Bulletin May 14, 2023

An Open and Affirming Church
A Creation Justice Church
May 14, 2023
10:30 a.m.
Mother’s Day

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS     

LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE       Kay Rencken, liturgist   

I know I am made from this earth, as my mother’s hands were made from this earth, as her dreams were made from this earth, and this paper, these hands, this tongue speaking, all that I know speaks to me through this earth and I long to tell you, you who are earth, too, and listen as we speak to each other of what we know; the light is in us. 
Susan Griffin 1943 –    

PRELUDE        Let the Lower Lights Be Burning     Bliss

OPENING PRAYER          Janet Morley
God our mother,you hold our life within you;
nourish us at your breast,
and teach us to walk alone.
Help us so to receive your tenderness
and respond to your challenge
that others may draw life from us,
in your name.  Amen.

*  HYMN      Like a Mother Who Has Borne Us      583
NAMING OF MOTHERS

ALL: May daughters prophesy justice and sons dream peace!
*  HYMN      O God, Whose Steadfast Love     426

SCRIPTURE LESSONS

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.

Genesis 3:21, Isaiah 46:3-4, 49:15, 66:12-13, Matthew 23:37

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!

UNISON READING – Prayer for a daughter     Joy Jordan-Lake 1963 –

May a daughter never know hunger,
material need; may she always thirst
for truth.  Let her revere nature and in it
find quiet, and reckless
communion with peace.  May her passions
have substance,
have heart behind words, not easily blown
into heaps
by the breeze like bed sheets off the line.
But her doubts,
may she face them and fearlessly test them;
for belief is not blind,

nor faith without thought; no answer is
injured by wondering why –
though the real cannot always be measured,
nor the certain always seen.

SERMON      Motherhood and God    Rev. Kim P. Wells

STATEMENT OF FAITH         Brenda Denvir
We believe in the presence of God in the world.

She is our mother, source of deep wisdom, who:
holds and protects us,
nourishes our bodies,
comforts our pain,
hears and accepts our times of failure and success.

She is our lover and is allowed to touch our pain:
healing and recreating,
seeking out what is hidden,
revealing deep, precious mysteries.

She is our friend who stands alongside us:
working co-operatively for the common good,
sharing our concerns,
fiercely criticizing our lack of integrity.

We believe in the presence of God in our world.
We meet her as people met her in Jesus, in countless relationships
which are at once human and divine:
in simple encounters with men, women and children,
in office and schoolroom, home and supermarket,
in the community of her people.

We believe in the presence of God in our world,
whose truth is denied, in anguish, like that of Jesus on the cross,
whenever:
food is withheld,
the earth is poisoned, abused or destroyed,
people are oppressed, denied dignity and responsibility,
tortured or killed.

Together we affirm the truth and goodness of God, our mother, lover, and friend and commit ourselves to her in following the way of our brother Jesus. 

ANTHEM       Had I a Golden Thread    Seeger

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 and ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING 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      Humoresque      Dvorak



*  Prayer of Dedication      St. Hilda Community  

O Gracious God
You bring us together from many different places,
You endow us with varied gifts and responsibilities,
You challenge us to respond to your call.
Guide our halting, impatient steps,
Sustain us and help us sustain each other,
that, through our labours
We may help bring into the world
your sweet justice,
through Jesus our Redeemer.  Amen.
  
*  PREPARATION FOR PRAYER    O Wisdom, Breathed from God    p. 740

MORNING PRAYER – SAVIOR’S PRAYER

Our Mother,
who is in heaven and within us,
we call upon your names.
Your wisdom come.
Your will be done,
in all the spaces in which you dwell.
Give us each day sustenance and perseverance.
Remind us of our limits as
we give grace to the limits of others.
Separate us from the temptation of empire,
and deliver us into community.
For you are the dwelling place within us,
the empowerment around us,
and the celebration among us, now and forever. Amen.    
Rev. Yolanda Norton Womanist Lord’s Prayer

*  HYMN      Bring Many Names       11

*  BENEDICTION         Monica Furlong 1930-2003Those who work for change suffer resistance.
So make us strong.
Those who do new things sometimes feel afraid.
So make us brave.
Those who challenge the world as it is arouse anger.
So grant us inner peace.
Those who live joyfully are envied.
So make us generous.
Those who try to love encounter hate.
So make us steadfast in you.

*  CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE   (please form a circle)   Rosemary Crow

Weave, weave, weave us together; Weave, weave, weave us together,
Weave us together in unity and love. Weave us together, together in love.

Teje, tejenos juntos, Teje, tejenos juntos,
Tejenos juntos en unidad y amor. Tejenos juntos, juntos en el amor.

*  POSTLUDE       Kitten on the Keys      Confrey


Circle of Concern
Yvonne Riesen recovering from a fall
Barbara Donohue’s friend, Kelsey
Jeff Wells and family over the death of his brother, Frank Wells
Erik Johnson  –  Ann Quinn is under Hospice care   –  Janet Hall
Caregivers.
Schools: Students, families, teachers, and staff.   
ANNOUNCEMENTS

One Great Hour of Sharing Offering
This morning, LUCC will receive the national UCC special offering, One Great Hour of Sharing.  This offering is used in partnership with faith communities and interfaith organizations in the US and around the world to do good where itis most needed.  The theme this year is “It’s Time to Share.”  This theme is inspired by Galatians 6:9-10 from
The Message by Eugene Peterson:  “So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good.  At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.  Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance let us work for the benefit of all. . .”

The OGHS offering is a wonderful opportunity to work together for the benefit of all.  Special envelopes are provided. 

In honor of mothers who seek to provide for their families and create a world where all children can flourish, this special offering is being received at LUCC on Mother’s Day.

Operation Attack Update  
Operation Attack is an ecumenical food pantry located at Lakeview Presbyterian Church.  The current need is for canned fruit.

Summer Sundays Ahead
For the Sunday services this summer, Rev. Wells would like to hear from you! 
What would you like to hear a sermon about?  Is there a theme or a topic or a scripture lesson or an issue or a story that is of interest to you?  Kim would love to hear from you and she will plan the summer services around your requests. 


Congratulations to Jackson Cosper
Jack Cosper, son of Chip and Dana Cosper, will be graduating from Lakewood High School Center for Advanced Technology on Wednesday May 17.  Congratulations to Jack and to Chip and Dana!