Author: lakewooducc

GATHERING MUSIC

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE  

We are told in the gospel of John of an encounter between Jesus and the disciples after the crucifixion:

“In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were locked in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Temple authorities.

“Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Having said this, the savior showed them the marks of the crucifixion.

“The disciples were filled with joy when they saw Jesus, who said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As Abba God sent me, so I am sending you.’

“After saying this, Jesus breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” [John 20:19-22]

On this first day of the week, wherever we are on our journey, may we be open to Divine peace which is as close to us as our next breath.

PRELUDE                                

THERE IS A SEASON: A Time for Spiritual Healing

Breath and Connection

The Bible, our sacred text, begins with stories of Creation. In the first story, we are told of the wind brooding over the face of the waters. That word for wind also means spirit. So our story begins with spirit, air, wind churning the deeps and drawing forth the Earth as we know it with its countless life forms. A perfect storm!

In the second creation story, we hear of the formation of an earthling created from the clay of the ground. Then Yahweh “blew into its nostrils the breath of life. And the earth creature became a living being.” [Genesis 2:7]

So our story begins with air, spirit, the life force, animating the world and our species. And as humanity has developed and put the brain we have been given to work, we have learned that what we breathe is air, rich in the element oxygen. Oxygen is provided for us by the trees and plants of our environment. We have learned that we breathe out carbon dioxide, which is needed by trees and plants. So we are in a mutually dependent relationship with the natural world around us. And the oxygen atoms that form the air we breathe are the same atoms that were in the air breathed by Jesus, and the wooly mammoth, and the stegosaurus, and the all the breathing animals that have ever lived. We are all breathing the same air.

Air is our lifeline and it connects us to each other, to the Earth, to the past, to the Divine. Air is an invisible often unnoticed bond that is holding life on this planet together.

Air, wind, breath, soul, spirit, respiration, inspiration, all connected and connecting the Divine, Creation, and all life forms to one another. Seventh century monk, St. Maximus the Confessor, tells us, “God is breath.”

So, in these quiet moments, breathe, breathe deeply, pay

attention to your breathing, and feel your connection to all of life,

to yourself, and to the Divine, in this present moment.

Music from Hilton

Unison Reading

The image of air and breath is important in all religions. Incense, prayer flags, and other rituals convey this. We’ll join together in affirming this connection by reading the words of the Zuni chant together:

Beseeching the breath of the divine one,

The life-giving breath,

The breath of old age,

The breath of waters,

The breath of seeds,

The breath of riches,

The breath of fecundity,

The breath of power,

The breath of good fortune,

Asking for divine breath,

And into my warm body drawing that breath,

I add to your breath

That happily you may always live.

Connection during Covid

Divine breath, my breath, your breath, connected, commingled.

As we’ve noticed, we are connected by air. We all breathe the same air. We all need air. Air, spirit, sustains life. Air also carries sound waves which are necessary for communication through speech and language. Air makes it possible for us to talk and hear. Oral communication is dependent upon air.

And during the covid pandemic we have been reminded of the importance of connection, communication, and contact. Being together. Touch. Speech. We have seen how necessary connection is to us physically, relationally, spiritually, and emotionally. We have learned to appreciate our connections in new ways.

As humans, the world over, we have experienced separation and isolation. We’ve all dealt with restricted contacts and activities. We were all on lock down, on shelter in place. The world over.

We have all dealt with masks, separating us, restricting the visual cues of facial expressions, making it harder to understand each other when speaking,

We have learned that communicating and connecting is so important to us that we have mastered once foreign technological tools like Zoom and Facebook Live and Facetime to see and hear each other. To connect. To work. To love. To feel alive.

And we have realized how important face-to-face, interpersonal, physical contact is to us. For our well-being. Our wholeness. Our joy. We have been through these things together as a human race.

And this extends beyond our connection with other people to our connection with the natural world around us. We’ve noticed that when people were sheltering in place and driving was diminished, the air was cleaner, purer, more breathable. Remember those pictures of cities like Los Angles without all the pollution from the cars?

Remember how with our cars parked, with our movement restricted, the movement of animals and birds increased? The sound of birds chirping was raucous.

The pandemic helped us to see how we are one functioning whole on the earth, all connected. We saw the interplay between humanity and nature in new ways.

This pandemic time has given us an opportunity to examine the importance of connections – our connections to family, nature, work, community, technology, friends, the wider world, ourselves, the church, our spiritual practices, our beliefs, our species. In the face of an immediate global threat, we have had to examine everything. Even down to noticing the air around us which we are usually oblivious to.

So, in the quiet moments that follow, you are invited to reflect on how you have experienced connections in new ways during the pandemic. What connections have you become aware of? What connections did you miss? How do you feel connected in new ways? Think about this theme of connections related to the pandemic.

After the quiet reflection, you will be invited to move into small groups and share some of your thoughts in the group, if you would like to. If you prefer not to share in a group, that is fine, too. We have pads and pens if you would like to make some notes.

So take a few minutes to reflect on the theme of connection in this time of covid.

Music from Hilton

Sharing in small groups

Fear and Covid

We have considered how air keeps us alive and keeps us connected. It is our lifeline, which may be one of the reasons that this pandemic has us so undone. It is air borne. You get it from virus droplets in the air. The same air that keeps us alive can kill us. It has become deadly. And covid is a respiratory illness, it effects the lungs, which process the air that keeps us alive.

The world has one big air system that keeps us alive, and as we now know, can kill us. This has made the pandemic extremely disconcerting, unnerving, jarring, and disturbing. With other diseases, you can avoid behaviors that transmit the disease. How can you avoid breathing? Covid is a radical attack to our lifeline.

And in the midst of it, we heard the voice of George Floyd, begging, “I can’t breathe.” And everything got more harrowing and more disconcerting. Another system set up to protect and to serve, also deadly.

And there was the presidential election, another system gone awry.

At one point I went to the dentist for a cleaning. All the proper precautions were taken. The dentist noted that he thought I had been clenching my teeth in my sleep. It’s something people do when they are under stress. I told him, “If you aren’t clenching your teeth now, you should be.” It has been a difficult time. A time of being continually buffeted as this covid crisis has unfolded.

People have died. Alone. Relationships have ended. Jobs have disappeared. Schools have been closed. Dreams have evaporated. It has not been easy. It has been scary to have the world as we knew it disappear right before our eyes. Whatever security we thought we had, blown away.

So the air that we breathe, that keeps us alive, became an accessory to death. No wonder we are afraid. And it is a reminder of the many fears that we have been facing.

We want you to take some time to think about the fears that have been real for you during this time related or unrelated to the pandemic. How have you felt afraid?

You’re invited to make a list of your fears. There are pads and pens. Following a time of reflection, those who would like to may share in small groups.

Music from Hilton

Sharing in small groups

Consider your list of fears. What on that list surprises you? Perhaps share that in the small group.

Feathers and Blessings

You were invited to bring a feather to church this morning. And to bring more than one to share. So, you may get out your feather and share with others if you have extras.

If you don’t have one, it’s ok. It’s a symbolic reminder. Maybe you will find one on the way home from church.

We have been talking about air. Well, how do birds stay in the air? How do they soar? How do they stay aloft, seemingly floating on, well, nothing? They are perfectly designed for flight. With their hollow bones and feathers providing just enough wind resistance to sail aloft. Some birds fly for endless hours migrating around the globe borne by those precious feathers pushing against the air. Some birds soar on air currents endlessly, effortlessly, thanks to those feathers.

Feathers remind us of the power of the air, the wind. We don’t actually see the air, but we know it is there by its effects – enabling birds to fly. Or spinning pinwheels or wind mills. Waving prayer flags. Tinkling wind chimes. Making tree limbs dance in the breeze.

Ah, the wind. Invisible yet powerful. Like the spirit. Perhaps subtle. Perhaps conspicuous, like the sound of the wind in the Pentecost story. But there. And having an impact.

The feather is a reminder of the presence of air. Air that enables the birds to fly. Air that sustains our lives. And it reminds us of the spirit of God, of the presence of Divinity, uplifting, cleansing, refreshing, renewing, empowering, like the wind. In ways we may not even notice.

So the feather is an invitation to notice. The presence of air. The connectedness of all of creation, and our dependence on nature. It is also an invitation to notice the many blessings of our days. Moments of uplift. Perhaps much needed. Maybe from an unexpected source. Or a blessing of inspiration. From a conversation or a book or a song or a walk outside. Maybe the feather is a reminder of the blessing of a memory. Something from long ago that still has the power to move you in some way. The feather is an invitation to pay attention to those feelings, experiences, encounters, that bless, uplift, that are life-giving. Maybe they mostly go unnoticed, like air. But the feather is an invitation to notice. To connect with the blessings.

The feather is also an invitation to notice how you uplift others, perhaps with some small action or word, slight as the touch of a feather, yet bringing needed relief, hope, comfort, or inspiration of some kind. And as with the touch of a feather, the air, this may go unnoticed, you may never know that you have had an effect. And yet a life may be changed.

They say the movement of a butterfly wing has the power to change the world. Think of the power that we have. We are changing the world. But how? Are we changing it in the ways we want to be changing it?

So, we invite you to contemplate your feather if you have one, or think about the image of the feather, draw one if you like on your pad. And reflect on those blessings, received and given, that have been uplifting in some way during this covid time.

How you have been touched by blessing in this time? How has that helped you to stay aloft?

Music from Hilton

You are invited to keep your feather where you can see it daily. It can be a reminder of how we are touched by blessings each and every day. And how we can be touched by the blessings that we share.

Unison Reading

God has given to the earth the breath, which feeds it. It is God’s breath that gives life to all things. And if God were to withhold that breath, everything would be annihilated. God’s breath vibrates in you, in your voice. It is the breath of God that you breathe – and you are unaware of it.

Theophilus of Antioch

MORNING OFFERING

CLOSING PRAYERS, SAVIOR’S PRAYER and BREATH MEDITATION

In closing, we will make our breath our prayer – so that, like the writer of Thessalonians, we might “pray without ceasing.” [I Thessalonians 5:17]

Take a deep breath. And another.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Feel your lungs expand. Creating more room for your heart to be

filled with love.

Breathe deeply, allowing the oxygen in the air to relax your

nervous system. No clenching. Release those fears.

Breathe deeply increasing your capacity for compassion for

yourself, others, and the world.

Breathe deeply so that you may be more alert and aware. There

are blessings in every one of our days.

Breathe deeply allowing the Divine to animate your wearied,

withered spirit.

Breathe deeply. And be connected to the Oneness of reality.

Breathe in God. Breathe out love.

Breathe in God. Breathe out peace.

Breathe in God. Breathe out compassion.

Breathe. Amen.

GATHERING MUSIC

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE                         Claire Stiles, liturgist

         Earth is but one country and all people its citizens.

Baha’u’llah 1817-1892, Founder of the Baha’i Faith

PRELUDE                                 Imagine                                 Lennon

CALL TO WORSHIP                                                        Anonymous    

Listen

To the fragile feelings, not to the clashing fury

Listen

To the quiet sounds, not to the loud clamour

Listen

To the steady heartbeat, not to the noisy confusion

Listen

To the hidden voices, not to the obvious chatter

Listen

To the deep harmonies, not to the surface discord.

MUSICAL REFLECTION            Peace in the Valley                Dorsey

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.

Isaiah 6:1-8 and Psalm 29

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.

POEM                                       Plenty                      Gunilla Norris

SERMON                               The Peace Force                Rev. Kim P. Wells

Over 10 years ago, we went on a trip to Scotland. While we were in Edinburgh, we visited St. Giles Cathedral and were taken on a tour by a volunteer who was a member of the church. She wore what I would describe as a black choir robe and was very professional. There were several guides from the church doing the same thing; taking visitors on tours of the church and telling them about the building, the furnishings, and the history of the church. It was very interesting and illuminating.

As we proceeded on this tour, we were shown many stained glass windows. This one in honor of the winning of this battle in this war. This one in honor of the winning of that battle in that war. This one in honor of this person who led this battle in this war. Etc. A lot of what we were shown related to different battles and wars. We listened politely. Then out of the blue our guide commented, “Evidently, we Scots love war.” It seems that she suddenly noticed that there was a lot of revering of war-related activity in the cathedral, and she spontaneously drew this conclusion. “We Scots love war.” Well, that was revealing. And honest. And self-aware. You couldn’t really feel critical when she had been so disarmingly direct. About her own people.

I was surprised at my reaction to this experience. Instead of being shocking or horrified or condemnatory, I found myself feeling admiration at the honesty of the comment. Not in 10 million years could I imagine an American giving a tour of an historic edifice and commenting, “Evidently, we Americans love war.”

Now, if we were to do an analysis of government spending, of allocation of resources, of public messaging about the military, an impartial observer could probably draw the conclusion that we do love war. But I can’t imagine that being actually said, outloud, and to guests, foreigners, upon whom you would be trying to make a good impression. Frankly, the honesty of the woman in St. Giles was refreshing. And it made me love the Scots more, even if they do love war. At least they know it and admit it and aren’t lying about it or covering it up.

When something is admitted, openly, honestly, then you can work with it. There can be authentic dialogue. There can be mutual sharing and understanding. There can be progress. There can be change. There can be movement toward peace. This is the case in interpersonal relationships and in international relationships. Whatever the circumstances, setting, or parties involved, the movement toward peace involves telling the truth.

Which is why we are having such trouble moving closer to peace in our country internally. There are a lot of people who don’t want to hear the truth. Who don’t believe the truth. Who won’t tell the truth. And without a deeper level of honesty and acceptance of facts, it is hard to move toward greater peace.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband, Jeff, was helping our 25 year old son, Malcolm, do his taxes. It was during the increased hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza. As the taxes were being prepared, we, the parents mentioned that we were glad to pay our taxes. They helped fund schools and libraries and roads and things that are important to our life together in this country. Malcolm commented, “It’s ok that you think that, but I know that my tax money is going to be used to kill Palestinian children.” Well, who is right? Who is telling the truth? There is a lot of truth to be told. And we need to learn to listen to each other’s truth. From there, we can move toward peace. Without truth, without respect for truth, for facts, for experience, we cannot move toward peace, as individuals, communities, or societies. The pursuit of peace requires truth-telling.

This morning we listened to the story of the call of the prophet Isaiah. And in that story, we see a scene of dramatic truth-telling. There, at the altar, in the presence of the heavenly beings and the hem of the robe of the Divine, in the swirl of smoke and the sound of ethereal chanting, Isaiah is laid bare. Simply struck down in awe. And what does he say: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.”

There it is. The honesty. The truth. The unobstructed, undiluted, unattractive, undesirable truth. I am a person of lies and I live among a people of lies. In the presence of the divine, the truth is exposed. Laid bare. You can’t help but hear the echo in James Baldwin who said that America is founded on a Big Lie. We are a people of unclean lips.

But that exposure, that truth-telling, that confession in Isaiah is not only an ending; it is a beginning. In the story from Isaiah, the seraph takes a coal from the altar and touches Isaiah’s lips. He is made clean. His sin and guilt are gone. He is released from bondage to the lie. He no longer has to hide or pretend. He is now free to speak the truth. He can now be used by the Divine to redeem his people. To tell the truth. To bring them back from the lie of self- serving greed and treachery to the truth of justice- based community. After telling the truth, Isaiah is filled with power to speak God’s word and pursue the long arduous path to peace for his people and those around them. Telling the truth unleashed the power for the prophet to be a peacemaker.

We are using a lot of force and power to keep lies in place in our society. To perpetuate lies. To maintain the facade of a false reality. It takes a lot of work to do this.

So, since it takes so much effort to perpetuate the lies, why do we bother? Why do humans continue to pursue what they portray as safety and security through violence and armed force? Well, for one thing, and it is a big thing, in today’s world, war is big business. Armaments and the military are a huge industry. Many people are getting very rich from war, preparation for war, readiness for war, and the implementation of war and violence. Gun manufacturers are making money hand over fist as guns proliferate in the United States,. And there are all kinds of off shoot industries that make, well, a killing: security services and devices, security technology, equipment, fencing, wall building, protective gear, and on, and on, and on. ‘Not peace’ is very lucrative for some. And they donate heavily to political campaigns making ‘not peace’ lucrative for politicians, too. If there was no financial gain to be had from war, violence, and gun culture, guess what? They wouldn’t be as pervasive in our society. As German socialist August Bebel observed in 1870, “In time of war, the loudest patriots are the greatest profiteers.” This hasn’t changed. So greed is a factor in the culture of violence.

And all that leaders need to do to get people on board is to foment fear and sow division and polarization. So, yes, our society has been intentionally manipulated into a war culture. Over decades. After Vietnam, our country could have said no. Not again. But we did not. And here we are. Not only in armed conflict with other countries and peoples, not only paying for others to be engaged in armed conflict, but we also have a domestic culture of terrorism and armed violence. When random people are killed at work, it’s a war zone. When students are killed at school, it’s a war zone. When customers are killed at the store, it’s a war zone. When people are killed at a restaurant or a bar, it’s a war zone. And there’s more fear. And there’s more polarization. And there’s more money to be made. Gun sales are up, guys, including among first time gun buyers.

We maintain a culture of violence because of the apparent benefits, like greed, and guns, and heroism, and the illusion of power. And perhaps the short term gain of an objective.

So what can be done to break this cycle? Well, we see a path forward in the call story from Isaiah. It is the truth telling that unleashes the power that leads to peace. And we all know that there is much truth yet to be told in our midst. Thankfully, we are starting to have some of those conversations. Like about Confederate monuments, and buildings named for slave owners. We are starting to tell the truth about generational wealth. And white male privilege. And antisemitism, which is very different from supporting human rights for Palestinians. And the covid pandemic has exposed a lot of truth about healthcare, and workers, and the power of government, and rural communities left behind, and moms doing more work than dads when everyone is working from home. And the more that comes out, the more power that is unleashed. And the harder it becomes to maintain the lies. And eventually the lies will fall and the truth will stand. Eventually.

Truth telling is very powerful. Listening, understanding, letting yourself be transformed, having the patience to give others the space to change. It is a complex, challenging, intricate business that is very powerful. And it leads to peace.

You see, people think peace is weak. That it is insipid. Sentimental. Like a Kincaid painting. Oh no. Peace is a force. It is strong. It takes courage and creativity and vulnerability.

Mister Rogers captured the power of peace when he said, “It’s very dramatic when two people come together to work something out. It’s easy to take a gun and annihilate your opposition, but what is really exciting to me is to see people with differing views come together and finally respect each other.”

The pursuit of peace is a powerful witness and it takes courage.

I love the psalm that was read today because it is filled with images of power, of Divine power. The voice of God has the power to snap the cedars, thunder over the raging seas, strike with bolts of lightening, cause oaks to whirl, strip the forest bare, shake the wilderness. Oh my! Such images of power and strength simply from the voice of God! And then there is that last line of the psalm: “Give strength to your people, Yahweh! Bless your people with peace!”

Peace. The psalm hardly sounds peaceful, but it reminds us it requires strength to attain pace. And one way that power is unleashed is through the voice, through truth telling.

I want to close with another story from Scotland. On our trip, we visited one of the most prominent museums in Glasgow. And there, on the first floor, by a main door, was an extensive exhibit about violence against women. Past and present. Complete with torture devices in the glass cases along with pictures, drawings, descriptions and statistics.

There is something about the truth telling in Scotland that I find inspiring and hopeful. I feel like if we were to do more truth telling here, it would open the lock, unleash the power of peace that is needed to eradicate the pandemic of violence that has infected our life together.

This is Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day. A day to remember. All those who have died in war. A time to bring to mind the toll that war and violence have taken in our country, in the world, and in our lives. Remember. Then tell the truth. And let it sink in. So that we can move toward creating a culture of honesty about our past and our present that will unleash the power of peace. Amen.

UNISON READING                                      Written by a 7th grade class

Palms Junior High School, West Los Angeles

We, children of the world, declare peace on the future.

We want a planet free of war and weapons.

We want an end to disease, death, and destruction.

Hatred and anger make no sense to us.

We want them done away with.

Our earth gives food enough for all – we will share it.

Our skies give us rainbows everywhere – we will safeguard them.

Our waters give us life eternal – we will keep them clean.

We want to laugh together, play together, work together,

learn from each other, explore and improve life for everyone.

We are for peace now and forever for all.

Grownups of the world, join us,

grab hold of our smile and imagine:

Together Peace is possible.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE     Down by the Riverside       African-American Spiritual

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        Nimrod from “Enigma Variations”           Elgar

Prayer of Dedication                           Based on Pablo Casals

“The love of one’s country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border?” Like Jesus, may we be a people whose love for one another, for our enemies, and for the very earth itself has no limits, borders, or boundaries. Then we shall know peace. Amen.        

PREPARATION FOR PRAYER             

                         O Day of Peace That Dimly Shines [Jerusalem]         Parry

COMMUNITY PRAYERS- SAVIOR’S PRAYER

O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos,

focus your light within us—make it useful.

Create your reign of unity now;

Your one desire acts with ours, as in all light, so in all forms.

Grant what we need each day in bread and insight.

Loose the cords of mistakes binding us,

as we release the strand we hold of others’ guilt.

Don’t let surface things delude us,

but free us from what holds us back.

From you is born all ruling will, the power and the life to do,

the song that beautifies all;

from age to age it renews. Amen.

Peshita Syriac-Aramaic translation

*BENEDICTION                                         Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as

those who love war. Amen.

*POSTLUDE               Let There Be Peace on Earth        Jackson-Miller