Union Congregational Church United Church of Christ
An Open and Affirming Congregation
July 5, 2020
The Reverend Dr. Robert Marrone, Pastor 33 Concord Street, Peterborough, New Hampshire 03458
603-924-3272 (church office) 603-425-4578 (pastor) [email protected] www.uccpeterborough.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peterboroughucc
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We are glad that you are with us today as we worship! All hymns are reprinted with permission under One License #A700240. All rights reserved.
All Bible verses are reprinted with permission from www.biblegateway.com. All rights reserved.
Boldface indicates passages to be read by all.
Communion Sunday Greetings & Announcements Rev. Dr. Bob Marrone Prelude: Deep River Carol Hamilton Setting by Adolphus Hailstork
Call to Worship
Jesus said, “Come to me, all you that are weary, and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Come, let us worship God, And may we find rest and renewal In Christ Jesus our Lord.
*Hymn O Beautiful for Spacious Skies Pilgrim Hymnal #440
Page #8 in your Bulletin Reprinted with permission under One License #A700240. All rights reserved.
Morning Prayer
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, heaven and earth are full of Your glory. How small we are, in the vastness of the universe You created! Yet You
created us in Your image, gave us hearts to love, minds to understand, bodies to live and explore. You fill us with Your Spirit in every breath we take. We cannot begin to understand You, and yet we continue to grasp at straws. Draw
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us into the deeper way of life You intend for us, a life of wisdom, insight, knowledge, and exploration. A life that pursues justice, practices mercy, and lives in humility, knowing we can never fully understand or know You, yet You are with us and know us. We give You thanks and praise, our quiet
questions and musings, and lift them all to You, O God. Amen. Liturgy created/adapted by Rev. Mindi Welton-Mitchell, rev-o-lution.org
Message for All Ages
Special Music: Hymn Medley Soloist: Holly Reprinted with permission under One License #A700240. All rights reserved.
Prayers of the People & Pastoral Prayer
*Hymn This Is My Song The New Century Hymnal #591 Page #9 in your Bulletin Reprinted with permission under One License #A700240. All rights reserved.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30: New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) 16 “But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another, 17
‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; 19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
Jesus Thanks His Father 25 At that time Jesus said, “I thank[a] you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.[b] 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
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28 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Sermon: Wearied Rev. Dr. Bob Marrone
This Sunday, July 5, we will share Holy Communion in morning worship. As a reminder, folks
at home are not “watching” communion, you are fully partaking. Those who are blessing and
receiving the sacrament at home, please prepare a slice or small loaf of bread, corn tortilla,
or rice cake to share and a cup or small cups of juice — perhaps grape or cranberry — or
wine, with or without alcohol, or even water.
We look forward to seeing you at the table.
Celebration of Holy Communion - written by Maren Tirabassi
Invitation
Come to a table not defined by wood or stone but by what rests upon it — which is the “me” of Christ. Come unto me because any burden is heavy to the one who is under it.
Come unto me with the burden of a crowded life or a lonely one. Come unto me, with a child’s burden of frustration or hunger, of abuse or embarrassment. Come unto me with a burden of grief — for the death of a beloved person or a companion animal, for an ability you have no longer, or a relationship needing reconciliation. Come unto me with the burden of a disappointment, even one that doesn’t seem significant enough, or a fear deeper than words. Come unto the “me” of Christ with any burden — for here is rest for the weary, lightening of suffering, gentleness, and guidelines for
becoming gentle. Here is a yoke of responsibility that can be lifted because of a small piece of bread and a sip of the cup of hope.
Prayer of Consecration
Jesus noticed that often people ignore both the celebration of those who are dancing with joy, and the sorrow of those who are weeping in pain or loss when those feelings are not their own. We come to this table rejoicing with those who laugh and sharing the tears of the grieving. We are God’s children in wonder and loss, dispersed and gathered at the same time.
In your many kitchens, and living rooms, rest your hands lightly upon these elements
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which we set aside today to be a sacrament. We ask God’s blessing on them and on us and on all those who are in our prayers this morning.
Unison: God of the open hand and the gentle yoke, we await your gift and your service. Send your Spirit of life and love, of power and blessing upon your children in every “house of worship,” so that this Bread may be broken and gathered in love and this Cup poured out to give hope to all. Risen Christ, live in us, that we may live in you. Breathe in us, that we may breathe in you. Amen.
Words of Remembering
We remember the Creator blessed all creatures and all human beings with plants of the ground and fruit of the trees. We remember that Rebekah’s hospitality was proven be-cause she remembered to give water not just to people but to camels, and that her compassion shone when she gave more than was asked or expected. Communion is always more than expected, so we remember leftover baskets of bread and fish, so many parables everyone finds a heart-touching story, an invitation to children, tax
collectors, and even thieves, hand-washed feet rather than a DIY basin, a holy
Pentecost translation-app, never the insistence we use special words.
We remember the Passover in Jerusalem when Jesus expanded the menu to include himself, a half-Communion at Emmaus of Bread broken, so we still seek the Cup in the world, a miracle breakfast on the beach with fish that could feed a village, and tables in houses that became church when unconditional love was on the table.
Remembering is good but not enough.
Communion is most Holy not in the past, but today and tomorrow.
Jesus said,
“Do this now. Don’t talk. Eat and Drink. Be blessed. Go forth.”
Sharing of the Elements
Let us at many tables receive the gift of God, the Bread of Heaven. Unison: We come unto Christ in the Bread we share. Let us in many places receive the gift of God, the Cup of Blessing. Unison: We come unto Christ in the Cup we share.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
In thanksgiving for this meal of grace and in the holy dispersion of virtual worship, (and
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the holy cautious re-gathering in familiar pews) we claim the risen Christ’s love and gentle yoke are found in all houses of worship. Let us pray …
Unison:
O Holy One, we have come unto you with our weariness and we have let go of all in our lives that is heavy. We thank you for the rest and strength of this communion so now we can lift up all that is light and gentle, humble and easy, and learn from you how to change the world. Amen
*Hymn My Eyes Have Seen the Glory The New Century Hymnal #610 Page #10 in your Bulletin
*Benediction
Postlude Carol Hamilton The postlude ends our gathered worship and sends us into the world, where our service begins.
SERVING TODAY
Music: Holly, Carol
Deacon: Suzanne
The flowers on the altar this week were given by Nancy Seguin
in loving memory of her parents, Florence and Gifford Martin.
Photo for cover is also in CoverArt federated church VT
Thanks to Kathy Smith Clark who shared this photograph of the June 7 communion from the Federated Church of Arlington, Vermont.
OFFERING: Please remember that the church still has bills to pay and payroll to fund. Please send in or drop off your pledges with—Attn: assistant treasurer—in the lower left corner of the envelope.
Please keep in your prayers this week:
We pray for all of our community members, especially those home alone, those who are sick, and those who are in need. Please contact the church office with your prayer
requests by Thursday at 10 am to go out in the next Sunday Worship Info email.
You may send them to: [email protected], or [email protected]
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Church Information
Office hours: Mon.–Fri., 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. The office is currently closed physically, please call or email; Cindy is there to help you.
Pastor’s office hours: Mon.–Thurs., 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Pastor’s office hours are from home. Please call or email him.
This Week’s Calendar: July 5-11
Sunday 10 am Worship from home
10:45 am Coffee Hour via Zoom
Tuesday 7 pm Pastor Bob Paints via Facebook Live
Wednesday 4:30 pm Finance Committee via Zoom
Thursday 7:30 pm Choir Zoom
NOTES IF YOU ARE OUR GUEST TODAY, please take a moment to sign our Welcome Guest card, which is the link at the top of our Facebook page. Please email the office at [email protected] for information about our church family, and visit us at uccpeterbor-ough.org
CHURCH BYTE: Please send any announcements for the next Church Byte to the office by 10 a.m. on Thursday (earlier if possible). Thank you!
Continue to call the Church Office for masks, Upper Room, Pocket Prayer Shawls, or help with getting groceries, prescriptions, and other needs. 924-3272
Open and Affirming Covenant of Welcome
Jesus accepts all people.
We aspire to follow his example.
We gladly invite and welcome all persons into the life and ministry of this faith community and to full participation in all the sacraments and rites of this church.
Since we believe that all people are created in the image of God and are loved by God, we wel-come those of every age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity and
expression, faith background, national or ethnic origin, physical and mental ability, kind of family, socioeconomic status, and physical appearance.
Seeking justice for everyone, we promise to offer intentional and extravagant welcome to all God’s children.
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