WHAT IS GOING ON AT CHURCH –
Summer Sundays
The theme for the Corona Sabbath posts this summer is ‘GROUNDED.’ Yes, with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing, many are not taking expected summer trips and vacations. Feeling grounded. And with the demonstrations going on, many do not feel safe to venture out because of the pandemic and feel grounded. And with a global pandemic, a global recession, and global demonstrations against racism, it is a time to lean on our faith to help us feel grounded. Each week’s presentation will explore a different dimension of our faith which helps us to feel grounded in these uncertain times. When we are grounded, we can grow and flourish and bear fruit! So, look for the Corona Sabbath post each week to help you be grounded!
The post this week is on the theme of Service and Generosity. There is a reading submitted by Sue Sherwood and the scripture lesson is read by Earl Waters. This week’s Corona Sabbath includes a music video featuring Zachary Blair-Andrews. It will be posted on Friday. You will be emailed the link.
If you missed last week’s Corona Sabbath, the theme was forgiveness. Here’s the link: https://lakewooducc.org/2020/08/20/corona-sabbath-23-peace/
Gratitude from Rev. Wells
Kim would like to thank everyone for their good wishes and prayers related to her heel surgery on Monday. Everything went smoothly and she will be recovering with limited mobility for 6 weeks.
Church Library Makeover
Claire Stiles and Colleen Coughenour are hard at work cleaning up and reorganizing the church library. There are many wonderful books that are “hiding under a bushel.” When Colleen and Claire are done, the books will be accessible and displayed in an attractive manner. What a beautiful anticipatory gesture of the time when we are all coming to the church again!
Finance Follow Up
Several weeks ago, the Finance Team shared a letter about the current state of the church finances. The information is also available at the church website.
https://lakewooducc.org/2020/08/26/church-finances-letter/
Many thanks to the church family and beyond for your generosity! With your continued faithfulness, the church should be able to stay on steady ground in these uncertain days.
Church School?
The Education Ministry Team met last week and has made some plans for the Fall. They are reaching out to teachers and students as the school year begins. After Labor Day, a new initiative will begin that will include all of the children and youth of the church family that would like to participate. Grown ups, this will be for you, too! You’ll hear more about it soon!
For the Circle of Concern
You are encouraged to pray and express your support to students, teachers, and families as the school year begins. These are very challenging times for all! There is concern for the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of all involved in the educational system. The LUCC faith community has several teachers and families with students and this has been a very difficult time for them all.
Back to School Zoom
Many thanks to those who participated in the all church Back to School Zoom. It was a time of sharing, music, and prayer as we reflected on teachers, school, and how education is important to us. Kim interviewed Elinor Ross and shared why Elinor became a teacher and then a professor teaching future teachers how to teach reading. Elinor decided she wanted to be a teacher when she was in the second grade! One of her favorite children’s books is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. The book was read as part of the Zoom. And Mardie Chapman noticed that as Kim read the book she was sitting in front of the banner with the tree of hands in the sanctuary. How fitting!
There will be another Zoom in September to celebrate Charter Sunday and the founding of LUCC.
Sunday’s Drive Bys
LUCC’s Education Ministry invites you to come join the fun as we celebrate and
support our children, youth, and teachers. Our drive by journey will take us to
several homes to share greetings, joy, and gift bags prepared by the education
team. The final stop will be to see Pastor Kim.
Here is what you need to know:
- All are invited to bring a sign, bring a noise maker, wear a festive shirt or hat or .. !
- Meet at the church at 2:30 this Sunday, August 30 th
- Addresses of our route will be given out.
- We will drive to the homes and gather outside wearing masks, social
distancing, and holding up our signs of support and cheer. - We should conclude around 4pm
Questions? Patti 727-789-9321 Emily 727- 692-2368
Have you completed the Census?
Please participate in the US Census which is mandated by the Constitution. These numbers determine the allocation of many resources that directly impact each of us in the community. Participation in the Census, like voting, is a way of showing love for your neighbor and your community. If you would like assistance in submitting your Census information, please contact the church and someone will help you.
Operation Attack Update
Dear Friends of Operation Attack,
A team of people from Operation Attack, Lake view Presbyterian, and Circle of Faith have determined a way that we can distribute food safely to the community. We are going to have a Food Distribution Drive-Thru on Saturday, September 12, from 9-12 at Lakeview Presbyterian Church. You can become involved in any or all of the following ways:
Donate Cereal, Peanut Butter, Pasta, Pasta Sauce, or canned meat Volunteer for preparation tasks before the Drive-Thru Volunteer on September 12 Donate money Pray for all the people/groups making this event happen
You are welcome to reply to dklamer@tampabay.rr.com with questions and/or information on how you would like to participate in this Drive-Thru.
Thank you for your longtime faithfulness to Operation Attack and the families in our community. Stay Safe and Be Well
Sunday Evening Demonstration for Racial Justice Grows!
The Black Lives Matter and Peace and Justice Demonstration continued on 54th Ave South last Sunday night, August 16th. There were 16 participants. This is an important way to inspire hope in the community and to work to create an anti-racist society.
All are welcome Sunday evenings from 7:30-8:00 p.m. at the church. In case of rain, the demonstration will not be held that week. Know justice, know peace!
Beginning in September, the demonstration will begin at 7:00 and end at 7:30.
Click here to see pictures of the most recent witness. https://lakewooducc.org/2020/08/26/weekly-anti-racism-demonstration-8-23/
Corona Sabbath
In addition to the material from Hilton and Kim, we hope to include contributions from the congregation each week. You are invited to send a picture, a poem, a quotation from a book or article, an image, a work of art, a song, a video of you doing something or reading something, anything you would like to share with your church family. Hilton and Kim will try to incorporate the contributions into the Corona Sabbath Devotional on the related theme.
The final theme for this series is:
Wonder/Awe
Please email contributions to the church at lakewooducc@gmail.com. Or use the “regular” mail.
Many thanks for the contributions so far.
This Sunday
The church will be open from 10:30 to 11:30. The peace candle will be lit. It will be a time of prayer and reflection as a witness that the church is still open and ministry continues even though we are not able to gather in person for worship.
Look for a Corona Sabbath post on Friday. Check for it at the website – lakewooducc.org
Also, please subscribe to the website so that you receive regular updates about church life.
Weekly Labyrinth Walks Continue
Each Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. a small group gathers at the outdoor labyrinth for a time of devotion, discussion, and meditative walking of the labyrinth. The theme for the week is taken from the Corona Sabbath of the week before, so it is an opportunity to go deeper in the spiritual exploration of that theme for your life. This devotional gathering is outside and physical distancing is maintained. All are welcome!
If there is rain on Wednesday morning, the gathering will be held on Thursday morning at 9:00.
https://lakewooducc.org/2020/06/23/labyrinth-has-been-refurbished
Spiritual Direction Offered by LUCC Clergy Member.
In these troubled times, it is important to find ways to tend to our spiritual lives. In the Christian tradition, Spiritual Direction is one of the ways of paying attention to the spirit in our lives. A Spiritual Director is someone to talk with about what is going on in our spiritual life and in our relationship with God however we may conceive of God.
Rev. Sally Purvis, Ph.D., a member of LUCC, is a retired clergy person with training and experience in Spiritual Direction. She is offering her services as a Spiritual Director to the community. The sessions would be held on Zoom and there is no fee to be paid. Church leaders are pleased to have the ministry of the church expand in this way.
Spiritual Direction with Sally is open to anyone, not just the congregation. And it is offered to everyone whatever their spiritual or religious background or affiliation or lack thereof. Sessions are generally held once every three weeks. Spiritual Direction is not a mode of therapy. It is a process for understanding and deepening your relationship with God/Spirit in ways that are authentic and life-giving.
Sally was trained by Henri Nouwen, a noted spiritual guide of the 20th century, and did Spiritual Direction as part of her professional ministry before retiring in 2015.
If you would like to explore Spiritual Direction with Sally, please contact her at
sallybpurvis@icloud.com or contact the church (867-7961 or lakewooducc@gmail.com ).
The church is very grateful to Sally for offering this avenue of support to the congregation and the community.
USEFUL LAKEWOOD LINKS DURING THE CORONA CRISIS:
- Corona Sabbath Posts
- Sermon and Reflection Texts
- Music at Lakewood
- Lakewood UCC YouTube Channel
- Lakewood UCC on Twitter
- Lakewood on Facebook
- Lakewood on Instagram
For the above church website links, please note the “Older Posts” button near bottom of each page.
Daily Corona Prayer
https://lakewooducc.org/2020/03/20/lucc-corona-daily-prayer
Assistance Available
If you need help of any kind – something from the store, someone to talk with, support managing during shelter-in-place, parenting concerns – please know that the church is ready and willing to help in any way needed. This situation is trying for everyone. You are not alone. We’ll make it through together. Please contact the church office (lakewooducc@gmail.com or 867-7961 or Rev. Kim Wells at wells.kim.p@gmail.com).
Miss someone from church? Give them a call or send a note. Personal contact is so important when physical contact is limited.
Music Ministry
About Hilton’s music. . . If you would enjoy hearing Hilton play more Irish folk songs, you can
listen for free at either https://hiltonjones.bandcamp.com/album/irish-
tunes or https://soundcloud.com/hilton-kean-jones/sets/irish-tunes .
August Birthdays: Barbara Donohue 8/4, Mardie Chapman 8/7, Claire Stiles 8/11, Kay Rencken 8/13, Vita Uth 8/14, Dana Cosper 8/22, James Waterman 8/23, and Joanne Reid 8/28. Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.
Circle of Concern: Carol Shores and family, JoAnn Reid, William Owen, Wilbur Reid, Martha Lamar, Jen Degroot, Carolyn Moore, Ann Quinn, Maggie Brizendine, Dave Radens, Dana Cosper’s cousin, Vern McKinney, and all healthcare workers and essential workers. All those suffering from COVID-19.
You are encouraged to pray and express your support to students, teachers, and families as the school year begins. These are very challenging times for all! There is concern for the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of all involved in the educational system. The LUCC faith community has several teachers and families with students and this has been a very difficult time for them all.
Please keep Elinor Ross and family in your prayers. Elinor has moved in with her daughter, Cheryl, and is under Hospice care
Please keep Yvonne Riesen and family in your prayers. Yvonne has moved again to a larger apartment in the assisted living at Westminster Suncoast. Calls and notes are a way to show your concern and support to Yvonne. Call the main desk and they will connect you: 727-867-1131.
Please keep LUCC member, Olivia Gibson, in your prayers. She is a nurse in a COVID-19 unit in a local hospital. We are grateful for her ministry!
Recent Posts:
- Weekly Anti-Racism Demonstration 8/23 August 26, 2020
- Midweek Hymn: NCH #478 I’ve Got Peace Like a River August 26, 2020
- Sunday Morning Music: ST COLUMBA August 23, 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 