Worship Service - September 8, 2024

Welcome to the September 8, 2024 Worship Service

Here you will find visual pieces to this morning's worship service. When the audio stream for the service begins at approximately 10:25am, you will be able to listen to it at http://listen.uucfm.org:8000/stream-church. The stream will open in a new tab in your browser. Click the browser tab for this page to come back to view visuals while the audio plays.

You may also access the service via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/5264858673.

You may follow along with the service with this Order of Worship. An online donation button is at the bottom of this page for contributing to the morning offering. Additionally, the words for our covenant and the lyrics for the hymns are provided on this page below the photos. Please join us in singing along! Even though you are not here in body with us, we know that you are with us in spirit. We are glad that you are here!

"The Five Invitations (Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully)"

Rev. Sue Gabrielson
Gary Robbins, Worship Associate

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Gathering Music

Jon Dalton, piano
UUCFM Musicians
UUCFM Choir

Welcome

Gary Robbins

Call to Worship

Adapted from Shel Silverstein
Rev. Sue Gabrielson

Chalice Lighting

Gary Robbins

Covenant

Love is the spirit of this congregation
And service its law
This is our great covenant
To dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love
And to help one another
~ James Vila Blake

Opening Hymn

#360 - Here We have Gathered

Here we have gathered, gathered side by side;
circle of kinship, come and step inside!
May all who seek here find a kindly word;
may all who speak here feel they have been heard.
Sing now together this, our hearts’ own song.

Here we have gathered, called to celebrate
days of our lifetime, matters small and great:
we of all ages, women, children, men,
infants and sages, sharing what we can.
Sing now together this, our hearts’ own song.

Life has its battles, sorrows, and regret:
but in the shadows, let us not forget:
we who now gather know each other’s pain;
kindness can heal us: as we give, we gain.
Sing now in friendship this, our hearts’ own song.

A Story For All Ages

"The Fall of Freddie the Leaf"

Stones of Intention

Gary Robbins

Musical Interlude

Jon Dalton, piano

(After you add yours, the counter will record it.
Please know that you are doing this in community.
Feel free to come back to this page later and see how many online stones joined with yours.)

May your prayers be heard and your hearts be restored

Prayer and Meditation

Rev. Sue Gabrielson

Reflective Hymn

#396 - I know this Rose will Open

I know this rose will open.
I know my fear will burn away.
I know my soul will unfurl its wings.
I know this rose will open.

Sermon

"The Five Invitations (Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully)"
Rev. Sue Gabrielson

Online Morning Offering

Gary Robbins

Community Sharing Partner:

One of the ways we live our spiritual values in the world is by making them real through the form of financial contribution. We invite you to enliven your commitment to this community and be generous in giving to support the work of this Congregation during this challenging time. Every month we also donate funds to a community organization in Lee County. Our Community Sharing partner today is Quality Life Center.

Over the past 30 years, Quality Life Center has helped to serve thousands of children and families with the help of our growing community. We pride ourselves on developing the future leaders of tomorrow with a focus on human equity consciousness.

Quality Life Center operates from the premise that if a child and community receives love, develops a healthy respect for the Creator, and forms a positive self-image, then they will be best prepared to meet life’s challenges. Today, we invite Julian Ramirez, the Executive Director of the Quality LIfe Center to speak to us about The Q!

Please give generously. Thank you!

If you would like to make an online donation to UUCFM or pay your church pledge virtually, please click the yellow Donate below -- which takes you to our PayPal account. Please make a note in the space provided by PayPal to indicate whether your contribution is for UUCFM, our community sharing partner, or goes towards your pledge. Thank you.

For donating via PayPal, please click the yellow button below:

For donating via our Giving Page, please click the blue button below:

For a complete list of methods to donate, please visit contribute.uucfm.org.
Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Musical Interlude

"O Sing Hallelujah"
UUCFM Choir

Words of gratitude:

By the work of our hands, and the work of our hearts, our love is made real.
May we be grateful for all that is given, and grateful for all that is shared.

Extinguishing the Chalice

Rev. Sue Gabrielson

Words by Elizabeth Selle Jones

We extinguish this flame but not the light of truth,
the warmth of community or the fire of commitment.
These we carry in our hearts until we are together again.

Closing Hymn

#336 - All My Memories

All my memories of love hang upon high stars.
All the souls I’ve lost to tears now the autumn jars;
and the air around me here thickens with their song;
sing again their nameless tunes, sing again, and strong.

Willows in September touch the water clear,
set among the rushes tall of the flowing year.
Rising up from sunlit past comes the shadowed sigh
running toward me silently, love to fortify.

Many are the graceful hearts hung upon this tree.
And it seems there’s room for mine on these branches free;
and the sky above the tree, whether wet or bright,
is my ease and comforting, my good news and light.