LAKEWOOD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
A Just Peace Church
An Open and Affirming Church
A Creation Justice Church
10:30 am
January 15, 2023
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday
WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS
LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE Barbara Donohue, Liturgist
Now let me suggest first that if we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective. . . .
This call for a world-wide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one’s tribe, race, class and nation. . . has now become an absolute necessity for the survival of humanity.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968
PRELUDE God’s Eye Is on the Sparrow Gabriel
*OPENING READING based on Dr. M.L. King Jr.
All people are interdependent.
All life is interrelated.
May we find the morality and courage required to live together and not be afraid.
* HYMN God of Change and Glory 177
SCRIPTURE LESSON –
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.
Isaiah 49:1-7
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!
AN INTERVIEW Rev. Kim P. Wells and Christy Martin
LITANY OF RE-DEDICATION see insert
ANTHEM My Peace Guthrie
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. 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. If you would like assistance, please turn to someone seated near you.
Offertory There’ll Be Peace In The Valley Dorsey
* Prayer of Dedication Dr. M.L. King, Jr.
Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness . . . . He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness. . . . By giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace; a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant. Amen.
* PREPARATION FOR PRAYER Precious Lord, Take My Hand 472
MORNING PRAYER – SAVIOR’S PRAYER
Eternal Spirit, Earth Maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that ever shall be,
Father and Mother of all people, Loving God in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by all peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope
and come on earth!
With the bread that we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and testing, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. Amen.
* HYMN Lift Every Voice and Sing 593
* BENEDICTION
Dr. King declared that “faith transforms the whirlwind of despair
into a warm and reviving breeze of hope.”
May we carry that hope into all the world! Amen!
*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE (please form a circle)
Lead Us From Death to Life 581
Lead us from death to life, from falsehood to truth,
from despair to hope, from fear to trust.
Lead us from hate to love, from war to peace;
let peace fill our hearts, let peace fill our world,
let peace fill our universe.
*POSTLUDE Happy Trails Evans
Circle of Concern:
Lakewood High School Girls and Boys Basketball Teams, Jane and George Diven and Family, Kim Carr, Erik Johnson, Katherine Conover, Ann Quinn is under Hospice care, Maggie Brizendine, Janet Hall. All those suffering from COVID-19 and all healthcare workers, Schools: Students, families, teachers, and staff
Announcements
Rev. Wells Away
Kim will be gone Tuesday through Friday on a visit to Tucson, AZ. Sterling Wells has a painting in an exhibition in the Museum of Contemporary Art and Kim and Jeff will visit Bill Parsons and Kay Rencken. If pastoral care is needed, please contact Patti Cooksey @ cooksepa@eckerd.edu
Book Talk
This monthly Zoom gathering will be held on Thursday Jan. 19 at 6:30. Link for Zoom is below Each month, LUCC folks gather to discuss what they have been reading. Join in the fun! All are welcome!
Zoom Link: http://us02web.zoom.us/j/2700683648 Meeting Id: 270 068 3648
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
Lakewood United Church of Christ 