoned forth its fruit and flower,
Teach our hearts to love you only; help us know your grace and power.
You have blessed us with your favor, shown yourself in saint and seer,
Borne your witness in all ages, in our hearts you are ever near.
Purge our pride and our vain glory; fill our hearts with prayer and praise;
May we offer for your service all our wealth and all our days.
You have given Christ to save us; we would give our lives to you,
Naught with holding, freely yielding that all earth your love may view.
Now in grateful dedication our allegiance we would own,
Offering talents, time and treasure, for the mercy you have shown.
*Benediction
*Sung Blessing Go Now in Peace (sing twice) Hymns of Truth & Light #347
Go now in peace, go now in peace, may the love of God surround you
everywhere, everywhere, you may go.
Postlude A Joyous Benediction David Paxton
(Please remain seated for the Postlude)
The Union Congregational Church of Hancock, United Church of Christ will hold a special congregational meeting on Sunday, September 1st, 2024 immediately following the 9:30 morning worship service for the following purposes:
1. To vote on a permanent time for the worship service on Sunday mornings, (A) year round at 9:30 a.m. or (B) 9:00 a.m. on the Sundays between Memorial Day and Labor Day and 10:00 a.m. the rest of the year.
2. Any other business to come before the congregation.
Jeanne Edwards, Clerk
August 15, 2024
Support our Church Financially
Please visit Hancock (Maine) UCC on Facebook or our new webpage www.hancockucc.com
or visit this link to our PayPal account: paypal.me/hancockucc
or mail offerings to:
Union Congregational Church, PO Box 443, Hancock, ME 04640 (Attention: Treasurer)
Contact Us
207.422.3100 207.323.6743
Many thanks to those who make this service possible –
in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Music Minister – Debbie Riley
Deacons – Mary Angela Davis and Nick Davis
Liturgist – Alison Boden
Audio-Video Support – Patrice Alexander
Office Administrator – Vicky Espling
Student Ministry Intern – Sarina Brooks
Settled Minister – Rev. TJ Mack
The Body of Christ – You
Resources:
enfleshed: liturgy that matters - Silent Prayer, Call to Worship, Offering Prayers
ucc.org Worship Ways
"Permission to podcast / stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE,
License #A-738532. All rights reserved
Spirit of the Living God
Words and Music - ©1963 Jubilate Music
Contributors: Daniel Iverson and Michale Baughen, Daniel Iverson
All Things Bright and Beautiful
Words and Music - © OCP Publications
Contributors: ROYAL OAK, Cecil Alexander
God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens
Words - ©1967 Hope Publishing Company
Contributors: Catherine Cameron
Go Now In Peace
Words and Music - ©1976 Hinshaw Music, Inc.
Contributors: Natalie Sleeth
From The BTS Center website: There is no denying that we live in a climate-changed world. Climate change is not just a social cause. It is our weather. It is the flooding and wildfire smoke in our communities. It is the record-breaking heat. It is an intensifying crisis happening at a scale unlike any other crisis we’ve previously encountered, and it is one that demands a radical re-envisioning of what it means to be human on planet earth.
Responding to this crisis is not just the work of scientists, policymakers, and advocates. The church brings spiritual resources to this moment that cannot be filled by any others. Our world is crying out for bold, prophetic moral leadership that can truthfully name the predicament and transform the misguided priorities that have brought this crisis to our doorstep. With rich histories of advocating for justice and providing care for those most in need, faith communities have the opportunity to envision and nurture a world in which people turn towards one another rather than against each other in the face of intensifying challenges.
What is the role for your church? If your church has felt called to respond transformationally to this moment in the context of your local watershed, this retreat will help you enter into a season of rich vocational formation in order to claim and deepen your congregation’s unique call to ministry in a climate-changed world.
Twelve New England congregations were selected to join us for this formational opportunity, offered at no cost to congregations. “Claiming Your Call for a Climate-Changed World” began with a three-day retreat at the Schoodic Institute in Acadia National Park, Maine, where congregational teams shared deep conversation with theologians, scientists, and indigenous scholars about how climate change will impact the communities where they live and what a spiritually-grounded, justice-seeking response could look like for their churches. It continued as teams integrated what they’ve learned by undertaking a “small experiment with radical intent” in the context of a supportive community of practice.
Participating congregations will:
● Enter into a rich time of community building, learning, and vocational formation with theologians, scientists, and indigenous leaders.
● Learn about the unique role that the Christian tradition and your congregation can play in a climate-changed world in offering care and advocating for justice in the places you call home.
● Engage in place-based formation with the grounds of Acadia National Park as your classroom.
● Build supportive community with members of your congregation, as well as with like-minded leaders from other congregations across New England.
● Worship, sing, and play in one of the most beautiful outdoor settings in New England.
● Integrate what you’ve learned by participating in a Community of Practice from July through October 2024, including taking on a “small experiment with radical intent,” supported by a community of peers.
Hope to see you on Sunday at Sam Ball Farm or in Zoom.
Comments