Worship At United
Coming together for worship at United is like finding water in a dry and thirsty land. That’s why we do so, not only on Sunday mornings but midweek, too!
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Like a stream in the desert, worship can refresh and renew us. Each week it offers us God’s new life and hope, for ourselves and for this world. At United, worship is the center of our life together, from which everything else flows: outreach, education, care, among others.
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Whether on Sunday mornings, midweek, or other times, worship at United offers that new life in different ways. Sometimes – especially in the Sunday 8:30 AM service and the midweek contemplative services – worship is like the deep, still waters that God promises in the 23rd Psalm. In the later Sunday service, worship can be like a living stream, offering life in all kinds of ways. Similarly, like on Mardi Gras and Fiesta Sundays, worship is a river, full of life and surprises.
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At United, we believe all of us – regardless of age – need the living waters of worship. That’s why children and younger youth join in the first part of the late service each Sunday and why Children’s Ministry always begins with prayer and song. It’s also why we offer a number of “intergenerational” services for all ages throughout the year.
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We hope you’ll join us in worship at United. Together may we be renewed by the waters of life God offers us each week.
In Such a Time as This
Worship in October
Christian scripture was written under the long shadow of the Roman Empire, and Rome ruled by fiat and fear. Sound familiar? In the uncertainty of our time, the Bible’s 2,000-year-old stories and teachings can offer much wisdom and courage for a time such as ours. Join in worship this fall and bring a friend.
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Worship This Month
Consider the Birds - Pet Blessing and Outdoor Worship - St. Francis Sunday
October 5
8:30am Contemplative Communion
10:00am
The capricious violence of the Roman Empire made life fearful and uncertain. To remind his followers that God was with them, Jesus pointed to God’s care for birds and grass, neither worth much. (Matthew 6:25-33) A good text for our time and for United’s annual Pet Blessing. Bring your critters (on a leash, in a carrier, or as a picture). Invite friends and their critters, too! Rev. Ben Larzelere is guest preacher and pet blesser.
The Only Prayer You Might Ever Pray
October 12
8:30am Contemplative Communion
10:00am
When Jesus healed ten people with leprosy, only one returned to say thanks. (Luke 17:11-20) But that would have offered another level of healing. Research shows that gratitude strengthens our brains as well as our hearts and souls. After healing the ten men, Jesus turned his attention to the religious who kept track of his every wrong move. “The realm of God is within you,” Jesus told them. I wonder which one of them thanked him for that reminder.
Keep at It - Youth Initiate Rite of Separation
October 19
8:30am Contemplative Communion
10:00am
On the day we witness the beginning of our youth’s “Journey to Adulthood,” we also engage Jesus’ parable of a widow who kept demanding justice from an immoral judge until he finally gave up and gave her what she asked for. (Luke 18:1-8) Jesus told his followers that prayer took the same kind of persistence. A good reminder for the journey of adulthood, no matter our age.
Blessed Are the Vulnerable - Reformation Sunday
October 26
8:30am Contemplative Communion
10:00am
We present Bibles and Bible storybooks to United’s children and youth this Sunday. No matter their age, our young ones will find inside the story of Jesus blessing the children. (Luke 18:9-17) Far from being a sweet little tale filled with sweet little ones, Luke’s story underscores the Bible’s concern for the most vulnerable, which included children in Jesus’ time. It still does.