PRELUDE WELCOME

OPENING WORDS Ruth C. Duck

One: Let us praise God, who gives living water, through which the faithful flourish.

Many: Like trees planted by the water, God, are those who trust in you. One: Like trees with deep roots are those who place their faith in you.

Many: Like green trees in winter Are those who receive their life from you. All: We praise you, God, for life that has no end, Through Jesus our risen Christ!

February 3, 2019

Dream God’s Dream

*OPENING HYMN “For Everyone Born” Murray/Mann

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION Ruth C. Duck

We thank you, O God, for calling us into your church to be your people in the world. We are ready, God, to hear your word; speak to us, God, and give us courage to do your will. With all our doubts and fears and shortcomings, we have decided to follow Jesus in our time and place. Guide us by your loving Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen

*RESPONSE NCH #526 “Siyahamba” Tune: Siyahamba

CHILDREN’S TIME Following the story, young children are encouraged to remain in worship or they may go to the nursery (birth-3). At-tendance pads will be passed out at this time; please sign in so that we may celebrate that you were here.

WORD IN SONG

8:30 “A Servant Heart” Elizabeth Gage

Children’s Choir

11:00 “Author of Justice” Lloyd Larson

Chancel Choir

A READING FROM THE HEBREW TRADITION Psalm 67

O God, show us kindness and bless us, and make your face smile on us! For then the earth will acknowledge your ways, and all the nations will know of your power to save. Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations shout and sing for joy, for you dispense true justice to the world – you guide the nations of the earth! Let the peoples shout and sing for joy; let all the peoples praise you! The land has given its harvest: God, our God, has blessed us. May God bless us, and may God be revered even to the ends of the earth! A READING FROM THIS TIME AND PLACE Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting — over and over announcing your place in the family of things. One: For the marvelous blend of fact, myth, poetry, and story that is in scripture, we give thanks.

Many: May the Spirit open us to the wisdom we most need to hear.

SERMON Rev. Wendy Bruner

CELEBRATING MARILYN WITH OUR STORIES

PRAYER This is a time for quiet reflection.

LORD’S PRAYER Mai-Anh Le Tran

Creator, who encompasses the universes…

May your rule of peace and justice be upon this earth…

Give us just enough to eat…

Forgive us our sins, and deliver us from evil—

especially our own…

For power, honor, and glory does not belong to us…

Amen

*HYMN “Sometimes I Wish” Carole E. Etzler

CELEBRATION OF COMMUNION INVITATION AND COMMUNION PRAYER based on our Theological Assumptions

Minister: Come, Holy Spirit, and move among these elements assembled at this Table.

Many: Through this sacrament, transform our hurt into healing, our fear into faith, and death into life.

Minister: As the grain, sown in hills and valleys, is harvested, and now becomes one in the loaf,

Many: so we, scattered, diverse, separated and isolated from one another, hear your in-vitation to become one body around this Table, the center of our life together.

Liturgist: As this juice, grown in vineyards under the sun, fills the cup, may we be filled and refreshed by this meal,

Many: and strengthened to respond to your call to reach out in compassion to all living things.

Minister: In sharing this meal we remember.

Many: We remember meals Jesus shared with friends and enemies, outcasts and mar-ginalized, fearful and earnest.

Minister: He took the bread and, giving thanks, blessed it and broke it and shared it.

Many: As we share the bread today, we eat it as those who seek to follow Jesus. Liturgist: After the meal, Jesus took the cup. Giving thanks, he shared it, symbolizing a new relationship

with God, a relationship of partnership founded on grace.

Many: As we share the cup, we seek to experience that grace in which Jesus lived fully. All: Come, Holy Spirit, come. Bless this bread and bless this fruit of the vine. Bless all of us in our eating and drinking that our eyes might be opened,

that we might recognize the risen Christ in our midst, indeed, in one another. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

The Congregation is invited to come forward by the center aisle, partake of the gluten-free bread and juice, and light a candle in prayer. Catch the eye of a table host if you would prefer to be served at your seat.

RESPONSE “Come to the Table of Grace” Tune: Table of Grace

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING unknown Gracious God, you have once again shown us your love by bringing us to this meal. We go from here renewed in faith, renewed in courage, and strengthened by your presence. Thank you for loving us so tenderly. Thank you for challenging us to know you better and to receive you more fully. Amen

HOW SHALL WE DO GOD’S WORK IN THE WORLD? We will open our ‘How Shall We Do God’s Work In The World’ time with an opportunity to give. The ushers will pass an offering plate to you as you remain in your seats. We invite you to sing along to “Glory, Glory Hallelujah” NCH#2. 1.Glory Glory Hallelujah, 2. I feel better so much better, 3. Feel like shouting “Hallelujah!”, and 4. I am dancing Miriam’s dance now.

PRAYER OF DEDICATION Worship Ways (adapted)

O God, we have come, and what a delight it has been! We have come before You with gifts – gifts of ourselves, gifts of risk, gifts of newness, gifts of trust. We thank you for the chance to give, and pray that we and all whom our gifts bless will never be the same. Amen.

RAINBOW FISH TREE The Rainbow Fish Tree is an Epiphany tradition for our congregation. After Christmas, the tree in our sanctuary is decorated with a bright rainbow fish. We process to the front during the closing hymn and place ornaments on the Rainbow Fish Tree in symbolic commitment to a new world. This year as we hang our fish on the Rainbow Fish Tree we will be praying for peace know-ing that it is God’s dream that we will live in peace, knowing that peace with justice is possible. *HYMN “Dream God’s Dream” Bryan Sirichio

*BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE

To families of young children at Peace UCC

When God made children, they were made with a little giggle, a little squirm, and a whole lot of love. When you wor-ship with us your children are invited to sit at the front of the sanctuary. That way they can see what is going on in church and interact better with what Peace UCC has to offer. When your children are here, our building is filled with a joyful noise. This is something for which we rejoice and praise God. If your children start to get restless please don’t leave. Stay and continue worship because when you do you show them that worship is something important and that their presence is im-portant to us. At times we know this can be a struggle, but thank you for making the effort. 1. There are activity bags for the young

children. They are available near the sanctuary doors.

2. There is a rocking chair at the back of the sanctuary that you can use. We also have a nursery just outside of the sanctuary. Ask someone and they will give you directions.

3. We have changing tables in the nurse-ry and downstairs in the bathroom by the fellowship hall.

We understand the difficulty of worship-ping with a little one. We hope that you feel we are a Child-Loving church. Please know that when your child gets fussy that we are honored to have you with us to-day. Thank you for joining us in worship today and I hope that you will join us again. Peace to you, Pastor Wendy

The deadline for submissions to our weekly pub-lications, How Will We Do God’s Work in the World and News & Notes, is Thursday morn-ing at 10 a.m. If you are not receiving our week-ly e-newsletter “News and Notes” and would like to, please contact the church office.

Notes: Sources for words, images, and music are noted where available. Permission to reprint music and words from sources other than The New Century Hymnal is granted under OneLicense.net, license no. A-704973, and/or LicenSing.org.