Author: lakewooducc

Weekly Update7/9

Sundays

 The service is at 9:30 in person, covid safe.

Childcare provided.

The Sundays in July will be themed “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus.”  Each Sunday will feature a beloved story associated with Jesus.  These stories still offer much to inspire and inform our faith and our living today.

The story of Jesus to be revisited this Sunday is the story of Zacchaeus.  See Luke 19:1-10.  Better yet, read Luke chapter 18 first.  What does this story have to offer to people who are not rich, cheating, abhorred sinners?  We will reflect on that Sunday.  Come to covid safe in person worship or join in on Facebook Live.  

Watch the service on Facebook Live Sundays at 9:30. https://www.facebook.com/LakewoodUCC

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

Storm Safety

We have weathered another storm.  And the church was dry with minimal water encroachment into the building.  A slight puddle crept under the sanctuary doors.  Storm mitigation efforts included clearing drainage trenches, removing leaf litter, and cleaning gutters.  Sandbags were put in place around the Fellowship Hall.   These efforts helped to keep the building dry inside and contents unharmed. 

Advisors to Meet

The advisors are meeting this Sunday after church.  Please contact an advisor if there is something you would like to have discussed at the meeting:  Malcolm Wells, Patti Cooksey, Lucille Ruga, Jane Diven.

United Church of Christ General Synod to Meet Virtually 

The biennial national meeting of the United Church of Christ, the General Synod, will be held virtually this year.  It includes speakers, workshops, updates on the ministry of the UCC, resolutions, and other business.  Workshops are being held this week.  The official online gathering begins July 11 and ends July 18.  Major events and speakers take place in the evenings.  For the schedule and instructions about how to participate, click here:  https://www.generalsynod.org/ 

New Members

In these challenging times, being part of a church community is more grounding and supportive than ever!  The LUCC congregation is so grateful for all of the ways that spiritual support has been offered this past year and beyond.  The church would like to officially welcome as members those who are finding a spiritual ‘home’ at LUCC.  For those who are interested in considering church membership, there is an orientation session about the mission, identity, history and theology of the church.  Please be in contact with Rev. Wells if you would like to consider joining the church.  The orientation and the Sunday for joining will then be determined accordingly.

Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels now has a distribution center at Lakewood United Church as part of the Neighborly senior center. They need volunteers to help deliver meals to shut-in seniors in our area. Sometimes, the only person a client sees all day is a MoW volunteer. They are following COVID-safe practices (mask wearing, social distancing, dropping off food rather than entering the home). Volunteers pick up the meals at 10:30 and drive to clients in the area, and return the empty bags to LUCC when they’re done, usually within an hour. Please consider doing this; it takes just an hour once a week to make someone happy. Please contact Angela, the MoW coordinator at 727-612-1791 and she will tell you how to get trained. Or go to https://neighborly.org/volunteer-opportunities/ to find out more.

The Labyrinth Has Been ‘Groomed’

For those who walk the labyrinth at the church, please know that the labyrinth has been raked and weeded this week.  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 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.

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

Be Part of Reducing AIDS

There is an  the increase in HIV/AIDS infections in our area.  As a way of responding, Suncoast Hospice has given the church a large supply of condoms to be distributed. They will be placed in the bathrooms at the church.  They will also be available in the sanctuary.  The church advisors are encouraging the congregation to take some condoms and put them in public bathrooms and workplace bathrooms where they may get picked up by the appropriate population.  

So, the next time you are at the church, pick up a few condoms and see that they make their way out into the community!

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.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending double masking.  Please consider wearing two masks to church.  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.

Immigration Justice: Action Item

The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program provides a path to safety for Afghans who worked with U.S. forces and who, as a result of that affiliation, suffer direct threats to their safety. These visas have been long delayed. As the U.S. anticipates its final withdrawal of our Armed Forces in September, we know that we cannot simply abandon the Afghans who risked their (and their families’) lives to help us and our allies (think of the U.S. evacuation of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War).

Send a message to President Biden today! Urge the administration to provide urgent humanitarian protections, including evacuation for those who have put their lives on the line for our country. Easy, templated, click and send link here from the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service: https://www.votervoice.net/LIRS/campaigns/85410/respond

Operation Attack Update

Good Afternoon, 
I hope you are doing well, many members of Lakewood UCC are aware that I’ve graduated from high school (thank you for the card) and plan to head to college. While at college, I won’t be able to help collect any OA donations or help keep Lakewood up to date on OA needs. I’ve had this task all of high school and I am very thankful for it. For replacing me, I HIGHLY recommend my brother Owen Blair-Catala. This position has been passed down from Zach to me and now to Owen. He’s someone who is active in OA and understands the task he must complete from watching me do them. 

Besides this OA is still doing very well. There are the same drive thru dates as before (July 31st and September 11th). In addition, OA also still needs Donations of cereal, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, vegetables and soup, dried beans, and mac/cheese. I came by this past week and was able to get some donations. Remember we still aren’t accepting clothing donations at the moment. If you have any questions please contact me. 

Thanks,Ian Blair-Catala

iblaircatala@gmail.com

Anti Racism Demonstration Schedule Change

The demonstrations will be suspended until September.  

Gratitude is express to those who have been part of this meaningful ministry.  It provides a needed uplifting message to the community.

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:

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

July Birthdays: Ann Quinn 7/6. Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.

Circle of Concern: 

Earl Waters

Mae Wiggins

Wally LeBlanc whose cat, Francis, died

Sherry Santana

William Owen-Cowan

Jen Degroot

Carolyn Moore

Ann Quinn

Maggie Brizendine

Janet Hall

Teachers, students, and school personnel, and all healthcare workers and essential workers. All those suffering from COVID-19.

Church Office Hours:  Tuesday-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.

Sunday Service 7.4.2021

GATHERING MUSIC

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE                         Claire Stiles, liturgist

Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it.

Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826 Third President of the United States

PRELUDE          Bridge Over Troubled Water        Simon/Garfunkel

CALL TO WORSHIP

We gather here in the ever-presence of God,

In our need and bringing with us the needs of the world.

We come with our faith and with our doubts;

We come with our hopes and our fears.

We come because we trust the eternal Love

that has come to us in Christ Jesus.

MUSICAL REFLECTION      America, the Beautiful      Ward

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.

Mark 2:1-12

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.

CONTEMPORARY READING           from Frederick Buechne

MUSIC                               You’ve Got a Friend                               King

SERMON                    Through the Roof              Rev. Kim P. Wells

“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.” So ends the Dickens classic A Tale of Two Cities. I read it for the first time as an adult when our kids were reading it for school. As I read those final words, I teared up. What a beautiful ending! What a beautiful testimony to the power of friendship. I am not going to ruin the ending for anyone that has not yet read the book, but there is a yellow post-it note in the back of the book used by our kids. It says: “Everybody is happy now and living good lives because of the courage of Sydney Carton.”

I also remember crying at the end of the book The Cricket in Times Square which I read when I was a child. It was so sad to see the friendships end and the cricket return home to Connecticut, though that was best for the cricket and the friends all helped to make it happen.

But such beautiful friendships are not only the stuff of literature, they are the stuff of life. Friends help us to navigate the path of life. They help to show us the way. They help us to know ourselves better. They add fun to the journey. Friends offer honesty and consolation. Friends help us see what we need to see. They enrich our lives. They cushion the blows of life. They shine light on the path. We are not made to journey through life alone. Yes, family and significant others are important, but we also need friends to help us find healing, wholeness, and joy in life. Many marriages end because the people are looking to have all of their needs met from that one relationship. That is not realistic. And that is not how we are made. We are made to be social. To be part of groups, not just dyads. Jesus calls 12 disciples. A group. Because he knows that they all need each other.

The story we heard today is a beautiful story of friendship. We are told of four people who bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus for healing. It’s interesting that this paralyzed person has these four friends. Remember, in those times, when someone had a disability or ailment, it was thought to be a punishment of some kind from God. So someone who was incapacitated must have done something very wrong or bad to end up in that situation. So generally sick people or people with disabilities were shunned as outcasts. They were considered bad people. Remember the story about the man by the pool of Siloam. He wants to take advantage of the healing powers of the waters of the pool, but he can’t get anyone to lower him into the water. No one wants anything to do with someone who is morally bad, a sinner.

But in the story we heard today, the four friends take their invalid companion to Jesus. These friends are remarkable in their compassion for someone who would be considered unclean, bad. They go through the great effort of carrying their friend on a pallet, who knows how far. They have so much love for their friend and trust in the healing power of Jesus that they make this effort.

And when they arrive and can’t get close to Jesus, who is thronged by the crowd, they get themselves and the invalid on to the roof. They dismantle the roof. A big no-no, as any roofer will tell you. Don’t EVER put a hole in the roof! Not for solar. Not for a skylight. Not for a vent. That’s what a roofer will say! But these friends are so concerned for their disabled companion, that they go right through the roof and deliver their friend to Jesus for healing.

Did these friends take the day off from work – forgoing income in a subsistence economy? What was the distance they traveled and the physical exertion that was required not just to get to the house but to get on to the roof? There was the fury of the home owner that would come with the damage to the roof. And there was always the possibility that this would all be for naught.

But none of this deters these friends. They are so devoted to the well-being of their companion. They so want healing for him, they will go to any ends. Try anything. This coupled with their evident confidence in the power of Jesus combine into an unstoppable force that can only result in the restoration of their beloved friend. It is a beautiful manifestation of friendship. Of the compassion and commitment that is part of the responsibility and mutuality of friendship.

Somehow this story of personal compassion and involvement seems to have so much more sincere devotion than, say, setting up a Go Fund Me page for someone to get their medical bills paid, though that can definitely be helpful and do a lot of good.

But friendship involves a bond and a commitment, to honesty, to energy, to attention, to vulnerability, to sacrifice, that is, well, seemingly rare these days.

Are we so preoccupied with staying afloat, getting the latest, working, working, working at our jobs, spoiling our kids, idolizing family, that we don’t feel we have the bandwidth for deep friendship? Is there so much information about the suffering of others that we keep our distance for self protection and self preservation? Does the inundation from social media overload our compassion circuits and shut them down? I don’t know.

But professionals do say that friendship is declining these days in the US and it’s not just about the pandemic. A recent survey shows people have fewer close friends than in previous years. Increased mobility, work demands, and childcare demands are cited as the reasons for fewer friendships. People just feel too busy to have friends. Friends seem like a luxury. [https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health- wellness/2021/06/24/friendships-declining-but- pandemic-isnt-fully-blame/7770454002/ ]

And this is a problem because friends are not an extravagance or an indulgence like getting your nails done. As the story shows us, friends are necessary to our well-being, to our life, to our wholeness, to our abundant joy.

There is a scene in the book The Overstory by Richard Powers that speaks of friendship on several levels. One of the characters, Nicholas, is staying on the down low in a remote cabin in the woods in the mountains of the American west. He goes out for a walk in the aftermath of a rain storm:

There’s a tearing in the air. Nicholas looks up, where the mountainside begins to liquify. Last night’s rains have loosened the earth, and, stripped of the covering that held it in place for a hundred thousand years, the mountain slides down with a roar. Trees taller than lighthouses snap like twigs and plunge into one another, slamming down the slope in a swollen wave. Nick turns to run. Above him, a wall of rock and wood twenty feet high heads home. He scrambles down a footpath, wheeling to look back as a river of trees hits the cabin head-on. His living room fills with stump and rock. The building lifts off its foundation and bobs on the flow.

He runs toward the neighbors, screaming, ‘Get out! Now!’ Then his neighbors are running, too, with their two little boys, down the drive to the family truck. But debris reaches the truck first and blocks it in. Trees wash up against the ranch house, bulging like woody lava.

‘This way,’ Nick shouts, and the neighbors follow. He leads them down another gully along a shallower slope. And there, the tide of landslide comes to rest behind a thin line of redwoods. Mud and rubble ooze against the final barrier, but the trees hold. The mother breaks down. She sobs and grabs her children. The father and Nick stare upward at the denuded mountainside, a ridge, wildly lowered. The man whispers, ‘Jesus.’ Nick jerks at the word. He looks where his neighbor points. On each of the trunks in the standing barricade that just saved their lives is a bright blue painted X. Next week’s harvest. [p. 362]

Yes, there is friendship between earth and humanity in this story, friendship that has been neglected by humans. But there is that image of the thin line of redwoods that saves the lives of the mother, the father, their two little boys, and Nick. Those few trees, marked for demolition, cutting, save their lives. Friends are like that line of trees. They are the bulwark, saving our lives, protecting us, taking care of us, shielding us from danger, making it possible for us to thrive.

And friendship, too, is endangered. Ravaged by the compulsion to work, and consume, and acquire, and isolate to limit our exposure to pain as we are brain washed into thinking a good life is one without cares or troubles. But what has this diminishing of friendship gotten us? Surely it exacerbates the negative effects of bullying. Surely it contributes to increased mental illness and instability. Surely it is part of the culture that creates mass shootings. Surely it is part of the increase in people taking their own lives. Friendship can be that wall of trees, that anchor in a storm, that shelter of protection in times of trouble and stress and cataclysm. Friends are needed to see us through when everything is crashing down around us. Friends are necessary for life. They meet our human needs, not our human wants.

Were friends a luxury for that person on the pallet lowered through the roof? No! Those friends got him back his mobility, his life. They weren’t just entertainment or a hobby. They were his life support and his life line.

Jesus recognized the role played by these friends. The man is not healed because of his faith or his devotion, but because of the faith and devotion of his friends. Jesus was so impressed with the friends that he healed the man.

Jesus knew the importance of friendships. For support and nurture. But also for personal growth, for helping birth our best selves, our truest identity. Jesus knew that we need friends for inspiration and motivation. To set us straight. To let us vent. To offer encouragement. To have fun. To share food and ideas and experiences. To dream with. There is a beautiful passage in the gospel of John where Jesus tells the disciples in his last discourse, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my God.” [John15:12-15]

Friends. People need us, need friends, to help them through the roof. To enrich their lives and help them to find healing and wholeness. And we need friends. To let us down through the roof. So that we do not stay stuck in our paralysis, so that we do not languish in our isolation, so that we have a broader context for recognizing the presence and work of Divine Love in our lives. We need friends to live fully and to know abundant joy. We are needed to be friends to find our highest good and our fullest joy. Where would that paralyzed person be without the friends who put him through the roof? And since this is the fourth of July, I want to extend this concept of friendship to a societal scale. This is a day to celebrate the founding of our country. It is a day to fly a flag and give thanks for the many freedoms we enjoy. It is a time to celebrate the beauty of our country and the abundance that we enjoy.

But while the potential to be robust may be there, our country is deeply divided. Rural and urban. Republican and Democrat. White and people of color. Citizen and alien. Vaccinated and anti vaxxers. There is the mainstream and the down stream, the underclass. Those who are not even factored into the public good. The expendables. There are so many broken threads that used to bind us together that there is not just fraying but a growing tear in the fabric of our country. This was said outwardly by our European allies at the recent G7 meeting. They are worried about the condition of American democracy, about the ability of our society to hold itself together.

Our country is suffering. It is diminished. Maybe debilitated in some ways. Maybe even becoming paralyzed. I heard this week from someone in the congregation who has been trying to contact the Florida unemployment system everyday for over a month. No response. Can’t get through. And I have gotten 4 letters in the past month from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity about my unemployment claim. What unemployment claim? Looks to me like I am working! I got an email from the Republican party dividing the country into two camps: The Americans. And the Democrats. And even after George Floyd, unarmed black people are still being killed by police. So many things in our society are just. So. Screwed. Up. This is extremely sad given the amazing resources and potential that we have. Our country has so much to share, to give, to contribute, so that all residents may experience “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

And since we are talking about a healing story, let’s give a shout out to the health care system. Maybe the most twisted sector of our society. There are so many amazing resources for healing in our country, but we seem completely deficient at universal equitable delivery of those resources. There are so many impediments and restrictions and exorbitant costs. How do we lower our healthcare system through the roof for healing so that all may benefit from its life giving power?

Sometimes it feels like we are all paralyzed and bound to the mat, unable to make a difference.

But this Fourth of July reminds us that we need to befriend our beloved country. We need to be the ones that lower our ailing democracy through the roof, that go to extreme measures, to seek the health and well-being of our political and social systems. Like with any friendship, this involves honesty, truth telling, support, and sacrifice. We need to take care of our country so that our country can take care of us. Friendship is mutual. There are seasons and ebbs and flows, but friendship involves giving receiving on both sides.

And we notice in the story from Mark that the paralyzed person is lowered through the roof and when he arrives in Jesus’ presence, he is forgiven. A conversation ensues about authority and blasphemy but that is a subject for another sermon. First, the man on the mat is forgiven. Subsequently Jesus heals the man and he takes up his mat and walks. Here we think about the need for forgiveness in our country. Forgiveness for the institution of slavery and its aftermath that continues to plaque our society today. We need forgiveness as part of the healing process. Forgiveness on all fronts regarding our national heritage of systemic racism. And for the things we have done to harm and disrupt life for people in this country and in other countries as well. Until we pursue this, we will never be able to get up on our feet and fully function as a nation.

And for all the people in this country who still do go to church, there should be plenty to take up the task of befriending our nation. Of bringing our nation to the way of Jesus for healing and wholeness. And we can do this because of the separation of church and state and our freedom of religion. We who are followers of Jesus can offer his way to our wider society to promote healing. We can foster: generosity, compassion, a second chance, respect and dignity for all, concern for children, justice, forgiveness, equity, love of enemy, including your political enemy. All of this we have to offer without insisting on religious indoctrination or imposing our doctrine on anyone. The way of Jesus can do much toward helping our country to rise up and fully function for everyone.

We need friendship for our healing and well being not just as individuals but as a society. And through our relationships we can learn to bridge the divides, we can learn to span the gulfs between us, with good will. Through friendship we can learn to understand those who are different from us. Through friendship, we can get to know ourselves better. Our horizons expand and our hearts open. We increase our capacity for compassion. So that we can be like those four beautiful friends that lowered their ailing friend through the roof.

We close with words appropriate for the day from the hymn America the Beautiful:

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood [friendship]

From sea to shining sea!

Amen.

UNISON READING               From Avignon, France, adapted

All gifts I might receive from God today

         I offer to the heavens

         with this prayer:

May my friend from her sickbed see

         heartening new horizons roll back

         from her suffering

MUSICAL INTERLUDE          Lean on Me           Withers

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         The More We Get Together      German folk

song/arr. HKJ

Prayer of Dedication          Based on Christina Feldman

“There is not always a solution to suffering but there is always a possible response.”  May we seek that response within ourselves and within this faith community.   May we offer the healing love of Jesus to one another and to the world.  Amen. 

PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION

                         Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life

 Vaughan Williams

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.

CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION

         Invitation

Communion Prayer-Savior’s Prayer

Our Creator, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever.  Amen.

Blessing the Bread and Cup

Sharing the Meal  

Giving Thanks

*BENEDICTION               St. John of the Cross, 1542-1591

         I saw the river over which every soul must pass

                  to reach the kingdom of heaven,

         and the name of that river was suffering:

         and I saw the boat which carries souls across that river,

and the name of that boat was love.  

*POSTLUDE        For the Healing of the Nations             Purcell

Weekly Update 7/1

Sundays

 The service is at 9:30 in person, covid safe.

Childcare provided.

The Sundays in July will be themed “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus.”  Each Sunday will feature a beloved story associated with Jesus.  These stories still offer much to inspire and inform our faith and our living today.

The readings and material from the Sunday gathering will be posted at the website the following week and there will be regular posts of music and music videos from Hilton Jones.

Watch the service on Facebook Live Sundays at 9:30. https://www.facebook.com/LakewoodUCC

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

There Is a Season: Water

Last Sunday was the fourth and final in the June series on spiritual healing and comfort in this time of transition in the covid pandemic.  It was a bit of a Sunday service and a bit of a mini spiritual retreat.  The content is posted at the church website so that you can see what went on and do the guided spiritual reflection on your own if you would like to.  

https://lakewooducc.org/2021/06/29/sunday-service-6-27-2021/

You can also watch on Facebook or YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfuyL06YcvJ5AZg_1ZJ48Wg

New Members

In these challenging times, being part of a church community is more grounding and supportive than ever!  The LUCC congregation is so grateful for all of the ways that spiritual support has been offered this past year and beyond.  The church would like to officially welcome as members those who are finding a spiritual ‘home’ at LUCC.  For those who are interested in considering church membership, there is an orientation session about the mission, identity, history and theology of the church.  Please be in contact with Rev. Wells if you would like to consider joining the church.  The orientation and the Sunday for joining will then be determined accordingly.

Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels now has a distribution center at Lakewood United Church as part of the Neighborly senior center. They need volunteers to help deliver meals to shut-in seniors in our area. Sometimes, the only person a client sees all day is a MoW volunteer. They are following COVID-safe practices (mask wearing, social distancing, dropping off food rather than entering the home). Volunteers pick up the meals at 10:30 and drive to clients in the area, and return the empty bags to LUCC when they’re done, usually within an hour. Please consider doing this; it takes just an hour once a week to make someone happy. Please contact Angela, the MoW coordinator at 727-612-1791 and she will tell you how to get trained. Or go to https://neighborly.org/volunteer-opportunities/ to find out more.

Rev. Wells Away

Kim will be away Monday June 28-Saturday July 3 taking care of her grandchildren.  If pastoral care is needed, please contact Patti Cooksey at cooksepa@eckerd.edu

The Labyrinth Has Been ‘Groomed’

For those who walk the labyrinth at the church, please know that the labyrinth has been raked and weeded this week.  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 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.

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

Be Part of Reducing AIDS

There is an  the increase in HIV/AIDS infections in our area.  As a way of responding, Suncoast Hospice has given the church a large supply of condoms to be distributed. They will be placed in the bathrooms at the church.  They will also be available in the sanctuary.  The church advisors are encouraging the congregation to take some condoms and put them in public bathrooms and workplace bathrooms where they may get picked up by the appropriate population.  

So, the next time you are at the church, pick up a few condoms and see that they make their way out into the community!

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.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending double masking.  Please consider wearing two masks to church.  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.

Immigration Justice: Action Item

The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program provides a path to safety for Afghans who worked with U.S. forces and who, as a result of that affiliation, suffer direct threats to their safety. These visas have been long delayed. As the U.S. anticipates its final withdrawal of our Armed Forces in September, we know that we cannot simply abandon the Afghans who risked their (and their families’) lives to help us and our allies (think of the U.S. evacuation of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War).

Send a message to President Biden today! Urge the administration to provide urgent humanitarian protections, including evacuation for those who have put their lives on the line for our country. Easy, templated, click and send link here from the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service: https://www.votervoice.net/LIRS/campaigns/85410/respond

Operation Attack Update

Good Afternoon, 
I hope you are doing well, many members of Lakewood UCC are aware that I’ve graduated from high school (thank you for the card) and plan to head to college. While at college, I won’t be able to help collect any OA donations or help keep Lakewood up to date on OA needs. I’ve had this task all of high school and I am very thankful for it. For replacing me, I HIGHLY recommend my brother Owen Blair-Catala. This position has been passed down from Zach to me and now to Owen. He’s someone who is active in OA and understands the task he must complete from watching me do them. 

Besides this OA is still doing very well. There are the same drive thru dates as before (July 31st and September 11th). In addition, OA also still needs Donations of cereal, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, vegetables and soup, dried beans, and mac/cheese. I came by this past week and was able to get some donations. Remember we still aren’t accepting clothing donations at the moment. If you have any questions please contact me. 

Thanks,Ian Blair-Catala

iblaircatala@gmail.com

Anti Racism Demonstration Schedule Change

The demonstrations will be suspended until September.  

Gratitude is express to those who have been part of this meaningful ministry.  It provides a needed uplifting message to the community.

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:

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

June Birthdays: Genie Terrell 6/10, Tony Rogers 6/21, Michelle Cloutier 6/21. Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.

Circle of Concern: 

Earl Waters

Mae Wiggins

Wally LeBlanc whose cat, Francis, died

Sherry Santana

William Owen-Cowan

Jen Degroot

Carolyn Moore

Ann Quinn

Maggie Brizendine

Janet Hall

Teachers, students, and school personnel, and all healthcare workers and essential workers. All those suffering from COVID-19.

Church Office Hours:  Tuesday-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.

Sunday Service 6.27.2021

GATHERING MUSIC


WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE

Eternal wellspring of peace —

May we be drenched with the longing for peace

that we may give ourselves over to peace

until the earth overflows with peace

as living waters overflow the seas.

Marcia Falk, contemporary Jewish scholar

PRELUDE

THERE IS A SEASON: A Time for Spiritual Healing

Water of Life

Before there was land, there was water, Genesis tells us. Water covered the planet. Now water covers 70% of the planet. And it is the lifeline of Earth as we know it. Water comprises at least 60% of our bodies or up to 85%. It is the lifeline of our bodies. Water is life, as we were reminded by the native peoples protesting the Standing Rock pipeline.

Water sustains the life of the land as well as plants, animals and all other life forms, including humans. But for humans, water is also necessary for social life, economic life, and civilization. Main settlements, which emerged into towns and cities and now urban metropolises, are mostly near water because water is necessary for power, for commerce, for manufacturing, for transportation, for recreation, and to enliven and soothe the spirit.

Water births not only land, not only civilization, but it nurtures us in the womb until we are born to a life still dependent on water only in different ways.

It is no wonder that water is incorporated into the rituals and practices of most religions and cultures. From the water of cleansing included in the weekly shabbat of Jews, to the ritual washing practiced by Muslims, to the the bathing in the sacred Ganges practiced by Hindus, to the waters of baptism sacramental in Christianity, water is important to all religions and cultures because it is necessary for sustaining human life.

We need water to live. As a planet. As a species. As individual people here in this holy space together this day.

So some of you may have brought some water this morning. If it in a water bottle, take a sip. Remind yourself of your need for water, physically, socially and spiritually. Then we are asking that you bring your water forward and pour it into the fountain on the altar as a sign of our mutual dependence upon water, something we share with each other, with the whole human family, and with the web of life. So, please come forward and add your water to the fountain.

If you did not bring any water but would like to participate, there is a pitcher with water on the altar, you may come and pour some water from the pitcher into the fountain.

Music from Hilton

Unison Reading                                            Clement of Alexandria, c.150-215

O God, you are the unsearchable abyss of peace,

the ineffable sea of love,

and the fountain of blessings.

Water us with plentiful streams

from the riches of your grace;

and from the most sweet springs of your kindness,

make us children of quietness and heirs of peace.

Water is Powerful

Thanks to advanced technology that provides us with visual images, we are now eyewitnesses to the power of water – when a tsunami hits, as flood waters rise, as a fire hose sprays, as a hurricane hits. Water assaults with superhuman power. Cars and structures tumble like toys.

We see the power of water to carve the land and the landscape. Even to whittle away rock. We know the power of water to reshape the coastline through tides and surges and storms. What might take humans years of dredging, Mother Nature can do with one serious storm. Water has power.

Water has the power to dramatically reconfigure landscapes through erosion, flooding, the slow migration of a river bed, the eons of wearing down rock. It may be fast and furious, it may be slow and steady, but water powerfully alters the terrain.

We also see the power of water in dams and hydro electric installations. We see the power of water in waterfalls, like the iconic Niagara falls.

Water has immense power. Physically. And culturally. Every culture and tradition has stories of water. And, the central water story of our religious tradition is The Flood. Capital T. Capital F. We tell children about the animals all being saved on the ark. But it is a story of human selfishness and abuse that so angers God, the God that lovingly created the precious little earthlings, that God decides to wipe out the whole enterprise and start all over – this time with Noah and his family. And with a promise never to perpetrate such destruction again. Evidently, it was just too painful to God to go through it again. So God publicly self restrains and seals with deal with the rainbow. The story shows the destructive power of water.

And we see the significance of the image of water in the rivers that flow from Eden, nourishing the whole earth.

There is the River of blood that intimidates Pharaoh eventually leading to the freeing of the Hebrew slaves.

There is the parting of the waters of the Red Sea as the Hebrews escape from slavery. And then the water drowns the Egyptians following the Hebrews. Very powerful!

In mythology, there is the imagery of the River Styx that divides the every day world from the under world.

And the River Rubicon with its symbolic meaning to the Romans. Caesar crossed the Rubicon with his troops kicking off a civil war that led to the Roman empire. Now the image of the Rubicon is a crossing point from which there is no return. Interestingly, at a church I was part of in my youth, the men’s group was called “Rubicon” for this river!

So, rivers and water have symbolic meanings for us, about crossing over and boundaries.

Water also has powerful associations with healing. There is the story of Naaman being healed of leprosy by bathing in the Jordan River 7 times. [2 Kings 5:10-14] There is the man healed in the churning waters of the Pool of Siloam in the gospels. [John 5:1- 18]

Other countries, religions, and cultures also associate water with healing. There are sacred baths all over the world ascribed with healing properties. There are the mineral baths and hot springs providing healing relief. We think of Franklin Roosevelt going to Warm Springs, GA as just one example of the the age old healing properties to water.

Water also has the power of protection. An ocean to protect from an enemy. A moat to protect from an onslaught. A river preventing an attack. In our scriptures, there is a story of water protecting the baby Moses in a basket and carrying him to a princess who will raise the child who will become a liberator of his people from slavery. Water also has the power to protect.

And water, fresh drinking water is necessary to sustain life. Not only is water life giving, it is needed for life to continue. There is the story of the Hebrews wandering in the wilderness, and they have no water. They beg Moses not to kill them in the dry desert. Moses pleads with God and is told, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” EX. 17:1-7

Water is very powerful and that power is associated with God, with the Divine. So in the stories where Jesus calms the storm and stills the seas and walks on the water, these stories convey that Jesus is tapped into the Divine, and is a channel for Divine power over water. Jesus is aligned with the power of the Divine that created and controls the water. His power is exhibited as control over water to show that he is of God. So he is very powerful!

Again and again in the Bible, God’s power is seen through water used to effect transformation. God’s power over water testifies to God’s intentions and abilities.

God turns a desert into pools of water,

a parched land into springs of water.

Psalm 107:35

I will open rivers on the bare heights,

and fountains in the midst of the valleys;

I will make the wilderness a pool of water,

and the dry land springs of water.

Isaiah 41:18

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert;

the burning sand shall become a pool,

and the thirsty ground springs of water. . .

Isaiah 35:6b-7a

The tremendous power of God is imaged through water, water offered to bring forth life and fertility and fecundity. This is the power that Divine Love is seeking to unleash in the world. Upon us. So that we might thrive and grow.

This is captured in a beautiful poem by Thomas John Carlisle:

God’s dream

and destination

is a day

when all flesh

in all places

is sensitive

receptive

welcoming

to torrents

freshets

cataracts

floods

and deluges

and inundations

of the Spirit.

This power, entering us, washing over us, infusing us, empowering us. That is God’s goal.

We’ve seen images of the beautiful grasses and seaweeds that grow on the bottom of the ocean. Whether in Jacques Cousteau or Finding Nemo, we have seen the beautiful fields of vegetation swaying in the ocean current. They are firmly rooted and yet they move and swirl with the oscillations of the water.

As a sign of our desire to be open to those torrents, freshets, cataracts, floods, deluges and inundations of the spirit that Carlisle talks about, I thought those who would like to could stand, raise your arms, and maybe sway and twist and turn gently, imagining the power of the water moving you, showing your openness to the power of Divine Love to move and sustain you.

Hilton plays the Blue Danube Waltz

Water takes many forms

Water takes many forms. It can be a solid, a liquid or a gas. It can be ice, it can flow, it can be steam. An iceberg is water. The ocean is water. Rain falling from the sky is water. The vapor rising from a volcano is water. A tear is water. Snow fall is water. There are so many forms for water.

And water is present in many ways. Our local Gulf of Mexico, part of the ocean. Rivers. Lakes. Geysers. Puddles. Springs. Wells. Streams. Ponds. Brooks. Waterfalls. Everglades. In a glass with ice. From the tap at the sink. The shower. The bath. The hose. From a squirt gun. There are so many ways that we experience water.

And it is often moving. Changing shape. Changing form. Tides. Currents. Eddys. Waves. Placid. Mirror-like. Churning. Turbulent. Boiling. Simmering.

Water is very, well, fluid. Moving. Changing. Appearing in different forms. All around us. Within us. Creating life. Sustaining life. Making change. Causing transformation.

I think this malleability; changeability of water, the way water presents itself in so many different ways is a wonderful way of imaging God in our lives. God’s grace and love. Coming to us in countless forms and shapes and from many sources. Coming to us in myriad ways. Getting in any way it can. Looking for openings, openness. Wherever they can be found. To enter us, our lives, to sustain our spirits, and soothe our souls. To protect. To energize. To transform. Wear down when needed. Reconfigure. Nourish. Refresh. Heal. There are so many ways that the Spirit is seeking to nurture our lives and foster our highest good.

We don’t have to force ourselves into a shape that fits the mold. We aren’t limited to one modality or one style of engaging with Divine Love. Like water, there are countless ways to experience and encounter the love and grace that we need to flourish.

And as we encounter the Divine, the Holy One, however we may conceive of God, we know that like the water reshaping the rock, that presence, that power will transform and reshape us – into an ever greater embodiment of love. We will be changed by the presence of the power of Divine Love in our lives. And something new will emerge from within us. That was there all along. Waiting to be born, to grow, and to thrive. Love.

We know how the water of a river or stream smooth’s and sculpts the rocks in its flow. So, we invite you to take a few minutes to envision your life as a river with some rocks in it. What are those things in your life that you think need transformation and change? Where are the hard edges that need to be worn down? What needs to be re-sculpted so that it no longer causes pain or hurt in your life? What obstacles are in the way of your well being that need to be moved to the side by the river’s current. If you would like to, you can use pen and paper and draw a simple river, and then add the rocks and name them. The things that you feel need to be transformed by the power of love and grace so that you can live and flow with greater joy.

You can draw a river and stones. Or if you don’t want to draw you can make a list. Or you can simply reflect. However you would like to do this – but think of those areas in your life where change is needed. Where love and grace are needed to smooth things our, ease your passage through your days, increase your flow of love and joy.

After a time of reflection, you will have the opportunity to talk with someone else about your thoughts if you would like to.

So, take some time to consider the changes you feel are needed for you to thrive and flourish.

Music from Hilton

Unison Reading                                                                          Peter Mayer

God is a river, not just a stone

God is a wild, raging rapids

And a slow, meandering flow

God is a deep and narrow passage

And a peaceful, sandy shoal

God is the river, swimmer

So let go.

Water is Refreshing

There is nothing like a cold glass of ice water on a boiling hot day especially when you have been working outside, or on a bike ride.

We are constantly being reminded of the importance of hydration for staying health.

There is nothing like a shower, the fresh, flowing water, when you are hot and sweaty or dirty from having fun outside.

We went to Kenya back in 1995. We had just been there a day or two and we went on some excursion to visit a small town, probably, with Jeff’s sister who was there as an epidemiologist for USAID. We got home at the end of the day and it was bath time. Well, for some reason, I was the one to take the first bath. After a long, hot day, I was ready. I ran the clear, warm water and got in. Scrubbed up. And then I noticed that the water, was, well, opaque. I couldn’t see my legs under the water. The water was the color of the ground. Evidently, I was much dirtier than I thought. I have never seen bath water that dirty. And oh how good it felt to get clean.

Water is refreshing. We go swimming to cool off, to enjoy a hot day, to splash and play.

In the Bible, water is used as a way of speaking about the refreshing, renewing presence of God in our lives and in our world. We hear of the power of Divine Love to refresh us and renew us. Especially when we need it most, when we are at our lowest, when we are struggling, and just hanging on. The prophet Isaiah reminds a people in peril:

When the poor and needy seek water,

and there is none,

and their tongue is parched with thirst,

I the Lord will answer them,

I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

Isaiah 41:17-18

The watering of God brings brings the desert back to life, it makes the desert bloom, and so it renews the spirits of we frail humans especially when we are withering.

Again and again, there are promises in the Bible of God’s care and nurture. God seeking to uphold us. From the Garden of Eden providing all that is needed to the River of Life flowing through the city of God in Revelation lined with trees giving fruit throughout the year, Divine Love is seeking to sustain us and to give us flourishing life. God is seeking to refresh and renew us.

We have stickers available for you to put on your water bottle that have the verse from Isaiah, ‘You shall be like a watered garden.’ Then every time you take a drink, you can remind yourself of how Love is seeking refresh and renew you so that you flourish! [Pass out stickers.]

These covid times have been a struggle. It has been a time of thirst – especially for social contact and interaction. There has been hunger. Literal hunger as food pantries have been slammed with need. We have been depleted and withered. And we have been reminded of the restrictions, limitations, and deprivations that many live with year in and year out, not just during a pandemic. Yet through all the challenges, difficulties, and losses that we have faced, the renewing power of the Spirit has been seeking to refresh us. After a storm, the air seems alive, charged, new fresh, moist. The spirit is seeking to renew us in these days coming out of our storm.

Jesus was described as living water. He offered himself to the Samaritan woman at the well as living water. He directed his followers to give a cup of cold water in his name. He washed the feet of his disciples. Divine Love is seeking to flow in us, to refresh us, to be alive and active in us. We see this in many of the teachings of Jesus and of the Bible.

We are told in the Psalms:

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!

All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house,

and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

For with you is the fountain of life;

in your light we see light.                                     

Ps. 36:7-9

Sometimes, I think that we do not recognize our need. We don’t see how parched we are. We don’t pay attention to how we are hungry and thirsty, maybe for meaning, for connection, maybe to make a difference, maybe for relationships, maybe for a different kind of society. And the flowing, renewing stream of Love is right beside us, but we don’t notice, we don’t stop, dip our feet in, take a cool drink, immerse ourselves!

And then there are the times that we are so overwhelmed with our need, perhaps our eyes so filled with tears, that we don’t see the stream right next to us. But the stream is there. God’s love seeking to renew and refresh.

We listen to a poem by Denise Levertov:

Don’t say, don’t say there is no water

to solace the dryness at our hearts.

I have seen

the fountain springing out of the rock wall

and you drinking there. And I too

before your eyes

found footholds and climbed

to drink the cool water.

The woman of that place, shading her eyes,

frowned as she watched — but not because

she grudged the water,

only because she was waiting

to see we drank our fill and were

refreshed.

Don’t say, don’t say there is no water.

That fountain is there among its scalloped

green and gray stones,

it is still there and always there

with its quiet song and strange power

to spring in us,

up and out through the rock.

We are a people of water. Our planet is bathed in water, water that connects lands and peoples and life forms. We are born of water. We need water to live. Water is a spiritual symbol of our dependence on God, Divine Love, the Spirit, to sustain us. Our baptism marks our way on the path of following Jesus, a path of living water, sustaining us and offering the refreshing love of God to the world.

As a sign of our renewal, our connection to God through baptism, our reliance on the refreshing power of the Spirit, we will engage in an ancient ritual for the renewal of baptism. The custom is to take an evergreen branch, symbolizing eternal life, and the never ending love of God, and to use it to sprinkle water on the congregation, a reminder of baptism which unites us to God and one another, and refreshes us through the Spirit.

First we bless the water with words based on promises from the prophet Isaiah:

God will guide you continually,

and satisfy your needs in parched places,

and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water,

whose waters never fail.

Isaiah 58:11

Music from Hilton while the congregation is spritzed.

Unison Reading                                                      Christine Valters Paintner

Blessings of water be upon me.

May I be carried by the flow of the great river of life.

May I discover a hidden spring within, gushing forth,

May I be carried to the shores of the sacred and renewed.

MORNING OFFERING

MORNING PRAYERS – SAVIOR’S PRAYER

CLOSING BLESSING                                                                       Celtic Prayer

Deep peace of the running wave to you, of water flowing,

rising and falling,

sometimes advancing, sometimes receding. . .

May the stream of your life flow unimpeded!

Deep peace of the running wave to you!

POSTLUDE

Announcements

Anti Racism Demonstration Schedule Change The demonstrations will resume in September. Gratitude is express to those who have been part of this meaningful ministry.  It provides a needed uplifting message to the community.

New Members In these challenging times, being part of a church community is more grounding and supportive than ever!  The LUCC congregation is so grateful for all of the ways that spiritual support has been offered this past year and beyond.  The church would like to officially welcome as members those who are finding a spiritual ‘home’ at LUCC.  For those who are interested in considering church membership, there is an orientation session about the mission, identity, history and theology of the church. Please be in contact with Rev. Wells if you would like to consider joining the church. The orientation and the Sunday for joining will then be determined accordingly.

Rev. Wells Away Kim will be away Monday June 28-Saturday July 3 taking care of her grandchildren.  If pastoral care is needed, please contact Patti Cooksey at cooksepa@eckerd.edu or call at 727-798-9321

Be Part of Reducing AIDS There is an increase in HIV/AIDS infections in our area.  As a way of responding, Suncoast Hospice has given the church a large supply of condoms to be distributed. They will be placed in the bathrooms at the church.  They will also be available in the sanctuary.  The church advisors are encouraging the congregation to take some condoms and put them in public bathrooms and workplace bathrooms where they may get picked up by the appropriate population.  

Meals on Wheels now has a distribution center at Lakewood United Church as part of the Neighborly senior center. They need volunteers to help deliver meals to shut-in seniors in our area. Sometimes, the only person a client sees all day is a MoW volunteer. They are following COVID-safe practices (mask wearing, social distancing, dropping off food rather than entering the home). Volunteers pick up the meals at 10:30 and drive to clients in the area, and return the empty bags to LUCC when they’re done, usually within an hour. Please consider doing this; it takes just an hour once a week to make someone happy. Please contact Angela, the MoW coordinator at 727-612-1791 and she will tell you how to get trained. Or go to https://neighborly.org/volunteer-opportunities/ to find out more.

Weekly Update 6/23

Services in July

The Sundays in July will be themed “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus.”  Each Sunday will feature a beloved story associated with Jesus.  These stories still offer much to inspire and inform our faith and our living today.  

Sundays

 The service is at 9:30 in person, covid safe.

Childcare provided.

Please bring a reusable water bottle if you have one.  And bring some water, in the water bottle or in another container, if you can.

The month of June is being devoted to “There Is A Season.”  Gatherings each Sunday provide the opportunity to reflect on this season of transition in the covid pandemic.  It will be a time to look back, to notice what we have been going through, and to move forward with intention.  Scripture, readings, ritual, and music will be used to guide this time of spiritual healing.  

Each Sunday will be themed to one of the ancient elements: Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. This final Sunday of the series, the theme will be water. You may want to bring a journal, notebook or pad to make notes

If you know someone who has been struggling during this time, consider inviting them to church in June. It will be a season for healing the spirit.

The readings and material from the Sunday gathering will be posted at the website the following week and there will be regular posts of music and music videos from Hilton Jones.

Watch the service on Facebook Live Sundays at 9:30. https://www.facebook.com/LakewoodUCC

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

There Is a Season: EARTH

Last Sunday was the third in the June series on spiritual healing and comfort in this time of transition in the covid pandemic.  It was a bit of a Sunday service and a bit of a mini spiritual retreat.  The content is posted at the church website so that you can see what went on and do the guided spiritual reflection on your own if you would like to.  

In the post, you can read about the rocks and how they were used to remember and release our grief. It was a very moving experience to watch as people added their rocks to the growing cairn.  You are welcome to add to the rock cairn in the sanctuary at church.

https://lakewooducc.org/2021/06/23/sunday-service-6-20-2021/

You can also watch on Facebook or YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfuyL06YcvJ5AZg_1ZJ48Wg

Permaculture Class Meets This Weekend

LUCC will host a permaculture class offered by Koreen Brennan of Grow Permaculture.  The class will be at church all day Saturday and Sunday.   This is one of the ways the church is fulfilling its Creation Justice Covenant. 

New Members

In these challenging times, being part of a church community is more grounding and supportive than ever!  The LUCC congregation is so grateful for all of the ways that spiritual support has been offered this past year and beyond.  The church would like to officially welcome as members those who are finding a spiritual ‘home’ at LUCC.  For those who are interested in considering church membership, there is an orientation session about the mission, identity, history and theology of the church.  Please be in contact with Rev. Wells if you would like to consider joining the church.  The orientation and the Sunday for joining will then be determined accordingly

From an LUCC Graduate

Hey everyone at Lakewood UCC,

I just wanted to thank you all for the kind words and also for your kindness as people in the time I have known you all. Also, a special thanks to Pastor Kim and Jeff for everything you guys said in the tribute video. Again thank you all very much!

Jullian Ricciardi

Rev. Wells Away

Kim will be away Monday June 28-Saturday July 3 taking care of her grandchildren.  If pastoral care is needed, please contact Patti Cooksey at cooksepa@eckerd.edu

The Labyrinth Has Been ‘Groomed’

For those who walk the labyrinth at the church, please know that the labyrinth has been raked and weeded this week.  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 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.

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

Be Part of Reducing AIDS

There is an  the increase in HIV/AIDS infections in our area.  As a way of responding, Suncoast Hospice has given the church a large supply of condoms to be distributed. They will be placed in the bathrooms at the church.  They will also be available in the sanctuary.  The church advisors are encouraging the congregation to take some condoms and put them in public bathrooms and workplace bathrooms where they may get picked up by the appropriate population.  

So, the next time you are at the church, pick up a few condoms and see that they make their way out into the community!

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.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending double masking.  Please consider wearing two masks to church.  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.

Immigration Justice: Action Item

The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program provides a path to safety for Afghans who worked with U.S. forces and who, as a result of that affiliation, suffer direct threats to their safety. These visas have been long delayed. As the U.S. anticipates its final withdrawal of our Armed Forces in September, we know that we cannot simply abandon the Afghans who risked their (and their families’) lives to help us and our allies (think of the U.S. evacuation of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War).

Send a message to President Biden today! Urge the administration to provide urgent humanitarian protections, including evacuation for those who have put their lives on the line for our country. Easy, templated, click and send link here from the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service: https://www.votervoice.net/LIRS/campaigns/85410/respond

Operation Attack Update

The two most recent OA drive thru events were a success! Thank you for Lakewood continuous donations during this trying time. OA is having 4 drive thru dates in the coming months. Those being June 26, July 31, and September 11. Please get these dates out to members of our congregation if they wish to help volunteer. In addition to those dates, OA is also still needing

Donations of cereal, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, vegetables and soup, dried beans, and mac/cheese. Remember we still aren’t accepting clothing donations at the moment. Finally, pray for the people in our community who are continuing to be challenged during this difficult time and the volunteers who are trying to ease their burdens. I’m hoping to find a time to stop by Lakewood to pick up any donations. 

Thank You,Ian Blair-Catala

Please note that OA is not accepting clothing donations.

Anti Racism Demonstration Schedule Change

After the anti-racism demonstration this Sunday at 5:30, there will be a break in this witness.  The demonstrations will resume in September.  

Gratitude is express to those who have been part of this meaningful ministry.  It provides a needed uplifting message to the community.

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:

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

June Birthdays: Genie Terrell 6/10, Tony Rogers 6/21, Michelle Cloutier 6/21. Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.

Circle of Concern: 

Mae Wiggins

Wally LeBlanc whose cat, Francis, died

Sherry Santana

William Owen-Cowan

Jen Degroot

Carolyn Moore

Ann Quinn

Maggie Brizendine

Janet Hall

Teachers, students, and school personnel, and all healthcare workers and essential workers. All those suffering from COVID-19.

Church Office Hours:  Tuesday-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.