August 21 Bulletin

Claremont United Church of Christ Sunday, August 21, 2022 10:00 am Welcome home! Regardless of your age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, abilities, or faith background, we are glad you’re worshiping with us today. You belong here.

A CELEBRATION OF WORSHIP CLAREMONT UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST PRELUDE Child of Blessing, Child of Promise TRYGGARE KAN INGEN VARA Dr. Carey Robertson, organ arr. Various INTROIT Octavia’s Parable CHANGE CALL TO WORSHIP One: Today, let us begin our worship with breath. Breathe in, in the name of our Creator who brought us each into being and called us Good. All: With each breath, we are reminded of the gift of life. One: Breathe out, in the name of our Redeemer who teaches us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. All: With each breath, we are reminded that we have been chosen to bring God’s peaceable kingdom into being. One: Breathe in, in the name of our Sustainer, who guides us through our intuition, dreams, visions, and perceptions. All: With each breath, we are reminded that God is with us, inside us, infused into our beings. God’s life and breath is within us! OPENING HYMN #459 Come, O Fount of Every Blessing NETTLETON WELCOME CONFESSING OUR SINS Loving Source, we confess that we often come before You distracted. Our energy is pulled from us in so many different directions. We have a hard time focusing on the tasks that must be done, let alone the ones we would enjoy doing. So this morning we ask for forgiveness for our wandering minds and hearts. Send Your Holy Spirit to bring our attention here, with You, this morning, so that we may hear Your Living Word and be healed by it. Amen. RECEIVING GOD’S GRACE One: … Now let us turn our full selves towards our God and remain steadfastly committed to being disciples of Christ. All: We receive this mercy with new hearts, for our God is good. Amen.

PASSING OF THE PEACE One: May the peace of Christ be with you. All: And also with you. LITURGICAL SONG Where Children Belong James Ritchie This, this is where children belong, welcomed as part of the worshiping throng. Water, God’s Word, bread and cup, prayer and song: This is where children belong. SERMON ON THE STEPS Rev. Laurel Capesius OFFERING/ANTHEM Morning Has Broken BUNESSAN Lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon arr. Charlie Perry DOXOLOGY LASST UNS ERFREUEN Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Christ the word in flesh born low, Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise Holy Spirit evermore, One God, Triune, whom we adore, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! DEDICATION SCRIPTURE Matthew 13:31-32 31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” SERMON Parables: Jesus the Storyteller Rev. Dr. Bear Ride THE BAPTISM OF CLEMENTINE JUBILEE STRICKLAND Led by Reverends Shannon Barnes, Gene Boutilier, Debbie Buchholz, Laurel Capesius, Susan Craig, Ron Evans, Butch Henderson, Karl Hilgert, Linda Hodson, David Jamieson, Jim Manley, Eleanor Scott Meyers, Bear Ride, Jean Rosewall, Glenn Trost, & Barbara Troxell

One: Let us come to the water. All: We come to this water, which streams freely to all of us, water of justice and mercy. One: This water satisfies all who thirst for a peaceable kin-dom and everlasting nourishment of the soul. All: This water refreshes our spirits and gives us strength to meet the world’s needs. One: This water flows from Christ who raises us up, the Spirit who guides us, and the Creator who is at work making all things new. All: This water is poured out the way God’s grace is poured into our lives: with abundance and joy! MUSICAL REFLECTION You Were Born Craig Minowa Maritri Garrett, voice & piano SERMON Rev. Dr. Eleanor Scott Meyers A Letter to Clementine on the Day of Her Baptism HYMN #451 Be Now My Vision SLANE WORDS OF PROCLAMATION Myrlie Evers-Williams PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORD’S PRAYER To honor the power of both the traditional and new versions of the Lord’s Prayer, we will alternate which version we pray each week. One: Remind us, as we pray for those who are lost and lonely; for those who are grieving and depressed: All: We are the ones You have called to comfort them. One: Remind us, as we pray for broken marriages and strained relationships, for those who are in recovery or have relapsed: All: We are the ones You have called to speak words of support. One: Remind us, as we pray for victims of violence and oppression; for our neighborhoods and communities: All: We are the ones You have called to seek justice. One: Remind us, as we pray for places torn apart by war, including Ukraine, Palestine, and Yemen: All: We are the ones You have called to make peace. One: For as we lift up our prayers to you, we simultaneously hear your call to us. All: We respond to Your call with passion, purpose, and intention.

One: We respond to Your call by loving, lifting one another up, and serving the world with the gifts and resources You have given us. We connect with Your Holy Spirit using the words you teach us, saying together… All: Our Father/Mother/Creator who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom/kin-dom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom/kin-dom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. GUEST ARTIST River Leon Bridges Maritri Garrett, voice & piano BENEDICTION CLOSING RESPONSE Wonderful Words of Life WORDS OF LIFE POSTLUDE Concerto in G Major: Presto Antonio Vivaldi/J.S. Bach Dr. Carey Robertson, organ Special thanks to our Media Ministry Volunteer, David Moore.

ALTAR FLOWERS Today's flowers are dedicated by Pastor Jen and Pastor Jacob to Clementine Jubilee, the most beautiful plot twist in the story of our lives. May the Spirit co- author a life of joy, love, and creativity with her. HYMN COMMENTARY \"Come, O Fount of Every Blessing\" Robert Robinson (1735-1790) is believed to be the author of this hymn, although the original manuscript has not been found. Robinson was influenced by John Wesley and other evangelical preachers, and converted to Christianity at the age of twenty. A similar melody exists in the African American spiritual tradition, “Go Tell Aunt Tabby (her old gray goose is dead)”. COMPOSER COMMENTARY “River”, by Leon Bridges Leon Bridges (born Todd Michael Bridges on July 13, 1989) is an African- American gospel and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer from Fort Worth, Texas. Growing up in poverty, Bridges studied dance at a nearby community college, inspired by seeing his dad moonwalk as a kid. He picked up singing and guitar as a hobby first, and eventually began playing at open mics and small shows, busing tables to make ends meet. In 2015, this former dishwasher turned retro wunderkind had his debut album, Coming Home, nominated for Best R&B Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. GUEST ARTIST Maritri Garrett is a singer, songwriter and multi- instrumentalist from San Bernardino, California. She holds a BA in biology from Fisk University where she was a Jubilee singer and a BS from Howard University in composition and an MFA in Jazz studies from Howard University. Of late, she has freelanced for several Southern California theaters as a musician and composer. She plays nightly on Facebook live five nights a week at facebook.com/maritrigarrett.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF CLAREMONT UCC! You can donate by texting an amount to (909) 343-590 or scanning the QR code: Athletic shoes only, please! (No sandals, dress shoes, boots, etc.) Sizes needed: Boy’s 1, 2, 5; Girl’s 1, 2, 3, 4; Men’s 7, 8; Women’s 9

PLEASE BE IN TOUCH Claremont United Church of Christ 233 W. Harrison Ave., Claremont, CA 91711 (909) 626-1201 | claremontucc.org @uccclaremont Claremont United Church of Christ Senior Pastors Directors of Music & Fine Arts Rev. Dr. Jacob Buchholz Dr. Alexandra Grabarchuk [email protected], x104 [email protected] Rev. Dr. Jen Strickland Dr. David Rentz [email protected], x105 [email protected] Finance & Payroll Administrator Principal Organist Ms. Jocelyn Bocking Dr. Carey Robertson [email protected], x102 [email protected] Office Manager Building Manager Ms. Jasmine Tomita Mr. Adam Thomas [email protected], [email protected], x100 x103 Minister of Children, Youth, & Technology Director Families Mr. Jon Van Rev. Laurel Capesius [email protected], x106 [email protected], x107 ASL Interpreter Children, Youth, & Families Ms. Jennifer Stephenson Assistant Ms. Elizabeth Zehm Moderator (Council President) [email protected] Ms. Linda Yao [email protected] Junior High Youth Director Ms. Zoe Estrada Pastor Emeritus [email protected] Rev. Dr. Homer “Butch” Henderson Director of the ECC Ms. Kristy Knight [email protected], x101