LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE Christy Martin, liturgist
Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And, if you cannot help them, at least don’t hurt them.
Dalai Lama, b. 1935, Buddhist
PRELUDE Sheep May Safely Graze J.S. Bach
*OPENING READING Leslie Brandt, adapted
God is our constant companion. There is no need that God cannot fulfill. Whether our course points to the mountaintops of glorious ecstasy or to the valleys of human suffering, God is by our side, Ever present, Never letting us go.
*HYMN Great Is Your Faithfulness 423
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.
Psalm 23 page 633-634
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.
SERMON The Lord Is My _________ Rev. Kim P. Wells
RESPONSIVE READING — The 23rd Psalm
Bobby McFerrin, b. 1950 Dedicated to my Mother
The Lord is my Shepherd, I have all I need, She makes me lie down in green meadows, Beside the still waters, She will lead.
She restores my soul, She rights my wrongs, She leads me in a path of good things, And fills my heart with songs. Even though I walk, through a dark and dreary land, There is nothing that can shake me, She has said she won’t forsake me, I’m in her hand.
She sets a table before me, in the presence of my foes, She anoints my head with oil, And my cup overflows.
Surely, surely goodness and kindness will follow me, All the days of my life, And I will live in her house, forever, forever and ever.
Glory be to our Mother, and Daughter And to the Holy of Holies, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World, without end. Amen.
MISSION STATEMENT The mission of Lakewood United Church of Christ, as part of the Church Universal is to:
Celebrate the presence and power of God in our lives & in our world.
Offer the hospitality and inclusive love of Christ to all people.
Work for God’s peace and justice throughout creation.
MORNING OFFERING and SPECIAL OFFERING FOR BOOKS Morning offerings may be brought forward and placed in the plates on the altar. You are invited to write your prayer requests on the sheets provided in the bulletin and bring them forward and place them in the basket on the altar. If you would like assistance, please turn to someone seated near you.
Offertory He Shall Feed His Flock Handel
*Time of Dedication Nan C. Merrill, 1931-2010, adapted
O my Beloved, You are my shepherd, You lead me in the path of goodness to follow Love’s way. You prepare a table before me in the presence of all my fears; you bless me and my cup overflows. I shall dwell in the heart of the Beloved forever. Amen.
*PREPARATION FOR PRAYER My Shepherd Is the Living God 247
MORNING PRAYERS- SAVIOR’S PRAYER
Fathering and Mothering God, lover of us all, most holy one. Help us to respond to you To create what you want for us here on earth. Give us today enough for our needs. Forgive our weak and deliberate offenses, Just as we must forgive others when they hurt us. Help us to resist evil and to do what is good. For we are yours, endowed with your power to make the world whole. Amen.
*HYMN God Is My Shepherd 479
*BENEDICTION Jim Cotter, 1942-2014
Dwell in me that I may dwell in you.
*SUNG RESPONSE (please form a circle)
Weave, weave, weave us together; Weave us together in unity and love. Weave, weave, weave us together, Weave us together, together in love.
*POSTLUDE All We Like Sheep Handel
For the safety and comfort of all, please wear a mask. Thank you!
Circle of Concern: Joyce Lee, Christopher and Dana, Ann Quinn who is under Hospice Care, William Owen-Cowan, Jen Degroot, Carolyn Moore, Maggie Brizendine, Janet Hall, Yoko Nogami walking the Appalachian Trail, All those suffering from COVID-19 and all healthcare workers, Schools: Students, families, teachers, and staff.
Announcements
Facebook Live The 10:30 a.m. service is being streamed on Facebook Live.
See Weekly Update at the church website for information about: a Sierra Club program about how to talk about climate change, Sabbatical plans for Rev. Wells.
Water Petitions Petitions are available to sign to get the Right to Clean and Healthy Waters on the ballot as a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution. You are welcome to get others to fill out these petitions and then bring them back to church to be sent in. Please put petitions in the envelope on the bulletin board.
New Time for Weekly Labyrinth Walk For June and July, the weekly guided labyrinth walk will be on Fridays instead of Wednesdays. All are welcome!
Sunflowers If you would like to bring sunflowers for the altar, please inform Rev. Wells or the Church Office.
Special Offering TODAY This morning there will be a special offering for funds to be used to purchase anti racism books for children and youth for the South Branch Library. This is an extension of the project purchasing books for Maximo and Fairmount Park Elementary Schools. The cost of purchasing a set of books for the library is $1,000.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 2601 54th Ave. S. St. Petersburg, FL 33712 727-867-7961 lakewooducc@gmail.comLakewooducc.org On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga
Date: May 15, 2022 Earth Sunday Scripture Lesson: Psalm 148 Sermon: Here to Praise Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells
Tonight there is a very special lunar eclipse. Apparently the positioning of things and the timing means that there will be a red glow to the eclipse. Very rare and beautiful. So, if you can, head outside tonight from 11:29 until 12:54 a.m. Hopefully it won’t be cloudy! And most of us won’t have scheduling conflicts.
This special show put on by the moon is the moon doing what it is supposed to do. Playing its part in the drama of Creation. The Psalmist recognizes this as praise to God. Nature praises God when it fully functions as it is intended to. Blossoming, shining, flourishing, fossilizing, flowing, adapting, all as it is created to do – with abandon and abundance.
We read the psalm together and heard how the psalmist celebrates the praise of: the heights, mountains and hills the sun the moon the shining stars the waters above the heavens, rain and the needed life sustaining moisture that comes from the sky the skies giving us the night and the day and clouds and weather the earth, the soil, the rocks, the sand, the hills and valleys, all providing habitat and resources to sustain life the sea monsters like whales and fish and manatee the deeps and all that is contained in the oceans fire and hail, heat, lightning, snow and frost, winter weather providing water and dormancy to promote growth storming wind – gusts, gales, hurricanes and tornadoes with their incredible power mountains, hills havens for life forms and purveyors of beauty, evidence of deeper forces within the earth fruit trees for food and drink cedars for shade and habitat and construction beasts of the forest, wild animals that populate the woodlands cultivating the land with their activities and providing food cattle and domesticated animals which provide sustenance and companionship crawling things like worms, insects, microbes, fungi and all the little life forms that keep the whole system of life awhirl flying birds with their beauty and their niche in the system of life
All these aspects of the natural world are celebrated in the psalm for praising God. And they do that by flourishing and fulfilling their role is the complicated mysterious design of nature. All have an important role to play. Even the ancient writer knew the importance and interconnectedness of the natural world. In our religious tradition, nature is not only life sustaining, it is sacred. It is the self disclosure of God, of Divine Love. It is to be appreciated and revered.
But the psalm does not just assign the task of praising God to what we would call the natural world. The human species, too, is called upon to praise God. And that command is made with some specificity. It’s not just that people are responsible for offering praise. It is: rulers and all people nobles all leaders young men young women old people, men and women
All are to offer praise. All of us. Every single human being. All stations and strata of society. How do we do that? Well, we come to church and we pray and sing our praises. Notice there are 7 hymns in today’s service. Plenty of praise being offered!
But like nature, we also praise by fulfilling our role in the greater scheme of life. By doing our part as the waters and weather and animals and plants and soil and land do their part in contributing to the ecosystem that sustains life.
And what is our role? The Bible, our sacred text, gets quite specific about that in the first book of the Bible, the book of beginnings and origins, Genesis. That is where we are told that our role in the grand scheme of Creation is to function in the image of God, taking care of the whole system, tending it, keeping it, stewarding it. We are care takers. We are to care for the whole system of life so that all of its parts can praise as they care intended to – so that they can fully function in their role. We are to oversee the whole thing and keep it healthy. That is our role. And when we fulfill our role, we are offering our praise to God, to Divine Love, to the source, the genius, the mystery. We offer our praise by caring for the whole of nature making it possible for nature to offer its praise.
How are we doing? Is our praise ringing through the mountains, sounding over the waters, echoing in the valleys, resonating over fields and forests, reverberating in the skies? Ask the Florida scrub jay – heading for extinction. Or the manatee – dying out of starvation. Shall we ask the vanishing butterflies? The bleached corals? Shall we ask the dead fish ravaged by red tide caused by fertilizer run off? Shall we consult the chemically laden fields and lawns and golf courses? The downed forests and trees? Shall we ask the waters tainted by industrial waste? Or the air laden with pollutants? How are we doing with our praise? Fulfilling our role as care takers?
A member of the congregation recently suggested a book to me, Wilding by Isabella Tree. I listened to it. And then I read the actual book. I think about that book every single day. Literally. It is the story of a 3,500 acre estate in England that was a farm. And the owners, a couple, over time decide to no longer use the land for agricultural purposes which have proven completely unprofitable. Instead, they undertake a decades long process of rewilding the land. This involves restoring the soil, restoring natural water ways and wetlands, letting native trees and weeds and bushes and bracken to grow. It involves introducing wild animals to re-inhabit the land. It is a very involved process that they pursued extremely carefully and with a lot of consultation from scientists and naturalists from various fields. The book begins with a reference to a verse from the Song of Solomon: “Flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our land.” [Song of Solomon 2:12] This is a reference to the turtle dove which is approaching extinction in the United Kingdom. But as the wilding proceeds at the estate, called Knepp, the turtle dove returns as do many many other species of plants and animals and butterflies and countless other creatures. All offering their praise as they thrive in the newly rewilded environment.
The project at Knepp certainly is well received by nature; the flora and fauna flourish and create balance as they increase in numbers. But there are other problems. The main resistance to the project comes not from nature but from the neighbors. Charlie Burrell and Isabelle Tree who are pursing this restoration tried to share their dream with their neighbors. They had a gathering with a presentation and provided dinner to about 50 neighbors. The result was not what they expected or hoped for. Tree recounts some of the responses they received.
“When Charlie stood up to show how he envisaged the landscape of Knepp changing over the next few years, the tidy Sussex fields and manicured hedges devolving into rampant scrub and untrammeled wetland, the room erupted into a dissident murmuring and shaking of heads. It wasn’t simply that our neighbours (including some other members of the family) thought this wasn’t right for them. Chatting to them afterwards, Charlie and I realized it was more visceral than that. It was an affront to the efforts of every self-respecting farmer, an immoral waste of land, an assault on Britishness itself.” [Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm, Isabella Tree, p. 98.]
As the wilding process continued, local support did not materialize. Tree writes: “Our area of the south-east is, according to the authors of The Kent and Sussex Weald (2003), ‘beautifully man-made.’ It is ‘one of the longest-running and best recorded examples of the unremitting labour of generations of farmers to clear and settle a great expanse of wild country.’ It was not surprising, then, that locals who had gazed all their lives on what they considered the epitome of English landscape, the picture postcard of resolute agricultural endeavor, were out raged when Knepp [the estate] was invaded by scrub. . .” [Wilding, p. 129.]
Nature loving neighbors simply did not think that it was an appropriate use of land in their domain. They thought the land looked like a mess, abandoned, like the owner had died and the land was abandoned. Tree explains: “Abandoning the land to nature, on the other hand — letting it go — smacked of laziness, irresponsibility, even immorality. It was uncivilized, a ‘backward step.’ To some it was ‘wanton vandalism.’” [Wilding, p. 130.]
So this amazing re-wilding project runs into NIMBY. Not. In. My. Backyard. We love nature. It’s great to learn about all the wild animals and nature biomes. On TV. From a documentary. In a book. Or on a trip. But at home? That’s another story.
We know that story. We want to support the natural world, but not if it means restricting development and the tax base that pays for schools and roads and EMS services. We love nature, but we don’t want to pay more for food grown locally using sustainable practices. We like our neighborhoods neat and tidy. And we idolize our freedoms: It’s your yard, you have the right to cut down all the trees. Nature is fine until it creates friction with some of our long held beliefs and assumptions and rights. The poet Rumi reminds us: “We rarely hear the inward music but we are dancing to it nevertheless.” [Wilding, p. 150.]
In our Western Christian tradition, we also want to own the fact that we have intentionally moved away from nature. In our industrialized, advanced, modern society, Christianity moved away from devotion to nature. Love and reverence for nature was associated with animistic, aboriginal religions. It was considered primitive. There was a racial component involved in looking down on cultures that venerated nature. Western industrialized society was thought to be superior, with nature considered a big bank from which to make withdrawals to fund the exploits of capitalism. So our religious heritage has had a decided bias against the veneration of nature for economic and racial and cultural reasons. We now see the need to atone for this prideful abusive attitude that was fostered by western Christianity. And we are beginning to appreciate all that we have to learn from original peoples about living in harmony and balance with nature.
So this Earth Sunday we think about our praise. Will it be limited to the singing of hymns on Sunday? Or will we truly embrace our divine calling as part of Creation and become the protectors of nature that we are intended to be? Will we take the drastic measures necessary to protect the planet? Or will we just sing hymns in church? At one time, taking care of the Earth was considered the purview primarily of those in agriculture but now we have come to see the wisdom of the psalmist – this is the responsibility of every single human being. Leaders, young and old, men and women, literally everyone.
In the Hindu scripture, the Artharva Veda, written about 1200 BCE, we are told, “Upon this handful of soil our survival depends. Husband it and it will grow our food, our fuel and our shelter, and surround us with beauty. Abuse it and the soil will collapse and die, taking humanity with it.” [Quoted in Wilding, p. 268.]. This could have come from our own scriptures which echo the need to care for the land so that the land can support our lives.
We have so much to be grateful for. To offer praise about. May we not limit our praise to this sanctuary. But may the earth be our sanctuary, the dwelling place of the reality of God. All the earth and the universes beyond.
We are far more likely to take care of and defend and protect what we cherish and adore. A colleague has this quote at the end of his email signature: “If you fall in love with the Earth, you will fight to save the Earth.” [Rev. Bob Shore Goss] So, set your alarm for 11:25 tonight. Get up and head outside with a chair. And settle in to watch the show put on by the moon and the earth, dancing their praise. And remember the poem by 17th century Japanese poet Masahide: Barn’s burnt down – Now I can see the moon.
Amen.
A reasonable effort has been made to appropriately cite materials referenced in this sermon. For additional information, please contact Lakewood United Church of Christ.
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 Wednesday. Please provide the information in paragraph form with pertinent details and links. THANK YOU!
This Sunday, May 22nd, will be an examination of the concept, “The Lord Is My _________.” Fill in the blank! The psalmist says shepherd. What would you say?
There will be a special offering this Sunday for funds to be used to purchase anti racism books for children and youth for the South Branch Library. This is an extension of the project purchasing books for Maximo and Fairmount Park Elementary Schools. The cost of purchasing a set of books for the library is $1,000.
Childcare is provided at all Sunday services.
If you would like to provide sunflowers for Sunday worship, please contact the Church Office. 727-867-7961 or lakewooducc@gmail.com
The service will be streamed live on Facebook and then posted on the church’s YouTube channel.
Masks are required at in-person worship.
PLEASE NOTE: Given the warming temperatures, the windows and doors of the sanctuary will be closed and the air conditioning will be on. Masks are still mandatory and there will be singing.
If you do not feel comfortable in those circumstances, please join in worship on Facebook live. There are instructions below.
UCC Southern Regional Women’s Retreat
The United Church of Christ is sponsoring a retreat for women from the conferences of the Southern Region. Florida is the host conference and the retreat will be held at Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center in Live Oak, FL. The theme is God of Mystery – Spirit of Hope. Dyanne Edds of LUCC is on the planning committee. And the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, a former LUCC member, is the keynote speaker. The retreat is Oct. 14-16, 2022. For more information, speak to Dyanne.
Anti Racism Books Provided to Area Youth
LUCC received a matching grant of $500 from the Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ to pay for anti racism books to be provided for each classroom at Maximo Elementary School, the school nearest the church. The grant was matched by a family in the church. An additional donation was received from a church member that is funding a similar set of books for Fairmount Park Elementary School, another nearby St. Pete elementary school. The schools selected the books and ordered the age appropriate books for each class. And the church has paid for the books.
The church has also reached out to the South Branch Library and they, too, are interested in expanding their collection of anti racism books for children. They plan to purchase books based on the list selected by the elementary schools. To fund the books for the library, the additional generosity of the congregation is needed. All are invited to donate for this project on Sunday May 22. There will be a special offering with envelopes provided. Only $1,000 is needed. With these funds, the set of anti racism books will be provided to the South Branch Library. Think about how you are being led to contribute to this important initiative to help to create an anti racist community. Your generosity will be a blessing! It is so beautiful that a project for one school has expanded to a second school and to a library thanks to the wonderful generosity of the congregation!
Amendment Protecting the Right to Clean and Healthy Waters
There is an initiative to have an amendment on the Florida ballot which would protect the right to safe water in Florida. It is called “The Right to Clean and Healthy Waters.” For this initiative to appear on the ballot, petitions are needed. There are copies at the church. You may sign the petition and leave it at church to be sent in. Better yet, sign it, leave it, and take a stack with you. Get others to sign. Then bring them back to church to be sent in. For the full text of the proposed amendment, see https://initiativepetitions.elections.myflorida.com/InitiativeForms/Fulltext/Fulltext_2202_EN.pdf. As a Creation Justice church, LUCC is committed to advocacy for the environment.
Climate Change – Can We Talk about It?
The Sierra Club is sponsoring a workshop on how to talk about climate change. It will be on Monday May 23 at 7:00 p.m. This is the most important issue that humanity is facing and yet so many times, we don’t know what to say. This training will help with story telling about climate change. Here’s a link to more information and sign up: https://lakewooducc.org/2022/05/12/how-to-talk-about-climate-change/
Sabbatical Speakers
Rev. Kim Wells and spouse, Jeff, will be gone for several months this year walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. This is an opportunity for much needed renewal and reflection. While Kim is away, the advisors would like to have people from the congregation speak in worship each week. As the Wells’ journey through Spain, this is an opportunity for people in the congregation to share a portion of their faith journey. Those who may be interested in sharing in this way are asked to speak with Kim. There will be training offered to help in preparation for those who are willing to speak. Please give serious consideration to sharing with your church family in this way.
Sundays Ahead
May 29 there will be “Food for Thought.” Take a look at Acts 11:1-18.
June 5 is Pentecost, the Festival of the Holy Spirit. Don’t forget to wear red!
LUCC Constitution and Bylaws
There is a task force working on a revision of the church’s bylaws. There are a variety of changes that need to be made to reflect current realities in the church and to lean into a strong future. There will be wider conversation and experimentation as part of the process. Many thanks to Patti Cooksey and Sally Purvis for working on this.
How to Help Ukraine
The local Ukrainian Catholic Church is sponsoring humanitarian aid. There are more details at their website: https://www.epiphanyukrch.com
Celebrate Outreach is a local ministry with people who are living without shelter in St. Petersburg. An average of 135 people are served each week. LUCC was asked to collect toiletries to be distributed to the community at the meals that are provided on Saturday and Sundays each week. This collection will be ongoing in addition to the food being collected for Operation Attack. All are invited to donate the following items:
Celebration Outreach has an ongoing need for men’s and women’s underwear. Men sizes 30, 32,34 Women’s sizes 5,6, 7,8. Also in high demand are socks of all kinds /sizes for both men & women. Other needed items are Deodorant & disposable razors.
Toothbrushes, toothpaste, disposable razors, bar soap, wash cloths, deodorant, feminine hygiene items, travel size creams, shampoo, body wash, individual packets of Kleenex, hand wipes, toilet tissue, and paper towels are always needed as well.
Many thanks to Janet Blair and Jim Andrews for taking the donations to Celebrate Outreach.
Inkjet Recycling
The church is continuing to collect used inkjet cartridges. They are sent to a recycler and the church receives payment for the cartridges provided. So, don’t throw out your cartridges. Bring them to church. Not only do they get recycled but they provide income for the ministry of the church.
Guided Labyrinth WalksTime Change
For June and July, the weekly guided labyrinth walk will be on Fridays instead of Wednesdays. All are welcome!
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 labyrinth is on the church grounds near the southwest corner of the church property. It is available for use at all times.
OA needs donations of cereal/oatmeal, mac and cheese, pasta sauce, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, soup, and vegetables.Donations may be placed on the shelf in the hallway at church.
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.
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!
On Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. please use the link above to visit our homepage. There, after using the link, you will see a section labeled “Happening Now”. This is our Livestream of the Sunday Service.
To watch the live stream, locate and click the “watch video” button in the lower right corner of the screen.
If the link above is not working, there is also a link to our Facebook page on our website. Please try that link located on the Home page of our website.
For the above church website links, please note the “Older Posts” button near the bottom of each page.
You can stream Hilton’s music and videos for free at hiltonkeanjones.com/look-listen/ as well as purchase his CDs and digital albums there.
May Birthdays: Mark Gibson 5/2, Nina Moore 5/2, Angela Wells-Bean 5/7, Emily Gibson 5/8, Julian Michael Ricciardi 5/9, Colleen Coughenour 5/11, Jen DeGroot 5/12, Christy Martin 5/15, Bill Parsons 5/16, Deanna Moore 5/19, Danielle Hintz 5/25 Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.
Circle of Concern:
Joyce Lee
Christopher and Dana
William Owen-Cowan
Jen Degroot
Carolyn Moore
Ann Quinn is now under Hospice care
Maggie Brizendine
Janet Hall
Yoko Nogami walking the Appalachian Trail
All those suffering from COVID-19 and all healthcare workers
LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE Michelle Cloutier, liturgist
When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
Wendell Berry, b. 1934
PRELUDE
That Lucky Old Sun
Smith
*OPENING READING
Rumi, 1207- 1273
Today like every other day we wake up empty and frightened. Don’t open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument. Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
*HYMN
Morning Has Broken
Morning has broken Like the first morning, Blackbird has spoken Like the first bird. Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them, springing Fresh from the Word!
Sweet the rain’s new fall Sunlit from heaven, Like the first dewfall On the first grass. Praise for the sweetness Of the wet garden, Sprung in completeness Where his feet pass.
Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning Born of the one light Eden saw play! Praise with elation, Praise every morning, God’s recreation Of the new day!
SACRED READING
Rig Veda 1.6.3
*HYMN
All Things Bright and Beautiful
31
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. Psalm 148 page 721 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.
*HYMN
Stars and Planets Flung in Orbit (vs. 1-4)
567
SERMON
Here to Praise
Rev. Kim P. Wells
*HYMN
God of the Sparrow God of the Whale
32
RESPONSIVE READING
Brian Wren, b. 1936
Good is the flesh that the Word has become, good is the birthing, the milk in the breast, good is the feeding, caressing and rest, good is the body for knowing the world, Good is the flesh that the Word has become.
Good is the body for knowing the world, sensing the sunlight, the tug of the ground, feeling, perceiving, within and around, good is the body, from cradle to grave, Good is the flesh that the Word has become.
Good is the body from cradle to grave, growing and ageing, arousing, impaired, happy in clothing or lovingly bared, good is the pleasure of God in our flesh, Good is the flesh that the word has become.
Good is the pleasure of God in our flesh, longing in all, as in Jesus, to dwell, glad of embracing, and tasting, and smell, good is the body, for good and for God, Good is the flesh that the Word has become.
Communicate through our actions and ministry to all who encounter our congregation that we cherish the restoration and renewal of Creation
Educate ourselves and others on critical issues related to healing and preserving the environment and the impact on all Creation
Support public policies, regulations, laws, and funding that benefit the environment and protect vulnerable communities
Participate through advocacy and action in initiatives to address local and global threats to our environment including partnering with environmental justice allies in the wider community
Reduce climate change by decreasing the use of fossil fuels and lowering our carbon footprint
Encourage individuals in the congregation and beyond to implement this covenant in their personal lives
Conclusion
MORNING OFFERING Morning offerings may be brought forward and placed in the plates on the altar. You are invited to write your prayer requests on the sheets provided in the bulletin and bring them forward and place them in the basket on the altar. If you would like assistance, please turn to someone seated near you.
Offertory
Somewhere, Over the Rainbow
Arlen
*Time of Dedication
Tewa, translated by Herbert Joseph Spinden
O our Mother the Earth, O our Father the Sky, Your children are we, and with tired backs We bring you the gifts that you love. Then weave for us a garment of brightness: May the warp be the white light of morning, May the weft be the red light of evening, May the fringes be the falling rain, May the border be the standing rainbow. Thus weave for us a garment of brightness, That we may walk fittingly where birds sing, That we may walk fittingly where grass is green, O our Mother the Earth, O our Father the sky.
*PREPARATION FOR PRAYER
Pray for the Wilderness
557
MORNING PRAYERS- SAVIOR’S PRAYER
O Divine Womb, birthing forth the river of blessing which runs through all, Soften the ground of our being, and hallow in us a space for the planting of thy presence. In our depths, sow thy seed with its greening-power that we might be midwives to thy Reign. Then, let each of our actions bear fruit in accordance with thy desire. Impart to us the wisdom to bring forth the gifts of the earth and share them daily according to the needs of each being, And restore that which has been usurped by injustice to its rightful owners, as we restore to others that which is not our own. Do not let us be seduced by that which would divert us from our purpose, but make us sensitive to the moment at hand. For from thy fertile soil is born the creativity, the life-energy, and the dance, from birthing to birthing. Amen. Poetic Rendition of the Aramaic Lord’s Prayer, Mark Hathaway
*HYMN
To You, O God, All Creatures Sings
17
BENEDICTION
Dante Alighieri, 1265-1321
Strengthen my tongue that it may Convey even one single spark of all Your glory to future generations.
*SUNG RESPONSE (please form a circle)
Weave, weave, weave us together; Weave us together in unity and love. Weave, weave, weave us together, Weave us together, together in love.
*POSTLUDE
Rainbow of Dreams
HKJ
For the safety and comfort of all, please wear a mask. Thank you!
Circle of Concern: Joyce Lee, Christopher and Dana, Ann Quinn who is under Hospice Care, William Owen-Cowan, Jen Degroot, Carolyn Moore, Maggie Brizendine, Janet Hall, Yoko Nogami walking the Appalachian Trail, All those suffering from COVID-19 and all healthcare workers, Schools: Students, families, teachers, and staff.
Announcements
Facebook Live The 10:30 a.m. service is being streamed on Facebook Live.
See Weekly Update at the church website for information about: Gubernatorial Forum on Environmental Issues, a Sierra Club program about how to talk about climate change, Sabbatical plans for Rev. Wells.
Water Petitions Petitions are available to sign to get the Right to Clean and Healthy Waters on the ballot as a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution. You are welcome to get others to fill out these petitions and then bring them back to church to be sent in.
Sunflowers If you would like to bring sunflowers for the altar, please inform Rev. Wells or the Church Office.
Special Offering May 22 Next Sunday there will be a special offering for funds to be used to purchase anti racism books for children and youth for the South Branch Library. This is an extension of the project purchasing books for Maximo and Fairmount Park Elementary Schools. The cost of purchasing a set of books for the library is $1,000.
Operation Attack OA needs donations of cereal/oatmeal, mac and cheese, pasta sauce, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, soup, and vegetables. Donations may be placed on the shelf in the hallway at church.
Toiletries for Celebrate Outreach Celebration Outreach has an ongoing need for men’s and women’s underwear. (Men sizes 30, 32,34 and Women’s sizes 5,6, 7,8.) Also in high demand are socks of all kinds /sizes for both men & women. Other needed items are Deodorant & disposable razors.
CHURCH STAFF Pastor– Kim Wells Music Director– Hilton Jones Nursery Attendant-Claudia Rodriguez
Lakewood United Church of Christ 2601 54th Ave. S. St. Petersburg, FL 33712 727-867-7961 lakewooducc@gmail.com Lakewooducc.org On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga
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 Wednesday. Please provide the information in paragraph form with pertinent details and links. THANK YOU!
This Sunday, May 15th, LUCC is celebrating Earth Sunday. In addition to celebrating our relationship with our Mother Earth, the Creation Justice ministry of the church will be highlighted. LUCC has a strong commitment to environmental justice and to caring for Creation. Be part of the celebration on Sunday!
Childcare is provided at all Sunday services.
If you would like to provide sunflowers for Sunday worship, please contact the Church Office. 727-867-7961 or lakewooducc@gmail.com
The service will be streamed live on Facebook and then posted on the church’s YouTube channel.
Masks are required at in-person worship.
PLEASE NOTE: Given the warming temperatures, the windows and doors of the sanctuary will be closed and the air conditioning will be on. Masks are still mandatory and there will be singing.
If you do not feel comfortable in those circumstances, please join in worship on Facebook live. There are instructions below.
Anti Racism Books Provided to Area Youth
LUCC received a matching grant of $500 from the Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ to pay for anti racism books to be provided for each classroom at Maximo Elementary School, the school nearest the church. The grant was matched by a family in the church. An additional donation was received from a church member that is funding a similar set of books for Fairmount Park Elementary School, another nearby St. Pete elementary school. The schools selected the books and ordered the age appropriate books for each class. And the church has paid for the books.
The church has also reached out to the South Branch Library and they, too, are interested in expanding their collection of anti racism books for children. They plan to purchase books based on the list selected by the elementary schools. To fund the books for the library, the additional generosity of the congregation is needed. All are invited to donate for this project on Sunday May 22. There will be a special offering with envelopes provided. Only $1,000 is needed. With these funds, the set of anti racism books will be provided to the South Branch Library. Think about how you are being led to contribute to this important initiative to help to create an anti racist community. Your generosity will be a blessing! It is so beautiful that a project for one school has expanded to a second school and to a library thanks to the wonderful generosity of the congregation!
Amendment Protecting the Right to Clean and Healthy Waters
There is an initiative to have an amendment on the Florida ballot which would protect the right to safe water in Florida. It is called “The Right to Clean and Healthy Waters.” For this initiative to appear on the ballot, petitions are needed. There are copies at the church. You may sign the petition and leave it at church to be sent in. Better yet, sign it, leave it, and take a stack with you. Get others to sign. Then bring them back to church to be sent in. For the full text of the proposed amendment, see https://initiativepetitions.elections.myflorida.com/InitiativeForms/Fulltext/Fulltext_2202_EN.pdf. As a Creation Justice church, LUCC is committed to advocacy for the environment.
Climate Change – Can We Talk about It?
The Sierra Club is sponsoring a workshop on how to talk about climate change. It will be on Monday May 23 at 7:00 p.m. This is the most important issue that humanity is facing and yet so many times, we don’t know what to say. This training will help with story telling about climate change. Here’s a link to more information and sign up: https://lakewooducc.org/2022/05/12/how-to-talk-about-climate-change/
Sabbatical Speakers
Rev. Kim Wells and spouse, Jeff, will be gone for several months this year walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. This is an opportunity for much needed renewal and reflection. While Kim is away, the advisors would like to have people from the congregation speak in worship each week. As the Wells’ journey through Spain, this is an opportunity for people in the congregation to share a portion of their faith journey. Those who may be interested in sharing in this way are asked to speak with Kim. There will be training offered to help in preparation for those who are willing to speak. Please give serious consideration to sharing with your church family in this way.
Sundays Ahead
May 22 will be an examination of the concept, “The Lord Is My _________.” Fill in the blank! The psalmist says shepherd. What would you say?
May 29 there will be “Food for Thought.” Take a look at Acts 11:1-18.
June 5 is Pentecost, the Festival of the Holy Spirit. Don’t forget to wear red!
Congratulations, Graduate!
LUCC student, Zachary Blair-Andrews is graduating summa cum laude from the Judy Genshaft Honors College at USF this Saturday, May 7, with a degree in political science and public administration. Congratulations to Zach! There’s an exciting future ahead!
As a Creation Justice church, LUCC supports voting for candidates who are willing to tackle climate change with bold initiatives and policies.
LUCC Constitution and Bylaws
There is a task force working on a revision of the church’s bylaws. There are a variety of changes that need to be made to reflect current realities in the church and to lean into a strong future. There will be wider conversation and experimentation as part of the process. Many thanks to Patti Cooksey and Sally Purvis for working on this.
How to Help Ukraine
The local Ukrainian Catholic Church is sponsoring humanitarian aid. There are more details at their website: https://www.epiphanyukrch.com
Celebrate Outreach is a local ministry with people who are living without shelter in St. Petersburg. An average of 135 people are served each week. LUCC was asked to collect toiletries to be distributed to the community at the meals that are provided on Saturday and Sundays each week. This collection will be ongoing in addition to the food being collected for Operation Attack. All are invited to donate the following items:
Celebration Outreach has an ongoing need for men’s and women’s underwear. Men sizes 30, 32,34 Women’s sizes 5,6, 7,8. Also in high demand are socks of all kinds /sizes for both men & women. Other needed items are Deodorant & disposable razors.
Toothbrushes, toothpaste, disposable razors, bar soap, wash cloths, deodorant, feminine hygiene items, travel size creams, shampoo, body wash, individual packets of Kleenex, hand wipes, toilet tissue, and paper towels are always needed as well.
Many thanks to Janet Blair and Jim Andrews for taking the donations to Celebrate Outreach.
Inkjet Recycling
The church is continuing to collect used inkjet cartridges. They are sent to a recycler and the church receives payment for the cartridges provided. So, don’t throw out your cartridges. Bring them to church. Not only do they get recycled but they provide income for the ministry of the church.
Guided Labyrinth Walks
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.
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 labyrinth is on the church grounds near the southwest corner of the church property. It is available for use at all times.
OA needs donations of cereal/oatmeal, mac and cheese, pasta sauce, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, soup, and vegetables.Donations may be placed on the shelf in the hallway at church.
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.
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!
On Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. please use the link above to visit our homepage. There, after using the link, you will see a section labeled “Happening Now”. This is our Livestream of the Sunday Service.
To watch the live stream, locate and click the “watch video” button in the lower right corner of the screen.
If the link above is not working, there is also a link to our Facebook page on our website. Please try that link located on the Home page of our website.
For the above church website links, please note the “Older Posts” button near the bottom of each page.
You can stream Hilton’s music and videos for free at hiltonkeanjones.com/look-listen/ as well as purchase his CDs and digital albums there.
May Birthdays: Mark Gibson 5/2, Nina Moore 5/2, Angela Wells-Bean 5/7, Emily Gibson 5/8, Julian Michael Ricciardi 5/9, Colleen Coughenour 5/11, Jen DeGroot 5/12, Christy Martin 5/15, Bill Parsons 5/16, Deanna Moore 5/19, Danielle Hintz 5/25 Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information..
Circle of Concern:
Joyce Lee
Christopher and Dana
William Owen-Cowan
Jen Degroot
Carolyn Moore
Ann Quinn is now under Hospice care
Maggie Brizendine
Janet Hall
Yoko Nogami walking the Appalachian Trail
All those suffering from COVID-19 and all healthcare workers
