Month: October 2021

Bulletin 10/24/2021

GATHERING MUSIC            

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE                   Barbara Donohue, liturgist

We should begin by ensuring that every child in the world is able to eat and go to school. Let us internationalize children, no matter where they are born, by treating them as a world heritage deserving of the entire world’s attention.

Cristovam Buarque, Brazil, university professor and senator

PRELUDE                    Won’t You Let Me Be Your Servant

Richard Gillard/arr. Betty Pulkingham

CALL TO WORSHIP                                   based on Pat Rodgers, Canada

When our hearts turn to stone
the sun still rises and the moon still sets and rain still falls.
When our hearts turn to stone
flowers still bloom and food still grows and we are fed.
When our hearts turn to stone
babies are born and life goes on, past grief and sorrow.
As we gather this day, may our hearts be softened and awakened.
May life and love course freely through us once more!

MUSICAL REFLECTION          When Love Is Found     English folk melody

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Let us prepare ourselves for the word of God as it comes to us in the reading of Holy Scripture. Our hearts and minds are open.

Luke 1:46-55 and Mark 10:35-45

For the word of God in scripture, for the word of God among us, for the word of God within us. Thanks be to God.

TAOIST READING                                                  Lao-Tzu, b. 571 BCE

SERMON                                       Mama’s Boy              Rev. Kim P. Wells

UNISON PRAYER                                                                 from Brazil

Come Holy Spirit,
prepare us to change everything that imprisons
the life that comes from you.
Amen.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE     Adagio cantabile (Op. 13, Mov. 2)

 Ludwig Beethoven

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Lakewood United Church of Christ, as part of the Church Universal is to:

  • Celebrate the presence and power of God in our lives & in our world.
  • Offer the hospitality and inclusive love of Christ to all people.
  • Work for God’s peace and justice throughout creation.

MORNING OFFERING

Morning offerings may be brought forward and placed in the plates on the altar.

Offertory         Viennese Ladies’ Ländler (excerpts)       Schubert

Prayer of Dedication                                              Rory Cooney

My heart shall sing of the day you bring
Let the fires of your justice burn
Wipe away all tears
For the dawn draws near
And the world is about to turn! Amen.

PREPARATION FOR PRAYER 

                           Sois la Semilla (You Are the Seed)      Cesáreo Gabarain

You are invited to write your prayer requests on the sheets provided in the bulletin and bring them forward and place them in the basket on the altar.  Please observe physical distancing.

MORNING PRAYER-SAVIOR’S PRAYER

Holy One, our only Home, hallowed be Your name.
May your day dawn, your will be done,
Here, as in heaven. Feed us today, and forgive us
As we forgive each other. Do not forsake us at the test,
But deliver us from evil. For the glory, the power,
And the mercy are yours, now and forever. Amen.

* BENEDICTION                                               Helen Keller, 1880-1968

To keep our faces toward change
and behave like free spirits
in the presence of fate
is strength undefeatable. Amen!

*POSTLUDE                   Prelude No. 4 in F Major                            Faure

For the safety and comfort of all, please wear a mask. Thank you!

Circle of Concern:  Jeff Wells and family, Dave Radens, William Owen-Cowan, Jen Degroot, Carolyn Moore, Ann Quinn, Maggie Brizendine, Janet Hall, All those suffering from COVID-19 and all healthcare workers, Schools: Students, families, teachers, and staff

Announcements

Facebook Live The 10:30 a.m. service is being streamed on Facebook Live.

Operation Attack OA needs donations of cereal, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, vegetables and soup, dried beans, and mac/cheese. Donations may be placed on the shelf in the hallway at church.

Anti Racism Demonstrations The church will resume its witness against racism with weekly demonstrations along the sidewalk of 54th Ave. S.  Make your own sign or use one of the signs at the church. Demonstrations will be held Sundays from 5:30-6 beginning Sunday October 3. In case of rain, the demonstration will not be held that week. 

Electronics Recycling The church is collecting a load of electronics to be taken to an electronics recycling company in Clearwater.  The electronics are dismantled and usable components, parts, and substances are recycled.  Given the current problems getting the materials to produce electronic equipment, this recycling service has become even more important.  If you have anything you would like recycled, please bring it to the church and put it on the built-in desk in the Church Office.  These are some of the items that are accepted for recycling:  computers, amps, batteries, cables and connectors, cd players, cassette players, cell phones, televisions, etc.

Looking Ahead to Sunday Oct. 31 – Day of the Dead On the last Sunday in October, the service will involve celebrating those who have died who have been significant in our lives.  You are invited to give some thought to someone who has been particularly influential in your life.  Perhaps it is a family member or someone you knew in the past.  Or maybe it is an historic figure from the past.  Whose legacy lives on in you?  Who inspires you?  During the service, you will be invited to tell the congregation about who you would like to honor and why they are important to you.  Can’t be in church that Sunday?   Write something brief and it will be read in the service.  

Wednesday Workshops Ahead! The Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ is offering a series of Wednesday Workshops on Zoom at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct 27: Justice, Advocacy, & Action- We’ve got voting rights concerns, environmental justice concerns, mass incarceration and death penalty concerns, a health care system that does not include nearly a million Floridians in the midst of a global pandemic, farm workers still facing harassment and injustice, just to name a few. What can we do to press for expansion of voting rights rather than suppression of them? The Zoom Meeting ID is 361-687-8295, and here’s the link to connect: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3616878295.

Lakewood United Church of Christ 2601 54th Ave. S. St. Petersburg, FL 33712

727-867-7961 lakewooducc@gmail.com Lakewooducc.org

On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga

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.

Weekly Update 10/21

On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga

Looking Ahead to Sunday Oct. 31 – Day of the Dead

On the last Sunday in October, the service will involve celebrating those who have died who have been significant in our lives.  You are invited to give some thought to someone who has been particularly influential in your life.  Perhaps it is a family member or someone you knew in the past.  Or maybe it is an historic figure from the past.  Whose legacy lives on in you?  Who inspires you?  During the service, you will be invited to tell the congregation about who you would like to honor and why they are important to you.  Can’t be in church that Sunday?   Write something brief and it will be read in the service.  

So, give some thought to someone who has died and is important for you at this time.  And share that inspiration and legacy with your church family on Sunday Oct. 31 during morning worship as we honor those who have gone before us and who help us to navigate the living of our days!

This Sunday

Sunday services are being held at 10:30 a.m. Masks are required. There is physical distancing. Childcare is provided.

You can also join in on Facebook Live at 10:30. Please see the instructions below.

We all know that the gospel calls us to serve others and that we find our highest good ministering to one another.  But what about the power structures in society that contribute to the suffering around us?  Turns out Jesus has something to say about that, too!  Take a look at Mark 10:35-45.  

Sundays

Look for the bulletin posted on the church website on Friday: https://lakewooducc.org/category/bulletins/

Watch the service on Facebook Live Sundays at 10:30. https://www.facebook.com/LakewoodUCC

Or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LakewoodUCC/videos

Instructions for how to access Facebook Live: For additional assistance, please contact the church office.

Here are some instructions to watch our Sunday services live through Facebook:

Use the following link to visit our homepage: https://www.facebook.com/LakewoodUCC/

On Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. please use the link above to visit our homepage. There, after using the link, you will see a section labeled “Happening Now”. This is our Livestream of the Sunday Service.

To watch the live stream, locate and click the “watch video” button in the lower right corner of the screen.

If the link above is not working, there is also a link to our Facebook page on our website. Please try that link located on the Home page of our website.

Wednesday Workshops Ahead!

The Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ is offering a series of Wednesday Workshops on Zoom at 7 p.m..  These events are intended for people from all churches of the Florida Conference.  Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate.  Here are the topics for the weeks ahead and information about how to tune in.  

Wednesday, Oct 27
Workshop Wednesdays: Justice, Advocacy, & Action

Join us at 7 p.m. for a conversation about doing justice right here in Florida. We’ve got voting rights concerns, environmental justice concerns, mass incarceration and death penalty concerns, a health care system that does not include nearly a million Floridians in the midst of a global pandemic, farm workers still facing harassment and injustice, just to name a few. What can we do to press for expansion of voting rights rather than suppression of them? That might be a good place to start the conversation, but we’re open to other ideas, too.

Rev. Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson is an activist on behalf of human and civil rights, women’s rights, and has been an advocate for peace with justice and ecumenism around the world, including serving as president of the North American region of the World Council of Churches for nine years. She just finished her term as co-president of HOPE (Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality) and still chairs its Criminal Justice Committee. Serving on the Conational staff for nearly two decades, Pastor Bernice was the founding Executive Minister of Justice and Witness Ministries and one of five officers of the denomination. She also served as Executive Director of the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice. Prior to that, she served as the director of the Bishop Tutu Southern African Refugee Scholarship Fund, where she was also the Archbishop’s U.S. representative. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., she is a graduate of Wilson College and holds master’s degrees from the Columbia University School of Journalism and Union Theological Seminary and received honorary doctor of humane letters degrees from Defiance College and the Florida Center for Theological Studies.

Wednesday, Nov 03
Workshop Wednesdays: Update from Immokalee

Wednesday, Nov 10
Workshop Wednesdays: Preaching an Earth-loving Jesus in a Time of Climate Crisis

Wednesday, Nov 17
Workshop Wednesdays: Small Church is not Less Church

The Zoom Meeting ID is 361-687-8295, and here’s the link to connect: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3616878295. And here is a link to a flyer with information on all the upcoming workshops.

https://www.uccfla.org

The UPS Pod has arrived

There is a pod in the parking area on the northside of the church property.  This will be used by UPS for holiday package delivery.  This saves driving the large trucks around the neighborhood saving gas and pollution.  It’s another aspect of the church’s Creation Justice ministry and UPS makes a donation to the church.  

New Church Directory Available

An updated church directory is available.  The directory is a welcome tool to help the congregation remain connected and in contact with each other.  Please pick one up when you are at the church.  If you would like one sent to you, please contact the Church Office at lakewooducc@gmail.com or call at 727-867-7961. The directory is a welcome tool to help the congregation remain connected and in contact with each other.  

Advisors to Meet

The advisors will be meeting this coming Sunday.  If there is something you would like the advisors to discuss, please contact one of the advisors:  Patti Cooksey, Lucille Ruga, Malcolm Wells, Jane Diven.  

Adult Day Care Available

The Neighborly Services Adult Day Care at the church still has openings available.  The center is open Monday through Friday during the day.  Clients can come every day or part time.  Health insurance and VA benefits can be used to offset the expenses.  If you have a friend or neighbor who could benefit from these services, please suggest the Evergreen Adult Day Care Center.  For more information, call 727-954-6484 .

Electronics Recycling

The church is collecting a load of electronics to be taken to an electronics recycling company in Clearwater.  The electronics are dismantled and usable components, parts, and substances are recycled.  Given the current problems getting the materials to produce electronic equipment, this recycling service has become even more important.  If you have anything you would like recycled, please bring it to the church and put it on the builtin desk in the Church Office.  

These are some of the items that are accepted for recycling:  computers, amps, batteries, cables and connectors, cd players, cassette players, cell phones, televisions, digital cameras, ereaders. medical and dental equipment, ipods, mp3 players, memory cards, modems, printers, projectors, radar detectors, radios, remotes, receivers, recorders, SLR cameras, TVs, TV antennas, VCRs, etc.  

Collection will continue until the end of October.  

Anti Racism Demonstrations

The church will resume its witness against racism with weekly demonstrations along the sidewalk of 54th Ave. S. Make your own sign or use one of the signs at the church.
Demonstrations will be held Sundays from 5:30-6 beginning Sunday, October 3. In case of rain, the demonstration will not be held that week.

Know justice, know peace! This is an important way to inspire hope in the community and to work to create an anti-racist society.

Guided Labyrinth Walks

The guided walk is held weekly on Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. This provides an opportunity to be aware and deepen your spiritual journey. If it is raining, the walk is held on Thursday at 9:00 a.m.

Also, the readings and prayers used on Wednesdays at the guided walk are put in the mailbox by the labyrinth each week for use during the week.

The labyrinth is on the church grounds near the southwest corner of the church property. It is available for use at all times.

Being Covid Safe and In-Person Worship

Please stay home if you are not feeling well.

Please wear a mask while in the church building.  While most people have been vaccinated, this helps visitors to feel safe.  

Additional masks will be available at church to use as needed.

Two hand sanitizing stations are available for use by worshippers.

There is well-ventilated, physically distanced indoor seating in the sanctuary.

Please know that your safety is of primary consideration! 

Safe childcare is provided.

Operation Attack Update

OA needs donations of cereal, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, vegetables and soup, dried beans, and mac/cheese. Donations may be placed on the shelf in the hallway at church.

USEFUL LAKEWOOD LINKS:

For the above church website links, please note the “Older Posts” button near the bottom of each page.

October Birthdays: Janet Blair 10/19, Rick Carr 10/22, Denise Williams 10/25, Olivia Gibson 10/29, and Victoria Long 10/29. Someone missing? Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.

Circle of Concern: 

Dave Radens

William Owen-Cowan

Jen Degroot

Carolyn Moore

Ann Quinn

Maggie Brizendine

Janet Hall

All those suffering from COVID-19 and all healthcare workers

Schools: Students, families, teachers, and staff

Church Office Hours:  Tuesday 9:30-noon Thursday-Friday 9:30-noon. 

Recent Posts:

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.

Bulletin 10/17/2021

GATHERING MUSIC            

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE                                 Sally Purvis, liturgist

To fling my arms wide

In some place of the sun,

To whirl and to dance

Till the white day is done.

Then rest at cool evening

Beneath a tall tree

While night comes on gently,

Dark like me —

That is my dream!

To fling my arms wide

In the face of the sun,

Dance! Whirl! Whirl!

Till the quick day is done.

Rest at pale evening . . .

A tall, slim tree . . .

Night coming tenderly

Black like me.

Dream Variation by Langston Hughes, 1901-1967

PRELUDE                         How Can I Keep from Singing             Robert Lowry

CALL TO WORSHIP

Amazing grace!

How deep the love,

That saves and sets us free!

We may feel lost,

But in God, we are found,

As we are, God’s grace to see.

MUSICAL REFLECTION             How Frim a Foundation     American folk

SCRIPTURE READING

Let us prepare ourselves for the word of God as it comes to us in the reading of Holy Scripture. Our hearts and minds are open.

Hebrews 4:12-16

For the word of God in scripture, for the word of God among us, for the word of God within us. Thanks be to God.

MODERN READING – Greenless Child                 Ann Weems, 1934- 2016

SERMON                                       Laid Bare                  Rev. Kim P. Wells

UNISON READING                                            Ram Dass, 1931- 2019

When you go out into the woods and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree. The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying, ‘You’re too this, or I’m too this.’ That judging mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE       New Britain (Amazing Grace)       anon./arr. HKJ

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Lakewood United Church of Christ, as part of the Church Universal is to:

  • Celebrate the presence and power of God in our lives & in our world.
  • Offer the hospitality and inclusive love of Christ to all people.
  • Work for God’s peace and justice throughout creation.

MORNING OFFERING

Morning offerings may be brought forward and placed in the plates on the altar.

Offertory                     Sheep May Safely Graze               J.S. Bach  

Prayer of Dedication              from the United Kingdom, adapted

God, use our gifts:

to lighten the darkness of those living in shadows,

to restore dignity to those robbed of their humanity,

to lift the humble and to fill the hungry with good things,

until your kindom is built with love and justice

and all your people are free. Amen.

PREPARATION FOR PRAYER  Precious Lord, Take My Hand  Thomas A. Dorsey

You are invited to write your prayer requests on the sheets provided in the bulletin and bring them forward and place them in the basket on the altar.  Please observe physical distancing.

MORNING PRAYER-SAVIOR’S PRAYER

Fathering and Mothering God, lover of us all, most holy one.

Help us to respond to you

To create what you want for us here on earth.

Give us today enough for our needs.

Forgive our weak and deliberate offenses,

Just as we must forgive others when they hurt us.

Help us to resist evil and to do what is good.

For we are yours, endowed with your power to make the world

whole. Amen.

* BENEDICTION                             Modern prayer from Berlin, Germany

Light comes through a gap in the curtains:

the promise of morning.

Light comes through the flaws of our lives:

the promise of love.

*POSTLUDE                             Jig Fugue                Dieterich Buxtehude

Circle of Concern:  Jeff Wells and family, Bill Parsons, Dave Radens, William Owen-Cowan, Jen Degroot, Carolyn Moore, Ann Quinn, Maggie Brizendine, Janet Hall, All those suffering from COVID-19 and all healthcare workers, Schools: Students, families, teachers, and staff

Announcements

Facebook Live The 10:30 a.m. service is being streamed on Facebook Live.

Operation Attack OA needs donations of cereal, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, vegetables and soup, dried beans, and mac/cheese. Donations may be placed on the shelf in the hallway at church.

Anti Racism Demonstrations The church will resume its witness against racism with weekly demonstrations along the sidewalk of 54th Ave. S.  Make your own sign or use one of the signs at the church. Demonstrations will be held Sundays from 5:30-6 beginning Sunday October 3. In case of rain, the demonstration will not be held that week. 

Electronics Recycling The church is collecting a load of electronics to be taken to an electronics recycling company in Clearwater.  The electronics are dismantled and usable components, parts, and substances are recycled.  Given the current problems getting the materials to produce electronic equipment, this recycling service has become even more important.  If you have anything you would like recycled, please bring it to the church and put it on the built-in desk in the Church Office.  These are some of the items that are accepted for recycling:  computers, amps, batteries, cables and connectors, cd players, cassette players, cell phones, televisions, etc.

Sherry’s Play Sherry Santana will be in the musical parody, Dracula: The Vampire Strikes Back. Its last show will be this afternoon at St. Petersburg City Theatre at 2:00 p.m.

Looking Ahead to Sunday Oct. 31 – Day of the Dead On the last Sunday in October, the service will involve celebrating those who have died who have been significant in our lives.  You are invited to give some thought to someone who has been particularly influential in your life.  Perhaps it is a family member or someone you knew in the past.  Or maybe it is an historic figure from the past.  Whose legacy lives on in you?  Who inspires you?  During the service, you will be invited to tell the congregation about who you would like to honor and why they are important to you.  Can’t be in church that Sunday?   Write something brief and it will be read in the service.  

Lakewood United Church of Christ 2601 54th Ave. S. St. Petersburg, FL 33712

727-867-7961 lakewooducc@gmail.com Lakewooducc.org

On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga