Author: lakewooducc

Weekly Update

Many of you receive a weekly email from the church called the Weekly Update. In the past, this has included a lot of information about the church as well as community events. Starting in 2019, the Weekly Update will primarily feature information about the church, church family, and activities that church members are involved in. Community events and other initiatives will be posted on the church website and at the church Facebook page. If there is something you would like included in the Weekly Update, please notify the church before Wednesday as the Weekly Update typically is sent out on Wednesday.

This Sunday: is Epiphany.  The service will be celebration of light and following the light of Jesus.  New members will be received and it is a communion Sunday. Many thanks to Sally Purvis and Colleen Coughenour for ushering and to Chip Cosper for serving as liturgist!

New Members: Sunday morning Danielle Hintz and Julian Ricciardi will be welcomed back into LUCC membership. Their presence is a blessing!

Communion: 6 January is a communion Sunday. All are welcome to participate, children at the discretion of the adults who bring them. The communion offering goes to the Special Needs Fund which is used to help people in our community and the congregation with basic necessities such as food, rent, utilities, and prescription medication costs. Thanks to Janet Blair for preparing communion and to George & Jane Diven, Sally Purvis and Chip Cosper for serving communion!

LUCC Concert Series: celebrating Old Time, Blues, Blue Grass, Folk & Country music. All concerts begin at 7pm. There is a $20 suggested donation for the band, doors open at 6:30pm. See the website or LUCC Facebook page for more information.

Friday, January 11 – The Stillhouse Shakers
Thursday, January 24 – Vaden Landers Band
Friday, February 15 – The Wandering Hours
Friday, March 22 – Randy Wilson and Gabe Dansereau 

Jesus Seminar in Sarasota: On Friday and Saturday, February 8-9, the First Congregational UCC of Sarasota will host the Jesus Seminar on the Road. Celene Lillie and Natalie Renee Perkins (both Union Theological Seminary graduates) will introduce the Gospel of Mary and Thunder: Perfect Mind in their ancient context as well as in creative, modern expressions. Register online at westarinstitute.org or by calling (651) 200-2372. Rev. Wells will attend and can provide transportation.

Climate change FLICAN event: “Climate Impact & Environmental Inequity: Towards Justice for All” will be held Friday & Saturday, February 1 & 2, at the Callahan Center in Orlando. Rev. Wells plans to attend and can provide transportation.  

Youth Moment: Most Sundays in 2019 there will be a Youth Moment in the service.  This will be a message specifically oriented to younger people.  Word has it that the grown ups have been missing “Children’s Time” so this is a new initiative in 2019 to include all those who are youth as well as those who are young at heart!

Theological Orientation Discussions: Following up on conversations about the mission statement of the church, in 2019 the Advisors will be offering a bi-weekly discussion group about theological orientation. The sessions will alternate between Tuesday and Wednesday nights. There will be a topic for each session and opportunity for discussion and learning from one another. The series will be coordinated by Rev. Wells and Patti Cooksey. Stay tuned for more details!

Extra Mile Giving: The church has reached its extra mile giving goal of $13,500! Thanks to all who donated.

January Birthdays: Happy birthday to Martha Lamar (1/2); Elinor Ross (1/4); Chip Cosper (1/7); Jackson Cosper (1/9); and Hilton Kean Jones (1/23). Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.

Circle of Concern: Roger Goodson, Carolyn Moore, Ann Quinn, Willy Zessoules, Ann Rogers, Jen DeGroot and Yvonne Riesen.

Advent Migration: Are We There Yet?

There are many dimensions to the theme of migration.  As we approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus, we want to think about what Jesus asks of us in terms of migration.  Through his life and his ministry, Jesus invites people to follow him.  This is not just a literal following, walk with him.  It is also a figurative following.  Live by the values he teaches.  Follow his way of loving all people, even enemies.  Forgive.  We can stay where we are physically and still have a long way to go in following Jesus.  

The way of Jesus was a radical departure from most of the thinking and values of his day.  And the Jesus way is still a radical departure today from the values and lifestyle of current western society.  So while we may migrate physically from one place to another, and while our bodies change over the course of the life span, the most significant migration we make may be in our thinking.

Migrating toward Jesus may mean drastic changes to our values, our attitudes, and our assumptions – about money, about people, about guns, about sex, about food, and about MANY other things!   

Jesus is showing us how to see ourselves and the world in a fundamentally new way.  As we think about coming to the end of our advent migration this year, it is a time to think about what changes we need to make in our thinking and in our behavior so that we migrate ever closer to Jesus and his way of unconditional, universal love for all people and for Creation.   

Prayer:  

Seeking to live and flourish, may we make our way toward Jesus this Advent season.  Amen.  

Advent Migration: Surrender

As we consider the theme of migration, while we make our migration through life and while we think of the physical migrations that we make, we recognize that as with any journey, migration involves the unknown.  While we may think we are certain about our intent or direction there is always the unknown when we head into new territory, literally or figuratively.  

This past summer, we hiked the West Highland Way in Scotland.  We had three guide books and read those as well as various internet sites about the walk.  And then there was the day that actually turned out to be 18 miles long, constantly going up and down, most of the way with a steep drop into Loch Lomond.  It sounds treacherous and perilous.  And it was.  But none of the guidebooks gave any indication of the true nature of that portion of the hike.  

So, as much as we do to inform ourselves and take responsibility for our path, there is still the unknown.  So any kind of migration or journey necessarily involves surrender.  Migration toward life means accepting the unknown and accepting that you cannot control everything about how the way will emerge and unfold.  

This lack of control, this facing the uncomfortable unknown, may lead many of us to simply want to stay home with a blanket over our heads!  But that has its dangers, too.  Life lost, given up, forfeited.  No joy.  No delight.  

The Christmas stories with all of their journeys are stories of venturing into the unknown.  Mary saying yes to the angel Gabriel.  Mary and Joseph making their way to Bethlehem.  The shepherds leaving the fields to head into town where they may be ridiculed and scorned.  The magi journeying over countries and cultures to an unknown destination.  Migration is a mysterious venture involving risk.  Along the way, there is the learning to trust – what is good, what is right, and what is true.  And there is learning to depend on others and accept help from others.  Thankfully there are messages of comfort and joy along the way as well!

Prayer:  

Seeking to live and flourish, may we make our way toward Divine Love this Advent season.  Amen.  

Advent Migration: The Wise Ones

In the gospel of Matthew we are told of astrologers from the “east” making their way to Jesus guided by a star.  This is a way of conveying that Jesus is of importance not only to one tribe or one religion or one place but that he is of importance to all of the world.  The story of the magi also brings to the fore the political dimensions of the birth of Jesus.  Jesus is a figure to recognized by all of the world.  Hm.  At that time, this kind of impact was reserved for the Roman Caesar and his minions alone.  So the story of the magi also sets up the clash of empires that will characterize the life and ministry of Jesus and will eventually end in his being killed as a threat to the Roman Empire.  

Sometimes as we make our migration through life, we are caught up in our day to day circumstances.  We may not have the energy or inclination to pay attention to wider themes and a broader context.  The story of the magi, making a journey of months if not years and encountering conflict with King Herod, reminds us that we live our lives as part of a broader narrative.  We, too, make decisions and choices that have implications for months and years.  We, too, are part of social structures that are influencing the kind of world that we live in.  

While in some ways, our migration through life is very personal and individual, we are also reminded that we are making our migration through life in a social, political context that is influencing the nature of our journey.  And we are also influencing the context around us.  

A migration to the manger reminds us that we are to stand against injustice and violence and we are to influence the society around us in ways that create peace and beloved community.  Jesus is for the world.  And as his followers, we are to influence the world infusing our context with the commonwealth of Divine Love and living into an alternative reality.  

The gospel of John tells us that Jesus came because, “God so loved the world.”  May we also love that world, all of it!

Prayer:  

Seeking to live and flourish, may we make our way toward Divine Love this Advent season.  Amen.