Order of Worship for October 5, 2025
October 5, 2025
Access Sunday
Communion Service
Union-Congregational Church
Gathering Music
Welcome and Announcements
Sharing the Peace of Christ
Choral Introit Come & Find the Quiet Center
Call to Worship (written by Rev. Kim Schoelen)
One: In the midst of the mess
Many: Life is meant to be experienced
One: In the middle of our “Not yet” or “after I get my life together”
Many: We are invited by God to live fully
One: From within our body minds that unpredictably throw chaos into our lives
Many: God calls us into the fullness of life, NOW!
One: It is a radical act to live well when the world demands our exile
Many: Let us accept God’s invitation
Opening Prayer (unison) (written by Rev. Kim Schoelen)
God of disabled joy, you meet us in every moment, reminding us that we are not only allowed to experience the fullness of life at any point in time, but we are called to live abundantly wherever we are. May we enjoy robust, complicated, and grace-filled days accordingly. Amen.
Opening Hymn: Just As I Am (new words, using the same tune as the original—#354)
New words by Rev. John Gage, Senior Minister at the Congregational Church of Needham, MA, UCC. Used by permission.
Just as I am with this my plea:
thine image divine writ deep in me;
Just so, thou bid me come to thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
Just as I am, as thou made me,
so wond’rously, so vuln’rably,
with limits and abilities,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
Just as I am, thy love unknown
has broken ev’ry barrier down.
For always, ever thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
Choral Anthem How Great is Our God
Reading of Scripture
Jeremiah 29: 1, 4-7
29 These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
Luke 17:11-19
11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten men with a skin disease approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’s feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? So where are the other nine? 18 Did none of them return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
After reading, please say, “Here end the readings for today. May God bless us as we learn from these holy words. Amen.”
Song: “God Needs Us to Live” by Maggie Guekguezian and Jacob Nault
Message: What Helps Us Thrive
Prayers of the People
Time for Silent Prayer
Joys and Concerns
After each prayer petition, Jacob will say, “God in your mercy”, and the congregation is invited to respond: “Receive our prayer.”
Pastoral Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer (unison)
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 debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
We Offer Our Gifts
Doxology
Prayer of Dedication (unison) (by Rev. Jacob Nault)
God who loves as exactly as we are, thank you for this opportunity to celebrate the gifts of our disabled siblings. With these gifts of time, talent, treasure, and prayer, help us work with you to create a world where all your creation can thrive. We pray this in the name of Jesus, who offers hope and liberation for all. Amen.
Sharing Holy Communion
Pastor: Every time we share in this holy meal, Jesus reminds us that his love, his sacrifice, is given for all people. Those who have shared in this remembrance many times before, and those who never have. Those who know they belong and those who have been told the lie that their disability, their race, their gender identity or sexual orientation, their beliefs, or their past would prevent them from having a place at God’s table. Jesus broke down the barriers to accessibility and made this table, a sign of his love, accessible to ALL. In John’s gospel, he countered the popular belief that disability was connected with sin and empowered people to tell their own stories about how his presence in their lives led to their thriving. And so, we pray:
All: God of access and abundance, we thank you and praise you. We thank you for the ways you meet us here and remind us we belong.
Pastor: At the same time, we remember the harm done, both in biblical times and today, to disabled people everywhere. In our worship spaces, in our society, in our community, we shut the doors of access that Jesus always desired to be open wide.
All: Because of disabilities that are both visible and invisible, our prejudices have led us to forget the very core of Christ’s message—that God welcomes all and desires a world where all have what they need. Forgive us, O God.
Pastor: We remember that on the night of his betrayal, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “This is my body, given for you and for all. Every time you eat this, do so in remembrance of me.” Today, we might experience that message in this way: “Remember how my mission has always been to offer societal healing and challenge assumptions.”
In the same way, he took a cup, poured it out, and shared it among his friends. He said, “This is my blood, given for you, and for all. This is a symbol of the new covenant I make with you and with everyone, that their sins may be forgiven. Every time you eat this, do so in remembrance of me.” Today, we might experience that message in this way: “Remember how this new covenant offers newness of life, that the lies we’ve been told about the worth of others at this table will have no power over us.”
So come, Holy Spirit. Make these elements signs and symbols of your love, which truly is accessible to all.
All: And help us repent from any ideologies that prevent us from sharing that love.
Sharing the Elements
Prayer After Communion
Holy One, we thank you for your presence with us at this table. Help us leave this place understanding how you break down walls of exclusion. Help us live out your call to help others experience the same joy we find in you. Amen.
Closing Hymn: #581 Called as Partners in Christ’s Service
Mission and Vision Statements (unison)
We go now to Love God's Creation, Share in Fellowship, and Live Christ's Example, while seeking God's blessing on our lives and on our communities. Living our Core Values, We the family of Union-Congregational Church seek to deepen our own spirituality with acceptance of all through love and a commitment to Christ.
Choral Benediction We Say Amen
Benediction (by Rev. Dr. JJ Flag)
Beloved, may we leave this place transformed by the example of Jesus’ ministry among those whom the world had written off.
May we be emboldened to welcome those who’ve been shut out. Empowered, to be in community with those who are often overlooked and even forgotten. May we live and move, in and with deep gratitude for the invitation and opportunity to partner with God in loving others.
Sending Music