Crossroads

United Church of Christ  

Indianola, Iowa 

 an open and affirming congregation

Worshiping at Smith Chapel

on the Simpson College campus

 

Pastor: Rev. Julia Tipton Rendon
Worship at 10:30 
 Sunday School for all ages at 9:30 
We worship on Zoom every Sunday.

"They may crush the flowers, but they can't stop the spring."

Here are the CDC guidelines for faith-based organizations.

 

 


 

Ordinary Time


Bulletin for July 12, 2020

 

Word for the day: WISDOM

 

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: Friends, we have come here this morning to learn wisdom from God’s Word, from the Holy Spirit, and from one another.

PEOPLE; WE HAVE COME SO THAT WISDOM MAY CALL US OUT OF THE DARKNESS AND INTO THE LIGHT.

Leader: We have come to have the deeper, richer equanimity that you have promised to each of us.

PEOPLE: O GOD, MAKE US READY TO HEAR THE WORDS SPOKEN TO OUR HEARTS THIS MORNING. CALL US TO HEAR YOUR WISDOM AND GRANT US THE GROWTH THAT YOU INTEND.

 

HYMN NCH #44 “Beautiful Jesus”  [“Fairest Lord Jesus”]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz2jngIVyeo

 

1.  Beautiful Jesus, Head of all creation,

God and the blessed Mary’s child:

I want to love you, praise and adore you,

joy of my soul, so long desired.

 

2.  Beautiful springtime, lovely, green, and hopeful,

all earth exhales its sweet perfume:

Jesus is sweeter, Jesus is purer,

sad hearts at this, rejoice and bloom.

 

3.  Beautiful sunshine, clear, so lovely, moonlight,

stars shine like angels, ranked through space:

Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines clearer,

in perfect beauty, love, and grace.

 

4.  All earthly beauty, all celestial radiance

fade when compared to Jesus’ face.

Let me not cherish beauties that perish;

let me this lovely good embrace.

 

SCRIPTURE READING: Song of Solomon 5:2-9 and 8:5-10

 

HYMN NCH #362 “When Love Is Found” vss. 1-4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjKCwa3vn7g

 

1.  When love is found and hope comes home,

sing and be glad that two are one.

When love explodes and fills the sky,

praise God and share our Maker’s joy.

 

2.  When love has flowered in trust and care,

build both each day, that love may dare

to reach beyond home’s warmth and light,

to serve and strive for truth and right.

 

3.  When love is tried as loved ones change,

hold still to hope, though all seems strange,

till ease returns and love grows wise

through listening ears and opened eyes.

 

4.  When love is torn, and trust betrayed,

pray strength to love till torments fade,

till lovers keep no score of wrong,

but hear through pain love’s Easter song.

 

Sermon

 

Prayer hymn NCH #510 “Grant Us Wisdom to Perceive You” verse 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1DvKcHV950

Grant us wisdom to perceive you,

hearts awakened to receive you,

minds alert to thoughts that grieve you,

God of mercy, hear us.

 

Prayers

Lord’s Prayer

Our Mother/Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.  For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever.  Amen.

 

HYMN NCH #351 “I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj2KClYMD2w

 

1.  I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old.

I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold.

I was there when you were but a child, with a faith to suit you well;

I’ll be there in case you wander off and find where demons dwell.

 

2.  When you found the wonder of the Word, I was there to cheer you on;

You were raised to praise the living God, to whom you now belong.

Should you find someone to share your time and you join your hearts as one,

I’ll be there to make your verses rhyme from dusk till rising sun.

 

3.  In the middle ages of your life, not too old, no longer young,

I’ll be there to guide you through the night, complete what I’ve begun.

When the evening gently closes in and you shut your weary eyes,

I’ll be there as I have always been with just one more surprise.

 

4.  I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old.

I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold.

 

Benediction

 

Benediction hymn NCH #292 “Breathe on Me, Breath of God”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmkzSjs9eAw

 

1.  Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew

that I may love the way you love and do what you would do.

 

2.  Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure,

until with you I will one will, to do and to endure.

 

3.  Breathe on me, Breath of God, stir in me one desire:

that every earthly part of me may glow with holy fire.

 

4.  Breathe on me, Breath of God, so shall I never die,

But live with you the perfect life of your eternity.

 


Crossroads members Easter 2014

Here we were at Easter breakfast!

 

What we believe

The United Church of Christ is a non-creedal church.  It is the responsibility of every member to work toward a coherent and informed faith.

 

The United Church of Christ embraces a theological heritage that affirms the Bible as the authoritative witness to the Word of God, the creeds of the ecumenical councils, and the confessions of the Reformation. The UCC has roots in the "covenantal" tradition—meaning there is no centralized authority or hierarchy that can impose any doctrine or form of worship on its members. Christ alone is Head of the church. We seek a balance between freedom of conscience and accountability to the apostolic faith. The UCC therefore receives the historic creeds and confessions of our ancestors as testimonies, but not tests of the faith. 

 

 

Want some links to scientific information about climate change?  Go to our Links page!

 

Some of what we do at Crossroads

We worship by Zoom.  If you'd like to join us, email the pastor, identify yourself, and we will send you a Zoom link.  Pastor *at* crossroadsucc *dot* org


We serve two meals a month at the Catholic Worker House in Des Moines. 


We micro-lend to small business owners through Kiva.  We have lent about $21,000 to help people start or expand businesses!


We are a Jubilee Congregation, supporting efforts to serve, protect and promote economic participation by the most vulnerable. Find out more about Jubilee here!

 

When it is safe and responsible to be out and about, we'll resume our other social activities.

   
 

About Crossroads UCC

Crossroads United Church of Christ is an open and affirming congregation of the Iowa Conference of the United Church of Christ.  We believe that we are called by God, as Christians, to gather people

into community, build them in a relationship

with God, and send them into ministry.

 

We try to make our congregation a place where you can be yourself, and we believe that the practice of hospitality helps us to learn the mind of God.

 

We are "the church you didn't know you were looking for"--a small but active congregation

that is focused on mission, spiritual growth, and community involvement--that doesn't take itself too seriously.

 

Visitors are always welcome.  If you're looking

for a church home, or if you're just curious, please come worship with us!

 

 

 

PO Box 811, Indianola IA  50125


tel.: 515-961-9370

email: pastor *at* crossroadsucc *dot* org 

 

 

The Rev. Julia Rendon

 

Where to find us

We are in Indianola, Iowa, a community of 14,000 just 12 miles south of Des Moines on Highway 65/69. 

 

Crossroads UCC does not own a building.  We meet in Dirlam Lounge in Smith Chapel of Simpson College.  Here is a campus map. 

 

Here is a Mapquest map. 

 

 

Worship and Sunday School

Sunday School for all ages begins at 9:30 during the school year, and worship is at 10:30.  

 

We have a Safe Church policy for our Sunday School and youth programming.

 


A good resource for learning about dismantling racism is here.