Ash Wednesday Service: There will be a beautiful outdoor service Tonight, Wednesday, February 26th from 7-8pm around a fire next to the lake at Chip and Dana Coper’s home. The service will be held at their home regardless of any weather changes. It is a service of reflection on the season of Lent as a time of repentance and renewal. The service will include communion and the imposition of ashes. Bring an outdoor chair if you can. And a stick. If transportation is needed, please contact the church office by phone (727.867.7961) or email.
This Sunday: This Sunday marks the first Sunday of Lent. Lent is a season of 40 days of preparation for the festival of Easter. The service will center on a poem by George Moses Horton, “On Liberty and Slavery.” LUCC music director Hilton Jones has composed a stunning anthem based on the text. Sunday will be the premiere.
Church School: During the Lenten season, the church school will be focusing on spiritual disciplines and ways to deepen faith through spiritual experience. Lessons will include the labyrinth, meditation, dreams, and fasting. Many thanks to the leaders and the students!
Donation Needed: Wally LeBlanc is in need of a functional vacuum cleaner, new or used is fine, if anyone is able to donate, please bring it to Lakewood United Church of Christ.
Environmental Film Festival at Eckerd: Join us for a discussion of any films you view at the Eckerd College Environmental Film Festival to be held from February 21 – 29, 2020 in the Miller auditorium on campus. Some of these films may also be available on NetFlix if you can’t make the festival showing. We will meet on Thursday March 5th at 6:00pm in the church library to discuss the Environmental Films, our reactions, and possible next steps toward creating a more sustainable life on this planet! A Review Sheet for the films will be made available before the festival for those who might want to make a few notes ahead of time regarding their reactions and thoughts about the films. RSVP to Claire Stiles (stilesca@eckerd.edu) if you plan to attend this discussion on March 5th.
The Schedule for these FREE FILMS is as follows:
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, 7 p.m. Sea of Shadows, directed by Richard Ladkani (English, 2019, 105m)
Through an investigation of the plight of the vaquita, the most endangered cetacean in the world (of which only fifteen are known to still survive), this documentary illuminates the dual role of technology (nets, drones, moving images) to help as well as hinder efforts to save the species from exploitation by organized crime.
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, 7 p.m. Honeyland, directed by Tamara Kotevska & Ljubomir Stefanov (Macedonian, Turkish, and Bosnian with English subtitles, 2019, 87m)
Kotevska and Stefanov’s observational documentary about a Turkish beekeeper in Macedonia unfolds like a fictional portrait of a lifestyle on the wane. When a young family moves into this small hive-like community, they disturb the local ecosystem as much as local tradition.
Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and nominated for Best International Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020, 7 p.m. The Green Lie, directed by Werner Boote (German with English subtitles, 2018, 97m)
In this participant documentary, filmmaker Werner Boote goes on the road with a green advocate to investigate the little “green lies” that we tell ourselves about sustainable consumerism.
Friday, Feb. 28, 2020, 7 p.m. The River and the Wall, directed by Ben Masters (English, 2019, 109m)
Worlds collide when two filmmakers, one river guide, one conservationist, and one field ornithologist travel the length of the US-Mexico border to consider the ecological effects of building a border wall. Immersive and engaging, this documentary explores the environmental side of a popular political issue.
Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, 7 p.m. Anthropocene: The Human Epoch, directed by Jennifer Baichwal, Nick de Pencier, & Edward Burtynsky (English, 2018, 87m)
Research has confirmed that we have now entered the Anthropocene, a new epoch in which human activities create change in the environment on a scale greater than all other natural processes combined. This wide-ranging documentary explores the reality of this new era from around the world, from intimate changes to massive transformations.
Labyrinth Walks for Lent: As part of the Lenten journey to Easter, the church will be offering guided labyrinth walks on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 a.m. The dates are March 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, April 1st, and 8th. There will be a handout for each week and these will be placed in the mailbox near the labyrinth for those who cannot meet on Wednesdays at 9:00. The labyrinth is a way to deepen your prayer life and experience the Divine presence. All are welcome!
New Office Hours: The Church Office will be open Monday – Thursday mornings from 9:30 until noon. The office will no longer be open on Friday mornings. Thank you!
Operation Attack: Operation Attack is very much in need of clothes for men, boys, and girls as well as diapers and peanut butter and canned fruit. Donations may be placed in the shopping cart in the entryway to the sanctuary. Volunteer dates are March 9, April 13, and May 11. They also need people to help on the first three Tuesdays of the month from 9:30-noon.
Operation Attack is an ecumenical effort serving families with children located at Lakeview Presbyterian Church, 1310 22nd. Ave. S., St. Petersburg. LUCC was a founding member of Operation Attack in the 1960’s!
Hearing Augmentation: Devices are available from the usher in the sanctuary during worship.
February Birthdays: Jim Andrews 2/6, Sarah Lewis 2/14, Jeff Wells 2/15, Joyce Lee 2/28, Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.
Circle of Concern: Wilbur Reid, Martha Lamar, Tony Rogers, Dana Cosper, Sherry Santana, Jen Degroot, Carolyn Moore, Ann Quinn, Maggie Brizendine, and Ann Rogers.
Recent Posts:
- LUCC Budget for 2020 February 26, 2020
- Maximo Spring Break Project February 26, 2020
- Reports from the Annual Congregational Meeting 2/23/2020 February 25, 2020
- Sermon 2/16 Entertainment February 24, 2020
- LUCC Creation Justice Covenant February 22, 2020
- Creation Justice 2019 Annual Review February 22, 2020
Weekly Update: If you are involved with an activity or event that you would like to share with the LUCC family, please send the information to the church office by Tuesday since the Update usually is sent out on Wednesday.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 