Village ChurchVillage ChurchVillage ChurchVillage Church United Church of ChristUnited Church of ChristUnited Church of ChristUnited Church of Christ

Welcome SundayWelcome SundayWelcome SundayWelcome Sunday September 7, September 7, September 7, September 7, 2014201420142014

All music and words in this bulletin are reprinted by permission under OneLicense.net, License #A-714276.

Bulletin Cover: CELEBRATION Copyright 1997 by John August Swanson

Serigraph 22½” by 30½” www.JohnAugustSwanson.com

ORDER OF WORSHIP PRELUDE Wellesley Village Brass Kevin McDonald GATHERING AND PRAISE “Hineh Mah Tov” Mary Luti

This song is the opening verse of Psalm 133, which celebrates the unity of God’s people gathered for praise. The Hebrew words are transliterated so that we may pronounce them as we would in English. Please sing the Hebrew verse only.

*HYMN NO. 66 “O Day of Radiant Gladness”

New Century Hymnal (black) ES FLOG EIN KLEINS WALDVOGELEIN

THE CONFESSION Audra Teague Mackey

Invitation

Silence

Prayer of Confession

*Assurance and the Peace of Christ

How good it is and how pleasant for people to dwell together. Good and pleasant, people in peace together.

*Song “Jubilate Deo” (Joyful praise to God!)

PRAYER FOR THE SEARCH Senior Pastor Search Committee ANTHEM “Lo Yisa Goy” “Vine and Fig Tree” Jodi Hitzhusen

Village People Vocalists

READING John 17:1-26, adapted (Page 879, pew Bible)

John Allen SERMON “Congregation” Mary Luti MUSICAL MEDITATION David Carrier

THE PRAYERS

THE OFFERING Chris Braudaway-Bauman

Our donations for the Wellesley Food Pantry are being brought forward this morning as part of our regular offering. During the offering, please sign and pass the fellowship book, which is located at the end of each pew. Invitation Offertory “Laudate Dominum” M. A. Charpentier

Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord! Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

*Doxology and Presentation 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.

*Dedication

HOLY COMMUNION Pam Emslie and Liz Garrigan-Byerly Hymn NO. 332 “As We Gather at Your Table”

New Century Hymnal (black) BEACH SPRING

Please remain seated for the hymn. Communion Prayer

One: How good it is to be together at this table, where strangers become friends, friends become kin, and God unites us all. How very good it is to be invited by Jesus, who welcomes everyone, turns no one away, and offers us a taste of life as God intends it to be. All: How very good it is to celebrate and feast together! One: Then let us pray. Holy One, source of life, love, and blessing, we praise you for gathering us, encircling us, and calling us to participate in your coming reign.

All: How very good you are! One: We praise you for reaching out to us through the lives of faithful people in every generation, calling us into your church, and binding us in love, no matter how far we wander or how much we resist. All: How very good you are! One: We thank you for making yourself known to us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus; for sending your Spirit among us to guide and sustain us; and for making us

one congregation—one in love, one in faith, one in hope. All: How very good you are! One: Therefore, God of love, with all your people of every time and place, we praise you, singing:

One: And now we remember Jesus and all the meals he shared. With grateful joy we especially remember the supper he ate with us on the night of his betrayal, when he took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to us, saying: All: “Take, eat, this is my body, given for you.” One: We remember that after supper, he took a cup, blessed it and gave it to us saying: All: “Take, drink this, all of you. This is the cup of a new covenant in my blood, poured out for all. Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, do this in remembrance of me.” One: Come Holy Spirit, come. Bless this bread and bless this fruit of the vine. Through our eating and drinking at this table, make us the Body of Christ, a holy congregation of your own design. We ask these things in the name of Jesus, our Savior, who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father, 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.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power,

and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Sharing Bread and Cup

(Gluten free bread is available.)

*Thanksgiving

HYMN “Hineh Mah Tov” (See previous page) *A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT

*HYMN “Praise Our God, All Glories Show”

*BLESSING POSTLUDE “Ceremonial March” Robert Haan

David Carrier, organist Please be seated for the Postlude.

*Those who are able, please stand.

TODAY’S NOTES Welcome Back to Associate Pastor Pam Emslie after her sabbatical. We are delighted to have her among us again.

Pastoral Care If you have or know of a pastoral care need, please contact Liz Garrigan-Byerly at 781-235-1988 ext.14. In case of a pastoral emergency, please call 334-521-2481.

Care Kits If during the worship service you find you need a tissue, cough drop, or a drink of water, please ask an Usher to help you. Hearing devices amplify sound anywhere in the Sanctuary. They are available at the back of the church. For assistance, please speak with an Usher. The Chancel flowers today are given with joy by the Appleby family in celebration of Leslie's 50th birthday! Village Church Block Party! 11 am – 1 pm (Following 10 am Worship) All are welcome! Something for everyone: food, music, games, fun for all ages!

BULLETIN NOTES

Ordination of Audra Teague Mackey to Christian Ministry Sunday, September 21, 3 pm, First Congregational Church in Natick, Junction of Routes 27 & 135, across from the Natick Common All are invited to come celebrate Audra’s ordination. Environmental Ministry invites you to... Wicked High Tide: A Shipboard Conversation About Boston's Climate Resiliency Efforts Sunday, September 14, Boarding 2:30-3 pm, Sailing 3-6 pm Join other members of Wellesley's faith community for this relatively informal discussion and tour while taking in the views of beautiful Boston Harbor from sea. Light snacks are included and a cash bar is available. Tickets ($45) are limited, so sign up today! Carpooling is available. If you have questions, contact Mary Gard, mgard62@gmail.com (781-235-4014), or Cynthia Curtis, cyn.j.curtis@gmail.com.

Today is Welcome Sunday, a day of praise and thanks for our regathering as a congregation after the summer, and a celebration of our life together as a people of God. No matter who you are – a seasoned senior, a teen, a toddler, a longtime member, or a first-time visitor – you are welcome here! We are delighted you came, and we hope everyone will know the love and welcome of God in this place!

For His Children February Mission Trip – Register Now For His Children (FHC) is an orphanage for abandoned infants and children in Ecuador. Village Church has sent seventeen mission trips over the past 14 years. Our next trip is scheduled for the 2015 February public school vacation week. We spend our time caring for and playing with the children, and also on various work projects. In addition, excursions are taken into historic Quito and other parts of beautiful Ecuador. We live in community and bond on many levels. It is an amazing experience! Our pastoral resident, John Allen, will be joining the group this year. All reservations must be made by September 20, 2014. For more information or to register, please contact Nancy Smith (nancyjsmith1@me.com; 781-431-7921). Monday Morning Book Group Mudhouse Sabbath: An Invitation to a Life of Spiritual Discipline by Lauren Winner September 29, October 6, 20, 10-11:30 am, Parlor, Facilitated by Liz Garrigan-Byerly What does faith look like on a daily basis? And how can the daily activities of life as well as the “big moments” shape our faith? These are some of the questions we’ll explore as we read and discuss Mudhouse Sabbath. Raised Jewish and now a practicing Christian, Winner explores Jewish spiritual practices that “can transform the way Christians view the world and God.” This is a come as you are group—whether your every day is governed by spiritual practices or you’ve never even thought about them, whether you are retired and read the book in one sitting or are a busy mom who can only skim a few lines while walking out the door, join us for informal conversation and fellowship. If you are interested in childcare, speak with Liz (liz@wellesleyvillagechurch.org). Bible for Beginners Sunday Mornings following 10 am Worship for an hour September 21, October 5, 19, 26, November 9, Seminar Room (2nd floor) Led by Linda Smith, Barbara Stock, Audra Teague Mackey, and Chris Braudaway-Bauman Whether you've participated in Bible study before or have hardly ever opened this book, you are invited to join us on this five session tour through central stories and themes of our sacred text. Come to as many sessions as you can. Bibles provided. For more information and if you are interested in childcare for this time, please speak with Audra Teague Mackey, audra@wellesleyvillagechurch.org. • September 21: How the Bible Came to Be • October 5: Moses and Exodus • October 19: Jesus and the Gospels • October 26: Paul and his Letters • November 9: Why the Bible Matters “Little Fishes”—The Sacrament of Baptism Wednesdays, 7:30 to 9 pm, September 17 and 24, October 1, 8 and 15, Upper Room, Led by Mary Luti A 5-week series exploring some well-known and forgotten dimensions of baptism, scriptural images and related stories, diverse baptismal practices, our own experiences, and the sacrament’s ethical implications for disciples of Jesus. Discernment Circles Forum Sunday, September 28, following 10 am Worship, Upper Room Led by Ken Sipe and Members of the Discernment Circles Ministry

Two years ago, a small group of adults and youth came together to explore how we might draw on our congregation’s communal practices of discernment as a resource for individual discernment. We wanted to figure out how we could frame the making of life decisions as a spiritual practice. Drawing on the experience of our GIFT program and the wisdom of Quaker Clearness Committees and Parker Palmer’s Circles of Trust, we developed practices that include asking open ended questions, engaging in holy listening, and offering prayer. A Discernment Circle is a structured meeting designed to assist an individual to hear the voice of his or her own “inner teacher” and the voice of the Holy Spirit. Come the forum to find out more and to hear from those who have experience as a participant in a Discernment Circle. Sunday Morning Offering Counters Needed Beginning last Fall, in an effort to improve our financial controls, and to follow recommendations made in an external review last year, we have implemented a simple two-person counting of Sunday morning collections after the 10 am Worship service from September through June and after the 9 am Summer Worship services. Two church members will count the cash donations received, list the number of checks and add up the totals. The donations will be locked and stored for the church accountant to conduct a second count and deposit. We will be establishing six teams of two people each who will alternate Sundays. The team will spend 30-45 minutes after the 10 am worship service to carry out the counting service. If you are available, please contact Barbara Kucich at 781-235-1988, x18 or at Barbara@wellesleyvillagechurch.org. Rosie’s Place Volunteers Needed (and a change at Rosie’s) We are again looking for people to support our monthly volunteer opportunity at Rosie’s Place, a women’s shelter in Boston. As we have for many years, Village Church will be providing the evening meal on the first Sunday of every month. Because Rosie’s guidelines have changed, we will no longer be shopping for and cooking the meal here at Village Church. Instead, groups of 2 – 6 Village Church members will head to Rosie’s Place to join other volunteers and Rosie’s staff to prepare and serve the meal from 3 – 5:30 on the first Sunday of each month. Please consider signing up for this wonderful opportunity. Sign-up board is located in the lobby near the parlor. Feel free to contact Lisa Weinstock (leweinstock@gmail.com) or Jane Amara (amarajf@yahoo.com). Writing Checks Although we affectionately call ourselves Village Church, we are still legally known as Wellesley Congregational Church. Our bank accounts are in our legal name and while the local bank knows us well, Fidelity prefers the checks we deposit be in our legal name. When you are writing a check to the church for whatever reason, please make it payable to our legal name: Wellesley Congregational Church. Thank you! American Red Cross Blood Drive Thursday, September 18, 1-7pm There is a need for blood donors of all types, especially Type "O." In order to donate blood you must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good general health. You may call the American Red Cross at 800-448-3543 to schedule an appointment or you may also just show up at a time convenient for you between 1 and 7 pm. It is important to drink plenty of fluids before donating. Refreshments will also be provided. Please bring a valid ID. This is a great opportunity for you to give the gift of life.

VILLAGE CHURCH STAFF

The Rev. Mary Luti – Interim Senior Pastor The Rev. Pamela H. Emslie – Associate Pastor

The Rev. Elizabeth G. Garrigan-Byerly – Associate Pastor The Rev. Christina L. Braudaway-Bauman – Pastor at Large

The Rev. John C. Allen – Pastoral Resident Audra C. Teague Mackey – Pastoral Resident

Linda C. Smith – Pastoral Residency Coordinator Michaela F. McDonald – Director of Children’s Ministries

David R. Carrier – Director of Music Dr. Kevin J. McDonald – Director of Youth Music

Jodi M. Hitzhusen – Music Director of First Worship Erin I. Donato – Church Administrator

Leslie W. Petzing – Controller Barbara P. Kucich – Church Accountant

Tricia T. Kibbe – IT and Administrative Coordinator Felicia R. Nadel – Administrative Assistant

Christy L. Cadigan – Administrative Assistant Donald S. Banks – Sexton

Dolphe Richard – Assistant to the Sexton Gerardo Ortiz – Assistant to the Sexton

2 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02482

781.235.1988 wellesleyvillagechurch.org

What is happening in Church School today? Church School will resume next Sunday, September 14. Join us for a fun fall of learning! Families are invited to worship together. Childcare for ages 3 and under is available in the Infant Room. The Infant Room is located on the main floor just outside the Sanctuary to the left of the Chancel. The Family Room is available for parents who aren’t quite ready to leave their infants and toddlers in childcare. In this room, parents will be able to listen to the worship service while their child naps or plays. This room is located upstairs beyond the library.